This short guide is an overview to help World of Warcraft Classic newcomers to decide which class to choose. Here we analyze all PVE/PVP class aspects as well as race, faction and profession combinations.
What is your favorite thing to do in game?
First question is “what do you want to do” in game. Every class has its own unique role and its essential to make up your mind how you want to play.
Actually, there are five main roles:
1) Tank – they are in front, taking the major damage and ‘protect’ other party members, holding target’s attention on himself.
2) Healer – main support of party. They have highly-regenerated mana, powerful buffs, can resurrect, cure disease and remove debuffs. Their task is to keep everyone alive.
3) Ranged DPS – the guys, who are standing behind, casting fireballs and shooting. They mostly focus on doing damage, and can be useful with their secondary skills.
4) Melee DPS – party members with daggers, maces and etc. They also have secondary valuable skills as well, but their task is still doing damage.
5) Hybrid DPS – they can be both, ranged and melee. They have unique support and buff skills. When it comes to melee combat, they switch their roles.
Horde or Alliance, Race and Professions
Your choice of faction is unrestricted. In PVE each class is important for both factions and has at least one its right role in a party. However, in PVP, some classes are losing a lot due to racial abilities of opposite faction. For instance, when Alliance warlocks fighting Undead, they can remove Fear effects, or Horde mages vs Paladin’s Blessing of Freedom spell.
Eventually better to choose that faction, where you can play with friends or which one you like most. The exception is “exclusive” classes such as shamans and paladins: Horde or Alliance.
The race is more important. Although many classes have the same value on both sides, few of the, are still better to combine with specific race than others. All races have their own unique passive and active abilities. No need to optimize your racial abilities when choosing the race of your character, just keep it in mind. There is no such a thing like an incorrect choice.
Though you skip your professions at any time, it will cost much to level a new one. Most of players consider Engineering is only required for PVP regardless of your class, as it grants access for control, speed and defense abilities. It is also great for PVE as you can use explosives, which increase your damage and survival chances.
Profession preferences
Taurens have + 15 skill to herbalism. Gnomes get +15 skill to engineering, which helps a lot to level it faster and use all devices sooner than others.
Tracking resources or creatures is limited to one type at a time. Dwarf-Hunter cannot track treasures (racial ability) and beasts (class ability) while tracking minerals or herbs. So, it is recommended to pick up only one of these gathering professions.
Classes
As you have read some race combinations, party roles, class styles, you might know already of what you really want. Let’s present all nine classes in a short overview role list.
Mage
– Ranged DPS
– Armor type: Cloth
– Easy in PVE
– Easy to level
– High Benefits
– Good enemy control abilities
– Perfect to farm gold
– Have to respect for PVE/PVP
– Can open portals to all major cities
– Can create water and food consumables
Warlock
– Ranged DPS
– Armor type: Cloth
– Have pets (demons)
– Easy in PVE
– Easy to level
– Free 60% Mount at level 40
– High survival rate
– High PVP control
– Can summon party members
Priest
– Healer/Ranged DPS Hybrid
– Armor type: Cloth
– Preferred healer in dungeons
– Easy to find a group to any dungeon
– Decent debuff ability
– Unique ability for every race (dwarf, human, night elf or troll, undead)
Druid
– Healer/Tank/Range and Melee DPS Hybrid
– Armor type: Cloth/Leather
– Easy to level
– Use different resources for abilities (mana/energy/rage)
– Hybrid class
– Shape-Shifting abilities
– Has Stealth in Cat Feral form
– Fast ability cooldowns
Rogue
– Melee DPS
– Armor type: Leather
– Has Stealth Ability
– Energy as ability resource
– Has lockpicking class skill
– Can disarm traps
– Can pickpocket enemy humanoid NPCs
– Can use poisons for weapons
– Good to farm gold
– Decent PVP control
– Strong in PVP 1 vs 1
– Easy PVE rotation
Hunter
– Ranged DPS
– Armor type: Leather/Mail
– Has a pet (can tame beasts)
– Easy to level
– Complicated PVE rotation
– Low PVE damage
– Strong in PVP 1 vs 1
– Good to farm gold
– Can put traps
Shaman
– Healer/Tank/Ranged and Melee DPS Hybrid
– Armor type: Cloth/Leather/Mail
– Only Orc/Tauren/Troll Horde races
– Can remove enemy debuffs
– Powerful totems’ buffs
– Strong in PVP
– High nature resistance
– Can self-resurrect
– Can tank in extreme cases
– Cannot tank in raids
Paladin
– Healer/Tank/Melee DPS Hybrid
– Armor type: Cloth/Leather/Mail/Plate
– Only Human or Dwarf Alliance races
– Easy to play, but slow to level
– Strong buffs
– Free 60% mount at level 40
– Strong PVP/PVE healer
– High defense skills
– Cant tank raids
– Good to tank dungeons
Warrior
– Tank/Melee DPS Hybrid
– Armor type: Leather/Mail/Plate
– Difficult to level
– Rage as ability resource
– Main tanking class
– Depends on group/gear in PVP
– Easy PVE rotation
– Easy to find dungeon/raid group as a tank
