Choosing a class

Roles in a group

Tank: holds the monsters' attention and takes the hits. Groups always need one, so tanks find groups fastest.
Healer: keeps the group alive. Also always in demand.
DPS (damage): kills things. Most players pick DPS, so expect to wait longer for dungeon groups.
Hybrid classes (Druid, Paladin, Shaman) can fill more than one role, but each talent setup is best at one.

The nine classes

Roles and armour are from Classic Era. Talents have been reworked in WoW: Forever, so the best setups may change.

Class	Roles	Armour	In short
Warrior	Tank, DPS	Plate at 40	The main tank. Slow to level alone, very strong with good gear.
Paladin	Healer, tank, DPS	Plate at 40	Tough and self-healing. Blessings and auras help the whole group.
Hunter	DPS	Mail at 40	Ranged damage with a pet that tanks for you. One of the easiest to level.
Rogue	DPS	Leather	Melee damage, stealth and stuns. Can pick locks and choose fights.
Priest	Healer, DPS	Cloth	The classic healer. Shadow priests are strong solo.
Shaman	Healer, DPS	Mail at 40	Totems buff the group. Can heal, fight in melee or cast.
Mage	DPS	Cloth	Big area damage and crowd control. Makes free food and water.
Warlock	DPS	Cloth	Damage over time and demon pets. Strong solo, gets a free mount.
Druid	Healer, tank, DPS	Leather	Shapeshifts into bear, cat or travel form. Can do every role.

Good first picks

Easiest to level alone: Hunter and Warlock. Their pets take the hits while you deal damage.
Easiest to find groups: a tank (Warrior, or a Druid in bear form) or a healer (Priest, Paladin, Shaman, Druid).
Want to do a bit of everything: Druid. You can heal, tank and deal damage with one character.
Want to help your group the most: Mage (food, water and crowd control) or Priest (healing and buffs).
In Forever, bonus healing also gives one third as much bonus damage, so healers can quest a little faster in healing gear.

The six new race and class pairs

New in WoW: Forever. More in The six new race and class pairs.

AllianceDwarf Shaman: the Alliance now has Shamans.
HordeUndead Paladin: the Horde now has Paladins. Forsaken Paladins get their own epic mount quest at 60.
AllianceHuman Hunter, AllianceGnome Priest.
HordeOrc Mage, HordeTroll Warlock.
This means both factions can now play all nine classes.

Which races can play what

From Blizzard's official race and class list for WoW: Forever.

Race	Classes
Human (A)	Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock
Dwarf (A)	Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman
Night Elf (A)	Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Druid
Gnome (A)	Warrior, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock
Orc (H)	Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Mage, Warlock
Undead (H)	Warrior, Paladin, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock
Tauren (H)	Warrior, Hunter, Shaman, Druid
Troll (H)	Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock
Skyborne (A or H)	Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Druid, plus Mage (Alliance) or Shaman (Horde)

The Skyborne

The new race can join either faction. You choose when you make the character.
Alliance Skyborne (the High Order) can be Mages. Horde Skyborne (the Windshapers) can be Shamans.
Every Skyborne starts on Zephras Isle (levels 1 to 12). The race needs the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher. See The Skyborne and Zephras Isle.

Tips

Not sure? Make two or three characters and play each to level 10. It only takes an evening.
Every race now has two active and two passive racial abilities. Pick the class first, then the race you like the look of.
Check what your guild needs before you commit. Ask in ONN chat, or browse the class pages and talent calculator.

Sources

Written by ONN from the WoW: Forever beta and Blizzard's notes, last checked October 6, 2026. The beta is still changing, so details may be different at launch on November 4. Something wrong? Tell us in #help.

Type	Getting started
Classes	9
Faction	Both
Time	About 6 minutes to read