WoW Forever seems to have done a solid job of giving every race a reason to be picked, even if a few clear winners emerge for each class. In this WoW Forever Tier List, we sort out the best class and race combo rankings for PvE and PvP!
WoW Forever Tier List - Best Class & Race Combos Ranked
World of Warcraft Forever brings a fresh wave of race and class combinations along with revamped racial abilities that change how players approach both PvE and PvP. From orc mages and undead paladins to gnome priests and the brand new Skyborn race, the character creation screen has more viable picks than ever before. Racials now scale with gear in some cases, active abilities have been reworked, and passive bonuses have been rebalanced to give nearly every race a reason to be picked.
To help you decide which combination fits your playstyle, the following tier list ranks the strongest race options for each class across both factions. Let's walk through every class one by one, starting with the plate wearers and working down to the casters and hybrids.
Warrior Class Race Tier List - Best Races for Warrior
Warrior benefits most from raw burst damage and survivability, and two races clearly rise to the top of the list.
Horde Ranking:
Orc - Blood Fury now scales off total attack power and spell power, giving 10% of the full amount for 15 seconds without the old healing debuff attached. All four racials are strong, and axe specialization pairs nicely with weapon choice.
Troll - Berserking gives 10% attack and cast speed, and rapid regeneration plus the 10% in-combat health regen offers real self-healing that warriors normally lack.
Undead - Touch of the Grave can proc a chance-based drain on attacks, potentially draining up to 5% of max HP per hit.
Tauren - War Stomp plus 5% total health and 1% hit chance keeps this pick tanky and reliable.
Skyborn - The 1% haste from Wind Blessed is decent, though the race feels a bit weak overall for warrior.
Alliance Ranking:
Night Elf - Elune's Light gives a 10% crit chance for 15 seconds, which stacks beautifully with Death Wish and Recklessness for a massive burst window.
Gnome - Eureka provides 10% bonus damage and reduced cost on the next three abilities, plus the extra rage from expansive mind removes snares through escape artist.
Human - Only competitive if you're wielding a sword, thanks to the 2% crit boost on spells and abilities.
Dwarf - Stone Form is nice for PvP, but overall dwarf feels rough for warrior.
Skyborn - The 1% haste is minor and not particularly attractive here.
Hunter Class Race Tier List - Best Races for Hunter
Moving on to the ranged specialists, hunter has a clear winner on horde and one of the most exciting new combos on alliance.
Horde Ranking:
Orc - Blood Fury's scaling attack power is too strong to pass up, and the axe crit works if you melee weave with an axe.
Troll - Berserking and beast slaying pair really well since hunters spend a lot of time hitting beasts.
Tauren - Good if you want a chunkier hunter with the 5% health and 1% hit chance.
Skyborn - The 1% haste is a solid passive, though not as impactful as the horde alternatives.
Alliance Ranking:
Night Elf - The 10% crit active is fantastic for PvE burst, and shadow meld gives strong PvP utility.
Human - The brand new human hunter combo works nicely with a sword equipped, thanks to sword spec.
Dwarf - Big game hunter gives 5% damage to beasts, which fits hunter thematically but isn't a top damage pick.
Skyborn - Sits at the bottom for hunter due to weaker offensive racials.
Rogue Class Race Tier List - Best Races for Rogue
Rogues live and die by their burst windows, and the new racials line up with that playstyle almost perfectly.
Horde Ranking:
Orc - Four strong racials, with Blood Fury being the standout for opener burst.
Troll - Attack speed from Berserking is a natural fit for combo point generation.
Undead - Will of the Forsaken plus Touch of the Grave gives huge PvP value.
Skyborn - The weakest rogue option on horde.
Alliance Ranking:
Gnome - Eureka's three bonus-damage abilities work perfectly with rogue burst, and expansive mind adds 5 extra energy.
Night Elf - The active crit buff synergizes very well with the rogue burst window.
Human - The best pick if you plan to run a sword rogue build.
Dwarf - Mace specced dwarf could work in theory, but it's the weakest alliance option.
Skyborn - Similar to horde, not much reason to pick this over the others.
Mage Class Race Tier List - Best Races for Mage
For mages, the new orc mage combo is one of the most talked about additions, but gnome remains a powerhouse on alliance.
Horde Ranking:
Orc - Blood Fury now boosts spell power by 10% of total, which is huge for scaling.
Troll - Berserking's cast speed is excellent for burst turns.
Undead - Will of the Forsaken is great for PvP fear breaks.
Skyborn - The 1% haste passive is fine but not exciting.
Alliance Ranking:
Gnome - Eureka combined with Combustion sets up huge ignite windows, and expansive mind gives 5% max mana.
Human - Strong if you end up with a top-tier caster sword and want the 5% spirit.
Skyborn - The 1% haste and slow fall equivalent from walk on air are decent.
Dwarf - Not an option for mage at launch.
Warlock Class Race Tier List - Best Races for Warlock
Warlock brings us to another new combo with troll warlocks, which look strong out of the gate.
Horde Ranking:
Troll - Rapid regeneration plus the 10% in-combat health regen pairs with life tap perfectly, and Berserking speeds up your casts.
Orc - Blood Fury's spell power scaling is still excellent for warlock damage.
Undead - Touch of the Grave with drain life and siphon life could produce almost no downtime while farming.
Alliance Ranking:
Gnome - Expansive mind, escape artist, and Eureka give warlock everything it wants.
Human - A backup option that can shine if you land a strong caster sword.
Priest Class Race Tier List - Best Races for Priest
Priests didn't get many new combos on horde, but gnome priest is one of the most exciting new alliance additions.
Horde Ranking:
Shadow: Troll for Berserking cast speed.
Holy/Discipline: Troll for the same reason, with rapid regeneration adding some self-sustain.
Undead works as a strong alternative thanks to Will of the Forsaken.
Alliance Ranking:
Shadow: Gnome, since Eureka is busted with shadow spells and expansive mind gives more mana.
Holy/Discipline: Human for the 5% spirit, or Night Elf if you want quickness and shadow meld.
Dwarf sits at the bottom of the list here.
Paladin Class Race Tier List - Best Races for Paladin
Paladin is the simplest class to sort out since horde only has one option, and alliance has a clear frontrunner.
Horde Ranking:
Undead is the only choice and a strong one thanks to Will of the Forsaken plus Touch of the Grave.
Alliance Ranking:
Human - Sword spec is fantastic for retribution and prot, and will to survive removes stuns.
Dwarf - Stone Form removes bleeds, but paladins already cleanse poison and disease.
Shaman Class Race Tier List - Best Races for Shaman
With dwarves now able to be shamans, the alliance side finally gets access to totems, and there are strong picks for every spec.
Horde Ranking:
Orc - Enhancement shaman double dips on Blood Fury with both attack power and spell power scaling, making this the top pick.
Troll - Resto shaman should absolutely go troll for the Berserking cast speed on healing spells.
Tauren - A tankier option with War Stomp and 5% health.
Skyborn - The least impactful option for shaman.
Alliance Ranking:
Dwarf is the only pick available and works well thanks to Stone Form defense.
Skyborn is the alternative if you want a bit of haste and elemental damage bonus.
Druid Class Race Tier List - Best Races for Druid
Druid is one of the few classes where Skyborn actually stands as a solid recommendation, especially for resto.
Horde Ranking:
Tauren - Feral druids benefit from the 5% HP and 1% hit if they end up off-tanking mobs.
Skyborn - Boomkin and resto druids appreciate the 1% haste and the lay line ability that acts as a mini innervate.
Alliance Ranking:
Night Elf - Boomkin and feral both love the 10% crit active from Elune's Light.
Skyborn - Resto druids will likely go Skyborn for the lay line mana regen ability.
New Race and Class Additions Worth Trying
Aside from the tier rankings above, several fresh combinations are worth calling out for their sheer novelty and gameplay potential.
Undead Paladin - Finally filling the horde paladin slot without needing blood elves, and Touch of the Grave adds a fun life drain layer.
Orc Mage - The scaling Blood Fury spell power makes this arguably the strongest horde caster race.
Gnome Priest - Shadow priest gnomes could be extremely powerful thanks to Eureka.
Human Hunter - A combo that fans have wanted for years, and sword spec makes melee weaving viable.
Dwarf Shaman - Alliance shaman is finally here, and dwarf shamans have a classic look that many players love.
Troll Warlock - Rapid regeneration and the passive regen make trolls a natural fit for life tap heavy specs.
Skyborn Druid - The brand new race comes with completely new druid forms that look fantastic.
These picks are based on pre-beta information and racial values could shift once players get hands-on time with the game on September 17th. Take these rankings as a starting point rather than a locked-in plan, and pick the combo that fits how you actually want to play. After all, having fun with your character matters just as much as squeezing out that extra 1% of performance.