Are you looking to pack the biggest punch in the current PvE meta in World of Warcraft? Do you want to get yourself into a top-tier raiding guild? Or maybe you just want to pick up a new alt or main?
Whatever your goals, this tier list will break down and rank all 26 DPS classes from the strongest to the weakest so you know which ones are holding their own and which might require a bit more effort to keep up.
SS Tier
The SS tier is the absolute best of the best in TWW patch 11.0.5 . These classes offer the highest damage and utility in all PvE content.
- Enhancement Shaman
- Assassination Rogue
- Balance Druid
S Tier
Classes in the S tier can deliver exceptional DPS and have good utility. They're consistently reliable in almost every PvE situation where you need big burst damage or steady DPS.
- Augmentation Evoker
- Frost Death Knight
- Frost Mage
A Tier
These classes are still very strong picks that can do well in raids, dungeons, and world content - but may be a bit more dependent on their gear and your playstyle.
- Shadow Priest
- Arcane Mage
- Survival Hunter
- Unholy Death Knight
- Retribution Paladin
B Tier
The B tier may struggle now and then in certain situations, or may need a bit more work from you when it comes to topping the DPS charts.
- Affliction Warlock
- Destruction Warlock
- Subtlety Rogue
- Fury Warrior
- Beast Mastery Hunter
- Havoc Demon Hunter
- Feral Druid
C Tier
The C tier is underperforming in patch 11.0.5 and they might not be the best for high-end PvE situations, though they are still fun to play in casual content.
- Demonology Warlock
- Outlaw Rogue
- Fire Mage
- Arms Warrior
- Marksmanship Hunter
- Windwalker Monk
- Elemental Shaman
- Devastation Evoker
Let’s take a closer look at the top 10 classes to consider on this list. All 10 of these classes are the perfect option for both high-end and casual raiding, Mythic keys, normal and heroic dungeons, as well as everyday world quests and content.
1. Enhancement Shaman (SS Tier)
Enhancement was incredibly strong in 11.0 with the launch of The War Within and the class was slightly buffed in 11.0.5 making them a force to be reckoned with in raids and M+. This is definitely a valuable class to consider for any PvE content if you want to put out huge damage numbers while also bringing a good bit of utility to the group with your totems, personal ankh, cleanse, direct off-heals, and Bloodlust/Heroism. They also received brand new Ascendance models in 11.0.5 making them really stand out!
Why Enhancement Shaman is SS-Tier
- Gives a raid-wide 30% haste boost for 40 seconds
- Can self-rez with Ankh to get back into the fight quickly
- Brings various utility abilities including Skyfury and Earthbind
- Can self-heal, heal allies, and rez allies
2. Assassination Rogue (SS Tier)
Perhaps better known for their strength in PvP, Assassination Rogues have been buffed in 11.0.5 to make them a viable class when it comes to PvE content. They received a 6% boost in single target damage in addition to their already strong AOE damage. A 5% nerf to Master Assassin’s crit strike reduced their overall DPS slightly, but their other abilities such as Deathmark and Sanguine Blades make them a fun and worthwhile class to pick up for PvE content.
Why Assassination Rogue is SS-Tier
- Use poisons that can slow enemy casting speeds
- Have strong self defense and emergency exits
- Very strong AOE damage for trash pulls
- Can help with crowd control using slows and stuns
3. Balance Druid (SS Tier)
Balance Druids saw some love in Dragonflight, and even more love in The War Within keeping them near the top of most tier lists. In TWW, 'Boomkins' received a 5% buff to their overall single target damage, as well as a 2.5% buff to their already strong AOE. Compared to their performance in 11.0, their overall dps has been reduced as well as their utility, but this is nothing to sneeze at. They’re still an outstanding choice for raids, M+, and open world content.
Why Balance Druid is SS-Tier
- High single and multiple target damage with a 40 yd range
- Various utility abilities and shapeshifts to help with crowd control
- Can battle-rez an ally during combat, or off-heal when needed
- Boosts raid-wide versatility by 3% for 1 hour using Mark of the Wild
4. Augmentation Evoker (S Tier)
Augmentation Evokers were made to be part of group play, but fall a bit short when it comes to solo content since the majority of their spells are intended to buff other players in the raid group or dungeon party. They bring a wide variety of utilities, heals, and damage boosts for their allies in the group. A well-played ‘Augvoker’ that makes use of their entire spell rotation can be extremely valuable in both raids and M+ content, while also being able to enjoy solo content for quests and dailies.
Why Augmentation Evoker is S-Tier
- Can boost ally damage with Ebon Might, Prescience, and Breath of Eons
- Has one of the strongest mitigation skills in the game with Blistering Scales
- Can reduce AOE damage done to allies by 20% using Zephyr
- Has multiple off-heals including Embrace, Blossom and Flame
5. Frost Death Knight (S Tier)
Frost DKs received a slight nerf in 11.0.5 that ended up giving them a 2.5% reduction on their AOE damage, along with a 0.5% reduction on single target damage. Even with these two nerfs across the board, Frost DK is still very strong and is a good melee class to pick up for both casual and high-end raiding. They don’t bring a large utility kit to the group, but what they do bring can be extremely valuable in some situations when slows or mob control are needed.
Why Frost Death Knight is S-Tier
- Has a strong cleave ability with high sustained damage
- Anti-Magic Shell and Lichborne reduce the damage you take
- Can deliver a heavy dose of frost and shadow damage to targets
- Able to self-heal with Rune Strike using just 35 Runic Power
6. Frost Mage (S Tier)
Sometimes called the “glass cannon,” the Frost Mage has been holding its own in several past expansions for both PvP and PvE. This time around, in patch 11.0.5, this class received an 8% overall damage buff and may even be getting additional future buffs to keep them in line with other classes. Their ice lance gameplay is still extremely strong in raids, plus their various slows help with tank kiting making them just as viable to use in M+.
Why Frost Mage is S-Tier
- Strong sustained damage with big burst windows
- Outstanding double-target damage with the Splitting Ice talent
- Defensives like Ice Block, Ice Cold, and Ice Barrier improve survivability
- Most spells provide slows and crowd control for kiting large pulls
7. Shadow Priest (A Tier)
Shadow Priests received a buff to Psychic Link that went from 25% to 30% in 11.0.5 helping boost their overall AOE damage when spreading Vampiric Touch around. Their Power Infusion and Fortitude buffs are useful to have in a M+ group as well as raids of most mid to high level tiers. Unfortunately, Fear and Silence are not super useful in most PvE content, but do make this class very fun and powerful in PvP.
Why Shadow Priest is A-Tier
- Beefy single target damage, with some cleave mechanics
- Very good survivability with strong self-heals and defensives
- Can buff their allies with Fortitude giving +5% stamina for 1 hour
- They look badass when in shadow form or under Insanity
8. Arcane Mage (A Tier)
If you love doing a decent amount of damage while also being full of utility for your group, Arcane Mage is the way to go. Like Frost Mage in the S tier, Arcane can deliver an explosion of damage while being a tiny bit less durable than some other classes. However, this class has a few special tricks up their sleeve for survivability including Blink, Invisibility, and Frost Nova. Their crowd control lacks a bit in comparison to Frost, but their simple rotation makes them a less-intimidating class for complete beginners.
Why Arcane Mage is A-Tier
- Outstanding group utility with Slow Fall, Refreshments, and Time Warp
- Very simple rotation makes this class easy for complete beginners
- Decent mobility outside of combat, and escape mechanics for survival
- Can create portals to any major city for themselves or their group
9. Survival Hunter (A Tier)
All three Hunter specs have been through a lot of changes over the years, but recently Survival has come out on top in 11.0.5. They were given a 6% single target buff, as well as a 9% AOE buff to their overall damage. The class works best in melee-heavy comps, especially if high mobility is also required. If that wasn’t enough to get you interested in giving Survival Hunter a try, you can also tame a wide range of adorable or fierce looking pets to fight by your side!
Why Survival Hunter is A-Tier
- Incredible mobility while dealing constant damage
- Very flexible defensives depending on the pet used
- Perfect for raids, M+, or open-world solo content
- Can tame and use various pets to help you fight
10. Unholy Death Knight (A Tier)
Compared to their Frost brother, Unholy Death Knights are relatively overlooked in most cases but they can still be very strong in some PvE situations. Their overall damage is great in bursts, but they do better on single targets than they do on groups. Switching targets takes some time to ramp up their shadow damage DOTs again, which is why Unholy DKs are often bottom of the DPS charts in M+ but do well on raid bosses.
Why Unholy Death Knight is A-Tier
- Excellent survivability and defenses including Icebound Fortitude
- Very strong burst damage on single targets
- Can deliver a lot of shadow damage in a short time
- Brings their own army with Abomination, Ghouls, Gargoyles, and Magus
