WoW Classic Class Tier List 1.12.1: Rankings by Role

◆Overall WoW Classic class tier list

Scale: S — best pick for the role, A — strong, B — viable, C — situational. The spec that earns the rating is in brackets.

In short: raids are topped by warrior, rogue, mage and priest; PvP by rogue, mage and warlock; solo by hunter and warlock; farming by the mage.

Raid DPS tier list

Physical damage scales hardest with gear in Vanilla, so by BWL, Ahn'Qiraj and Naxxramas warriors and rogues pull ahead. The mage is the best caster: big damage, Arcane Intellect, Remove Lesser Curse and Polymorph on trash. The warlock shines in later phases: Shadow Bolt is boosted by the Shadow Weaving debuff from a Shadow priest, and warlocks also bring Ritual of Summoning and Soulstone. The hunter is strong in Molten Core and BWL, then falls behind, but is brought for Tranquilizing Shot to remove enrage from Magmadar, Flamegor, Chromaggus, Princess Huhuran and Gluth. Hybrid DPS specs are taken one per raid for their buff, not their damage. Details: best DPS class.

Raid tank tier list

The warrior is the only true main tank in Vanilla: Shield Block pushes crushing blows off the attack table, Shield Wall and Last Stand save hard phases, Taunt and Mocking Blow hold aggro. The druid in Bear Form gets huge armor and health, but without a shield cannot remove crushing blows, so it is an off-tank. The paladin has no taunt in 1.12.1 — only Righteous Fury and Consecration — so it is good in dungeons but not in raids. More: best tank class.

Key abilities of the raid main tank (Protection warrior):

Shield BlockWarrior10 RageInstant5 sec cooldownRequires Defensive StanceIncreases chance to block by 75% for 5 sec, but will only block 1 attack.Shield WallWarriorInstant30 min cooldownRequires Defensive StanceReduces the damage taken from melee attacks, ranged attacks and spells by 75% for 10 sec.

Raid healer tier list

The priest is the best healer in the game: Greater Heal, Prayer of Healing, Power Word: Shield, Renew, the Power Word: Fortitude raid buff and Dispel Magic. The paladin excels at single-target healing (Flash of Light, Holy Light) and blessings: Blessing of Salvation cuts DPS threat by 30% and earns a raid spot on its own. The shaman brings Chain Heal — the best group heal in Vanilla — plus totems: Mana Spring, Windfury, Grace of Air, and Mana Tide Totem from talents. The druid heals with HoTs (Rejuvenation, Regrowth) and brings Innervate and the Rebirth battle res, but is less mana-efficient. More: best healer class and Holy priest build.

Signature heals of the top-tier healers — priest, shaman and paladin:

Prayer of HealingRank 51070 Mana3 sec castA powerful prayer heals party members within 30 yards for 1041 to 1099.Chain HealRank 3405 Mana40 yd range2.5 sec castHeals the friendly target for 567 to 646, then jumps to heal additional nearby targets. Each jump is 50% as effective as the previous target. Heals 3 total targets.Holy LightRank 9660 Mana40 yd range2.5 sec castHeals a friendly target for 1590 to 1770.

PvP class tier list

The PvP tier list depends on the format: the rogue rules duels and world PvP, while in battlegrounds healer combos win, and a warrior backed by a paladin or shaman becomes the most dangerous class. More: best PvP class.

The rogue toolkit that puts it on top of the PvP tier: a stealth opener, a stun chain and a way out of combat.

Cheap ShotRogue60 EnergyMelee RangeInstantRequires StealthStuns the target for 4 sec. Must be stealthed. Awards 2 combo points.Kidney ShotRank 225 EnergyMelee RangeInstant20 sec cooldownFinishing move that stuns the target. Lasts longer per combo point: from 2 sec (1 point) to 6 sec (5 points).VanishRank 2Instant5 min cooldownReagents: Flash PowderAllows the rogue to vanish from sight, entering an improved stealth mode for 10 sec. Also breaks movement impairing effects.BlindRogue30 Energy10 yd rangeInstant5 min cooldownReagents: Blinding PowderBlinds the target, causing it to wander disoriented for up to 10 sec. Any damage caused will remove the effect.

Solo leveling tier list

The hunter and warlock level fastest: the pet holds mobs and the class barely needs to rest (warlocks also have Life Tap and Drain Life). The mage switches to AoE grinding in the second half of leveling, the druid stays flexible thanks to forms. The warrior is the hardest leveler: it depends on gear and rests often. More: best solo class.

Gold farming tier list

Details: best class for gold.

Tier list and faction choice

The tier list shifts with faction. The Alliance gets the paladin: Blessing of Salvation and Blessing of Kings strengthen the raid, and Dwarf priests have the racial Fear Ward. The Horde gets the shaman: Windfury Totem boosts warrior damage in the group, while Chain Heal and Mana Tide keep the raid up. So the Alliance's second-tier healer is the paladin and the Horde's is the shaman. Pick a race with our best race for class guide.

◆Class tier list for the WowX5 x5 realm

The classic tier list was built for the original pace. On WowX5 x5 leveling is faster, which shifts priorities:

1. The solo leveling column matters less. Slow warrior leveling goes much faster on x5, so pick a class for the endgame, not for comfort at 1–60.
2. Scarce roles decide. The realm reaches raids quickly and tanks and healers are always short — warrior tanks, priests, paladins and shamans find groups fastest.
3. A second character for a second role. On x5 an alt levels quickly: a main for raids (say, a warrior) and an alt for PvP or farming (rogue, mage).
4. Early gold. Mages and hunters fund the epic mount and first-raid consumables fastest.

◆How to use the tier list

• Want a guaranteed raid spot — warrior tank, priest, paladin (Alliance) or shaman (Horde) as a healer.
• Want to dominate PvP — rogue, mage, warlock.
• Mostly play alone — hunter, warlock, druid.
• Need lots of gold — mage, hunter, rogue.
• Torn between two classes — see the comparisons: warrior vs rogue, mage vs warlock, priest vs paladin, druid vs shaman, hunter vs mage.

◆Classes in the tier list: quick guides

• Warrior — S in raids, C solo.
• Rogue — S in PvP and raids.
• Mage — S in PvP and farming.
• Priest — S as a healer.
• Warlock — S in PvP and solo.
• Hunter — S solo.
• Paladin — A, Alliance healer and buffer.
• Shaman — A, Horde healer and totems.
• Druid — all-rounder, best flag carrier.

◆Related guides

• WoW Classic classes overview
• Best class for beginners
• Best professions for each class
• Crowd control by class
• PvE rotations for all classes
• Leveling guide 1–60

Summary

The WoW Classic 1.12.1 class tier list by role: raids are topped by warrior, rogue, mage and priest; PvP by rogue, mage and warlock; solo by hunter and warlock; farming by the mage. Pick your role, find the class in its table and create a character on WowX5 x5.