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As WoW Classic: Season of Discovery begins this week, we need to see which DPS classes will be the most powerful. The order could certainly change depending on the Runes discovered and combos made.
Going by what we know so far, some of these classes will certainly feel more powerful than others. This information comes from what we know about the various Runes and how these classes normally play in Classic.
Do not use this tier list to determine what classes you should be playing. According to the developers, this is being balanced with “fun” in mind, so all classes should be enjoyable.
Note: We will revise this article when Season of Discovery Phase 2 begins.
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What are the best DPS classes going to be in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery?
1) S-Tier
- Warlocks
Warlocks feel like they’ll be monstrous and overpowered regardless of what build you’re going with them in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery. Right now, they stand as the most powerful DPS class, that’s for sure.
Even when using the tank Rune Metamorphosis, they have some incredible new uses for their spells. Regardless of spec, it’s my opinion that Warlocks will be the dominant DPS force on the upcoming servers. They deal incredible damage, have solid pets to aid them, and have impressive burst damage on top of their frustrating DOTs to top the charts in Blackfathom Deeps.
A-Tier
- Hunter
- Mage
- Paladin
The A-Tier classes all deal incredible damage but just don’t stack up to the S-Tier in terms of sheer volume. Hunters are incredibly close, I think, to Warlocks. While they don’t have any fun tanking or healing specs, they are safe, reliable, and might be more dangerous than any other when it comes to the first 25 levels of WoW.
Mages are in a similar boat, to be honest, but they now have utility since they can also heal in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery. I think Arcane and Fire mages are going to be monsters. I was genuinely pretty shocked that Paladins wound up here, too. However, this is mostly thanks to the various Runes they received.
Sure, Retribution Paladins are slow and boring to play in the early doors of WoW Classic: Season of Discovery, but they have some fancy new runes to bring exciting abilities to their doorstep. Crusader Strike is going to be a godsend, especially on a four-second cooldown.
B-Tier
- Shaman
- Druid
I love Shamans in WoW Classic, but being capped at level 25 might dampen their potential DPS. They’ll still be solid, especially in Elemental, but I worry Enhancement may suffer without some new powers from the Rune system. Most of what we have seen concerns Shaman Tanks, but their DPS will hopefully be good.
I’ve always felt this way about Druids in World of Warcraft, though, and Season of Discovery hasn't done a lot to change it. I feel like after a few updates, Druids will be a real force to reckon with. However, right now, I’m not seeing much that makes me think they’ll top the charts.
C-Tier
- Priest
This isn’t one of the powerful Discipline Priest builds from years past in retail. I enjoy leveling Priests in Classic Hardcore because it’s safe. They likely won’t have access to Shadow Form this early in the game, so their damage will be cut significantly.
With that in mind, you’ll likely see more Discipline and Holy Priests in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery. I'm curious to see how this changes, though. There's talk of Shadow seeing some love, and I hope this pans out.
D-Tier
- Warrior
- Rogue
If you’re going to play a Warrior, just know that you won’t be as awesome in the first set of level caps. It takes a while for Warriors to really get going, and the Rogues are in a similar, very leaky boat.
They’ll be solid and reliable for single-target fights, but for AoE? These classes just don’t have it in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery unless there are powerful new Runes awaiting their DPS builds.
This DPS tier list for WoW Classic: Season of Discovery can and likely will be adjusted as the season goes on. This is just one writer’s opinion of how things stand, and depending on raid DPS and other factors, this could easily change. The next World of Warcraft season begins on November 30, 2023.
