World of Warcraft: Forever - Ultimate Class Picking Guide

There are plenty of decisions to make when heading into World of Warcraft: Forever for the first time, just as there have been in every other flavor of the MMO to date. Unlike Retail, though, the leveling experience is going to take quite a while (comparable to 2019 Classic), so you’ll want to make sure the time you invest is worthwhile.

That’s why picking the right class is just about the best thing you can do for your own sanity, and even if you are an old-school WoW player, there are plenty of changes this time around. To be clear, there are no wrong answers, but there will be certain classes that suit how you want to play better, and it helps to have all the pertinent information going in.

At the same time, there are new class/race combinations that have never previously been available, and it can be helpful to match up your class with the right racial benefits if you want to really push those numbers to the max in the endgame. As such, we’ve broken down everything you need to know heading into launch, so you can make the right choice from the off.

Every Class And Race Combination In WoW: Forever

Alliance

Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock

Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Druid

Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman

Warrior, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock

Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Mage, Druid

Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Mage, Warlock

Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock

Warrior, Paladin, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock

Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Druid

The new combinations that you’ll notice if you’re coming over from normal Classic servers are the Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, and Gnome Priest for Alliance, and Orc Mage, Troll Warlock, and Undead Paladin for Horde. The guide will break down which races are best matched to each class in the section below.

Very much the old reliable choice in Classic World of Warcraft, Warriors are very much similar to what you’re expecting as an existing player, with some really nice bonuses across the board. Rage management is easier now, important utilities are no longer locked behind talents (for the most part) and they have access to cool new abilities like Spearing Strike and Tactical Mastery. You probably won’t be able to out-DPS the best classes in the game, but if you’re looking for a class that can fill any role very competently, this could be the best pick.

Paladin is the class that is comfortably the most improved from the original Classic, and it really is all the more fun to play because of it. Holy Strike is crucial to baseline output in Forever, and Judgement no longer consumes your active Seal. Add to that improvements to the talent tree and additional Seal choices, and it quickly becomes an appealing prospect. Retribution should now be viable DPS for the endgame, and it’s another class that offers an option for each role. It lacks a little cc at times, but it’s a solid pick for solo leveling and group activities.

One of the more changed classes in the game, Hunter is probably the best overall pick for those who will largely be playing solo. The biggest alterations have been to the pets the class can use as their companions, with each pet type offering more specialized utility. This allows you to prepare more easily for specific encounters, while at the same time keeping range from your enemies more easily. As always, the Hunter is vulnerable if you let foes get up close, but that should happen less with the new tools in the class’ arsenal.

Rogue is looking to be a strong choice in both PvE and PvP in WoW: Forever, with excellent single-target damage, strong burst, and all the crowd control and utility that players of the class have become used to. Poisons have more charges this time around, and they can be used in conjunction with weapon enchantments. There have also been some practical changes to staple abilities, like Sap, which now doesn’t break stealth when you use it. They don’t have access to healing, and are limited at range, but those of you who are drawn to the Rogue likely want to get up close and personal anyway.

Think you’d like to play as a healer but still want to have a DPS option for solo play or certain activities? Priest may well be the play, as the healing on offer is more versatile than ever, while Shadow has everything it needs to really be a relevant spec for the endgame. Single target and group healing numbers looked good in the beta, and if those carry through to the full version of the game, there’s no doubt you’ll be able to keep up with anyone. It also has some of the best raid utility in the game, and having at least one in a group will likely prove to be a staple before too long.

Everyone’s favorite totem-wielding heroes are back, and they’re more forgiving and easy to pilot than ever. Baseline cooldowns make a real difference to the class’ overall efficacy, like the totem global cooldown being reduced from 1.5 to 1 second. It’s also a lot easier to manage totems thanks to Totemic Recall and Totemic Projection, while all three specs have access to a new ability that elevates them significantly. Arguably the most versatile overall class in the game, it is an excellent choice for raiding, regardless of whether you want to play DPS or heal. Mana management will likely be your biggest issue, but there are more ways to mitigate it in WoW: Forever than Classic.

If you know you want to play DPS and you want to push those little numbers up as high as possible, Mage is always going to be a great pick in WoW. That’s particularly true in Forever, where it remains one of the best ranged options in the game, with each spec getting more tools than ever before. Frost now has access to abilities like Ice Lance and Fingers of Frost, while Arcane Blast has been redesigned, and all three specs get Frostfire Bolt at level 40. Frost is a great option for leveling regardless, and you can then reappraise to see which spec is performing the best in endgame activities (once you get there). Squishy as ever, but there’s every chance you don’t let a lot of mobs get close.

A real generalist, Druid is an impressive pick in each role, offering great survivability for solo players and a bunch of utilities and tools that make them an asset to any party. Feral is easily the most improved of the three specs, with Lacerate added as an ability, providing both stacking bleed damage and threat. Having it in the talent tree does hamstring DPS Feral’s ability to tank single target, but the two new ranks it comes with allow for learning it earlier. Time will tell how satisfying the changes are for the class in terms of what it feels like to play, but you shouldn’t have too much difficulty in most facets of the game playing as a Druid.

Last but not least, everyone’s favorite purveyors of the undead and demonic come with a similar set of tools to the class we all know and love in Classic. All three specs now have clearer identity (which was arguably most needed in the case of the Warlock), and the damage-over-time potential is higher than ever. Minions still provide extra damage, protection and utility, and the fine-tuning on talents and stats seem to have benefited the class enormously. The separation of Banes and Curses will inevitably be a good thing in the long run as well, and this is another great pick if you aren’t bothered about doing anything beyond DPS.

That’s all there is to know about the classes heading into World of Warcraft: Forever. At the end of the day, you should simply pick the one you want to play the most, as most things should be viable in the long run if Blizzard manages to balance things properly. With very little time to go to launch, we don’t have long to wait to find out.

World of Warcraft: Forever