WoW WotLK PVP tier list - Best picks for 2v2, 3v3, and BGs

If you're going to put hundreds of hours into a single character, you're going to want to know that the one you've picked is high on the WoW WotLK PVP tier list. Whether you're looking at PVP domination or PVE raid clears and damage meters, we've made an easy list of the best picks.

Alongside a table that you can trust for at-a-glance decision-making, we've even made sure to include our reasoning for each class in the paragraphs that follow. So if you want solid reasons why your favourite class isn't as good as you remember, you're in the right place.

For more detailed breakdowns of WoW Classic classes, we've handled them by role as well. So if you know what job you want to run in a dungeon or raid, check out the WotLK tank tier list, healer tier list, and DPS tier list as well.

WoW WotLK PVP tier list

WoW Classic WotLK PVP tier list breakdown

S Tier

• Warrior (Arms)
  • With Hamstring, Bladestorm, Disarm, and heal-crippling wounds, Arms warriors with the right mentality can fend off attacks, close gaps, and shut healers and DPS down with ease.
• Shaman (Elemental)
  • Elemental shammys have insane burst windows that, if left unchecked, can absolutely demolish any class out there.
• Warlock (Affliction)
  • There's nothing worse that seeing your HP tick down when there's seemingly nothing going on. Affliction Warlocks are kings of burning enemies down without even being present. Just be prepared to be public enemy #1.

S-tier WoW Classic WotLK PVP picks are the ones you're going to see most often.

They all require heavy knowledge of other classes and proper micro-managing. This means they're a hindrance for the team if played by inexperienced players looking at this list like it's a free win, but it certainly can be that with enough practice.

A Tier

• Warlock (Destro)
  • Only slightly below the Affliction Warlock, Destro 'locks have crazy burst that's hard to counter. You can feel good bouncing one back as a Prot Warrior, but it's not going to be enough.
• Mage (Frost)
  • Frost mages, with their bright attacks, dominate the WotLK PVP scene due to their crazy roots, slows, and Blink. If you can master their kit, you can avoid their lacking defenses. There's just little room for error.
• Death Knight (Unholy)
  • Between solid sustained DPS, some very annoying pets, and proper damage-reducing defensive cooldowns, Unholy Death Knights are a disruptor to the PVP meta that can be very hard to counter.
• Paladin (Retribution)
  • Ret Paladins pack the right amount of heals, shields, and damage-dealing abilities to fare well in PVP with little effort. Whether you're a pro or novice duelist, Ret Paladin will probably work for you.

A-tier picks are those that work surprisingly well in practice without even that much situational awareness. These are solid picks for the up-and-comer who's willing to put in the work.

B Tier

• Priest (Shadow)
  • Sitting somewhere between the Affliction Warlock and the Holy Priest, Shadow Priest players can burn down foes with deadly damage-over-time effects while healing the tanks that hopefully keep them far from their prey.
• Rogue (Subtlety)
  • Though they lack any real self-sustain or even any utility skills, the Subtlety Rogue, under the right mindset, is a deadly damage-dealing machine. If you like quick kills and bewildered opponents, give it a try.
• Hunter (Marksman)
  • So long as you know how to effectively disengage and bait your opponents, the Marksman spec Hunter can pull off some quick kills with little effort.
• Paladin (Ret/Proc)
  • For a little extra defensive potential, a hybrid Ret/Proc Paladin can excel - especially in arena matches. The burst damage takes a hit, but the confusion aspect of shields and stuns can really pay off.
• Druid (Feral)
  • Thanks to naturally high defense, the Feral Druid bear can really put the pressure on a team, charging in, slowing them to a crawl, soaking up the rage, and pinning opponents down long enough for the rest of the team to mop up. You just need to be brave and know your limits.
• Death Knight (Frost)
  • Frost DKs can be set up in a few different ways. As their primary purpose is debilitating diseases, running a build with Scent of Blood and Virulence is important.

B-tier picks are generally easy enough for anyone to play without too much patience and practice. They'll shine well with the proactive player, but they fall off a little in higher tiers as rivals begin to understand and predict their tricks.

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C tier

• Shaman (Enhancement)
  • Enhancement shamans have solid DPS and plenty of support with their totems. Though their burst window is a little limited, they can easily be the deciding factor in melee-focused arena teams.
• Warrior (Prot)
  • Crazy survivability, fun charges, Disarm, and Spell Reflect all come together to make the Protection Warrior a blast. Stuns from Shield Bash and Shockwave help, and Thunder Clap can even realistically mitigate team damage by a large fraction.
• Hunter (Beastmaster)
  • Just like in the early Warsong Gulch days, a Beastmaster Hunter can ensnare a burst down targets with ease. Outside of that window, though, they're largely sitting ducks. If the pet goes, you do too.
• Druid (Balance)
  • Though they're soft, Boomkins can deal heavy burst damage and apply a deadly accuracy debuff. If you're ensnared by one and don't make it, the stacks they gain from their spell rotation will only speed up your team's demise.
• Paladin (Protection)
  • If you just want to be that annoying Paladin with the shields and heals, Prot Pally is for you. You can charge into the enemy team to take the heat, bubble up, heal, and keep being a royal pain while your allies set up their killing combos.
• Warrior (Fury)
  • Fury Warriors work in mysterious ways. If left unchecked, they can spiral big-time with near-endless rage generation fuelling their powerful blows. And with Victory Rush there to sustain them after each KO, decent mobility, and a few mean combos, they're bad news if you don't take them down early.

C-tier picks are great fun. They're able to excel in the right hands due to their rarity in higher tiers, but anyone who doesn't put in the work to understand what they're going up against will regularly find themselves struggling to decide their next move.

D tier

• Mage (Arcane)
  • The Arcane mage is a tricky one that can use two schools of magic to counteract one being locked by an interrupt. With healing tricks and other gimmicks available through Spell Reflect, Fire/Frost Ward, and Ice Block as well, they're great fun if you can master the micro-management. They're just rely on risky plays too much to be consistant.
• Rogue (Combat)
  • Though building for Riposte and Ghostly Strike can offset the defensive downsides of the Combat Rogue, they struggle to survive anywhere but 2v2 struggles.
• Rogue (Assassin)
  • Though the Assassination Rogue was a popular sight in original WotLK, they were seldom seen in the higher tiers. Though they can get easy kills with their burst combos, it was often the element of surprise that was the cause - something experienced players were immune to. They're fun for the smurfs, but they're not good for competitive play.

D-tier picks shouldn't really be looked at by anyone who seriously expects to win in a battle.

• Check out: How to use the free server transfer in WotLK

They'll absolutely work at the lower tiers against others who aren't quite sure how to react to the opposing class, but don't expect to get far up the ladder with these. Arena teams will laugh at you.

F tier

• Death Knight (Blood)
  • The Blood Death Knight works as a solid DPS or tank option in PVE, but that's about it. The heals might make you think they're a self-sustaining brawler, but they're quickly put out to pasture against any serious PVP player.
• Warlock (Demonology)
  • The simple fact of the matter is that Demonlogy Warlocks forfeit a lot of what makes their other two specs so good in PVP. It's a PVE spec through-and-through.
• Mage (Fire)
  • Though they can hit like absolute trucks, the Fire Mage lacks sustained damage for longer fights and struggles with any meaningful crowd-control or mobility.

Unless you're just looking to have standoffs outside the Goldshire inn, don't bother putting in the time to make PVP-ready versions of these classes. Though they sounds great on paper, they generally lack the versatile kit a good PVP class demands.

And that's your look at the best WoW Wotlk PVP tier list for now. Things might shift around as people use newer technolgies (and tighter communities) to extrapolate serious data from these picks, but they're set against 15 years of experience. If you're just getting started on your leveling mission, check out our list of the ten best addons for Classic WoW just in time for the WotLK launch.