WoW: The War Within complete DPS tier list for Patch 11.0 with Hero Talents

❘ Updated: 2024-09-09T15:47:09

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Damage dealers are the most popular role in World of Warcraft, and there’s a lot of competing specs to choose from. We’ve broken down exactly where each one stands heading into The War Within’s full release.

The beta period for the upcoming expansion has seen a lot of iterations for every spec. This has led to a landscape that has wildly fluctuated, though things have now settled down as launch day nears.

As such, we thought it appropriate to analyze exactly where each spec stands at this time, including which Hero Talent option is playing the best in Mythic+ and raids. The tier list below organizes this information clearly, with a definition for each tier to clarify why each spec appears where it does.

WoW: The War Within DPS spec tier list

Our tier list is divided into five distinct layers, each of which represents a different level of prowess in the game’s PvE activities.

Tier	Class/Spec
S	Arcane Mage, Augmentation Evoker, Elemental Shaman, Assassination Rogue, Frost Death Knight
A	Frost Mage, Havoc DH, Feral Druid, Survival Hunter, Fury Warrior, Shadow Priest, Enhancement Shaman
B	Demonology Warlock, Marksmanship Hunter, Arms Warrior, Windwalker Monk, Affliction Warlock, Unholy Death Knight
C	Retribution Paladin, Balance Druid, Subtlety Rogue
D	Destruction Warlock, Beast Mastery Hunter, Devastation Evoker, Outlaw Rogue
E	Fire Mage

Our tiers explained

S: The best DPS specs in the game
A: Excellent DPS specs, offering more than enough to progress through Mythic+ and the current raid tier
B: Good specs that are viable generally, though they may struggle to get into very high-level groups
C: Underperforming in the DPS role
D: Need significant changes and buffs to be viable in the future
E: Vastly weaker than other specs in the game

S-Tier

Arcane Mage

The caster meta will be particularly pronounced in this first period of The War Within, and no spec is better able to take advantage of that than the Arcane Mage. As one half of the supposed ‘god comp’ alongside Augmentation Evoker it was always going to prove popular, but Arcane is now a spec that stands on a more solid foundation than ever before.

So often playing second fiddle to the other Mage specs in the past, Arcane’s talent tree underwent a complete overhaul that has done wonders for its playability. The removal of abilities like Radiant Spark may seem like a negative, but it has actually served to streamline the overall rotation and make it easier to hit high numbers.

Happily, the spec can also take advantage of two Hero Talent trees that are performing well right now. Overall, Sunfury is the marginally more effective DPS solution, though Spellslinger has a higher potential ceiling and better defensive utility if Blizzard rebalances how their outgoing damage hits.

Augmentation Evoker

WoW’s most interesting spec, in terms of design, is also one of its most broadly effective. As the only true support specialization in the game, it brings a toolkit that makes it instantly appealing for group comps in difficult activities. Much of the class’ damage comes from allies, and it has remained remarkably un-nerfed despite its immense prowess.

In addition to its already unique appeal, the spec includes a myriad of crowd control options in the talent tree, like Tail Swipe and Terror of the Skies. It also puts out impressive damage, while abilities like Blistering Scales allow Augmentation Evokers to elevate specific allies who may be lagging behind.

In terms of Hero Talents, Scalecommander was the play, but recent bug fixes have seen Chronowarden become the best option. Though the Warp play style won’t be to everyone’s taste, it’s the best-performing choice thanks to the cooldown reduction and stat buffs that it offers.

Elemental Shaman

Coming slightly out of left field, Elemental Shaman has worked wonders throughout The War Within beta, and it’s in great shape for the full release of the expansion. Skyfury is bizarrely strong, offering a Mastery buff and a 20% chance at double auto attacks.

The spec is particularly effective in AoE encounters, but, though it has the potential to suffer slightly in single-target, the lack of downtime in the rotation (if managed correctly) should mean it isn’t too noticeable. With some nice additions to its previously underdeveloped defensive kit, it’s in excellent shape and more cohesive than in the last expansion.

Stormbringer is the best Hero Talent tree available to the Elemental Shaman right now, though it isn’t particularly exciting or fitting in its current form. It’s all over the place in the way it addresses Elemental Shaman abilities, but it is noticeably more effective than Farseer, which ironically doesn’t go anywhere near far enough in what it offers.

Assassination Rogue

WoW: The War Within Valeera Sanguinar looking into camera

The best performing Rogue spec in the DPS charts is also the most thematically exciting, making for a thrilling combination for potential players. The replacement of Shadow Dance and Venom Rush with passive abilities has removed parts of the rotation that really weren’t necessary without sacrificing damage or cohesive move combinations.

Echoing Reprimand is now one of the focus abilities thanks to its combo point generation, and it slots nicely as a natural part of this revitalized Assassination Rogue. The nerfs to Kingsbane have also led to an altered talent build, but this diverted focus actually makes the spec feel more exciting rather than convoluted.

Sadly, both Hero Talent trees are in a bit of a sorry state for those looking to play Assassination. Deathstalker has no cohesive theme or purpose, offering minor boosts that really don’t feel like the exciting new power level intended for Hero Talents. Fatebound is still the better option overall, though the reliance on good RNG means it can be anything from good to downright pointless.

Frost Death Knight

Frost Death Knight has a solid claim to being the most improved spec from its Dragonflight version. The developers hilariously thought the defensive capabilities of yesteryear were not enough, with new talents like Subduing Grasp and Osmosis granting impressive passive buffs and healing.

Resource generation is a little more tricky to manage but this has actually encouraged players to take full advantage of all of their abilities, rather than locking into a spammy rotation. The emphasis has also been taken away from Breath of Sindragosa somewhat, again making for a healthy overall feel for the spec that significantly outperforms its earlier versions.

Perhaps upsettingly for those who couldn’t wait to play it, the Rider of the Apocalypse Hero Talents don’t have the mechanical clout to back up the fantastic theme. Deathbringer is the best option for Frost DK right now, adding meaningful boosts to how the spec plays without tacking on buffs that feel out of place. Rider of the Apocalypse’s reliance on RNG is also an issue, and your damage will be much more consistent when specced into the Deathbringer tree.

A-Tier

Frost Mage

An Undead Mage in WoW casting a spell in Zandalar

Frost Mage players, the ever-reliable crowd control kings (alongside Demonology Warlocks), have plenty to be excited about in The War Within. Mages are at home in dungeon groups at the moment anyway, with the Arcane Intellect buff particularly useful in a meta defined by spellcasters.

The spec also retains a ton of utility via talents like Mass Barrier/Mass Invisibility, as well as cleanses through Remove Curse and other staple defensive spells. Outgoing DPS is also in a great state, thanks to enhanced damage on abilities like Ice Lance and several buffs throughout its iteration period for this expansion.

The spec also benefits from two impressive Hero Talent trees that bring different things to the table. Spellslinger brings new ways to proc abilities like Winter’s Chill, while Frostfire serves as the ultimate elemental power trip for the class. Both are absolutely viable, though Spellslinger is marginally stronger at the time of writing.

Havoc Demon Hunter

The only DPS spec for Demon Hunters is also in a good state right now, after a period of deep uncertainty during The War Within’s beta. The first two seasons of Dragonflight saw the spec dominate the competition before it faded from the top of the podium as the expansion wore on. After initially seeming like the developers had taken the spec too far, several buffs have brought Havoc back to the fore.

Chaos Brand is looking to be a very effective tool for groups and a new emphasis on glaives has served to make the class very enjoyable and thematically appropriate. Movement is better than ever and there are more ways to play the class, even if there are still too many cool abilities that simply aren’t worth building into thanks to their relative weakness.

The only Hero Talent tree worth going for at the moment is Aldrachi Reaver, with Fel-Scarred firmly in second place. The emphasis that it places on the glaives may not be for everyone, but it’s the most effective strategy for both Mythic+ and raiding.

Enhancement Shaman

A Shaman stands ready in Season of Discovery

The changes brought about by The War Within have undoubtedly proved to be a net benefit for Enhancement Shaman and it’s now a spec that has finally found its feet. To start with the positives, there is a ton of damage reduction available to the spec via talents like Stone Bulwark Totem, making it highly resistant to the game’s more bruising encounters.

The new buffs offered by Skyfury will be popular in raids, though it could do with being dialed up somewhat to truly make it a must-have. This replaces Windfury Totem and adds an extra Mastery buff on top, while the tier-set bonus provides a much-needed damage boost to many of the staple DPS abilities in the Enhancement Shaman’s arsenal.

When it comes to Hero Talent trees, Totemic still feels like it has gone too far into the territory of necessitating a hybrid build that doesn’t play to the strengths of the spec. Stormbringer is a much more cohesive approach centered around improving Chain Lightning and Lightning Bolt, while also buffing Nature damage overall.

Feral Druid

With powerful single-target and sustained AoE damage, Feral Druid is looking in remarkably fresh shape in these earliest throes of The War Within. The spec is still able to drop significant bleeds and DoT, allowing the spec to maintain consistent pressure while also capitalizing on strong burst windows.

The addition of several cooldown reductions have worked wonders for the class’ rotation and it feels more intuitive than ever. Ferocious Bite gets an impressive 15% buff thanks to the reworked talent trees, while Tiger’s Fury offers a more generic damage buff in the same amount.

As far as Hero Talent options go, both available trees are complete and cohesive in their purpose. Wildstalker leans further into the spec fantasy of Feral Druid, but it’s just edged out by the excellent burst potential, increased versatility, and better defensive options provided by Druid of the Claw.

Survival Hunter

A Hunter runs from a T-Rex in WoW Classic Season of Discovery

For once in WoW history, Survival Hunter is absolutely thriving and I, for one, am delighted. Forever the ugly duckling of the Hunter specs, it’s now the best option overall and highly competitive in most of the game’s PvE content. Buffs to both survivability and overall outgoing damage really have put the spec in its best spot for years.

Historical issues surrounding the class’ ability to keep up, regardless of the length of the encounter, are very much a thing of the past, and exciting reworks to the talent tree have increased its overall playability.

While Sentinel does have some merits, most players will want to choose Pack Leader. It provides better and easier management of cooldowns, increasing overall damage and aligning your burst windows more effectively. Pack Leader also offers a more consistent DPS profile across different activities instead of Sentinel’s focus on a more fluid, AoE-based approach.

Fury Warrior

The Colossus Warrior War Within (Hero Talents guide)

The burst champion is back and it still packs a hell of a punch. The beta for this latest expansion also saw it nail down some consistency and longevity within encounters, improving the spec’s sustained damage profile.

Moreover, the recent talent changes in The War Within have streamlined Fury Warriors’ rotations, reducing downtime and enhancing the spec’s overall fluidity. The talents also offer more flexibility, whether focusing on maximizing single-target damage or enhancing AoE capabilities for Mythic+. The updated tree also provides better defensive options, making them a well-rounded and competitive choice in the current meta.

The Slayer tree is the best Hero Talent selection for Fury Warriors at the moment, as Mountain Thane currently revolves around abilities that just don’t fit as well in this spec’s toolkit. Thunder Clap is not at home in a Fury setup and that eliminates a huge part of what is otherwise a very cool tree. The procs, additional movement and better CC options all serve to make Slayer the clear choice.

Shadow Priest

The only true damage option for Priest players, Shadow is a spec that continues to play to its strengths. Though they are a little down on their absolute zenith in Dragonflight, they are a strong ranged DPS with a broad set of skills that should be at home in most activities.

There have been some nerfs to the raw numbers that the spec can produce, but only some can compete with the full range of abilities it has at its disposal. Additionally, survivability is also in great shape thanks to talents like Vampiric Embrace and Purify Disease, while Leap of Faith does little to mitigate the spec’s historical issues with maneuverability.

Though Archon does bring extra burst damage to the party, the best Hero Talent tree for Shadow Priests right now is Voidweaver. Though it could be accused of being slightly bland, it improves the spec in most areas, offering additional utility, efficacy, and class fantasy, for those looking to get more involved in the game’s lore.

B-Tier

Demonology Warlock

A Warlock after using Metamorphosis in WoW

Both Demonology and Destruction Warlock were bugged in the beta but, now that the dust has begun to settle, Demonology still looks like a brilliant option. The general damage output did take a hit, but the spec redesign has proved to be a net positive, streamlining precisely its purpose.

For solo players, it remains a highly durable option that shouldn’t be caught lacking in too many situations. It has great AoE options and the toolkit to maintain single-target damage across the course of a raid encounter, though it will likely be a less popular caster when compared to the two high-performance Mage specs.

For Demonology, both Diabolist and Soul Harvester are good options for Hero Talents, with both serving as nice ways to augment the spec depending on what you want to do.

Marksmanship Hunter

Marksmanship feels well-designed at the moment but it needs a little nudge from the developers to bring it up to the level of the Survival spec. The War Within’s beta period saw the spec get several redesigns that have left it in a much better state than during Dragonflight, with the class tree overhaul proving to be a real boon.

Marksmanship has a nice set of utilities that should cover most instances, thanks to abilities like Tar Trap, Tranquilizing Shot, Intimidation, and Wailing Arrow. It also excels at AoE output, though it does lag behind the competition for sustained single-target, and it may need some further reworks to cooldowns to make the rotation more accessible.

Both of the available Hero Talent trees feel like they need to offer a little more, playing into the wider problem of the spec. Dark Ranger is awesome thematically but, aside from allowing the player to use more Aimed Shot, it doesn’t do a lot else that provides a tangible benefit.

Sentinel is in a similar position, only with less direction, thanks to it being a shared tree with the vastly different Survival Hunter. Dark Ranger is the better DPS choice at the moment, by a relatively small margin.

Affliction Warlock

The only Warlock spec that isn’t currently bugged has also been through a renaissance during the iterations in the run up to The War Within. Though it isn’t tearing up any trees, there is plenty to like as the spec continues to improve and find its feet. Starting with the good, it has great single-target burst that’s capable of obliterating enemies in Mythic+.

Sustained damage has also improved, though you may find some downtime and periods of lower damage output during particularly lengthy fights. With more tuning to come, it’s in an immensely promising position, and, with some solid AoE to add to the overall equation, it’s in a great spot to rise even higher.

Both Hero Talent trees slot in well as part of the wider landscape for Affliction, with each designed to do markedly different things. Hellcaller’s focus on DoTs is the marginally better play at the moment, though the insane burst boost offered by Soul Harvester’s relationship with Rapture will certainly have its place.

Arms Warrior

Arms Warrior has come a long way during the beta and it’s now one of the most consistent performers in all areas of the game. Though they aren’t able to hit bursty DPS to the same level as many, Arms really finds its feet in long engagements or during AoE encounters with groups of any size.

The changes to Rage generation have proved to be a net positive for the spec and there’s a cohesive rotation with little downtime. The spec does suffer with a distinct lack of utility and it may prove unpopular in Mythic+ for that reason, as the lack of contingency can leave both the Arms Warrior and the wider group exposed.

Happily for Arms players, there are two solid Hero Talent trees to work with. Slayer takes everything about the Arms Warrior and dials it up to eleven, adding CC, procs, and additional movement. Colossus changes things on a more fundamental level, altering the playstyle of the class significantly and providing some nice bonuses. Slayer is still the best choice at the time of writing, particularly if you’re heading into Mythic+ and need the extra utility.

Windwalker Monk

A monk wields a staff in World of Warcraft (Trading Post story) War Within

Windwalker talents had been in a really poor state for a while before they finally got the overhaul they desperately needed. Alongside Haste scaling, the spec is now in a good state, offering impressive AoE and single-target alongside immense survivability that does sometimes set it apart from its immediate peers.

The only thing holding it back from the tier above is a series of small nerfs that have stunted the spec’s previously relentless progress. Despite that, it’s still competitive enough and may serve as the ultimate Jack-of-all-trades for those looking to fill gaps in their party with a spec that brings a lot of utility to the group.

The Shado-Pan Hero Talent tree leans heavily into the martial arts fantasy of the class, with some nice stat buffs and much of the benefit centered on Flurry Strikes. Though it is fun to play, it’s being outperformed by Conduit of the Celestials. Both are able to excel in this new world where Windwalker isn’t a confusing and bloated mess, though for both Mythic+ and raiding, Conduit continues to offer more.

Unholy Death Knight

There was a time during The War Within beta when the Unholy DK was outperforming the competition by a serious margin. Though those heady days are behind it, it remains a well-rounded option. It would be nice to have more of a focus on DoT again but the changes have done a lot to tie the spec together as part of its wider class.

The main problem that Unholy has right now is how difficult it is to play to its full potential. A major emphasis on managing cooldowns leaves public groups at a disadvantage, and interrupting the rotation can be disastrous for Unholy damage in any given encounter. That said, the AoE burst alongside buffs to single-target have done wonders for its overall profile.

Here again, Hero Talents are a bit of a choice between thematically spectacular and mechanically impressive. Rider of the Apocalypse is one of the coolest options in the game, offering mounted combat that fits well with the Death Knight aesthetic. Unfortunately, it just isn’t performing as well as San’layn right now, particularly in Mythic+. Proc chance for Vampiric Strike is still too low but the tree itself is very cohesive overall.

C-Tier

Retribution Paladin

A Paladin stands with a glowing tome in The War Within (Hero Talents Guide)

The Paladin is a noticeably broad class and that has, at times, led to issues for Ret Paladin when so many of the basic elements seem more geared towards Prot and Holy. That said, the end of Dragonflight saw Retribution putting out huge numbers and, although they won’t be anywhere near as busted in the first season of The War Within, there’s still plenty to like.

The removal of Retribution Aura is definitely a negative and it will make the spec less of a necessity in a raid setting. The strength of the spec currently comes in its group-wide utility outside of that, as well as its immense prowess defensively and excellent AoE cleave, if built correctly around Divine Storm and Wake of Ashes. That said, there are some significant issues with sustained single-target, despite Crusading Strikes attempting to fill in the gaps.

Retribution Paladin is another spec with impressive Hero Talent tree options. Herald of the Sun does a lot for class rotation, with excellent mitigation for otherwise annoying cooldowns. Templar is currently the better choice, purely down to the extra damage it offers when players rain down hammers from above.

Balance Druid

Worgen Druid in Tiragarde Sound in Kul Tiras

Balance Druid can’t seem to find exactly where it excels at the moment, often underperforming in easier activities. In Mythic+, many of the staple damage-dealing abilities are actually doing pretty well, with plenty of single-target and AoE to keep the spec competitive.

That said, it does need some buffs, as it’s difficult to see why players would run Balance over the other Druid specs when they are performing noticeably better. The spellcaster meta helps slightly but there are much more potent options out there that do many of the same things. With better survivability and great utility options, all of the ingredients are there, but the whole spec needs more.

When it comes to Hero Talents, the game has made the decision for you, with Elune’s Chosen well clear of Keeper of the Grove. It’s almost a necessity based on how easily it generates Astral Power, and the fact that many nodes center on staple parts of the rotation, like Fury of Elune, makes it feel like a cohesive addition. Though it does have some awkward nodes, it’s vastly outperforming Keeper and feels a lot better to play overall.

Subtlety Rogue

The sneaky Subtlety Rogue is sadly uninspiring at the moment, though it does still manage to outperform Outlaw pretty consistently. The spec is in need of more changes, with much of it the same as it was throughout Dragonflight. Players may find that lack of evolution frustrating but there is still a decent spec here if you look in the right places.

The emphasis on Secret Technique is bolstered by the tier-set bonus and Subtlety is very capable of laying down excellent single-target damage. Recent buffs have furthered this prowess and it’s now in great shape to move forward. Whether Blizzard will give it the buffs it needs to allow it to do so remains to be seen.

Both Hero Talent trees are unfortunately lacking for Subtlety as well. Trickster needs a lot of work to become effective, with some significant node changes and buffs needed across the board. Deathstalker is much better, though it still falls a little short of where it needs to be, despite the solid theme and logical direction in its design.

D-Tier

Destruction Warlock

world of warcraft wow undead forsaken warlock casting destruction spells

Destruction Warlocks were the biggest losers after the bug issues during the beta were resolved. Before that, it had already been on a mad balancing journey, appearing throughout tier lists as either the best option in the game, a mid-tier pick or downright awful at AoE and single-target DPS.

In its current state, it’s relatively poor and has some way to go to catch up to the other options in the class. While it is also durable and impressive enough for solo play, it isn’t easy to name an area in either Mythic+ or raiding where it manages to excel in any way truly.

The only potential silver lining for would-be Destruction players is that both of the available Hero Talent trees do a lot for the class. In most scenarios, the Diabolist tree works better thanks to the ability to line it up with core abilities via nodes like Ruination. That said, Hellcaller may slightly have the edge in raids, purely for the single-target focused buffs it offers.

Beast Mastery Hunter

Beast Mastery Hunter currently feels like a spec where the core theme has overridden the practicalities of playing the game. Pets make up a huge portion of the outgoing damage, which is fine in principle, but it leaves the actual character and rotation feeling ineffectual at best.

Despite some general improvements to their defensive capabilities and decent single-target burst, the struggle to maintain DPS for extended periods or against larger groups really exposes its shortcomings. More iteration is needed on the talent tree as well as general buffs to damage and even changes to resource generation.

Devastation Evoker

Though it might feel slightly harsh to include Devastation in the bottom tier, it’s absolutely a spec that still needs a lot of positive tuning to make it competitive. It’s the most changed of the Evoker specs by far, and unfortunately, it has been left with little to no direction and several disparate abilities with no real connection or purpose.

The spec is still capable of outputting decent burst damage, but lengthier engagements will quickly see it fall behind its immediate peers. The other problem the spec has is that it’s technically in direct competition with Augmentation for those looking to play Evoker, and, at the time of writing, it is being vastly outperformed in almost every way.

As far as Hero Talents go, it’s a case of deciding your priorities heading into an activity. Scalecommander adds brilliant cleave potential, while Flameshaper leads further into Devastation’s bursty nature. Overall, Scalecommander will likely be the preferable option, but recent nerfs have rendered the two trees pretty even.

Outlaw Rogue

Blood Elf Rogue in Zandalar, crouching while in stealth

As the worst of the three Rogue specs, Outlaw isn’t likely to get a lot of play and, unless it undergoes a lot of tuning, that isn’t going to change any time soon. Starting with the positives, it continues to enjoy all of the great utility and crowd control that Rogues are so often defined by.

Unfortunately, a lot of that is undercut by a lack of punchy damage that quickly proves frustrating across different activities. In Mythic+, high mob density continues to be an issue, due in most part to Outlaw’s poor cleave and the difficulty in getting the most out of its rotation.

Outlaw Rogue is able to choose between using the Trickster or Fatebound trees for their Hero Talents. Happily, this is quite an easy choice at the moment, with Fatebound well clear in almost every way. While Trickster struggles for both a cohesive cause and an overall theme, Fatebound is locked into lowering the reliance on Crackshot, and Outlaw is all the better for it.

E-Tier

Fire Mage

Though it feels harsh having a tier for just one spec, Fire Mage really is worse than everything else after plenty of time in the proverbial sun. The reasons why aren’t exactly clear but, despite how many changes the developer has rolled out in recent months, it’s just entirely struggling to keep up with every other DPS spec.

It would be nice to be able to tell you that clever use of the builds available would be enough to make it competitive, but that simply isn’t the case. Frost and Arcane outperform it by such a significant margin that I’ll be surprised to see it in Season 1 at all. Buffs are needed in almost every area of direct DPS, so Fire Mage players are entirely beholden to the wider machinations of the devs.

In terms of Hero Talents, it may come down to a decision between theme and efficacy. Frostfire is the coolest Hero Talent set in the game, but it doesn’t make a tangible difference to the spec’s rotation, aside from adding some nice buffs and visual effects. Sunfury is another matter entirely, offering a huge boost to this ailing spec and serving as the clear choice for those looking to maximize Fire Mage’s potential.

That’s the list! We’ve also got a full breakdown of The War Within and what to expect when it goes live, as well as a class tier list for an overarching view of how all specs are performing. Currently playing the pre-patch? We’ve also got a full guide to the Radiant Echoes event.