Choosing Your Class: A Beginner's Guide

By Vills Updated: 2023/12/18

This Is A User-Submitted Guide!

Wowhead only updates official guides, so information might not be up-to-date.

NewRETURNING"Yes"IntroductionYOUYOUsome disclaimers

Since this is a guide designed to help YOU decide what class will be best for YOU to play, I will do my best to ensure that this guide stays free of bias and only provide the information as it is.

This guide serves purely as a starting point for new or returning players. Advanced game play topics such as min/maxing, rotation, talents, and builds will NOT be covered by this guide.

World of Warcraft is a game that is constantly evolving. I will do my best to update this guide on a regular basis to keep the information as current as possible.

Getting Started

Class:

When you are in the process of creating a new character, one of the first things you will notice (aside from gender, race, and faction selection) is that there are what's called "Classes". In World of Warcraft, there are a total of 12 classes to choose from and they are as follows: Death Knight, Demon Hunter, Druid, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, and Warrior. Each class provides its own set of unique benefits, abilities, and spells (as you will discover from reading this guide).

Specialization:

Upon reaching level 10, you will be able to select what is called your specialization or spec. Each class in World of Warcraft has its own set of different specs that further diversifies the class by adding unique abilities only that spec can use as well as potentially changing the role that class plays in content. For example: As a Demon Hunter you have two specs: Havoc and Vengeance. While both specs share abilities that are common to the class such as Double Jump and Spectral Sight, both specs have unique abilities that differentiates one spec from another. As a Havoc demon hunter, you have spells like Blade Dance to deal out more damage, or as a Vengeance demon hunter, you have spells like Demon Spikes and Fiery Brand which allows you to take less damage and keep enemies off of your allies.

DPS:

In World of Warcraft, the term DPS refers to one of two things: Damage per second (the amount of damage done per second) or DPS as a role type. DPS are the damage dealers. From a general standpoint, as a DPS it is your goal to do as much damage as possible in as short of a time period as possible. There are two types of DPS roles: Melee and Ranged. As a melee DPS, you get up close and personal with the target to deal damage. However, as a ranged DPS, you deal damage to your enemies from afar.

*Please note: DPS will be primarily referred to as one of the role types of a class/specialization; however, there will be a few points during class analysis (such as Pros and Cons) where DPS will be referred to in the numerical sense.

Healer:

In World of Warcraft, a Healer is a person who uses a variety of powerful magics to heal allies, prevent casualties, and resurrect allies. As a healer, it is your job to keep your allies alive whether it be on the battlefield or in a dungeon/raid.

Tank:

In World of Warcraft, the term Tank refers to a person who protects their allies from harm by absorbing/preventing damage. Additionally, it is the tank's job to keep enemies from damaging the DPS and Healer(s) as little as possible by getting up close and personal with the enemy. In a typical raid composition, MOST raid groups will use 2 tanks for the majority of the encounters they face (with there being a few exceptions depending on the raid and boss fight). However, in dungeons, only 1 tank is required.

Single Target:

Single target refers to the damage or healing you do to ONE target. An example of a single target damage spell is Frostbolt. An example of a single target healing spell is Healing Wave.

AoE:

AoE or Area of Effect, refers to the damage or healing you do spread across multiple targets at once. An example of an AoE damage spell is Rain of Fire. An example of an AoE healing spell is .

Cleave:

Cleave refers to a spell or ability that deals gradual AoE damage when used consecutively. Cleave can also refer to a spell that deals damage to a primary target and additional damage (also called "splash damage") to surrounding targets. An example of a spell that cleaves is the very unsurprising Arms warrior spell Cleave.

HoT:

HoT(s) or Heal Over Time, refers to healing spells that heals one or more targets over the course of several seconds. An example of a HoT spell is Rejuvenation.

DoT:

DoT(s) or Damage Over Time, refers to a spell that deals damage over the course of several seconds. An example of a DoT is Unstable Affliction.

ClassesDeath Knight

"You speak of justice? Of cowardice? I will show you the justice of the grave... and the true meaning of fear"
-The Lich King

Description:

Former minions of The Lich King, Death Knights (or DK's) are constructs of undeath that utilize undead minions, plagues, the chill of the grave, and even the blood of their enemies to enhance their combat performance. Death Knights have three specializations: Blood, Frost, and Unholy. All three specializations utilize strength as their primary stat, wear plate armor, and use two class specific resources called Runic Power and Runes to cast abilities and spells.

DK Weapon Proficiency:

As a DK you are able to use the following weapon types:

- One-Handed Axes
- One-Handed Maces
- One-Handed Swords
- Polearms
- Two-Handed Axes
- Two-Handed Maces
- Two-Handed Swords

DK Spells:

Some spells and abilities that ALL Death Knights have access to include: Raise Ally, Mind Freeze, Control Undead, and Death Grip.

Races That Can Be Death Knights:

Alliance:
- Draenei
- Dark Iron Dwarf
- Dwarf
- Gnome
- Human
- Kul Tiran
- Lightforged Draenei
- Mechagnome
- Night Elf
- Pandaren
- Void Elf
- Worgen

Horde:
- Blood Elf
- Goblin
- Highmountain Tauren
- Mag'har Orc
- Nightborne
- Orc
- Tauren
- Pandaren
- Troll
- Undead
- Vulpera
- Zandalari Troll

*Please note: With your purchase of Sladowlands, Death Knights are also available to Allied Races.

Description:

Blood Death Knights are a type of Tank specialization that utilizes the blood and bones of their enemies as well as runes and runic power to fortify themselves and their allies. As a blood dk, you are equipped with spells such as Marrowrend, Dark Command, and Vampiric Blood to bolster yourself and protect your allies from harm. Additonally, as a blood dk you can mass pull a group of enemies together and away from your allies with Gorefiend's Grasp.

Pros:

-Strong Self-healing
-Easy to position/move enemies
-Impactful defensive cool downs
-Good at mitgating magic damage
-Able to resurrect allies during combat

Cons:

-Limited/slow mobility
-Susceptible to large amounts of damage that can't be outhealed

Description:

Frost Death Knights are a type of Melee DPS specialization that utilizes the chill of the grave and the icy winds of the Frozen North to freeze and inflict pain on their enemies. As a frost dk, you are equipped with an arsenal of bone-chilling frost spells such as Chains of Ice and Remorseless Winter to slow your enemies as well as Pillar of Frost and Howling Blast to decimate your enemies with the frigid cold.

Pros:

- Easy to learn
- Strong burst AoE
- Good Cleave
- Able to resurrect allies during combat

Cons:

- Limited/slow mobility
- Not good at switching targets because damage ramps up

Description:

Unholy Death Knights are a type of Melee DPS specialization that utilizes droves of undead minions, plagues, runes, Runic Power, and a special resource called to destroy their enemies. As an unholy dk you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities that spread pestilence and death such as Death and Decay, Outbreak, and Festering Strike as well as raise and empower undead minions such as Army of the Dead, Summon Gargoyle, and Dark Transformation.

Pros:

- Strong AoE and single target burst
- Good survivability in raid and dungeon situations
- Able to resurrect allies during combat

Cons:

- Limited/slow mobility
- Damage ramps up over time
- Not good at switching targets because of ramp

Hero Class:

In World of Warcraft, Death Knights (as well as Demon Hunters) are what's known as a hero class meaning that they extra have perks that the other classes don't. For example, as a dk you start at level 8 instead of at level 1 (DK's that are Allied Races start at level 10 instead), you start with a mount specifically for your class, and you even have additional character customization options such as more/different hair color, eye color, and skin color options that are completely unique to your class.

Increased Mount Speed:

Another perk of being a dk is that you passively move 20% faster while mounted through your passive On a Pale Horse which you get at level 22.

Three Unique Class Mounts:

With the introduction of class mounts in patch 7.2, every class now has its own set of class mounts; however, as a dk you have not just one class mount, but three! While it might sound silly to have three class mounts, I will explain. Prior to Legion patch 7.2, only the two hero classes Death Knights and Demon Hunters as well as warlocks and paladins had class mounts. As a dk, you could acquire Acherus Deathcharger and Winged Steed of the Ebon Blade. However, when class mounts were introduced in patch 7.2, death knights also received the ability to acquire an additional class mount: Deathlord's Vilebrood Vanquisher which changes color based on your spec. (Blood is red, Frost is blue and white, and unholy is green).

Acherus and Death Gates:

An additional perk of being a dk is access to what is known as a Death Gate. A death gate allows you to open a gate from anywhere in the universe and transport yourself back to the dk home base: Acherus: The Ebon Hold. From Acherus (which is a floating Necropolis in the sky) you can then use your death gate again to transport yourself back to where you last were.

Runeforging:

Lastly, one of the biggest perks as a DK is the ability to engrave your weapons with runes that enhance your combat performance in a process called Runeforging. Runeforging replaces weapon enchants and can be placed on any of your weapons. To access the runeforge, you must go to Acherus, the Ebon Hold (Use your Death Gate) or Seat of the Primus (Necrolord Players only) and visit a runeforge. Here is a list of possible runeforge enchantments you can place on your weapon in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands: Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle, Rune of the Fallen Crusader, Rune of Razorice, Rune of Hysteria, Rune of Sanguination, Rune of the Apocalypse, Rune of Unending Thirst.

Interested in learning more about death knights? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to entertainment and lore:

Playstyle Resources:

Blood DK Playstyle Guide
Frost DK Playstyle Guide
Unholy DK Playstyle Guide
DK Class Discord (Acherus)

Lore and Entertainment Resources:

Demon Hunter

"Now you see, there is no sacrifice too great if it brings an end to the Burning Legion."
-Illidan Stormrage

Description:

Trained by Illidan Stormrage himself, Demon Hunters (or DH's) are trained for the sole purpose of tracking and destroying demons no matter the cost. Using their enhanced eyesight, warglaives, and the demonic energy of their enemies, demon hunters are a force to be reckoned with by any who stand in their way. Demon Hunters have two specializations: Havoc and Vengeance. Both of these specializations utilize agility as their primary stat, wear leather armor, and utilize a resource called Fury to cast spells and abilities.

DH Weapon Proficiency:

As a DH you are able to use the following weapon types:

- Fist Weapons
- One-Handed Axes
- One-Handed Swords
- Warglaives

DH Spells:

Some spells and abilities that ALL Demon Hunters have access to include: Double Jump, Disrupt, Spectral Sight, and Glide.

Races That Can Be Demon Hunters:

Alliance
- Night Elf

Horde
- Blood Elf

Description:

Havoc demon hunters are a Melee DPS specialization that utilizes the destructive powers of fel energy and the essences of demons they've slain to empower their warglaives, attacks, and even allowing them to temporarily transform into a demon. As a havoc demon hunter, you are equipped with an arsenal of devastating spells and abilities such as Metamorphosis, Eye Beam, and Chaos Strike in order to lay waste to any demon or enemy that dares to stand in your way as well as spells such as Fel Rush and Imprison to stop any would-be assailant from getting away.

Pros:

- High mobility/movement
- Strong burst AoE damage
- Easy to learn
- Great utility

Cons:

- Low single target damage
- Damage can feel weak outside of burst

Description:

Vengeance demon hunters are a type of Tank specialization that utilizes demonic magics and wards to bolster their defenses and hinder enemies, has the ability to transform into a sturdy demon that withstands damage and uses the pain it endures to fuel its hatred and empower its attacks, and has the ability sever souls from their enemies in order to sustain and regenerate themselves. As a vengeance demon hunter, you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Metamorphosis, Shear, and Demon Spikes to bolster your defenses and heal yourself as well as spells like Torment, Sigil of Silence, Sigil of Misery, and Infernal Strike to deter enemies from harming your allies.

Pros:

- High mobility/movement
- Great utility
- Strong self healing
- Provides a unique raid buff (Chaos Brand)

Cons:

- Limited active mitigation uptime
- Susceptible to environmental damage
- Lack of major defensive cool downs

Hero Class:

In World of Warcraft, Demon Hunters (as well as Death Knights) are what's known as a hero class meaning that they extra have perks that the other classes don't. For example, as a dh you start at level 8 instead of at level 1 like the other classes, you start with a mount specifically for your class, you start off questing in a quest zone specifically for your class, and you even have additional character customization options such as more/different hair color, eye color, and skin color options that are completely unique to your class. Demon hunters also allow further customization for horns, blindfolds, and tattoos.

Spectral Sight and Gliding

As previously mentioned, demon hunters have a spell that enhances their vision called Spectral Sight which allows them to see demons and enemies that are invisible or hiding behind physical objects. Other classes that wish to see hidden demons must drink Elixir of Detect Demon or use other similar items. Additionally, demon hunters also have the ability to spread their demonic wings and Glide while falling to reduce their fall speed and travel some distance before landing safely on the ground. This effect can be toggled on and off at will while double jumping or falling.

Two Class Mounts

With the introduction of class mounts in patch 7.2, every class now has its own set of class mounts; however, as a dh you have not just one class mount, but two! While it might sound silly to have one extra class mount than all the other non-hero classes, I will explain. Prior to Legion patch 7.2, only the two hero classes Death Knights and Demon Hunters as well as warlocks and paladins had class mounts. As a dh you could acquire Felsaber from doing the beginning of the demon hunter starting zone. However, when class mounts were introduced in patch 7.2 demon hunters also received the ability to acquire an additional class mount: Slayer's Felbroken Shrieker.

Interested in learning more about demon hunters? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to lore and entertainment:

Playstyle Resources:

Havoc Demon Hunter Playstyle Guide
Vengeance Demon Hunter Playstyle Guide
Demon Hunter Class Discord (The Fel Hammer)

Lore and Entertainment Resources:

Druid

"Nature seeks balance in all things."
-Archdruid Hamuul Runetotem

Description:

Trained with the sole purpose to protect and preserve the balance of nature, druids are master shapeshifters that can take on the form of numerous animals and creatures in order to assist their allies. Druids have four specializations which allows them to fill all roles in a raiding environment: Balance, Feral, Guardian, and Restoration. All four specializations initially share a resource called Mana; however, each specialization (aside from restoration) has an additional resource that it uses to cast spells and abilities: Balance uses Astral Power, feral uses Energy and Combo Points and Guardian uses Rage. Additionally, all four specializations wear leather armor and the primary stat for each spec changes based on your current spec (Guardian and feral druids use agility and balance and restoration druids use intellect).

Druid Weapon Proficiency:

As a druid you are able to use the following weapon types:

- Daggers
- Fist Weapons
- One-Handed Maces
- Polearms
- Staves
- Two-Handed Maces

Druid Spells:

Aside from shapeshifting, some spells and abilities that ALL druids have access to include: Rebirth, Entangling Roots, Regrowth, Moonfire, and Dash.

Druid Shapeshift Forms:

Currently, in World of Warcraft: Legion, ALL druids have access to the following forms: Bear Form, Cat Form, Moonkin Form (talent choice for non-balance druids at level 30), Mount Form, and Travel Form.

Races That Can Be Druids:

Alliance
- Kul Tiran
- Night Elf
- Worgen

Horde
- Highmountain Tauren
- Tauren
- Troll
- Zandalari Troll

Description:

Balance druids are a type of Ranged DPS specialization that takes on the form of a powerful moonkin in order to unleash a combination of devastating lunar, solar, and astral spells. As a balance druid, you are a equipped an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Celestial Alignment, Improved Sunfire, Starfire, and Starsurge to obliterate your enemies from afar with cosmic powers, or Solar Beam and Entangling Roots to disable your enemies and keep them out of the fight.

Pros:

- Great utility
- Versatile/Can shapeshift into other forms
- Strong burst damage
- Good sustained aoe damage
- High mobility/movement
- Able to resurrect allies during combat

Cons:

- AoE damage ramps up over time
- Rotation can sometimes be challenging

Description:

Feral druids are a type of Melee DPS specialization that takes on the form of a great cat in order to wound and mutilate their enemies. As a feral druid, you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Tiger's Fury, Rake, and Rip to tear your enemies to shreds, or Maim and Skull Bash to disable your prey and keep them from escaping. Additionally, as a feral druid you are able to temporarily increase the movement speed of yourself and others with Stampeding Roar.

Pros:

- Strong single target damage
- Strong burst damage
- High mobility/movement
- Versatile/can shapeshift into other forms
- Able to resurrect allies during combat

Cons:

- Difficult rotation
- Damage takes time to ramp up
- Limited burst AoE

Description:

Guardian druids are a type of Tank specialization that shapeshifts into the form of a mighty bear to protect allies and withstand damage with sheer tenacity and thick hide. As a guardian druid, you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Survival Instincts, Barkskin, and Ironfur to ensure your survival as well as Thrash, Growl, and Mangle to damage enemies and keep them from attacking your allies. Additionally, as a guardian druid, you are able to temporarily increase the movement speed of yourself and allies with Stampeding Roar.

Pros:

- Good passive damage reduction
- Can handle heavy sustained physical damage
- Versatile/can shapeshift into other forms
- Able to resurrect allies during combat

Cons:

- Have to choose between dealing more damage or taking less damage
- Difficulty generating threat due to lower damage output

Description:

Restoration druids (sometimes called resto druids or rdruids) are a type of Healer specialization that utilizes the regenerative powers of nature to heal while using a resource called Mana. As a resto druid, you are equipped with an arsenal spells and abilities such as Tranquility, and Wild Growth to regenerate allies and mend their wounds, or spells such as Revitalize and Rebirth to resurrect allies from the dead.

Pros:
- Strong healing cool downs
- Flexible healing
- High mobility/movement
- Versatile/can shapeshift into different forms
- Can resurrect during combat

Cons:

- Easy to fall behind in healing if heal over time spells (HoTs) aren't properly maintained.
- Has to heal proactively instead of reactively (has to apply HoTs before damage comes out)

Travel Form:

As a druid, one of the biggest perks is the ability to instantly shapeshift into what's called Travel Form while outdoors or in water. Starting at level 10, Travel Form allows you to move significantly faster than on the ground. At level 17 this form becomes enhanced allowing faster movement speed in water and at level 30 your travel form also grants you the ability to fly (once you purchase Expert Riding). Additionally, the shapeshift is instant cast which allows you to get moving more quickly compared to other classes that have to use mounts.

Customizable Druid Forms:

As of Shadowlands, druid players can change the appearance of their shapeshift forms by visiting the barber. Players can unlock additional customizations by obtaining an artifact weapon, doing various Legion content (after obtaining an artifact weapon), and obtaining glyphs.

Teleportation:
As a druid you also gain the ability at level 22 to teleport to Moon Glade. While it may not sound exciting initially, after you complete the Legion introductory quests, you gain access to the Emerald Dreamway which contains portals to several different natural locations spread across Azeroth. Additionally, your Teleport: Moonglade becomes Dreamwalk which has a different visual effect.

Jack of All Trades:

Lastly, one of the biggest perks to being a druid is that you can shapeshift into multiple forms to meet your groups needs, keep yourself alive, or enhance your combat performance, thus allowing you to experiment with all four role types (healer, tank, melee dps, and ranged dps). For example, as a non-guardian druid, you can shapeshift into bear form to reduce your damage taken.

Interested in learning more about druids? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to lore and entertainment:

Playstyle Resources:

Balance Druid Playstyle Guide
Feral Druid Playstyle Guide
Guardian Druid Playstyle Guide
Resto Druid Playstyle Guide
Druid Class Discord (Dreamgrove)

Druid Lore and Entertainment Resources:

Hunter

"It is said that I hunt alone, wandering these bitter lands far from civilization. But in truth, I hunt with family. One that I hold close. I protect them, and they protect me."
- Rexxar

Description:

Hunters come from a variety of backgrounds ranging from trackers to tamers to deadly marksmen. Hunters (with the exception of survival hunters) are unique in that they are only ranged class in World of Warcraft that uses arrows and bullets to deal damage instead of spells. Additionally, hunters are also unique in that they can tame a variety of different animals to assist them in combat as well as utilize a variety of different traps to hinder their enemies. Hunters currently have three specializations: Beast Mastery, Marksmanship, and Survival. Each of the three specializations utilize agility as their primary stat, wear mail armor, and use Focus as a resource to cast their abilities.

Hunter Weapon Proficiency:

As a hunter, you are able to use the following weapon types:

- Bows
- Crossbows
- Daggers
- Fist Weapons
- Guns
- One-Handed Axes
- One-Handed Swords
- Polearms
- Staves
- Two-Handed Axes
- Two-Handed Swords

Hunter Spells:

Some spells and abilities that ALL hunters have access to include: Aspect of the Turtle, Feign Death, Tame Beast, and Kill Shot.

Hunter Tracking Spells

Currently, in World of Warcraft: Legion, ALL hunters have the ability to track a total of eight enemy types on the in-game mini-map: Track Beasts, Track Demons, Track Dragonkin, Track Elementals, Track Giants, Track Hidden, Track Humanoids, and Track Undead.

Races That Can Be Hunters:

Alliance:
- Draenei
- Dark Iron Dwarf
- Dwarf
- Gnome
- Human
- Kul Tiran
- Lightforged Draenei
- Night Elf
- Pandaren
- Void Elf
- Worgen
- Mechagnome

Horde:
- Blood Elf
- Goblin
- Highmountain Tauren
- Mag'har Orc
- Nightborne
- Orc
- Tauren
- Pandaren
- Troll
- Undead
- Zandalari Troll
- Vulpera

Description:

Beast mastery hunters (also called bm hunters) are a type of Ranged DPS specialization that utilizes beasts (both wild and tamed) to hunt prey and assail foes. As a beast mastery hunter, you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Kill Command, Bestial Wrath, and Barbed Shot to have your beasts rip your enemies to shreds, Cobra Shot, Counter Shot, and Multi-Shot to assail your enemies from afar, and Tar Trap and Freezing Trap to hinder your enemies and prevent them from reaching you or escaping. Beast Mastety hunters are unique in that they can tame all 59 unique pet families including exotic pet types such as hydras, devilsaurs, spirit beasts. For more information about all the pet types you can tame as a hunter, click here.

Pros:

- High movement/mobility
- Can deal damage while constantly moving
- Easy to learn
- Strong single target damage
- Good cleave on stacked targets

Cons:

- Damage is dependent on keeping your pet alive
- Target switching can be slow/delayed due to the pet's AI

Description:

Marksmanship hunters (also called mm or marks hunters) are a type of Ranged DPS specialization that utilizes arrows, bullets, unique ammunition, and deadly accuracy to assault enemies from a distance. As a marksmanship hunter you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Aimed Shot to snipe your enemies from afar as well as Tar Trap, Freezing Trap, Bursting Shot, and Concussive Shot to hinder your enemies and prevent them from reaching you or escaping.

Pros:

- Great all around damage
- Strong burst damage

Cons:

- Spells and abilities sometimes require you to stand still in order to cast (i.e. Aimed Shot)
- AoE damage is not as strong when more than 5 targets are present.

Description:

Survival hunters (also called sv hunters) are a type of Melee DPS specialization that are master survivalists who excel at tracking and traps. Additionally, survival hunters fight alongside their animal companions in combat, sometimes even coordinating abilities together. As a survival hunter, you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Wildfire Bomb, Raptor Strike, and Carve to viciously assault your enemies at close range, Explosive Trap and Tar Trap to ambush unsuspecting victims, and Harpoon and Wing Clip to ensure that your prey doesn't escape.

Pros:

- Strong AoE damage
- Decent mobility
- Unique hybrid playstyle

Cons:
- Weak single target damage

Pet Taming

As a hunter, one of your biggest perks is the ability to tame pets. Currently, in World of Warcraft, there are a total of 59 unique pet families (47 are tamable by all hunter specs and the other 12 exotic families can only be tamed by beast mastery hunters). For a complete look at all the pet families and hunter pets available click here or I will provide an additional link in the "Hunter Resources" section of this guide.

Utility

Another big perk of being a hunter is the wide range of utility you to bring to a group. All three hunter specializations by default learn Tar Trap and Freezing Trap. Additionally, for the two ranged hunter specs beast mastery and marksmanship, they have additional utility with Misdirection to assist in keeping enemies on the tank and off everyone else, and Binding Shot (level 40 talent choice for bm hunters) to mass root all enemies caught within the shot that try to move out of the ground effect.

Tracking

An additional perk of being a hunter is having a wide variety of tracking spells. While some other classes might have one or two tracking spells (i.e. Feral druids have the ability to track beasts and humanoids), hunters have the ability to track a total of eight different enemy types: Beasts, dragonkin, elementals, giants, hidden, humanoids, and undead.

Interested in learning more about hunters? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to lore:

Playstyle Resources:

Beast Mastery Hunter Playstyle Guide
Marksmanship Hunter Playstyle Guide
Survival Hunter Playstyle Guide
Petopia
Hunter Class Discord (Trueshot Lodge)

Hunter Lore:

Mage

"No matter how learned and knowledgeable, how wise and how wonderful, how powerful and puissant, there is always one more sliver of power, one more bit of knowledge, one more secret to be learned by any mage."
-Medivh

Description:

Adepts of the magical arts, mages are a scholarly class that have origins dating as far back as the Well of Eternity. Knowledgeable and powerful, mages can assault their foes with raw arcane magic, burn their foes to ash with powerful fire magic, and chill and freeze their enemies to the bone with extremely cold frost magic. Additionally, mages are also able to conjure refreshments for themselves and allies, provide transport around Azeroth and beyond with teleports and portals, and even temporarily transform their enemies into less harmful creatures with polymorphs. Currently, mages have three specializations: Arcane, fire, and frost. All three specs utilize intellect as their primary stat, wear cloth armor, and use a resource called Mana to cast spells and abilities.

Mage Weapon Proficiency:

As a mage you are able to use the following weapon types:

- Daggers
- One-Handed Swords
- Staves
- Wands

Mage Spells:

Some spells and abilities that ALL mages have access to include: Time Warp, Spellsteal, Counterspell, Blink, and Conjure Refreshment.

Races That Can Be Mages:

Alliance:
- Draenei
- Dark Iron Dwarf
- Dwarf
- Gnome
- Human
- Kul Tiran
- Lightforged Draenei
- Night Elf
- Pandaren
- Void Elf
- Worgen
- Mechagnome

Horde:
- Blood Elf
- Goblin
- Mag'har Orc
- Nightborne
- Orc
- Pandaren
- Troll
- Undead
- Zandalari Troll
- Vulpera

Description:

Arcane mages are a type of Ranged DPS specialization that utilizes arcane magic to assail enemies from afar or damage nearby enemies. As an arcane mage, you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Arcane Power, Arcane Barrage, Arcane Blast, and Arcane Missiles to bombard your enemies from afar, Arcane Explosion to damage enemies that dare wander too close to you, and Prismatic Barrier, Slow, and Alter Time to protect yourself and escape from would be assailants.

Pros:

- High survivability and mobility
- Strong burst damage
- Strong AoE

Cons:

- Single target damage is reliant on cool downs
- Weak cleave
- AoE requires you to be in melee range
- Can run out of mana which can affect dps

Description:

Fire mages are a type of Ranged DPS specialization that utilizes powerful fire magic to sear their foes and reduce them to cinders. As a fire mage, you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Combustion, Flamestrike, Pyroblast, and Fireball to decimate your foes from afar with powerful fire magic, and Dragon's Breath, Cauterize, and Blazing Barrier to protect yourself from would-be assailants.

Pros:

- High mobility/movement due to a large amount of instant cast spells
- Strong sustained AoE and single target burst
- Has execute potential with the Searing Touch talent

Cons:

- AoE and cleave damage is only strong if targets are very close to each other
- Damage is heavily reliant on getting critical strikes

Description:

Frost mages are a type of Ranged DPS specialization that utilizes bone-chilling frost magic to freeze their enemies. Frost mages are also unique from the other two mage specs because they can harness the power of water to summon a Water Elemental to assist them in combat. As a frost mage, you are equipped with an arsenal of frigid frost spells such as Frostbolt, Blizzard, Flurry, and Ice Lance to assail and slow your enemies from afar as well as Ice Barrier, Ice Block, and Frost Nova to protect yourself and stop would be assailants in their tracks.

Pros:

- Strong single target and cleave damage
- Decent mobility/movement
- Damage is consistent
- Good cleave damage

Cons:

- Damage is reliant on procs
- Weak burst damage
- Cleave is reliant on targets being close together

Portals and Teleportation:

One of the biggest perks of being a mage is the vast amount of teleportation and portal spells you have that take not just around Azeroth, but even to other planets! Teleportation and portals spells are acquired primarily through reaching a certain level and seeing the Portal Trainer in major cities of your respective faction. Here is a full list of all teleportation and portal spells currently available in-game broken down by faction:

Alliance
- Teleport: Stormwind/Portal: Stormwind
- Teleport: Darnassus/Portal: Darnassus
- Teleport: Ironforge/Portal: Ironforge
- Teleport: Exodar/Portal: Exodar
- Teleport: Theramore/Portal: Theramore
- Teleport: Shattrath/Portal: Shattrath
- Teleport: Tol Barad/Portal: Tol Barad
- Teleport: Vale of Eternal Blossoms/Portal: Vale of Eternal Blossoms
- Teleport: Stormshield/Portal: Stormshield
- Teleport: Boralus/Portal: Boralus

Horde
- Teleport: Orgrimmar/Portal: Orgrimmar
- Teleport: Thunder Bluff/Portal: Thunder Bluff
- Teleport: Undercity/Portal: Undercity
- Teleport: Silvermoon (Burning Crusade)/Portal: Silvermoon (Burning Crusade)
- Teleport: Stonard/Portal: Stonard
- Teleport: Shattrath/Portal: Shattrath
- Teleport: Tol Barad/Portal: Tol Barad
- Teleport: Vale of Eternal Blossoms/Portal: Vale of Eternal Blossoms
- Teleport: Warspear/Portal: Warspear
- Teleport: Dazar'alor/Portal: Dazar'alor

Neutral
- Teleport: Dalaran - Northrend/Portal: Dalaran - Northrend
- Teleport: Dalaran - Broken Isles/Portal: Dalaran - Broken Isles
- Ancient Teleport: Dalaran/Ancient Portal: Dalaran
- Teleport: Hall of the Guardian
- Teleport: Oribos/Portal: Oribos

Polymorph Customization:

Another perk of being a mage is the ability to customize the appearance of your polymorph spell. Here is a list of all currently obtainable polymorph variants for mages: Polymorph (default), Polymorph, Polymorph, Polymorph, Polymorph, Polymorph, Polymorph, Polymorph, Polymorph (Horde Only), and Polymorph (Alliance Only).

Slow Fall and Invisibility:

Some additional perks of being a mage is the ability to slow your falling speed and turn yourself invisible. With Slow Fall you can jump off anything, apply the spell to yourself, an ally, or both, and glide harmlessly down for as long as the spell lasts (spell is recastable at any point in time). Additionally, as mage you also have access to Invisibility which temporarily turns you completely invisible for 20 seconds (Arcane has an enhanced version of this effect called Greater Invisibility).

Interested in learning more about mages? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to lore:

Playstyle Resources:

Arcane Mage Playstyle Guide
Fire Mage Playstyle Guide by Malon
Frost Mage Playstyle Guide by Malon
Mage Class Discord (Altered Time)
Altered Time Mage Resource List

Lore and Entertainment Resources:

Monk

"... why do we fight? I trust you have learned: to fight out of fear or anger is to fight a war that never ends. Face your fears. Calm your hatreds. Find peace within yourself, so that you may share it with the world around you. These are the greatest treasures in life. Surely they... are worth fighting for."
-Emperor Shaohao

Description:

Trained with the teachings of the Four August Celestials, monks are paragons of peace, harmony, and brewing. In combat, monks use their iron-clad discipline, martial arts skills, brews, ancient healing techniques, and regenerative mists to assist their allies. Currently, monks have three specializations: Brewmaster, Mistweaver, and Windwalker. While all three specializations wear leather armor, each spec uses different resources to cast their spells and abilities and utilizes different primary stats. Mistweavers use intellect as their primary stat and use a resource called Mana to cast their spells and abilities. Brewmasters use agility as their primary stat and use two resources called Energy (to cast spells and abilities) and Stagger (to reduce damage taken). Finally, windwalkers use agility as their primary stat and use two resources called Energy and Chi to cast their spells and abilities.

Monk Weapon Proficiency:

As a monk, you are able to use to use the following weapon types:

- Fist Weapons
- One-Handed Axes
- One-Handed Maces
- One-Handed Swords
- Polearms
- Staves

Monk Spells:

Some spells and abilities that ALL monks have access to include: Transcendence, Paralysis, Crackling Jade Lightning, and Roll.

Races That Can Be Monks:

Alliance:
- Draenei
- Dark Iron Dwarf
- Dwarf
- Gnome
- Human
- Kul Tiran
- Night Elf
- Pandaren
- Void Elf
- Mechagnome

Horde:
- Blood Elf
- Highmountain Tauren
- Mag'har Orc
- Nightborne
- Orc
- Tauren
- Pandaren
- Troll
- Undead
- Zandalari Troll
- Vulpera

Description:

Brewmaster monks are a type of Tank specialization that utilizes powerful and potent brews to fortify themselves and hinder their enemies. As a brewmaster monk, you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Fortifying Brew, Shuffle, Celestial Brew, and Zen Meditation to bolster your defenses and reduce your damage as well as Keg Smash, Breath of Fire, and Blackout Kick to slow your enemies and keep them from attacking your allies. Additionally, brewmasters are unique in that their taunt effect also temporarily increases the movement speed of the enemy it's used on. While it may sound silly, it allows for enemies and bosses to be positioned quickly.

Pros:

- High mobility/movement
- Handles periodic burst damage well
- Damage intake is consistent
- Periodic self heals
- Good utility

Cons:

- Weak defensive cool downs
- Limited self healing
- Small health pool
- Weak to high sustained damage

Description:

Mistweaver monks are a type of Healer specialization that utilizes ancient healing techniques, regenerative mists, and martial arts to heal allies. As a mistweaver monk, you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Revival, Essence Font, Enveloping Mist, and Vivify to mend allies wounds with soothing mists, Life Cocoon, Thunder Focus Tea, and Fortifying Brew to bolster yourself and allies, and Reawaken and Resuscitate to bring allies back from the dead.

Pros:

- Strong sustained single target healing
- High mobility/movement
- Flexibile playstyles

Cons:

- Runs out of mana quickly
- Weak burst AoE healing
- Type of healing is reliant on build

Description:

Windwalker monks are a type of Melee DPS specialization that uses martial arts, knowledge of anatomy, and spirituality to pummel enemies into submission while using two resources "energy" and "chi" to cast spells and abilities. As a windwalker monk you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Spinning Crane Kick, Fists of Fury, and Rising Sun Kick to assail your foes with a series of quick movements, Touch of Karma and Storm, Earth, and Fire to devastate your foes, and Flying Serpent Kick, Disable, and Touch of Death to chase your would-be assailants and prevent them from escaping.

Pros:

- High mobility/movement
- Strong burst
- Solid AoE and Cleave

Cons:

- Weak sustained single target damage
- Utility is mediocre

Transcendence:

In addition to the large amount of mobility spells and abilities that monks have, monks also have two spells called Transcendence and Transcendence: Transfer which allows them to place part of their spirit in an area that they can teleport to. A few seconds later, the monk can then transfer themselves back to where they initially were before using Transcendence the first time.

Rested Experience Bonus:

One of the biggest perks as a monk is the rested experience bonus you get leveling up from level 10-59. Starting at level 10, monks can use the spell Zen Pilgrimage to teleport to the Peak of Serenity in Pandaria and complete a daily quest which awards Enlightenment (a buff that grants 15% rested experience). The quest can be completed once daily in addition to every 10 levels from level 10-59.

Zen Pilgrimage:

Another perk of playing a monk is having the spell Zen Pilgrimage. While it may not sound very exciting at first, Zen Pilgrimage can act very similar to a hearthstone without the wait. On the first cast, Zen Pilgrimage takes you to the Peak of Serenity (Unless you complete the Legion intro questline for monks) and using it again teleports you back to where you previously were. If a player decides to level in Legion content, once the introductory Legion quests are completed, their Zen Pilgrimage spell is modified to teleport them to a phased, fully explorable version of The Wandering Isle (Pandaren starter zone) that has portals to the Peak of Serenity and Dalaran.

Interested in learning more about monks? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to entertainment and lore:

Playstyle Resources:

Brewmaster Monk Playstyle Guide
Brewmaster Monk Playstyle Guide by Peak of Serenity
Mistweaver Monk Playstyle Guide
Mistweaver Monk Playstyle Guide by Peak of Serenity
Windwalker Playstyle Guide
Windwalker Playstyle Guide by Peak of Serenity
Monk Class Discord (Peak of Serenity)

Lore and Entertainment Resources:

Paladin

"We are inherently unworthy, simply because we are human, and all human beings--aye, and elves, and dwarves, and all the other races--are flawed. But the Light loves us anyway. It loves us for what we sometimes can rise to in rare moments. It loves us for what we can do to help others. And it loves us because we can help it share its message by striving daily to be worthy, even though we understand that we cannot ever truly become so."
-Uther the Lightbringer

Description:

Champions of the Light and crusaders of justice, Paladins seek to walk the path of righteousness in all things they do. On the battlefield, Paladins can be anything from holy warriors who assail their foes with holy magic, steadfast protectors who use the power of the Light to shield both themselves or allies, or healers who bestow blessings to increase their allies combat performance and utilize the benevolent, restorative properties of the Light to mend wounds. Currently, Paladins have 3 specs: Holy, Protection, and Retribution. While all three specializations wear plate gear and utilize Mana and Holy Power as resources, Retribution and Protection utilize strength as a primary stat and Holy utilizes Intellect.

Paladin Weapon Proficiency:

As a paldain you are able to use the following weapon types:

- Shield
- One-Handed Axes
- One-Handed Maces
- One-Handed Swords
- Polearms
- Two-Handed Axes
- Two-Handed Maces
- Two-Handed Swords

Paladin Spells

Some spells and abilities that ALL Paladins have access to include: Divine Steed, Blessing of Freedom, Lay on Hands, Divine Shield. Redemption, and Blessing of Protection.

Races That Can Be Paladins:

Alliance:
- Draenei
- Dark Iron Dwarf
- Dwarf
- Human
- Lightforged Draenei

Horde:
- Blood Elf
- Tauren
- Zandalari Troll

Description:

Holy Paladins or Holy Pallies are a type of Healer specialization that utilizes blessings to protect and bolster allies as well as restorative holy magic to mend wounds and cleans diseases. Equipped with spells abilities such as Blessing of Sacrifice, Blessing of Protection, and Divine Protection Holy Paladins bolster the defense of themselves and allies, mend wounds with Holy Light, Light of Dawn, Beacon of Light and Flash of Light, and even assail foes with holy magic with Hammer of Justice, Holy Shock, and Consecration. Additionally, Holy Pallies are unique in that they are the only healer class that can sacrifice a portion of their maximum health to heal allies with Light of the Martyr.

Pros:

- Strong single target and spot healing
- Strong utility
- Good survivability

Cons:

- Difficulty healing spread out targets
- Heals from melee range
- Limited mobility

Description:

Protection Paladins or Prot Pallies are a type of Tank specialization that utilizes the Light to bolster their defenses. As a prot pally, you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Avenger's Shield, Consecration, and Hammer of the Righteous to go toe to toe with the enemy and keep them off your allies, and spells such as Shield of the Righteous, Guardian of Ancient Kings, Ardent Defender to reduce your damage taken.

Pros:

- Great utility
- Good against magic damage and bleeds
- Strong mitigation when damage can be predicted
- Strong damage and burst potential (when built for)

Cons:

- Susceptible to large amounts of damage outside of Shield of the Righteous (active mitigation)
- Limited uptime on Shield of the Righteous
- More susceptible to physical damage compared to other tanks

Description:

Retribution Paladins or Ret Pallies are a type of Melee DPS specialization that utilizes the Light to assail foes with holy magic. As a ret pallly, you are equipped with an arsenal of abilities such as Judgment, Divine Storm, Avenging Wrath, and Templar's Verdict to decimate your foes with the righteous fury of the light, Shield of Vengeance, Divine Shield, Flash of Light to fortify your defenses and heal yourself, and Hammer of Justice, Rebuke, Hand of Hindrance to hinder foes and stop would be assailants in their tracks.

Pros:

- Flexible playstyle
- Strong burst damage
- Good raid utility
- Strong survivability

Cons:

- Limited mobility outside of Divine Steed
- Damage is reliant on cool downs

Auras:

One form of utility that paladins bring with them is auras. Auras are passive effects that provide a passive benefit to the paladin and their allies. Here are the auras that paladins learn leveling up: Crusader Aura, Devotion Aura, Retribution Aura, and Concentration Aura.

Blessings and Divine Shield:

Perhaps one the biggest perks of playing a paladin is the wide variety of defensive cd's that you have. All paladins have access to a variety of powerful defensive spells such as Blessing of Protection, Lay on Hands, and Divine Shield (Which is arguably one the strongest if not the strongest defensive cd in the game).

Mount Speed Increase:

Just like DK's, Paladins also receive a passive 20% mount speed increase at level 21 called Crusader Aura.

Two Unique Class Mounts:

With the introduction of class mounts in patch 7.2, every class now has its own set of class mounts; however, as a pally you have not just one class mount, but two! While it might sound silly to have two class mounts, I will explain. Prior to Legion patch 7.2, only the two hero classes Death Knights and Demon Hunters as well as Warlocks and Paladins had class mounts. As a paladin, you acquire at level 10 your racial mount:

Summon Exarch's Elekk (Draenei)
Summon Sunwalker Kodo (Tauren)
Summon Thalassian Warhorse (Blood Elves)
Summon Warhorse (Humans)
Summon Dawnforge Ram (Dwarves)
Summon Darkforge Ram (Dark Iron Dwarves)

And some races receive a level 20 upgrade:

Additionally, after you complete the Legionfall campaign on the Broken Shore at level 45+, you can acquire an additional class mount called Highlord's Golden Charger that flies and has 3 other color variations that you can obtain.

Divine Steed Customization:

As a paladin, it always helps that you have your trusty steed wherever you go with Divine Steed. You can customize your divine steed spell to match your preferences. As a tauren or draenei you can make your Divine Steed look the human or blood elf horses with Glyph of the Trusted Steed, or ALL Paladin races have access to Golden Charger's Bridle when they unlock their legion class mount as well as Valorous Charger's Bridle (Holy), Vengeful Charger's Bridle (Ret), and Vigilant Charger's Bridle (Prot).

Interested in learning more about paladins? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to lore:

Playstyle Resources:

Holy Pally Playstyle Guide
Prot Pally Playstyle Guide
Ret Pally Playstyle Guide
Paladin Class Discord (Hammer of Warath)

Lore and Entertainment Resources:

Priest

"Blessed are the torchbearers, who bring the light to darkness. Blessed are the valorous, who stand fast in an unjust world."
-Prophet Velen

Description:

Scions of the Light or master wielders of the Void, priests utilize their holy and void powers to heal allies and destroy enemies. Priests have three specializations: Discipline, Holy, and Shadow. Each of the three specializations utilizes intellect as a primary stat and wears cloth armor. However, the priest specs differ from each other in that Discipline and Holy are healer specs that utilize Mana as their main resource for casting spells and abilities, and shadow is a DPS specialization that uses a special resource called Insanity.

Priest Weapon Proficiency:

As a priest, you are able to use the following weapons:

-Daggers
-One-Handed Maces
-Staves
-Wands

Priest Spells:

Some spells and abilities that ALL priests have access to include: Mass Dispel, Mind Control, Shackle Horror, and Mind Soothe.

Races That Can Be Priests:

Alliance:
- Draenei
- Dark Iron Dwarf
- Dwarf
- Gnome
- Human
- Kul Tiran
- Lightforged Draenei
- Night Elf
- Pandaren
- Void Elf
- Worgen
- Mechagnome

Horde:
- Blood Elf
- Goblin
- Mag'har Orc
- Nightborne
- Pandaren
- Tauren
- Troll
- Undead
- Zandalari Troll
- Vulpera

Description:

Discipline Priests or Disc Priests, are a type of Healer specialization that utilizes holy magic to shield allies and sear enemies with holy light as well as shadow magic that both heals allies and damages foes. Disc priests are unique in that they heal allies by dealing damage to enemies aside from their regular healing spells. As a disc priest you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Power Word: Barrier, Power Word: Shield, Pain Suppression, and Leap of Faith to shield and/or protect allies from harm, Power Word: Radiance, Shadow Mend, and Flash Heal to heal your allies, and Penance, Shadowfiend, and Shadow Word: Pain to assail your foes.

Pros:

- Unique playstyle
- Strong burst healing in raids through absorbs
- Strong damage reduction cool downs
- Provides absorbs on allies to make it easier for them to be healed

Cons:

- Requires high skill to play
- Requires dealing damage to heal efficiently
- Healing requires planning and ramp

Description:

Holy priests are a type of Healer specialization that utilizes holy words and the restorative powers of the holy Light to mend wounds, cure diseases, and transform into a Spirit of Redemption that heals allies for a limited time after the priest perishes. As a holy priest, you are equipped with spells such as Prayer of Mending, Prayer of Healing, Heal to mend your allies' wounds, Holy Word: Sanctify, Holy Word: Serenity, and Divine Hymn to burst heal your allies, and Guardian Spirit, Desperate Prayer, and Purify to protect yourself and allies.

Pros:

- Strong burst healing
- Healing can be reactive (Can apply strong healing after damage is taken)
- Can heal for a limited time upon death

Cons:

- Falls behind in healing during high movement encounters
- Limited mobility
- Healing falls off if targets are spread out

Description:

Crazed heretics and masters of shadow and void, shadow priests are a type of DPS specialization that utilizes shadow magic to cause physical and mental anguish to their enemies, the destructive power of the Void to ascend to a new form and destroy enemies, and a special resource called Insanity. As a shadow priest you encase yourself in shadow energy with Shadowform and cause severe pain to your enemies by ripping their mind to shreds with Mind Blast, Mind Flay, and Silence, and unleashing devastating shadow magic with Shadow Word: Pain, Shadow Word: Death, and Shadowfiend. Additionally, shadow priests have access to Shadow Mend, Dispersion, and Vampiric Embrace to protect themselves from harm and heal allies if the need arises.

Pros:

- Flexible playstyle
- Great sustained damage
- Good utility

Cons:
- Playstyle requires a lot of management
- Damage requires the player to stand still often

Mass Dispel:

As a priest you have access to one of the best utility spells in the game. As the name suggests, Mass Dispel allows you to dispel a beneficial magical effect off of 5 enemies and a harmful magical effect off 5 allies effectively allowing you to dispel a total of 10 targets in a 15 yard radius. However, there is a drawback to using this ability in succession. Using Mass Dispel will cost you 8% of your base mana everytime you use it. While this might not seem like a lot, 8% adds up very quickly especially when used during combat in conjunction with other spells.

Mind Control:

Arguably one of the most fun spells to use in the game, Mind Control allows the priest to temporarily take control of an enemy (this also includes other players) and move them as they see fit. While this spell doesn't have much use in PvE content, this spell is often used in PvP combat to walk enemies off of ledges in battlegrounds (which most of the time kills the enemy player) or creates the potential to isolate and/or pick off a target in arenas. However, you are not completely immune while channeling this ability. You can still be damaged and interrupted by players at any point while channeling this ability.

Mind Soothe:

While it may not seem incredible, Mind Soothe has some excellent implications in dungeon and raid content. Essentially, this spell can allow for you and your group to skip past packs of mobs that you would otherwise have to kill. This spell is especially helpful in dungeon content such as mythic plus where certain trash packs need to be skipped and your group does not have a rogue to Sap or a demon hunter to Imprison.

Levitate:

Lastly, one final perk of being a priest is the ability to Levitate people. Similar to a mage's Slow Fall, Levitate slows a player's fall speed. However, what makes levitate slightly better than Slow Fall is that levitate also allows the person it's cast on to glide across water. However, the only draw back to this ability is if a player who has levitate takes damage, the spell will break.

Interested in learning more about priests? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to lore:

Playstyle Resources:

Disc Priest Playstyle Guide
Holy Priest Playstyle Guide
Shadow Priest Playstyle Guide
Warcraft Priests Discord (All Specs)
Focused Will Discord (Disc Priest Only)

Entertainment and Lore Resources:

Rogue

"I have ways of making you not talk!"
-Mathias Shaw

Description:

Thieves, cutthroats, spies, master poisoners, assassins. These are but few of the many words that describe rogues. On the battlefield, rogues employ a variety of tactics ranging from subtlety to lethal and agonizing poisons to guerrilla warfare. Rogues have three specs: Assassination, Outlaw, and Subtlety. Each of the three specs utilizes agility as their primary stat, wears leather armor, and uses two resources called Energy and Combo Points to cast abilities and spells.

Rogue Weapon Proficiency:

As a rogue you are able to use the following weapon types:

-Bows
-Crossbows
-Daggers
-Fist Weapons
-Guns
-One-Handed Axes
-One-Handed Maces
-One-Handed Swords

Rogue Spells:

Some spells and abilities that ALL rogues have access to include: Cloak of Shadows, Tricks of the Trade, Shroud of Concealment, Kick, Blind, Sap, and Pick Pocket.

Races That Can Be Rogues:

Alliance
- Dwarf
- Dark Iron Dwarf
- Gnome
- Human
- Kul Tiran
- Night Elf
- Pandaren
- Void Elf
- Worgen
- Mechagnome

Horde
- Blood Elf
- Goblin
- Mag'har Orc
- Nightborne
- Orc
- Pandaren
- Troll
- Undead
- Zandalari Troll
- Vulpera

Description:

Assassination rogues, or sin rogues, are a type of Melee DPS specialization that utilizes poisons to disable and slay foes. As an assassination rogue, you are equipped with an arsenal of poisons such as Wound Poison, Deadly Poison, and Crippling Poison that debilitate and leave your foes dying in agony. Additionally, you are also equipped with spells such as Mutilate. Envenom, Garrote, and Vendetta to assassinate your foes before they even know what hit them.

Pros:

- High mobility
- Strong single target and cleave damage
- Easy to learn
- Great utility

Cons:

- Weak AoE damage
- Weak burst damage

Description:

Outlaw rogues are a type of Melee DPS specialization that utilizes swords to be up close and personal with the enemy. As an outlaw rogue, you are equipped with an arsenal of vicious attacks such as Blade Flurry, Sinister Strike, and Pistol Shot to stop your foes dead in their tracks, and devastating finishing moves such as Dispatch and to make sure your foes don't get away. Additionally, you also have access to Adrenaline Rush and Roll the Bones to burst down your enemies.

Pros:

- Strong sustained AoE and cleave
- Versatile
- Great utility

Cons:

- Aspect of randomness because of Roll the Bones
- Damage is dependent on burst cooldowns
- AoE is only strong if targets are close together and is capped at 5 targets

Description:

Subtlety rogues, or sub rogues, are a type of Melee DPS specialization that utilizes stealth and striking from the shadows to dispatch foes. As a sub rogue you are equipped with abilities such as Shadowstrike, Symbols of Death , and Shadow Blades to strike from the shadows and devastate your foes, Rupture and Eviscerate to finish off your foes and prevent them from escaping.

Pros:

-Any cleave increases single target damage
-Great mobility and utility
-Decent burst damage

Cons:

- Playstyle requires a lot of skill
- Has to choose between AoE or single target damage
- Damage is weak outside of burst

Lockpicking:

One unique perk of being a rogue is the ability to open locked chests and lockboxes with Pick Lock. While being able to pick locks might not seem like a cool perk, often times, lockboxes and chest contain gold and gear you can sell for more money. Additionally, players often tip rogues for opening lockboxes for them.

Pickpocket:
Another unique rogue perk is the ability to Pick Pocket NPC's. In World of Warcraft: Legion, pickpocketing can be very profitable and can even be used to purchased unique toys that are available for rogues only. If you're interested learning more about the specifics of pickpocketing as well as all the unique rewards associated with it, you can read Wowhead's Pickpocketing Guide.

Shroud:
Perhaps one of the best forms of utility in the game, Shroud of Concealment allows the rogue to temporarily stealth other group members. This spell is especially powerful in dungeon content for skipping packs of mobs and even in PvP where shroud can be used to ambush the enemy team.

Stealth:

Lastly, one of the biggest perks of being a rogue is the ability to Stealth. Stealth, as the name suggests, allows the player to become invisible to players and MOST NPC's allowing the player to sneak around and grant them access to spells only usable while stealthed such as Pick Pocket, Distract, and Cheap Shot.

Interested in learning more about rogues? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to lore:

Playstyle Resources:

Assassination Playstyle Guide
Outlaw Playstyle Guide
Sub Rogue Playstyle Guide
Rogue Class Discord (Ravenholdt)

Lore and Entertainment Resources:

Shaman

"The relationship between the elements and the shaman is one of synchronicity. The shaman's influence helps to calm and unite us, just as our influence enriches and fulfills the shaman."
-The Water Speaking to Farseer Nobundo

Description:

Disciples and wielders of elemental magic, shamans seek to harness and live in harmony with the Elements. On the battlefield, shamans can call upon the restorative powers of water to mend wounds and heal allies, the wind to empower allies, the fortifying properties of the earth, or the destructive properties of fire to vanquish foes. Shamans have three specializations: Elemental, Enhancement, and Restoration. Each of the three specs wears mail armor and utilizes Mana as a base resource. However, the specs differ from each other in that Restoration and Elemental utilize intellect as their primary stat and enhancement utilities agility. Additionally, the specs also differ in that Elemental and Enhancement both use an additional special resource called Maelstrom.

Shaman Weapon Proficiency:

As a shaman, you are able to use the following weapon types:

-Shield
-Daggers
-Fist Weapons
-One-Handed Axes
-One-Handed Maces
-Staves
-Two-Handed Axes
-Two-Handed Maces

Shaman Spells:
Some spells and abilities that ALL shamans have access to include: Wind Shear, Astral Shift, Ghost Wolf, and Water Walking

Races That Can Be Shamans:

Alliance
-Draenei
-Dark Iron Dwarf
-Dwarf
-Kul Tiran
-Pandaren

Horde
-Goblin
-Highmountain Tauren
-Mag'har Orc
-Orc
-Pandaren
-Tauren
-Troll
-Zandalari Troll
-Vulpera

Description:

Elemental shamans, or Ele shammies are a type of Ranged DPS specialization that utilizes totems and the destructive powers of nature to obliterate enemies. As an ele shaman, you are equipped with spells such as Fire Elemental and Earth Elemental that call upon the elements to assist you as well as spells such as Lava Burst, Earthquake, Flame Shock, and Earth Shock to unleash the elements and destroy your foes.

Pros:

- Great sustained damage
- Flexible builds/playstyles
- Adaptable to a variety of damage situations

Cons:

- Limited burst
- Damage is very dependent on talents

Description:

Enhancement shamans are a type of Melee DPS specialization that utilizes the elements to empower their weapons and obliterate enemies.As an enhancement shaman, you have access to spells such as and Windfury Weapon to empower your weapons and Crash Lightning, Stormstrike, and Lava Lash to unleash the elements upon your enemies. Additionally, enhancement shamans can also summon spirit wolves to fight for them with Feral Spirit and buff their melee allies with Windfury Totem.

Pros:

- Impactful melee buff with Windfury Totem
- Cleave and AoE boost single target DPS
- Flexible builds/playstyles
- Strong AoE burst when built for it

Cons:

- Damage is subject to randomness
- Damage suffers during high movement fights
- Type of damage is dependent on talents

Description:

Restoration shamans or resto shammies are a type of Healer specialization that utilizes the restorative properties of water to mend allies wounds. As a resto shaman, you are equipped with powerful healing totems such as Healing Tide Totem, Spirit Link Totem, and Healing Stream Totem as well as water spells such as Chain Heal, Riptide, and Healing Wave to mend your allies wounds. Additionally, outside of combat, you can bring your fallen allies back to life with Ancestral Vision.

Pros:

- Excellent raid utility
- Great group healing
- Good mobility and able to temporarily cast while moving with Spiritwalker's Grace

Cons:

- Targets need to be grouped up or healing loses value
- Healing outside of cool downs is slow

Astral Recall:

One perk of being a shaman is the ability to have a second Hearthstone with an ability called Astral Recall. If your Hearthstone is on cooldown and you need to go back to where you hearthed from, you can cast Astral Recall. This spell is particularly useful because it cuts the amount of time you have to wait to hearth by 20 minutes (5 minutes if you're in a guild because of the Hasty Hearth guild perk). This spell is also extremely useful because it doesn't share a cooldown with your hearthstone, increasing the amount of times you can hearth per hour.

Bloodlust/Heroism:

Another perk of being a shaman is the ability to cast Bloodlust or Heroism. What makes this spell special is that it provides a significant damage boost by increasing the haste of every person in your group by 30% for 40 seconds. This ability is highly desired by raid and dungeon groups alike making shamans a class that is often sought after in almost every type of group PvE content.

Ghost Wolf Form:

Starting at level 16, shamans gain access to a spell called Ghost Wolf which allows the shaman to transform into a ghost wolf that increases their movement speed by 30%. What's notable about this ability is that it functions similar to a druid's Travel Form. However, while Travel Form moves faster than Ghost Wolf, Ghost Wolf can be used both indoors and outside. Lastly, you can customize ghost wolf form's appearance with glyphs. Glyphs are cosmetic items created by players with Inscription which allow players to modify the visual effects of certain spells and abilities. As a shaman, these are the glyphs you can use to modify Ghost Wolf: Glyph of the Spectral Raptor and Glyph of the Spectral Wolf.

Hex Customization:

One big perk of being a shaman is the ability to customize your Hex spell. By default, Hex turns the target it's cast on into a frog, but by obtaining specific items, you can change what you turn your target into (this ability can also be used on players in PvP combat). The following is a list of the different variations of the Hex spell: Hex, Hex, and Hex.

Reincarnation:

For other classes, death is the end. However, for shamans they have a second chance at life with Reincarnation. While this ability does have a 30 minute cool down, it can be helpful in raids when progressing on new fights in raids or in non-rated pvp to catch enemies by surprise. This ability also has the added benefit of not requiring your allies to use a battle rez to resurrect you while in combat.

Interested in learning more about monks? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to entertainment and lore:

Playstyle Resources:

Elemental Shaman Playstyle Guide
Enhancement Shaman Playstyle Guide
Resto Shaman Playstyle Guide
Shaman Class Discord (Earthshrine)
Resto Shaman Discord (Ancestral Guidance)

Lore and Entertainment Resources:

Warlock

"No longer are they shaman. They were abandoned by the elements - They will call them no longer and beg for their aid. Behold those who have power, and who are not afraid to wield it. Behold... The Warlocks!"
-Gul'dan

Description:

In the face of demonic power, most heroes see only death, whereas Warlocks see opportunity. Warlocks are voracious spellcasters that utilize the powers of shadow and the destructive forces of fel to either slowly drain their enemies' lives, swarm them with a vast army of demons, or strike with chaotic energy. Warlocks have three specializations: Affliction, Demonology and Destruction. All three specializations utilize Intellect as their primary stat, wear cloth armor, and utilize Mana as a resource as well as a class-specific resource called Soul Shards to cast abilities and spells.

Warlock Weapon Proficiency:

As a Warlock, you are able to use the following weapon types:

- Daggers
- One-Handed Swords
- Staves
- Wands

Warlock spells:

Some spells and abilities that ALL Warlocks have access to include: Summon Imp, Banish, and Subjugate Demon.

Races That Can Be Warlocks:

Alliance:
- Dark Iron Dwarf
- Dwarf
- Gnome
- Human
- Void Elf
- Worgen
- Mechagnome

Horde:
- Blood Elf
- Goblin
- Nightborne
- Orc
- Troll
- Undead
- Vulpera

Description:

Affliction Warlocks are a type of Ranged DPS specialization that utilizes shadow powers to inflict various curses on their enemies as well as drain their will to live and soul. Equipped with spells such as Agony, Corruption, and Unstable Affliction, you can slowly but surely defeat enemies.

Pros:

- Strong single target damage
- Good AoE cleave
- Easy to learn
- Able to resurrect allies during combat

Cons:

- Bad AoE burst damage
- Needs time to deal its full damage potential
- Poor target swapping

Description:

Demonology Warlocks are a Ranged DPS specialization that specializes in tapping into the Twisting Nether to invoke an army of demons to swarm their foes. As a Demonology Warlock, you can invoke many demons with spells like Call Dreadstalkers, Hand of Gul'dan and Summon Felguard, and use the souls of your dead demons to fire Demonbolts.

Pros:

- Strong burst damage
- Flexible playstyle/builds
- Able to resurrect allies during combat

Cons:

- Damage ramps up over time
- Weak AoE damage
- Hard to master

Description:

Destruction Warlocks are a type of Ranged DPS specialization that utilizes the powers of Fel to sear enemies, rain hellfire onto them, and strike them with huge bursts of damage. Equipped with spells such as Immolate, Chaos Bolt and Rain of Fire, you can literally rain down destruction on your foes. You can also damage two enemies at the same time with Havoc.

Pros:

- Strong burst damage
- Strong cleave damage
- Able to resurrect allies during combat

Cons:

- Limited mobility
- Weak single target damage
- Damage is average outside of cool downs

Curses:

Warlocks posess a myriad of curses that can debilitate their foes. Curses are mostly potent in pvp content but also have useful implications in dungeon and raid content. Warlocks have access to the following curses: Curse of Weakness, Curse of Exhaustion, Curse of Tongues

Demons
Warlocks of all specializations have an array of demons at their disposal. A warlock can have 1 demon up at a time, and each of them have different utilities:

Summon Imp invokes an Imp that casts Firebolts at a distance, and can be used to heal minor wounds and remove bad magic effects from you.
Summon Voidwalker invokes a Voidwalker that can withstand heavy punishment and tank mobs for you.
Summon Succubus invokes a Succubus that attacks enemies with her whip, and can seduce them, stopping them in their tracks.
Summon Felhunter invokes a Felhunter that can interrupt an enemy's spellcast, as well as devour their beneficial magic effects.
Summon Felguard is exclusive to Demonology Warlocks, and invokes a Felguard that can cleave enemies and stun with its axe.

Healthstones and Soulstones

Warlocks have unique utility in the form of Healthstone, an item that can used to heal a percentage of their maximum health. You can trade healthstones with your allies, and even create many of them at the same time, thanks to Create Soulwell. Warlocks are also one of the few classes in the game with a combat ressurrection in the form of Soulstone. What makes this unique when compared to a Druid or Death Knight's combat ressurrection, is that you can preemptively use a Soulstone on your ally - If they die while the Soulstone is active, they can simply use it to ressurrect.

Summoning Rituals

Warlocks are also the only class in the game that can summon players, thanks to Ritual of Summoning. This, in conjunction with 2 other players, allows you to create a summoning portal that can be used to summon other allies to your location.

Three Unique Class Mounts:

With the introduction of class mounts in patch 7.2, every class now has its own set of class mounts; however, as a Warlock you have not just one class mount, but three! While it might sound silly to have three class mounts, I will explain. Prior to Legion patch 7.2, only the two hero classes, Death Knights and Demon Hunters as well as Warlocks and Paladins had class mounts. As a Warlock, you can acquire Felsteed and Dreadsteed. However, when class mounts were introduced in patch 7.2, Warlocks also received the ability to acquire an additional class mount: Netherlord's Chaotic Wrathsteed which changes color based on your specialization. (Affliction is purple, Demonology is a firey red and orange, and Destruction is fel green).

Customizable Fire Spells:
Warlocks have quite a few fire spells, and those originally have the usual fire colors and effects. However, seasoned Warlocks can pursue an epic questline to obtain The Codex of Xerrath, a spell that corrupts all your Fire spells (as well as your Felsteed and Dreadsteed!) and turns them into green, fel fire!

Interested in learning more about warlocks? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to lore and entertainment:

Playstyle Resources:

Affliction Warlock Playstyle Guide
Demonology Warlock Playstyle Guide
Destruction Warlock Playstyle Guide
Lock One Stop Shop (LOSS), A Warlock Compendium (Outdated But Good General Info)
Warlock Class Discord (Council of the Black Harvest)

Lore and Entertainment Resources:

Warrior

"Remember: Life is nothing without valor"
-Odyn

Weapon masters, bloodthirsty berserkers, and defenders of the weak, warriors are a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. With their raw strength, determination, and pure hatred, warriors seek to vanquish any foe who stands in their way. Warriors have three specs: Arms, Fury, and Protection. All three warrior specs utilize strength as their primary stat, wear plate armor, and use a resource called Rage to cast spells and abilities.

Warrior Weapon Proficiency:

As a warrior, you are able to use the following weapon types:

-Shield
-Bows
-Crossbows
-Daggers
-Fist Weapons
-Guns
-One-Handed Maces
-One-Handed Swords
-Polearms
-Staves
-Two-Handed Axes
-Two-Handed Maces
-Two-Handed Swords

Warrior Spells:

Some spells and abilities that all warriors have access to include: Heroic Leap, Pummel, Charge, and Berserker Rage.

Races That Can Be Warriors:

Alliance:
-Draenei
-Dark Iron Dwarf
-Dwarf
-Gnome
-Human
-Kul Tiran
-Lightforged Draenei
-Night Elf
-Pandaren
-Void Elf
-Worgen
-Mechagnome

Horde:
-Blood Elf
-Goblin
-Highmountain Tauren
-Mag'har Orc
-Nightborne
-Orc
-Pandaren
-Tauren
-Troll
-Undead
-Zandalari Troll
-Vulpera

Description:

Weapon masters and master tacticians, arms warriors are a type of Melee DPS specialization that utilizes their weapon to sunder their opponent's armor and wreak havoc upon the battlefield. As an arms warrior you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Mortal Strike, Whirlwind, and Bladestorm to ravage your enemies as well as Execute and Hamstring to finish off your opponents, making sure there is no escape.

Pros:

-Strong execute damage
-Excellent cleave and AoE damage
-Flexible/versatile playstyles

Cons:

- Damage is dependent on build and cool downs
- Slow rotation

Description:

Bloodthirsty berserkers and fierce combatants, fury warriors are a type of Melee DPS specialization that utilizes their lust for warfare and two two-handed weapons to annihilate anyone who dares to stand in their way. As a fury warrior you are equipped with an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Rampage, Bloodthirst, and Raging Blow to hack your enemies to shreds as well as Recklessness, Enraged Regeneration, and Piercing Howl to strike fear into the hearts of your foes and sustain yourself with pure unbridled hatred.

Pros:

- Strong sustained AoE damage
- Can easily switch targets and alternate between single target and AoE damage
- Excellent burst AoE

Cons:

- Weak sustained and burst single target damage
- Damage suffers from downtime

Description:

Defenders of the weak, and resilient fighters that fight until their last breath, protection warriors, or prot warriors, are a type of Tank specialization that goes toe to toe with the enemy to protect allies from harm. As a prot warrior, you have access to an arsenal of spells and abilities such as Ignore Pain, Shield Wall, and Last Stand to fortify yourself and strengthen your resolve, Thunder Clap, Shield Slam, Intercept, Taunt to prevent would-be attackers from harming your allies, and Demoralizing Shout and Spell Reflection to neutralize potential threats.

Pros:

- Strong personal damage reduction cooldowns and abilities
- Great utility
- Strong burst AoE damage
- Good at mitigating physical/blockable damage

Cons:

- Takes a lot of skill
- Limited self healing
- Susceptible to damage outside of Shield Block

Weapon Masters:

One huge perk as a warrior is the ability to wield every weapon in the game except for Wands. While this by no means that certain weapon types such as Bows are remotely beneficial for warriors, farming weapon transmog on warriors is significantly easier than other classes.

Heroic Leap and Charge:

The next big perk that warriors have is the ability to Heroic Leap and Charge (Intercept for Prot Warriors). These two spells combined are arguably one of the best mobility spells in the game because Heroic Leap lets you leap out of harm's way to avoid certain abilities that could otherwise kill you or chase down an enemy that is trying to escape, and Charge allows you to rush at a target and lock them down before they can escape. However, these spells can also be used in tandem with each other to increase dps/generate Rage. For example, if you are fighting a target with limited mobility, you can Heroic Leap away from your target then immediately Charge back to generate free rage which you can use for defensive abilities as a prot warrior or dps as arms and fury.

Interested in learning more about warriors? Here is a list of relevant resources ranging from playstyle to entertainment and lore:

Playstyle Resources:

Arms Warrior Playstyle Guide
Fury Warrior Playstyle Guide
Prot Warrior Playstyle Guide
Warrior Class Discord (Skyhold)

Lore and Entertainment Resources:

Closing Thoughts

Comments

Comment by Darthflamel

Death knights and demon hunters are considered “hero” classes meaning that they start at a higher level than other classes as a death knight you start off at level 55 and demon hunters start off at 98 the only catch is that you must already have leveled a toon to said levels to unlock them and play them. Death knights used to only be allowed one character slot per realm but now you can have as many as you want, demon hunters are the same way but you still can’t make more than one per realm (this info is still true as of BfA)

Comment by 1897954

On the bit about Warlocks,Life Tap has been taken out the game.

Comment by Wodane

You forgot to add that hunters get special flight paths in the legion zones due to their class order hall eagle perk
You should also add that druids get a special farm on their class order hall in legion for pets and CoL items. Also druids can stealth too just like rogues and this is a nice perk.

Comment by BlackRain91

Just a quick opinion: If you are a new player I would recommend staying away from the Warlock class. There is a lot of things you need to be aware of and upkeep while playing that class.

A good starter class would be a Rogue, Druid or Hunter

Minimum upkeep:
The druid is more versatile in which you can see what playstyle you enjoy best
The rogue is straightforward in my opinion and is a "hack and slash"
The hunter allows a pet to help you fight in battle. It takes stress off you especially if you're learning the game.

Comment by Marlowe88

It would be great to update this guide to display what classes Vulperas can be :)

According to this comment
tldr:

Classes: Hunter Mage Monk Priest Rogue Shaman Warlock Warrior

Comment by Stargrace

Would love to see this updated.
Evoker?

Choosing Your Class: A Beginner's Guide

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