WoW The War Within DPS tier list: Best classes in season one (Patch 11.0.5)

As World of Warcraft celebrates its 20-year anniversary, patch 11.0.5 also brings some major changes to classes, which certainly has a big impact on The War Within tier list.

To help you stay in touch with the meta, our The War Within tier list will help you decide which DPS class to main in The War Within. We’ve compiled a tier list of all WoW’s DPS classes in descending order of their power and performance. Refer to this tier list in the latest 11.0.5 Patch of season one to give yourself a big advantage over others in Raids and Mythic+ dungeons.

WoW The War Within DPS tier list criteria

As already mentioned, this DPS tier list is based on the latest The War Within 11.0.5 Patch and all classes are included from best to worst. Tiers range from S all the way to D, and the ranking is based on class performance in Nerub-ar Palace Raid and Mythic+ dungeons.

Here’s our The War Within tier list criteria explained:

• S Tier – This is the cream of the crop, the best of the best DPS classes that are currently the strongest in both Mythic+ dungeons and Raids.
• A Tier – This tier contains powerful DPS classes that are performing well in both Mythic+ dungeons and Raids, but just fall short to the S Tier classes.
• B Tier – This is a tier that has solid, but not overpowered DPS classes. If you’re looking for a golden middle, classes of this tier are for you then.
• C Tier – Contains viable classes but are in need of some buffs to really get them going since they struggle in the hardest PvE content.
• D Tier – Contains classes that are in dire need of major buffs to make them viable. These classes are far from best choices in Patch. 11.0.5 as they are heavily underperforming in both Mythic+ dungeons and Nerub-ar Palace Raid.

WoW The War Within DPS tier list in Patch 11.0.5

S Tier

Frost Death Knight

Even with the last-minute nerfs to his Hero Talents in Patch 11.0.5, Frost Death Knight is still the king of this hill as it continues to dominate the hardest PvE content. Frost Death Knight is still the best DPS class you can play in The War Within as it can dish out a ton of burst damage in both AoE and single-target scenarios. 

While the Arctic Assault has been slightly nerfed to fire Glacial Advance at 80 percent, Frost Death Knight is still the ultimate DPS class that obliterates everything in both Mythic+ dungeons and Nerub-ar Palace Raid.

Arcane Mage

Arcane Mage has been overpowered since the start of this expansion. Valuable because of the Intellect buff the class brings to a raid, Arcane Mage also deals massive single-target and AoE arcane damage, even outperforming Frost Death Knights sometimes.

Both Sunfury and Spellslinger Hero talents are incredibly strong, as their damage got buffed in Patch 11.0.5 by a whopping 30 percent. If you’re looking for a powerful ranged DPS class, then be ready to destroy everything with that Arcane Barrage.

Enhancement Shaman

Although Enhancement Shaman doesn’t have the Windfury Totem anymore, it’s still one of the top three DPS classes in The War Within. Enhancement Shaman is a powerful class in both Mythic+ dungeons and raiding because of its quick damage and melee cleave. 

It’s a tanky class that deals gigantic melee damage and brings a ton of utility to the party group in terms of Bloodlust Effect and Skyfury. Enhancement Shaman has access to Stormbringer and Totemic Hero talents, and while they are both extremely powerful, Stormbringer has a simpler rotation.

A Tier

Augmentation Evoker

While Augmentation Evoker is not as dominant and broken as it was back in Dragonflight, it’s definitely still going strong and keeping up with other strong DPS classes. Augmentation Evoker didn’t receive any changes in Patch 11.0.5, and it’s still a powerful DPS class, just barely missing that S-tier spot.
In terms of damage, Augmentation Evoker has everything covered in both single-target and AoE, but their true value also lies in the utility they bring to the group.If you’re a fan of the Mage class but looking for something a bit different with a little less damage, then Augmentation Evoker is a perfect class pick.

Fury Warrior

Fury Warrior is a really strong class in its own might and in the right hands it can also easily be in the S tier. Unfortunately, the only thing that’s holding it back is the lackluster four-piece set bonus from the Nerub-ar Palace Raid.

However, this shouldn’t discourage you from playing this class, because Fury Warrior is anything but weak. Fury Warriors have Battle Shout and Rallying Cry, which are very valuable assets to the Raid group, and on top of everything, Fury Warriors have amazing AoE cleave in Mythic+ dungeons.

Elemental Shaman

While it’s not as powerful as the Enhancement form, Elemental Shaman is still a force to be reckoned with. It’s a strong ranged DPS class with a high skill, high reward type of gameplay as it requires you to have good knowledge of the class itself. Both Farseer and Stormbringer Hero talents are equally good for the Elemental Shaman, with Farseer being slightly better in single-target and Stormbringer excelling in AoE situations. The only reason Elemental Shaman isn’t S tier is because Enhancement is there and it’s more defensive and tankier.

Assassination Rogue

Assassination Rogue is in a pretty decent spot in Patch 11.0.5. While Assassination Rogue is almost equal to its other two specs in single-target damage, Assassination Rogue completely blows them out of the competition in AoE scenarios.This makes Assassination Rogue a real menace in Mythic+ dungeons and thanks to a Hero talent tree like Deathstalker, it’s one of the best DPS classes of A tier. And if that’s not enough, then it’s also worth knowing that Assassination Rogues also deal damage over time because of Atrophic Poison, making them even better.

Frost / Fire Mage

In terms of AoE damage, both Fire and Frost are outperformed by Arcane. But that only speaks about Arcane Mage being completely busted rather than how good both Fire and Frost are. Both Fire and Frost Mage specs are viable classes who can dish out a ton of AoE and single-target damage.
While Fire Mage received a lot of buffs and adjustments to finally earn a respectable place in A tier, Frost has always been pretty consistent. Both classes are great damage dealers and the only thing that makes them different is the rotation where Frost punishes you more for failing, especially if you’re running the Spellslinger Hero talent tree.

Retribution Paladin

While Retribution Paladins are not the best damage dealers, they are certainly stronger than ever in all scenarios. Retribution Paladin is a great melee DPS class who’s pretty competitive with classes like Assassination Rogue and Frost Mage in both AoE and single-target. Combined with a bunch of useful utility in the form of Cleanse and Blessing of Protection, Retribution Paladin is a DPS juggernaut class and it without a doubt deserves a spot in the A tier.

B Tier

Havoc Demon Hunter

Havoc Demon Hunter is always a great option for Mythic+ dungeons, and as far as raiding goes, Havoc Demon Hunter is quite solid there as well. It’s a decent DPS class with a rotation that mostly never changes. 

Havoc Demon Hunter didn’t receive any changes in Patch 11.0.5, but it’s still a solid pick for most of the content, but certainly not the best. If you’re looking for an okay-ish damage dealer with a fun playstyle and useful Chaos Bran utility, then you’ll be happy with the current state of Havoc Demon Hunter.

Affliction / Destruction / Demonology Warlock

As of Patch 11.0.5, all three specs of the Warlock class are equally good, and they are all equally average compared to other DPS classes. While Warlock class is certainly amazing for Delves, the damage is just okay for Mythic+ dungeons and raiding.

Affliction Warlock deals a decent amount of damage over time, but the hardest rotation. Destruction on the other hand is easier to understand, as it mostly focuses on burst damage, but falls off in longer fights. Lastly, Demonology Warlock is okay in both single-target and AoE but requires good preparation.

Windwalker Monk

Windwalker Monk is in an interesting spot in The War Within. It’s a class that’s very situational, meaning it can completely pop off or be lackluster and average. Windwalker Monk is a DPS class with the most mobility, and shines in combat where you switch targets often.

While this can be useful in some new The War Within Mythic+ dungeons, it’s also a bit underwhelming for the Nerub-ar Palace raid because only the last three to four bosses require higher mobility DPS.

Unholy Death Knight

While yes, you can be immortal with this class anywhere, and it’s even great in Mythic+ dungeons, the damage is simply not there to compete with other top tier DPS. Unholy Death Knight is an alright DPS class, but compared to its Frost counterpart, Unholy Death Knight didn’t receive much love in this expansion.

The class didn’t get any changes in Patch 11.0.5, and in terms of single-target damage, it’s very lackluster. Although it has a ton of survivability with Death Grip or Abomination Limb, the damage simply isn’t there for this class to be higher than a B tier.

Arms Warrior

Arms Warrior is historically known to be a DPS class with unclear damage potential. The class deals decent single-target damage, but it’s not comparable to the likes of Fury Warrior or Enhancement Shaman.

While its AoE problems have been fixed with the Bladestorm and Cleave build, the damage is still nothing to write home about. However, if you really love the class, Arms Warrior can be decent in the right hands, but definitely needs some buffs to climb the tier list.

Subtlety / Outlaw Rogue

Both Subtlety and Outlaw Rogue are fun and decent classes to play, and while they most certainly have their uses in the Nerub-ar Palace Raid, they massively fall off in AoE situations. When it comes to single-target damage, both perform similarly and even outperform Assassination Rogue.

However, in terms of Mythic+ dungeons, they are struggling to the point of needing some major buffs to be good. Both Subtlety and Outlaw Rogues are very fun to play, when it comes to damage, they are just average in best case scenarios.

C Tier

Survival / Beast Mastery / Marksmanship Hunter

Hunter in general is a class which has been one of the most if not the most neglected classes in The War Within expansion. But week after week, with every update and Patch, all three specs are finally going in the right direction in terms of becoming viable.

In Patch 11.0.5, Survival, Beast Mastery, and Marksmanship Hunter are all getting a significant damage increase and even some Hero talent reworks. While this is certainly great news and the Hunter class is finally viable, this DPS class remains in the C tier because it needs more time to show its true potential.

Balance Druid

The famous jack of all trades master of none class has been heavily underperforming in this expansion. While that might not be the case for Guardian (tank) Druids, it’s certainly clear as day that Balance DPS Druid is in need of major buffs to be good.

Although the Balance Druid got some adjustments in Patch 11.0.5, this only helps them a tiny bit in AoE scenarios during those Mythic+ runs. But their main issue remains the same, and that’s really underwhelming single-target damage due to Hero and class talent trees that need a rework. All of that makes Balance Druid one of the worst DPS classes in The War Within.

Devastation Evoker

Unlike Augmentation Evoker who’s still one of the best damage dealers, Devastation Evoker is the complete opposite. It’s arguably one of the worst DPS classes in The War Within and it fell off completely.

The only thing Devastation Evoker has is a quick burst damage, which is pretty useless in both Mythic+ dungeons and raids. Sure, you can still play the class, but if you’re a fan of big numbers and consistent damage, then you should avoid Devastation Evoker at any cost.

Shadow Priest

Unfortunately, even with the 11.0.5 Patch, Shadow Priest came up short. This class simply doesn’t have anything valuable to offer besides a lackluster heal here and there if needed. While Shadow Priest can have a moment to shine in AoE, it’s always short lived.

That’s because the main issue of a Shadow Priest is damage consistency, and general lack of damage in longer fights. Shadow Priest is on the verge of being the worst DPS class in The War Within and is definitely in need of massive buffs.

D Tier

Feral Druid

If there is a DPS class in The War Within that you should avoid at all costs, it’s the Feral Druid. It’s without a doubt the worst DPS class in this expansion and it’s going to stay that way for quite some time because it needs a total rework to become viable.

The damage in both Mythic+ dungeons and raids is almost non-existent compared to every other class. It’s also one of the classes that didn’t receive any changes or buffs in the 11.0.5 Patch, which makes the whole Feral Druid situation incredibly sad.