World of Warcraft was one of of those formative games for me. It was my grandfather’s favourite game back when he was still alive, so it’s meant a lot to me over the years. I just wanted to take a moment to give my opinion on what the best classes are, along with the worst classes, just for fun.

Keep in mind that my perspective might be a little dated, basically having took a break since Shadowlands. So, that means we can't talk about the Evoker, but maybe someday.

NUMBER 12: Druid

Best Spec: Balance (for the memes)

Hey, don’t make that face at me.

A have a bone to pick with Druids, it being the only class capable of focusing on four different specializations, they tend to attract the type of nutjob who hates making decisions. But because Druid is in the game, now you don’t have to make a choice, now you can play anything!

The problem is that they’re all imitations of different classes to a lesser extent, but they can lack damage, uniqueness in utility, talent tree flexibility, and they can also be pretty difficult to play and they’re not for everyone.

I get it, you can play as a Bear, that’s cool... but you can also play as a class that’s fun to play, that’s cool too.

NUMBER 11: Priest

Best Spec: Shadow (I guess...)

Wooo!!! Finally!!! PRIEST!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SO FUCKING READY!!!!!!!! YEAH BEBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PRIEST SWEEP!!!!!!!! YIPPIE!!!!!!!!! WE JUST SOLD ONE TRILLIONTH TICKETS!!!!!!!!!!

Is this a safe space? Am I allowed to say that the Priest sucks ass? I have a bone to pick with the Discipline Priest in particular because there’s just nothing cool about it. When I think of Disipline Priests, I just think of that dim, boring, beige oval shield hovering around your character. Wow guys, isn’t that cool?

NUMBER 10: Paladin

Best Spec: Protection

You’ve probably caught on by now that I’m a Horde main and always have been, so when it comes to the Paladin class, it really has to do with aesthetic more than anything else. I just find the overall appearance of the Paladin to be extremely maximalist, which feels like they’re overcompensating for their original purpose in tabletop games, as that guy you're all supposed to hate and is there to cause problems.

That original purpose is why they were so interesting, unfortunately, which is probably why they ended up so close to the bottom. I just don't like what Paladins have turned into in fantasy overall.

NUMBER 9: Mage

Best Spec: Fire

Now that we’ve escaped the bottom three, we’ve at least entered the classes that are at least... alright. Who knows, maybe you’ll like them more than me?

Mages are ranged damaged dealers who harness the powers of Fire, Frost, and Arcane sorcery. And yeah, that's literally it. Fire is bursty and mobile due to it's instant cast rotation, Frost has got crowd control that can slow down enemies, and Arcane shoots purple orbs and missiles. Purple!!

If Black Mages are jokingly the favourite child of Square-Enix, similarly could be said here with Mages in World of Warcraft. They've pretty much always had at least one spec that's considered "meta" and always performs at the top level, they have an ability that can cheese mechanics and another to help cheat death, can buff the intellect of your party, conjure food and drinks for everyone, and summon portals to any major city for ease of travel.

Mages, in my opinion, are the definition of "there's nothing wrong with it, but" when it comes to the class selection. I guess if the main appeal of Wizards was to just spam Fireball, then you go here. So, yeah, I don't know, I can't justify putting Mage any higher.

NUMBER 8: Rogue

Best Spec: Outlaw

Rogues revolve around stealth, mobility, and burst damage, with a focus on exploiting the weaknesses of their enemies and striking with lethal precision. Out of all the classes, "Rogue mains" are likely the most passionate about their class, usually landing on this one after trying everything else, but Rogues ended up really clicking for them for one reason or another.

Assassination are all about poisons and bleeds, maintaining heavy sustain damage over time. Outlaw are swashbuckling pirates that feature insanely fast gameplay. And Subtlety hones in on hiding in the shadows and striking unseen, revolving around dealing burst damage. Rogues excel in adaptability, excelling in different encounters and roles within grouped content.

The thing about Rogues is that they do kind of appeal to me, but there's just one problem - I don't want to be sneaky, I want to be unrelenting. And that's really it, Rogues are really cool otherwise, they're just not my personal vibes.

NUMBER 7: Shaman

Best Spec: Elemental/Restoration

Shamans are spiritual leaders and masters of the elements, wielding the powers of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Then, everything changed when... They can heal their allies and summon elemental spirits. They have a wide array of different Totems, each with unique effects.

Elemental is the one where you can summon beefy elemental boyfriends, shooting lightening bolts and lava bursts in the process. And Restoration is probably my favourite healer, who embodies a tranquil connection to the healing qualities of water, which excel in AOE healing and healing over time.

Out of all the classes, this was probably the biggest question mark for me. I think my issue was just that I overlooked them for so long, possibly owing to their history as coming across as "the weird one". But they're really cool if you enjoy bringing a lot of amazing utility, and arguably even has some of the best audio and visual feedback in the entire game.

NUMBER 6: Monk

Best Spec: Brewmaster/Windwalker

Monks have mastered the ancient martial arts tradition of the Pandarin, and yeah, I'm just gonna go ahead and stop there. That's all you need to know.

Monks are one of those overlooked classes, not because they're bad or they're boring, not at all, they just have a reputation for appealing the most to "super casuals". They're all Pandas and none of them know their buttons.

And I think there's a good reason for that because, the way I see it, Monks are top-tier when it comes to class fantasy or "vibes" - the Windwalker Monk in particular being Number 1 in that regard. This is what makes them incredibly appealing if you're just looking to immerse yourself and slowly "RP walk".

Monks are still really cool though if you're willing to give them a chance, they're just underrated. They've got an amazing aesthetic and bring some unique utility. But it’s their strong "class fantasy" that bumps them up so high.

NUMBER 5: Death Knight

Best Spec: Blood/Frost

Now that we’ve reached the Top 5, it’s here where we get to my absolute favourites, the cream of the crop.

Death Knights are powerful warriors of the scourge embedded with dark magic, granted by the Lich King himself. After breaking free from his control, they found a new purpose as Knights of the Ebon Blade. They have a personal connection with their blades and can forge runes into them in order to increase their power. These runeblades are empowered with dark magic and can expend the power of their runes on vicious attacks.

Blood finds a special affinity for the blood and bone of the living, they're all about self-sustain, often out-healing their healer allies and even allowing you to solo bosses if your team dies. Frost channels the frigid energies of the supernatural cold to chill their enemies to the bone. Frost is the closest embodiment to the Lich King himself.

The thing about some of these are that they’ll sometimes have that one spec that I really dislike, and here it’s Unholy. The reason I don’t like Unholy is simply because it feels mediocre and complicated, considering the large number of cooldowns, while being incredibly lame and not all that engaging.

Regardless, Death Knight hits that sweet spot for me, which have predictable or simple rotations, but with options to truly get the maximum out of if you’re a skilled player. I found their play-style to have been both unique and engaging.

NUMBER 4: Hunter

Best Spec: Marksmanship

Hunters possess a unique connection with nature, combining marksmanship, survival skills, and the companionship of loyal beasts – in theory. The Marksmanship spec does away with all that and hones in on being precise archers and expert sharpshooters, wielding their bows or guns with deadly accuracy to pick off enemies from afar with empowered projectiles.

The reason I found Marksmanship to be so much fun is because they’re all about “flow”, relying on hectic movement and doing things on the fly. This is one of those classes that’s easy to get into on the surface, doing away with pets, but is still flexible, engaging, and rewarding enough to master on it's own.

What really brings Hunter together for me is the Dark Ranger hero talent, which just so happens to bring my preferred class fantasy full-circle.

And also the Sentinel hero talent is there too, I guess.

Lisa Simpson is learning about owls.

NUMBER 3: Warlock

Best Spec: Affliction (but also all of them)

Warlocks symbolize the sinister alert of dark magic and forbidden knowledge, drawing power from demonic entities and shadowy forces. They can ignite enemies in searing flame, sending them fleeing in terror and pain, or afflicting them with corrupting diseases and curses that steal the victim’s vitality.

Let’s pause for a second because I really need you to take this in. I have never seen a game with a class this well-designed and plays just as beautifully, as the Warlock does in World of Warcraft. It was a happy accident that no one has ever been able to replicate before or since.

Affliction are masters of dark magic, wielding curses and diseases to slowly drain the life-force from their enemies. If maintaining “damage over time” is what you’re looking for, you go here.

Destruction grasps the chaotic forces of fell magic, wielding the power of infernal flames and demonic energy to annihilate their enemies. What separates Destruction is the fact that you can think of them as a turret, who deals very high single target damage in exchange for basically no mobility.

Demonology is what I would describe as evil Pikmin, who embrace the dark art of summoning, forging pacts with malefic fiends and harnessing their powers to serve their own ends. I think a big part of why Demonology works so well is Warcraft’s unique and cartoony art style, which prevents the screen from getting too cluttered.

In addition, every raid group appreciates at least one Warlock as they can conjure health stones for the group, as well as teleportation portals and demonic gateways to maneuver quickly. They can also arguably be very tanky with passive absorption shields and have big defensive cooldowns.

NUMBER 2: Demon Hunter

Best Spec: Havoc

Demon Hunters are elite warriors who have undergone a harrowing ritual to gain demonic powers, sacrificing everything in their quest to eradicate the burning legion. Demon Hunters harness the chaotic energies of fell magic, using their signature Warglaives and demonic transformations to strike fear into the hearts of demons and mortals alike.

Havoc constantly struggles to resist the corruption of the power they wield, and can channel that power to achieve feats of impossible agility or release it explosively in a torrent of chaos. It’s extremely fast-paced and aggressive with a focus on mobility, dashing around the battlefield, and gaining windows of increased damage.

Vengeance are relentless avengers willing to embrace the powers of darkness and their own suffering to protect their allies from the forces of evil. They wield fire and pain to directly carve the souls out of their enemies, which can be consumed for remarkable self-sustain.

In addition, Demon Hunters are desired due to their Chaos Brand passive, branding the target and causing their victims to take increased magic damage. They're also very self-reliant, especially while in Demon form due to increased leech, so that means healers don’t need to pay as much attention to them. There’s also Darkness to help the group with lethal hits or incoming damage.

Demon Hunter is just what the doctor ordered. They’re one of the easier classes to play and are an incredibly fun and fast-paced class. Extreme mobility, double jumps, firing freaking laser beams from their eyes, and transforming into a fuck-huge demon. It’s a simple class on the surface, especially since it only has two specs, but what we got is exceptional.

NUMBER 1: Warrior

Best Spec: Protection/Fury (but especially Fury)

Warriors revolve around strength, valour, and martial prowess. They rely on their physical skill, unyielding determination, and combat expertise to overcome their foes. They are often depicted as fearless and relentless fighters, charging into battle without hesitation.

Protection Warriors are the epitome of stalwart defence and unyielding resilience, and it’s the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to a tank. The bulwark of any group, Protection stands firm against the onslaught of their enemies, utilizing strength to bolster their defence with a robust shield. Protection revolves around mitigating incoming damage through a plethora of defensive cooldowns, while also boosting a huge offensive toolkit to dish out monstrous damage.

Fury Warriors are one of the best classes in all of video games, relentless berserkers tapping into their inner frenzy to unleash a flurry of attacks upon their enemies. They’re incredibly fast-paced and masters of duel-wielding two-handed weapons, harnessing the power of rage to fuel their attacks.

Arms Warriors excel in dealing powerful, slow attacks and yep, I could just stop right there. Their rotation revolves around building and spending their rage as quickly as possible in order to reduce their big cooldowns through a talent called Anger Management.

Now, even back when I was a kid, I just never found the Arms Warrior all that fun to play. I just found it to be an extremely mediocre and awkward spec, which tries to be offensive and defensive at the same time. It’s most likely the worst spec in the entire game, in fact, let's be real here.

If we just ignore the Arms Warrior, you’ll be hard pressed to find a class from any other game that’s as well-designed and plays just as beautifully than the Warrior from World of Warcraft.