Dragonflight DPS Rankings: Amirdrassil, the Dream's Hope Raiding Tier List (Patch 10.2.)
World of Warcraft has never been perfectly balanced, and Dragonflight is no exception. Some classes are better than others at the high end for raiding, and inevitably, a meta will exist. This ranking is based on the viability and strength of the various DPS specializations for the second season of raiding in Dragonflight.
Disclaimer: This list will be updated as new tuning and class changes come out over the course of the season.
About the Tier List
Patch 10.2. includes major changes and adjustments to the game's balance as well as introducing a brand new raid tier - Amirdrassil. Our analysis provides an estimate of how the current raid meta will be impacted, but it may require further tweaking in the coming weeks.
This tier list is entirely based on DPS viability for the new raid in Patch 10.2 of Dragonflight. The primary traits we are looking for have not changed and are what you would expect for raiding content. Mainly, we care about single-target damage; some burst cleave or AoE, and then defensive capabilities on a raid-wide or individual scale. Unique class utility buffs are also worth noticing and can be worth bringing a specific class for, but very few buffs are spec-specific.
While the traits that make a character valuable in a raid have not changed much, there are two incredibly important new factors to consider.
- Because of the new talent trees, classes now have the freedom of choice to decide how to build in various situations. However, this also means that certain classes are forced into specializing in either AoE or single target for different bosses. While some classes have excellent pure single-target damage, they can lose a significant portion of that damage when forced to take even a few points of AoE talents.
A Final Warning
It is incredibly important to emphasize that just because a DPS specialization is low in the tier list, it does not mean that you should ignore it completely. For the vast majority of cases, you should choose to bring the better player, not the better specialization. That does not mean you never need to think about your raid composition, just that most of the time, player skill will be more important than the difference between classes, assuming you already have the required raid buffs. All being lower tier means is that all else being equal, those specs will be less desirable for the raid based on current tuning.
Dragonflight DPS Tier List for Amirdrassil, the Dream's Hope
Below is a quick summary of the full rankings that we have detailed on this page. While this gives a good outline of the standings of specializations in comparison to one another, we recommend reading the full rankings to understand why certain specializations are ranked as they are.
- Augmentation Evoker (S+-Tier)
- Assassination Rogue (S-Tier)
- Enhancement Shaman (S-Tier)
- Havoc Demon Hunter (S-Tier)
- Beast Mastery Hunter (S-Tier)
- Demonology Warlock (S-Tier)
- Balance Druid (A-Tier)
- Arcane Mage (A-Tier)
- Subtlety Rogue (A-Tier)
- Frost Mage (A-Tier)
- Fury Warrior (B-Tier)
- Unholy Death Knight (B-Tier)
- Outlaw Rogue (B-Tier)
- Arms Warrior (B-Tier)
- Feral Druid (B-Tier)
- Survival Hunter (B-Tier)
- Frost Death Knight (B-Tier)
- Fire Mage (B-Tier)
- Devastation Evoker (B-Tier)
- Retribution Paladin (B-Tier)
- Elemental Shaman (B-Tier)
- Affliction Warlock (B-Tier)
- Shadow Priest (C-Tier)
- Marksmanship Hunter (C-Tier)
- Destruction Warlock (C-Tier)
- Windwalker Monk (D-Tier)
Healer and Tank Class Rankings
If you are interested in our other rankings for the Season 3 Raid in Dragonflight, please click the links below.
Full DPS Class and Specialization Rankings
S+-Tier
Augmentation Evoker
Patch 10.2 update: Augmentation Evoker
received some changes going forward to the next tier - Amirdrassil,
as well as a brand-new tierset along with it.
The 2-piece enables every 3rd Prescience cast to last
100% longer. In addition, the 4p effect allows for
Prescience
to enhance your next Eruption cast with smaller fissures for each
Prescience you have active, each dealing damage and extending
Ebon Might
by 0.2 sec.
The Augmentation Evokers specialization is one of
the most powerful specializations in the new Amirdrassil raid tier,
thanks to its ability to enhance the damage and defensive capabilities of
your raid members. While the players behind the Prescience and
Ebon Might
buffs are responsible for most of their damage, having at least one Augmentation Evoker
in your raid composition can be very advantageous. This specialization also has a great
defensive profile, and immunity, and is one of the most mobile specializations available.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
- |
Core | ![]() |
- |
Core | ![]() |
Extra Shielding effect triggered after
![]() |
Core | ![]() |
Can be further bolstered by the ![]() |
Optional | ![]() |
- |
Optional | ![]() |
- |
Optional | ![]() |
Can be further bolstered by ![]() |
Optional | ![]() |
- |
Optional | ![]() |
Bleed removal |
Optional | ![]() |
You can further bolster it with
![]() |
S-Tier
Assassination Rogue
Patch 10.2: Assassination Rogue
received a complete rework going forward to the next tier - Amirdrassil,
as well as a brand-new tierset along with it.
The 2-piece bonus enables each 10 energy you spend to grant
Natureblight, increase your attack speed and Nature Damage by 1%
for 6 sec. Multiple instances of Natureblight may overlap up
to 15 stacks. In addition, the 4-piece effect allows Envenom
with
Envenom active to explode, dealing Nature damage to all nearby enemies
(deals reduced damage beyond 5 targets). If Envenomous Explosion deals
damage to a single target, it is increased by 150%.
After the complete rework of the Assassination Rogues,
their damage profile is in a much better shape while still having that great
execute damage output. Rogues have great defensive profiles and a few sets of immunities,
making it necessary to have at least one Rogue in your team, especially with the
Atrophic Poison Raid utility. However, the main strength of Assassination Rogues lies
in their ability to deal exceptional single-target damage.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
- |
Enhancement Shaman
Patch 10.2 update: Enhancement Shaman
received minor changes changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tierset along with it.
The 2-piece enables Primordial Wave to summon a Lightning Feral Spirit
that increases your Nature damage dealt by 20% for 15 sec. In addition,
once you summon any Feral Spirit, it will reduce the cooldown of
Primordial Wave by 7 sec.
Enhancement Shaman is a powerful DPS class
that excels in both single target and cleave damage. However, when the
Windfury Totem is factored in, and their damage output becomes even
more significant, making them one of the most valuable melee DPS specs in the game.
Many other melee classes also benefit from the totem, with some specializations
gaining a significant boost in damage. Even without the totem, Enhancement Shaman
would still be considered a great pick-up spec due to their impressive damage output.
At last, anytime there is a fight that can benefit from funnelling, look no further
as Enhance is a specialist in it!
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
Exceptionally strong for melee damage dealers. |
Core | ![]() |
- |
Optional | ![]() |
- |
Optional | ![]() |
- |
Havoc Demon Hunter
Patch 10.2 update: Havoc Demon Hunter
received a complete rework going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tierset along with it.
The 2-piece enables Blade Dance to automatically triggers
Throw Glaive on your
primary target for 100% damage and each slash has a 50% chance
to
Throw Glaive an enemy for 35% damage. In addition, the 4-piece
bonus allows
Throw Glaive to reduce the remaining cooldown of
The Hunt by 2 sec, and
The Hunt's damage-over-time
effect lasts 6 sec longer.
As a class, Demon Hunters possess a versatile and effective range of damage
abilities that make them a valuable asset in any situation. With a single
talent build, they are able to compete effectively in fights that require
a mixture of combat styles. One of their greatest strengths lies in their
ability to deal strong cleave damage to 2-5 targets, as well as burst
area-of-effect damage. Nevertheless,
Demon Hunters still have access to the powerful Darkness ability,
which can serve as a valuable raid cooldown.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
5% extra Magical damage |
Core | ![]() |
% chance to avoid all damage from an attack. |
Beast Mastery Hunter
Patch 10.2 update: Beast Mastery Hunter
received minor changes going forward to the next Raid tier in Amirdrassil,
as well as a brand-new tierset along with it.
The 2-piece bonus enables Bestial Wrath to summon a
Dire Beast
for 15 sec. In addition, the 4-piece effect empowers
Dire Beast
to now benefit from
Kill Command and
Beast Cleave.
As a ranged DPS spec in the game, Beast Mastery Hunter
stands out as the only one capable of performing their entire rotation while moving.
This makes them an invaluable asset for any mechanics or tasks required during a fight.
In addition to that, every Hunter specialization is now going to have a
raid-buff - Hunter's Mark, making them slightly more appealing to be picked up
in the mandatory 20-man Mythic raid composition. One of the main disadvantages of
having Beast Mastery Hunter is that they suffer from
lack of spread cleaving (when mobs are far away from each other) and is relatively
squishy compared to most of the Ranged options; however, their current damage profile
is among the highest in the raiding scene. Simply because of that, we are consider them
as one of the "must" picks in every raid composition.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
Increases all damage dealt to targets above 80% health by 5%. |
Demonology Warlock
Patch 10.2 update:.
Demonology Warlock received minor changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tierset along with it. The 2-piece
bonus enables Demonbolt to apply Doom Brand that explodes after
20 sec dealing Shadow damage to nearby enemies (reduced damage beyond 8 targets).
Hand of Gul'dan reduces the duration of your Doom Brands by 1 sec per
Soul Shard spent. In addition, the 4p effect gives Doom Brand a chance to summon
Doomfiend when it explodes, that casts 5 Doom Bolt Volleys before
departing. Each Doom Bolt Volley deals Shadow damage up to 4 enemies.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
|
Core | ![]() |
|
Core | ![]() |
|
Core | ![]() |
Useful against caster targets. It can be further
bolstered by ![]() |
Core | ![]() |
Useful against physical damage dealers. It can be further
bolstered by ![]() |
Optional | ![]() |
Useful on some boss encounters for an extra crowd-control effect. |
A-Tier
Balance Druid
Patch 10.2 update: Balance Druid
received some changes going forward to the next tier - Amirdrassil,
as well as a brand-new tierset along with it.
The 2-piece triggers once Eclipse ends or when you enter combat, enter a
Dreamstate, reducing the cast time of your next 2
Starfires or
Wraths by 40% and increase their damage
by 100%. In addition, the 4-piece enables
Starsurge or
Starfall
to increase your current
Eclipse's Arcane or Nature damage bonus by an
additional 2% up to 10%.
As a Balance Druid, you may not have the highest single-target output,
but your damage toolkit is well-rounded and all-inclusive, making you a valuable
asset in the game. Starfall, in particular, is a unique ability that
sets you apart from other classes as it allows you to constantly cleave spread
groups of enemies. While this may not matter in most fights, Boomkins are
irreplaceable when facing multi-target fights. Also, don't forget the mandatory
Mark of the Wild raid-wide buff is a must in every raid, making it more
appealing to pick them up.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
Increasing the Versatility of your raid/party by 3%. |
Optional | ![]() |
Allowing 1 friendly healer to cast spells without spending mana for 8 sec. |
Optional | ![]() |
Increasing the movement speed to all raid members by 60% for 8 sec. |
Optional | ![]() |
Extra off-healing. |
Arcane Mage
Patch 10.2 update: Arcane Mage
received minor changes since going forward to the next tier - Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new
tier set along with it. The 2-piece triggers when consuming Clearcasting,
which then grants you increased spell damage by 2% for 20 sec,
stacking up to 10%. In addition, the 4p effect triggers after
consuming
Clearcasting 3 times, your next
Arcane Missiles
consumes Arcane Battery, dealing 150% increased damage to your primary
target and fires at up to 4 nearby enemies dealing 100%
increased damage.
Arcane Mage has competitive single target, but more
importantly, has some of the best single target burst damage in the game right now for
small burst windows. Arcane is a top-heavy
spec in terms of the skill required to truly make use of its phenomenal toolkit; in
the hands of the right player, it is incredibly powerful in terms of the raw damage and
burst potential. Mages are also still quite strong
defensively, and immunities like Ice Block /
Ice Cold will always have value
in a raid. Anytime there is a damage increase phase or a requirement for a burst-damage
orientated scenario, Arcane Mage will be great.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
5% extra Intellect to the whole raid/party. |
Core | ![]() |
Alternative of ![]() |
Optional | ![]() ![]() |
Gives a shield that absorbs damage or mass invisibility to the entire party. |
Subtlety Rogue
Patch 10.2: Subtlety Rogue
received a rework going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new
tier set along with it. The 2-piece bonus enables Eviscerate,
Rupture or
Black Powder to have a chance to summon a shadow clone to
echo your finishing move for 70% additional Shadow damage.
In addition, the 4-piece effect grants your shadow clones to deal
20% increased damage with all attacks and grants you 2
combo points per clone when summoned.
Subtlety Rogues have great damage output when targeting a single enemy and, in some situations, can be picked up instead siblings Outlaw Rogue / Assassination Rogue, depending on the boss encounter. Despite this, Rogue as a class is one of the best melee options, so you will not be mistaken if your choice is going to be Subtlety Rogue. Their ability to deal solid damage in cleave situations and burst attacks makes them stand out among other Rogue specializations.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
- |
Frost Mage
Patch 10.2 update: Frost Mage
minor changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new
tier set along with it. The 2-piece increases the damage of Glacial Spike by 16%
and it explodes when it Shatters a frozen target, dealing 15%
of its damage dealt to nearby enemies. Deals reduced damage beyond
8 targets. In addition, the 4-p bonus effect triggers when
casting
Glacial Spike, giving
Brain Freeze a 40%
chance to trigger.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
5% extra Intellect to the whole raid/party. |
Core | ![]() |
Alternative of ![]() |
Optional | ![]() |
Gives a shield that absorbs damage to the entire party. |
B-Tier
While not as strong as the A-tier specializations, these specs are still viable and will not be uncommon in raid groups. Some of these might be rarer to see, but more so because the other specs of that class are just so much stronger.
Fury Warrior
Patch 10.2 update: Fury Warrior
received minor changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new
tier set along with it. The 2-piece buffs
Odyn's Fury to deal 50% increased damage and causes your
next 3
Bloodthirsts to deal 150% additional damage
and have 100% increased critical strike chance against its primary
target. In addition, the 4-piece effect allows
Bloodthirst critical
strikes to reduce the cooldown of
Odyn's Fury by 2.5 sec.
Fury Warriors are highly effective when it comes
to sustained cleave on low targets and executing due to their powerful ability -
Execute. They will also benefit from the newly introduced
2H Legendary Axe, so depending on the tuning, their rankings can go
significantly up. On top of this, they still possess one of
the strongest non-healer raid cooldowns -
Rallying Cry.
It's worth noting that every raid requires you to have at least 1
Warrior due to
Battle Shout being a mandatory
raid buff, you always stand a chance to be picked up even if your
overall performance is not there.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
Temporary increasing the health of your raid/party. |
Core | ![]() |
Extra 5% attack power. |
Optional | ![]() |
Usable in a niche situations. |
Unholy Death Knight
Patch 10.2 update: Unholy Death Knight
received major changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tier set along with it.
The 2-piece enables Apocalypse to summon an additional
Magus of the Dead. Your
Magus of the Dead's Shadow Bolt now fires a volley of
Shadow Bolts at up to 4 nearby enemies. In addition,
each Rune you spend increases the duration of your active Magi
by 0.5 sec. Your Magi will now also cast Amplify Damage,
increasing the damage you deal by 5% for 10 sec.
Following the most recent "mini-rework" to how Unholy Death Knight
deal damage, they have significantly nerfed their damage during their cooldowns
while giving the specialization a lot more sustained damage. The change
itself has been rather negative on behalf of their raid performance, leaving
them far behind their previous exceptional single-target from the last
tier. Although they are quite a durable melee DPS options and have useful
raid-wide utility tools, the damage is the single; most important detail which
determines the rankings of each specialization. On top of this, on fights
where Death Grip is not utilized, outside of
Anti-Magic Zone
they have nothing to offer to your raid.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
Provides extra durability against heavy magical damage. |
Core | ![]() |
Repositions an enemy of your choice. |
Core | ![]() |
Combat-resurrection. |
Optional | ![]() |
Every 1 sec an enemy is pulled close to you. |
Optional | ![]() |
Reduces auto-attack speed of your target by 5% stacking up 4 times. |
Outlaw Rogue
Patch 10.2: Outlaw Rogue
received a rework going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tier set along with it.
The 2-piece bonus enables Sinister Strike to have an additional
15% chance of striking additional time. To include, the 4-piece effect
enables
Roll the Bones to additionally refresh a random
Roll the Bones
combat enhancement buff you currently possess.
Outlaw Rogues are capable of dealing exceptional cleave
and AoE damage thanks to Blade Flurry. Even in situations where only a
single target is present, Outlaw remains a formidable damage dealer with a solid
set of defensive abilities shared by all rogue specializations, as well as the
ability to apply
Atrophic Poison debuff. The great defensive profile paired
with amazing single-target of Outlaw Rogue make them one of the better melee
choices out there!
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
- |
Arms Warrior
Patch 10.2 update: Arms Warrior
received minor changes going forward to the next tier - Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tier set along
with it. The 2-piece increases Rend damage by 30% and
Sudden Death
can be triggered by
Rend's
Bleed damage. In addition, the 4p effect enables
Sudden Death to also make your next
Execute powerfully slam
the ground, causing a
Thunder Clap that deals 100% increased
damage. In addition, the
Execute target bleeds for 50% of
Execute's damage over 5 sec. If this bleed is reapplied, the remaining
damage is added to the new
Bleed.
Arms Warriors are incredibly strong on 2-target
cleave due to Sweeping Strikes and then in execute due to their
Execute. Arms Warrior is known to have one of the best execute damage
profiles in the game, while also benefiting quite well from
Windfury Totem,
making it a great pick-up for raiding. At last, don't forget that Warrior
class brings one of the strongest non-healer raid cooldown in the game,
Rallying Cry.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
Temporary increasing the health of your raid/party. |
Core | ![]() |
Extra 5% attack power. |
Optional | ![]() |
Usable in a niche situations. |
Feral Druid
Patch 10.2 update: Feral Druid
received minor changes changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a
brand new tier set along with it. The 2-piece enables
Feral Frenzy to grant Smoldering Frenzy, increasing all damage
you deal by 20% for 8 sec. In addition, the 4-piece reduces
Feral Frenzy's cooldown by 15 sec. During Smoldering Frenzy,
enemies burn for 10% of damage you deal as Fire over 10 sec.
Feral Druid possesses all the typical utility of a Druid,
including the ability to provide Innervate. However, in a tier where numerous
excellent ranged options already exist, it is much more challenging to find a slot for
a Feral Druid compared to a Balance Druid. Although Feral Druids have amazing single-target
damage and exceptional AOE damage, there are better melee options out there as the slots
for them are usually limited within a standard Raid composition. Regardless,
we still believe they will do fantastic, and they will be in good shape at the start
of the Amirdrassil raid tier.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
Increasing the Versatility of your raid/party by 3%. |
Optional | ![]() |
Allowing 1 friendly healer to cast spells without spending mana for 8 sec. |
Optional | ![]() |
Increasing the movement speed to all raid members by 60% for 8 sec. |
Optional | ![]() |
Extra off-healing. |
Survival Hunter
Patch 10.2 update: Survival Hunter
receivedminor changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil.
The 2-piece bonus increases your and your pet's critical strike chance
and damage by 15% for 12 sec when using Fury of the Eagle.
In addition, the 4-piece effect enables
Fury of the Eagle to throw a
free
Wildfire Bomb at your current target at 100% effectiveness,
causes your next
Wildfire Bomb to not incur a cooldown, and increases
the damage
Wildfire Bomb deals to your primary target by 40%
for 12 sec.
The performance of Survival Hunters has been
steadily improving since the start of the expansion, as they are entering
the next tier with amazing single-target and AoE damage profiles. To top it off,
Hunter recently received a raid-wide buff - Hunter's Mark
which makes a difference when choosing your ideal raid composition. One of the
biggest disadvantages of Survival Hunter hunter, however, is, due to the
limited melee slots in each raid tier, there might be other options that fit
better the current raid profile, and therefore, you might be pushed outside of
the ideal raid composition.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
Increases all damage dealt to targets above 80% health by 5%. |
Frost Death Knight
Patch 10.2 update: Frost Death Knight
received minor changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tier set along with it.
The 2-piece increases Chill Streak's range by 4 yds and can bounce off of you.
Each time
Chill Streak bounces your damage is increased by 4% for 12 sec
stacking up to 5 times. In addition, the 4-p effect enables
Chill Streak
to bounce 2 additional times, and each time it bounces, you have a 30%
chance to gain a Rune, reduce
Chill Streak cooldown by 5 sec, or
reduce the cooldown of
Empower Rune Weapon by 6 sec.
Frost Death Knight's biggest strength comes from
their ability to deal with great single-target while simultaneously cleave multiple
targets at once. While their damage is overall competitive,
they really excel in situations where multiple targets are present. There are a few specific fights
where the Frost Death Knight really shines, especially the ones where
Death Grip ability can be utilized (not many of them). In addition,
Frost Death Knight are one of the few specializations that will benefit
from the newly introduced Legendary Weapon, so depending on the tunning,
their rankings might change. Overall,
with great defensive capabilities, a Raid "utility" (
Anti-Magic Zone)
and a good damage profile, Frost Death Knight is going to be a good
pickup for a melee slot in the upcoming Amirdrassil raid tier.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
Provides extra durability against heavy magical damage. |
Core | ![]() |
Repositions an enemy of your choice. |
Core | ![]() |
Combat-resurrection. |
Optional | ![]() |
Every 1 sec an enemy is pulled close to you. |
Optional | ![]() |
Reduces auto-attack speed of your target by 5% stacking up 4 times. |
Fire Mage
Patch 10.2 update: Fire Mage
received minor changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tier set along with it.
The 2-piece effect activates when Pyroblast and
Flamestrike
critically strike you gain Searing Rage, increasing your critical strike
damage by 4% for 12 sec, stacking up to 20%. In addition,
the 4p bonus triggers when activating
Combustion, increasing the
critical strike damage bonus of Searing Rage by 150% for
12 sec.
The Fire Mage class is performing decent in this tier due to good single-target and quite strong mobility. On top of this, they are one of the most durable raid specializations, combined with exceptional cleave abilities. Fire Mages are known for their incredible toolkit and are traditionally useful for progression.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
5% extra Intellect to the whole raid/party. |
Core | ![]() |
Alternative of ![]() |
Optional | ![]() ![]() |
Gives a shield that absorbs damage or mass invisibility to the entire party. |
Devastation Evoker
Patch 10.2 update: Devastation Evoker
received minor changes changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tier set along with it.
The 2-piece activates when Dragonrage is active; you will gain
Emerald Trance every 6 sec, increasing your damage done
by 5% stacking up to 5 times. In addition, the 4-piece enables
when
Dragonrage ends, Emerald Trance will persist for 5 sec
per stack, granting you
Essence Burst every 5 sec.
The Devastation Evokers are highly skilled in delivering powerful and single-target damage, during a long period of time (likely the longest single-target burst in the game). They excel in handling movement and are considered one of the best ranged DPS specializations in the Amirdrassil raid. However, it's important to keep in mind that they have a limited range of 25 yards, which could be a disadvantage in certain situations depending on your group's positioning. Despite this drawback, we still believe they will do decent as a ranged DPS spec due to their damage output and impressive burst potential, with the only possibility to climb higher is further buffs targeting their damage profile.
- Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
- |
Optional | ![]() |
Can be further bolstered by ![]() |
Optional | ![]() |
- |
Optional | ![]() |
Bleed removal |
Optional | ![]() |
You can further bolster it with
![]() |
Retribution Paladin
Patch 10.2 update: Retribution Paladin
received minor changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tier set along with it.
The 2-piece enables Expurgation to last an additional 3 sec
and deals 30% increased damage. Casting
Judgment or
Divine Toll
on a target with
Expurgation causes Wrathful Sanction, damaging the
main target and 4 additional nearby enemies with Holy damage. In addition,
the 4-piece effect will cause Wrathful Sanction to buff you with
Echoes of Wrath, causing your next
Templar's Verdict or
Divine Storm to deal damage a second time at 25% effectiveness.
This effect does not consume
Judgment.
Retribution Paladin's competitive damage profile, combined with
amazing Raid-wide utility, makes them a great all-around melee choice for the
upcoming Amirdrassil raid tier. In addition, they have numerous tools
to support your raid ( Blessing of Protection,
Blessing of Freedom,
Blessing of Sacrifice,
Lay on Hands) immunity (
Divine Shield),
great defensives, and a raid-wide buff (
Retribution Aura). With a slightly
higher damage profile, they will be a serious contender on our rankings.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
- |
Core | ![]() |
In case you already have ![]() ![]() |
Core | ![]() |
- |
Optional | ![]() |
Helps a single member of your raid in a
critical situation. Can be further improved by talenting
![]() |
Optional | ![]() |
Physical immunity, which can help you with some boss encounters. |
Optional | ![]() |
Immunity to movement impairing effects. |
Elemental Shaman
Patch 10.2 update: Elemental Shaman
received minor changes changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tier set along with it.
The 2-piece enables the Primordial Wave to also cast
Elemental Blast
at the target at 70% effectiveness, and grants you all three
Elemental Blast
bonus effects for 10 sec. In addition, the 4p bonus allows your
Lava Burst to burn your target for 10% additional damage over 4 sec,
and after consuming
Primordial Wave, your next 2 casts of
Lava Burst
to also hit up to 3 additional targets affected by your
Flame Shock
for 65% of normal damage.
Elemental Shaman is known for its great single-target damage while still being able to handle cleave and AoE attacks. This makes it a great choice for encounters with varying damage profiles. However, compared to other classes, such as Mage and Warlock, Elemental Shaman lacks the raid utility and durability to compete. One area where they excel is in their ability to deal damage while moving (depending on your build), making them great against heavy movement boss encounters. Overall, while Elemental Shamans may not have the highest DPS ranking, their strength lies in their versatility and mobility.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Optional | ![]() |
- |
Optional | ![]() |
- |
Affliction Warlock
Patch 10.2 update: Affliction Warlock
went through some changes going forward to the next tier - Amirdrassil, as well as
a brand new tier set along with it. The 2-piece bonus will increase the damage of
Soul Rot by 15% and its duration by 4 sec. In addition, the 4p
effect will enable
Soul Rot to grant 3 Umbrafire Kindling, which
increases the damage of your next
Malefic Rapture by 50% or your
next
Seed of Corruption by 60%. Umbrafire Kindling causes
Malefic Rapture to extend the duration of your next damage-over-time-effects
and
Haunt by 2 sec. The spec is performing
well on some of the encounters with single-target and cleave needs. Their
recent rework on the damage pattern will allow faster ramp-up and higher
damage, closing the gap between the spec and the rest of the damage
specializations. At last, the tier-set makes your single-target a lot better
compared to last season, which is also great when approaching raid
environment.
It is common for every raid to require at least one Warlock due to their beneficial class utility. Affliction offers a play style that's based on damage over time and is pretty good at handling movement, as well as offering great single-target with right talents. Cleaving and doing damage to spread targets is also a valuable asset, so keep that in mind!
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
|
Core | ![]() |
|
Core | ![]() |
|
Core | ![]() |
Useful against caster targets. It can be further
bolstered by ![]() |
Core | ![]() |
Useful against physical damage dealers. It can be further
bolstered by ![]() |
Core | Demon Summoning | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Optional | ![]() |
Useful on some boss encounters for an extra crowd-control effect. |
C-Tier
Shadow Priest
Patch 10.2 update: Shadow Priest
received a complete rework (once again) going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand-new
tier set along with it. The 2-piece enables Shadow Word: Death to trigger 2
additional times at 15% effectiveness. Triggers again 1 additional time
at 20% effectiveness if
Deathspeaker is active or your target is below 20% health.
In addition, the 4-piece bonus will trigger each time you take damage from
Shadow Word: Death, gain a stack of Death's Torment, increasing the
initial damage of your next cast of
Shadow Word: Pain by 225% or
increasing the damage of your next
Shadow Crash by 50%, stacking
up to 12 times.
After the several rounds of nerfs, Shadow Priests
damage profile took a massive hit, although they still have good execute damage,
their overall damage profile diminished. They still have one of the strongest external
damage cooldown - Power Infusion, which can benefit both them and the chosen target
thanks to the
Twins of the Sun Priestess talent. This significantly
increases the damage dealt to the target and makes Shadow Priests a more attractive option.
Additionally, Shadow Priests have the ability to off-heal with
Vampiric Embrace,
which can be a lifesaver in critical situations during raids. Lastly, the defensive cooldown,
Dispersion, can be used instead of an "immunity" soak when necessary. Overall
, we were quite happy with the initial rework of the specialization, but after several
rounds of nerfs, they are now back to a "poor" performance rather than the
"overpowered" label they have had for a while during the PTR testing.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
You must always have ![]() |
Core | ![]() |
A raid-wide 5% Stamina buff. |
Core | ![]() |
Incredible useful where Mass Dispelling is needed. |
Optional | ![]() |
Extra off-healing. |
Optional | ![]() |
Helps with repositioning. |
Marksmanship Hunter
Patch 10.2 update: Marksmanship Hunter
received minor changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tier set along with it.
The 2-piece bonus enables Rapid Fire to deal 20% additional
damage.
Trick Shots causes
Rapid Fire to launch a
Volley
for 6 sec, dealing 100% of normal damage. In addition, the 4-p
grants for every 10 focus you spend to have a 3% chance to reset the
cooldown of
Rapid Fire and cause your next
Rapid Fire to
shoot 100% additional shots during its channel.
Marksmanship Hunters excel in cleaving 3-5 targets and have
great burst AoE / single-target capabilities. In addition to their 2-minutes
strong burst coming from Trueshot, their new tier-set will help them
with the 2-target damage profile (previously a major issue). The newly introduced
Raid utility -
Hunter's Mark might also look appealing to your
guild to consider bringing a Hunter in their raid further to bolster
the damage profile of the whole squad. Overall, Marksmanship Hunter will
be a decent pickup for the upcoming Amirdrassil raid, with one of the main
reasons not seeing them as often is due to how dominant Beast Mastery Hunter
currently is, leaving you with no other choice than that. In addition, the spec still
struggles with their defensives, but could be used in niche situations where burst
is needed to push phases.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
Increases all damage dealt to targets above 80% health by 5%. |
Destruction Warlock
Patch 10.2 update: Destruction Warlock
received minor changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as
a brand new tier set along with it. The 2-piece bonus will increase the damage of
Bolts coming from Dimensional Rifts by 25% of damage dealt to
nearby enemies.
Immolate periodic damage has a chance to grant a charge
of
Dimensional Rift. In addition, the 4-piece effect will enable
Dimensional Rift to summon a powerful Flame Rift which blasts
20 Searing Bolts that deal instant and damage-over-time Fire damage.
Destruction Warlocks are known for their decent
damage output against a single target, as well as their ability to cleave two
targets at once thanks to the powerful spell Havoc. Additionally, their
bursts are strengthened by the use of
Summon Infernal, have a good defensive
profile, and, as every Warlock spec, provide valuable Raid utility. However,
this time around, the specialization is suffering from lack of output and is currently
one of the lowest-performing DPS specs in Amirdrassil.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
|
Core | ![]() |
|
Core | ![]() |
|
Core | ![]() |
Useful against caster targets. It can be further
bolstered by ![]() |
Core | ![]() |
Useful against physical damage dealers. It can be further
bolstered by ![]() |
Core | Demon Summoning | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Optional | ![]() |
Useful on some boss encounters for an extra crowd-control effect. |
D-Tier
Windwalker Monk
Patch 10.2 update: Windwalker Monk
received minor changes going forward to the next Raid tier
in Amirdrassil, as well as a brand new tier set along with it.
The 2-piece enables free Spinning Crane Kicks to grant Blackout Reinforcement,
increasing the damage of your next
Blackout Kick by 150%.
Melee abilities can grant Blackout Reinforcement. In addition,
the 4-p effect allows for Blackout Reinforcement to empower
Blackout Kick
reducing the cooldown of
Fists of Fury,
Rising Sun Kick,
Strike of the Windlord and
Whirling Dragon Punch by 3 sec.
Damage of
Fists of Fury,
Rising Sun Kick,
Strike of the Windlord,
and
Whirling Dragon Punch increased by 4%.
Windwalker Monks have exceptional burst AoE but
really poor single-target damage. The main reason to bring a Windwalker would be
for Mystic Touch, in which you are not the favorite as Mistweaver Monk
Brewmaster Monk are much more likely to be picked up based on the
latest tuning. Additionally, Monks can talent into two incredibly useful buffs
with
Generous Pour and
Close to Heart, which could be critically
important on high-damage Mythic encounters where you are stacked with the raid group, and be an additional
reason to consider having one within your raid composition. Overall, the spec will
have trouble staying competitive in the upcoming Amirdrassil raid
tier and are in dire need of further buffs.
Raid utility
Functionality | Spells | Notes |
---|---|---|
Core | ![]() |
5% extra Physical damage for your raid. |
Core | ![]() |
Extra damage reduction against area-of-effect damage. |
Core | ![]() |
Increased healing from all sources for all allies within 10 yards. |
Optional | ![]() |
Removes all roots and snares. |
Changelog
- 25 Nov. 2023: Further class adjustments.
- 12 Nov. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
- 05 Nov. 2023: Reviewed and Updated for 10.2. Patch.
- 04 Sep. 2023: Reviewed and Updated for 10.1.7 Patch.
- 22 Aug. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
- 09 Aug. 2023: Further changes based on the most recent class hotfixes.
- 25 Jul. 2023: Interface overhaul and update with the most recent class changes.
- 11 Jul. 2023: Added Augmentation Evoker.
- 05 Jul. 2023: Updated for patch 10.1.5.
- 07 May 2023: Updated for Season 2 of Dragonflight.
- 06 Feb. 2023: Updated for patch 10.0.5.
- 22 Nov. 2022: Updated for Season 1 of Dragonflight.
- 18 Aug. 2022: Updated for Season 4.
- 23 Jun. 2022: Check-in since last update.
- 25 Apr. 2022: Updated after first few weeks of Mythic.
- 18 Feb. 2022: Updated for patch 9.2.
- 06 Nov. 2021: Updated for patch 9.1.5.
- 04 Aug. 2021: Updated for first couple of Mythic weeks.
- 13 Jul. 2021: Updated after Heroic week.
- 24 Jun. 2021: Page added.
This guide has been written by Petko, one of the top M+ players of all time. He has accomplished several Europe and World #1 Team and Solo Seasonal rankings with multiple specialization and classes throughout the seasons. Moreover, he competes in MDI and streams his runs live on Twitch and and share his personal opinion on YouTube and Twitter.
- One THOUSAND+ Pull Dramatic Tindral Mythic Kill by Skyline
- Wowdle: World of Warcraft Wordle-Style Game
- Illidari Doomhawk Available for Purchase with Timewarped Badges
- Tabard of Fury Available to Amazon Prime Subscribers This Month
- Patch 10.2 Week 4 Guide: A Comprehensive To-Do List for Season 3 Week 3
- Item Level of Timewalking Rewards in Dragonflight Season 3
- Second Catalyst Charge Available This Week on Live Servers
- Dragonflight 10.2 Hotfixes, November 27th