TBC Anniversary DPS Tier List for Phase 1

TBC Anniversary DPS Tier List Quick Summary:

• Arcane Mage is the absolute best DPS in TBC Anniversary during the current Phase due to its massive burst and strong cooldowns.
• Other S-Tier specs like Beast Mastery Hunter, Fury Warrior, Demonology Warlock, and Destruction Warlock also have amazing burst damage and can deal the highest damage in any PvE content.
• A-Tier specs perform well but need better timing, execution, or setup. A few examples are Elemental Shaman, Survival Hunter, and Arms Warrior.
• Beginners in TBC Anniversary would have an easier start with BM Hunter, Fury Warrior, and Retribution Paladin, along with Frost and Fire Mage specs.

No matter what spec you’re going to pick after reading this guide, your path stays the same after the expansion goes live. You will need a ton of in-game currency for comfortable gameplay. At Skycoach, you can Get TBC Anniversary Gold at the best market price and save days of grinding.

How We Choose the Best DPS Classes

Every tier list remains a bit subjective since any player has their own preferences. I’ve tried to create a tier list from a real gameplay perspective. This means I’m not describing perfect rotations, ideal uptime, or a dream setup you’re not likely to get when playing a few hours a day. Instead, I’m looking at what a spec does in normal Phase 1 boss fights. These are the criteria I’ve relied on when choosing the best DPS classes in TBC Anniversary:

• Damage Output: This is obviously the core, as your spec should be pushing the highest number to be useful in a raid. You wanna choose the one that can deal burst damage and have a variety of rotations for both single-target and AoE encounters. The idea here is simple, and you just want a spec that unloads a ton of damage without being played as a pianist.
• Consistency: Your raid party will rely on how well you’re doing perfect timing, crits, and positioning. Certain specs are better at this because they keep dealing overwhelming damage consistently. You might not be the best at playing them, but you’re still doing what you’re meant to do. This is especially true for beginners, as they won’t hit that ceiling every time and want to play something easier instead.
• Utility and Buffs: This might not seem that important, but only at first. If two specs are close in damage numbers, the one that brings something extra to the raid wins. The choice will depend on the particular raid comp for sure, but this is what usually happens in practice.

Note: You can clear all the content in the Burning Crusade by playing the spec you actually like. Don’t follow the tier list blindly just because you see specific TBC Classic Anniversary DPS ranked like this. All that can change when a minor patch comes out and brings a list of buffs and nerfs, completely reorganizing the meta. Pick what you like and enjoy the game.

If you want to look beyond dealing damage, I’ve also covered Healer and Tank tier lists for TBC Anniversary. There’s a full class tier list available too, paired with a YouTube video for a quick overview.

Current DPS Rankings for TBC Anniversary

I’ve specifically made it clear that this is a tier list for the ongoing meta. We’re talking about Phase 1. Early expansion. This is not what you remember from TBC Classic back in 2021. Certain specs are played differently now, and they come in a reimagined version of themselves. Check out the current DPS rankings for TBC Anniversary:

Don’t accept these WoW TBC Anniversary DPS rankings at face value, as I sometimes appear subjective. Personally, I would put BM Hunters and Destro Warlocks in the S-Tier in any situation. Doesn’t matter what’s going on in the meta, huh. My advice is to do the same, but you’re also free to pick those other S-Tier monsters that are obviously crushing in Phase 1, like Arcane Mage here.

S-Tier Explained

The name speaks for itself, as we’ve got the strongest DPS you can go for in TBC Anniversary. The specs you see in the S-Tier are strong and will do excellently in any content. Do you enjoy raids? No problem. The same goes for dungeons or World Bosses. They’re absolute beasts, but they come in different skill ceilings. Those playing as Arcane Mages would definitely suffer more from rotation learning than those playing as Fury Warriors.

Arcane Mage

Arcane Mage is the best DPS in TBC Anniversary that annihilates any PvE content and stays relevant at any stage of the game. And I don’t really see an argument against it. This spec fits both early and late-game encounters with a ton of frontloaded damage it offers.

Everything Arcane does revolves around go buttons. Arcane Power, Icy Veins, trinkets, all stacked together, and suddenly the boss health just starts disappearing. There’s no warm-up period. You press your buttons, and you’re instantly doing what a raid comp expects from you. Arcane Blast also adds extra consistency, as it scales well.

Yes, you’ve got Mana management problems, but that’s what almost every caster struggles with. You still have the highest single-target DPS when playing Arcane, and you’re also doing well when it comes to AoE.

Beast Mastery Hunter

Seems like BM Hunter will stick around forever just because of the consistency it brings. Beast Master Hunt is top DPS in TBC Classic and entire WoW (joking) if you’re okay with playing with a pet. Basically, all your gameplay revolves around it. This little fella you have is what makes your damage output so massive. See what also matters when choosing BM Hunter as your main DPS:

1. Your Bestial Wrath is key to burst on demand and what shapes your playstyle
2. Pet damage carries hard, especially early on
3. Amazing damage against single targets

You also don’t have problems with rotation learning, and you’ll be able to stay relevant throughout all Phase 1 and maybe even further.

Fury Warrior

Fury Warrior is also on top of the TBC Anniversary DPS meta, and appears everywhere in Phase 1. Every time you look at damage, Fury is there, right near the top, just smashing. And no, that’s not some weird coincidence. All that is thanks to your go buttons like Death Wish, Recklessness, and Bloodthirst. The last one lets you live and keep dealing damage nonstop.

Yeah, gear matters, but that’s true for everyone. Once Fury has weapons and cooldowns lined up, it’s scary. You’ll be the one who delivers the grandest damage spikes in your raid. And all that is yours with one of the simplest rotations to learn in the game.

Demonology Warlock

In my opinion, Demonology Warlock is the strongest DPS in TBC Anniversary due to Felguard alone, but you’ve also got a ton of caster potential. It can’t be compared to Arcane Mage, but at the same time, it’s much more fun to play this spec, and you don’t suffer with rotation learning that much. But this is also one of those specs people keep sleeping on, and I honestly don’t get it.

Your damage comes from stacking the right stats and letting Demonic Knowledge do its thing. Once that engine is running, your Shadow Bolt comes in and finishes the fight. You don’t have any downtime to suffer from.

That’s not all, of course. You’ve got Summon Felguard, and trust me, your Felguard has everything you ever wanted. Amazing damage and extra tanking to protect you during the busiest fights.

Destruction Warlock

Destruction Warlock is still really strong in Phase 1 of WoW TBC Anniversary, even if some people don’t like where it landed. Shadow Bolt spam has always worked, and it keeps working today. You don’t have a flashy “everything dies now” moment, and that’s why it’s not the absolute top anymore. But consistency counts.

I would honestly put it together with other S-Tier contenders just because I like it personally. Yet Destro Warlock is actually among good DPS classes in the Burning Crusade Anniversary due to the following:

• Very stable single-target damage
• Strong cleave and AoE when needed
• Easy to play at a high level

What else do you need, huh? You’re not Arcane Mage for sure, but you’re dealing a ton of damage every single pull and staying “explosive” if that's what you can say about the spec in WoW. BLOG20

A-Tier Explained

Well, the specs sitting in the A-Tier are strong and deserve your attention. The only thing that makes them different from the ones in the S-Tier are they’re slightly less consistent/harder to learn. But don’t let the meta lead you blindly, as they’re amazing and can deal with things some S-Tier specs can’t. I’ll go over each one and explain why you want to play someone else except for Arcane Mage, lmao.

Elemental Shaman

Elemental Shaman is just… nice in Phase 1. That’s the best way to put it. It’s NOT the most picked DPS in TBC Anniversary, but the numbers are there, and post-nerf fights really suit it. You press your buttons, things happen, damage goes out.

You’ve got your basic stuff like Lightning Bolt to annihilate a solo target and Chain Lightning to deal AoE damage when needed. All that comes with Elemental Mastery that gives that little “okay, now we go” moment. And yes, Mana issues are here again, but this is what you have to deal with as a caster.

Survival Hunter

Survival Hunter might not be as strong as the BM spec, but its Expose Weakness is the only factor that will make anyone want you in their raid party. As for the damage part, you’ve got Explosive Trap that primarily works against multiple enemies, but can be good against solo targets as well.

There you’ll also have Serpent Sting for burst and Steady Shot to deal repeatable damage. And your Kill Command still does exactly what it’s supposed to do (just don’t forget to press it on cooldown).

Arms Warrior

Similar to the Surv Hunter spec, Arms Warriors never look too crazy on paper. Yet they bring the wildest debuff called Blood Frenzy. This single button boosts the Physical damage of each raid member. But that’s about it. Other than that, you don’t have anything that would make anyone want more than one Arms Warrior in a party.

You still have stuff like Slam and all that, but that’s for extra pressure. See what makes Arms Warrior strong:

• Strong, consistent single-target damage that only becomes better thanks to Mortal Strike and the healing-reduced debuff it applies
• Scales well early without needing perfect gear, which is also a plus for beginners
• Always relevant in longer boss fights

This spec is fun to play despite not taking its place in the S-Tier. I would actually recommend going for Arms Warrior if you’re a beginner in TBC Anniversary. That’s a great spec to start your journey with due to easier rotations, survivability, and the overall impact you have in any content.

Combat Rogue

You see that Combat Rogue takes the A-Tier, and two other specs of the same class are in the D-Tier. Why is that so? The only reason is the new Combat Potency talent only the Combat spec gets. Generating Energy with a 20% proc chance when attacking with an off-hand sounds like a dream for many. Now it’s reality.

Other important buttons like Adrenaline Rush and Blade Flurry stay here, too. The last one is especially nice for the fast burst damage you people expect from you in raids. The rotation is not that difficult either, but you’ll need to spend some time getting used to it. After that, you’ll melt any bosses.

Retribution Paladin

Ret Paladin might not be that strong in terms of raw DPS, but its utility and buffs brought to the raid party can hardly be matched. I’m talking about Improved Seal of the Crusader and Improved Sanctity Aura to boost each raid member’s damage.

Returning to the raw damage topic, you still have some stuff to offer. Avenging Wrath for extra burst, as well as Consecration against multiple enemies. And you’ve also got Divine Shield for invulnerability that always stays as your super button.

Other Tiers Explained

You’ll notice there aren’t separate deep dive sections for B, C, and D Tier specs. That’s not an accident, and it’s not because those specs are “bad” or unplayable. I just understand that most players who are here to learn about the DPS rankings in WoW TBC Anniversary won’t play those specs from lower tiers. The choice usually stops at someone from the S or A tiers.

That’s understandable, and I’m not here to judge. They’re the best picks, and they shape the meta in Phase 1. The highest-rated specs are also the most-picked ones (especially those from the S-Tier). And let’s be honest, everyone wants to deal the highest number in raids and be praised whenever the final boss falls.

Once you drop below that, the story becomes pretty similar. These specs can work, but they need more effort, better timing, or very specific setups to keep up. At that point, it’s less about ranking and more about personal preference and execution.

Read our other TBC Classic Anniversary guides:

• Leveling Guide
• Gearing Guide
• PvP Classes Tier List
• Gold Farming Guide

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