Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to another tier list. This time, we will look at the DPS numbers of the most prominent classes in-game in the Wotlk PvP tier list. Those who want to enter the arena as a Gladiator realize that it is possible to do so with any class. While all have their strengths and weaknesses in PvP, some are more suited to particular scenarios than others, just as they are in PvE.
Knowing everything about each spec is crucial to ensure you’re ready for anything in PvP. Players benefit from spec rankings since they show which classes pose the most threat. It’s worth noting that different classes share many of the same skills. We aimed to draw attention to the most salient distinctions among specs that distinguish one from another.
Key Points
- There are a total of 17 entries in our article.
- All of these characters have been ranked according to their powers, skills, synergy, damage, and abilities.
- In the highest tiers, you will find characters such as Marksmanship Hunter, Subtlety Rogue, Unholy Death Knight, and Feral Druid.
- Among the lowest Tiers, we have Forst Death Knight, Preg Paladin, Protection Warrior, Protection paladin, and others.
Summary
Here we will quickly rank all characters in the game in a short table.
| S Rank | A Rank | B Rank | C Rank | D Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marksmanship Hunter | Feral Druid | Balance Druid | Destruction Warlock | Protection Warrior |
| Subtlety Rogue | Affliction Warlock | Beast Mastery Hunter | Preg Paladin | Protection Paladin |
| Unholy Death Knight | Frost Mage | Shadow Priest | Frost Death Knight | |
| Elemental Shaman | Retribution Paladin | |||
| Enhancement Shaman |
You can learn about them in detail further in the article.
S Tier
S Tier.Classes at this level often bring a formidable arsenal into PvP and establish themselves as the dominant force. Classes having the most significant damage and synergy in the current meta are classified as S-Tier. They are powerful and can be used in various teams, so you’ll see these classes often.
Marksmanship Hunter
WotLK makes some significant changes to marksmanship. A long way from when it was a weird spec that players avoided at all costs owing to its incredibly irritating mana drain nature. Viper Sting has been severely nerfed in WotLK, making it mostly irrelevant. The spec has been transformed into a burst damage machine.
The most noticeable change is that Aimed Shot may now be thrown instantly. MM Hunters, who had trouble casting it owing to its 2.5-second cooldown. They are now the most significant spec at inflicting the healing decrease debuff. Hunter, with their tremendous burst damage and the addition of new abilities like Chimera Shot and Kill Shot, is now one of the most dreaded classes to face.
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Single Target Damage | Very High |
| AoE Damage | Moderate |
| Cleave Damage | Moderate |
Subtlety Rogue
WotLK hasn’t made any massive changes to our gameplay. Despite this, we have suffered a series of nerfs to make us comparable to other specs. There aren’t many comparative examples, so that’s how some people see it. With the upcoming adjustments in Wrath, the subtlety rogue will have to play entirely around its cooldowns or risk doing very little damage by simply auto-hitting a victim and hemming.
Subtlety Rogues now have access to a waylay that reduces enemy attack speed by 50% if they are hit by a backstab. Through the use of Honor Among Thieves, they get bonus combo points anytime any of their colleagues fit. And last, their most well-known skill, shadow dance, lets them employ all of their stealth abilities when not in stealth for 6 seconds, with just a 1-minute cooldown.
Keep in mind that even rows with a high level of subtlety still need time to prepare and vanish, giving them a total of two vanishes and shadow dances. Therefore, a large window to set up kills, saps, blinds, etc. Moreover, you spec into an enhanced ambush, so if you manage to pull off a few ambushes before using shadow dance, you may utterly demolish your opponent. In the hands of a master player, they are unstoppable. Despite doing less damage overall, they dominate the field because of their abundance of skills. Shadowdance is their primary ability, giving them a significant edge when using their crowd control talents and arranging kills. They’re versatile enough to be used by many diverse teams. As a result, it will be placed in the S tier.
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Single Target Damage | Very Low |
| AoE Damage | Low |
| Cleave Damage | Low |
Unholy Death Knight
Anyone who played during the first few seasons may have post-traumatic stress disorder from facing Death Knights. They were initially highly overpowered, to the point where perhaps up to 75% of the ladder was Death Knights. In addition, double DK / Holy Paladin teams dominated the 3v3 ladder. After two seasons of nerfing Unholy Death Knight, Blizzard eventually got the DK spec to a place where it was powerful without being broken. Unholy specialization is the norm. Desecration is an area-of-effect slow on the ground that slows everybody in it who is an enemy by 50%. This happens pretty much any time the Death Knight uses their basic abilities.
Hence, heresy is all over the arena constantly, making it very difficult to get away from them. This makes this the most substantial spec for an arena that DKs have. Furthermore, they use ice chains, which function similarly to snares in that they begin at a sluggish pace and gradually increase speed until they are just 10% effective. When facing off against a Shadowcleave (affliction warlock, unholy damage dealer, healer), you should expect to be on a timer until the raw damage kills you all. This comp does much damage overall since they dot up the whole team and then rot them. As a result, it will be placed in the S tier of the Wotlk PVP Tier List.
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Single Target Damage | Very High |
| AoE Damage | High |
| Cleave Damage | High |
Elemental Shaman
Elemental Shamans have gone from being overpowering to somewhat weak throughout their existence. It depends on the patch or expansion. Elemental Shamans rapidly established themselves as being on the far end of that range once again in WotLK. As a result, they made their way to the S-tier. You can understand why Elemental Shamans are so powerful after reading about all the changes made to the spec in the latest expansion of WotLK.
Astral Shift, Elemental Warding, the Glyph of Stoneclaw Totem, and Thunderstorm all contribute to a much-increased chance of survival. Lava Flows provide foes with a considerable disincentive to dissipating our Flame Shock. As shamans, we now have access to a highly potent instant-cast AoE root thanks to Storm, Earth, and Fire. Relating our interrupt ability to the off-GCD Wind Shear is a massive boon to our ability to exert command over the battlefield. The revamped Elemental Mastery now grants us one instant-cast spell rather than a guaranteed crit. The show’s new star, Lava Burst, does jaw-dropping damage.
| Difficulty | Low |
| Single Target Damage | Moderate |
| AoE Damage | Moderate |
| Cleave Damage | Moderate |
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A Tier
A Tier.These classes excel in PvP when paired with similarly skilled players. While some comps may have all bases covered, they will be exceptional if they have one of these classes on board. However, they pose significant challenges to unprepared targets.
Feral Druid
In WotLK, there is a significant change to the role that Feral Druids play in the game. Thankfully, that’s a change for the better. Players who liked powershifting will be disappointed to learn that it has been removed, making energy management very similar to Rogues. But we get a ton of free stuff to make up for it. Our survivability has improved since Barkskin can now be used in all forms. Frenzied Regeneration heals for a substantially more enormous amount.
We have a new defensive cooldown in Survival Instincts, making us a less appealing target for most teams. While our ability to shapeshift out of slows and roots at whim still makes us the most mobile class. The addition of a slow-in Infected Wounds allows us to stay stuck to our targets for longer. It’s a scary thought, significantly, since our new capstone talent, Berserk, not only dramatically boosts our damage but also makes us immune to fear (though we’re less susceptible to fear effects in general, thanks to Primal Tenacity.
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Single Target Damage | Very High |
| AoE Damage | Very High |
| Cleave Damage | Moderate |
Affliction Warlock
Since it is no longer tied to the Demonology spec, pure Affliction remains a strong option. No matter how much time is spent debating whether Destruction or Affliction is the better Warlock spec. The fact remains that both are S-tier specs with their advantages and disadvantages. It’s hard to overstate how much damage Affliction does, especially when combined with its remarkable precision. In the early game, Destruction has a slight damage advantage since they can two-shot opponents.
However, we make that difference with our fantastic scaling as we get spell haste and crit. Its execution damage becomes terrifying. In addition, with the ability to repair ourselves with Siphon Life and Drain Li. It has a far larger health pool than Destruction. While we are weak and share their susceptibility to physical DPS and Arms Warriors, we are not as quickly targeted down as Destruction since most of our DoTs cast instantly. With this mix of advantages and disadvantages, we aren’t quite as limited in the teams we may play as Destruction.
MLD, two ticks, a bash, and roots give a Magellan druid incredible control. This combination, known as Shadowplay, is best with a Shadow Priest, Warlock, Healer, or Shaman, and it is even more potent in WotLK due to enhancements to Shadow Priests and Warlock.
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Single Target Damage | Very High |
| AoE Damage | High |
| Cleave Damage | High |
Frost Mage
Frost Mages, like Arms Warriors, have been a significant force in World of Warcraft player vs. player combat from the start. It remains robust, especially on the CC side. Still, their increased mobility in Wrath makes them more challenging to manage. The meta has multiple specs (Warlocks, Elemental Shamans, Disc Priests) that threaten us.
Frost Mages still use Polymorph and Counterspell to keep their foes under control as they search for kills with Shatter combos. To a lesser extent, Brain Freeze facilitates this by providing quick damage. Invisibility makes it more difficult for our opponents to prepare for our openers. Still, Deep Freeze represents the most significant innovation, providing Mages with a genuine, on-demand stun ability.
Combined with Fingers of Frost, our Shatter combos are more potent by making our targets seem frozen at random. We are a devastating force with increased CC. Despite this, because of our superior control and burst damage. We still work effectively with other classes with access to control tools and incredibly different casters like Warlocks and Shadow Priests. As a Mage in Wrath, you must exercise extreme caution due to the high risk involved with our high-reward role. Affliction locks have a wide variety of viable spec partners, and some of the compositions they can run are pretty potent. Therefore, it will be placed in the A tier of the Wotlk PVP Tier List.
| Difficulty | Low |
| Single Target Damage | Very Low |
| AoE Damage | Very Low |
| Cleave Damage | Very Low |
Retribution Paladin
Blizzard made significant changes to the spec in WotLK, intending to bring it up to par. We may not be where we were before the nerf-hammer came down from Blizzard, but we’re better off now. The focus of Retribution has always been on burst damage. With the introduction of Divine Storm, general increases our damage. The game introduced new talents like the deadly Sanctified Wrath with its super overpowered damage reduction bypass effect. We have made it abundantly clear that we are committed to one thing only. We are Blowing someone up before they have a chance to react. Still, we’ve had a lot of work done, strengthening us where we lacked.
The new Divine Sacrifice lets us further defend our team or escape CC when required. Divine Purpose gives us the immensely influential ability to wipe stuns off our friends. The sheath of Light, The Art of War, and Sacred Shield provide fantastic spot-healing assistance. Still, we have a significant vulnerability to casters and crowd control in an expansion when casters with excellent crowd control are the norm.
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Single Target Damage | High |
| AoE Damage | High |
| Cleave Damage | High |
Enhancement Shaman
Like Feral Druid, Enhancement’s major gameplay update in WotLK fixes many of the spec’s flaws. Our reliance on the Feral Spirit wolves is perhaps our most significant flaw. Spirit Walk alone is a game-changer, but we can’t do nearly as much damage without our wolves. There is also no reducing healing effect. Therefore we are restricted in who we may recruit as team members. To succeed as Enhancement, you must choose a playstyle that either reduces the healing your target receives or does so much burst damage that you kill them before they can be healed. Enhancement shamans now have access to the ability “feral spirit,” which summons two wolves that attack and heal their target. These wolves also have special skills.
The ability to “spirit walk” lasts for 15 seconds and frees the shaman from any roots or slows that might prevent them from moving. They also have access to the maelstrom weapon, another ability that dramatically increases their speed while casting spells. The shaman may build up stacks of this just by auto-attacking, and it can be used to perform spells instantly on occasion.
| Difficulty | Low |
| Single Target Damage | Moderate |
| AoE Damage | Moderate |
| Cleave Damage | Moderate |
B Tier
B Tier.The primary function of classes at this level in PvP is to fill a certain niche. They aren’t entirely unstoppable, but they can still do much damage in the proper hands. Still, they have potential if given the resources and guidance necessary to develop their talents and overcome their classes’ weaknesses.
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Balance Druid
We’re much improved over our past selves, but so is everyone else. As it turns out, our equivalents are rather good. When it comes to competitive play, Balance Druids, sometimes known as Boomkins, are in the center of the pack due to their primary strength, burst damage, especially when using Starfall. Even if Typhoon provides some protection, changing forms will likely be essential if they come under attack since so many of their abilities have already been deployed. They synergize well with other high-burst damage classes, too. Our primary weakness is that most of the significant improvements we received in WotLK were meant to increase our competitiveness in PvE rather than PvP.
For example, Eclipse gives us considerable damage but requires standing motionless and turrets Wrath and Starfire, which is impossible in WotLK. Particularly good melee DPS may zero in on you, preventing you from casting and eliminating you from the game. It’s not ideal that you’re not suffering as much damage as other casters but also not contributing much to damage yourself. The 3s competitions that Boomkin can participate in are pretty powerful, albeit they aren’t very formidable. In any case, it’s a considerable improvement over the 2v2 bracket, when you’d be a complete nightmare as a Balance. Grab a fellow caster and do some 3v3 action if you must play arena as a Boomkin.
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Single Target Damage | Moderate |
| AoE Damage | Very High |
| Cleave Damage | High |
Beast Mastery Hunter
Beast Mastery has never been a powerful PvP specialization since it lacks access to crucial control capabilities available to the other two specializations. The damage it does is where it excels and deals with much of it. Therefore, we share neither the advantages nor the disadvantages of the other specs; our CC is relatively poor, and Freezing Arrow is often resisted. Since we can’t utilize Deterrence if we’ve been disarmed, we’re likely to perish in such an encounter. Since our pet does most of its damage from beyond the line of sight and cannot be dead-zoned, we have a modest advantage in range and line of sight situations. They may want that strength, but MM covets many more of its strengths.
However, although Beast Mastery isn’t the worst specialty available, it’s also not the best. The game’s biggest flaw is that it follows a very formulaic pattern: to employ Bestial Wrath, you tunnel an absurd amount of damage into one enemy for 10 seconds while impervious to crowd control. You probably won’t win if you don’t murder someone in that time frame. To get it through the crucial 10 seconds, all that’s needed is some strategic usage of defensive cooldowns. Because of this, we have to be very selective about the comps we play in, and we need teammates that can also quickly pop an offensive cooldown and assist us in wiping an enemy in under a minute.
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Single Target Damage | Low |
| AoE Damage | Low |
| Cleave Damage | Low |
Shadow Priest
Multiple top-tier comps largely depend on our capabilities, which are pushed to the forefront by various damage, durability, and crowd management boosts. Of course, the build’s highlight is Dispersion. It gives us a substantial on-demand defensive cooldown and some much-needed mana regeneration on a relatively short cooldown due to the Glyph of Dispersion.
You’ll never be ultimately out of mana as a Shadow Priest in an arena match again. Non-Undead Shadow Priests benefit significantly from expanding Devouring Plague’s availability to all Priests. It does terrify damage over time thanks to the enhancements to Shadowform. Our most significant vulnerability has been addressed with the addition of immediate damage while dispelling Vampiric Touch.
It’s a formidable foe in the 2v2 and 3v3 categories, opening various competitive opportunities. However, we are especially vulnerable to having our concentration broken when interruptions prevent us from casting our most potent spells because of the cast times involved. This is incredibly frustrating since Arms Warriors and Unholy DKs may avoid our Psychic Scream and continue “teaching” us. Shadowplay (shadow priest, warlock, healer, or shaman).
This composition does much damage over time and in large bursts from the shadow priests. It only improves in the Wrath of the lich king due to buffs from the shadow priests and the warlocks. Thus, it will be placed in the B tier of the Wotlk PVP Tier List.
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Single Target Damage | High |
| AoE Damage | Moderate |
| Cleave Damage | Moderate |
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C Tier
C Tier.These classes are severely underrepresented in PvP. Most of these classes also have superior alternatives that excel in PvP combat. If you go with any of these classes, prepare for a tough fight. The C-Tier consists of the lowest quality classes. They’re not completely obsolete; they provide good counters and are sometimes a lot of fun to play.
Destruction Warlock
It is truly a roller-coaster of a spec. The reason for this meteoric increase is straightforward: in WotLK, our class-defining PvP talent, Soul Link. It is moved from the seventh row to the third. You are no longer restricted to playing as a Demonology hybrid Warlock. Any spec can take up this talent and become a tanking monster. However, the boosts don’t stop there.
Its durability is much stronger with the new skill Molten Skin & notably against casters with the redesigned Nether Protection. Destruction Warlock is a force to be reckoned with. We’re mighty early on when people have lower resilience amounts. In later seasons, we fall off slightly due to the rise of Arms Warriors, our natural counter. We remain powerful as spell haste, one of our most desired stats starts becoming more and more abundant, allowing us to cast so fast that it becomes hard to interrupt us. In caster-cleave teams, where we can synergize our damage with our partner in a combo and frequently kill players during Shadowfury’s two-second stun, we shine due to our incredible damage and control.
The 3v3 ladder may also be exceedingly unpleasant, as Arms Warrior / Unholy DK / Holy Paladin is one of the most excellent comps in the game. They’re a nightmare for you to battle, along with many other melee cleave teams. Don’t let that scare you away; we’re fantastic against everything else, particularly caster-cleave teams. As a result, it will be placed in the C tier.
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Single Target Damage | Moderate |
| AoE Damage | Moderate |
| Cleave Damage | Very High |
Frost Death Knight
Many individuals had unpleasant recollections of Death Knights’ sudden surge to prominence after their first release in 2008 when they were far more potent than now. The dust has cleared after some nerf and a significant talent redesign. Our Unholy brethren are still performing relatively well. Frost Death Knights do a lot of damage in a short time.
Almost all of the spec specializations in this setting are optimized toward player-against-player combat. If you use any of these lenses, prepare for a tough fight. A few of the abilities are suitable for PvP, such as Icy Talons, Chilblains, Improved Frost Presence, and Acclimation. Many classes and roles would give everything for an instant-cast area-of-effect incapacitate like Hungering Cold, especially with a cooldown of only one minute.
This makes us an easy target in a 3v3 arena, but in a 2v2 arena, where there is usually just one attacker. Our low survivability isn’t as much of an issue. Frost is fun to play in 2v2 with a healer companion. It is possible to level up to a respectable degree with it. However, it lacks exceptional comps, and you won’t do nearly as well in 3v3. So, you’ll have a hard time finding arena mates. As a result, it will be placed in the C tier of the Wotlk PVP Tier List.
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Single Target Damage | High |
| AoE Damage | High |
| Cleave Damage | High |
Preg Paladin
In terms of damage per second, the Preg build for Paladins is intriguing and has had massive success on private servers. It employs a one-handed weapon and shield that concentrate on spell power. Intend to accumulate a large amount of spell power (through the Sheath of Light talent) to increase crit chance.
Preg features are very similar to the game mechanics of Retribution. It makes it viable in the same arena compositions and shares many of its strengths and drawbacks. In about time, Preg surpassed pure Retribution in popularity on private servers. Still, it has yet to gain traction in Classic, prompting players to constantly argue whether it is viable, superior to pure Retribution, etc. We compared it to pure Retribution as a precaution, but only time will tell whether that was the right move. It would be great news for us, Retributions, if this proved to be a firm or even more viable form of Retributions since it’s a unique way to play our class.
This combo is SPP (Ellie shaman, prank paladin, and disc priest). It has a double dispel tremor totem and all three classes’ healing, control, and burst abilities. This PWP (preg paladin, arms warrior, and disc priest) combo not only has double dispel but also massive damage from the warrior and mortal strike.
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D Tier
D Tier.They lack the same PvP-appropriate tools as the tier above them. An innovative but one-dimensional approach may succeed under exceptional circumstances, but the other classes will always outmatch it. Classes that are so close to becoming feasible are that we have placed them in the D tier.
Protection Warrior
Shockwave and Concussion Blow are only two of the many powerful stuns available to Protection Warriors. Together with the muteness provided by Gag Order and the enhanced mobility provided by Warbringer, this group is unstoppable. This one may be relatively successful in conjunction with a high damage class. There are certain situations when this spec shines in the arena. Their strength comes from stockpiling a lot of Armor Pen and then doing a lot of burst damage.
When you land on a whole squad, you not only silence their kick but also stun them for five seconds if they contact or blast you. The Warbringer skill they get allows them to escape novas by interfering with a target and nullifying any mobility or pairing effects. As a bonus, they may utilize charge intercept and deter from any position than defensive when they are out of Mortal Strike.
The Protection Warrior specialization is one of the more unusual, and it’s not easy to rank it. As a 2v2 or 3v3 game, it’s almost ineligible for most tournaments. They’re tough to battle since they lack traditional strengths and weaknesses. For several seasons, the first place on the ladder went to a team that included a Protection Warrior.
Protection Paladin
The Protection Paladin, strengthened via a series of buffs, is now competitive in PvP due to its distinct advantages over the other two Paladin DPS specializations. When compared to Retribution. Paladins, Protection Paladins prioritize defense. They do less total damage and heal less throughout a burst. One way they try to keep a victim under their control is by using Avenging Wrath’s Shield of the Templar.
It is followed by Hammer of Justice to stun them and hopes that their teammate has dealt enough damage. The Protection Paladin learns several new tricks that aid it out in battle. As expected of a tank with a shield, your avenging shield renders your foe speechless for three seconds. You have access to Hammer of the Righteous, a destructive ability with a six-second cooldown.
You’ll have a more challenging time finding arena partners than if you played regular Ret, but once you do, you should perform all right. Given the fact that it’s a realistic possibility. Thus, it will be placed in the D tier of the Wotlk PVP Tier List.
Comparison Table
| Characters | Tier | Difficulty | Single Target Damage | AoE Damage | Cleave Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marksmanship Hunter | S | Moderate | Very High | Moderate | Moderate |
| Subtlety Rogue | S | Moderate | Very Low | Low | Low |
| Unholy Death Knight | S | Medium | Very High | High | High |
| Elemental Shaman | S | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Feral Druid | A | Medium | Very High | Very High | Moderate |
| Affliction Warlock | A | Medium | Very High | High | High |
| Frost Mage | A | Low | Low | Very Low | Very Low |
| Retribution Paladin | A | Moderate | High | High | High |
| Enhancement Shaman | A | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Balance Druid | B | Moderate | Moderate | Very High | High |
| Beast Mastery Hunter | B | Moderate | Low | Low | Low |
| Shadow Priest | B | Moderate | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| Destruction Warlock | C | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Very High |
| Preg Paladin | C | Medium | High | High | High |
Patch Notes V 3.4.2
The Version 3.4.2 patch notes introduce the following changes to World of Warcraft.
Culling of Stratholme:
- Holy Hand Grenade now applies Holy Imbuement buff to all players within a 30 yard radius of the explosion.
- Holy Imbuement
- Increases healing and damage by 20% for 20 seconds
Utgarde Keep and Utgarde Pinnacle:
- Upon removing Fire Blast on an Icy Path, players will now receive the Blistering Fury Buff.
- Blistering Fury
- Increases all crit chance % by 50% for 20 seconds
Azjol-Nerub and Ahn’kahet:
- Shadow Imbuement should now properly replicate AoE abilities across all targets that are hit and only remove a single charge of Shadow Imbuement when doing so.
Verdict
These 18 PvP DPS classes are among my favorites based on this ranking. It pains me to bring this up for debate, but it has to be done. My rating is based on how much damage they do in Wrath, but you may have a different opinion. Please feel free to leave your comments below. The analysis of DPS specs has always been a fun and calming hobby, but I’ve lately taken to doing it more often.
However, a DPS spec could be as competent as any other, despite its lack of notable achievements. That they haven’t been able to beat out other DPS classes in their tier, on the other hand, is a negative indicator. I gave each tier of this index much thought when putting it together. Since you love creating lists of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, you are the most valuable fan in the world. You’ve thoroughly read it. Give a pat yourself on the back.
I’m looking for feedback on how I should restructure the DPS classes. You shouldn’t feel forced to, to put it another way. Different players, even ones who love the same franchise, may have very different opinions on a game’s DPS classes. To reiterate, the placement of these DPS classes is based solely on my choice of damage delivered and how well a spec performs in different stages.
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