wow The Most Popular DPS for Mythic+ in Shadowlands Season 1 Week 7

[Stan 5,020]

The seventh week of Mythic Season 1 is upon us, so we're looking at the most popular DPS specializations for Mythic+.

DATA RELIABILITY

The data used in this article comes from benched.me. Reddit user OtherwiseUniversity7 plotted all keys available from the Blizzard API (excluding the CN region) on a single ridge plot to gather the data.

This Week's Affixes

• Fortified
• Spiteful
• Volcanic
• Prideful

Total Runs Recorded

We are looking at the total runs recorded for each DPS specialization during the seventh week of Mythic Season 1. Based on that, we filter out the most popular ranged and melee DPS specializations.

Most Popular Melee DPS for Mythic+

The top 3 melee DPS specs have now all surpassed 1 million runs in Season 1. The most popular melee spec is Unholy Death Knight, followed by Retribution Paladin and Havoc Demon Hunter. Arms Warriors have lost one rank to Outlaw Rogues. Assassination is the least popular melee DPS specialization for Mythic+.

• 1st: Unholy Death Knight - 1,392,175 runs
• 2nd: Retribution Paladin - 1,038,050 runs
• 3rd: Havoc Demon Hunter - 1,002,094 runs
• 4th: Outlaw Rogue - 979,662 runs
• 5th: Arms Fury - 954,967 runs
• 6th: Subtlety Rogue - 820,004 runs
• 7th: Windwalker Monk - 812,554 runs
• 8th: Enhancement Shaman - 563,078 runs
• 9th: Fury Warrior - 552,715 runs
• 10th: Feral Druid - 253,269 runs
• 11th: Frost Death Knight - 222,173 runs
• 12th: Survival Hunter - 57,977 runs
• 13th: Assassination Rogue - 52,554 runs

Detailed Look at Spec Performance

The meta starts kicking in at around +16, where most specs start losing their share of representation to the metaclasses. Some non-meta specs stay stable in mid-range keys and only begin disappearing at higher levels.

Share of Melee DPS Specs at Each Key Level (Weekly Top 500 Runs)

To see how the meta changes during the season, we sample the top 50 runs for each dungeon (a total of 6,000 keys) for each week. Next, we count the number of times each spec appears in the weekly top 500 sample.

The data has a zig-zag quality to it. Spec numbers go up and down each week, which is the Tyrannical/Fortified split effect. On Tyrannical weeks, pushers are likely to bench their meta-class mains and play non-meta alts.

Most Popular Ranged DPS for Mythic+

Marksmanship Hunters surpassed 3 million runs in Season 1 so far, and the specialization remains the most popular ranged DPS spec for Mythic+.

In 2nd place, we've got Fire Mages, and third are Balance Druids. The least popular specialization is Demonology.

• 1st: Marksmanship Hunter - 3,097,371 runs
• 2nd: Fire Mage - 1,793,625 runs
• 3rd: Balance Druid - 1,774,883 runs
• 4th: Shadow Priest - 1,315,576 runs
• 5th: Affliction Warlock - 907,451 runs
• 6th: Beast Mastery Hunter - 850,003 runs
• 7th: Frost Mage - 758,086 runs
• 8th: Destruction Warlock - 570,644 runs
• 9th: Elemental Shaman - 536,505 runs
• 10th: Arcane Mage - 312,635 runs
• 11th: Demonology Warlock - 209,405 runs

Detailed Look at Spec Performance

Share of Ranged DPS Specs at Each Keystone Level (Weekly Top 500 Runs)

[Glynwys 0]

All I really got out of this is that class balance is still all over the place. I knew it was bad, but these stark graphs really hammer home the issue. While obviously some classes are going to simply be better than others, this should only happen because of class specific limitations and not because of low numbers. Especially for ranged... You look at that graph and feel like the only spec that exists is Marksmanship. And if they nerf Convoke, which is the primary reason Balance is so widely used... Hurts just thinking about it.

[SidonisAntares 288]

10 hours ago, Glynwys said:

All I really got out of this is that class balance is still all over the place. I knew it was bad, but these stark graphs really hammer home the issue. While obviously some classes are going to simply be better than others, this should only happen because of class specific limitations and not because of low numbers. Especially for ranged... You look at that graph and feel like the only spec that exists is Marksmanship. And if they nerf Convoke, which is the primary reason Balance is so widely used... Hurts just thinking about it.

Balance would still be widely used, because people would just switch to Kyrian, which makes them marketable for the damage buff they can give with Kindred Spirits, and Pelagos soulbind is just barely behind NF Nya, even post-nerf from right before SL launch.

Edited January 22, 2021 by SidonisAntares

[Glynwys 0]

On 1/22/2021 at 6:28 AM, SidonisAntares said:

Balance would still be widely used, because people would just switch to Kyrian, which makes them marketable for the damage buff they can give with Kindred Spirits, and Pelagos soulbind is just barely behind NF Nya, even post-nerf from right before SL launch.

I suppose you do have a point.

My primary issue so far is that Shadowlands hasn't been an expansion where you play the spec you enjoy the most and you'll still do fine. Its so bad that not only can you be refused to numerous Mythic PUGs and Heroic raids for playing a certain class or spec, even members of your guild can potentially decide to replace you with someone else who's playing a class or spec that just performs better. Sure, some of the specs that are at the bottom of the barrel do fairly good against some CN bosses... but why would you take one of those specs, who are only good on one or two bosses, over one of the top specs that are strong on all of the bosses?

[SidonisAntares 288]

47 minutes ago, Glynwys said:

I suppose you do have a point.

My primary issue so far is that Shadowlands hasn't been an expansion where you play the spec you enjoy the most and you'll still do fine. Its so bad that not only can you be refused to numerous Mythic PUGs and Heroic raids for playing a certain class or spec, even members of your guild can potentially decide to replace you with someone else who's playing a class or spec that just performs better. Sure, some of the specs that are at the bottom of the barrel do fairly good against some CN bosses... but why would you take one of those specs, who are only good on one or two bosses, over one of the top specs that are strong on all of the bosses?

Feral has been out of demand for a while now, not just SL. I'd get whispers on my druid to make sure I was balance on anything 7+. The guild I'm in doesn't turn anyone away as long as you can do the fight mechanics and come in above the tanks on damage. We still manage to get AotC every tier, so it doesn't matter.

[Glynwys 0]

22 hours ago, SidonisAntares said:

Feral has been out of demand for a while now, not just SL. I'd get whispers on my druid to make sure I was balance on anything 7+. The guild I'm in doesn't turn anyone away as long as you can do the fight mechanics and come in above the tanks on damage. We still manage to get AotC every tier, so it doesn't matter.

Guess it is time to just find a new guild, then, and try not to feel discouraged when a Fire Mage hits three buttons and blows up the room, while I'm on my BM Hunter playing my rotation as flawlessly as I'm capable of and only just barely above the Vengeance Demon Hunter's damage. Its hard though, cuz I want to feel like I'm contributing but in reality I'm barely keeping my head above water because I find Marksmanship entirely too clunky to deal with.