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World of Warcraft: Forever
WoW Forever race & class tier list
Every Alliance and Horde race and class combo in World of Warcraft: Forever, ranked from S (best) to C, with the best race for each class, the new combos Forever adds and the classes the new Skyborne race can play. Updated from the beta.
The interactive picker filters by role (tank, healer, DPS) and asks a few questions to match you with a class.
Quick answers
Best overall (S tier)
Night Elf Druid, Night Elf Hunter, Human Mage, Human Paladin, Night Elf Rogue, Human Warrior, Tauren Druid, Troll Hunter, Troll Mage, Undead Priest, Undead Rogue, Undead Warlock, Orc Warrior
Best for leveling
Hunter, Warlock, Paladin
Best for dungeons
Protection Warrior, Holy Paladin, Marksmanship Hunter, Combat Rogue, Holy Priest, Restoration Shaman, Fire Mage, Destruction Warlock, Feral (Bear) Druid
Best for raiding
Fury Warrior, Holy Paladin, Marksmanship Hunter, Combat Rogue, Holy Priest, Restoration Shaman, Fire Mage, Destruction Warlock, Restoration Druid
Best for world PvP
Rogue, Mage, Druid
Best for gold making
Druid, Hunter, Rogue
Best class for each activity
The top classes for leveling, gold and each kind of PvP, with the reason. Scores are out of 10.
| Activity | Top classes |
|---|---|
| Leveling | Hunter 10/10: The easiest leveler: the pet tanks and there's almost no downtime. Warlock 9/10: DoTs, a pet tank and Life Tap keep downtime low. Paladin 9/10: Tops the beta 1–20 list. Holy Strike at level 6 and Consecration baseline at 20. |
| Gold making | Druid 10/10: The best gatherer: Travel Form, stealth past mobs and self-healing for herbs and ore. Hunter 10/10: The classic solo farmer: Devilsaur leather, solo dungeons and Feign Death to reset. Rogue 9/10: Lockboxes and pickpocketing, solo Stratholme, and stealth gathering. |
| World PvP | Rogue 10/10: Picks every fight from stealth. Mage 10/10: CC, snares and burst control the fight. Druid 9/10: Stealth, heals and shapeshift escapes. |
| Warsong Gulch | Druid 10/10: The premier flag carrier: Travel Form, shapeshift snare breaks and self-heals. Priest 9/10: Keeps the flag carrier alive. Rogue 8/10: Saps and locks down the enemy carrier. |
| Arathi Basin | Rogue 9/10: Sneaks node caps and saps defenders. Druid 9/10: Stealth caps and fast rotation between nodes. Mage 8/10: AoE and CC hold nodes. |
| Darkspear Islands | Druid 10/10: Fastest flag runner with the best escapes. Rogue 9/10: Ninja caps on spread-out bases. Mage 8/10: Control on bases and the flag. |
| Alterac Valley | Mage 9/10: AoE in the big fights. Warlock 9/10: AoE and Fear in chokepoints. Hunter 9/10: Range plus PvE boss damage. |
| Duels / Arena-style | Rogue 10/10: The best dueling class. Mage 9/10: Kiting and control. Warlock 9/10: Fear, DoTs and a pet. |
Alliance race & class tier list
| Tier | Race & class | Why |
|---|---|---|
| S | Night Elf Druid | Top Feral and Balance sims. Dodge for bear. |
| S | Night Elf Hunter | #1 in the hunter sim. Burst plus Shadowmeld resets. |
| S | Human Mage | #1 mage in the Fire and Frost sims. Also has a stun break. |
| S | Human Paladin | Best Ret sim. The stun break fixes the paladin's biggest weakness. |
| S | Night Elf Rogue | Icy Veins' #1 rogue, and the likely sim leader now that Gnome's Eureka! was nerfed. |
| S | Human Warrior | Sword crit plus a stun break. The best warrior race again after the Gnome nerf. |
| A | Skyborne Druid | Within 1% of Night Elf in both Druid sims. |
| A | Skyborne Hunter | Within 0.3% of Night Elf in the hunter sim. Haste feeds auto-shot. |
| A | Gnome Mage | Still a strong caster kit (mana plus snare break), but the Sept 24 Eureka! nerf drops it below Human. |
| A | Skyborne Mage | Second Alliance race in the Frost sim. Great regen. |
| A | Dwarf Paladin | Maces for Holy/Prot plus Stoneform. Ret is effectively tied with Human. |
| A | Gnome Priestnew in Forever | New combo. Still good for mana, but the Eureka! nerf removed its emergency-heal burst. |
| A | Human Priest | +5% Spirit is the best regen passive for Holy. |
| A | Night Elf Priest | Tied for #1 in the Shadow sim. |
| A | Gnome Rogue | Led both rogue sims before the Eureka! nerf. Still a top PvP escape. |
| A | Dwarf Shamannew in Forever | The Alliance's only Shaman. Mace crit fits every spec. |
| A | Gnome Warlock | Was #1 in the Destruction sim thanks to the old Eureka!. Still good with mana and Escape Artist. |
| A | Human Warlock | Solid, 1.6% behind Gnome. |
| A | Dwarf Warrior | The best pure tank. Stoneform is a free defensive cooldown. |
| A | Gnome Warrior | Led the Fury sim before the Eureka! nerf. 105 rage and Escape Artist are still solid. |
| A | Night Elf Warrior | Icy Veins' and AOEAH's #1 warrior. Sims are within 2%. |
| B | Dwarf Hunter | The best leveling hunter. Raid DPS −1.6%. |
| B | Human Hunternew in Forever | New combo. AOEAH ranks it #2 hunter. Sim −1.3%. |
| B | Dwarf Priest | Mace crit and Stoneform, but no mana help. |
| B | Human Rogue | Good for PvP but last-tier in the rogue sims. |
| B | Skyborne Warrior | Mid-pack in the sims (−2.3%). The value is mostly utility. |
| C | Dwarf Rogue | Last in both rogue sims. |
| C | Skyborne Rogue | Sims around −4.7%. No escape and no burst. |
Horde race & class tier list
| Tier | Race & class | Why |
|---|---|---|
| S | Tauren Druid | The Horde druid, with a run-speed passive that's perfect for questing and flag carrying. |
| S | Troll Hunter | Berserking burst plus +5% vs Beasts. S tier in the hunter sim. |
| S | Troll Mage | Berserking haste and S tier in the Frost sim. |
| S | Undead Priest | #1 in the Shadow sim, and Will of the Forsaken counters fear-heavy PvP. |
| S | Undead Rogue | Best Horde rogue sim and the best PvP racial for rogues. |
| S | Undead Warlock | Best Horde race in the Destruction sim, and Will of the Forsaken breaks fears in PvP. |
| S | Orc Warrior | Blood Fury, Axe Specialization and stun resistance: the classic Horde warrior. |
| A | Windshaper Druid | Haste plus Skysight run speed. Paid race. |
| A | Orc Hunter | Blood Fury adds 10% attack power for big burst windows. |
| A | Tauren Hunter | Endurance's +1% hit and +5% health, plus Plainsrunning for kiting. |
| A | Windshaper Hunter | Haste feeds auto-shot; Skysight speed for kiting. |
| A | Orc Magenew in Forever | New combo. Blood Fury now boosts spell power too. |
| A | Undead Mage | S tier in the Frost sim, plus Will of the Forsaken for PvP. |
| A | Undead Paladinnew in Forever | New combo and the only Horde Paladin. Undead racials fit PvP well. |
| A | Troll Priest | Berserking helps both healing and Shadow. |
| A | Orc Rogue | Blood Fury burst and Hardiness against stunlocks. |
| A | Orc Shaman | Blood Fury boosts both attack and spell power, and axes work for Enhancement. |
| A | Tauren Shaman | #2 in the Enhancement sim, with +1% hit and War Stomp. |
| A | Troll Shaman | Berserking for burst; S tier in the Enhancement sim. |
| A | Orc Warlock | Blood Fury spell power burst; the classic Horde raid warlock. |
| A | Tauren Warrior | The best Horde tank: +5% health, +1% hit and War Stomp. |
| A | Troll Warrior | Berserking attack speed and in-combat regeneration. |
| A | Undead Warrior | Best Horde Fury sim, plus Will of the Forsaken. |
| B | Troll Rogue | Berserking helps, but Undead and Orc have better rogue PvP tools. |
| B | Windshaper Shaman | Haste and run speed, but no combat cooldown. |
| B | Troll Warlocknew in Forever | New combo. Berserking is fine, but Undead and Orc fit warlocks better. |
| B | Windshaper Warrior | Speed and a little haste, but no combat cooldown. |
| C | Windshaper Rogue | Very little that helps a rogue fight. |
Best race for each class
The race that adds the most to each class. Differences are often small: pick the race you like if it's close.
Alliance
| Class | Best race | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Human (DPS) / Dwarf (tank) | Gnome led the sims before the Eureka! nerf. Human sword crit is the steady pick, and Dwarf is the best tank |
| Paladin | Human | Sword crit and stun break; effectively tied |
| Hunter | Night Elf | Elune's Light burst; Skyborne's haste is close behind |
| Rogue | Night Elf | Gnome's lead came from the old Eureka!; Night Elf burst and Shadowmeld are the pick now |
| Priest | Human | +5% Spirit for regen; Gnome dropped after the Eureka! nerf |
| Shaman | Dwarf | Only option |
| Mage | Human | Human already simmed highest, and Gnome lost ground with the Eureka! nerf |
| Warlock | Human / Gnome | Close to a toss-up after the Eureka! nerf |
| Druid | Night Elf | Crit burst and dodge |
Horde
| Class | Best race | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Orc (DPS) / Tauren (tank) | Blood Fury and axes for damage; Tauren's +5% health and +1% hit for tanking |
| Paladin | Undead | The only Horde option; Ret sims 1.1% behind Human |
| Hunter | Troll | Berserking plus Beast Slaying |
| Rogue | Undead | Will of the Forsaken for PvP; best Horde rogue sim |
| Priest | Undead | #1 Shadow sim plus Will of the Forsaken |
| Shaman | Tauren / Orc | Tauren +1% hit and War Stomp; Orc Blood Fury |
| Mage | Troll | Berserking; all three are close |
| Warlock | Undead | Will of the Forsaken; Orc Blood Fury for raids |
| Druid | Tauren | Plainsrunning and War Stomp; Windshaper is paid |
The Skyborne and the new combos
Skyborne classes
Alliance (High Order): Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Mage, Druid.
Horde (Windshapers): Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Druid.
Walk on Air (10s glide, 2m) · Read Ley Line (+100% HP/mana regen, 15s or 15m at a ley line) · Wind Blessed (+1% haste) · Elemental Insight (+5% vs Elementals)
New race & class combos
Gnome Priest, Dwarf Shaman, Human Hunter, Orc Mage, Undead Paladin, Troll Warlock, plus the Skyborne.
Every class at a glance
Warrior
Warrior is the classic tank and one of the hardest-hitting melee classes once geared. It's also the slowest class to level: you build rage by fighting, so pulls start slow and you rest a lot until you find good weapons.
Roles: tank, dps · Best leveling spec: Arms
Paladin
Paladins are the plate-armor hybrid: they can heal, tank or fight in melee, and they bring blessings every group wants. Holy Strike at level 6 and baseline Consecration at 20 put Retribution near the top of Forever's beta leveling list.
Roles: tank, healer, dps · Best leveling spec: Retribution
Hunter
Hunters fight at range while a tamed pet holds the enemy's attention, which makes solo leveling smooth and safe. Aimed Shot is baseline at level 20, traps work in combat, and Beast Mastery is one of the fastest levelers in the beta.
Roles: dps · Best leveling spec: Beast Mastery
Rogue
Rogues are melee damage experts who live in stealth, choosing every fight and sneaking past the ones they don't want. Leveling is mid-paced: big burst damage, but you'll eat and bandage between pulls.
Roles: dps · Best leveling spec: Combat
Priest
Priests are the classic healer, and Shadow is a solid leveling spec built on damage-over-time spells and a wand. The early levels are slow, but Power Word: Shield and Spirit Tap keep your downtime low.
Roles: healer, dps · Best leveling spec: Shadow
Shaman
Shamans drop totems that buff the whole group and can heal, fight in melee or cast lightning at range. Enhancement with a two-hander is a strong leveler, and Restoration is a sought-after raid healer.
Roles: healer, dps · Best leveling spec: Enhancement
Mage
Mages are ranged spellcasters with huge burst, crowd control and portals, and they conjure their own food and water. Frost is a fast leveler: Frost Nova plus Frostbolt lets you kite most enemies.
Roles: dps · Best leveling spec: Frost
Warlock
Warlocks are ranged casters who command demons and wear enemies down with damage-over-time spells. Your Voidwalker tanks while you curse several enemies at once, and Life Tap plus Drain Life mean you almost never stop to drink.
Roles: dps · Best leveling spec: Affliction
Druid
Druids are the ultimate hybrid: they tank in Bear Form, sneak and claw in Cat Form, cast at range as Balance or heal as Restoration. The first levels are slow, but from about 20 Cat Form and Feral Swiftness make questing quick.
Roles: tank, healer, dps · Best leveling spec: Feral (Cat)
Frequently asked questions
What is the best race and class combo in WoW Forever?
In ScryWoW's tier list the S-tier (top) picks right now are Night Elf Druid (Alliance), Night Elf Hunter (Alliance), Human Mage (Alliance), Human Paladin (Alliance), Night Elf Rogue (Alliance), Human Warrior (Alliance), Tauren Druid (Horde), Troll Hunter (Horde), Troll Mage (Horde), Undead Priest (Horde), Undead Rogue (Horde), Undead Warlock (Horde), Orc Warrior (Horde). Tiers combine class strength in Forever's beta with how much the race's abilities help that class.
What are the new race and class combinations in WoW Forever?
Forever adds race and class combos that weren't possible in Classic. In this tier list: Gnome Priest, Dwarf Shaman, Human Hunter, Orc Mage, Undead Paladin, Troll Warlock. Blizzard also announced the new Skyborne race for both factions.
Which classes can the Skyborne play?
On the Alliance side the Skyborne (High Order) can be Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Mage, Druid. On the Horde side the Windshapers can be Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Druid.
What is the best class for leveling in WoW Forever?
The fastest and easiest levelers are Hunter (The easiest leveler: the pet tanks and there's almost no downtime); Warlock (DoTs, a pet tank and Life Tap keep downtime low); Paladin (Tops the beta 1–20 list. Holy Strike at level 6 and Consecration baseline at 20). Every class can level fine; these just have the least downtime.
What is the best class for dungeons and raids?
Top dungeon specs: Protection Warrior, Holy Paladin, Marksmanship Hunter, Combat Rogue, Holy Priest, Restoration Shaman, Fire Mage, Destruction Warlock, Feral (Bear) Druid. Top raid specs: Fury Warrior, Holy Paladin, Marksmanship Hunter, Combat Rogue, Holy Priest, Restoration Shaman, Fire Mage, Destruction Warlock, Restoration Druid.
What is the best class for PvP in WoW Forever?
For world PvP: Rogue (Picks every fight from stealth); Mage (CC, snares and burst control the fight); Druid (Stealth, heals and shapeshift escapes). For battlegrounds like Warsong Gulch: Druid (The premier flag carrier: Travel Form, shapeshift snare breaks and self-heals); Priest (Keeps the flag carrier alive). Forever has no arenas.
What is the best class for farming gold?
Druid (The best gatherer: Travel Form, stealth past mobs and self-healing for herbs and ore); Hunter (The classic solo farmer: Devilsaur leather, solo dungeons and Feign Death to reset); Rogue (Lockboxes and pickpocketing, solo Stratholme, and stealth gathering). Top farming specs: Protection Paladin, Beast Mastery Hunter, Shadow Priest, Frost Mage, Affliction Warlock, Feral (Cat) Druid.
How is this tier list made?
It combines Forever beta simulations, community consensus from guide sites, and how much each race's abilities help the class, and it's updated as Blizzard patches the beta. It's a fan-made guide, not an official Blizzard ranking.
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