World of Warcraft, like any other game, offers a wide variety of options, there will be a disparity between these options. While every option is viable (even necessary in high-end raids), the further you deviate from optimal strategies the more difficult things can get, so you need to know what you're doing for non-meta builds. . And if you mistakenly choose one of the suboptimal versions… well, you might end up in a bad spot.
That's why this guide is designed to break down WoW Classic classes by overall ranking to help you choose your next character.
WoW Classic Class Tier List
Level S
Warrior - Protection and Fury Warrior are excellent for PvE; the former is the best (some would say only) the Tank option in the game, and the latter is one of the best PvEDPS offered by the game. they reach the age of 60 (which can be an excruciating experience, mind you), they are a power that no other class can match. They're no slouch in PvP with the Arms spec either, so they're fools of all trades, masters of some, even if they're not that good at dueling.
A step
Priest - Healing is an important role, and none does it better for PvE than Holy Priests. Committing to playing with lots of utility (like Dispel Magic!), They bring a lot to the table. As an added bonus, Ghost Priests do excellent single-target DPS, and discipline is great for PvP. So you have a lot of options to choose from. The priest does everything.
Mage - Mages provide excellent DPS in all of their specs, although it can be a bit boring to play (hope you don't tire of casting Frostbolt from 1st level out of 60), and suffer from having some sort of "dead speculation" in that many enemies in the endgame are fire resistant or fully immune. Nonetheless, their damage in the Arcane and Frost specialization combinations is second to none and brings a lot of utility to the table with food and water evoked when leveling up.
Thief - Thieves are melee with DPS what mages are ranged or magical; essentially unprecedented in their specific niche. Each Rogue specialization is good to some extent, and can get most opponents to work in PvE and PvP quickly.
Warlock - Although his pet's makeup is somewhat lackluster, Warlock makes up for it with the sheer brutality of Affliction and Destruction when it comes to focusing on a single target. They are great at PvP and PvE content and can switch between them without losing a beat.
Level B
Paladin - Paladins do this here almost only by dint of Holy Specialization, but it's a doozy; being able to play outside of the reserve while still providing tons of healing is a huge role and makes up for the fact that in Classic WoW their other specs are kind of lackluster. Their builds are pretty much the same for PvE and PvP focus, so at least this is a simple choice.
Hunter - Hunters deal excellent damage and solo slam on PvE content like nothing has happened. Although they do drop a bit late in the game, they are still great at raiding for kiteboarding bosses and similar tactics. While their damage is just as brutal in PvP, players find it much easier to exploit their weaknesses when faced with opponents coming close to them and leaving them personal, placing them a bit low on the list.
Level C
Shaman - Shamans have three equally impressive specs to choose from, and have a wide variety of abilities and builds to try out. Sadly, they don't take the house down with any of them, but this is the kind of class that no matter what you choose, you're going to be decent (even if you're a bit lackluster in PvP). They shine a lot more in PvE where, at the very least, everyone loves a Restorer Shaman and getting that sweet, sweet fury of the wind.
Druid - Similar to shamans, druids are bullshit of all trades with three distinct and exciting specs. And, like shamans, they suffer from the “hybrid tax” of being okay for anything, but great for nothing. The Restoration Druid is typically the one people like to see in PvE, and none of its specs are really great in PvP, which leaves them in a bit of a poor position in Classic.
Keep in mind with this list what I said earlier: everything is viable (this is also the case with any semi-decent MMO). Whichever you choose, you can complete top-tier PvE content. So don't feel like you have to choose only the "best" class. Player skill plays a role alongside building options and equipment, and if you're determined to get your pick working, it will work.
