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The Season of Mastery servers open worldwide on November 16th, which gives us a few days to figure out which class we’d like to start with. There are nine classes in total, and each of them fulfills a specific role in both raids and pvp.
Picking your first class can be a surprisingly difficult task. There’s so many things to do in the game, and sometimes our early game goals simply won’t align with our needs at the end game.
Whether you wish to be a farmer, a dedicated raider, or a pvp menace who’ll strike fear into your opponents – this guide is for you.
The Roles
Before diving deeper into the fundamentals of each class, we first need to establish some basics of WoW Classic. As with any other MMORPG, WoW Classic uses the holy trinity system where the roles are divided into: tanks, healers, and dps. Deciding which role you wish to take on will heavily influence your class pick.
Dps has the least responsibility in raids and enjoys less stress in pvp. As such, they are also the easiest to replace and there’s usually a lot of competition for dps spots in all aspects of the game.
There’s always a shortage of tanks, and that’s because they carry the most responsibility in pve. If there’s no tank to tank the boss, then there’s no raid. Simple as that. If you’re the type of person who thrives under pressure and has great leadership qualities, then the tank role is for you.
And lastly, we have the healer. Healers are there to ensure that everyone is alive. A good healer can carry an entire raid or pvp group. At the same time, a bad healer can cause a lot of wipes and wasted time. It’s a role that demands you to be alert and know your limits well. It is also one of the most rewarding roles once you master it.
Which Class to Pick?
Now that we’ve established the roles, we can move onto the classes. But before we do, we’ll also mention the two factions, as there’s a clear distinction between Horde and Alliance in WoW Classic Season of Mastery. Each faction has one powerful class that the other doesn’t – for Horde that’s shamans, and for Alliance it’s paladins. The rest of the classes are available to both factions.
Damage Dealers ( DPS )
Well, if you’re going to be a dps, there’s several great choices. The first one is warrior. Tanky, great dmg, super fun to play, but relies on good gear and consumables. It’s also the slowest leveling class. Rogue is the second best in pve, offering competitive dps with warriors, and great utility in dungeons. It’s also one of the strongest picks for pvp, especially if you enjoy playing alone.
Warlocks and Mages are the casters of choice, both in terms of damage and utility. Portals, summons, soulstones, and tasty food are just some of the benefits that these two bring.
Shadow priests and balance druids are both great in their own rights, but struggle with mana issues. With bosses having increased health pools in WoW Classic Season of Mastery, these two specialisations will potentially struggle even more. On the flip side, these two are monsters in pvp – so keep that in mind.
And then there’s hunters. The best leveling class by far, and one of the most complex classes in Seasons of Mastery. Having a pet around will make life much easier, but you’ll have to maintain it properly. In raids, they are used for Tranq Shot and to perform some boss pulls, and in pvp they can dominate battlegrounds. An excellent overall pick.
The hybrids – druid, shaman, and paladin – are mostly relegated to healing in pve, but some guilds might make an exception if you wish to dps with either of these three. In pvp, though, they can be some of the strongest opponents on the battlefield.
Tanks
There’s really just one real choice here, and that’s warriors. They are the most durable and most reliable tanks, and they have the best threat. Feral druids can also be great tanks, but they rely on absorbing large hits with their superior health points. Protection paladin is a great dungeon tank, but struggles in raids since they have no taunt ability. Once you lose threat on the boss, it could spell a wipe with a paladin.
Healers
All healing classes are actually viable, and they all perform great in both raids and pvp. You really can’t go wrong with any healer. However, if we’re nitpicking, paladins will come out on top for Alliance due to great crit-related talents, and shamans will pull through for Horde due to chain heal. The best overall healer would most likely be the priest. And of course, druids are the kings of raid utility, as they’re the only healing class that can resurrect in combat. In battlegrounds, druids are the best flag carriers.
Making the Decision
Now that we’ve covered some of the class basics of WoW Classic Season of Mastery, the final choice rests on you. Many people will follow the best WoW streamers and copy their class picks. However, we suggest you take all of the aforementioned information into account and decide what you identify with the most.
Decide whether your focus lies in pve or pvp, or perhaps both, and go from there. Next, try to find a class that synergizes well with your personality. If you’re a lone wolf, then go with a rogue. You’ll have a blast in world pvp, and you’ll be the king of pvp if there’s ever some esports tournaments organised by the Classic community.
Wish to farm? Pick a mage. Although they won’t be boosting as much as they did 2 years ago, due to Blizzard nerfing some popular dungeon spots, they’ll still dominate the open world farms. Easiest class to get rich in Season of Mastery.
These are just suggestions, but there is much more to consider. Take your time, think it through, and just go with what feels best for you. We promise you, whatever class you choose in WoW Classic Season of Mastery, you’ll definitely have a lot of fun.
