Mythic+ DPS Rankings: Beta Tier List for The War Within (Patch 11.0.2 / Season 1)

Last updated on Aug 18, 2024 at 10:53 by Petko 188 comments

From the weakest to the strongest specialization, each provide unique character distinction and add value toward shaping the seasonal "meta" of Mythic+. These Beta-based DPS specialization rankings provided for The War Within's first Season of Mythic+ are based on pure DPS strength and group-added-value such as utility, survivability, mobility, and self-sustain.

This list will be updated as new tuning and class changes come out over the course of leading up to the season's start and beyond.

1.

About the Beta Tier List

Our analysis provides an estimate of the current Mythic+ meta with weekly updates every Monday on the website and every Sunday live on stream, until Season 1 arrives. However, it is important to remember that there will be many more changes, and what you see is not the final product. Instead, it is a progression of how each specialization performs from the start of the beta to the actual season release.

If you are interested in the Healer and Tank versions of this 11.0 Beta Tier List, check the links below!

If you are interested in our current tier list for Season 4 Patch 10.2.7, you can find that below:

Please note that anything I say is purely subjective and represents my opinion. However, it is an educated guess based on numerous hours of Beta testing and extensive discussions with some of the best theory crafters from each of their specs. If you have a different opinion, that is perfectly fine. I will be happy to answer any questions in the comment section. After the Beta testing is completed, we will compile all the data and create the official Tierlist of Season 1. Thank you for reading, and enjoy!

1.1.

Criteria of the Tier List

This tier list was created based on the strength of each DPS specialization during Beta testing for the upcoming Season 1 [11.0] of Mythic+. The rankings are determined by the toolkit and raw damage each spec provides to Mythic+ groups. To fully understand the rankings, it is important to understand the difference between each damage profile and the significance/sync of each class's toolkit with other party members. Lastly, different dungeons require different sets of damage patterns; some require more single-target, while others require you to have much more focused AoE damage; all of this can bump some classes higher than others:

  • Damage is the most important major factor to rank the DPS classes: mass AoE, burst AoE, sustain AoE, single-target, 2-target, 3-target, and spread-cleave damage are among the types of damage profiles we examine.
  • Classes with unique party-wide buffs will always be rewarded. An example of such is Druid's Mark of the Wild Icon Mark of the Wild.
  • Classes with high survivability, self-sustain, or immunities will add additional value to the rankings.
  • Another feature worth mentioning is the importance of priority-target damage and funnel damage, often undervalued in Mythic+, which speeds up the whole dungeon if executed correctly. Specs can earn extra "points" by having such a damage profile.
1.2.

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 Mythic+ group composition or disregard the meta, just that most of the time, player skill will be more important than the difference between classes.
  • Remember that this tier list is based on an average key levels; some specializations gain significantly more value on the higher-end bracket compared to the lower-end bracket because of their damage profile.
  • This tier list, unlike many others, is not constant; some class's placements will go up or down depending on key level, group composition, affix combinations, or dungeon differences. We will continue to update this tier list every time there is a change; all the way up to Season 1's launch and beyond.

Please keep in mind that what you're about to read is a preliminary iteration of the 11.0.2 Season 1 tier list in The War Within expansion, and it WILL change before the season is released. Nothing written here is a guarantee or promise. All opinions are subjective and should be taken with a grain of salt. I update this tier list every Sunday at 14:00 CEST live on my stream, before being uploaded on the website. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

2.

DPS Tier List for Season 1 of Mythic+ in The War Within

Below, you can find the full rankings for DPS slots in Season 1 of Mythic+ in The War Within. We encourage you to read further and understand why some classes are placed lower or higher than expected, with several factors considered, such as having a 4-piece tier-set active at all times and the key levels.

BETA HAS CLOSED AND THE OFFICIAL RANKINGS FOR EACH SPEC/CLASS IN TWW ARE DOWN BELOW.

2.1.

Top-Tier

2.2.

Augmentation Evoker

Patch 11.0.2 update: Augmentation Evoker received a fair share of changes leading to the The War Within expansion, along with two brand-new Hero Talents - Chronowarden / Scalecommander and a new tier-set. The 2-piece bonus will increase Upheaval Icon Upheaval damage by 30%, which further increases your next two Eruption casts by 30%. Additionally, the 4-piece bonus allows Ebon Might Icon Ebon Might to increase your primary stats by an additional 0.4% of your own every 2 sec it remains active, up to 2%.

Augmentation Evoker is looking fantastic in the current Beta build, as it seems developers are sacrificing some of their "overpowered" support capabilities (buffing allies) to enhance personal damage. Yes, you will be just as useful to your allies, with great utility, good mob control, and further bolstering their DPS/defensive profiles, but this time, you will do more damage yourself. On top of this, they have gained a few more defensive options, depending on the choice of Hero Talents, and maintain excellent mobility. Overall, we are delighted with the spec's current performance and expect it to be one of the strongest DPS choices in the upcoming The War Within expansion.

2.2.1.

Cons

-

2.2.2.

Utility Package

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Blessing of the Bronze Icon Blessing of the Bronze -
Core Ebon Might Icon Ebon Might -
Core Chrono Ward Icon Chrono Ward Extra Shielding effect triggered after Breath of Eons Icon Breath of Eons cast.
Core Prescience Icon Prescience Can be further bolstered by the Fate Mirror Icon Fate Mirror talent.
Core Tail Swipe Icon Tail Swipe AoE disturb effect that knocks up enemies.
Core Wing Buffet Icon Wing Buffet AoE knockback effect.
Core Expunge Icon Expunge Removing all PoisonPoison effects from an ally.
Core Upheaval Icon Upheaval Extra knock-up effect.
Optional Timelessness Icon Timelessness Reduces the threat to 1 friendly target.
Optional Oppressing Roar Icon Oppressing Roar Increasing the duration of all crowd-control effects on the affected enemies by 50%. You can further talent into Overawe Icon Overawe, removing 1 Enrage effect from each enemy (AoE Enrage Removal).
Optional Terror of the Skies Icon Terror of the Skies After using Breath of Eons Icon Breath of Eons, you will stun all enemies by 3 sec affected by your breath.
Optional Sleep Walk Icon Sleep Walk Single-target crowd-control effect that forces the enemy to move towards you.
Optional Bestow Weyrnstone Icon Bestow Weyrnstone Enables one party/raid member to teleport to your location within 100 yards.
Optional Blistering Scales Icon Blistering Scales Increases the armor and gives damage to the selected member.
Optional Spatial Paradox Icon Spatial Paradox It enables your Healer of choice to move freely while casting and increasing the range of most spells by 100% for 11 sec.
Optional Source of Magic Icon Source of Magic Can be further bolstered by Potent Mana Icon Potent Mana
Optional Zephyr Icon Zephyr Area-of-effect damage reduction (party only).
Optional Cauterizing Flame Icon Cauterizing Flame BleedBleed removal
Optional Rescue Icon Rescue You can further bolster it with Twin Guardian Icon Twin Guardian talent for extra durability.
2.3.

Frost Death Knight

Patch 11.0.2 update: Frost Death Knight received significant attention at the start of Beta testing and, like every specialization so far, inherited 2 brand new Hero Talents - Deathbringer / Rider of the Apocalypse and a new tier set. The 2-piece enables all Runic Power spending abilities to deal 8% more damage, while the 4-piece triggers when consuming Runic Power, giving a chance to increase your Strength by 10% for 8 sec.

Frost Death Knight is already much stronger compared to its Dragonflight version. Not only do they have a much stronger burst, but their sustained damage also appears to be in better shape. In addition, their Hero Talents further bolster their already strong defensive profile, while the most recent rework of the Death Knight class talent tree allows them to add even more unique party-wide utility (e.g., Vestigial Shell Icon Vestigial Shell). Overall, we are quite happy with the performance of Frost Death Knight, and we consider them to be one of the current best melee choices.

2.3.1.

Cons

-

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Anti-Magic Zone Icon Anti-Magic Zone Provides extra durability against heavy magical damage.
Core Death Grip Icon Death Grip Repositions an enemy of your choice.
Core Raise Ally Icon Raise Ally Combat-resurrection.
Optional Abomination Limb Icon Abomination Limb Every 1 sec, an enemy is pulled close to you.
Optional Blinding Sleet Icon Blinding Sleet AoE disturb effect.
Optional Insidious Chill Icon Insidious Chill Reduces the auto-attack speed of your target by 5% stacking up 4 times.
Optional Control Undead Icon Control Undead Mind-control an undead enemy to fight on your side.
Optional Asphyxiate Icon Asphyxiate 5 sec single-target stun.
Optional Vestigial Shell Icon Vestigial Shell Adding Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell on 2 nearby allies.
2.4.

Assassination Rogue

Patch 11.0.2: Assassination Rogue received a healthy amount of changes leading up to the The War Within expansion, along with two brand-new but disappointing Hero Talents - Deathstalker / Fatebound and a new tier-set. Their 2-piece bonus will trigger once their bleeds deal damage, granting a chance to gain Vile Tincture Icon Vile Tincture for 8 sec, increasing poison damage by 1% per stack (up to 10 stacks). Additionally, the 4-piece bonus will trigger once they have 5 or more stacks of Vile Tincture Icon Vile Tincture, causing Garrote Icon Garrote, Rupture Icon Rupture, and Crimson Tempest Icon Crimson Tempest to deal 10% increased damage.

Assassination Rogue currently has one of the strongest damage profiles across all DPS specs. Their priority/single-target damage will continue to be great going into the The War Within expansion. Their utility remains excellent, and they will have an even stronger defensive profile. Overall, we believe Assassination Rogue will perform better in higher-level keys, where mobs live longer, but still not to be underestimated in lower-level keys, where they will do better than before. To conclude, one of the highest damage profiles in the game, combined with great utility and durability.

2.4.1.

Cons

-

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Iron Wire Icon Iron Wire Enables Garrote Icon Garrote to silence for 6 sec when used from Stealth Icon Stealth and enemies that are silenced by Garrote Icon Garrote deal 15% reduced damage for 8 sec.
Core Weapon Poisons Numbing Poison Icon Numbing Poison, Atrophic Poison Icon Atrophic Poison, Crippling Poison Icon Crippling Poison, Wound Poison Icon Wound Poison, Instant Poison Icon Instant Poison, Amplifying Poison Icon Amplifying Poison and Deadly Poison Icon Deadly Poison
Core Gouge Icon Gouge / Airborne Irritant You have the choice between AoE stop or powerful short cooldown single-target stop.
Core Blind Icon Blind Disturb effect, useful for crowd-control.
Core Kidney Shot Icon Kidney Shot Single-target stun effect.
Core Sap Icon Sap Non-combat crowd-control.
Core Cheap Shot Icon Cheap Shot Single-target stun effect.
Core Shiv Icon Shiv Enrage-effect dispel.
Core Shroud of Concealment Icon Shroud of Concealment Mass-invisibility effect.
Core Tricks of the Trade Icon Tricks of the Trade Redirects all threat you cause to a selected party member lasting 6 sec.
Core Distract Icon Distract When used, it stops any creatures from moving. Incredible useful when stopping patrol targets from repositioning.
2.5.

Elemental Shaman

Patch 11.0.2 update: Elemental Shaman received a much-needed rework, new raid utility, two new Hero Talents choices - Farseer and Stormbringer Icon Stormbringer, as well as a new tier set. The 2-piece bonus increases Elemental Blast Icon Elemental Blast and Earthquake Icon Earthquake damage by 25%, while the 4-piece bonus rewards you with a chance of 5% increased critical strike chance and 10% increased critical damage every time you spend maelstrom.

The complete rework of Elemental Shaman combined with the introduction of the brand new Hero Talent choices in The War Within and unique raid utility - Skyfury Icon Skyfury, transformed the specialization sadly one of the best DPS specs on Beta. Your damage profile holds an immensely strong AoE damage profile, frankly one of the best. The ability to have major cooldowns in each pack due to cooldown reduction in your toolkit, helps you solidify the top spot for now. While their single target is not their strongest asset, the spec received better defensiveness - Stone Bulwark Icon Stone Bulwark Totem, Seasoned Winds Icon Seasoned Winds and brand new utility which fits perfectly for Mythic+ content - Elemental Resistance Icon Elemental Resistance and Jet Stream Icon Jet Stream. Overall, we believe that Elemental Shaman is one of the best Ranged option leading to the first season of Mythic+.

2.5.1.

Cons

-

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Skyfury Icon Skyfury -
Core Bloodlust Icon Bloodlust -
Core Earth Elemental Icon Earth Elemental A powerful elemental summon that helps you survive. It can also tank non-boss-enemies.
Core Earthquake Icon Earthquake Has a chance for a knockdown effect.
Optional Wind Rush Totem Icon Wind Rush Totem On-demand extra movement speed, which can be further bolstered by Jet Stream Icon Jet Stream - removing all snares on all targets interaction with Wind Rush Totem Icon Wind Rush Totem (it is like a massive Blessing of Freedom Icon Blessing of Freedom).
Earthgrab Totem Icon Earthgrab Totem AoE root effect. It replaces Earthbind Totem Icon Earthbind Totem.
Optional Ancestral Guidance Icon Ancestral Guidance Provides extra off-healing to your party.
Optional Capacitor Totem Icon Capacitor Totem 3 sec AoE stun.
Optional Hex Icon Hex Single-target crowd-control ability.
Optional Cleanse Spirit Icon Cleanse Spirit Removes all CurseCurse effects from a friendly target.
Optional Purge Icon Purge Removing 1 beneficial Magic effect from an enemy.
Optional Thunderstorm Icon Thunderstorm AoE disturb effect that can either knock away or knock up (Thundershock Icon Thundershock).
Optional Poison Cleansing Totem Icon Poison Cleansing Totem Removes all poison effects on a nearby party member each 1.5 sec for 6 sec.
Optional Elemental Resistance Icon Elemental Resistance Small group-wide school of magic damage reduction.
2.6.

"Best" Candidates

2.7.

Arcane Mage

Patch 11.0.2 update: Arcane Mage received a massive amount of changes, 2 brand new Hero Talents - Spellslinger and Sunfury, as well as a new tier-set. The 2-piece increases the damage of Arcane Blast Icon Arcane Blast and Arcane Barrage Icon Arcane Barrage by 6%, while the 4-piece enables Arcane Blast Icon Arcane Blast or Arcane Barrage Icon Arcane Barrage to have a 5% chance to make your next Arcane Barrage Icon Arcane Barrage deal 20% increased damage and generate 4 Arcane Charge Icon Arcane Charges.

Arcane Mage received a lot of changes throughout Beta, luckily leaving them in a much better state compared to how they were in Dragonflight (even easier than before!). Their burst and sustained single target is amazing, as well as retaining their unique damage on demand AoE profile. Just like any Mage spec, they have some of the best party-wide utility and mob control, and on top of this, they are one of the most durable specs in the game. The rankings of Arcane can fluctuate depending on the key level, as well as being one of the key features of creating the "god-comp" together with Augmentation Evoker.

2.7.1.

Cons

This spec goes to the Top-Tier once you play with a "God-Comp."

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Arcane Intellect Icon Arcane Intellect 5% extra Intellect to the whole raid/party.
Core Time Warp Icon Time Warp Alternative of Bloodlust Icon Bloodlust.
Core Polymorph Icon Polymorph Single-target crowd-control effect.
Optional Mass Barrier Icon Mass Barrier / Mass Invisibility Icon Mass Invisibility Gives a shield that absorbs damage or mass invisibility to the entire party.
Optional Spellsteal Icon Spellsteal Steals a beneficial magic effect from the target.
Optional Remove Curse Icon Remove Curse Removes all CurseCurses from a friendly target.
Optional Ring of Frost Icon Ring of Frost AoE disturb effect.
Optional Ice Nova Icon Ice Nova AoE Immobilize effect. This can be cast separately from Frost Nova Icon Frost Nova.
Optional Blast Wave Icon Blast Wave AoE knockback.
Optional Dragon's Breath Icon Dragon's Breath AoE disturb effect.
2.8.

Frost Mage

Patch 11.0.2 update: Frost Mage enjoyed several rounds of changes, paired with 2 brand new Hero Talent choices - Frostfire / Spellslinger and a new tier set. The 2-piece increases Ice Lance Icon Ice Lance damage by 8%, while the 4-piece enables the damage dealt by Fingers of Frost Icon Fingers of Frost's enhanced Ice Lance Icon Ice Lances to invoke a Frigid Pulse Icon Frigid Pulse, dealing Frost damage to nearby targets (reduced damage beyond 8 targets).

Frost Mage is currently in a sweet spot between "fun-to-play" and overall decent shape, as the balance between all powers seems equal. Not only are you one of the most durable DPS specializations in the current Beta servers, but you also have one of the best Mythic+ utilities from a DPS. Depending on the key levels and group composition, your rankings will fluctuate but will be well high in the rankings. Overall, we like how this spec plays, and if casters are back on the "menu" to be part of the meta club, then most definitely a Mage's Arcane Intellect Icon Arcane Intellect will be a MUST.

2.8.1.

Cons

If you pair this with a "god-comp" (Augmentation Evoker/X/X), they will climb the rankings all the way to the top-tier.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Arcane Intellect Icon Arcane Intellect 5% extra Intellect to the whole raid/party.
Core Time Warp Icon Time Warp Alternative of Bloodlust Icon Bloodlust.
Core Polymorph Icon Polymorph Single-target crowd-control effect.
Core Permanent slow effects. -
Optional Mass Barrier Icon Mass Barrier / Mass Invisibility Icon Mass Invisibility Gives a shield that absorbs damage or mass invisibility to the entire party.
Optional Spellsteal Icon Spellsteal Steals a beneficial magic effect from the target.
Optional Remove Curse Icon Remove Curse Removes all CurseCurses from a friendly target.
Optional Ring of Frost Icon Ring of Frost AoE disturb effect.
Optional Ice Nova Icon Ice Nova AoE Immobilize effect. This can be cast separately from Frost Nova Icon Frost Nova.
Optional Blast Wave Icon Blast Wave AoE knockback.
Optional Dragon's Breath Icon Dragon's Breath AoE disturb effect.
2.9.

Shadow Priest

Patch 11.0.2 update: Shadow Priest received barely any changes since the start of the Beta testing and, like every specialization so far, inherited two brand-new Hero Talents - Archon / Voidweaver and a new tier-set. The 2-piece will increase the duration of Devouring Plague Icon Devouring Plague by 1 sec, while the 4-piece enables Devouring Plague Icon Devouring Plague to increase your damage done by 2% for 10 sec (multiple applications may overlap).

For the majority of Dragonflight, Shadow Priest has been considered one of the most dominant DPS specializations, primarily for their incredible damage profile, which excels in both AoE and single-target/priority-target damage. This will continue to be the case, although not to the same extreme performance they had in the last few seasons. Their utility and defensiveness remain strong, which is positive for the spec as both factors are considered valuable. Overall, we expect their performance to only improve the higher the key goes, as the the "ramp-up" playstyle of voidform requires the non-boss-enemies to live longer than a few short seconds.

2.9.1.

Cons

-

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Power Infusion Icon Power Infusion You must always have Twins of the Sun Priestess Icon Twins of the Sun Priestess talented.
Core Power Word: Fortitude Icon Power Word: Fortitude A raid-wide 5% Stamina buff.
Core Psychic Scream Icon Psychic Scream AoE disturb effect.
Core Mind Soothe Icon Mind Soothe It reduces the range at which the target/s will attack you. Incredibly useful for trash mob skips. It can be used on multiple enemies.
Core Mass Dispel Icon Mass Dispel Incredible useful where Mass Dispelling is needed.
Optional Vampiric Embrace Icon Vampiric Embrace Extra off-healing.
Optional Leap of Faith Icon Leap of Faith Helps with repositioning.
Optional Dominate Mind Icon Dominate Mind Mindcontrols an enemy, allowing you to simultaneously execute your rotation while having full control over them and their abilities.
Optional Shackle Undead Icon Shackle Undead Crowd-controls a undead target for 50 sec.
Optional Purify Disease Icon Purify Disease On top of Dispel Magic Icon Dispel Magic you will be able to further bolster it by allowing the spell to remove 1 DiseaseDisease on a friendly target.
Optional Psychic Horror Icon Psychic Horror A single-target 4 sec stun effect.
2.10.

Affliction Warlock

Patch 11.0.2 update: Affliction Warlock received a complete rework, paired with 2 brand new Hero Talent choices in Hellcaller/ Soul Harvester, and a new tier-set. The 2-piece will increase the damage of Malefic Rapture Icon Malefic Rapture by 5% and its critical strike chance by 10%, while the 4-piece enables Malefic Rapture Icon Malefic Rapture to have a chance to increase the damage dealt by your Agony Icon Agony, Corruption Icon Corruption and Unstable Affliction Icon Unstable Affliction by 15% for 8 sec.

The complete overhaul of Affliction Warlock has made them a menace in the current beta iteration, great single-target, fantastic burst, and sustained AoE damage. Previously one of the weakest specs, they are now in a much better shape, with much more flexibility in builds — a strong single-target build, amazing hybrid options, and heavy AoE if needed. Additionally, they are now more durable and have better utility (especially if you choose Hellcaller's Curse of the Satyr Icon Curse of the Satyr 2-in-1 CurseCurse) and overall have a new rotation that replaces the boring Seed of Corruption Icon Seed of Corruption spam. Overall, we believe Affliction Warlock to be one of the best casters this season.

2.10.1.

Cons

Vile Taint Icon Vile Taint windows are not covering the full duration of Agony Icon Agony, making it harder to maintain all DoTs on the targets. You have to manually extend them or drop the stacks of Agony Icon Agony and wait for Vile Taint Icon Vile Taint cooldown to return.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Create Healthstone Icon Create Healthstone Helps your team to survive deadly pulls.
Core Soulstone Icon Soulstone Combat Resurrection.
Core Demonic Gateway Icon Demonic Gateway
Core Curse of Tongues Icon Curse of Tongues Useful against caster targets. It can be further bolstered by Amplify Curse Icon Amplify Curse talent.
Core Curse of Weakness Icon Curse of Weakness Useful against physical damage dealers. It can be further bolstered by Amplify Curse Icon Amplify Curse talent.
Core Demon Summoning Summon Imp Icon Summon Imp can help you with Singe Magic Icon Singe Magic dispel while Summon Felhunter Icon Summon Felhunter can be useful with an extra interrupt - Spell Lock Icon Spell Lock.
Optional Banish Icon Banish Useful on some boss encounters for an extra crowd-control effect.
Optional Shadowfury Icon Shadowfury AoE Stun.
Optional Mortal Coil Icon Mortal Coil Sinel-Target disturb effect.
2.11.

Impressive

2.12.

Havoc Demon Hunter

Patch 11.0.2 update: Havoc Demon Hunter received minor changes paired with 2 brand new Hero Talent choices - Aldrachi Reaver / Fel-Scarred and a new tier set. The 2-piece will increase the damage of Blade Dance Icon Blade Dance by 20%, while the 4-piece enables Chaos Strike Icon Chaos Strike to deal 20% increased damage and to have 25% chance to reset the cooldown of Blade Dance Icon Blade Dance.

Havoc Demon Hunter has awaited their time to receive the much-needed damage buffs, as their early Beta performance was dreadful. With that in mind, their damage output will improve (for both single-target and AoE) and so will their rankings. The spec will retain its great utility and a good defensive profile, which fits better with a caster-orientated group composition due to Chaos Brand Icon Chaos Brand debuff, but would also be fantastic as a standalone spec. Overall, we believe that Havoc Demon Hunter has come a long way since the first iterations of beta and continuously improved within the rankings following the release of the first Season of Mythic+ in The War Within.

2.12.1.

Cons

The playstyle of Havoc Demon Hunter is still one of the most unenjoyable ones eventhough their current performance is great.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Chaos Brand Icon Chaos Brand 5% extra Magical damage
Core Darkness Icon Darkness % chance to avoid all damage from an attack.
Core Fel Eruption Icon Fel Eruption Single-target stun.
Optional Chaos Nova Icon Chaos Nova AoE stun effect.
Optional Imprison Icon Imprison Single-target out of combat crowd-control.
Optional Consume Magic Icon Consume Magic Remove 1 beneficial Magic effect.
Optional Sigil of Misery Icon Sigil of Misery AoE disturb effect.
2.13.

Enhancement Shaman

Patch 11.0.2 update: Enhancement Shaman received a minor amount of changes, two new Hero Talent choices - Totemic and Stormbringer Icon Stormbringer and a brand new tier-set leading to the Season 1 of Mythic+ in The War Within. The 2-piece bonus will increase the damage of Stormstrike Icon Stormstrike, Lava Lash Icon Lava Lash, Ice Strike Icon Ice Strike and Crash Lightning Icon Crash Lightning by 15%. In addition, the 4-piece trigger once you activate Feral Spirit Icon Feral Spirits, summoning one extra Feral Spirit Icon Feral Spirit. At last, the old Windfury Totem Icon Windfury Totem will be retired for a brand new raid-wide utility - Skyfury Icon Skyfury.

Enhancement Shaman has finally received the changes they were hoping for, with 3 extra spec-specific talents and much-needed quality-of-life changes brought to them. Their damage profile is now in a much better state but with a much better AoE damage package (especially against more targets) thanks to their Stormbringer Hero Talents - Tempest Icon Tempest. Their single-target is also in great shape, as previously addressed. In addition, a previous weakness of theirs - durability - has been further bolstered following the new expansion as they have several new ways to tackle dangerous encounters in any scenario: Seasoned Winds Icon Seasoned Winds, Stone Bulwark Icon Stone Bulwark Totem and Elemental Resistance Icon Elemental Resistance.

2.13.1.

Cons

More raw output is needed to place the spec anywhere higher.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Skyfury Icon Skyfury -
Core Bloodlust Icon Bloodlust -
Core Sundering Icon Sundering Additional AoE stop.
Core Earth Elemental Icon Earth Elemental A powerful elemental summon that helps you survive. It can also tank non-boss-enemies.
Optional Wind Rush Totem Icon Wind Rush Totem On-demand extra movement speed, which can be further bolstered by Jet Stream Icon Jet Stream - removing all snares on all targets interaction with Wind Rush Totem Icon Wind Rush Totem (it is like a massive Blessing of Freedom Icon Blessing of Freedom).
Earthgrab Totem Icon Earthgrab Totem AoE root effect. It replaces Earthbind Totem Icon Earthbind Totem.
Optional Ancestral Guidance Icon Ancestral Guidance Provides extra off-healing to your party.
Optional Capacitor Totem Icon Capacitor Totem 3 sec AoE stun.
Optional Hex Icon Hex Single-target crowd-control ability.
Optional Cleanse Spirit Icon Cleanse Spirit Removes all CurseCurse effects from a friendly target.
Optional Purge Icon Purge Removing 1 beneficial Magic effect from an enemy.
Optional Thunderstorm Icon Thunderstorm AoE disturb effect that can either knock away or knock up (Thundershock Icon Thundershock).
Optional Poison Cleansing Totem Icon Poison Cleansing Totem Removes all poison effects on a nearby party member each 1.5 sec for 6 sec.
Optional Elemental Resistance Icon Elemental Resistance Small group-wide school of magic damage reduction.
2.14.

Demonology Warlock

Patch 11.0.2 update:. Demonology Warlock received a healthy amount of changes, paired with 2 brand new Hero Talent choices - Diabolist / Soul Harvester and a new tier set. The 2-piece bonus increases the primary demon's damage by 5% and your Shadow Bolt Icon Shadow Bolt damage by 50%. The 4-piece bonus enables Shadow Bolt Icon Shadow Bolt to have a chance to enrage your primary Felguard, increasing the damage of their next Legion Strike Icon Legion Strike by 300%.

Demonology Warlock received a good amount of changes through the Alpha and Beta cycles, making its current performance great. Their damage profile did get a big hit and is now more in-line with the rest of the specialization. They will retain their good sustain single-target/AoE damage but will no longer be in the category of "overpowered". In terms of utility, they will keep their unique Mythic+ package while being one of the most durable Ranged DPS.

2.14.1.

Cons

-

Utility package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Create Healthstone Icon Create Healthstone Helps your team to survive deadly pulls.
Core Soulstone Icon Soulstone Combat Resurrection.
Core Demonic Gateway Icon Demonic Gateway
Core Axe Toss Icon Axe Toss Your baseline interrupt also stuns the target for 4 sec.
Core Curse of Tongues Icon Curse of Tongues Useful against caster targets. It can be further bolstered by Amplify Curse Icon Amplify Curse talent.
Core Curse of Weakness Icon Curse of Weakness Useful against physical damage dealers. It can be further bolstered by Amplify Curse Icon Amplify Curse talent.
Core Demon Summoning Summon Imp Icon Summon Imp can help you with Singe Magic Icon Singe Magic dispel while Summon Felhunter Icon Summon Felhunter can be useful with an extra interrupt - Spell Lock Icon Spell Lock.
Optional Banish Icon Banish Useful on some boss encounters for an extra crowd-control effect.
Optional Shadowfury Icon Shadowfury AoE Stun.
Optional Mortal Coil Icon Mortal Coil Single-Target disturb effect.
2.15.

Fury Warrior

Patch 11.0.2 update: Fury Warrior received a ton of positive changes, a brand new Hero Talents - Slayer and Mountain Thane and a new tier set. The 2-piece bonus will enable Bloodthirst Icon Bloodthirst to increase the damage of your next Rampage Icon Rampage by 10%. In addition, the 4-piece bonus will trigger once Raging Blow Icon Raging Blow resets its cooldown to buff the damage of the next Bloodthirst Icon Bloodthirst by 10%, stacking up to 2 times.

Fury Warrior is looking fantastic leading to the first season of The War Within. Not only do they have one of the strongest bursts among all melee specs, but they also have a great sustained damage profile. With several sets of offensive cooldowns, they allow for amazing frontload bursts across all key levels. Sadly, their Mythic+ toolkit remains mostly the same, with Shockwave Icon Shockwave now being easier to talent, which can help with further mob control. Overall, we are happy with the performance of Fury Warrior, from having short offensive cooldowns, to amazing frontload burst, and at the same time being one of the easier specs to learn, it is a great pickup for the upcoming TWW expansion.

2.15.1.

Cons

Outside of their strong Battle Shout Icon Battle Shout buff, their Mythic+ toolkit is one of the weakest compared to the rest of the DPS specializations.

Utility package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Rallying Cry Icon Rallying Cry Temporary increasing the health of your raid/party.
Core Battle Shout Icon Battle Shout Extra 5% Attack Power.
Optional Spell Reflection Icon Spell Reflection Usable in niche situations.
Optional Intimidating Shout Icon Intimidating Shout AoE disturb effect capped at 5 targets.
Optional Storm Bolt Icon Storm Bolt 4 sec single-target stun.
Optional Shockwave Icon Shockwave AoE Stun
2.16.

Feral Druid

Patch 11.0.2 update: Feral Druid received a good amount of changes throughout the Beta cycles, paired with 2 brand new Hero Talent choices - Druid of the Claw / Wildstalker and a new tier set. The 2-piece will enable Tiger's Fury Icon Tiger's Fury to increase your chance to critically strike for 10 sec, starting at 6% and increasing by 1% every 2 sec. In addition, the 4-piece will trigger once you critically strike with your combo point-generating abilities to increase the direct damage of your next Ferocious Bite Icon Ferocious Bite, Rampant Ferocity Icon Rampant Ferocity, or Primal Wrath Icon Primal Wrath by 15%, stacking up to 3 times.

Feral Druid is entering the The War Within expansion with a fresh overhaul of the general Druid talents, as well as spec-specific ones, leaving them with a better flow of rotation (less spammy/flooded in AoE compared to the previous expansion). They will have better defensive options and retain their great party-wide utility. Recently, they have also received huge buffs to their damage output for both single-target and AoE. This leads us to believe that Feral Druid will be in a great spot for the first season of The War Within.

2.16.1.

Cons

-

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Mark of the Wild Icon Mark of the Wild Increasing the Versatility of your raid/party by 3%.
Core Entangling Roots Icon Entangling Roots Single-target root effect.
Optional Nature's Vigil Icon Nature's Vigil Extra off-healing.
Optional Innervate Icon Innervate Allowing 1 friendly healer to cast spells without spending mana for 8 sec.
Optional Stampeding Roar Icon Stampeding Roar Increasing the movement speed to all raid members by 60% for 8 sec.
Optional Remove Corruption Icon Remove Corruption Removes all CurseCurse and PoisonPoison effects from a friendly target.
Optional Soothe Icon Soothe Dispelling all Enrage Effects from an enemy target.
Optional Hibernate Icon Hibernate Single-target crowd-control effects against beasts and dragonkins.
Optional Incapacitating Roar Icon Incapacitating Roar / Mighty Bash Icon Mighty Bash You have the choice between AoE disturb effect or a single-target stun.
Optional Typhoon Icon Typhoon Aoe knockback.
Optional Mass Entanglement Icon Mass Entanglement / Ursol's Vortex Icon Ursol's Vortex You have the choice between AoE root effect or AoE wind-of-vortex, pulling all the mobs to one location.
2.17.

Unholy Death Knight

Patch 11.0.2 update: Unholy Death Knight received massive changes since the start of the Alpha/Beta testing, alongside brand new Hero Talents - Rider of the Apocalypse / San'layn, and a new tier set. The 2-piece will passively increase the damage of your minions by 8%, while the 4-piece will trigger once you summon a minion, further increasing your Haste by 2% up to 8% for 8 sec.

After many rounds of changes, both buffs and nerfs, Unholy Death Knight is still in good shape, with great single-target damage, retaining its signature strong AoE burst and a good sustained damage profile off-cooldowns. Although for a short while they were considered one of the most "overpowered specs" in Beta, after a few rounds of nerfs, they have now dropped a tier on our rankings. Still, they will benefit from the general Death Knight tree rework, adding brand new utility under their belt (Vestigial Shell Icon Vestigial Shell) and further increasing their strong defensive profile. Overall, we are happy with the performance of Unholy Death Knight and we will monitor for further changes.

2.17.1.

Cons

The biggest drawback of this specialization is that you can only fully unleash its maximum potential by perfectly managing your big cooldowns, which is only possible when playing with a pre-made group. The ramp-up for the exceptionally strong AoE profile must be planned to get the most out of the specialization.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Anti-Magic Zone Icon Anti-Magic Zone Provides extra durability against heavy magical damage.
Core Death Grip Icon Death Grip Repositions an enemy of your choice.
Core Raise Ally Icon Raise Ally Combat-resurrection.
Core Gnaw Icon Gnaw Having an extra stun effect for 1 sec from your Ghoul pet.
Optional Abomination Limb Icon Abomination Limb Every 1 sec, an enemy is pulled close to you.
Optional Blinding Sleet Icon Blinding Sleet AoE disturb effect.
Optional Insidious Chill Icon Insidious Chill Reduces the auto-attack speed of your target by 5% stacking up 4 times.
Optional Asphyxiate Icon Asphyxiate 5 sec single-target stun.
Optional Vestigial Shell Icon Vestigial Shell Adding Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell on 2 nearby allies.
2.18.

Windwalker Monk

Patch 11.0.2 update: Windwalker Monk received a complete overhaul leading to the The War Within expansion, followed by 2 brand-new Hero Talents - Conduit of the Celestials / Shado-Pan Icon Shado-Pan and a new tier set. The 2-piece will enable Tiger Palm Icon Tiger Palm to increase the damage of your next melee ability by 5%. In addition, the 4-piece allows any other melee ability to increase the damage of your next Tiger Palm Icon Tiger Palm by 25%, stacking up to 6 times. 15% of Tiger Palm Icon Tiger Palm's damage is dealt to nearby enemies, reduced beyond 5 targets.

The complete overhaul of Windwalker Monk specific talents for The War Within, left them in a much better spot than they were in the previous expansion. They will retain their powerful burst damage (both single-target and AoE), which has been a key feature of the specialization since its inception. It is important to note that the utility package of this specialization is among the best in Mythic+, and it has one of the highest survivability rates. In addition, Haste scaling was added, which should dramatically help Windwalker Monk scale as gear improves, something the spec has always struggled with later in the expansion. Overall, the spec is versatile enough with high-burst capabilities, good single-target damage, and most importantly one of the best party-wide utility (both offensive and defensive) to tackle any Mythic+ situation.

2.18.1.

Cons

-

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Mystic Touch Icon Mystic Touch 5% extra Physical damage for your raid.
Core Leg Sweep Icon Leg Sweep 3 sec stun effect.
Optional Tiger's Lust Icon Tiger's Lust Removes all roots and snares.
Optional Ring of Peace Icon Ring of Peace It can be used to help your tank kite and as a AoE disturb effect.
Optional Detox Icon Detox Removes all PoisonPoison and DiseaseDisease effects from the target.
Optional Paralysis Icon Paralysis Single-target disturb effect.
2.19.

Subtlety Rogue

Patch 11.0.2: Subtlety Rogue received minor changes leading to the The War Within expansion, followed by two brand-new but disappointing Hero Talents - Deathstalker / Trickster and a new tier-set. The 2-piece allows Symbols of Death Icon Symbols of Death to increase the damage of the next Secret Technique Icon Secret Technique by 20%, while the 4-piece enables Secret Technique Icon Secret Technique to increase the damage of any other finishing move by 16% for 7 sec.

Aside from the impressive Rogue's utility package, Subtlety Rogue also delivers consistent damage with great on-demand bursts. Sadly, the rotation has not changed much as the newly introduced Hero Talents are quite disappointing. After the most recent buffs, Subtlety Rogue damage performance has increased significantly. Do not sleep on Subtlety Rogue; if they tune their Hero Talents or spec-specific talents correctly, they would be in phenomenal shape.

2.19.1.

Cons

Lack of interesting Hero Talents that change the rotation/gameplay and introduce a breath of freshness. There are still quite a few bugs surrounding the spec, making it hard to have an accurate picture of its true performance.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Weapon Poisons Numbing Poison Icon Numbing Poison, Atrophic Poison Icon Atrophic Poison, Crippling Poison Icon Crippling Poison, Wound Poison Icon Wound Poison or Instant Poison Icon Instant Poison
Core Gouge Icon Gouge / Airborne Irritant You have the choice between AoE stop or powerful short cooldown single-target stop.
Core Blind Icon Blind Disturb effect, useful for crowd-control.
Core Kidney Shot Icon Kidney Shot Single-target stun effect.
Core Sap Icon Sap Non-combat crowd-control.
Core Cheap Shot Icon Cheap Shot Single-target stun effect.
Core Shiv Icon Shiv Enrage-effect dispel.
Core Shroud of Concealment Icon Shroud of Concealment Mass-invisibility effect.
Core Tricks of the Trade Icon Tricks of the Trade Redirects all threat you cause to a selected party member lasting 6 sec.
Core Distract Icon Distract When used, it stops any creatures from moving. Incredible useful when stopping patrol targets from repositioning.
2.20.

Arms Warrior

Patch 11.0.2 update: Arms Warrior received a healthy amount of changes through the Alpha and Beta cycles, brand-new Hero Talents - Slayer / Colossus, and a new tier set. The 2-piece will enable Mortal Strike Icon Mortal Strike and Cleave Icon Cleave to increase the damage of your next Overpower Icon Overpower by 10%. The 4-piece will trigger once Overpower Icon Overpower has its cooldown reset by Tactician Icon Tactician, the next Mortal Strike Icon Mortal Strike or Cleave Icon Cleave has its damage increased by 10% and critical strike chance increased by 10%, stacking up to 2 times.

The Rage changes combined with the Arms Warrior specific talent adjustments have put the spec in a much better position compared to the previous expansion. Their damage profile is their strongest asset as they currently have great single-target, 2-target, low-count, and mass-AoE damage. Although their utility will remain mostly the same, we believe that if this spec can be paired with melee physical damage-oriented classes, it can climb the ladder even further. Overall, we are happy with how Arms plays so far and we are looking forward to see them develop through the Season 1.

2.20.1.

Cons

Outside of their strong Battle Shout Icon Battle Shout buff, their Mythic+ toolkit is one of the weakest compared to the rest of the DPS specializations.

2.20.2.

Utility Package

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Rallying Cry Icon Rallying Cry Temporary increasing the health of your raid/party.
Core Battle Shout Icon Battle Shout Extra 5% Attack Power.
Optional Spell Reflection Icon Spell Reflection Usable in niche situations.
Optional Intimidating Shout Icon Intimidating Shout AoE disturb effect capped at 5 targets.
Optional Storm Bolt Icon Storm Bolt 4 sec single-target stun.
Optional Shockwave Icon Shockwave AoE Stun
2.21.

Survival Hunter

Patch 11.0.2 update: Survival Hunter received a massive number of changes, a brand new Hero Talent options - Pack Leader / Sentinel and a new tier-set. The 2-piece increases your Wildfire Bomb Icon Wildfire Bomb's damage by 5%, while the 4-piece boosts the damage of Raptor Strike Icon Raptor Strike by 10% if targets are affected by Wildfire Bomb Icon Wildfire Bomb.

Survival Hunter is currently a great choice for DPS spec in Mythic+, with an impressive DPS profile for both single-target and AoE. On top of this, the most recent Hunter survivability buffs will help them against the heaviest incoming damage. As always, damage is one of the major factors to consider for specs, so look no further; this class will not disappoint with both sustained damage and burst damage. Explosive Shot Icon Explosive Shot's uncapped damage capabilities are exceptional while maintaining amazing single-target output. All in all, one of the most rounded specs in the current Beta iteration, and we are hopeful they will retain their strength throughout the Season 1 of Mythic+ in The War Within.

2.21.1.

Cons

-

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Primal Rage Icon Primal Rage Although not unique, it can help in some rare cases.
Core Hunter's Mark Icon Hunter's Mark Increases all damage dealt to targets above 80% health by 5%.
Core Tar Trap Icon Tar Trap AoE Slow.
Core Tranquilizing Shot Icon Tranquilizing Shot Removes 1 Enrage and Magic effect from an enemy target.
Core Freezing Trap Icon Freezing Trap A powerful single-target crowd-control effect.
Optional Binding Shot Icon Binding Shot AoE root effect.
Optional Scatter Shot Icon Scatter Shot Single-target disturb effect.
Optional Intimidation Icon Intimidation Stun effect.
Optional Implosive Trap Icon Implosive Trap AoE disturb effect.
Optional Misdirection Icon Misdirection Helpful in cases where there are spread non-boss-enemies and your tanks need help with collecting the aggro.
2.22.

Outlaw Rogue

2.23.

Outlaw Rogue

Patch 11.0.2: Outlaw Rogue received their fair share of changes leading to the The War Within expansion, with two brand-new, yet disappointing Hero Talents - Fatebound / Trickster and a new tier set. The 2-piece bonus will enable Sinister Strike Icon Sinister Strike, Pistol Shot Icon Pistol Shot, and Ambush Icon Ambush to have a 20% chance to trigger Ethereal Rampage Icon Ethereal Rampage, dealing 15% increased damage as Shadow. In addition, the 4-piece bonus, Ethereal Rampage Icon Ethereal Rampage, additionally increases the damage of your next Between the Eyes Icon Between the Eyes by 6%, stacking up to 3 times.

The current Outlaw Rogue has improved following the weeks leading to the Season 1 of Mythic+ in The War Within. While they will retain their great consistent damage, unfortunately, they are still one of the few specs that are target-capped. Their single-target will remain competitive, as well as their priority-target damage while doing AoE. The lack of burst is also another issue the spec is suffering from, as that can be quite offsetting on the lower level keys where burst is important to capitalize on the lower health mobs. Their defensive profile will remain unchanged, and so will their amazing group-wide utility and mob control.

2.23.1.

Cons

Outlaw Rogue will still struggle in heavy AoE scenarios due to its damage target cap being present. In addition, the lack of a strong burst profile can hurt them on the low/to mid-level keys while being much better on the high-end keys.

2.23.2.

Utility Package

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Weapon Poisons Numbing Poison Icon Numbing Poison, Atrophic Poison Icon Atrophic Poison, Crippling Poison Icon Crippling Poison, Wound Poison Icon Wound Poison or Instant Poison Icon Instant Poison
Core Gouge Icon Gouge / Airborne Irritant You have the choice between AoE stop or powerful short cooldown single-target stop.
Core Blind Icon Blind Disturb effect, useful for crowd-control.
Core Kidney Shot Icon Kidney Shot Single-target stun effect.
Core Sap Icon Sap Non-combat crowd-control.
Core Cheap Shot Icon Cheap Shot Single-target stun effect.
Core Shiv Icon Shiv Enrage-effect dispel.
Core Shroud of Concealment Icon Shroud of Concealment Mass-invisibility effect.
Core Tricks of the Trade Icon Tricks of the Trade Redirects all threat you cause to a selected party member lasting 6 sec.
Core Distract Icon Distract When used, it stops any creatures from moving. Incredible useful when stopping patrol targets from repositioning.
2.24.

Good Choice

2.25.

Retribution Paladin

2.26.

Retribution Paladin

Patch 11.0.2 update: Retribution Paladin received a dozen notable changes leading to the The War Within expansion, including brand-new Hero Talents - Templar / Herald of the Sun, and a new tier-set. The 2-piece will increase the damage of Blade of Justice Icon Blade of Justice by 15% and the damage of Wake of Ashes Icon Wake of Ashes by 10%. In addition, the 4-piece grants you 8 sec of 10% increased damage once you use Wake of Ashes Icon Wake of Ashes.

Retribution Paladin has seen a fair share of changes throughout the Beta cycles, with one of the most notable changes being a rework of how their Mastery works. Their current AoE burst damage profile is great, just like the last couple of seasons in Dragonflight; they retain their signature group-wide utilities for a DPS (though no more Retribution Aura Icon Retribution Aura), which is an invaluable asset for anyone who wants to play this spec. The issue comes from the lack of a competitive single target, which leads to a diminishing in their performance in Mythic+. Although they posses excellent defensive options in case of danger, the only way for Retribution Paladin to climb the rankings is to add more raw damage, specifically targeting their single target.

2.26.1.

Cons

Further buffs on behalf of their single-target while playing hybrid Mythic+ builds.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Devotion Aura Icon Devotion Aura Permanent 3% group/raid-wide damage reduction aura.
Core Hammer of Justice Icon Hammer of Justice A powerful single-target 6 sec stun effect.
Core Lay on Hands Icon Lay on Hands Heals a member of your party/raid to full health.
Core Intercession Icon Intercession Combat-resurrection
Optional Blessing of Sacrifice Icon Blessing of Sacrifice Helps a single member of your raid in a critical situation. This can be further improved by talenting Sacrifice of the Just Icon Sacrifice of the Just.
Optional Blessing of Protection Icon Blessing of Protection Physical immunity, which can help you with some boss encounters.
Optional Blessing of Freedom Icon Blessing of Freedom Immunity to movement impairing effects.
Optional Repentance Icon Repentance / Blinding Light Icon Blinding Light You have the option between single-target crowd-control effect or a powerful mass AoE stop.
Optional Cleanse Toxins Icon Cleanse Toxins Removes all PoisonPoison and DiseaseDisease effects from the target.
Optional Turn Evil Icon Turn Evil Be able to fear any Undead, Aberration or Demon, which is an additional form of crowd control.
2.27.

Marksmanship Hunter

Patch 11.0.2 update: Marksmanship Hunter has gotten its fair share of changes, two brand new Hero Talents - Sentinel / Dark Ranger and a brand new tier-set. The 2-piece will increase the damage of Arcane Shot Icon Arcane Shot and Multi-Shot Icon Multi-Shot by 20%, while the 4-piece triggers once you consume Precise Shots Icon Precise Shots, further increasing the damage of your next Aimed Shot Icon Aimed Shot by 10%, stacking up 2 times.

Although your rotation will remain mostly the same, Marksmanship Hunter already feels much better compared to its previous version in Dragonflight mainly due to how durable Hunter as a spec has become following the most recent class-tree revamp. They will now have 2 charges of Survival of the Fittest Icon Survival of the Fittest and a self-disease/poison dispel which can help in critical situations. Although their AoE damage is great, you lack the single target to compete with the specs placed above you. Overall, the spec will retain its signature mark, which is burst/on-demand damage for both AoE and single-target while still maintaining a presentable damage package even off cooldowns.

2.27.1.

Cons

Lack of strong single-target damage; perhaps further tuning focusing on it will bring the spec a lot closer to the top of the bracket.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Primal Rage Icon Primal Rage Although not unique, it can help in some rare cases.
Core Hunter's Mark Icon Hunter's Mark Increases all damage dealt to targets above 80% health by 5%.
Core Tar Trap Icon Tar Trap AoE Slow.
Core Tranquilizing Shot Icon Tranquilizing Shot Removes 1 Enrage and Magic effect from an enemy target.
Core Freezing Trap Icon Freezing Trap A powerful single-target crowd-control effect.
Optional Binding Shot Icon Binding Shot AoE root effect.
Optional Scatter Shot Icon Scatter Shot Single-target disturb effect.
Optional Intimidation Icon Intimidation + Territorial Instincts Icon Territorial Instincts Stun effect.
Optional Wailing Arrow Icon Wailing Arrow AoE interrupt/silence for 3 sec.
Optional Implosive Trap Icon Implosive Trap AoE disturb effect.
Optional Misdirection Icon Misdirection Helpful in cases where there are spread non-boss-enemies and your tanks need help with collecting the aggro.
2.28.

Balance Druid

Patch 11.0.2 update: Balance Druid received a massive amount of changes through the Beta cycles, paired with 2 brand new Hero Talent choices - Elune's Chosen / Keeper of the Grove and a new tier set. The 2-piece will increase the damage of Starsurge Icon Starsurge by 10% and Starfall Icon Starfall by 14%. In addition, the 4-piece will grant Eclipse (Lunar) Icon Eclipse (Lunar) / Eclipse (Solar) Icon Eclipse (Solar) to increase the Astral Power that Wrath Icon Wrath generates by 2 and Starfire Icon Starfire by 5.

Balance Druid is one of the specs that has seen the most changes throughout Alpha/Beta. Although this spec may not appear impressive in lower-end keys, it becomes increasingly formidable as the key level increases. If you use your cooldowns effectively in Mythic+, you can achieve exceptional damage, primarily in AoE scenarios. In addition, you will have better survivability in the The War Within expansion while retaining your valuable utility. Overall, we do expect more tuning on behalf of Balance Druids, as we believe the current single-target damage profile is a lackluster.

2.28.1.

Cons

It takes some time for the spec to ramp up before it can cause significant damage. This means that the performance of the Balance Druid will improve as the mobs live longer. In addition, their single-target is among the lowest compared to the rest of the DPS specs, hence why we believe further damage adjustments in that department are needed.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Mark of the Wild Icon Mark of the Wild Increasing the Versatility of your raid/party by 3%.
Core Solar Beam Icon Solar Beam 8 sec AoE silence.
Core Entangling Roots Icon Entangling Roots Single-target root effect.
Optional Nature's Vigil Icon Nature's Vigil Extra off-healing.
Optional Innervate Icon Innervate Allowing 1 friendly healer to cast spells without spending mana for 8 sec.
Optional Stampeding Roar Icon Stampeding Roar Increasing the movement speed to all raid members by 60% for 8 sec.
Optional Remove Corruption Icon Remove Corruption Removes all CurseCurse and PoisonPoison effects from a friendly target.
Optional Soothe Icon Soothe Dispelling all Enrage Effects from an enemy target.
Optional Hibernate Icon Hibernate Single-target crowd-control effects against beasts and dragonkins.
Optional Incapacitating Roar Icon Incapacitating Roar / Mighty Bash Icon Mighty Bash You have the choice between AoE disturb effect or a single-target stun.
Optional Typhoon Icon Typhoon Aoe knockback.
Optional Mass Entanglement Icon Mass Entanglement / Ursol's Vortex Icon Ursol's Vortex You have the choice between AoE root effect or AoE wind-of-vortex, pulling all the mobs to one location.
2.29.

Decent (More Tuning Required)

2.30.

Destruction Warlock

Patch 11.0.2 update: Destruction Warlock received a complete rework, paired with 2 brand new Hero Talent choices - Hellcaller / Diabolist and a new tier set. The 2-piece will focus on Incinerate Icon Incinerate, increasing its critical strike chance by 20%, as well as increasing Conflagrate Icon Conflagrate critical strike chance by 25%. In addition, the 4-piece will offer Conflagrate Icon Conflagrate critical strikes to trigger 5% increased Fire damage for 6 sec.

After Destruction Warlock was one of the best performing DPS specs last week, they received a rather large nerf to their damage output, both in single-target and AoE. This will leave their current performance more on par with the rest of the specialization and will no longer be considered "OP". In addition, every Warlock Icon Warlock spec is quite durable and has a great party-wide utility, which fits perfectly for Mythic+.

2.30.1.

Cons

-

Utility package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Create Healthstone Icon Create Healthstone Helps your team to survive deadly pulls.
Core Soulstone Icon Soulstone Combat Resurrection.
Core Demonic Gateway Icon Demonic Gateway
Core Curse of Tongues Icon Curse of Tongues Useful against caster targets. It can be further bolstered by Amplify Curse Icon Amplify Curse talent.
Core Curse of Weakness Icon Curse of Weakness Useful against physical damage dealers. It can be further bolstered by Amplify Curse Icon Amplify Curse talent.
Core Demon Summoning Summon Imp Icon Summon Imp can help you with Singe Magic Icon Singe Magic dispel while Summon Felhunter Icon Summon Felhunter can be useful with an extra interrupt - Spell Lock Icon Spell Lock.
Optional Banish Icon Banish Useful on some boss encounters for an extra crowd-control effect.
Optional Shadowfury Icon Shadowfury AoE Stun.
Optional Mortal Coil Icon Mortal Coil Sinel-Target disturb effect.
2.31.

Devastation Evoker

Patch 11.0.2 update: Devastation Evoker received a decent amount of changes leading to the The War Within expansion, followed by 2 brand-new Hero Talents - Flameshaper / Scalecommander and a new tier-set. The 2-piece will increase the damage of Disintegrate Icon Disintegrate and Pyre Icon Pyre by 10%, while the 4-p will reduce the Eternity Surge Icon Eternity Surge's cooldown by 5 sec, further allowing it to grant an Essence Burst Icon Essence Burst.

The performance of Devastation Evoker has been consistent throughout the last Beta cycles, with quite a few rotational differences compared to how it was in Dragonflight (depending on which Hero Talents you are going for + during Dragonrage Icon Dragonrage window). They have retained their unique Evoker utility, strengthening their defensiveness thanks to the brand-new Hero Talents. Their damage profile will retain its burst-orientated window, which will help your performance across different key levels. At the same time, also, unfortunately, keeping its main disadvantage present - having 25 yards ability range as an offensive caster can be quite punishable. Overall, we believe that its sibling spec will take the majority of the attention, and we will hardly see much playtime, but if anyone chooses to opt for them, they will still perform great as its damage can be competitive to the majority of the DPS specs.

2.31.1.

Cons

Having 25 yards as an offensive DPS is quite punishable. Further damage buffs are needed to strengthen their sustained damage profile.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Blessing of the Bronze Icon Blessing of the Bronze -
Core Tail Swipe Icon Tail Swipe AoE disturb effect that knocks up enemies.
Core Wing Buffet Icon Wing Buffet AoE knockback effect.
Core Expunge Icon Expunge Removing all PoisonPoison effects from an ally.
Optional Sleep Walk Icon Sleep Walk Single-target crowd-control effect that forces the enemy to move towards you.
Optional Source of Magic Icon Source of Magic Can be further bolstered by Potent Mana Icon Potent Mana
Optional Oppressing Roar Icon Oppressing Roar Increasing the duration of all crowd-control effects on the affected enemies by 50%. You can further talent into Overawe Icon Overawe, removing 1 Enrage effect from each enemy (AoE Enrage Removal).
Optional Terror of the Skies Icon Terror of the Skies After using Breath of Eons Icon Breath of Eons, you will stun all enemies by 3 sec affected by your breath.
Optional Spatial Paradox Icon Spatial Paradox It enables your Healer of choice to move freely while casting and increasing the range of most spells by 100% for 11 sec.
Optional Zephyr Icon Zephyr Area-of-effect damage reduction (party only).
Optional Cauterizing Flame Icon Cauterizing Flame BleedBleed removal
Optional Rescue Icon Rescue You can further bolster it with Twin Guardian Icon Twin Guardian talent for extra durability.
2.32.

Beast Mastery Hunter

Patch 11.0.2 update: Beast Mastery Hunter received a ton of changes leading to the The War Within expansion, including brand new Hero Talents - Dark Ranger / Pack Leader, and a new tier-set. The 2-piece bonus will allow Barbed Shot Icon Barbed Shot to further increase your pet's attack speed by 5%, while the 4-piece bonus will enable your pet's attacks to have a 10% chance to increase all pet damage you deal by 10% for 10 sec.

The current Beta iteration of Beast Mastery Hunter plays similarly to previous iterations, which will disappoint some and delight others. They now have much better survivability, thanks to the general Hunter's tree redesign. While their single-target damage is decent, their sustained damage, especially AoE, is lackluster. We are hopeful that those issues will be addressed in the coming weeks.

2.32.1.

Cons

Lack of raw consistent AoE damage. Pet interaction is still an issue, given the fact that almost all of your damage comes from pet attacks; it is something that should be permanently fixed.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Primal Rage Icon Primal Rage Although not unique, it can help in some rare cases.
Core Hunter's Mark Icon Hunter's Mark Increases all damage dealt to targets above 80% health by 5%.
Core Tar Trap Icon Tar Trap AoE Slow.
Core Tranquilizing Shot Icon Tranquilizing Shot Removes 1 Enrage and Magic effect from an enemy target.
Core Freezing Trap Icon Freezing Trap A powerful single-target crowd-control effect.
Optional Binding Shot Icon Binding Shot AoE root effect.
Optional Scatter Shot Icon Scatter Shot Single-target disturb effect.
Optional Implosive Trap Icon Implosive Trap AoE disturb effect.
Optional Intimidation Icon Intimidation Stun effect.
Optional Misdirection Icon Misdirection Helpful in cases where there are spread non-boss-enemies and your tanks need help with collecting the aggro.
2.33.

Underperforming

2.34.

Fire Mage

Patch 11.0.2 update: Fire Mage received a massive amount of changes, 2 brand new Hero Talents - Frostfire and Sunfury, as well as a new tier-set. The 2-piece increases the damage of your Phoenix Flames Icon Phoenix Flames by 10%, which increases to 25% on its primary target. In addition, your 4-piece bonus triggers after dealing damage, giving Phoenix Flames Icon Phoenix Flames a 10% chance to return to you, refunding 1% of the cooldown on Phoenix Flames Icon Phoenix Flames and granting you 6% increased spell damage for 10 sec.

Fire Mage is one of the specs that has received a lot of attention leading up to the first season of The War Within and ended up being historically in the worst state (damage output) wise they have ever been. Your single target is among the lowest, and your AoE damage is now competing with the tanks. Although, just like every Mage spec so far, has one of the best group-wide Mythic+ utilities, numbers need to be tuned up for us to consider you anywhere higher on our rankings.

2.34.1.

Cons

Further buffs are needed as the spec is in one of its worst position ever.

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Arcane Intellect Icon Arcane Intellect 5% extra Intellect to the whole raid/party.
Core Time Warp Icon Time Warp Alternative of Bloodlust Icon Bloodlust.
Core Polymorph Icon Polymorph Single-target crowd-control effect.
Optional Mass Barrier Icon Mass Barrier / Mass Invisibility Icon Mass Invisibility Gives a shield that absorbs damage or mass invisibility to the entire party.
Optional Spellsteal Icon Spellsteal Steals a beneficial magic effect from the target.
Optional Remove Curse Icon Remove Curse Removes all CurseCurses from a friendly target.
Optional Ring of Frost Icon Ring of Frost AoE disturb effect.
Optional Ice Nova Icon Ice Nova AoE Immobilize effect. This can be cast separately from Frost Nova Icon Frost Nova.
Optional Blast Wave Icon Blast Wave AoE knockback.
Optional Dragon's Breath Icon Dragon's Breath AoE disturb effect.
3.

Changelog

  • 18 Aug. 2024: Update #7 of the progressive Beta TWW tierlist.
  • 11 Aug. 2024: Update #6 of the progressive Beta TWW tierlist.
  • 04 Aug. 2024: Update #5 of the progressive Beta TWW tierlist.
  • 28 Jul. 2024: Update #4 of the progressive Beta TWW tierlist.
  • 21 Jul. 2024: Update #3 of the progressive Beta TWW tierlist.
  • 14 Jul. 2024: Update #2 of the progressive Beta TWW tierlist.
  • 07 Jul. 2024: Update #1 of the progressive Beta TWW tierlist.
  • 29 Oct. 2023: New round of changes after the most recent PTR Build.
  • 22 Oct. 2023: Third round of updates after the most recent PTR changes.
  • 15 Oct. 2023: Second round of updates after the most recent PTR changes.
  • 09 Oct. 2023: Page added.
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