I know that for a lot of the PvP community, wPvP and duels etc. aren’t real PvP, but I enjoy them, even though I’m not very good.
My main is a Fire Mage, and while I like it thematically, I’m just not good at soloing people with it. If they don’t die in Combustion I feel like that’s GG, and a lot of the times, they don’t die during my Combustion window.
I’d like to play something else that may be better suited to these scenarios than Fire Mage, but I don’t want to play something I don’t enjoy thematically.
What specs would you say are good in 1v1s from the below list?
Shadow Priest
Subtlety Rogue
Frost Death Knight
I know there are better specs than these in wPvP 1v1s. MM Hunter, Feral Druid, Havoc DH, pretty much any tank or healer spec etc. I’m leaning towards Sub, but despite what I’ve read about Rogue being the ultimate 1v1 spec, most Rogues I see in Goldshire or outside Orgrimmar have negative duel records. I’ve very rarely gotten jumped by a Rogue 1v1 in wPvP so I’m not sure what that looks like since I haven’t leveled a Rogue yet.
I know this is dumb and a total non-issue thing. But I’d love some advice / feedback.
Ugh, I really wish I could play Dev. Functionally it’s my favorite class / spec gameplay-wise, but I just don’t like the Dracthyr and having to be stuck in dragon form kills it for me.
Spriest can be excellent 1v1 if you play really carefully and are very comfortable but yeah, dks and warriors are going to be a nightmare. Best 1v1 spec will probably always be sub rogue though. That said, wpvp allows for utilizing a much larger area than duels or instanced pvp, so classes with high mobility like druids/DH/hunters that can retreat are excellent. Fdk is gimmicky and a potato imo lol.
Shadow can be very deadly in the right hands, but it’s not a perfect 1v1 machine. A well played one can definitely catch people off guard, even Rets if you get a well-time Silence in to counter bubble. Rogues will be annoying to fight, and likely Fury. Fun, but challenging, at times frustrating when you get locked down. But certainly far from impossible.
Subtlety is probably the highest skill ceiling in the game, and if you make a mistake you WILL pay for it. If you like a challenge, this is probably THE 1v1 and 1vX spec, and has been for quite a while. You’ll need extensive game knowledge of other classes in order to use your cooldowns most effectively in each match up. You’ll be able to pull off insane plays in time. You WILL be hated by anyone you fight.
Frost DK? Nope. Not even close to a good 1v1 spec, unless maybe you cheese WPvP/gimmick items. Even then, you’ll be outgunned by nearly every other spec if they’re played by someone half-competent. Very inconsistent in terms of viability, typically best paired with a healer. Predictable offensive go’s. Slow. Meh.
Rogues have been the kings of 1v1 since forever for good reason. Stealth means they get to choose when and how an engagement starts, which is huge, they have some of, if not the, best CC in the game, they have strong burst to kill you in that CC chain, and they can just disappear and hide in a bush till their cds are back if something goes wrong.
The above reply about Rogue is solid advice, but realistically this is only for Sub. You won’t kill someone in a CC chain as Assassination, and certainly not as Outlaw.
Ret is another good 1v1 spec, and WW can do massive work on its own too, but from your list it’s going to be Sub Rogue hands down.
In world pvp and duels sPriest really doesn’t have the mobility to keep themselves alive. They also have to cast a lot, and in the modern game, unless you have someone supporting you to ensure you can get those casts off, you’re gonna’ have a bad time - there’s just too much micro CC in the game.
FDK is a lot better in these situations after the nerf reversions to Death Strike, but still are pretty weak to melee damage, and despite previously being the “anti mage” class, will get clowned on by a lot of casters - especially elemental shaman or frost mages. FDK is second on your list but a large order behind Sub.
