The five tier lists published during the WoW Forever beta put Paladin and Mage at the top, Hunter and Mage first to level and Protection Paladin first to tank. But they all rank a beta capped at level 30, and Blizzard keeps changing the classes until launch on November 4: the best class in WoW Forever is the one you will want to play for a hundred hours.
Here is why the class you love is a safe pick, how to choose it, and, for players who want to optimize, what the five lists agree on.
Why the class you love is the right pick
- The lists rank a beta, not the game. The beta has been capped at level 30 since October 1 and ends on October 21, and no list has level 60 data. LFCarry, for one, gives no damage spec an S "until a number exists".
- Blizzard keeps changing the classes. Each Class Deep Dive, the latest on October 7, warns that "class abilities and talents may continue to evolve throughout the beta test and are subject to additional changes". It already has: on October 2, Warriors' critical strikes started giving 100% more Rage, and on October 7 Blizzard removed Elemental Mastery from Elemental Shaman, explaining it could not raise their damage in PvE and keep that talent without making them "much too strong in PvP".
- Blizzard's goal is that every class matters. "Our goal is to cover gaps where they exist without erasing what makes each class unique," it wrote on September 12, with "reasons to value what each class brings to the adventure".
- The gaps on the lists are small. Every one of the nine classes is rated A or better on at least one of the five lists.
- You are not locked into one role. Dual Specialization unlocks at level 40, so a class can keep two talent builds.
Icy Veins gives the same advice: pick the class "you can actually see yourself playing for hundreds of hours", because it is too early to choose one for the damage, healing or threat it deals today. WoW Forever is a game first: a class you enjoy will take you further than a top-tier class you don't.
How to choose your class
Start with what you want to feel in combat, then check the rest.
| Class |
What it is about |
Roles |
| Warrior |
Weapons, Rage and stances, in the thick of the fight |
Tank, damage |
| Paladin |
The Light, seals and plate armor, ready for every role |
Tank, healer, damage |
| Hunter |
A pet at your side, a bow or a gun, traps |
Damage |
| Rogue |
Stealth, poisons and combo points |
Damage |
| Priest |
Light and Shadow: healing, shields, or damage over time |
Healer, damage |
| Shaman |
Totems and the elements, spells and weapons mixed |
Healer, damage |
| Mage |
Frost, Fire and Arcane, the right spell for the moment |
Damage |
| Warlock |
Demons, curses, Shadow and Fire |
Damage |
| Druid |
Nature and shapeshifting: bear, cat, healer or caster |
Tank, healer, damage |
Then:
- Pick a playstyle. Melee or ranged, weapons or spells, alone or with a pet (Hunter, Warlock), in the open or from stealth (Rogue, and the Druid in cat form).
- Pick a role. Tanks and healers find a dungeon group faster; damage is open to all nine classes.
- Play with your friends. A class your group needs, on the same faction as them, beats any ranking. The race and class combinations show which races can play each class, and racials what each race adds.
- Try before you commit. Build your talents in our talent calculator, from the Paladin to the Mage, and read the class guide linked in the table above. Our guide to the nine classes sums up what changed for each one, and our BiS lists show the gear to aim for.
What the five tier lists say
If you want to optimize, here is what the lists published between September 23 and October 8 agree on.
- The safest pick: Paladin. It is in the top tier of three of the four overall lists (RankedBoost, Skycoach and Overgear), which credit it with three roles: tank, healer and damage. Gamer-Guides is the exception, with Paladin in B.
- The most consistent: Mage, in S or A on every list, the first class to level for Skycoach and Overgear, and in the top PvP tier for Overgear.
- To level, and for a first character: Hunter. LFCarry ranks it S for leveling with the Mage, Gamer-Guides names it first to level, and Skycoach and Overgear both recommend Beast Mastery to new players.
- To tank: Protection Paladin, first for LFCarry, Skycoach, Overgear and Gamer-Guides, with Protection Warrior second on three of them.
- To heal: those four lists each name a different best healer, but all four rank the Priest among them, and Blizzard calls it "the most versatile healer".
- For PvP: Warlock and Rogue, at the top of both PvP rankings; Overgear adds Mage and Priest.
- The most divisive: Warlock, first on Gamer-Guides' list and in B on Overgear's.
| Class |
Roles |
Where the lists agree |
Where they split |
| Paladin |
Tank, healer, damage |
S on three of four lists; Protection is the top tank |
B on Gamer-Guides; Retribution is A for LFCarry but C for Skycoach |
| Mage |
Damage |
S or A everywhere; a top class to level; Arcane is a top damage spec |
Frost is only B for Skycoach |
| Hunter |
Damage |
S or A everywhere; the class to level and to start with |
Only Overgear puts it in S overall |
| Priest |
Healer, damage |
In every healer ranking; S or A everywhere |
Shadow is B for LFCarry and Overgear |
| Shaman |
Healer, damage |
A on three lists; Restoration is a top healer for Skycoach |
B on Gamer-Guides |
| Warlock |
Damage |
The class to play alone (Skycoach, Overgear); top tier in PvP |
First on Gamer-Guides, B on Overgear; Demonology is D for Skycoach |
| Rogue |
Damage |
Top tier in PvP for Overgear; Subtlety is Gamer-Guides' PvP pick |
A on two lists, B on two |
| Warrior |
Tank, damage |
Protection is the second tank |
A for RankedBoost and Overgear, C for Gamer-Guides; the slowest to level (C for LFCarry); last in Overgear's PvP |
| Druid |
Tank, healer, damage |
The lowest overall: B or C on three lists |
A on Overgear, whose top healer is Restoration Druid; RankedBoost moved it from S to B |
| List |
Date |
Top tier |
Built from |
| RankedBoost |
September 23, updated September 24 |
Paladin, alone in S |
Talent trees, class kits and tests in September |
| Skycoach |
September 30 |
Mage and Paladin; Protection Paladin, Arcane Mage, Affliction Warlock, Restoration Shaman and Holy Priest for the specs |
Beta access, BlizzCon panels and the talent calculator |
| LFCarry |
September 30, updated October 8 |
Mage and Hunter to level, Protection Paladin to tank, Holy Paladin to heal; no damage spec in S |
The nine class kits Blizzard published and the beta changes up to October 2 |
| Gamer-Guides |
September 30 |
Warlock and Priest |
Leveling to 20 in the beta, the talent trees, racials and healer kits |
| Overgear |
September 21, updated October 5; PvP list September 25, updated October 2 |
Mage, Hunter and Paladin; in PvP, Mage, Rogue, Warlock and Priest |
Strength in PvE, utility, role flexibility and specializations |
Why the lists disagree
They were written early, and they measure different things. Four of the five date from before October 1, when the beta went from level 20 to 30, and none has level 60 data. RankedBoost and Overgear weigh what a class brings to a group, so the Paladin, which fills three roles, is in their top tier. Gamer-Guides ranks what it saw while leveling to 20, so the Warlock comes first; its reason is that damage over time can now deal critical strikes.
Blizzard's Class Deep Dives explain several placements:
- Priest: Blizzard writes that "Priests continue to be the most versatile healer", with Penance, Binding Heal and Prayer of Mending as new talents.
- Hunter: every Hunter gets Aimed Shot at level 20, Traps work in combat, and pets now draw stats from the Hunter's gear.
- Druid: potions now work in every form, but Blizzard says its healing is more limited than a Priest's and that it cannot snare, silence or interrupt.
- Warrior: critical strikes give more Rage again, 75% more on September 30, raised to 100% on October 2. Every list but Overgear's and LFCarry's was written before that change.
Eight classes have had their written Deep Dive: the Hunter, Druid, Priest and Warrior on September 30, then the Mage, Shaman, Rogue and Warlock on October 7, after every list but LFCarry's update. The Paladin is the only class still waiting for its own.
