World of Warcraft‘s latest Shadowlands expansion brings tons of new changes to the MMORPG we’ve all come to know and love. There are now more classes than ever to choose from and dozens of specializations to check out. If you want the quick and easy version of the best choices for PvP, we got you covered. Here’s a look at the best PvP classes in World of Warcraft Shadowlands, broken out by melee DPS, ranged DPS, and healers.
It’s essential to know that every class can be viable in Shadowlands. If you see a class you like to play, and it’s low on the list, that doesn’t mean it’s useless. We’re mostly basing these tier lists and our determination of “best PvP classes in World of Warcraft Shadowlands” off of the arena leaderboards and what most people are playing at the moment. Different builds will climb and fall as the game progresses and as updates release.
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Best PvP Classes in World of Warcraft Shadowlands
Below you can find our tier lists of best PvP classes in World of Warcraft Shadowlands by melee DPS, ranged DPS, and healers. The underplayed category represents specs that aren’t all too common in PvP, but that may change in future patches.
Best Melee DPS in World of Warcraft Shadowlands
- S-Tier: Arms Warrior, Windwalker Monk
- A-Tier: Retribution Paladin, Enhancement Shaman, Subtlety Rogue, Feral Druid
- B-Tier: Frost Death Knight, Havoc Demon Hunter
- C-Tier: Unholy Death Knight, Survival Hunter
- Underplayed: Outlaw Rogue, Assassination Rogue, Fury Warrior
Arms Warriors are certainly one of the best melee DPS classes in WoW Shadowlands. The class has consistent damage and tons of utility, making it one of the most challenging and durable characters to face. Between disarm, fear, banner, spell reflects, and other moves, they have an answer to everything.
Another great melee DPS class for PvP is the Windwalker Monk. While it’s a bit easier to kill than the Arms Warrior, it’s nearly impossible to lock them down to a single position. Additionally, this spec can pump out some massive consistent damage, especially with the Kyrian covenant, for quicker cooldown recovery.
Best Ranged DPS in World of Warcraft Shadowlands
- S-Tier: Fire Mage, Balance Druid, Shadow Priest
- A-Tier: Affliction Warlock, Marksmanship Hunter, Elemental Shaman
- B-Tier: Arcane Mage, Destruction Warlock
- C-Tier: Frost Mage,
- Underplayed: Beast Mastery Hunter, Demonology Warlock
The Fire Mage is a ranged DPS class gaining a lot of attention around this time in Shadowlands PvP. Between Triune Wards, potency conduits, and the new crit modifier behavior, they are not only hard to take down, but they can dish out some considerable damage.
Another class that jumped to the top of the list after the beta is the Balance Druid. Convoke is incredibly overpowered right now, so we’ll likely see a nerf incoming at some point. Balance Druids have incredible damage with Starsurge, but they are also difficult to kill.
One S-Tier ranged DPS that remains strong is the Shadow Priest. They can pump the high damage numbers on demand and instantly crowd-control you. Given their instantaneous moves and their survivability, they are a nightmare to face. They also provide some excellent utility for a lot of team compositions. Unlike Balance Druids, Shadow Priests are fairly well-rounded and make a great addition to many different comps.
Finally, the Elemental Shaman can sit between S-Tier and A-Tier ranged DPS. It may not be as flashy and durable as the Balance Druid or Fire Mage, but they have an arsenal of abilities that can put a dent in anyone. Between Lightning Lasso, Lava Burst, and Earth Shield, they are undoubtedly powerful and can surprise you with a random one-shot.
Best Healers in PvP for World of Warcraft Shadowlands
- S-Tier: Holy Paladin
- A-Tier: Discipline Priest, Restoration Shaman
- B-Tier: Restoration Druid
- C-Tier: Mistweaver Monk
- Underplayed: Holy Priest
One of the best healer PvP classes in World of Warcraft Shadowlands for rated arena content, including 2v2 and 3v3, is the Holy Paladin. The spec is super mana efficient, has excellent burst healing, lots of defensive abilities, and high damage output. Kyrian seems to be the covenant of choice because of the legendary Shock Barrier.
