Classes & races
Dual Wield: Who Can Learn It and Where
Dual Wield is not a default passive, it is a skill you have to train. It changes both your damage and your gearing requirements. Here is who gets it, where it is learned and what it costs you in hit.
◆Who gets it and where
| Class | Access | Where to learn |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | yes, level 20 | class trainer |
| Rogue | yes, level 20 | class trainer |
| Hunter | yes, level 20 | class trainer |
| Shaman | not in 1.12.1 | — |
| All other classes | no | — |
The fee is trivial and there is no requirement beyond level. Note that the weapon master is not involved — they only grant weapon types, see the weapon masters guide.
The price: a hit penalty
Dual wielding adds roughly 19 percentage points of miss to your white attacks. Hence the gap in requirements:
- Two-hander, or one weapon and a shield: hit cap around 8-9%.
- Two weapons: white-attack hit cap around 27-28%.
That makes a dual wield build far more gear hungry. Hit sources and maths are in the hit cap guide; miss and glancing mechanics live in the combat formulas reference.
One important nuance: abilities (Bloodthirst, Heroic Strike, Sinister Strike) take no dual wield penalty. That is why a fury warrior still profits from two fast weapons even below the white cap — more swings, more rage.
Off-hand damage
The off-hand weapon deals roughly half its damage. Warriors improve that with the dual wield specialisation talent, which is why fury runs a pair of fast one-handers. Setups are covered in the warrior talent builds and the PvE rotation guide.
◆Who should use it
- Fury warrior — the main case, two fast one-handers.
- Rogue — always two weapons: dagger and dagger for Backstab, or swords and fist for Sinister Strike. See rogue builds.
- Hunter — levelling and melee insurance only; real damage stays at range.
- Tanks do not want it — a shield gives block and survival, see the armor mitigation guide and threat mechanics.
Before switching to two weapons, check the skill on both types. A new type starts from scratch — grinding is covered in the weapon skills guide, and armour requirements in the mail and plate guide.
Related: rogue poisons, skill training costs, riding skill.
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FAQ
?Which classes can dual wield
Warriors, rogues and hunters. Shamans do not dual wield in 1.12.1; that only arrived in later expansions.
?At what level is dual wield learned
At level 20 from your own class trainer for a small fee. No weapon master is involved; they only handle weapon types.
?Why do I miss so much more with two weapons
Dual wielding adds roughly 19 percentage points to your white-attack miss chance. That is why two weapons need around 27-28% hit while a two-hander is fine with 8-9%.
?How much damage does the off-hand do
About half of its listed damage by default. Warriors raise that with the dual wield specialisation talent, which is why fury builds run two fast weapons.
Related
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