A Brutally Honest FRESH Classic Class TIER LIST!

Summary

This video breaks down the impact of Blizzard's recent change in Classic WoW, removing the buff and debuff limit, and how it affects class performance in raids. The host ranks healers, tanks, and DPS classes in a tier list, with Holy Paladin and Resto Shaman in S-tier for healing, and Fury Warrior dominating the tank role. DPS classes such as Combat Rogue and Affliction Warlock see some improvements, but remain overshadowed by Warriors. While meta classes dominate, players are encouraged to play what they enjoy, despite the challenges of finding raid groups outside the meta.

Takeaways

• 😀 Holy Paladins are the top-tier healers for the Alliance, offering unparalleled healing capabilities in Classic WoW.
• 😀 Resto Shaman are the best healers for the Horde, with strong AoE healing and essential support for melee groups through Windfury Totem.
• 😀 Fury Warriors are the top-tier tanks in Classic WoW, providing high damage output while tanking, making them the go-to choice for raids.
• 😀 Prop Paladins are considered weak tanks, struggling with threat generation and mana efficiency, and are relegated to niche roles.
• 😀 Healers like Holy Priest and Resto Druid have improved since the debuff limit was lifted, with Resto Druids becoming more viable thanks to their ability to heal with HoTs.
• 😀 The debuff and buff cap changes benefit Shadow Priests and Affliction Warlocks, but they remain low-tier DPS options due to their limited damage output.
• 😀 Combat Rogues are strong DPS throughout the game, while Assassination Rogues underperform, making Combat Rogues the preferred Rogue spec for raiding.
• 😀 Balance Druids, while more usable due to better rotations and abilities like Moonfire, still remain weak DPS compared to top-tier classes.
• 😀 The removal of the debuff and buff cap does not significantly boost the performance of Elemental Shamans or Fire Mages in raids, keeping them in lower tiers.
• 😀 Players should focus on enjoying their chosen class, but be aware that gatekeeping in the Classic WoW community often favors the meta classes, making it harder to get raid invites unless you're playing top-tier specs.

Q & A

What impact does the removal of the buff and debuff limit in Classic World of Warcraft have on gameplay?

The removal of the buff and debuff limit allows players to utilize more abilities that were previously hindered, such as the ability for Resto Druids to use their healing spells without pushing off other important buffs. This change significantly affects the game's meta and class viability, especially for healing and DPS roles.

How does the buff and debuff change affect the performance of Holy Paladins and Resto Shamans?

Holy Paladins and Resto Shamans are considered the best healers in the game after the change. Holy Paladins are top-tier for Alliance, and Resto Shamans are similarly top-tier for Horde. Resto Shamans are particularly essential in melee groups due to their Windfury Totem, which provides a substantial buff to melee damage.

Why is Fury Warrior considered the best tank in Classic WoW?

Fury Warriors are the only S-tier tanks due to their superior threat generation and ability to deal significant damage while maintaining solid tanking abilities. In contrast, Protection Warriors and Protection Paladins are considered less effective.

What are the main issues with Protection Paladins as tanks in Classic WoW?

Protection Paladins suffer from a lack of threat generation, limited taunt abilities, and heavy reliance on auto-attacking. Their mana depletion makes them less effective in prolonged fights, relegating them to niche roles like dungeon boosts or undead-specific content.

How does the debuff and buff limit change affect Resto Druids?

Resto Druids, previously limited by the buff cap, can now freely use their HoTs (like Rejuvenation and Regrowth) without pushing off other buffs. This boosts their viability as healers, placing them in the C-tier for healing but still below top-tier options like Holy Paladins and Resto Shamans.

Which tank options are viable in Classic WoW after the debuff/buff cap removal?

After the buff and debuff change, the top tank is Fury Warrior, with Protection Warriors following in B-tier. Feral Druids are considered an alternative tank, especially if used for off-tanking, though they are generally less optimal compared to Fury Warriors.

What makes Combat Rogues superior to Assassination Rogues in Classic WoW?

Combat Rogues are considered superior because their sustained damage output is much higher than that of Assassination Rogues, especially when using specific talents like Combat Expertise. Assassination Rogues, on the other hand, focus on burst damage but fall short in comparison.

What is the performance of Shadow Priests in the new meta?

Shadow Priests become more viable with the ability to use their full toolkit, including DoTs. However, their DPS remains relatively low, placing them in the C-tier. They are often used more for their debuffing role rather than raw damage output.

How does the debuff/buff limit change affect Affliction Warlocks?

Affliction Warlocks benefit from the removal of the debuff limit because they can now stack their DoTs on bosses without them being overwritten. While their damage output increases slightly, they still remain in the lower tiers of DPS due to the nature of their playstyle.

Why do some classes like Balance Druids and Fire Mages fall behind in terms of DPS?

Balance Druids and Fire Mages struggle with DPS in the later phases of the game due to issues like underperformance in AoE damage or being outscaled by more efficient DPS classes. Balance Druids, even with improved abilities like Moonfire, still face difficulty in maintaining competitive DPS against classes like Warriors and Rogues.