PvP Arena Tier List (Shadowlands 9.0.2)

One of the recurring themes that you will come across as you work your way into Arena games is "the meta". In short, this refers to the current ranking of strategies according to their strength. With regards to PvP in World of Warcraft, this mostly deals with the team compositions.

The meta can change quickly, after a new patch or hotfix or even depending on the time of day. It is important to know the meta so you can play something that can counter what other people are playing.

Below are all of the relevant team compositions, or comps for short, that are both popular and strong in this expansion. Underneath each comp there is a recommended alternative healer (if you cannot find the best healer), followed by the strengths and weaknesses of that particular comp. Note that within each tier, the compositions are not listed in order of power.

Tier 1 team compositions have both strong defensive and offensive cooldowns throughout an Arena match. These teams also have very few bad matchups or counters.

Composition	Strengths	Weaknesses
Arms Warrior Retribution Paladin Discipline Priest Alternative healer: Holy Paladin	Multiple sources of crowd control Strong sustained and burst damage Countless utility spells to help healer	If the Retribution Paladin is being focused, they will be doing a lot less damage. This is because they will have to spend Holy Power on Word of Glory instead of damaging abilities. Can be difficult to chase mobile targets as no one on this team has much mobility.
Shadowplay: Affliction Warlock Shadow Priest Restoration Shaman Alternative healers: Holy Paladin Discipline Priest	Strong single-target and spread damage Multiple defensive cooldowns to rotate Spammable crowd control ( Fear, Cyclone, etc.) makes it difficult for other teams to pressure your teammates The longer the arena match, the more favored this comp becomes	Lack of mobility Can struggle against teams with two melee on it if the Warlock is being focused. Teammates will have to help peal off enemy melee to allow the Warlock to cast.
RMP: Subtlety Rogue Fire Mage Discipline Priest Alternative healer: Holy Paladin	Strong burst damage Short offensive cooldowns Multiple stuns and interrupts Potential to swap and kill any enemy	Rogues can potentially get swapped to and killed in one stun After using burst cooldowns, Fire Mages' damage is easy to shut down
WMP: Arms Warrior Fire Mage Holy Paladin Alternative healer: Discipline Priest	Multiple sources of crowd control Strong sustained damage Short offensive cooldowns	Fire Mages can struggle to cast against teams with multiple interrupts Few ways to help teammates that are being focused The Warrior will struggle against teams with multiple roots or slows
Cupid: Retribution Paladin Marksmanship Hunter Discipline Priest Alternative healer: Holy Paladin	Several ways to crowd control enemy healer Strong single-target damage Great utility for teammates	Predictable crowd control Very few defensive cooldowns Discipline Priests run out of Mana quickly against teams with two melee on it
Dancing with the Stars: Subtlety Rogue/Assassination Rogue Balance Druid Holy Paladin Alternative healer: Restoration Shaman	Multiple ways to crowd control Short burst cooldowns Strong sustained damage	Rogues are fragile and can die in a single stun Balance Druids will not have high sustained damage if they are forced to be in Bear Form when being focused.
Windwalker Monk Arms Warrior Holy Paladin Alternative healers: Discipline Priest	A lot of mobility and has the ability to run after enemies that are kiting away. Multiple defensive cooldowns Strong offensive cooldowns	Without a trinket available the Windwalker Monk can die in a stun This comp can struggle to help their healer stay alive if they use their stuns to try to get a kill.
Elemental Shaman Shadow Priest Holy Paladin Alternative healer: Discipline Priest	Strong single-target and spread damage Multiple defensive cooldowns to rotate Great crowd control ( Hex, Hammer of Justice, etc.) makes it difficult for other teams to pressure your teammates The longer the arena match, the more favored this comp becomes	Lack of mobility Can struggle against teams with two melee on it if the Shadow Priest is being focused. Teammates will have to help peal off enemy melee to allow the Priest to cast.

Tier 2 team compositions have the potential to be successful. However, they will struggle against Tier 1 and other Tier 2 teams.

Composition	Strengths	Weaknesses
TSG: Arms Warrior Unholy Death Knight Holy Paladin Alternative healers: Discipline Priest	Strong single-target and cleave damage Multiple ways to interrupt casters or healers Several defensive cooldowns to rotate	Struggles versus teams with roots or snares If playing with a Mistweaver Monk, they will need to look for drinks throughout the game to stay at high Mana Chances of winning are lower the longer the game goes into dampening
RPS: Subtlety Rogue/Assassination Rogue Shadow Priest Restoration Shaman Alternative healers: Holy Paladin	Strong single-target and spread damage Multiple ways to crowd control and lock down the enemy healer Multiple defensive cooldowns to rotate	Shadow Priests struggle versus melee teams that will focus them the entire game The Rogue can potentially get swapped to and die in a stun
WLS: Arms Warrior Affliction Warlock Holy Paladin Alternative healer: Restoration Shaman	Great sustained single-target damage Easy to swap targets if an enemy overextends into your team Multiple ways to crowd control the enemy healer	Your healer will have to do most of the setting up for crowd control. This can be difficult versus teams with roots or snares Very little utility to help the healer if they are being focused
Hero Cleave Unholy Death Knight Havoc Demon Hunter Discipline Priest Alternative healer: Holy Paladin	Strong single-target and cleave damage All teammates have can survive into late dampening Multiple utility spells to help teammates that are in trouble	Although they have great survivability, Unholy Death Knights will struggle when games have high dampening Demon Hunters and Death Knights will struggle to connect to targets with teams that have multiple roots/snares.
Jungle: Feral Druid Marksmanship Hunter/Survival Hunter Holy Paladin Alternative healers: Discipline Priest	Strong single-target damage Very mobile Multiple sources of crowd control	Predictable crowd control Hunters and Feral Druids lack defensive abilities Struggles against teams with strong sustained damage
Turbo: Arms Warrior Enhancement Shaman Holy Paladin Alternative healers: Mistweaver Monk	Strong single-target damage Short burst cooldowns Multiple interrupts	Enhancement Shamans are fragile and can die in a single stun Predictable damage Very little crowd control
RLS: Subtlety Rogue/Assassination Rogue Affliction Warlock/Destruction Warlock Restoration Shaman Alternative healer: Holy Paladin	Strong single-target and spread pressure Multiple sources of crowd control Several defensive cooldowns	The Warlock will struggle to cast against teams with multiple interrupts Rogues are fragile and can easily die in a single stun. Difficult to kill enemies that are low
Shadowcleave: Affliction Warlock/Destruction Warlock Unholy Death Knight Holy Paladin Alternative healer: Discipline Priest	Strong single-target and spread pressure Short offensive cooldowns Multiple defensive cooldowns	Low mobility The Death Knight will struggle against teams with multiple slows or roots The Warlock can have hard time casting against teams with several interrupts Little to no tools to help teammates that are being focused
Havoc Demon Hunter Arms Warrior Holy Paladin Alternative healers: Discipline Priest	Several interrupts Multiple defensive cooldowns Strong offensive cooldowns	Without a trinket available the Demon Hunter can die in a stun Spammable crowd control ( Polymorph, Cyclone, etc.) makes it hard to get pressure Very little crowd control
Thundercleave: Elemental Shaman Arms Warrior Holy Paladin Alternative healer: Restoration Druid	Strong single-target damage Multiple interrupts Short offensive cooldowns	Predictable burst damage Few defensive abilities Low mobility
Vanguards: Retribution Paladin Unholy Death Knight Discipline Priest Alternative healer: Holy Paladin	Strong single-target and cleave damage Several utility spells for teammates being focused Multiple interrupts and stuns	Retribution Paladins lack personal defensives Very little crowd control for enemy healers Will struggle to connect to enemies with multiple roots or snares

Tier 3 comps will struggle against most other teams. It is not impossible to win, but it is better to play a Tier 1 or 2 team composition.

Composition	Strengths	Weaknesses
Beastcleave: Unholy Death Knight Marksmanship Hunter/Survival Hunter Holy Paladin Alternative healer: Discipline Priest	Strong single-target damage Short offensive cooldowns Multiple sources of crowd control	Low mobility Very few defensive cooldowns Predictable crowd control
FLS: Feral Druid Affliction Warlock Restoration Shaman Alternative healer: Holy Paladin	Strong single-target and spread pressure Multiple interrupts Several defensive cooldowns	Feral Druids are fragile and can die in a single stun The Warlock will struggle to cast against teams with multiple interrupts
Deletion: Enhancement Shaman Windwalker Monk Holy Paladin Alternative healers: Mistweaver Monk Discipline Priest	Short single-target burst cooldowns Very mobile	Very little crowd control Both Enhancement Shaman and Windwalker Monks are fragile and can die in a stun Predictable damage

No matter what class or specialization you play, there is always a team composition you can play. Every team has a weakness and it is important to know them. Teams and their weaknesses can change frequently throughout a season. If there is a team comp that is missing, please let us know in the comments so we can add it to the list.