WoW Forever Tier List: Best Classes for Solo and Group

THE SHORT TAKE Every class works in WoW Forever. Hunter scores highest overall (9 out of 10). Mage, Warlock, Paladin and Priest follow at 8. Hunter, Mage and Warlock are the smoothest picks for playing alone. Paladin, Priest and Hunter shine most in groups. Priest looks strongest for endgame raids.

Please read this first. Blizzard balances classes often. Numbers change from one beta build to the next, and they will keep changing after launch. This list is a snapshot of early data, so take it with a grain of salt. It is a guide, not the final word. A class that scores a point or two lower can still be the right class for you. Pick the class you enjoy playing. You will log in more often, learn it better, and have a better time than you would on a “top” class you find boring.

Pick a class for the wrong reason and you can be bored by level 20. So each class below gets points in three areas: playing alone, playing in groups, and endgame raids. You also get the high points of each class, the changes Forever made to it, and the reason behind each score.

How the Points Work

Each class earns up to 10 points in three areas. The number next to the class name is its total, which is the average of the three scores, rounded to the nearest whole number.

Area	What It Covers
Solo	Leveling speed, safety, and how comfortable it is to quest alone
Group	Dungeon damage, tanking, healing, crowd control and party utility
Endgame	Projected level 60 raid value: damage, tanking, healing and raid buffs

Points	What It Means
9 to 10	Standout. A top pick for that area
7 to 8	Excellent. A very strong, safe choice
5 to 6	Solid. Works well, with a few trade-offs

No class scores below 5, because every class has real strengths and every one is fun to play.

About the data. The Solo and Group scores come from the level 30 beta that ran through October. Nobody could test level 60 talents, raid gear or raid bosses, so the Endgame score is a projection. Raids open December 9. We will update the scores once real raid results arrive.

Class Scores at a Glance

Class	Total	Solo	Group	Endgame (projected)	Best Known For
Hunter	9 (8.7)	9	9	8	A pet that fights for you, plus top damage
Mage	8 (8.0)	9	8	7	Area damage, crowd control, portals and free food
Warlock	8 (8.0)	8	8	8	Demons, damage over time and strong utility
Paladin	8 (8.0)	7	9	8	Tanking, healing and damage in one plate-wearer
Priest	8 (8.0)	6	9	9	Top-tier healing, shields and a full support toolkit
Warrior	7 (7.0)	5	8	8	Tough tanking and heavy melee damage
Druid	7 (7.0)	7	7	7	Four play styles in one class
Shaman	7 (6.7)	6	8	6	Totems, healing and strong melee damage
Rogue	6 (6.0)	6	7	5	Stealth and sharp single-target damage

Each Area Ranked

Solo play

Class	Points
Hunter	9
Mage	9
Warlock	8
Paladin	7
Druid	7
Shaman	6
Priest	6
Rogue	6
Warrior	5

Group play

Class	Points
Hunter	9
Paladin	9
Priest	9
Mage	8
Warlock	8
Warrior	8
Shaman	8
Druid	7
Rogue	7

Endgame raids (projected)

Class	Points
Priest	9
Hunter	8
Warlock	8
Paladin	8
Warrior	8
Mage	7
Druid	7
Shaman	6
Rogue	5

What Forever Changed for Every Class

Forever is not a copy of the old game. Blizzard rebuilt talent trees, added new abilities, and moved some old ones earlier in the level range. A few changes touch all classes:

• New and reworked talents. Every class got a mix of new, changed and unchanged talents (table below).
• Retraining at a trainer. You change talents at a class trainer in a major city. Dual Specialization unlocks at level 40.
• Raid-wide buffs. Several group buffs now reach the whole raid, including Battle Shout, Trueshot Aura, Leader of the Pack, Moonkin Aura and most key totems.
• Stand still to shoot. Wands and Auto Shot now need you to stand still for half a second before firing.
• Gold talents. Each tree now has big “gold medal” talents at fixed point milestones, such as 16, 21 and 31 points.

Class	New Talents	Changed Talents	Unchanged	Total
Warrior	11	30	13	54
Paladin	20	18	14	52
Hunter	15	16	19	50
Rogue	10	25	18	53
Priest	14	27	12	53
Shaman	15	25	10	50
Mage	6	32	16	54
Warlock	23	26	3	52
Druid	15	23	14	52

Warlock has the most new talents (23), and Paladin comes second (20). Mage has the most changed talents (32).

Class by Class

Hunter (9)

Area	Points	Why
Solo	9	Your pet takes the hits while you shoot from range. Beast Mastery is the easiest class to level, and you rarely stop to eat or drink.
Group	9	Marksmanship and Beast Mastery are top damage specs in dungeons, and Trueshot Aura boosts the whole party.
Endgame	8	Survival led the damage sims in late beta tests, but those numbers assume ideal single-target melee weaving. Raid results may differ, and Sniper Shot at level 60 is untested.

High points

• Taming unique pets is one of the best parts of the whole game.
• Pets got stronger, and Trueshot Aura is now raid-wide.
• Because Hunter is so popular, expect competition for group spots. That shows how much people love it.

What is new in Forever

• Aimed Shot for everyone. All Hunters learn it at level 20.
• Traps work in combat. The cooldown is 30 seconds. Fire and Frost traps now have separate cooldowns, and you can keep one of each active.
• Cooldown changes. Arcane Shot no longer shares a cooldown with Aimed Shot. Multi-Shot now shares one with it.
• Pets got bigger changes. Pet stats now grow with the Hunter’s gear. Foxes are a new pet family with Trickster’s Dance. Every family has a signature move, such as Bear Swipe, Boar Charge and Wolf Furious Howl. Pets also gain Expertise and use the better of your melee or ranged crit chance.
• Beast Mastery: new Summon Hawk (an instant hit plus a hawk for 18 seconds, up to 2 at once) and Focused Fire.
• Marksmanship: new Lone Wolf (+20% damage with no pet), Careful Aim, Rapid Killing, and the Sniper Shot gold talent (45-yard range, and it extends the next 3 shots by 10 yards).
• Survival: new Strider Kick (instant attack plus 30% speed for 3 seconds), Lacerating Strikes (Mongoose Bite adds a 21-second Bleed), Resourcefulness and Predator’s Edge. Wyvern Sting and Killer Instinct were removed.

Good to know: Sniper Shot and other top tools sit past level 30, so scores may shift at launch.

Mage (8)

Area	Points	Why
Solo	9	Frost is a standout leveler, with strong area damage, crowd control, and free food and water. It asks for more active play than a Hunter.
Group	8	Portals, food, water, Polymorph and area damage make a Mage welcome anywhere. Rankings for its damage specs vary, with Fire and Arcane scoring better in some.
Endgame	7	Fire and Arcane look strong in sims. Frost is lower for raids. Early sims only tested single targets, so Mage may look better once raids open.

High points

• Top area damage, so big pulls of enemies melt fast.
• Frost Nova, Polymorph and Blink give you many ways to stay out of trouble.
• Conjured food and water, plus portals, make you welcome in any party.

What is new in Forever

• Arcane Blast. A new build-up spell that stacks up to 4 times, setting up stronger follow-ups, especially with Arcane Missiles. Missile Barrage was moved to the first talent row.
• Frost Blast. A new spell learned at level 24 that slows enemies by 40%.
• Frost combos. Winter’s Chill and Fingers of Frost now feed Ice Lance and Cone of Cold.
• Fire streaks. Heating Up (the Fire streak system, renamed from Hot Streak) builds toward faster Pyroblast casts. Fire Blast crits add extra charges.
• Counterspell. Improved Counterspell now gives a guaranteed short Silence instead of a chance at a longer one.
• Fire polish. Critical Mass can take up to 5 points. Fire Power was redesigned.

With 32 changed talents, Mage has more reworks than any other class, so its scores are the most likely to move at launch.

Good to know: Drinking between fights adds some downtime on the way up.

Warlock (8)

Area	Points	Why
Solo	8	Demons tank for you and damage over time keeps working while you move. Affliction is the best sustain caster for leveling.
Group	8	Demonology is the strongest dungeon spec for the class. Summons and Healthstones are favorites in a party.
Endgame	8	Demonology topped early damage sims, and Affliction and Destruction sit in the strong range. Summons and Healthstones are raid staples.

High points

• Your demon fights beside you, and Life Tap and Drain Life help you recover without a healer.
• Summons and Fear make you a favorite in a party.
• Few classes feel as self-sufficient.

What is new in Forever

• The most new talents of any class. 23 new and 26 changed, with only 3 left the same.
• Pandemic. Gives a large crit bonus to Corruption, Banes, Drain spells and other damage over time effects (reported).
• Drain Hope. A new channeled Shadow spell that boosts your other Shadow damage over time on the target (reported).
• Damage over time can crit. Malevolence lets your damage over time effects land critical strikes.
• Reach talents. Affliction and Destruction both gained range talents, and Shadow Mastery got stronger.
• Pets. Aggressive Mode came back, and Soul Link works on your pet in Demonology.
• Hellfire can now crit.

Paladin (8)

Area	Points	Why
Solo	7	Durable, with strong self-sustain. Retribution is a safe leveler, just a touch slower than the ranged classes.
Group	9	Protection is the top-ranked tank in early lists, Holy heals well, and blessings help everyone.
Endgame	8	Protection leads early tank rankings, Retribution sits in the strong damage group, and Holy is a solid healer. Few classes can swap roles between raid nights.

High points

• Plays tank, healer or melee damage with one set of plate.
• Blessings now last one hour.
• Holy Strike and Consecration arrive early, so leveling plays better than it did in the old version.

What is new in Forever

• Holy Strike. An instant Holy weapon attack that is now a baseline ability, learned at level 6.
• Consecration arrives at level 20.
• Judgement no longer uses up your seal.
• Protection: Seal of Fury puts a taunt on Judgement. Templar’s Bulwark is an emergency absorb for 100% of max health (and applies Forbearance). Redoubt triggers on any damaging melee hit. Shield Specialization can restore mana. Reckoning stores up to 4 extra attacks.
• Holy: Voice of Truth gives a short window of Silence and Interrupt immunity. Light’s Vigil makes a marked target’s next Holy Shock free of cooldown. Illumination now refunds about half the mana, and Holy Strike cooldown was cut to 10 seconds.
• Retribution: seal twisting is part of the play style, Vengeance now works from non-periodic crits and stacks to 3, and Sacred Arbiter boosts Holy Strike by 20%.
• Salvation is no longer exclusive with other blessings, and the new Revoke ability lets players remove it.

Paladin has the second most new talents of any class (20).

Good to know: Holy showed slightly lower raw healing numbers than other healers in early tests. Its tank healing and blessings were still praised.

Priest (8)

Area	Points	Why
Solo	6	Shields and self-heals keep you safe. Leveling is slower, since kills take longer and the class leans on shields and your wand.
Group	9	Discipline is a top healer in early rankings, and Holy is right behind. Shields, Penance and Prayer of Mending give you control over every fight.
Endgame	9	Raids always need strong healers, and both healing specs rank near the top. Rankings differ on which one leads, but Priest holds a top spot either way.

High points

• Discipline brings Penance and damage-preventing shields.
• Holy offers a deep toolkit of direct heals, and Prayer of Mending is a favorite.
• Shadow gets Devouring Plague as a baseline ability.
• A full support package makes a Priest welcome in any dungeon.

What is new in Forever

• Penance (Discipline): a channeled spell that heals an ally or damages an enemy.
• Divine Aegis (Discipline): critical heals grant an absorb shield.
• Prayer of Mending and Litany of Light (Holy): a jumping heal, plus alternating heals that give mana back.
• Meditation now gives 17% mana regeneration while casting at rank 1 (it was 5%).
• Spirit of Redemption lasts 15 seconds (it was 10).
• Devouring Plague can crit and has a 24-second cooldown. Vampiric Embrace has a shorter cooldown and cannot be resisted.
• Dark Inspiration (Shadow) raises the Spirit of you and your party after Mind Blast and Mind Flay.
• Power Word: Shield can overwrite an existing shield, and Gnome Priests get Eureka! working with it.

Many players find the slower solo pace relaxing. Shadow sits in the middle of the damage charts.

Warrior (7)

Area	Points	Why
Solo	5	Leveling depends on gear and weapons, with early rage shortages and more downtime. It levels best with a healer or in dungeons.
Group	8	Protection is the second-ranked tank and Fury is a strong damage spec. Battle Shout helps the whole party.
Endgame	8	Raids want two or more tanks. Protection ranks as a leading raid tank in several forecasts, Fury is strong at cleaving, and Battle Shout is raid-wide.

High points

• Protection has better rage generation now, plus Thunder Clap for area threat.
• Fury and Arms are strong at cleaving through groups.
• Charging in and finishing fights with a great weapon is pure power.
• Warriors get stronger as their gear improves, which rewards the effort.

What is new in Forever

• Rage boosts. Critical hits with basic attacks now grant 100% more Rage (it was 75%).
• Arms: Spearing Strike is a new instant attack that dismounts mounted enemies and hits Giants and Dragonkin harder. Bloodthrill lets melee hits on Rend targets proc Overpower. Improved Slam keeps your swing timer.
• Fury: Raging Blows makes Whirlwind strike with both weapons and lowers the Rage cost of Cleave. Death Wish now adds 5% damage taken instead of cutting armor. Berserker Rage arrives at level 30.
• Protection: Vanguard lets you use Charge in Defensive Stance. Improved Shield Wall now cuts the cooldown instead of adding duration.
• Battle Shout is raid-wide, and Rend and Sunder Armor tap enemies for you.
• Slam is no longer hurt by spell pushback.

Good to know: Shield Slam, the big Protection threat talent, does not unlock until level 40. Warrior tanking may look stronger at the level cap than it did in the beta.

Druid (7)

Area	Points	Why
Solo	7	Feral is a safe, flexible leveler. You quest as a Bear until Cat Form arrives at level 20. Rankings are less certain for this class.
Group	7	Restoration heals well, Bear tanks, and Feral and Balance fill damage roles. It can fill any gap, but no single role leads.
Endgame	7	Guardian led single-target threat in early sims, Restoration is a strong healer, and Leader of the Pack is raid-wide. Cat and Balance damage trail for now.

High points

• Four play styles: Balance, Feral Cat, Feral Bear and Restoration.
• Shapeshifting is much smoother now.
• Many key Druid tools arrive after level 30, so Druid has the most room to grow at launch.

What is new in Forever

• Smoother forms. Most potions and many consumables work without leaving your form. Racial abilities, weapon enchants and most doors work in form too. You become immune to Disarm in every shapeshift form.
• Baseline abilities. Revive at level 12, Nature’s Grasp at level 10, and Omen of Clarity at level 20. Barkskin works in form, Entangling Roots works indoors, and Hurricane lost its cooldown.
• Lacerate at level 42 is a new Bear bleed that stacks 5 times and builds strong threat.
• Shifting Power (new Feral talent) swaps mana for 40 Energy, a new way to power-shift. Bear-weaving is gone.
• Berserk is a new 31-point Feral talent: 15 seconds of strong cooldown power, with fear immunity, usable in Bear and Cat forms.
• Primal Bite replaces Mangle as the big Feral strike, and its threat roughly doubled.
• Wild Growth (31-point Restoration talent) puts a heal over time on the whole party for 7 seconds. Swiftmend no longer uses up your Rejuvenation or Regrowth.
• Balance: new Insect Swarm, Eclipse, Genesis and Nature’s Majesty. Moonkin Form now gives a party-wide crit bonus.
• Thick Hide was redesigned, so Druid tanks now gain from Defense gear like other tanks.

Shaman (7)

Area	Points	Why
Solo	6	Enhancement is a fun leveler with self-healing and Ghost Wolf. Mana is a challenge before level 30, and damage improves at levels 25 and 30.
Group	8	Enhancement is a top dungeon damage spec in early lists, Restoration heals well, and totems help the whole party.
Endgame	6	Key totems now reach the whole raid, so raids need fewer Shamans just for buffs. Restoration stays a valued healer. Elemental and Enhancement damage are still being proven.

High points

• Totems are much easier to use.
• Enhancement now plays like a two-handed lightning-weaving melee spec, and Windfury procs feel great.
• Restoration brings Chain Heal and Riptide, and it is one of the top healers in some early rankings.
• Ghost Wolf and self-healing make solo play comfortable.

What is new in Forever

• Easier totems. Drop four with one button, save totem sets, and enjoy longer buff times. Grace of Air, Strength of Earth, Windfury and Flametongue Totems now reach the whole raid.
• Elemental: Lava Burst is now a talent that does extra damage when Flame Shock is on the target. Call of Flame also boosts Flame Shock and Fire Nova. Elemental Mastery returned as a 31-point talent. Chain Lightning costs about 35% less mana.
• Enhancement: Maelstrom Weapon is new, so melee hits speed up and cheapen your next Lightning Bolt. Stormstrike changed to boost your own Nature damage. Spirit Weapons ties parry and threat to Rockbiter.
• Restoration: Water Shield is new. Riptide can crit. Mana Tide Totem gets a new rank at level 38.
• Improved Ghost Wolf works indoors.

Good to know: The Endgame score is the one most likely to rise if raids show that Shaman damage and healing are stronger than early sims suggest.

Rogue (6)

Area	Points	Why
Solo	6	Strong burst and stealth, but leveling is slower because you stay in melee and have no self-heals.
Group	7	Assassination and Combat have strong single-target damage and shine on bosses. Kick, Blind and Kidney Shot add control. Packs of enemies are harder.
Endgame	5	Opinions split. Some rankings put Assassination and Combat in the strong range, while sims put most Rogue specs in the middle of the pack. Rogues bring fewer raid-wide buffs, so there is room to climb once raid results arrive.

High points

• Stealth lets you skip fights you do not want and pick your moment.
• Assassination and Combat lead the melee damage specs in dungeons. Subtlety brings strong burst after stealth.
• Lockpicking and pickpocketing add flavor no other class has.
• No mana to manage.

What is new in Forever

• Mutilate is a new dual-wield attack that gives 2 combo points and hits harder on poisoned targets.
• Venom is a new finisher that boosts poison damage and application.
• Restless Blades (Combat): damaging finishers reduce the cooldowns of Adrenaline Rush, Blade Flurry, Evasion and Vanish.
• Cutthroat (Subtlety): Backstab can make the next Ambush work without stealth.
• Weapon Expertise now lowers enemy Dodge and Parry instead of boosting weapon skill.
• Improved Expose Armor costs less Energy and refunds a combo point, though it no longer adds armor reduction.
• Poisons no longer fire against enemies that are attacking you.

Best Specs for Group Roles

Role	Top Picks	Also Strong
Tank	Protection Paladin	Protection Warrior, Guardian Druid
Healer	Discipline Priest, Restoration Shaman	Holy Priest, Restoration Druid, Holy Paladin
Damage	Survival Hunter, Marksmanship Hunter, Beast Mastery Hunter, Demonology Warlock	Fury Warrior, Fire Mage, Arcane Mage, Retribution Paladin, Enhancement Shaman, Assassination Rogue

Not every spec is ranked in the early data. Specs missing from this table are not weak. They just have less testing so far.

Tank snapshot. Early beta sims measured how well each tank holds enemies (threat per second, single target):

Tank Spec	Threat per Second
Guardian Druid	1,750
Protection Paladin	1,532
Protection Warrior	1,390

Threat is only one part of tanking. These sims do not measure survival, and rankings that look at the full job place Protection Paladin first and Protection Warrior second. Raid fights will show how the tanks compare.

Healer snapshot. Healing is not covered by the damage sims yet, so healer picks lean on spec design and beta play. Rankings differ on whether Discipline or Holy Priest leads, but both land near the top. Restoration Shaman, Restoration Druid and Holy Paladin follow closely.

The Most Fun Classes

Raw power is only half of the story. Fun is the other half. Many players rank Shaman and Hunter at the top for fun thanks to satisfying combat and class fantasy. Paladin, Mage, Warlock and Druid come close. Every class has a fun side, which is why every score on this page stays at 5 or higher.

Which Class Fits You?

If You Want	Try
The smoothest solo leveling	Hunter, Mage or Warlock
To be wanted in every dungeon	Paladin or Priest
To pick any role later	Druid, Paladin or Shaman
Stealth and sharp damage	Rogue
A strong tank or heavy melee	Warrior or Paladin
Big heals with a fun kit	Shaman or Priest

What Could Change at Launch

• Level 60 talents and raid gear were not in the beta.
• Raids open on December 9, and raid results will move the Group and Endgame scores.
• Blizzard keeps tuning classes, including damage, cooldowns and talent positions. Several numbers changed between beta builds.
• Race matters too. The Skyborne race needs a paid pack, so check the cost article before you buy.
• Points are a guide. The best class is the one you enjoy.

Questions Players Ask

What is the best class in WoW Forever? There is no single best class. Hunter has the highest total score (9). Hunter, Mage and Warlock lead for playing alone. Paladin, Priest and Hunter lead for groups. Priest leads in projected endgame value.

What is the best class for solo leveling? Hunter and Mage score highest (9), with Warlock close behind (8). Hunter is the easiest to learn.

What is the best class for dungeons? Hunter, Paladin and Priest score 9. Mage, Warlock, Warrior and Shaman follow at 8.

Which class is easiest for beginners? Hunter. The pet protects you, and you attack from a safe distance.

Did classes change from Classic? Yes. Every class got new talents, new abilities and reworked trees. Warlock and Paladin have the most brand-new talents, and Mage has the most changed ones.

Is Warrior good in WoW Forever? Yes. Warrior scores 8 in groups and 8 for endgame. Protection is a top-two tank, and Fury is a strong damage spec. It needs good gear, so early leveling is a little slower.

Is Mage good in groups? Yes. Mage scores 8 in groups for strong damage, area damage, crowd control, portals, food and water.

Is Rogue good in WoW Forever? Yes, especially in dungeons (7). Its endgame score is lower for now (5) because early sims place it mid-pack, but that is likely to change once raids open.

Which class is best for a healer? Priest, with strong Discipline and Holy options. Restoration Shaman, Restoration Druid and Holy Paladin are close.

Which class is best for a tank? Protection Paladin leads in early rankings, with Protection Warrior second and Guardian Druid right in the mix on threat.

What do the points mean? Each class gets up to 10 points for solo play, group play and endgame. The total is the average of the three. Endgame is a projection because no one has raided at level 60 yet.

Will the scores change? Yes. Blizzard balances often, raids open December 9, and level 60 content was not tested in the beta. Expect the Endgame points to move first.

Should I pick my class from a tier list? No. Use it as a guide, then pick the class you enjoy most. Fun matters more than a point or two. Blizzard is likely to bring classes that are lower down the line post release so your class or spec is likely to bounce back.