TBC Anniversary Class Tier List for Phase 1

TBC Anniversary Class Tier List for Phase 1 Quick Summary:

• This Tier List is adapted to the Anniversary Edition and reflects how classes perform under this version’s changes.
• This is an overall class tier list, not a per-role tier list.
• The best classes are: Hunter, Warlock, and Shaman. Want to know why? Keep reading.
• This article also includes: best classes for solo players, best classes for leveling, and best classes for new players.

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How Our Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary Tier List Works

There are a bunch of changes in the Anniversary edition that influence how classes perform both directly and indirectly. You have things like dual specializations (which were originally introduced in WoTLK) that allow you to easily change your build. Limitless buffs and debuffs should change how healers play their role. These are just a few things to keep in mind this time around.

So, we ranked each class based on real performance data from Burning Crusade Classic, combined with how those classes feel and function under Anniversary conditions. This TBC Classic Anniversary tier list is not built on theory alone. It reflects how classes actually perform in raids, dungeons, and everyday play.

We didn’t just copy pasted the old TBC Classic class tier list. Those Anniversary edition changes will make an impact on how some of the classes perform, especially in raids, and we made sure to reflect that in our rankings. Raidwide Bloodlust, post-nerf raids, and account-wide attunements make it easier for weaker early specs and reward consistency over extreme optimization. Classes that bring strong buffs, reliable throughput, and multiple viable roles tend to perform better overall.

How fast and simple a class is to gear and play are additional factors that were incorporated into the ranking. Ease of play, leveling efficiency, and ability to play solo all factor into the ranking of each class. The ability to dual spec is kind of nutty - you can switch your role in a raid should the need arise. So, it’s a bit of a game-changer for a lot of classes.

Tier definitions used in this list are simple and consistent.

•  S-Tier - Classes with top performance and flexibility in virtually all scenarios.
•  A-Tier - Classes with very strong performance that are slightly or situationally less flexible than the top tier.
•  B-Tier - Classes are solid and playable, but require better gear and group configuration to perform at the level that is expected of them.
• C-Tier - Classes that require more effort to achieve the same level of performance as the tier strands above.
• D-Tier -Classes that are seldom used for progression as they perform below expected levels and are less useful to have in raids.

This TBC Classic Anniversary class tier list reflects how classes perform right now in this special edition of the game. Personal skill still matters a lot, and any class can succeed in the right hands. Use this list as a guide, not a rulebook.

The Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary Class Tier List

Each class in TBC Anniversary has a clear identity; they’re unique, something that retail WoW had to go back to (if you know, you know). That said, some classes are more favorable and get more invites to a raid party, while others get only one spot in a party to fill some niche roles. This TBC best class tier list ranks them as a whole - raiding, dungeons, leveling, and gold farming. Everything counts. But we will do separate tier lists for each of the roles in the future. So, stay tuned!

One more thing about ranking - you must want to know how valuable each class is across Karazhan and Magtheridon’s Lair. We made sure to take that into account for Phase 1. Since Anniversary uses post-nerf raids, raidwide Bloodlust, and highly alt-friendly systems, the gap between tiers is slightly smaller than it was in early TBC Classic. Still, some classes clearly stand above the rest. So, here are our Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary class rankings:

Tier	Classes
S-Tier	Hunter, Warlock, Shaman
A-Tier	Paladin, Mage, Priest
B-Tier	Druid, Warrior
C-Tier	Rogue

Now let’s take a closer look at each class and explain why it lands in its current tier. Keep in mind that while Anniversary quality of life changes make the game more forgiving, they do not fundamentally change class strength. These rankings reflect how classes perform right now in early TBC raid content.

• Hunter once again takes the cake for having the highest DPS, at least statistically. Beast Mastery spec is the best one in single-target damage in Phase 1, while Survival brings Expose Weakness, making Hunters valuable even if your hands are not growing from your shoulders. Specs are viable throughout the expansion, doing well in early gear, and fit easily into any raid composition.
• Warlocks are also up there in the DPS leaderboards, but with added utility. Destruction, Demonology, and Affliction are all very much needed in raids, thanks to the Seed of Corruption AoE curses, Healthstones, and Soulstones. Their damage is hard to ignore, which makes Warlocks a core raid class.
• Shamans could be a lot to deal with for new players, but they’re so good in the right hands thanks to buffs like Bloodlust and spec variety. Resto is the top healer in Phase 1, Elemental does extremely well early on, and Enhancement provides lots of buffs for melee classes, which is just a chef’s kiss. Even with raidwide Bloodlust in Anniversary, Shamans are still going to be in demand because their utility goes far beyond that single cooldown.
• Paladins are a strong and reliable all-around class. Protection Paladins are the best pick for dungeon and AoE tanking while remaining effective in raids. Holy Paladins provide great tank healing and powerful blessings, and Retribution brings important raid buffs despite lower raw damage. Their flexibility and utility keep them firmly in A-Tier.
• Mages are still the glass canons with teleport (blink). Fire and Arcane both perform well in Phase 1, and every raid benefits from crowd control, Intellect buffs, food, and Spellsteal. While not quite as dominant as Hunters or Warlocks, Mages remain a staple DPS class.
• Priests are still being requested (crying in chat) for every instance activity, because you can’t really replace a sound healer with a slightly worse one. Holy Priests are strong healers because they have their heals and buffs for every situation, while Shadow Priests are required for mana regeneration and caster support. Their damage does not grow as much as that of top DPS classes, but good priests can both heal and deal noticeable damage. If your healer deals more damage than DPS, something’s up.
• Druids are flexible but specialized. Feral Tanks are one of the best tanks, and they only get better with phasesl, but Balance and Restoration lag slightly behind other options in Phase 1. Druids bring powerful utility like Innervate and Rebirth, yet they are rarely stacked, keeping them in the middle of the pack overall.
• Warriors aren’t actually that beefy as they were in Classic. Protection Warriors are very solid early tanks, but DPS Warriors struggle to compete with ranged classes in Phase 1. Arms brings a valuable debuff, yet only one is needed, making raid spots competitive.
• Rogues fall into C-Tier early on due to lower raid damage and limited utility compared to other melee classes. While Combat Rogues improve later with gear and bring Expose Armor, they struggle in Phase 1’s ranged-favored environment. They remain strong in PvP and get even better in later phases, but early raiding is rough.

Each class can succeed with the right setup and player skill, but this Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary tier list reflects how they perform right now in early Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary content. Next, we’ll break things down further with the full spec tier list.

S-Tier Explained

These are the top classes TBC Classic Anniversary when it comes to everything you could ever need - utility and reliability in Phase 1. With good skills and class knowledge, they just farm Karazhan, Gruul’s Lair, and Magtheridon’s Lair, even with early gear. Anniversary changes like raidwide Bloodlust and post-nerf raids make these specs even more consistent, but their position at the top remains unchanged from TBC Classic.

Beast Mastery Hunter

There’s no doubt, Beast Mastery is the DPS king of early TBC. You’ll often hear players say that some Hunter spec will always be in the meta.

You’ll never have any problems with single-target encounters like elites and whatnot. With very little setup, you’ll be super useful even in pre-raid and early raid gear. A large portion of its damage comes from the pet, which now scales properly in TBC, making the spec far less gear-dependent than most melee or caster options. It performs well in every Phase 1 raid and requires minimal raid support to shine.

Survival Hunter

Survival Hunters gain their S-Tier ranking primarily from their raid utility rather than their overall damage output. Expose Weakness offers Warriors, Rogues, and other Hunters a huge boost to physical damage, which is more than the personal DPS they provide, which is a bit lower than Beast Mastery. Just the damage alone will guarantee you a spot in a raid party. In optimized raid comps, Survival Hunters are close to mandatory, and they also do very well with the other physical DPS. BLOG20

Destruction Warlock

Destruction Warlocks have fantastic single-target and AoE damage with great utility in raids. Shadow Destruction will be your most stable option in the beginning since it brings great Shadow Bolt damage and benefits from Improved Shadow Bolt debuffs from multiple Warlocks. In Phase 1, Seed of Corruption provides Warlocks with unrivaled AoE damage, which makes them extremely valuable in fights with a lot of trash.

Demonology Warlock

Demonology spec is great in early TBC for having lots of options for dealing sustained damage and pet scaling, particularly on damage-movement or mechanic-movement fights. The Felguard continues to deal damage, even in situations where the Warlock cannot, for example, in Magtheridon and Gruul. Managing a pet in and out of a fight may add a layer of complexity, but the reward is consistently high-level performance on the damage meter.

Arcane Mage

Arcane Mage is one of the strongest caster DPS in Phase 1. The one-button annihilation with instant damage and scaling from the talents Arcane is phenomenal in short and medium fight durations. The main challenge is mana control, but with enough support from Shadow Priests and Restoration Shamans, Arcane Mage stays at the top of the chart for damage.

Elemental Shaman

Elemental Shamans are more viable in this expansion. They can compete with Warlocks in DPS, especially in Phases 1 and 2. But damage isn’t the only thing they’re good for. Their utility, like Totem of Wrat, which increasesthe party’s spell crit and hit chance by 3% each, always comes in handy. At the same time, leveling is best done with enhancement, which is the melee DD spec.

I’ve played as Elemental Shaman, picking this class for the first time. I thought it was pretty complex, because there’s just a lot of spells that are actually useful, so you gotta click on a lot of icons in your action bar. At the same time, Shamans, especially Elemental spec has a lot of cool spells, so it feels like you’re playing a different version of mage with a unique magic source.

Restoration Shaman

In early TBC, restoration shamans are arguably the most prominent healers. Chain Heal is the most prominent heal in the raid, plus the additional mana support via Mana Tide Totem is crucial, and Earth Shield adds tank mitigation. Even with the anniversary event Bloodlust, the shamans’ totem support and overall healing make them indispensable.

Switching from Elemental to restoration shaman spec feels really good. Being able to heal yourself and your party while still keeping most of your damaging spells is just amazing. You aren’t sacrificing your damage potential much, but playing the support role on the same character is a new experience, which I loved.

A-Tier Explained

A-Tier specs are powerful, reliable, and highly desirable, but they either lack the raw dominance of S-Tier or are more situational. These specs perform very well in Phase 1 raids and are core parts of most raid compositions.

Protection Warrior

Protection Warriors are the strongest main tanks at the very start of TBC. Their defensive cooldowns, block-based mitigation, and strong threat generation make them extremely reliable for early progression. While their damage grows slower than Feral Druids later, Phase 1 is where Warriors feel safest and most complete as main tanks.

Feral Tank Druid

Feral Tanks offer massive effective health pools and the highest threat generation among tanks. They are good off-tanks and become incredible main tanks as Phase 1 progresses. Early gearing is slightly weaker than Warriors, which keeps them just below S-Tier at the very start, but their long-term value is undeniable.

Protection Paladin

As we keep saying, Protection Paladins are a must-have for dungeon and AoE tanking and are extremely valuable in raids for multi-target encounters. Consecration gives unmatched AoE threat, and their utility through Blessings and Judgements is always welcome. The lack of strong defensive cooldowns keeps them out of S-Tier, but they are still a core raid tank.

Holy Priest

Who has the most adaptable healing toolkit in Phase 1? Holy Priests. They are always wanted in raids for secondary healing due to the raid-wide healing, great emergency buttons, and strong buffs. They are not as efficient as Restoration Shamans, but they remain some of the most reliable healers in all raid content.

Holy Paladin

Holy Paladins are good at tank healing and provide some of the strongest raid buffs in the game. While their healing style is more limited compared to other healers, their efficiency, survivability, and utility secure them a stable spot in most raid comps.

Fire Mage

Fire Mage performs extremely well in Phase 1 thanks to strong crit scaling and powerful burst windows. It shines on longer fights and AoE-heavy encounters. While Arcane slightly edges it out early, Fire remains a strong and competitive DPS option.

Enhancement Shaman

Enhancement Shamans bring huge value to melee groups through Windfury Totem, Unleashed Rage, and Bloodlust. Their personal DPS is solid, and their utility makes them highly desirable. Raidwide Bloodlust slightly reduces stacking pressure, but Enhancement remains one of the best melee supports in Phase 1.

 

B-Tier Explained

B-Tier specs are fully viable and often required, but they rely more heavily on raid composition, gear, or niche roles. They perform well but are rarely stacked.

Shadow Priest

Shadow Priests are mandatory for raids due to Vampiric Touch and caster support. While their personal DPS falls behind top casters, the mana regeneration they provide effectively adds another healer to the raid. You rarely bring more than one, but you always want one.

Retribution Paladin

Retribution Paladins offer strong raid buffs and situational utility, especially in 25-player raids. Their damage is respectable but not competitive with top DPS specs. Group composition heavily affects their performance, keeping them in B-Tier despite their usefulness.

Balance Druid

Balance Druids provide valuable raid buffs through Improved Faerie Fire and Moonkin Aura. Their damage is solid but mana-intensive, and they require careful play to maintain uptime. They are often brought for utility rather than raw output.

Combat Rogue

Combat Rogues perform better than other Rogue specs in Phase 1 and bring Expose Armor, which is valuable for physical DPS comps. However, their damage is gear-dependent, and melee struggles in early TBC raids keep them from higher tiers.

Frost Mage

Frost Mage offers good control and survivability but falls behind Fire and Arcane in raid DPS. It remains viable and safe, especially for players who value consistency over peak damage.

C-Tier Explained

C-Tier specs are playable but face significant limitations in Phase 1. They often struggle with scaling, raid desirability, or competition from stronger alternatives.

Arms Warrior

Arms Warriors are mainly brought for Blood Frenzy, and only one is needed per raid. Their personal DPS is limited in early gear, and melee-unfriendly mechanics hold them back in Phase 1.

Fury Warrior

Fury Warriors deal solid damage but bring no essential raid utility. With poor early scaling and strong competition for melee slots, they struggle to justify a raid spot early on.

Feral DPS Druid

Feral DPS has improved significantly compared to Classic, but it still lacks the raid utility and cleave potential needed to compete with pure DPS specs. Feral shines far more as a tank than as a dedicated DPS in Phase 1.

Marksmanship Hunter

Marksmanship underperforms compared to Beast Mastery and Survival in Phase 1. While playable, it lacks the damage and utility that make other Hunter specs dominant early on.

Assassination Rogue

Assassination Rogues struggle with scaling and offer little raid utility. They are outclassed by Combat and suffer heavily from Phase 1’s ranged-favored environment.

Subtlety Rogue

Subtlety is primarily a PvP spec in TBC. Its raid damage and utility are insufficient for competitive PvE, making it one of the weakest options for Phase 1 raiding.

Best Classes for Beginners in The Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary

Some classes are relatively easy to learn for new players and do not require them to master difficult rotations to do well in their party. Updates to The Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary, such as dual spec, make such classes an even safer option for new players or returning players to the game because they give them the chance to spec into different roles without the chance of losing the ability to perform their favorite class role.

1. Hunter
2. Paladin
3. Mage

Hunter is the Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary best class to recommend to beginners. Having a pet to draw aggro and take hits for the player, and being able to attack from a distance, provides additional safety. Besides, there is even a chance for new players to prove their value in the endgame because Beast Mastery and Survival specs have good raiding potential.

Paladins are a great option for players wanting to have multiple roles without the hassle of switching between characters. In Phase 1, all 3 specs are strong, and players can choose Protection Paladins, Holy Paladins, or Retribution Paladins to work their way through the content. Their strong defense and raid utility help players who may struggle with positioning.

Mages have the most straightforward playstyle if you want to deal ranged damage. You’ll be able to use a wide range of spells, crowd control, portals, etc., to always be useful in raids or outside of combat. Fire and Arcane specs are pretty strong early on. And you have to admit that ranged spellcasters are the safest bet for new players all day long.

Best Classes for Leveling in The Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary

Best classes for leveling are usually those that can use minions. Most of them have a lot of health and can reliably tank damage, reducing your downtime. What’s downtime? Whenever your health gets too low or whenever your resources like mana are too low and you can’t cast anything to deal damage, you’re forced to stop and heal up. Every second you’re not gaining XP is considered a waste; that’s why classes that can avoid downtime entirely are the best at leveling. Things like being able to solo elites or farm not just one mob but a pack are also important. So, what classes do we think are best for this? Here’s the list:

• Hunter
• Warlock
• Paladin

Hunters are a no-brainer choice. They’re the easiest class to level up as they’re the perfect mix - ranged damage dealers with a pet who can tank damage while you cast your skills from a safe distance.

Warlocks are here for the same reason. Pets tank, DoTs do the work, and self-healing through Drain Life and Healthstones keeps you going nonstop. Even mistakes are easy to recover from, making Warlocks one of the safest solo leveling picks.

Paladins level steadily and safely. While slower than Hunters or Warlocks, their survivability will allow you to tank elites solo. Besides, you have healing spells that you can use mid-combat. You can pull multiple enemies, survive bad situations, and swap roles easily once you reach level 70. This is one of the best melee classes for leveling, unlike warriors. Sorry!

Best Solo Classes in The Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary

Solo play rewards classes that can heal themselves, control fights, and survive mistakes. These are the Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary best classes to play solo:

1. Hunter
2. Warlock
3. Druid

Hunters is a class made for a solo playstyle. With minimal pet control, you can do a lot and cover most of the game on your own. Unlike rogues or warriors who would feel much better with some other class by their side, hunters aredefenitely more self-sustained thanks to things like Feign Death.

Warlocks, unsurprisingly, are the same. They have both sustained and controlled. Pets just absorb the damage, while you use damage over time spells and drain the enemy’s health. So, you’ll be very comfortable farming in high-population spots or doing elite quests.

Druids are here because they have the 3 forms that make them super independent. Your bear form lets you tank damage from elites or packs. You’ll run faster in cat form. Besides, you have enough healing and buff spells to make your solo playstyle as easy as possible. Druids are just considered by WoW players as the best class for solo players who aren’t in the market for pet-oriented gameplay.

Read our other TBC Classic Anniversary guides:

• Leveling Guide
• Gearing Guide
• PvP Classes Tier List
• Profession Leveling Guide

F.A.Q.