• 

  World of Warcraft: Dragonflight

  Franchise:

  Warcraft

  Platform:

  PC

  Developer:

  Blizzard, Activision

  Publisher:

  Blizzard, Activision

  Genre:

  MMORPG

  Released:

  2022-11-28

*Edit January 9th, 2023: We have updated the rankings to be more accurate with current trends. Numerous balance changes have been made and more parsing data has become available.

We are now a full month into the first season of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, and this has given us lots of opportunities to take a look at the parsing data and leaderboards for both Mythic+ and Vault of the Incarnates Raid content. We're going to rank and compare every Damage Dealing specialization to showcase the current performance for all types of PvE endgame content in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight.

There have been a number of balance and tuning patches and more to come, that have caused rankings to be wildly different than what many Tier Lists have anticipated. We will continue to update this post to provide players with the most accurate information as it becomes available.

Tier Lists are often thought of as strictly entertainment, as ultimately players should play whichever spec or class they get the most enjoyment out of. It can also help players with their performance to see if another specialization is performing better to optimize their damage output.

Dragonflight: WoW DPS Rankings Criteria

The criteria of the DPS Rankings for our Tier List take into account the following aspects:

1. Raid Damage
2. Mythic+ Damage
3. Utility in a group
4. Difficulty to play (Skill ceiling and floor)
5. Fun to play

WoW DPS Tier List Rankings by Specialization

Overall, the balance of power has been very close from S Tier through B Tier! Even many C Tier specs can still perform really well by players who know what they are doing. However, D Tier Specs need a lot of tuning to make them a good pick, fortunately right now all of those specs have a top-tier option within their class. All things considered, it's a great time to play whatever class you like!

Positional Ranking List

This list shows the ranking of each DPS spec for both Mythic+ and Raid combined positional score and the change from the previous position in parenthesis.

1. Outlaw Rogue (--)
2. Subtlety Rogue (+3)
3. Windwalker Monk (--)
4. Unholy Death Knight (+12)
5. Arcane Mage (-1)
6. Havoc Demon Hunter (+5)
7. Enhancement Shaman (-1)
8. Marksmanship Hunter (-6)
9. Balance Druid (-2)
10. Feral Druid (--)
11. Demonology Warlock (-6)
12. Frost Death Knight (+6)
13. Arms Warrior (+8)
14. Assassination Rogue (-5)
15. Elemental Shaman (--)
16. Fury Warrior (-4)
17. Retribution Paladin (-3)
18. Devastation Evoker (-1)
19. Shadow Priest (-6)
20. Frost Mage (--)
21. Fire Mage (+3)
22. Survival Hunter (--)
23. Beast Mastery Hunter (-4)
24. Affliction Warlock (+1)
25. Destruction Warlock (-2)

Warcraftlogs.com Parsing data from the past 2 Weeks.

Best DPS Tier List - WoW Dragonflight PvE Specs

S Tier:

The Best DPS Specs in Dragonflight for Raids and Dungeons are going to be at the top of the damage meters in practically every encounter, both in Single Target and Multi-Target, and they provide important utilities for the group.

Outlaw Rogue

Outlaw Rogues continue to maintain their #1 spot, dominating all of the DPS charts. All Rogue specs are actually performing really well, however, the top players seem to be playing Outlaw to really maximize their potential. The skill ceiling seems to be pretty high with the Outlaw specialization, performing markedly better in Raids. However, the race between Outlaw and Subtlety is really close for the top spot in Mythic+ encounters.

The Outlaw Rogue does gain a ton of flexibility with the new talent revamp, gaining the option to take a lot more talents than have ever been possible in the past. They provide the Atrophic Poison debuff and have a lot of various survivability cooldowns at their disposal.

Subtlety Rogue

Subtlety Rogues are also a top pick for S-Tier as well, performing very strongly in both Mythic+ and Raids, with the former being their specialty. They do have decent performance in Raids but offer really high consistent burst damage and utility in Mythic+. Overall, their single target damage is lower than Outlaw and just slightly higher than Assassination. However, this specialization is tough to truly master. There are many alterations in how to play with the new talent system for sub rogues, which does add some fun gameplay.

They have some really good utilities, like other Rogues, but benefit the most from Cloak of Shadows, and have great mobility as well with a second Shadowstep.

Windwalker Monk

Windwalker Monks are still an S-Tier choice and continue to be seen at, or near, the top of all DPS meters in Vault of the Incarnates. Also, almost all high-key Mythic+ groups have a Windwalker Monk in them. Most of their core gameplay remains intact and even becomes better with the new talent system. They excel in both AoE and Single-Target situations and have access to a lot of utility with Generous Pour, Mystic Touch, and Close to Heart as well as a lot of defensive cooldowns to increase their survivability with Touch of Karma, Fortifying Brew, Dampen Harm, and Diffuse Magic.

Unholy DK

Unholy Death Knights received a number of buffs that have placed them much higher in the tier list. They've always have one of the strongest AoE burst damage potentials of all specializations and are now being sought after even in Vault of the Incarnates as their single target damage is performing really well. In many Mythic+ dungeons, their damage is getting higher due to tanks being more comfortable pulling larger packs as well. They have great survivability from Death Strike, Anti-Magic Shell, and Icebound Fortitude, but don't add much utility to the group other than Death Grip and Anti-Magic Zone.

Arcane Mage

Arcane Mages get bumped up to S-Tier from A tier now as we continue to see their insane burst damage blow away the competition. They also have a large number of defensive cooldowns at their disposal to counter many different difficult scenarios to keep pumping out damage. Looking at parsing logs it seems to be one of the most difficult specs to play. A good player will also be able to time their rotation and cooldowns to maximize their damage to make up for their lack of mobility. This is the one thing that sets Arcane back a bit as they need to hard-cast a lot of their spells.

High DPS Specs - WoW PvE Tier List

A Tier:

These specializations are also often at the top of DPS charts, typically for Single-Target encounters but also have good AoE potential. They also will likely bring key buffs and utilities that many groups will want to have covered.

Havoc DH

Havoc Demon Hunters are still in A-Tier but are now a bit higher overall in the rankings, not quite S-Tier however. They have changed their gameplay style up quite a bit since Shadowlands with the revamp of the talent trees. However, as we've seen with the parsing data, their damage is no longer topping the charts but they are still performing really well in both Mythic+ and Raids. They provide really great utility with Chaos Brand and Darkness and have great survivability with Netherwalk

Enhancement Shaman

Enhancement Shamans received improvements to AoE and CC and are dominating DPS charts in both Raid and Mythic+. The new talent choices for Enhancement Shamans offer many options that don't rely on just one or two options. This flexibility in playstyle and well-rounded damage in each area of gameplay makes the spec even more attractive to players. Windfury Totem provides an excellent damage boost and they have a huge number of utilities from totems and spells such as Wind Shear, Capacitor Totem, and Thunderstorm/Thundershock. As well as a number of survivability cooldowns as well such as Astral Shift with Astral Bulwark, Earth Elemental, and Ancestral Guidance

MM Hunter

Marksmanship Hunters have had substantial changes to their tuning in the past and recently with slight tweaking have now been placed into mid-A Tier. While their skill ceiling is still quite high, on average they are performing really well and are the preferred hunter spec. Their damage was buffed 10% across the board and their AoE was also significantly enhanced. They offer excellent burst damage with Careful Aim for the beginning of encounters too. While they are still lacking in terms of survivability and utility their damage now more than makes up for it.

Balance Druid

Balance Druids are doing really well when compared to Shadowlands and are maintaining their A-Tier position. They received a number of buffs that have landed them middle of the pack in terms of Raiding Damage, very close on par with Feral Druids in that sense. Their burst damage and AoE damage are both still really high though when combining certain talents. They don't have a lot of survivability, which hurts them in Mythic+ but they are at least able make up for it with a lot of utilities: Typhoon, Ursol's Vortex, Incapacitating Roar, Stampeding Roar, Solar Beam, Remove Corruption

Feral Druid

Feral Druids are seeing a massive boost to damage in both Mythic+ and Raids in Dragonflight. They have some of the best AoE but don't have very strong Single-Target damage, causing them to fall behind Balance in that regard. Feral Druids can still provide good utility with Mark of the Wild, Innervate, Stampeding Roar, and have moderate survivability with Nature's Vigil, Survival Instincts, Barkskin, and Predatory Swiftness

Demo Warlock

Demonology Warlocks are slowly falling in their A-Tier position as other specs are being buffed. The best remain true to their specialization, offering many demons to summon and overwhelm enemies. Their damage output in Vault of the Incarnates is the best of all Warlock Specializations. They have decent Single-target damage and great Cleave and AoE damage abilities. They have a plethora of defensive abilities that make them an absolute powerhouse for survivability with Soul Leech, Unending Resolve, Demon Skin and Dark Pact.

Good Specs For PvE - WoW DPS Tier List

B Tier:

These Specializations are still viable to use and will not lag behind by much, but they aren't top dogs. They generally only excel in one of either damage, utility, or survivability. Don't let this take away from choosing one of these classes, as balance changes are sure to come.

Frost DK

Frost Death Knights have seen much improvement over the past few weeks and buffs to their damage is a big factor. Their gameplay has not changed much since Shadowlands, but with the new talent system revamp there are many ways to customize and improve the build. Breath of Sindragosa seems to be the best build for Mythic+ due to the talent synergies to keep its uptime up even longer. Their Single Target damage is slightly behind Unholy, but are very high overall in the Raid damage rankings.

Arms Warrior

Arms Warriors are performing exactly how many people thought they would. They are unfortunately lacking due to having to choose between Single-Target OR AoE. For this reason, depending on their build choice, they excel in some fights but fall a bit behind in other fights. View this as you will, but it does mean less flexibility in many situations.

Their damage is consistent in both Raids and Mythic+, performing slightly better than fury in Single Target but slightly worse for AoE. They also rely a fair bit on Windfury Totem from Enhancement Shamans to be considered a strong build, whereas Fury Warriors are doing well even without the totem.

Assassination Rogue

Assassination Rogues are also still holding steady with their DPS, but have been outpaced by both Outlaw and Subtlety in Mythic+ due to lacking in terms of AoE and Burst Damage. For Raids, however, they still provide really consistently high Single-Target damage. They also tend to struggle in Mythic+ with chain pulling due to how their abilities work better with stealth. Overall, they are dropping in rankings due to more players preferring the other specs and other classes receiving buffs.

Elemental Shaman

Elemental Shamans are performing consistently middle-of-the-pack in terms of damage and are holding their position. They still have decent Single-Target and AoE damage and perform well while on the move but don't excel at anything in particular. They have little utility apart from what all Shamans can provide and don't have the best survivability. The gameplay of this spec is a bit more strict and some talent restrictions make for uninteresting choices and may be considered boring for some players.

Fury Warrior

Fury Warriors are falling a bit in the rankings but are still a good spec to play. They have both the Raging Blow and the Annihilator spec to choose from, both explained in our Fury Warrior Talent Builds guide. They feel great in a Mythic+ environment and in burst phases, but lack in sustained DPS currently.

Their AoE damage and self-healing is really great as well with Cold Steel, Hot Blood, Impending Victory, and Enraged Regeneration. They also provide Battle Shout and Rallying Cry for raid buffs.

Ret Paladin

Retribution Paladins have become stronger than their time in Shadowlands and in the first month of Season 1 are maintaining their position in lower B-Tier. Avenging Wrath paired with Crusade will mean it is buffed a decent amount since Shadowlands, especially in the AoE department along with Consecration, but only if the targets stay still. Interestingly, Ret will look like they are parsing higher the more their team dies due to Retribution Aura.

All Paladins do have great utility they bring to the group, Hammer of Justice, Blessing of Freedom, Lay on Hands, and Blessing of Protection but Ret doesn't have much in terms of personal cooldowns.

Devastation Evoker

Devastation Evokers are fairing much better in the past few weeks of balance changes and are better than expected from Pre-Patch. They bring some very strong AoE burst damage and decent sustained damage for both AoE and Single-Target. They have great AoE CC from Wing Buffet and Tail Swipe and while the playstyle is a weird short-ranged DPS spec they counter that with really great mobility. They bring Fury of the Aspects (Bloodlust) as well and have some interesting group survivability with Zephyr and Cauterizing Flame and sub-par personal cooldowns with Renewing Blaze and Obsidian Scales.

Bad DPS Specs In PvE Dragonflight Tier List

C Tier:

Specializations that won't generally be at the top of the charts and often have any utilities that aren't covered by other higher-tiered specs. There may be some niche encounters that allow some of these specs to shine with specific utilizes or mechanics, but aren't often sought after.

Shadow Priest

Shadow Priests have fallen over the past few weeks, but are still a decent spec to play. There have been a few changes but not really "buffs" so to speak. They have been performing rather middle-of-the-pack for DPS in raids and Mythic+ in Dragonflight. While their damage isn't strong, they do provide some really phenomenal utilities such as Power Infusion, Mass Dispel, Power Word: Fortitude, and Vampiric Embrace. There are also a lot of healing utilities in the class talents that can help out with healing too.

Frost Mage

Frost Mages are in a position that many people didn't expect. They were showing signs of having high single-target damage but along with Fire, are falling behind Arcane in every setting. They still have a lot of the same capabilities with their slows, particularly Cone of Cold and Frigid Winds and now they have access to Dragon's Breath as well. They also have good survivability with the new options opening up due to the talent system overhaul. They are much easier to play than Arcane but their damage is suffering.

Fire Mage

Fire Mages did receive a buff, bringing them out of the D-Tier, but it's still not enough to warrant bringing them over Arcane. Their Single-target damage is Lackluster and their AoE doesn't do well against mobs that die quickly. They do get more survivability with many available talents like Cauterize, Blazing Barrior, and can even Ice Block.

Worst DPS Specs In PvE Dragonflight

D Tier:

Playing as one of these specializations is going to be a challenge for most players. Their damage is low for both AoE and Single-Target and other specs would likely provide more utility or just the fact that their damage is higher would mean faster kills.

Survival Hunter

Survival Hunters, like all hunters, got a buff, but are still not dealing great damage in either AoE or single target currently, and have to attack in melee range all while not having great defensive capabilities. They also do not offer much utility to the group compared to a lot of other specializations.

If you enjoy the gameplay of this spec, go for it and hope it improves, but if you are looking to top the meters as a hunter in Dragonflight, move on to Marksmansip.

BM Hunter

Beast Mastery Hunters were looking promising early on but their damage is just not good enough. This is very evident in the parses, it's often the case that there just aren't enough people playing the spec, but that's not the case for BM, the number of Parses are very high but their damage is very low. The spec is very friendly to mobility as you can use virtually all of your skills while moving, but the survivability of the spec is lackluster. Being ranged DPS means you have more freedom to avoid melee damage, yet most of your beasts will perform within melee distance and the abilities you have are not that strong with long cooldowns.

Affliction Warlock

Affliction Warlocks are still performing very poorly in Dragonflight, despite seeing ridiculous numbers in Shadowlands Pre-Patch. While they can do very high damage to large pulls they are lacking in all other aspects. In both Mythic+ and Raids Demonology is absolutely dominating which is resulting in seeing very low number of parses for Affliction and Destruction locks.

Destruction Warlock

Destruction Warlocks have decent single-target damage but very low AoE damage. They will also perform poorer than Demonology particularly if there is a lot of movement. They can be difficult to fully master which may limit their potential for many casual players. They have good cleave potential with Havoc but don't provide any extra utility apart from other Warlocks.