Best melee damage dealer for PvE
Answer two questions. We rank the classes with our own scores and tiers and show why. Race picks follow the faction switch at the top.
What will you do most?
Which role?
Our picks for you
RecommendationRanked by our PvE tier for each class's best melee damage spec, then by our PvE score. PvE desirability (0–5): spec performance, role scarcity, raid utility, and supply — fewer players of a class means more groups want you. PvP (0–5): community PvP tiers plus CC, escapes and self-healing. Equal weight. These are our own scores from those inputs, not a published ranking.
No melee damage spec: Priest, Mage, Warlock.
Our picks: PvE Fury · PvP Arms · Leveling Arms
Alliance race: DwarfHorde race: Orc
PvE: Fury 951 tops the 11 Oct sim; tanks too; second-most-played class.
#1 on the 11 Oct sim (951), 14% ahead of the next, now that crits feed Rage. Rebuilt tree: Flurry requires Death Wish, Gore Drinker requires Enrage, Lingering Rage and Furious Precision are new, Precision is gone.
Recommendation- Sim: 951 DPS Sourced: Sim · 11 Oct run
- 12.2% of beta characters play a Warrior Sourced: Beta census · 11 Oct
Our picks: PvE Survival · PvP Beast Mastery · Leveling Beast Mastery
Alliance race: DwarfHorde race: Orc
PvE: Survival is the class's best sim result on the 11 Oct run (836, second of 20 damage results; Marksmanship 724), but the most-played class by far — spots are contested.
Forever's new identity: Lacerating Strikes capstone (requires Expose Prey), Strider Kick, Predator's Edge. #2 of all DPS on the 11 Oct sim (836) despite the Deflection nerf; now testable at 30. Nobody has raided with it yet, so its raid build is still theory.
Recommendation- Sim: 836 DPS Sourced: Sim · 11 Oct run
- 15.8% of beta characters play a Hunter Sourced: Beta census · 11 Oct
Our picks: PvE Combat · PvP Subtlety · Leveling Combat
Alliance race: HumanHorde race: Undead
PvE: Combat 682 DPS on the 11 Oct sim; raids rarely short of rogues; little raid utility.
Raid spec: Hack and Slash, Blade Flurry, Adrenaline Rush, Weapon Expertise (requires Blade Flurry). Dual Wield Specialization requires Precision 3/3.
Recommendation- Sim: 682 DPS Sourced: Sim · 11 Oct run
- 9.8% of beta characters play a Rogue Sourced: Beta census · 11 Oct
- Shaman Enhancement Our tier AOur PvE pick is Restoration. Windfury burst, Stormstrike, Flurry (requires Mental Dexterity 3/3), Maelstrom Weapon instant heals, Rage of the Farseer (requires Mental Quickness 2/2) as a personal Bloodlust — attack speed only since 24 Sep.
- Paladin Retribution Our tier AOur PvE pick is Protection. Open-world PvP tools: Seal of Command burst, Repentance CC, Hammer of Justice, bubble.
- Druid Feral Combat Our tier AOne tree, two roles: the 44/0/7 hybrid below tanks (Natural Reaction, Thick Hide, Heart of the Wild) and cats (Primal Bite, Rend and Tear, Shifting Power, Berserk).