Good news, I got my mount. Bad news, I learned the hard way that one can’t use abilities from a mount. So I think now’s as good a time as any to start replacing abilities on the castbar with Macro versions. But while I was in the process, I started musing on a bit of an issue for me: I’m not very good at macros, and I don’t quite have the full keyboard dexterity I used to have back in the day with this newer laptop. So I had a couple of questions for macros in general as well as warrior-specific.
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I know Cancel Aura is a thing, but is there a way to set macros to be combat-state dependent? For example, if not in combat, pop Battle Stance and Charge. If in combat, pop Berserker Stance and Intercept. Or is that a bit too complicated?
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Weapon swap macros. I know there’s a few that equip shields for the interrupt, but should I put in lines to swap back to other weapons for everything else as a contingency? Or would it be easier to just keep the two-handed weapon on one of the action bars and click it instead? I feel like having macros swapping back to two-handed every time I have to use an offense ability would be a detriment to tanking.
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Other context-sensitive macros. I know Retaliation and Shield Wall (I think that’s what that one is called, the one that requires a shield to wear in defensive stance…) share a cooldown of thirty minutes. Making a macro that simply says ‘If battle stance, retaliation. If shield equipped, defensive stance/shield wall’ might be an easy thing. But what other context-sensitive abilities should I consider, and how might they work? Could I possibly do one for Overpower perhaps?
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What other macros might seem really good that I can’t think of? I’d love to hear examples.
I apologize if this is a lot of text. Just I’m a bit of a scrub with macros in general.
TLDR: Macro Scrub. Send Macros. Yay.
If you want to be able to auto-dismount before using an ability, take a look at the Leatrix Plus addon. There is an option there that will auto-dismount or auto-standup your character if you use a skill.
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I use the addon dismounter. Any action that I make while mounted will dismount me. You have to do it twice in order do something (one to dismount and other to use the ability) but it’s better than a macro
There’s a simple addon called LetMeCast that will dismount you automatically if you try to cast an ability while mounted and will make you stand if you try while sitting.
*Edit, Sorry I meant to reply to OP 
Hey if you want a great warrior macro for weapon switching try this one I got off the forums, its a 2h>1h/shield>1hDW Macro that allows you to triple switch with one button press and a shift modifier over to duel wield (no stance swaps required which I like a lot since I like to have control of what weapon style I want not dominating a certain stance)
#showtooltip
/eq [noworn:two-hand,nomod] INSERT NAME OF YOUR 2H WEAPON
/equipslot [worn:two-hand] 16 INSERT NAME OF YOUR MAIN HAND
/eq [noworn:shield,nomod] INSERT NAME OF YOUR SHIELD
/equipslot [mod:shift] 17 INSERT NAME OF YOUR OFF HAND
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Do stance changes invoke the GCD?
Okay, first round of replies for Leonidark, Kronoh, and Iamnotgroot: I’ll have to look into those addons. I’ve been basically rocking only WeakAuras/ClassicTimers and a swing timer with a threat meter. I thought I heard of an auto-dismounter but I guess I’ll have to look over those three specific. I’ve heard good things about LetMeCast though.
Also, Communism, I would assume that clicking that macro twice would swap between sword-and-board mode along with the two-handed weapon, yes? And you hold Shift on it to force the off-hand? Because if that’s how it works that sounds exactly like what I was hoping for. Though I might try to modify it with another option for fishing pole for… Reasons.
Also, Iamnotgroot, I’m actually not sure on GCD on stance changes. Feels like when I swap over to Battle Stance for the overpower, I can get it off fairly quick, but I’m not sure. I’d have to actually see again ingame.
I frequently use a macro that varies based on what stance I’m in. The quick syntax for that is “[stance:x]” so my full CD macro looks like:
#showtooltip
/cast [stance:1] Retaliation
/cast [stance:2] Shield Wall
/cast [stance:3] Recklessness
This lets me have one button for all three abilities based on the required stance.
I also used a spell reflect macro to pop on a shield for PVP which looked like:
#showtooltip spell reflect
/cast spell reflect
/equipslot 16 (weapon link)
/equipslot 17 (shield link)
This cast spell reflect first as a priority but the button also equip’d my shield in the first press. You have to keep it updated as you grab other gear. I just had one button for sword and board and one for 2h. Here is the full list of equipment slots.
| Slot |
Number |
| Head |
1 |
| Neck |
2 |
| Shoulder |
3 |
| Shirt |
4 |
| Chest |
5 |
| Belt |
6 |
| Legs |
7 |
| Feet |
8 |
| Wrist |
9 |
| Gloves |
10 |
| Finger 1 (Top) |
11 |
| Finger 2 (Bottom) |
12 |
| Trinket 1 (Top) |
13 |
| Trinket 2 (Bottom) |
14 |
| Back |
15 |
| Main Hand |
16 |
| Off Hand |
17 |
| Tabard |
19 |
“/use 13” would activate your top trinket also to help you use a specific equip’d item’s CD.
#showtooltip lets you see the ability on hover over and the CD at a glance so I recommend that on every one you make. Using the “?” macro icon will also let it use the normal ability icon.
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Oh, this is absolutely perfect. Thank you very much for this. I was wondering why the stances weren’t quite working for me in macro. I guess I wasn’t using literally Stance:1 then? That and the number system for the equipment helps quite a lot.
right if you just mash the key youll keep switching back and forth, which I find nice since most of the time when I want a switch its to 2h>1h/shield specifically so its pretty helpful, do note tho that if you start spamming between them with the shift mod as well sometimes there is a hiccup where you only equip a shield and no weapon (guess it bugs the macro from 3 inputs idk) so be aware of that.
Also you have some complicated questions Id like to answer but can’t but I have more simple macros I use that simplify my life as warrior that you may or may not be using now
#showtooltip Taunt
/startattack
/cast Defensive Stance
/cast Taunt
this allows me to quickly switch to defensive stance and taunt instantly without having to press both, very very good for quick reactions to save someone with taunt I use it a lot.
you also need to switch to certain stances as you know to use certain abilities so macros like:
#showtooltip Shield Bash
/startattack
/equip MAINHANDHERE
/equip SHIELDHERE
/cast Defensive Stance
/cast Shield Bash
are useful to quickly get an interrupt going fast for a dangerous spell (note stance dancing drains rage I highly recommend you go arms and grab the tactical mastery talent to help you stance dance while retaining previously earned rage in another stance.
finally more simple macros that I use for every spell:
#showtooltip
/startattack
/Cast Overpower
/Cast Battle Stance
the /startattack I like to attach to all my simple macros because it allows you to start auto attacking on press so if I dont have the spell up (lets say its overpower or I write it for charge instead ill just start auto attacking if I dont have the ability to cast the spell). it also allows you to switches stances accordingly so make a habit of macro’ing all your stance specific spells to a certain stance, this is more simple but wanted to put it here in case you wanted simple macros as well.
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Correction If your stance Dance involves weapon swap then yes.
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Nope. A ton of my abilities are stance swappers. Means a warrior can immediately pummel a cast from battle stance.
Weapon swapping will invoke the GCD though so it’s harder to pull off a shield bash.
Another good PvP macro is to fear + bandage.
Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/vala_
Youtube: Vala Thetank
Twitter: @valathetank
Note that if you don’t want to rely on LetMeCast or similar addons, you can just put:
/stand
/dismount
at the beginning of each macro. As with the addons, you’ll still have to hit the button twice in order to perform any actions following the /dismount command.