Category:WoW Classes
Every player in World of Warcraft, as in most MMORPG's, is defined by the set of abilities they are able to perform -- their class. World of Warcraft has nine different classes, each representing a different flavor of adventurer. Beyond this, players are further differentiated by factors such as their talent choices and their race, but class is easily the most distinguishing characteristic.
| Druid | Paladin | Shaman |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter | Priest | Warlock |
| Mage | Rogue | Warrior |
| Death Knight | ||
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Class Themes
Each class has been designed to provide a unique experience not found by the others, by having both a focused theme and also having the flexibility to use several different playstyles.
Death Knights are currently in beta testing for the game, and intended to go Live with Wrath of the Lich King. More information to follow as it becomes available.
Druids are hybrids that specialize in versatility. They are capable spellcasters, using both healing magic and damage spells, while being able to shapeshift into the form of several different animals. While in bear or cat form, they have entirely different ability lists that let them tank or deal melee damage effectively.
Hunters are the ranged weapon specialists of WoW. Needing a way to maintain their distance during combat, they also have faithful animal companions that keep their opponents at bay. Hunters are also experienced survivalists and trappers, and are one of the best solo classes in the game. It is important to note that hunters are not able to tame their first animal companion until level 10 when they are sent to a race specific animal trainer that will walk you through the process of learning to tame animals.
Mages are mastery of fire, frost and arcane magic. Though they tend to be fragile in nature, mages are excellent at dealing damage, especially against groups, and at controlling crowds, and are often considered an essential part of a successful dungeon group.
Paladins are holy knights, wearing heavy armor and capable of protecting or healing their brethren in battle. Paladins have very strong survivability abilities and AE threat generation, as well as making one of the best single-target healers in the game. Paladins can also bless their allies with potent buffs.
Priests have traditionally been thought of as the primary healers of the game, but they are also capable of outputting some nasty damage if they choose a darker path. As a healer, priests are able to prevent damage to their allies and extend their longevity. As a damage-dealer, priests melt faces.
Rogues are brutal melee fighters that will take every advantage in battle, including sneaking up on their opponents and using a variety of dirty tricks to distract or stun their opponents. Rogues use a unique energy system to power their attacks.
Shamans are masters of the elements, able to bend fire, earth and wind to their call. They also wear a modest amount of armor, are capable healers, and are surprisingly strong in combat if they need to be. The most distinguishing characteristic of the shaman are the totems he summons to provide bonuses to the area around him that either affect his allies or his foes for a short period of time.
Warlocks summon and control demons and damage their opponents over time. Also able to inflict curses on their opponents, warlocks are thought of as one of the more sinister classes in the game.
Warriors are the most direct fighters in the game. They do not sneak around in the darkness like rogues. They do not cast spells or use mana. Yet they are still a rather challenging class, having three different fighting forms to use and a wide variety of abilities to attack enemies or defend themselves and their allies. A warrior is generally thought of as the best tank in the game.
Class Roles
While some players may choose to play a particular class for other reasons, one of the most significant reasons to pick a character class is their purpose in a group environment such as an instance or battleground.
The primary roles that a character can be asked to fulfill in a group include:
- Tanking -- holding the attention of enemies and taking the beating from them to protect others.
- Healing -- keeping one's groupmates (and themselves) alive during combat.
- Damage -- also called DPS. The DPS'ers are responsible for actually defeating their opponents.
- Crowd Control (CC) -- preventing enemies from being able to attack the group by disabling them somehow.
Some less-central roles that are also significant are:
- Pulling -- grabbing the initial attention of a target and bringing it to the group, so they can ambush it in a safe location with hopefully not too many reinforcements.
- AE -- short for Area Effect, this refers to being able to damage many targets at the same time.
- Buffing -- Casting beneficial spells that improve upon the performance of players.
- Debuffing -- Casting harmful non-damage spells on enemies that impair their abilities, such as slowing them or making them more vulnerable to attacks.
- Utility -- This is a very loose term given to other intangibles and miscellaneous skills. Usually players use it to refer to having the tools to react to an unplanned situation.
| Class | Tank | Healing | DPS | Crowd Control | Pulling | AE | Buffs | Debuffs | Utility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death Knight | | | | | | | | | |
| Druid | | | | | | | | | |
| Hunter | | | | | | | | | |
| Mage | | | | | | | | | |
| Paladin | | | | | | | | | |
| Priest | | | | | | | | | |
| Rogue | | | | | | | | | |
| Shaman | | | | | | | | | |
| Warlock | | | | | | | | | |
| Warrior | | | | | | | | | |
Legend
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| Excellent in this role | |
| Very good in this role | |
| Somewhat capable in this role | |
| Little-to-no real ability in this role | |
| No capacity for this role at all. | |
- - A star "*" denotes that this rating is conditional (Such as only being able to CC humanoids or only able to tank in bear form.)
Choosing a Class
For a new player, or one dissatisfied with his current character, it might be a difficult task to select a class for their new character. Here are a few things to consider when making this decision:
- What kind of person do I see myself as? Am I a sword-swinger, a spell-slinger, or a bow-stringer?
- What do I normally do in WoW? Is being able to solo well, or have a significant group role important?
- What race do I want to play? Not every race can be every class.
- What is my typical gameplay style like? Do I prefer to kill things quickly, or outlast my opponents?
- Does the class sound like something that will be fun for me, that I will be able to play for countless hours without growing tired?
After considering those questions, read the individual pages for each class or check out the class discussion boards for more info. There is also an article on character creation.
Future Classes
Blizzard has talked about the potential of creating hero classes for the game since it was originally in beta testing. However, with the announcement of the second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, Blizzard is finally acknowledging they will be adding one hero class, the Death Knight, to the game.
Details about the Death Knight class, and how a player will get to become a Death Knight, or what they are good for are sketchy right now. Blizzard has also stated there is the possibility to add other hero classes in the future, but nothing is currently planned.
However, Blizzard has stated that it is unlikely they will ever add another basic class. A new class would have to meet several conditions, including originality, plausibility in the lore, and a meaningful group role that will not detract from other classes.
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