Help Choosing Class for TBC Classic

WoW Classic Mists of Pandaria Classic Discussion
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I’m asking for help in preparing for TBC Classic. I’m a casual player (meaning I don’t have a lot of time to play) and average skill level (meaning I am experienced from having played for a long time but never at the highest levels of PVE or PVP). I tanked with a warrior in Wrath, but otherwise stuck with DPS specs (mostly Mage and some Ret). I have never healed, but I am open to learning all roles. I intend to do dungeons, raids, and might even give PVP a try.

I would like to take the TBC character into Wrath, so if there are classes that work well for both expansions that would be a big bonus. Given time constraints, I’ll have only one main (and maybe one alt).

Based on my research so far, I have narrowed it down to Hunter, Paladin, Shaman, and Warlock. Other than Paladin, I haven’t played any of these classes extensively (or at all). Here’s a quick rundown of my perception of the pluses and minuses of the classes:

Hunter: I like the class fantasy and believe a pet would be very helpful in open world content. I’m a little concerned about pet management in raids and dungeons. I have heard of the 1 button macro for BM Hunter which would suit my “average skill level” nicely, but I’m concerned about managing the rotation if the macro doesn’t work in TBC Classic. From what I can tell, the rotation may involve some sort of “swing timer” mechanic if the macro doesn’t work. That doesn’t sound fun to me. It seems that Hunters will be valued in raids for their DPS, which appeals to me. I might not mind feeding the pet (as I like cooking and fishing), but buying ammo might be a nuisance. I am also a little concerned that Hunters may be very popular.

Paladin: I like the class fantasy best of the options. I would try Protection spec mostly and give tanking dungeons a try. I hope this would help with finding groups quickly. I understand that there might be a spot for one of each Paladin spec in a raid group, but I’m not sure I’m up for the stress of tanking or healing for a raid. I’m also concerned that Ret does not appear to be valued as a DPS role and is brought along somewhat grudgingly for its buffs. I have no idea how fun or useful Paladins are in PVP. As an aside, I also have heard of a “shockadin” build, which intrigues me but I know nothing about it or if its a real thing for instanced content or just a gimmick to try and then return to a normal spec.

Shaman: I’ve never tried a Shaman, but I think I would enjoy the class fantasy, especially if I could play Elemental. This would be an entirely new class to me so there is something “fresh” about it for me, too. I understand that they are valued in raids for their utility, though I’m not sure how they perform in straight DPS. I also understand that they’re valued healers in raids , but that raises the stress level issue again. I’m not sure if they are as valued in dungeons as in raids. I also have no idea how difficult they are to play. Managing totems seems a bit of a chore, but I might be overestimating that.

Warlock: The Warlock class fantasy had never appealed to me before, but I think I could get into it, especially in TBC. This would be another new class to me. I understand that they perform very well throughout the expansion, which is obviously appealing. I have no sense of how difficult they are to play, or whether some of the class maintenance might be a bother – are soul shards a thing?? It seems that this would be the class that might make me want to try PVP, too. I understand that there is some very good gear from Tailoring, which would add a lot of gameplay for me as I enjoy professions.

I thank you in advance for all helpful feedback!

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Now Balthazar Ill give you my experience as someone who has played for roughly 14 years and i will share what i know from a very similar play style,( very much a casual).

1.) While hunters are a solid choice for pure dps for pve and pvp there are alot of hunters in TBC the biggest reason is again for the dps and the 1 button macro. side note do not feed you pet cooked food as to my knowledge they do not gain food buffs (possibly wrong but doubtful). Also with hunters you have to stay mindful of your pets location at all times remember they are effected by CCs just as much as the player himself/herself. nextly your concern about ammo is valid for the most part ammo is going to consume your bag space add on top of that a bag for food for your pet and now you only have 3 usuable bags for extra sets of gear that you might need for certain fights as well as your pots and food buffs. but as far as cost goes it is minimal at best just take in mind to restock ammo at every possible chance and you will be good to go.

2.) Paladin (class fantasy wise im in complete agreement) - Unfortunately Paladins are just a little bit better in tbc than they are in classic, prot paladins really see their call to arms here as they are the most sought after for dungeon farming and boosting, due to the fact that Consecration does not have a mob cap. They are also fairly decent off tanks but dont hope to be a main tank any time soon due to the lack of soak utilities and an actual taunt. Holy paladins are still used pretty well. Biggest note to take here is that paladin dont really become the all aground champ until Wrath when we see the paladin really get fleshed out. PvP wise you can do Battlegrounds farely decently but your gonna be stuck as a defender / escort person. Arena your not gonna see alot of action. Lastly Shockadin is a Hybird spec its a combo between prot and holy i believe and it is very much a thing in tbc but mostly for pvp from what ive heard. the down side is with this build you arent getting all the way down to any of the talent trees.

3.)Shaman - I can say they do show alot of promise as far as elemental goes enhancement is more for leveling and restro is a decent healer. Totem Mastery is a pain for the most part because you need to be familar with each totem you have and when to use them. As far as how to pop all for a simple macro where you can just spam it 4 times rather than hitting 4 different buttons is possible. Shammys are looked for due to the draenei passive abilites as well as the Heroism buff so you will mostly likely have plenty of raid options. Overall its a fun class to play.

4.) Warlock - Earlier on before the major reworks in later expansions locks are some of the hardest hitting and most annoying classes to run into in pvp, they are some of the best single target dps but lack aoe damage. They are extremely useful in dungeons and raids, but DoT management can be a pain. Soul shards are a thing and are used to summon your demons from void walker and up. You cant really go wrong with a lock, but take in mind there are going to be alot of locks in tbc due to the dps out put.

5.) Mage (you didnt mention but i wanted to present this to you) - Mage is blizzard sbaby despite what others say about it being lock, mage have gone under very few fantasy changes since classic, their toolkits very rarely change. While you arent the best dps out there your still in the the top 5 , mages have a wide toolkit range which helps with cc’s, aoe, spell stealing, interrupts, not to mention what class has a money maker ability as a baseline spells? none other than your friendly neighborhood mage pair this class with either enchanting or alchemy and you are one big giant money making machine. Not to mention the refresment table that comes into play in tbc woot woot.

Now as far as what classes will carry into the next expansion , Paladin is going to be the biggest baddest class, again paladin really sees their call to championshipness in WoTLK as most bosses are undead which means alot of use of the favored spell exorcism not to mention divine storm conceration and crusader strike you are gonna be the most stoutest class when it comes to dps. Mages never really seem to fall from grace they stay fairly close to the top if not the top of the dps charts over every expansion, hunter stays roughly the same as do locks and rouges, pretty much after wotlk every class becomes usfual to some degree or another. but by my guess your safest bet is mage.

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Stick with your Mage and avoid any of the non-Mage trash classes.

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This is actually what I wanted to bring up as well. If I was going to pick one Class for Classic all the way through Wrath, it would be mage. Second for you would be Warlock. You have easy to use CC if you need it (like a mage), and the “rotation” is basically keeping CoE up and spamming Shadowbolt. I feel like the totem management of shaman, and the general requests to heal as both a shaman and a paladin, may not be what you’re looking for. As for hunter, pets are indeed dumb. Pet management is very important. Loosing your pet will impact your dps significantly.

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Based on what you’ve described about Hunters, this sort of makes me wonder why you’re not considering a mage.

EDIT:

Ah, yeah… that’s what others seem to be thinking, too.

:slight_smile:

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Good in TBC and WotLK?

Paladin.

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This is all very helpful! I didn’t mention Mage because it was my first ever character and I was thinking of playing something different. I later gravitated towards my Paladin, though I kept up with both. I thank you for bringing Mage back into the mix and am now seriously considering it. But, I’m still curious if there are other classes that I might enjoy.

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I’d say either Paladin or shaman. They’re both in demand and will let you go into melee for dps if you want to do something different.

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Play a Shadow Destruction Warlock.

There’s pet specific food that can give buffs, but don’t feed cooked food.

Best bet if you’re planning to carry this character into Wrath of the Lich King, can play all 3 roles; strong in tank/healer role and competent in DPS role depending on which one you want to play.

Never seriously played Shaman so can’t say.

Sounds like the one for you.

Based on your previous comments about anything requiring complexity, no. Absolutely no. Do not go anywhere near PvP as a Warlock. If working around a swing timer as a Hunter is too much for you just give up on Warlock PvP.

Warlock PvP is micromanagement hell.

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Ret is the most fun.

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Sorry didn’t read everything, I think people are speculating the Hunter 1 shot macro may not work via this tbc but someone with better knowledge could tell you. Or pre patch will!

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To be fair, even a poorly played warlock can kick butt on occasion in PvP.

I even kill the odd rouge or two.

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In terms of difficulty to play:

Prot Paladin (tanking is just a more involved role than the others)
Hunter (the rotation is easy but CCing using traps is very difficult in comparison to mage/warlock CCs. And if you play a hunter in dungeons you will be required to do it).

The rest are all very straightforward specs.

Now in terms of desirability:

Warlock (great in dungeons, great in raids)
Prot Paladin (in incredible demand for dungeons, much harder to get a spot as a tank in raids)
Resto Shaman (Shaman have bloodlust, and raids need multiple resto shaman healers)
Elemental Shaman (Bloodlust, very good buffs and respectable DPS of their own. You can also quite easily heal in dungeons as Elemental spec and buff your caster DPS while doing so).
Hunter (very good in raids but less likely to be stacked than Warlocks. Also not as good as Warlocks/Mages in dungeons because of lack of AOE and finicky CC).
Holy Paladin (Healers are still in demand for both raids and dungeons but most groups will prefer Shamans).
Ret Paladin (most raids will want 1 but that’s all. Pretty worthless in dungeons too).

If I was going to recommend any class to a new player it would be Warlock. They are easy to level, easy to play, powerful, you can craft all your own gear with tailoring, they are very good at soloing and people always want summoning stones too).

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Even brain dead I can at least take a rogue with me if I get my dots out, in TBC it gets rougher with Cloak of Shadows clearing all your DoTs.

OP seems to have an aversion to anything more complicated than 2 buttons, so learning other class abilities and what that means to you as a Warlock is like trying to measure the atmosphere composition of Neptune with a ruler.

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This is very helpful, so thanks again. Several folks volunteered Mage based on my original post, and others have recommended Warlock. I think I’ll likely wind up with one or the other for one character. Any thoughts on which might be better for me?

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Warlock. Much easier to play in open world content (because like a hunter, you have a pet). Never needs to stop to drink. More powerful than mages in most aspects of the game.

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I usually main a class with a tank spec, because screw waiting around for ages to get a group for stuff.

Being able to grind through to 70 via dungeon tanking if you want and gaining rep and pocketing gear along the way is priceless, so Paladin imo. You can also respec to heals for a breath of fresh air when you feel like it.

Ret is also not terrible in TBC.

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