The six new race and class pairs

What changed

1. Six race and class pairs that didn't exist in Classic are now open: Dwarf Shaman, Human Hunter, Gnome Priest (Alliance) and Orc Mage, Troll Warlock, Undead Paladin (Horde).
2. This means both factions have both hybrid classes: Alliance gets Shaman through Dwarves, and Horde gets Paladin through the Undead.
3. Every race now has two active and two passive racials, many of them new. The new Skyborne race has its own class list: see The Skyborne and Zephras Isle.

Classes by race

New options in bold.

Alliance pairs

1. AllianceDwarf Shaman: the only Alliance shaman. Dwarf shamans get their own gold and silver totems and their own totem quests. Stoneform removes bleeds, poisons and diseases and cuts physical damage for 8 seconds, which is great for a tank or melee Enhancement build.
2. AllianceHuman Hunter: Sword Specialization adds crit with swords, The Human Spirit gives 5% Spirit, and Perception finds stealthed players for 20 seconds. Will to Survive breaks stuns, which helps a lot in PvP.
3. AllianceGnome Priest: Expansive Mind gives 5% more maximum mana, and Eureka! makes your spells cheaper for a short time. Early guides expect them to be strong healers. Escape Artist gets you out of roots and slows.

Horde pairs

1. HordeOrc Mage: Blood Fury gives 10% more attack power and spell power for 15 seconds. Shatter Curse blocks curses and cuts magic damage for 8 seconds, and Hardiness shortens stuns by 20%.
2. HordeTroll Warlock: Berserking gives 10% casting and attack speed for 10 seconds. Rapid Regeneration restores 50% of your health over time, and Regeneration keeps 10% of health regen going in combat.
3. HordeUndead Paladin: Will of the Forsaken breaks fear, charm and sleep, which pairs well with a plate class. Cannibalize heals health and mana from corpses. An early guide says Undead paladins gather at Bandarion Keep in Tirisfal Glades around level 10 and get their own black and gold steed.

Racial changes in the beta

1. Gnome Eureka! was changed to a 10% discount on mana, rage or energy abilities for every class. It no longer helps periodic effects or channeled spells.
2. Undead Cannibalize can't be used while you're immune to physical damage, and Touch of the Grave no longer breaks crowd control.
3. Racials are still being tuned. Check the patch notes before you settle on a main.

Tips

• Picking the PvP ruleset? You can only play one faction there per account, so pick your side first. See Choosing a ruleset.
• Racial numbers are from the beta and can change before launch on November 4.
• Compare all nine classes on the ONN Classes page.

Sources

• Icy Veins: New race and class combos and racials
• Blizzard: Character creation in WoW: Forever
• Warcraft Tavern: Dwarf race overview
• Blizzard: Beta development notes