Which WoW Classic class should you choose?

Looking for the best WoW Classic class? There are two big decisions you need to make when you jump into Azeroth, whether that's in WoW Classic or Burning Crusade Classic: Which race should you choose and which class is best to play? Both of these come down to personal choice and what you generally like to play. It's also important to note that you can't change either choice so you want to make sure you make the right call.

Even if you've played a lot of modern Warcraft, you may be surprised at how different some of the classes can feel in Classic. Luckily, this guide gives you an overview of each WoW Classic class to help you find the best match for your playstyle.

New to World of Warcraft Classic?

Only ever played World of Warcraft in recent years, or not at all? Don't worry. While your choice of class is binding, they're all actually quite well balanced. Whatever you choose, you won't be at a disadvantage in the long run. 

The best idea is to try a few classes that sound appealing to you then work from there. Like with any RPG, there's generally a class that will instinctively feel like 'your' class, thanks to how you prefer to play. 

Here's an overview for newcomers and returning players, checking out what each class has to offer.

Druid

Druid—melee and ranged damage/tank/healer

One of the most versatile classes in World of Warcraft Classic, you can only play as a Druid if you play as a Night Elf or Tauren.

Druids are the jack of all trades here, working well solo, in a group, and in PvP. Thanks to their ability to shapeshift into many different forms including a cat, bear, Moonkin, and aquatic traveller, there's a lot to learn but a ton of flexibility too.

They're able to heal within a group, boosting a party's chances of success during a dungeon run. They're also able to switch to a DPS style class through the Feral Combat talent tree which boosts the Druid's ability to hit hard and fast. Finally, they can work as a tank too, courtesy of bear form, although they can only wear cloth and leather armour which lowers their defensive capabilities.

The catch in all of this? There's a lot going on. If you're entirely new to World of Warcraft Classic, the Druid isn't exactly newbie friendly. It's worth making the time to learn how to be an effective Druid, but when you're still simply trying to find your way around the game, it can be intimidating.

Hunter

Hunter—ranged and melee damage

For the Alliance, Dwarves and Night Elves can be Hunters, while Horde players can opt for the Orc, Tauren, or Troll race.

Hunters are very solo friendly. They have a pet available to them who can tank while the Hunter fires arrows or bullets at the foe. In PvP, this can also be a potent combination as the enemy won't know whether to focus on attacking you or your pet.

When it comes to what race to choose, the options are quite varied. Night Elves have a higher natural agility which is useful, but Dwarves benefit from the Gun Specialization perk which grants an extra 5 on the Dwarf's natural guns skill ability. 

For the Horde, the Troll stands out as the best race for being a Hunter. Its Bow Specialization skill boosts bow skill by 5 from the outset, while Regeneration's 10% health regeneration rate is great for the solo Hunter. Keen to focus on PvP? Pick the Orc thanks to their Hardiness perk which offers a 25% extra chance to resist Stun effects. 

Whatever you choose, consider your pet as the strongest asset to your arsenal, and don't be afraid to switch to different animals as the game progresses. The Hunter’s a pretty good class for newbies, as it’s fairly easy to figure out.

Mage

Mage—ranged damage

The Mage is a class that can be taken by Gnomes and Humans for the Alliance, or Trolls and the Undead for the Horde. 

Mages are a form of ranged DPS. Their strengths lie in the ability to cast powerful spells from a distance to take down their foes. In PvP, their high damage spells are particularly appealing. They can also create portals for easy transportation, as well as conjure up food and drink as and when needed. The downside? They're pretty weak so don't fare well in up close combat. 

For the Alliance, Gnomes are rather tempting thanks to their Expansive Mind perk which boosts their intelligence as well as their mana reserves. Typically, this means an increased chance of a critical hit with spells which can make all the difference in a fight. Humans have the Human Spirit perk which slightly boosts Mana regeneration which can also be useful. 

When it comes to the Horde, we're partial to going with an Undead Mage. Their Will of the Forsaken racial perk is a huge help in both PvE and PvP, providing immunity to Charm, Fear, and Sleep. Cannibalize where you can regenerate 7 percent of your total health every 2 seconds for 10 seconds is pretty useful for solo Mages too.

Paladin

Paladin—melee damage/tank/healer

Paladins are an Alliance only class choice in WoW Classic but Burning Crusade Classic introduces the Horde's Blood Elves who—along with Dwarves and Humans—can also opt to be the Light focused tank/healer hybrid. 

Because Paladins can hit pretty hard as well as heal themselves, they're a decent option for the mostly solo player. They also have a number of powerful Blessing buffs at their disposal which makes them an attractive proposition when part of a dungeon group or raid.

There's not a lot in it, but Humans are the slightly better option here for PvE. Their The Human Spirit perk provides a five percent boost to the player's Spirit which means a minor boost to the amount of mana you passively generate. Horde's only option isn't a bad choice either. The Blood Elf perk Arcane Torrent is an AoE silence that can be super useful in many situations.

When it comes to PvP, you can't beat the Dwarf Paladin. Its Stoneform racial perk grants immunity to Bleed, Poison, and Disease which is ideal in combat, even though it only lasts for eight seconds.

Priest

Priest—healer/ranged damage

Priests are an option for Dwarves, Humans, Night Elves, Trolls, and the Undead. They're the most versatile healer in the game, but they can also inflict some ranged damage too. 

Priests solely use cloth-based armour, so they're not good in an up close fight. Instead, their strengths lie in providing support for others, and casting damaging spells from a distance. They're not massively solo friendly, but you're never going to have much trouble finding a dungeon group to participate in, thanks to such strong healing abilities. 

Each Priest race/class combo comes with its own class-specific racial perks. For Dwarves, there's Fear Ward which allows you to defend against Fear for 10 minutes, while Desperate Prayer is the last shot healing spell to get you out of a jam. Humans also have Desperate Prayer as an option, along with Feedback which causes the loss of an attacker's mana at a steady rate. Night Elves focus on other similarly aggressive racial perks. 

For the Horde, we're big fans of Troll Priests. Their racial perks include Hex of Weakness which reduces the damage caused by enemies, along with Shadowguard which inflicts damage every time you're attacked. Both are potent additions if you're considering PvP as a Priest. The Undead also has aggressive damage over time spells through racial perks.

Rogue

Rogue (melee damage)

The sneaky Rogue class is available to most races including Gnomes, Humans, Dwarves, Night Elves, Orcs, the Undead, and Trolls. 

Primarily, it's a damage dealer with typically faster damage than most other classes. That means strong damage in both PvE and PvP, but the Rogue is also a bit weak up close due to only using Cloth and Leather based armour. If you're keen to inflict the most damage though, there's not much that can rival the Rogue when it comes to damage output. 

Rogues also benefit from the ability to sneak around without detection before utilising assassination attacks that inflict substantial damage in one hit. 

Unlike most other classes, Rogues use energy to activate their ability, kind of like Mana. Accruing combo points enables players to trigger their most powerful attacks, but it takes a little getting used to. It's also possible to apply poisons to weapons increasing the damage they cause. 

For PvE and raiding, the Human Rogue is the best Alliance option. That's thanks to the Human racial perk of Sword Specialization which reduces the odds of missing an attack. For PvP, the Dwarf is a great option thanks to its Stoneform perk which removes all poison effects against you as well as Bleed and Disease effects. The Gnome's ability to use its perk, Escape Artist, to get out of immobilising effects is useful too, given the Rogue's relatively low threshold for taking damage. 

For the Horde, Orc Rogues are ideal for PvP thanks to the Hardiness perk's ability to help you resist stun effects. For PvE, Trolls are also decent thanks to their boost to Regeneration and their Berserking perk which can get you out of trouble.

Shaman

Shaman (melee and ranged damage/healer)

The Shaman class is exclusive to the Horde in WoW Classic with it open to Orcs, Taurens, and Trolls. Burning Crusade Classic also opens up this class to the Alliance with the new Draenei race. 

Primarily, the Shaman is a healer and utility class with some ability to withstand damage due to the option of holding shields and using Mail armour (past level 40). They're able to plant mystical totems that buff or restore the health of those around you which means they're always welcome within a group or raid. 

When it comes to damage, their output isn't particularly high but some of their spells work well over time. Flexible, they're like Druids in that they're not particularly newbie friendly but they're worth taking the time to learn. 

Predictably, Orcs remain a solid choice here thanks to the Hardiness perk with Taurens providing adequate backup thanks to their racial perks such as War Stomp. The latter is also a good option if you're keen to get involved with the lore of World of Warcraft too, given the Tauren interest in mysticism.

Warlock

Warlock (ranged damage)

Warlocks are the chaotic version of Mages. The class is available to Gnomes, Humans, Orcs, and the Undead. 

Like other magic casters, the Warlock is no use in a physical fight, but they can inflict a lot of damage from a distance, and they have a pet in the form of a spooky minion. That ensures they're an excellent solo class for both PvE and PvP. 

It takes a little time for them to truly shine as they're quite weak early on, but their ability to crowd control through Fear and Banish spells is immensely useful. 

For the Alliance, Gnomes are the best options for Warlocks thanks to their Expansive Mind perk which gives them extra intelligence from the outset. For the Horde, the Undead is the best choice thanks to Will of the Forsaken providing immunity to Charm, Fear, and Sleep, and Cannibalize helping you out while soloing. 

The Orc is a tempting backup choice too thanks to the Command racial perk boosting the damage dealt by the Warlock's minion by 5%.

Warrior

Warrior (melee damage/tank)

The Warrior is a class available to all races, but that doesn't mean they're all the same. 

A tank character that can also work as melee DPS in a fight, the Warrior is a welcome addition to any raid or dungeon group. Like the Rogue, it uses a rage bar to dictate what skills it can use during battle. They're reasonably solo friendly too, thanks to high health and inflicting strong damage. 

Humans are an appropriate first call for the Alliance Warrior. Their Sword and Mace Specialization perks mean that this Warrior has the advantage when it comes to avoiding missing an attack. When it comes to PvP focused gaming however, the Dwarf has the edge thanks to the Stoneform perk that removes all Bleed, Poison and Disease effects. 

For the Horde, there's the overpowered Hardiness perk for Orcs that make the Orc Warrior an ideal option in PvP. It's a similar story in PvE, but Trolls are also a viable option due to an extra two heroic strikes when starting out. The Regeneration perk is a useful one when soloing too. 

Warriors are a good starting class to consider, especially when learning the geography and basic structure of World of Warcraft.