Choosing a class
All classes in the World of Warcraft are versatile, but each one has different roles in which it excels. It helps to choose a class based on the role you think you will enjoy playing.
Classes can be roughly categorized by whether they are front-line or support, whether they are best at melee (close) or ranged combat, and how easily they can be played solo (without needing to be part of a group for enjoyable play). The lines are not always clear-cut; for example, support classes can still be defined as primarily melee or ranged for the damage output they do, even though damage is not necessarily their strong point. There is significant overlap in abilities between different classes. Still, each does have its strong points, as outlined below.
Although people make alts in other classes, you may find that there is one particular class which you are called to, and that fits more strongly than the others with your particular psychology and playstyle. In this sense, Blizzard's advertising slogan for WoW, "What's your game?" is actually extremely appropriate. It may initially be a little difficult to figure out what your particular game is, in terms of class, but when you find it, you'll know.
New players should also remember that a given class's potency may not be obvious until later levels (particularly 40+). Sometimes all you need is a single spell that changes your gameplay from maddeningly difficult to excessively fun. Playing, for example, a Priest or a Druid might seem particularly difficult during early levels, but the class will suddenly change after learning a new ability or talent, increasing the fun and excitement of playing it by several notches. Having a source of advice on playing your desired class, from the beginning until the level cap (several go through various play-style changes, particularly depending on the talents available), can also make a huge difference in the degree of enjoyment you find in playing one class versus another.
Brief overview of classes
Each class in World of Warcraft is played in a distinct manner in many ways from the other classes available (and there are often considerable variations even within the same class), but certain broad generalizations about play styles can be made.
* Druids are an extremely versatile class, able to fulfill practically every role in the game – including tank, healer, and ranged and melee DPS – and this versatility makes them a popular choice for brand new players (particularly those who are unsure yet of how they want to play as they level). They are able to shapeshift into different animal forms (including bear, cat, raven, and many others), and depending on their form, how their talent points are spent, and the gear that they have equipped a Druid is able to fit any role a group might need them to fill. Their versatility comes at a price, however, as Druids often have mild to severe drawbacks in each of these roles when compared to less-versatile classes, although not such that they are prevented from doing a perfectly acceptable job.
* Hunters are ranged DPS dealers that depend on a pet they have tamed to protect them as they rain death on their enemies with a gun, bow, or crossbow. They have access to a wide variety of abilities – making them valuable members of any PvE or PvP group – including traps, stings, Feign Death, and many others. Because their pets are so powerful, Hunters are very popular with new players, however they are in fact one of the more difficult classes to master, and as a result players who have reached endgame may find themselves overwhelmed by the many abilities available to them and the considerable tactical shifts necessary to function effectively in groups. Hunters also require a constant supply of arrows or bullets to be effective, and often carry thousands with them at all times.
* Mages are ranged DPS dealers par excellance. No other class has such a huge variety of massively powerful abilities. (Mages are sometimes referred to as nukers for this reason). However, Mages are probably the most fragile class in World of Warcraft; a Mage that allows an enemy to get close to them will likely not live long. For this reason, only a Rogue has more tricks up his or her sleeve than a wily Mage does. Mages are also very valued for their AoE (damaging many enemies at once) and crowd control (removing enemies from combat) abilities, and are able to open magical portals to major cities that their group can use.
* Paladins, like Druids and Shamans, are extremely versatile, and able to find a spot in almost every group. Depending again on spec and gear, they are able to tank ("tankadin"), heal ("healadin"), and melee DPS ("retadin") depending on the need they find, although they have almost no ranged DPS abilities. Paladins are very valued for their diverse collection of blessing and aura buffs. In endgame, melee DPS was long considered an inefficient role for a Paladin, however they have since been revised to change this. Paladins were originally restricted to Alliance players, but with the release of the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade expansion they became available to the Horde.
* Priests are powerful healers, and can be deadly as ranged DPS. Priests were long the premiere healers in World of Warcraft, and although other classes have been improved to match their prowess, Priests will still generally be assumed to fill the healer role in any group they may find themselves in, whether it be PvE or PvP. (Players who do not enjoy healing are thus advised to consider a different class, as playing a Priest guarantees that you will be healing at some point.) On the other hand, shadow Priests can, by spending their talent points differently than healing Priests, become extremely effective single-target ranged DPS casters, and at higher levels (50+) the damage they cause can return mana to their group. Priests are also able to cast a number of very useful buffs, and are the only class to learn special spells that depend on their race.
* Rogues are users of dirty tricks, preferring to hide in the shadows and attack from an advantageous position rather than go toe-to-toe in a fair fight. The signature ability of a Rogue is stealth, an invisibility-like ability that allows them to pick and choose their fights. They possess immensely powerful melee DPS abilities, and have a wide variety of debuffs designed to turn the fight to their advantage, from stuns to poisons. Against a single target, it is difficult to out-damage a well-played and -equipped Rogue, but they are rather fragile, being only able to wear leather armor. Unlike other classes (except cat-form Druids), Rogues use energy to perform special attacks and have a shortened global cooldown.
* Shamans, manipulators of the elements, are like Druids and Paladins extremely versatile, able to be healers or ranged or melee DPS depending on their spec and gear. (Until endgame instances, they are sometimes able to tank passably well, although they are considerably more limited in this than a Druid, Paladin or Warrior.) Shamans are able to place totems that provide a huge variety of useful buffs to their group, but these buffs are restricted to a relatively small area of effect surrounding the totem, limiting the utility somewhat, and a Shaman may have no more than four totems active at one time. Shamans were originally restricted to Horde players, but with the release of the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade expansion they became available to the Alliance.
* Warlocks are masters of the demonic arts. In World of Warcraft, they are Mages who have been tempted away from the use of arcane magic, but they retain a number of similarities with their former profession, and fulfill a similar ranged DPS role in groups. The largest difference is their ability to summon a variety of demon minions, each of which has different abilities and is useful in different situations. Warlocks are feared for their DoT abilities, which are able to cause huge amounts of damage to their targets even after the Warlock has died, and their curses, which cause a variety of debuffs, and they have a few buffs and other abilities that, although somewhat situational, can be very effective. Because of their DoTs, Warlocks are considered by many to be the premiere PvP class, although they are also very valuable in PvE situations.
* Warriors are in groups typically expected to fill their signature role of tanking, although they also have very powerful melee DPS abilities. Warriors have a huge variety of damage-mitigating and threat-producing abilities which allow them to be extremely effective as tanks, and thus were long expected to tank any PvE group they were in. (See tank for more information about this role, which is crucial for PvE.) They have since gained respect as single-target melee DPS in PvE and especially PvP. Warriors are, more than any other class, dependent upon the gear they have equipped – a level 70 Warrior will often carry around two entire sets of armor and a number of weapons. Unlike other classes (except bear-form Druids) Warriors use Rage to perform special abilities, which is generated by dealing and taking damage, and must be built up during a fight to perform special abilities.
See below for a more complete descriptions of each class.
Melee Classes
A melee class excels at close-range combat, dealing heavy amounts of damage to the enemy (and likely taking quite a bit as well). Melee fighters don't rely on spells and ranged attacks to the extent that ranged classes do, and therefore must maintain a close proximity to the enemy in order to be effective. A melee class will be most enjoyable if you enjoy in-your-face action and fast tactical thinking. Since these classes tend to take a fair amount of damage from their targets, players often prefer to have a decent supply of food and bandages, and carry potions for quick recovery both inside and outside of combat.
Warrior
The Warrior is the tough melee class. Warriors can both inflict and withstand a tremendous amount of damage.
The signature role for a Warrior is tanking in PvE (player versus environment) play. They have many tools available to draw the enemy's fire away from their more vulnerable teammates. For this, protection Warriors are highly valued by groups. Having at least one Protection Warrior to play the role of main tank was considered essential by many in many circumstances, particularly in instances and at higher levels, although as the game has evolved this has changed to include Feral Druids and Protection Paladins.
The role of a Warrior tank is somewhat counter-intuitive to new players; though it involves being on the front line, it does not normally involve doing the most damage to the enemy (actually the only group member which normally deals less damage than a Warrior tank is the healer). If you want to be at the top of the damage-per-second list at the end of a fight, the Warrior is probably not the best class for you (although Warriors have a great potential for being at the top of the damage-per-second list if they are geared correctly and are Fury specced). It is better suited for players who enjoy tactical thinking, control, and the concept of "the captain goes down with the ship". A good tank controls the mobs, and is the true leader of the fight. An experienced player who has mastered the art of tanking will always be in high demand.
Warriors are somewhat tough to play solo. They have only limited means to deal with adds. When a fight is going poorly for a Warrior, there's not much he can do besides use potions. Because Warriors use rage -- which is built up during combat -- instead of mana or energy, there is relatively little downtime between fights (exc. for eating).
In player versus player (PvP) play, Warriors suffer the disadvantage of having to be near an opponent to deal damage. All classes have a weakness in PvP though, and the Warrior certainly has the strengths to compensate for its. Its charge and intercept allow it to quickly close in with the enemy, and its high armor and DPS allow it to survive long enough to turn the tide of battle to its faction.
One of the biggest things to keep in mind if you do choose to play a Warrior is that they are known for being very dependent on their gear, which is both a good and bad thing. At lower levels, Warriors generally have a hard time defeating enemy players in PvP combat; but at higher levels with good gear, it's not unheard of for a Warrior to dispense with an enemy player in only a few blows. Similarly, a tank with sub-par gear can die very quickly even with a good healer, but a tank with higher quality gear can generally survive a lot more damage. Of course, all classes depend on their gear to increase their abilities, but the difference it makes for Warriors is much greater than that of other classes.
Rogue
The Rogue class has two primary strengths that are ironically in opposition to each other: they are tremendous damage dealers, yet they are also the best at avoiding combat in the first place.
The Stealth skill is the Rogue's best friend. Rogues have stealth-enhancing talents that can allow them to travel nearly anywhere in the game by themselves, even to the extent of exploring high level instances solo without ever engaging in combat. They can even grab a few extra coins on their way by picking pockets, though this is not a significant source of income. If you enjoy exploration, control, and prefer to pick your fights, the rogue is a very enjoyable class.
Once in combat, Rogues are very potent damage dealers. The Rogue is a class that "fights dirty" (which is shown through their large arsenal of Stealth abilities, as well as their multiple Stuns and other CC abilities), and they are frequently found at the top of damage-monitoring statistics during endgame raids, although it is common to find Rogues sacrificing some of their damage (still leaving it very high) to incapacitate the target through the use of other abilities. Through the use of the combo point system and special talents earned in mid- to end-game play, Rogues have many abilities that can either stop an enemy in its tracks or slay it quickly. Like Warriors, they need close proximity combat to be effective. They are limited to leather armor and can withstand much less damage than Warriors; a Rogue will be outmatched if suddenly made the attention of multiple enemies. However, stealth often allows them to escape this situation, either to get away completely or to restart the fight under better circumstances.
In end-game PvE, Rogues will need to play at the top of their ability to stay on top of the damage meters because of the sustained damage capabilities ranged DPS classes have in end boss fights. In low-level PvP, though, Rogues are probably the most feared class because of their stealth capabilities, high burst damage and stunlocks, letting a Rogue kill an enemy player without them being able to fight back. Plate wearing classes and Survival or Beast Mastery Hunters (with the 41 point talent, The Beast Within) have an increased chance of recovery when taken by surprise by a Rogue.
Several of the Rogue's most useful combat abilities (e.g. Cheap Shot, Ambush) require the Rogue to be in Stealth, which means that in solo play they can only be used at the start of a fight. In groups, Vanish and Preparation can allow more chances, while in PvP, combat fades after 5 seconds without fighting, allowing you to restealth.
If you enjoy a class that provides a high-octane, quick-reflex environment, the Rogue is for you. Win or lose, fights as a Rogue are often over quick. Take care: if you are prone to committing mistakes, your Rogue will become an easy and vulnerable target. But with a cool head and knowledge of the weapons of your disposal - cheap tricks, lethal poisons, an iron grasp of martial arts, and a dozen ways to control your opponent - a well-played Rogue will take you far.
Ranged Classes
Ranged classes rely on keeping the enemy at a distance. For casters like the Mage and Warlock, this is because the requisite cloth armor provides almost no protection, and the player is quickly killed if the enemy gets too close; for the Hunter, it is because the player's best combat abilities simply will not work inside a minimum range. Like melee classes, ranged classes do not have the ability to heal themselves (aside from the Warlock's healthstone and a pair of life-stealing spells), and generally train themselves in First Aid.
Hunter
The Hunter is the only class in the game that can deal effective damage with bows, crossbows, and guns. These are available to other classes, but only do token damage and are chiefly used for ranged pulling, while they are the Hunter's main weapons. As such, it is normal for a Hunter to have one of his bag slots taken by a quiver or ammunition pouch. A Hunter's DPS and ranged attack rating scale as they increase in level, much like a Warrior's attack power scales with melee weapons. In addition, Hunters gain many special abilities with ranged weapons that either cause extra damage or help control the enemy in some way (slowing, stunning, increased miss chance, etc.).
By contrast, Hunters do not gain significant attack abilities with melee weapons. While certainly more deadly in melee combat than most spellcasters, the Hunter will be outmatched in a serious swordfight (or axefight, fisticuffs, etc.). Close-range combat is not a strength for Hunters and is avoided as much as possible. Before patch 2.3 there was a minimum range for the use of ranged weapons referred to as the "dead zone." This referred to an area that lied just beyond melee range and just before ranged attack range where the hunter was unable to attack. It was often exploited in PvP combat and has since been removed.
The Hunter is able to tame many animals from the wild and use them as pets, a central aspect of the class. They are the only class allowed to name their pets, but note that names are permanent and need not be assigned right away, so choose carefully.
The Hunter class is the most well adapted class for solo play. In solo play, the Hunter will send the pet to engage the enemy and shoot the enemy from a distance during the fight. Keeping the enemy focused on the pet, rather than running back to the hunter, is a balancing act Hunters must master to play effectively. Hunters can keep pets throughout the life of the character if desired; pets level with the Hunter and can be trained in new abilities as the Hunter learns them. Specializing in Beast Mastery can ultimately give the pet considerable destructive power.
Hunters also have the ability to lay traps, which can either damage or crowd control the target. Hunters are often expected to use their freezing trap in group situations to help with crowd control.
In groups, Hunters are usually considered damage dealers, using their normal modus operandi to hit the target (pet engages, hunter shoots). In instances, the skilled Hunter can often be very useful at pulling, as the Hunter has the ability to cancel the encounter using the Feign Death ability, presuming it is not resisted and the group is far enough away. It should be noted however that Hunters must be practiced at controlling their pets in instances for reasons of aggro control, knowing when and how to keep the pet restrained so as not to interfere with other group members' duties.
In PvP, Hunters have traditionally specialized in ranged damage (Marksmanship) and traps (Survival), but this has changed with the coming of 41 point talents, Burning Crusade, and the overall restructuring of the Hunter trees. (Beast Mastery) is now considered PvP-viable, since the talents in the tree have been tweaked to buff both the hunter and the pet, rather than focusing solely on the pet.
If you think you would enjoy controlling a pet, using crowd control, generating high powered burst damage, and tackling difficult encounters by yourself, the Hunter may be a great choice.
Mage
The Mage is a powerful ranged combat class. Mages arguably cause the most straightforward damage in the game, and for this have earned the nickname "nukers". They have the biggest arsenal of instant cast offensive spells of all the ranged classes, allowing them to inflict great burst damage when combined with long-casting spells.
Mages are famous for their area of effect spells (AoE), such as Blizzard or Arcane Explosion, that cause damage to all enemies in a given area simultaneously. When used improperly, this will result in a small army assaulting the mage directly and the mage's sudden death. When used judiciously, however, AoE spells shorten fights, save group members' lives, and make certain encounters easy that might otherwise be very tough.
Mages have other useful abilities besides their destructive spells. They have a quite useful crowd-control spell called Polymorph which temporarily turns an enemy into a sheep, pig, or turtle. This comes in very handy when facing multiple opponents, and in PvP also provides comic relief. Mages are also popular for their ability to open Portals for their party to use to travel to a capital city (Orgrimmar, Ironforge, etc.), and their ability to conjure water and food for faster regeneration of mana and health between fights.
Mages have particular weaknesses that offset their strengths. Their greatest weakness is that they are limited to cloth armor and cannot long survive melee combat, which they should avoid more than any other class. Their other chief weakness is their total reliance on mana, which limits the sustainability of their damage. Mages cannot do significant damage with melee or ranged weapons, so if they run out of mana they are relatively powerless (Wands might be useful for pumping out more damage while waiting for Mana to regenerate, but their DPS is pathetic compared to nearly all other weapons of the same level). As a result, Mages can be considered, in terms of play style, unforgiving with mistakes. Timing and awareness play a huge part in survival. In fact, while the Warlock and the Hunter are often whined about as overpowered, the Mage is hardly mentioned, due to the Mage having among the lowest survivability in the game.
In PvE groups, the Mage should not ever engage the enemy immediately; instead they should allow the tank and other classes to wear the enemy down and build up sufficient threat. Once the enemy is suitably focused on the tank, the Mage will unleash a torrent of damage that quickly ends the fight. Knowing when to start attacking and how much damage to do is one of the main skills a Mage must master.
In solo play and in PvP, the Mage relies on spells that slow or freeze the enemy in place so it cannot approach within melee range. They have several escape abilities (e.g. Blink) that can help if they are losing a fight.
If high-powered ranged combat and mass carnage suit your tastes, the Mage is a good choice.
Warlock
The Warlock is one of the more eccentric classes in the game. Warlocks are similar to Mages, except they have a Demon pet, and primarily use Damage over Time (DoT) spells instead of Direct Damage (DD) spells, though most classes have a little bit of both. Warlocks are brought primarily to raids for their DoT spells and debuffs, and also for their Soulstone ability which can be useful in wipe recoveries.
Warlocks can specialize in many different ways. An Affliction Warlock is capable of surviving long protracted fights, draining large amounts of life from their opponents while inflicting slow but overall excessive amounts of damage through DoTs. Demonologists can rely heavily on their pets to cause serious distractions in PvE, and with the introduction of the Felguard are now potent in PvP as well. These Warlocks also tend to have large reserves of health and mana at their disposal. Destruction Warlocks are arguably almost on a par with Mages for DPS, and also gain a few extra Direct Damage spells to their arsenal. In addition, a Destructive Warlock can gain the ability to stun their opponents for short spaces of time, giving them time to cast the next big spell.
Warlocks have problems with inventory space similar to Hunters due to Soul Shards, which can be obtained when an enemy dies while being afflicted by Drain Soul; without these, a Warlock cannot use many abilities that can be considered key to the class, and most Warlocks carry a dedicated Soul Bag for them.
Warlocks have several potent forms of crowd control (Fear and Seduce) to offset their lack of snaring abilities. A Warlock's DoTs will drain their opponent's life away, regardless of whether the Warlock himself survives.
The biggest advantage offered to all Warlocks is the interchange of mana and health pools. A Warlock is capable of sacrificing health for mana, and then has spells which drain health back from its enemies. It is possible through Talents for a Warlock to gain more mana back than health sacrificed and then more health back through their spells than the mana they spent casting them, almost making the Warlock appear unharmed and without loss of mana through a long fight. In comparison to the other cloth classes, the Warlock can be involved in multiple fights without having to take a break.
A well-played Warlock is arguably the busiest DPS class in the game; there is plenty of debuffing to be done to help the group (e.g. Curse of Tongues to slow enemy casters down, Curse of Recklessness to keep mobs from running, and more), a pet to control, crowd control to be handled, all the while trying to maintain a high damage output.
If you enjoy playing a less straight-forward spellcaster and seeing your enemies suffer, the Warlock might be your class.
Support/Hybrid Classes
The hybrid classes have the ability to fulfill several roles in a group (melee or ranged damage dealer, tank, or healer), some better, some worse. Druids are able to specialize in all four roles, and are even able to cover two of them with one single talent build (melee DPS and tank), though they suffer much more in the un-specialized areas for it. Some players also believe that these classes have the ability to solo much more efficiently than the "pure" classes, but this subject is, like many other things in World of Warcraft, a topic of heavy debate.
Paladin
Paladins are arguably the strongest support class in the game. They can heal, tank and DPS very effectively in a raid. Unlike Priests and Druids, the main support strength of a Paladin is based on his wide variety of buffs, support spells, and auras. The Paladin's buffs are powerful and efficient, making them as useful on the battlegrounds as they are in instances. While other classes have two or three buffs at most, the Paladin can have as many as nine, though he can apply only one blessing per target at a time. Paladins also have auras to give both himself and his party members a benefit, both offensive (Retribution Aura, Sanctity Aura) and defensive (Devotion Aura, Concentration Aura). Switching between auras is free, allowing the Paladin to change auras dynamically based on the situation.
When dealing damage, Paladins rely on melee combat supplemented by magic buffs. With a fighting style that mirrors that of a Warrior, the Paladin uses similar types of skills to deal both physical and Holy damage to their opponents. Holy magic deals solid sustained damage because it is not partially resistible by targets; this helps to give both Paladins and Priests an edge in combat. One tactic employed by Paladins is to weaken the target to Holy damage (much like a Warrior's Sunder Armor or a Rogue's Hemorrhage) and attack them with a series of instant attacks with Crusader Strike (similar to use of Mortal Strike or Sinister Strike) in a chain combination while also dealing physical damage. When geared properly a Retribution Paladin is a very durable melee fighter and is deceptively powerful in PvP/PvE. A Protection Paladin is, with Consecration, Retribution Aura and other abilities, the best aoe tank in the game. In fact, a Protection Paladin will often solo by pulling a group of mobs, then killing them all at once. A Holy Paladin is a great healer, having the best mana-efficiency of all healers.
The Paladin's ability to wear plate armor, melee, heal, and become invulnerable for a short amount of time also makes them extremely durable. Paladins are very good in group play, as they are able to cover all roles needed, have good buffs, and are often able to prevent wipes through offhealing & tanking (if not quite as well as a Druid). If you want to be a holy knight slaying your enemies and protecting and healing your allies, a Paladin is the class for you.
Priest
Much like a strong tanking character, the presence of a healer is usually vital to the success of a party. There is very little argument among veteran players that the Priest is the most versatile healer in the game. The Priests have a variety of buffs as well as numerous utility healing spells. Priests also have access to one fear (Psychic Scream) and one charm ability (Mind Control, but using this ability is more of an art form).
Contrary to popular belief, the Priest is not just a healer. In Shadowform (Shadow Magic talent), Priests can cause very high damage that can rival any other ranged class. Although they can't use Holy spells in Shadowform, they can still use the spell Power Word: Shield to prevent some damage to themselves and allies. Also of note is the talent Spirit Tap, which greatly reduces downtime. The efficiency of Shadow Priests (a Priest with Shadowform) makes them quite feared in PvP. It should be noted, though, that simply taking Shadowform does not mandate its constant use and so doesn't preclude the Priest from a healing role. A Shadow Priest can still be an effective main healer until near the end-game.
While Shadow is popular among Priests, and particularly favored while leveling, a Holy Priest is in no way restricted to just healing spells either. Through Smite and Holy Fire, especially when augmented with a suitable talent build, a Holy Priest has access to some very mana-efficient damage spells as well, with the added bonus of increased healing efficiency not available to those specializing in Shadow.
The Priest might only be able to wear Cloth armor, but, through a variety of spells (most notably Power Word: Shield, Inner Fire, and Shadowform and heals), they can become hard to kill.
If you would enjoy playing a vital support class that has some damage options, you may like playing as a Priest. However, new players should keep in mind that while Priests are effective in roles other than healing, their primary role in five-man groups leading up to level 70 is healing. If you strongly dislike healing, Priest is probably not the class for you.
Druid
Druids are a shapeshifting Hybrid class. Unlike other hybrid classes, Druids do not fulfill several roles at once (e.g., both healing and melee at the same time), but can choose which role to take by shifting into one of their forms.
In their normal form, they are healers and casters, with a wide array of heal over time spells and some offensive spells. In Bear Form, they gain considerable toughness and a Rage bar, allowing them to act as a tank. The Cat Form gives them an Energy bar and Rogue-like abilities for a high damage output, while their Moonkin Form (balance talent) allows them to gain extra armor equal to plate, give their group a spell crit aura, and cast potent damage spells on par with a Mage. They also have 3 travel forms: Travel Form for land, Aquatic Form for Water, and Flight Form for air, which dramatically increases their speed, and therefore often survival.
The Druid gains more from stats then any other class (e.g. 20 Agility = %1 Critical hit & 1% Dodge, etc.). This allows them to be moderately sufficient in all roles. If a Druid concentrates all of their equipment to suit one of the Druid branches and uses the correct talents, they can be as efficient as any class for a given role. While Druids can only wear Leather armor and Cloth armor, this is offset by their Bear and Moonkin forms, which increase their armor by a large percentage (180% (Bear) or 400% (Moonkin and Dire Bear) increase on top of base armor); this makes high-level Druids with the right gear the class with the highest armor in the game. Druids are also the only class to have a resurrection spell which may be used in combat, Rebirth. However, unlike the other resurrection spells, it can only be used infrequently (20 minute cooldown) as a trade-off to its combat-usability. This, in addition to their heals, tanking and Innervate, makes a well-played Druid able to save a group from what would otherwise be a guaranteed wipe.
In end-game raiding, Druids historically were expected to heal. This has been changed with the talent change in 2.0 and increased gear supporting the Feral talent tree. Nowadays feral Druids can spend their talent points in such a way that they can be both a melee-damage-dealer (Rogue-type) in cat form and a tank in bear form. No other class offers that much versatility (DPS and tanking in one single talent build), though the two roles require two different sets of gear. Beyond that, Druids can still specialize to become a healer or a DPS caster.
If you enjoy fulfilling multiple roles, the Druid class might be for you.
Shaman
Shamans are an offensive hybrid class known for their high damage and totems. They can wield most melee weapons and shields, cast numerous direct damage spells, cast healing spells, and buff themselves and their party with totems. In exchange for this versatility, they can only wear Cloth armor and Leather armor until level 40 and Mail armor beyond that, and their heals and damage spells are generally among the least mana-efficient in the game.
An elemental (ranged DPS) Shaman can deal lots of damage, and in the case of emergency is able to switch to healing very quickly (without changing gear or form). With the better armor protection, Shamans are also more survivable than the cloth wearers, but they also need it because they severely lack aggro-reducing abilities. Restoration specialized shamans will be very useful in groups for unique healing spells (in particular Chain Heal which is probably the best multi-target heal in the game) and again more durability than other healing classes, as well as Earth Shield, the restoration 41 point talent.
Compared to the Paladin, Shamans have higher damage, more powerful but less efficient heals, and more ways to debuff enemies, but their totem buffs are limited to an area around the totem and shaman cannot tank. They do however have a wide range of totem buffs and can give up to 4 buffs simultaneously, albeit only to their group (where a paladin can buff blessings across an entire raid). To pay for this, they do not have the Paladin's supreme survivability.
They are the only class to lack an easy Crowd Control ability, they can only slow PCs or NPCs using Earthbind totem or Frost Shock or summon a temporary offtank with their Stoneclaw and Earth Elemental totems. They are also the only class that are self-rezzing rezzers.
Enhancement Shamans have concerns in high end PVP, where they can be useful in some battlegrounds, but less so in arenas. Because of their lack of mobility they can be kited by ranged classes with snare effect abilities. Many of their best abilities can be easily dispelled. Their burst damage is useful, but dual wield may be better for them because of its spell push back. It should be noted that before that, Enhancement Shamans were one of the deadliest killers around, often being able to kill someone in a few seconds.
If a class with the motto of "Jack of all trades, Master of none" appeals to you, then the shaman is the right class for you
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