!A character training with a warrior NPC at a magical training dummy

WoW Forever Beta Weapons Skills and Trainers Guide

Weapon skills affect your hit chance and damage with each weapon type. This guide covers how to skill up, where to find trainers, and which weapons to learn for your class.

For broader content, see our Best Skyborne Combinations, Leveling Routes, and Class Tier List articles.

Quick summary: Weapon skills auto-train when you use the weapon. Find trainers in capital cities (e.g., Ironforge has all weapon masters). Best skills to learn: class-relevant (Sword/Mace for Warrior, Staff for Mage, etc.). Cost: 1-10g per skill rank.

How weapon skills work

Skill up mechanics

• Use weapon: +1 skill point per ~10-50 hits
• Train with NPC: Direct skill point purchase
• Auto-train: Some skills level up automatically with use
• Max rank: 300 (level 60 cap)

Skill categories

Category	Max rank	Use
Two-Handed Swords	300	Warrior, Paladin (Ret)
Two-Handed Maces	300	Warrior, Paladin (Ret)
Two-Handed Axes	300	Warrior, Paladin (Ret)
Daggers	300	Rogue, Mage (starting)
Swords	300	Warrior, Paladin, Rogue
Maces	300	Warrior, Paladin, Priest (Disc)
Axes	300	Warrior, Paladin
Staves	300	Mage, Priest, Warlock, Druid
Polearms	300	Warrior
Fist Weapons	300	Rogue (starting), Monk (later)
Bows	300	Hunter
Crossbows	300	Hunter
Guns	300	Hunter
Wands	300	Mage, Priest, Warlock
Thrown	300	Rogue

Weapon trainers (capital cities)

Alliance trainers

Trainer	Location	Specialization
Archibald	Stormwind, Dwarven District	Axe, Crossbow
Ilyenia Moonfire	Stormwind, Old Town	Bow, Dagger
Bixi Wobblebonk	Ironforge, Forlorn Cavern	Gun, Thrown
Woo Ping	Ironforge, Hall of Arms	Polearm, Staff
Iverron	Stormwind, Old Town	Wand

Horde trainers

Trainer	Location	Specialization
Sayoc	Orgrimmar, Valley of Honor	Axe, Bow
Archibald	Undercity, Magic Quarter	Dagger, Thrown
Ansekhwa	Orgrimmar, Valley of Honor	Crossbow, Gun
Hanashi	Orgrimmar, Valley of Honor	Polearm, Staff
Tai’jin	Orgrimmar, Valley of Honor	Sword
Uthel’nay	Orgrimmar, Valley of Spirits	Wand

Neutral trainers (Pandaren)

Trainer	Location	Specialization
Soolaveen	Various	Mace

Best weapons by class

Warrior

Slot	Best weapon	Skill
Main hand	Mighty Two-Handed Sword	Two-Handed Swords
Off hand	One-Handed Sword	Swords
Ranged	Crossbow	Crossbows

Paladin (Retribution)

Slot	Best weapon	Skill
Main hand	Two-Handed Sword	Two-Handed Swords
Off hand	One-Handed Sword	Swords
Ranged	Wand	Wands

Hunter

Slot	Best weapon	Skill
Ranged	Bow	Bows
Melee	Polearm (for BM stings)	Polearms

Rogue

Slot	Best weapon	Skill
Main hand	Dagger	Daggers
Off hand	Dagger	Daggers
Thrown	Throwing weapon	Thrown

Priest

Slot	Best weapon	Skill
Main hand	One-Handed Mace (Disc) or Dagger	Maces / Daggers
Off hand	Wand	Wands

Mage

Slot	Best weapon	Skill
Main hand	Staff	Staves
Off hand	(none)	–

Warlock

Slot	Best weapon	Skill
Main hand	Staff or Wand	Staves / Wands
Off hand	Wand	Wands

Druid

Slot	Best weapon	Skill
Main hand	Staff (caster) or Polearm (melee)	Staves / Polearms

Shaman

Slot	Best weapon	Skill
Main hand	One-Handed Mace or Two-Handed Mace	Maces
Off hand	One-Handed Axe (totem)	Axes

Weapon skill tips

How to skill up quickly

1. Use the weapon constantly — auto-train as you fight
2. Train with NPC for instant skill points (1-10g per rank)
3. Equip weapon in off-hand for dual-wield skill training
4. Run appropriate level mobs — won’t train on under-level mobs

Cost per skill rank

Skill rank	Cost
1-50	1 silver per rank
51-100	5 silver per rank
101-150	25 silver per rank
151-200	1 gold per rank
201-300	5 gold per rank

Total cost 1-300: ~150 gold per weapon type.

Best skills to learn (budget optimization)

1. Class-relevant weapon (always max)
2. Off-hand weapon (for dual-wielders)
3. Ranged weapon (for PvE)
4. PvP weapon (situational)

Weapon progression at level 20

Pre-bis weapons (level 20)

Weapon	Source	Slot
Sharpened Silithid Femur	Quest reward	Dagger (Rogue)
Thrash Blade	Hall of Thanes	Sword (Warrior)
Arena Destroyer	PvP vendor	Off-hand (Warrior)
Alcor’s Sunrazor	Quest reward	Dagger (Mage)
Polished Ironwood Bow	Quest reward	Bow (Hunter)
Smoldering Claw	Quest reward	Polearm (Hunter)

Weapon stats that matter

Stat	Best for
DPS	All classes (raw damage)
Speed	Rogues (faster attack)
+Stats (str, agi, int, stam)	All classes (BiS)
+Skill (weapon skill +X)	Low-level characters

Phase 2 weapon progression (20-30)

New weapons from Excavation Site

Weapon	Source	Slot
Excavator’s Mining Pick	Brogdul rare	2H Axe
Ancient Stone	Quest reward	Polearm
Sealed Titan Fragment	Quest reward	Sword

Pre-bis weapons (level 30)

Weapon	Source	Slot
Volcanic Hammer	Quest reward	2H Mace
Sky Striker Bolt	Quest reward	Gun
Wind Dancer Bow	Quest reward	Bow

Weapon skill macros

Find best weapon skill

“lua /equipslot 16 (main hand) /equipslot 17 (off hand) /dump GetWeaponSkillInfo() “

Auto-equip best weapon

“lua /equipslot 16 item:legendary “

Quick weapon comparison

“lua #showtooltip /equipslot 16 (best weapon) /equipslot 17 (best off-hand) “

Common weapon questions

Do all weapons need training?

Yes — each weapon type requires skill training.

Can I skip training and just use the weapon?

Yes, but you’ll have lower hit chance (skill penalty).

Which weapons are best for my class?

Class-relevant (e.g., Swords for Warrior, Staves for Mage).

Should I buy weapons or use drops?

Buy from vendors for quick replacement. Drops for better stats.

When should I train weapon skills?

Always — invest in weapon skills early.

Can I dual-wield different weapon types?

Yes — e.g., Sword + Dagger.

Common weapon mistakes

Mistake	Cost	Fix
Not training skills	Lost hit chance	Train every 10 levels
Using wrong weapon type	Lower damage	Match class weapon
Selling high-skill weapons	Lost DPS	Keep or vendor
Ignoring weapon stats	DPS loss	Compare stats

Final verdict

Top weapon strategies:

1. Train your class weapon skill to 300 (mandatory)
2. Use class-best weapons (Swords for Warrior, Staves for Mage, etc.)
3. Update weapons every 5-10 levels (replace when better)
4. Train off-hand weapons too (for dual-wielders)
5. Buy from vendors for quick replacements

Best weapon types by class:

• Warrior: Two-Handed Swords / One-Handed Swords
• Paladin: One-Handed Maces
• Hunter: Bows / Polearms
• Rogue: Daggers / Daggers
• Mage: Staves
• Priest: Maces / Wands
• Warlock: Staves / Wands
• Druid: Staves / Polearms
• Shaman: Maces

Whatever your class, weapon skill and weapon choice matter — invest in both.

For more weapon and class info, see our Best Skyborne Combinations, Leveling Routes, Class Tier List, and Dungeon Finder Guide articles.