With the new Season of Discovery bringing significant changes to each class in World of the Warcraft Classic, you may be wondering which one is best to play. Here is a ranking of classes and recommended specs for WoW Classic SoD.

WoW Classic Season of Discovery Class Picking Guide - Best DPS, Healer, Tank Ranking for WoW Classic SoD

Choosing your class and specialization is an important decision for any WoW Classic season. The newly released Season of Discovery makes that choice even more impactful, as significant changes come to every class. Now each spec is more unique and impactful than ever before. With new abilities, talent trees, and in some cases entirely new roles, class balance and viability have been transformatively adjusted. This detailed WoW Classic SoD class guide aims to simplify your choice by ranking each discipline specialization within its role. Whether you lean towards damage dealing, healing, or protecting your allies as a tank - within these categories you'll find the top-performing specs outlined and compared. The following rankings analyze each specialization holistically based on both questing viability as well as endgame PvE performance. So whether you're a seasoned WoW veteran or newcomer to Azeroth, this guide provides the critical information needed to pick the ideal class and specialization choice for your WoW Classic Season of Discovery adventure.

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WoW Classic Season of Discovery PvP Tier List - Best PvP Class (Specs) for SoD Phase 1

WoW Classic Season of Discovery Class Tier List

What class will be the most all-around for raid, dungeons, and PvP content in the WoW Classic Season of Discovery? We have summed up a ranking list based on the already-known changes to classes in SoD expansion: 

1 - Shaman

The Shaman is the most versatile class, able to tank, heal, and dps effectively in any role. Enhancement Shamans deal excellent damage with new abilities, and Elemental gets strong AoE. Restoration remains a top healer. Shamans also get new utility like damage-absorbing totems.

Best spec: Enhancement - Strong single target and cleave damage.

2 - Druid

Druids fulfill all roles with the new tools for each spec. Feral Druids tank and dps well, Balance gets stronger AoE, and Restoration healing improves. They bring excellent utility and flexibility to any group.

Best spec: Feral - Very good at both tanking and dps. Off-healing is also strong.

3 - Priest

Priests see the most changes, going from pure healers to effective damage dealers. New abilities give them strong multi-dotting and AoE. Healing also improves with new spells. Both Shadow and Holy specs are viable.

Best spec: Shadow - High mobility and damage with new multi-dotting abilities.

4 - Warlock

The addition of a tanking spec in Demonology makes Warlocks valuable in any role. Affliction and Destruction remain solid damage over time and burst damage dealers respectively. Excellent self-healing and crowd control too.

Best spec: Demonology - Tank or deal damage effectively with strong new abilities.

5 - Paladin

Reworked defensive and utility abilities mean Paladins can finally fulfill any role competently. Retribution gains a more engaging damage rotation. Paladins bring unique buffs and support capabilities.

Best spec: Holy - Strong single target heals and good group support with Beacon of Light.

6 - Hunter

While Hunters lack new role flexibility, they still bring strong ranged dps and control. A new melee spec option is viable too. Excellent mobility and viable with or without a pet.

Best spec: Beast Mastery - Good damage and ease of use with a pet. Survival melee is also competitive.

7 - Rogue

While Rogues can now tank, dps remains their strongest role. Excellent single target damage and control. A niche tank spec but mostly benefit groups through dps. Might struggle relatively in raids.

Best spec: Combat - High damage potential and crowd control utility.

8 - Mage

Adding a weak healing spec doesn't outweigh Mages' rigid damage-dealer niche. Strong magical damage remains their best asset. New talents polish existing specs rather than introduce new roles.

Best spec: Fire - Burst gameplay and good scaling damage through questing and raiding.

9 - Warrior

Warriors gain some useful leveling talents but lack the new specializations and versatility of other classes. They remain solid tanks and good damage but bring less novelty.

Best spec: Fury - Strong AoE damage through leveling and dungeon content. Protection remains the optimal raid tanking tree.

WoW Classic Season of Discovery Spec Tier List

Here are the top specs ranked for Season of Discovery by their role:

Best DPS Specs Ranking For WoW Classic SoD:

• Demonology Warlock - Strong new abilities give Demo excellent single target and cleave damage potential.

• Enhancement Shaman - Great damage output from direct damage abilities and your pet. Strong charge generator.

• Destruction Warlock - Burst damage reigns with Incinerate and Chaos Bolt. Immobile but high impact.

• Feral Druid - New damage talents unlock ferocious bleed builds and shredded damage.

• Shadow Priest - High mobility damage with new DoT abilities and insanity generation.

• Affliction Warlock - Already strong multitarget damage boosted further. Great flavor.

• Survival Hunter - Melee hunter brings competitive damage through strong cooldowns.

• Fire Mage - Quick-casting damage remains explosive with new combustions.

• Combat Rogue - Reliant on auto attacks but hits very hard when allowed. Great stuns.

• Beast Mastery Hunter - Effective damage and sustain from pet abilities. Easy rotation.

Best Healer Specs Ranking For WoW Classic SoD:

• Restoration Shaman - Strong direct heals with smart chain heals and totems.

• Holy Paladin - Easy, effective healing with Beacon and variety of spells.

• Discipline Priest - Absorption shields give great damage prevention ability.

• Restoration Druid - HoTs and direct heals suit all situations. Strong player mobility.

• Holy Priest - Greater focus on single target than other healers. Offers strong utility.

• Restoration Paladin - Direct heals focus supplemented by useful bubbles and buffs.

Best Tank Specs Ranking For WoW Classic SoD:

• Protection Warrior - Elite mitigation and threat. Standard and effective raid tank.

• Demonology Warlock - Excellent defense and self healing. Unconventional and interesting.

• Protection Paladin - Strong all-around mitigation and supportive tools for groups.

• Feral Druid - Tanking form brings avoiding and self heals, with gear dependent armor.

• Blood Death Knight - Still solid despite being added later. Good talents ground them.