Mythic+ DPS Rankings: A Tier List for Shadowlands (Patch 9.1 / Season 2)

This tier list is NOT FINAL; it will change and will be updated as often as necessary prior and during the Season 2 (9.1 Patch) of Mythic+ in Shadowlands. There are often moments of Covenant, class tuning and secondary stat scaling that will impact the placing of the specs.

I am Petko, a competitive Mythic+ player and a team captain of "The Boys", most recently an MDI summer finalist. I am more known to be pushing the boundaries of High Mythic+ with several World first and Europe rankings among the seasons on multiple classes. I have worked hard on preparing for Season 2 of Shadowlands, spending tons of hours per day examining each and every class and spec in a dungeon environment. This Tier list will continue to be updated as much as it requires over the course of Shadowlands and it will also focus on what the "meta" will look like as it stabilizes. Along the way, this Tier list will also be supported by various professional Mythic+ players with high credibility in the community.

To begin with, this Tier list will primarily focus on the second Season of Mythic+ in Shadowlands. At the beginning, there will be also no Warcraft Logs rankings added nor simulation data for the majority of the classes and specs. As a result, this Tier list will be solely based on empirical evidence of the current state of the classes' performance in Mythic+ from my own point of view and the point of view of the group of players testing those classes who are among the best representative of the class in the community. Moreover, this Tier list will take into consideration every impactful class change and Covenant tuning.

This tier list is entirely based on DPS viability examined in each dungeon of Shadowlands. To understand why exactly some rankings are the way they are, you need to understand the importance of the toolkit that some classes provide to Mythic+ groups.

• With the removal of War-Scrolls (the old BfA ones are still in the game, but cannot be used at Level 60 and there are no Shadowlands ones), classes like Priest, Warrior, and Mage bring additional value to the party thanks to the similar buffs they provide.
• Classes with very high survivability, self sustain, or immunities have always been valued higher, since you can completely "skip" some mechanics or make the life of the healer easier.
• Finally, only two classes can provide unique Magical and Physical damage increases to the whole party: Monk with Mystic Touch and Demon Hunter with Chaos Brand. This gives these classes priority, depending on group composition.

When deciding what class you want to play for the second Season of Shadowlands, it is important to understand how and why some classes are valued more than the others and what is important in the current dungeons. Dungeons like The Necrotic Wake and Sanguine Depths favor classes with immunities and classes with shorter interrupt cooldowns. Another important thing to keep in mind is the Seasonal affix, called Tormented, which prioritizes single-target damage and classes with a few defensive options to help overcoming it. Finally, having high mobility is a massive bonus, as refusing to defeat Oros Coldheart will empower the final boss of a dungeon with the Chilling Presence aura. If you choose to fight the last boss like this, not having mobility will significantly increase the difficulty of the boss encounter.

It is important to understand that this Tier list is NOT permanent and it will be due to change with upcoming changes and tunings over the course of the expansion. I have always advocated to the "bring the player, not the class" motto, meaning: value the player skill more than the class itself. This Tier list should NOT discourage you to play whatever you enjoy the most, as I have always been playing "off-meta" classes and happened to have really good results in an actual Mythic+ environment. The list will be updated as much as it requires and if something is under-performing now, it could become meta due to a hotfix as well as the opposite.

Below you can find the full rankings for DPS slots in Shadowlands Mythic+. We encourage you to further read and understand why some classes are placed lower or higher than expected, with several factors taken into consideration.

If you are interested in our other rankings for Mythic+ in Shadowlands, please click the links below.

July 2 update: Despite receiving no changes, Elemental Shaman remains one of the best performing specializations in Mythic+ going forward to Season 2 of Shadowlands Mythic+. Their AoE damage profile is among the best, and they also hold quite competitive single-target damage which will help in dealing with the new Seasonal affix, Tormented. In addition, they have great group utility and the best party external off-healing in the game, in the form of Ancestral Guidance. In addition, they provide great priority-target damage while doing AoE, when opting to play with the Echoes of the Great Sundering Legendary (which is the standard one for Mythic+).

Elemental Shaman's biggest strength comes from the spiky AoE burst made possible by the soft-capped (20 target) main damaging ability: Earthquake. Its single-target DPS and very high off-heal utility from Ancestral Guidance make Elemental a great choice for a Ranged representative in the group. Moreover, the high spectrum of utility tools provided to the party by Shaman makes it a valuable pick. They also possess one of the strongest 1-minute offensive cooldowns in the game in the form of Stormkeeper. Shaman is also one of three classes in the game that provide "lust" in the form of Heroism or Bloodlust.

Tremor Totem, Earth Elemental, Capacitor Totem and Cleanse Spirit are among the most-used utilities of the Shaman. Recently added to the Elemental toolkit, Spiritwalker's Grace has closed a gap in their playstyle with the ability to move while sustaining DPS, thus making Elemental Shaman a valuable pick for any group composition. Elemental Shaman is the caster with the shortest interrupt cooldown in the game with Wind Shear, making it a great combination with any other Ranged in the group.

June 15 update: Windwalker Monks received no changes going forward to Season 2 of Mythic+. They still remain one of the highest damage output classes in Mythic+, combined with great defensive and utility tools. We are confident that if there are no changes to this spec, Windwalker will most likely remain one of the best melee choices in the next tier.

Windwalker monks have one of the highest damage profiles, from high AoE damage to great single-target and Execute damage in the form of Touch of Death which will be quite useful going forward into Patch 9.1 with the new seasonal affix of Tormented. Windwalker Monks also have strong group utility with Tiger's Lust and Leg Sweep. Their overall raw damage output is great, comparable to the rest of the DPS specializations. They also have several defensive cooldowns, depending on talent choice. Monk is the only class that can provide a 5% Physical damage increase, thanks to Mystic Touch. Finally, Monks also do have great mobility, which is an important feature to have in Mythic+.

Windwalker Monks have a few flows in their core build, which is a lack of immunity and low self-sustain. An immunity can make some boss encounters quite easy, while having good self-sustain will reduce the pressure of your healer!

July 2 update: Frost Mages received no changes going forward to the next season of Mythic+ in Shadowlands. The spec is already in great shape, with great overall damage output, one of the highest priority-target, two-target cleave, and AoE damage profiles, good self-sustain, an immunity, and great mobility. Their unique slow effects help tanks tremendously with surviving dangerous pulls by allowing them to kite safely away from the mobs. With the recent addition of an extra Potency conduit to Frost Mages, their powers have significantly increased.

Mage is among the three classes in the game that provide a "lust-effect" through Time Warp, making them desirable in Mythic+. Their toolkit also offers a permanent slow on enemies to make it easier for tanks to kite, crowd-control with Polymorph, and high self-sustain due to Ice Barrier. In addition, Frost Mage also holds an immunity, a vital option against life-threatening situations, in the form of Ice Block. The high mobility of Mages also adds value, further compounded by the ability to provide Arcane Intellect to the whole party and benefit other casters within a group. Frost Mages even provide decent damage output, which is essential to determining which tier a specialization belongs in.

Frost Mages also have great 2-target cleave DPS and decent single-target DPS, making their priority-target damage great against important mobs such as the lieutenants in the newly-introduced Season 2 affix of Tormented and boss encounters. Moreover, being able to enter stealth with Invisibility provides Frost Mages with the unique ability to skip certain packs, mobs or bosses. To top it off, they also have Spellsteal which can create an opportunity for them to benefit from an enemy magical buff for up to 2 minutes within a dungeon.

The biggest disadvantage of the spec comes from lack of burst AoE and single-target damage, which is quite important to deal with the new Seasonal affix of Tormented, compared to the rest of the specializations placed under S-tier.

July 27 update: The higher Renown allowed Balance Druids to have an additional build in the form of the Venthyr Covenant. That, combined with Sinful Hysteria, a newly-introduced Druid legendary, gave Balance Druids a massive DPS power-spike in both AoE and single-target. Their damage improved significantly; so has their current tier-list placing. Outside of that, Druid is one of the classes with the best party utility in the game. In addition to that, you can help your team with Heart of the Wild healing against the Tormented Affix's lieutenants, more specifically Executioner Varruth or Incinerator Arkolath since they are the most dangerous out of the four.

Balance Druids are among the top contenders for group-wide utility. From Ursol's Vortex and Typhoon to Soothe and Stampeding Roar, Balance Druid's biggest strength comes from providing the tools the party needs to relieve pressure from the tank and the healer. Its Force of Nature ability can ease a lot of hard pulls during dungeon runs. Moreover, the ability to provide Innervate to the healer in HPS-intensive fights can make-or-break some encounters. Its single-target DPS is among the best in the game, making it a great pick against priority-target mobs and bosses. Balance Druids also hold one of the shortest-cooldown defensive abilities in the game with Barkskin, along with great passive mitigation from Bear Form.

To conclude: Balance druids have one of the best party utilities in the game, a great single-target and AoE damage profile, and moreover, are one of the "tankiest" DPS classes to ever step in Mythic+. Their newly-introduced Venthyr-specific build definitely improves their overall damage contribution and for that reason Balance Druids are moving from A-tier to S-tier rankings.

July 27 update: There have been no changes to Arcane Mage, but the power-spike from slightly higher item level and access to an extra Potency conduit really did impact the spec greatly. Their single-target burst damage is among the best in the game, which makes both Tyrannical and Tormented quite easy to deal with. They also have great front-loaded burst AoE damage which is competitive enough to be on the S-tier.

Arcane Mage's core strength comes from its uncapped AoE which elevates the specialization as one of the highest damage profiles in the Mythic+ scene. Most of Arcane's abilities are desynced, however, making it harder to time cooldowns without "holding" them for a long time. The utilities that Arcane Mage provides are similar to Frost and Fire, except for Cauterize which is only available to Fire Mages and the permanent slow from a Frost Mage's abilities. However, an exclusive ability to Arcane Mage is Greater Invisibility, which instantly makes you invisible and reduces all damage taken by 60% for 3 seconds after you get out of stealth. Arcane's biggest strength comes from one of the highest single-target DPS or 3-target burst.

That said, the combined raw output of the spec is definitely its core strength. Outside of that, the spec does not have great utility outside of the mage-specific tools to help the party.

June 15 update: Outlaw Rogues received a quite-powerful Necrolord-specific Legendary, Deathspike, which launches an additional Serrated Bone Spike to a nearby enemy. This potential new build can be powerful if it remains unchanged leading to Patch 9.1. Outlaw Rogue already has amazing single-target and priority-target damage, has one of the highest survivability toolkits in the game, an immunity, and also great self-sustain. With this new Legendary they will improve their AoE damage profile, further bolstering the specialization. Outlaw is likely to enter Season 2 as one of the best all-around performing spec and continue their Mythic+ dominance.

Outlaw Rogue is the specialization with the best crowd-control in Mythic+. Gouge is an incredible ability for disrupting enemies' casts and is not subject to diminishing returns, just like Blind. Outlaw rogues are also the Melee specialization with the longest attack range if the Acrobatic Strikes talent is chosen, which makes it easier to maneuver in a Melee situation. Just like the other Rogue specs, Outlaw provides high survivability, self-sustain, and an immunity, making it a great pick for any group.

Contributing to Outlaw Rogue's strength is the Rogue's toolkit, with high survivability ( Feint and Evasion), immunity against magic damage ( Cloak of Shadows), self-sustain ( Crimson Vial), and high mobility. On top of that, Rogues are the kings of mob control in dungeons paired together with unique Vanish skips and out-of-combat CC such as Sap and Shroud of Concealment.

If that was not enough Rogue is also one of two classes able to transfer its threat to the tank or another target using Tricks of the Trade, making it easier for the tanks to hold threat. In addition, they are one of three classes that can dispel Enrage effects with Shiv when combined with Numbing Poison.

July 27 update: Marksmanship Hunters received massive buffs to their core damaging abilities: Aimed Shot, Arcane Shot, Multi-Shot, and Rapid Fire by 10%, and Kill Shot by 15%. These changes will definitely move Marksmanship Hunter from A-tier to S-tier due to the increase of their raw damage output. It will also straighten out their single-target and priority-target damage, areas where the specialization was slightly underwhelming.

Marksmanship Hunter currently has one the highest amounts of AoE-burst and overall DPS in the game. The combination of their Trueshot cooldown and Trick Shots passive makes their burst reach unparalleled numbers. On top of this, the ability to freely move while casting makes it easier to dodge avoidable damage which is crucial to ensure higher group DPS. Hunter is also among the three classes in the game that can provide a "lust-effect" in the form of Primal Rage. In addition to the amazing toolkit, Marksmanship Hunter also has a knockback spell in the form of Bursting Shot which can be utilized on several occasions in Mythic+. Hunter also has great mobility, thanks to Disengage and Aspect of the Cheetah.

The Hunter toolkit is among the best for Mythic+. From a slow with Tar Trap to a mass-root with Binding Shot, Hunter provides unique tools to cope and relieve pressure from the tank and the healer. Finally, the great self-sustain from Exhilaration and immunity from Aspect of the Turtle makes Hunters a top contender for the DPS slot in Shadowlands' Mythic+.

Hunter is also one of two classes able to transfer its threat to the tank or another target using Misdirection, which works similarly to a Rogue's Tricks of the Trade. Another strength is the ability to dispel Enrage effects with Tranquilizing Shot.

Below are displayed the DPS specs are considered strong, but not "meta" unlike S-tier specs. In other words, you are perfectly fine bringing any of those specs and all of them will perform almost equally well; each of them bring unique tools to cope with the dungeon timers.

June 15 update: Havoc Demon Hunters received massive 15% buffs to their core damaging abilities of Chaos Strike and Demon's Bite. In addition, Annihilation's damage was also increased by 15%, followed by a massive buff to the Soul Rending talent going from 5% to 10% value. This will make the spec one of the highest self-sustaining specializations going forward to the second Season of Shadowlands Mythic+. Havoc Demon Hunters are going to be a great pick for any team composition, more specifically the ones that consist of at least one caster spec. Their lack of single-target and priority-damage was buffed, their AoE damage profile is great, they have great utility, one of the best survivability and self-sustain in the game, and, if talented, they also have an option of an immunity. We predict Havoc to be one of the best melee specs in the next tier!

Havoc Demon Hunter is one of the specializations with the highest mobility and survivability in the game, thanks to Fel Rush, Vengeful Retreat, and the leap of Metamorphosis. Its unique ability to provide Chaos Brand in the group makes it a favorable pick in combination with several casters in the party. Out-of-combat crowd-control such as Imprison gives you the ability to skip mobs without getting in combat, allowing you to "buy" time in each dungeon. To top that, Havoc Demon Hunter has two immunities, with one being Netherwalk and the other being the 1-second leap when casting Metamorphosis. Finally, high self-sustain and an amazing group toolkit such as Darkness and Chaos Nova makes the spec among the best melee specializations in Shadowlands' Mythic+.

July 27 update: Survival Hunters received massive buffs to their core damaging abilities: Serpent Sting, Wildfire Bomb, Raptor Strike, Mongoose Bite, Flanking Strike, and Kill Shot by 10%. These changes will impact both their AoE damage profile and their single-target damage, which will ultimately make the spec jump in the rankings from B-tier to A-tier. Survival Hunter received 3 crucial overall spec buffs in a row which ultimately made the spec one of the strongest Hunter specializations, previously a role dedicated to either Marksmanship or Beast Mastery.

Survival Hunter's AoE damage is in good shape, but its single-target and priority-target DPS is among the lowest in the Mythic+ scene. The recent Patch 9.1 buffs to the spec definitely closed the gap and touched on its single-target flaws. Survival hunter also has great party utilities with Binding Shot and Tar Trap, great self-sustain from Exhilaration, and strong mobility from Disengage and Aspect of the Cheetah. Finally the spec has an immunity, Aspect of the Turtle, and is one of three classes in the game with a "lust-effect" through Primal Rage.

Hunter is also one of two classes able to transfer its threat to the tank or another target using Misdirection, which works similarly to a Rogue's Tricks of the Trade. Another strength is the ability to dispel Enrage effects with Tranquilizing Shot.

Unfortunately with the current state of the spec, Survival's raw damage numbers are decent but not good enough. That, and the fact that Survival is hybrid Melee-Ranged specialization which can be hard to fit into party compositions, puts the spec into the upper end of B-tier list. We believe the spec can greatly improve its placement if its damage numbers get increased, since that is the only department with a major flow.

July 27 update: Fire Mages received massive buffs to their core single-target damage abilities: Fireball by 20%, Fire Blast by 15%, and Pyroblast by 5%. These changes alone will definitely make their priority-target damage and single-target slightly more competitive, but will not be enough to compete with the rest of the specializations put in the S-tier list.

Fire Mage suffered a great loss when they lost the ability to passively spread Mastery: Ignite. To compensate for that, Fire Mage is one of the specs with uncapped AoE abilities such as Flamestrike and Flame Patch, which is where their core strength comes from. The Fire specialization still provides the same utility to the party as the other Mage specs, with the additional benefits of Dragon's Breath and the cheat death effect from Cauterize. The main power of Fire Mages comes from their incredible burst due to Combustion, which provides great single-target, priority-target and AoE damage at the same time. This can neutralize any "dangerous" mobs and can make a pull easier for the whole party.

July 27 update: Shadow Priests received an 8% nerf to their core Sanity-spender ability Devouring Plague, which is a direct hit on their single-target and priority-target damage. This change alone will not be enough to put the spec lower in the rankings, as they still hold one of the strongest single-target damage profiles in the game.

Shadow Priest's main strength is multi-dotting, for which it is the best specialization in Mythic+. Shadow Priest also provides very good overall "peel" for the group composition, group-wide off-healing, and high self-sustain. Vampiric Embrace is very useful during HPS-heavy encounters and boss fights. With Purify Disease, Dispel Magic, and Mass Dispel, Shadow Priest is among the top Ranged contender for a spot in the group. Outside of that, Priest is the only class in the game that provides Power Word: Fortitude, increasing the Stamina of all party members by 5%. Finally, Priest is one of two classes that can readily negate the Bursting affix with Mass Dispel which makes them extremely valuable.

Shadow Priest also provides excellent crowd-control with abilities such as Mind Control, Psychic Scream, Shackle Undead, Psychic Horror.

The main weakness of the spec comes from Silence's long cooldown, which is among the highest in the game for an interrupt. This is important as disrupting targets in Mythic+ is essential to avoid as much damage as you can in order to increase the group's overall DPS.

June 22 update: Affliction Warlocks received a flat 5% buff to all of their damaging abilities. The newly-introduced Sow the Seeds build is performing amazingly in AoE. With the uncapped target capabilities, Affliction Warlock is looking in great shape. Their single-target damage is at most mediocre, which is one of the disadvantages of having this build. This will ultimately slow you down on boss encounters and also on important non-boss-enemies like Tormented.

Affliction Warlock is currently in the "middle of the pack" sort of situation, placed under B-tier. Their AoE on-demand damage is great, but single-target and priority-target damage suffered a great loss. The newly-introduced "seed" build is performing great due to the uncapped AoE, therefore it becomes one of the best builds for Mythic+. Affliction's core problems come from being unable to excel on low-healthpool non-boss-enemies, having low mobility, and no immunity. Affliction Warlock's single-target DPS, once their core strength, is now just decent at best. However, the Seed of Corruption buff can open the door for new builds that can replace the old Vile Taint combined with Malefic Rapture builder-spender loop.

This specialization provides mediocre party utilities— Mortal Coil, Create Healthstone, Banish, Shadowfury, and Demonic Gateway—making it not as attractive as other ranged DPS. In addition, while the specialization's self-sustain is great, they completely lack a mobility boost outside of the Burning Rush Talent.

Affliction can improve their rankings by a brute-force raw DPS increase, which in the current scaling state seems unlikely. For now, their low contribution to beneficial group utility spells, lack of an immunity, and low mobility places Affliction Warlock on the top of the B-Tier list.

June 15 update: There have been no changes for Assassination Rogues going forward to Season 2 of Mythic+ as of now. The spec is looking way better than it previously looked in Patch 9.0.5 and the higher secondary stat scaling definitely is beginning to show. Assassination Rogue's current single-target and priority-target-damage is one of the highest in the game, which will be quite useful in the new upcoming Seasonal Affix— Tormented. That being said, the spec is going to move up the rankings as one of the best performing specializations on the B-Tier. We will continue to closely monitor its performance as we are confident that the spec will only get better with time.

Assassination Rogues are known to have amazing single-target and priority-target-damage burst with Vendetta, which will have higher value leading into Season 2 due to Tormented being present. They also have amazing mob control using Garrote, which is incredibly useful against caster mobs. Just like Subtlety and Outlaw, Assassination Rogues have very high survivability, self-sustain, and an immunity, making it a perfect pick for a melee slot.

If that was not enough Rogue is also one of two classes able to transfer its threat to the tank or another target using Tricks of the Trade, making it easier for the tanks to hold threat. In addition, they are one of three classes that can dispel Enrage effects with Shiv when combined with Numbing Poison.

he main disadvantage comes from the inability to provide enough overall DPS to compete with the other specs put under "S" or "A"-tier. Its AoE Cleave is significantly lower than Outlaw's, but the overall toolkit brings it to the upper side of B-Tier rankings. Overall DPS has a huge impact on general group composition. For solely that reason, Assassination Rogues are awarded B-tier.

Specializations placed under B-Tier are a viable choice for any group looking to excel with any of the specializations here. The main reason why these specializations are placed on B-Tier is not because they are bad, but rather other specs having higher damage profiles or have better utility. In Mythic+, not everything comes down to raw output, but rather to group composition and utility; in other words, "what do you bring to the group to help complete the dungeon".

June 15 update: Fury warriors received no changes going forward to the second season of Mythic+ in Shadowlands. Their sustained single-target and AoE damage is great, along with having decent self-sustain and mobility. One of the main disadvantages of Fury Warriors is low group utility, which remains essential in a Mythic+ environment. The spec remains as one of the strongest melee picks going forward to the next Season and can only climb rankings if its raw power gets increased.

Fury Warriors provide great overall raw output, with decent single-target DPS and AoE cleave. They are also a high mobility specialization with great self-sustain. Warrior is the only class in the game that provides Battle Shout, making it incredibly useful for melee-heavy compositions. In addition, they have great passive mitigation coming from Warpaint. They also provide Spell Reflection which can further reduce their magical damage intake by 20% — this is very useful in many cases. Finally, they are one of the few DPS specializations in the game that provide a external defensive ability to the whole party with Rallying Cry.

The biggest disadvantage of Fury Warrior comes from having no immunity and poor group utility, which takes a major part in every group composition.

June 22 update: Subtlety Rogues received a 20% buff to their iconic Backstab ability. Furthermore, Black Powder was also buffed by roughly 20% which will increase the AoE damage output of the spec, an area where Subtlety was lacking in severely. Finally, Shuriken Storm has a 15% additional chance to score a critical hit, which will offer great synergy with the Black Powder buff. Their single-target and priority-target damage is among the best in the game, which can ultimately help when dealing with the new season affix of Tormented, but their AoE damage profile is quite low relatively. However, Subtlety Rogue has a great defensive toolkit, an immunity, and great party utility. With a small damage adjustment toward their AoE damage profile, we can see this spec rapidly climb the rankings, but as of now it remains under B-tier.

Rogue has been dominating Mythic+ for quite some time now. In Battle for Azeroth, a Rogue was always required in a group and things are no different now. Subtlety Rogue is a great pickup if your group lacks single-target and priority-damage output, but with the cost of much lower AoE output. Their strength comes from the insanely high single-target burst and priority-damage, which is extremely useful against the upcoming Seasonal affix, Tormented. This makes Subtlety Rogues the perfect pick for dealing with important mobs and bosses.

Contributing to Subtlety Rogue's strength is the Rogue's toolkit, with high survivability ( Feint and Evasion), immunity against magic damage ( Cloak of Shadows), self-sustain ( Crimson Vial), and high mobility. On top of that, Rogues are the kings of mob control in dungeons paired together with unique Vanish skips and out-of-combat CC such as Sap and Shroud of Concealment.

If that was not enough Rogue is also one of two classes able to transfer its threat to the tank or another target using Tricks of the Trade, making it easier for the tanks to hold threat. In addition, they are one of three classes that can dispel Enrage effects with Shiv when combined with Numbing Poison.

June 15 update: There have been no changes on behalf of Unholy Death Knights going forward to the second Season of Mythic+. The spec still remains as one of the highest burst classes with the lowest sustained single-target and AoE damage. Its lack of mobility is also unchanged and is likely to cause them issues with the new Seasonal affix of Tormented. Furthermore, the class received a massive rework to their Anti-Magic Zone which now has a numeric cap of soakable damage after which the effect "breaks" and the Zone is gone. The value is equal to 150% of their total health along with their Versatility. Its cooldown has remained untouched, however. We expect the secondary stat scaling to push the spec further along the rankings as we progress into higher item level, but as of now it remains one of the best picks in the B-tier list.

Unholy Death Knight's biggest strength comes from very high single-target DPS and AoE burst windows. Furthermore, Death Grip and a second disruption spell in Gnaw make Unholy Death Knights a great addition to any group composition. They can also bring a single-target stun with Asphyxiate or a massive AoE slow through Grip of the Dead, depending on talent choices. Furthermore, they have a great self-sustain ability in the form of Death Strike, which can save you in critical situations.

Finally, Death Knights can bring Anti-Magic Zone to the party making them very effective against heavy magical damage such as Bursting or boss encounters with heavy magical damage. Finally, Death Knights are one of the few classes in the game with an ability to combat resurrect allies through Raise Ally.

The biggest disadvantage of the Unholy Death Knight is its low mobility and highly-cooldown-reliant gameplay. Having low mobility can really hurt you and in some cases, be lethal when it comes to sidestepping avoidable damage.

June 15 update: Arms Warriors received a massive 10% buff to several core damage abilities, such as Mortal Strike, Deep Wounds, Overpower, and Execute. The recently-introduced new Kyrian Legendary, Elysian Might, brings a lot of AoE burst potential going into each pack, further enhancing their burst-capabilities. The class is known to scale extraordinarily well with secondary stats, so we will be monitoring it closely throughout the coming Season.

Arms Warrior's value of Mastery was changed coming into 9.0.5 and it will remain the same going forward for 9.1: spell interactions increased the viability of the spec slightly. Arms Warriors have always been known to have amazing burst, but quite low sustained AoE damage. The spec can shine if put into a heavy-melee composition where Battle Shout can be a deciding factor, but overall, the spec lacks raw damage output. Moreover, the spec's biggest strength comes from burst AoE and high on-demand single-target damage in the form of Execute. Despite being one of the strongest classes to progress through a new raid boss, specifically because of the power of Execute, things are not quite the same in Mythic+. Finally, Arms Warriors have no immunity and low self-sustain, which is highly desirable in the upcoming Season 2 affix of Tormented.

Arms Warrior is another spec where it needs slightly more time to scale with its primary and secondary stats before shining and moving up the ranks. We believe later in the Season Arms will be in better shape than it is right now.

June 15 update: Retribution Paladins received no changes going forward to Season 2 of Mythic+ in Shadowlands. Retribution Paladins have hefty damage output in their cooldowns, but their sustained damage is fairly average. Overall, their utility toolkit is unchanged and, with a small raw damage adjustment, the spec can really shine and climb the rankings of the tier-list.

Retribution Paladin is one of the strongest performing melee to be placed under B-Tier. Through great utility abilities such as Blessing of Freedom, Blessing of Sacrifice, Lay on Hands, and Devotion Aura, Retribution Paladins are certainly a decent pick in the current state of Shadowlands. They have some of the strongest AoE and single-target burst in the game, with the combination of Execution Sentence, Avenging Wrath, and Final Reckoning. They are also one of the few classes with an immunity through Divine Shield.

The biggest disadvantages of Retribution Paladins are how dependent they are on their cooldowns for damage, low mobility outside of Divine Steed, and low self-sustain, making the spec less-desirable in a standard group composition.

June 22 update: Demonology Warlocks received a lot of "undocumented" changes during the transition from Patch 9.0.5 to Patch 9.1, which will encourage the use of the From the Shadows with Dreadlash build. This will not only give them better AoE damage output, but will also positively impact their single-target and priority-target damage, a feature Demonology is known for. Their damage during cooldowns is great for both AoE and single-target. While the increased damage profile of the Demonology Warlock is great, their core issues still remain the same: they lack mobility and are hurt by movement-heavy scenarios, their "interrupt", an essential piece of utility in the majority of keys, is on a rather long cooldown, and while they are the most durable Warlock specialization with a large amount of passive mitigation, they have no immunity.

While the spec does not rely on a long cooldown for damage— a good thing— its DPS numbers are significantly lower compared to the majority of the DPS specializations, and that alone is a massive factor in Mythic+. In addition, its base single-target damage outside of Summon Demonic Tyrant is rather low, compared to the rest of the specializations listed above them. They have great single-target and priority-target damage, which will ultimately help dealing with the new Seasonal Tormented Affix. Furthermore, the Warlock class provides mediocre party utilities in Mortal Coil, Create Healthstone, Banish, Shadowfury, and Demonic Gateway, making it not as attractive as other Ranged DPS options. Moreover, the class has low mobility outside of Burning Rush, especially in the upcoming Season 2 of Mythic+.

That being said, Warlock does have a combat resurrection with Soulstone — one of the two Ranged classes in the game to have such a spell. Demonology Warlocks also have great passive mitigation coming from Soul Link.

Just like in Battle for Azeroth, Demonology Warlock will continue to scale well with secondary and primary stats as item levels continue to increase, and we believe that with slight damage adjustments the spec has the potential to shine and climb the rankings. However, its overall utility, damage output, low mobility, and lack of an immunity bring the spec into the B-Tier.

June 22 update: The recent 10% buff to Destruction Warlock's iconic ability, Chaos Bolt, will definitely strengthen their single-target and priority-target damage. However, despite the buff, its weakness of having otherwise low single-target damage outside of major cooldowns still remains. The recent change to Shadowburn is also neat and potentially can open a new build that can more adequately perform, especially if you are able to "snipe" low-health targets and kill them before the 5-second refund-shard effect is gone. The spec performs great with cooldowns and, with some slight tuning on their single-target damage, it will definitely climb the rankings on the tier-list. But, as of now, it remains under B-tier.

The current state of the Destruction spec feels weak outside of their major cooldown: Summon Infernal. They also lack mobility outside of Burning Rush. Furthermore, the spec's party utilities — Mortal Coil, Create Healthstone, Banish, Shadowfury, and Demonic Gateway — are not particularly amazing, making it not as attractive as other choices among Ranged DPS.

With that said, the Warlock class is one of two Ranged classes in the game with a combat resurrection through Soulstone. In addition, their 2-target cleave due to Havoc is currently among the strongest in the game. Warlock is also the only class in the game that has Curses available in their toolkit such as Curse of Exhaustion, Curse of Tongues, and Curse of Weakness However, these often have little impact in a Mythic+ environment. Finally, Warlocks are the only source of Healthstones, although the ability to acquire them prior to entering the dungeon — without having to have an actual Warlock in the run — makes it less valuable.

All in all, Destruction Warlock lacks mobility outside of Burning Rush, has low self-sustain, and no immunity, while also not providing enough raw damage output or utility to be placed anywhere higher than B-tier in its current state.

June 15 update: Frost Death Knight received no changes going forward to the next season of Mythic+ in Shadowlands. Frost Death Knight has great burst AoE and single-target damage and very poor sustained damage, which ultimately damages the spec. The lack of mobility also contributes to their overall placement. Furthermore, the class received a massive rework to their Anti-Magic Zone which now has a numeric cap of soakable damage after which the effect "breaks" and the Zone is gone. The value is equal to 150% of their total health along with their Versatility. Its cooldown has remained untouched, however. To conclude, Frost Death Knights can rise in the rankings if they receive buffs that increase their sustained damage done, but until then the spec is placed under the B tier list.

Frost Death Knight's strength comes from the AoE and Cleave damage output the spec provides. Frost Death Knights have the same utility as Unholy Death Knights, with the exception of having a little extra self-sustain if talented into Permafrost. Their single-target burst can be spiky, and their sustained single-target damage is mediocre at best.

The biggest drawback of the spec, just like Unholy Death Knight, comes from low mobility and cooldown-dependency resulting in low DPS outside of their cooldowns. That said, the overall damage output is not comparable enough to the specs listed in A-Tier, and they further lack in group utilities. With just Anti-Magic Zone and Death Grip, Frost Death Knights are one step short in reaching higher rankings.

June 15 update: Enhancement Shamans received no changes coming into the 2nd season of Mythic+, which is quite discouraging considering the spec is not doing particularly well as of now. Their burst and sustained single-target is relatively good, but falls short in AoE behind other specializations. We believe a slight damage adjustment to its core abilities will push the spec forward, as it already has amazing utility and defensive options.

The Enhancement specialization is very rewarding and fun to play, and feels like one of the most complete specializations in Shadowlands. However, there are several factors that determine its low placement such as mediocre damage output, low self-sustain, no immunity, and low mobility. The spec can really shine if paired with a mostly Melee group or one with heavy Physical damage due to the benefits of Windfury Totem.

On the positive side, Shaman's utility is among the best in the game, thanks to Earth Elemental, Capacitor Totem, Earthbind Totem, and Tremor Totem. Furthermore, the class has the shortest interrupt cooldown in the game with Wind Shear, which makes Shaman very valuable in groups where other players have high-cooldown interrupts. Finally, it brings Hex and Purge.

Sadly, the great utility and mediocre output is not enough to warrant a placement higher than B-Tier. This spec could really shine if its damage values were to get even a small buff.

July 27 update: Beast Mastery Hunters received a massive buff to their core abilities: Kill Command, Cobra Shot, Barbed Shot, Multi-Shot, and Kill Shot were all increased by 15%. Those changes alone will mainly impact their single-target and priority-target damage, which will help with boss encounters and important single-target fights like the Tormented Affix's Lieutenants. However, the core issue still remains and that is their low AoE-damage contribution compared to the rest of the classes. Despite Multi-Shot being buffed by 15% this change is simply not enough to put Beast Mastery Hunter ahead. We believe that slight adjustments to their AoE damage profiles can definitely put the spec a lot higher than its current placing of B-Tier.

Beast Mastery Hunter is known to scale amazingly well with secondary stats. This means that early on in Shadowlands its performance will be not so great, but it will rapidly increase with better gear. However, the spec's AoE damage profile is among the lowest in Mythic+. Fortunately they have decent single-target and priority-damage, which is helpful going into Season 2 of Shadowlands. Beast Mastery Hunter provides the same utility as Marksmanship Hunter, except for Bursting Shot, but in return it offers a powerful single-target stun in the form of Intimidation. Beast Mastery Hunter is one of the few specializations in the game with unlimited mobility and a ton of ways to avoid incoming damage or mechanics while not sacrificing its own DPS, which makes it extremely valuable in heavy-movement situations like Mythic+ dungeons.

Hunter is also one of two classes able to transfer its threat to the tank or another target using Misdirection, which works similarly to a Rogue's Tricks of the Trade. Another strength is the ability to dispel Enrage effects with Tranquilizing Shot.

The spec's biggest disadvantage comes from solely relying on its pet to do the majority of the damage. There are multiple abilities from mobs to bosses that can kill your pet and force you to cast Revive Pet, which was changed from a 2-second cast to 4 second in Shadowlands. In addition, the spec's overall damage profile is not enough to put it anywhere higher than B-Tier.

Specializations listed under this tier lack several things to be placed higher. Specs under this tier need either raw damage tuning or Covenant-ability interactions to be able to be competitive.

June 15 update: There have been no changes upon Feral Druids going forward to Season 2 of Mythic+ in Shadowlands. The spec's current standing is primarily dragged down due to their low damage profile. With a small damage buff we would see it climb the rankings of the tier list, but as of now, it remains under C-Tier.

Feral Druid's current state is relatively weak compared to the rest of the DPS specializations. The lack of raw damage output puts the spec behind. Its single-target is great, but its cleave and AoE capabilities are among the top of the C-Tier group. Primal Wrath is a rare uncapped-target cleave ability, especially among Melee, making the spec a potentially viable option if its ability damage is ever increased. The specialization has great party utility and the option to maximize its off-healing potential with Heart of the Wild. In addition, they have great survivability with Survival Instincts and Barkskin, and great passive mitigation through Bear Form.

Feral Druid's damage is known to scale well with secondary stats and we do believe that the spec will move up in tier as players get more gear, but for now it lacks enough in its complete package to be unable to get out of C-Tier.

For a full ranking of the relative difficulty of the different Mythic+ dungeons, based on the current week's Mythic+ affixes, please check out our guide below.