the problem is, most classes do CONSIDERABLY less dps in pvp then pve, for example, i do 5k dps in pve as a lock, and 600 dps in pvp on average. The reason is of course things like cc, moving, and silences and disarms. Now, in the case of a prot warrior, they have so many abilities that they can all but ignore any of those things, stay next to their opponent, and spell reflect or block anything that would stop them. Therefore, their pvp dps is much much closer to their pve dps when compared to say, a prot pally who has to avoid being kited do to lack of a range closer or a Bear druid who is easily cc'd after beserk.

Here's the thing that makes PVP Prot so deadly right now. Get 2 pieces of T10 gear for the +20% damage to shield slam. Add to that lots of strength/ArP for other pieces that boost your shield blocking. You can do 20k crits with Shield Slam when you have Shield Block on. With Sword And Board that can make it refresh almost right after (if lucky), you have another huge shield slam coming (with +10% to the block rating if glyphed). Add to that the dispel effect from Shield Slam (not that useful, but I once knocked an Innervate out of a resto druid that was nearly out of mana).

And that's just for their damage spikes, add to this their stuns, disarms, ranged silence, melee silence to school shut down, daze (which gives heroic strike bonus damage and slows the target), sunder armor, chance of a free stun with Charge/Revenge that are not in the DR table of other stuns, and can be a free interrupt.

Also have Vigilance which reduces damage target by a friend, and Intervene which allows you to take a hit (combined with spell reflect this can be deadly), and lower the damage taken by the friend.

Warriors are OP when played well, they suck in bad hands.

@Butts:

"chance of a free stun with Charge/Revenge that are not in the DR table of other stuns"

Are you sure about that? I'm almost positive I've had Charge stuns come off as DR-immune on Faction Champs, and I respecced out of the Revenge stun specifically to avoid any possibility of Anub adds going stun-immune for TotGC25.

@Sleutel

The stun from Charge doesn't start DR nor is affected by it. This way your Concussion Blow or Shockwave isn't halved because you charged (or the arms warrior in your group) charged the target.

CB and SW are part of controlled stuns. The talented Revenge stun has a proc rate which, while it is a good proc rate, isn't guaranteed and this puts it in the uncontrolled stun DR category.

There's a writeup at WoWWiki but I'm not sure how up to date it is or how up to date I am (controlled stuns are labeled simple as "stun" and uncontrolled are "stun proc"): http://www.wowwiki.com/Diminishing_Returns

@GrumblyStuff:

Guess that's what I get for trusting that my tank lead knew what he was talking about. :D

"Warriors are OP when played well"

every class is OP when played well. you realize that prot is the only spec that stands any chance what so ever in pvp for warriors don't you? sure arms still has great burst, and mild survivability in full season 7 gear, but in most situations arms/fury gets raped by just about every class compared to how the other classes themselves fare in pvp. which is why a lot of warriors have, and are switching to prot for pvp. because it allows us to live longer than 3-5 seconds when even one on one with any other class than another warrior.

if they nerf protection warriors down to what some people that play certain classes say they should be (cough.. rogues.. cough warlocks). then it's more or less blizzard telling us "sorry. your supposed to be free kills in pvp. now be good little foot soldiers, and go die as quickly as you can to make our rogue, and caster overlords happy!"