Breakfast Topic: Easiest class
by Elizabeth Harper 
Nov 26th 2006 at 8:00AM
I'm sure I'm opening an endless range of complaints about the proper definition of "easy" -- but still I'm curious as to your opinion of the easiest class to play in the World of Warcraft. I would personally lean towards the hunter. While there's certainly a difference between a skilled hunter and a mediocre hunter, hunters do high damage from range (autoshoot ftw!), hidden behind the relative safety of a pet. They can be fast and efficient levelers as well as dangerous in PvP and PvE. And if I know someone just starting the game, I'll often recommend the hunter class, as the most pain-free way to get playing. But I've heard other opinions -- and maybe today I'll hear more. So what do you think is the easiest class to play in the game?Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Mano Nov 26th 2006 8:05AM
Lawl, Rogue!!!
Gimme Nov 26th 2006 8:21AM
Rogues are fairly easy to level. They may be about the same in speed of leveling but playing a hunter takes much less effort. Easy mode for sure.
Keegan Nov 26th 2006 8:20AM
I'd have to agree with hunter. A few months ago I would've said rogue, but I recently leveled one for myself and found it to be a rather difficult class. The rogue class goes alot deeper than 2+3, and though good rogues are hard to come by, they do exist.
DIPPY Nov 26th 2006 8:46AM
well in PVP Shadowpriest are the easiest ....bubble,fear,mindblast,mindflay.....period...thats it....just with that u can own most people rather easy
Mike Nov 26th 2006 8:52AM
Leveling a hunter....easy.
Playing a hunter....easy.
Being what a hunter is really supposed to be and being good at it....NOT easy.
Hunters are easy to "get by" with but very difficult to truly use them to their maximum potential. Hence why I can easily out DPS some other hunters who have just as much if not more gear then me even though they are trying. It's more then just randomly popping buttons and letting autoshot roll.
BTW, hunters do provide good ranged DPS although not the best....but they certainly don't get it from Autoshot. Autoshot accounts for about 35 to 40% of my damage dealt in a night if I'm not using my pet to function as a "DoT with a health bar".
Danny Nov 26th 2006 8:53AM
As ar as auto pilot goes, I'd have to agree that hunters are extremely easy to work with and lvl. As for pvp with a hunter you have to have a little ability to kite and do damage effectively. On the pvp side of easy I'd say that locks have it hands down. I've never play another class that was such a mismatch to everyone, except for a shaman and maybe a druid. Warlocks are to pvp what hunters are to pve.
Seper Nov 26th 2006 8:58AM
Granted this is only my 4th day (plus 2 trial days so 6 days :p) I tested a bunch of different classes to try and find the one i like.
Elf - Hunter - I found reaching 10 was super easy but then the darkshore missions really slow everything down.
Elf - Druid - Ive found druid to be harder to level then any of the classes so far but again i hit darkshore and thats a tough place until you hit 14+.
Taurn - Warrior - This was the slowest of all that i have tried. Quests are low in number and you die more then you kill people.
Undead - Rogue - I hit lvl 7 in 2 hours and still had like 10 open quests. I spent an hour more the next day and i hit lvl 9. So far Im liking the Rogue for being the fastest, he also kills things faster and regens health practically instantly. I'm really liking the rogue... but i think the undead lack a story and since my druid can pvp against rogues i think rogues are really cheap... that being said i cant wait to own the battlefield :p
NewDark Nov 26th 2006 9:19AM
I would have to say hunter as easiest class
Runner-ups would be shamans and warlocks
I personally have a 60 hunter myself, and PvE is simple as cake, PvP on the other hand, isnt as easy as you might think. Hunters have no choice but to die to 3 classes almost every time, rogues, shamans, and warriors. And we have no heal move to help our buddies run flags, no buffs (well, trueshot)and the pets have little use.
However, Mages are fodder ^_^ One aimed shot and a multishot after that and you guys go down so fast its not even funny
Imogen Nov 26th 2006 9:44AM
Well having only leveled to classes to 60 I found them both easy to play and easy to level.
Both Druids and Warlocks are easy for a smart person to get to grips with.
Having said that when you hit 60 its a whole new ball game (as it is with any class I expect) and you really want to work to get the best out of them.
One point I would add though is that no class is easy if you dont like it. If you like a class you will find it easy to level regardless of how involved it is. Its all to do with you having fun.
Mike Nov 26th 2006 9:42AM
The only time a rogue should even possibly beat you is if he stun locks you. Now post patch that's a different story.
BTW, I don't see how any other DPS class is harder then a hunter in a raid. Pretty much all their is to doing it is positioning and spamming a few certain buttons at certain times. That's it. DPS in a raid is easy no matter what class you play. In fact, I'd beg to say that Mages are by far the easiest class to play in a raid. The truly difficult raiding classes are healers that don't "cheat" by using things like Emergency Monitor.
If by PvE you mean farming trash around the world then yes, their is no better farming class then a hunter but who plays the game, levels to 60, then just goes around killing stuff to kill stuff. You either PvP, Raid or level up another toon.
Oh, BTW, pets aren't useless....that's just a stigma passed on from lazy hunters of past that most hunters are too lazy to learn for themselves that it's plain wrong. I use mine in MC, BWL, AQ40 and Naxx all the time and even with no BM points as a MM the pet will do a nice enough portion of my overall damage to bother. :)
In a 5 or 10 man raid, your pet can be used to protect clothies (along with the use of things like scatter shots and traps) and even function as an offtank in some cases.
If you are a hunter that thinks pets are useless in a raid...better start changing that mindset soon. Once this patch goes live you'll be wasting even more damage by not using your now scaling pet.
My BM cat on test does about 125 DPS.
My MM cat on test does about 85 DPS.
My MM cat on live does about 55 to 60 DPS.
Surv is simply gimp on test so no numbers there.
Setting aside that amount of DPS is the mark of a lazy hunter IMHO and playing a hunter with no pet is boring in raid also IMHO.
Not to mention the buffed HP and AC of pets after patch and the fact that in expansion raids are going down to 25 man...their are plenty of reports from expansion beta of pets functioning as tanks for instance runs where no warriors were present.
What does all of this mean? Hunters need to learn to use more then Aimed/Multi (Arcane/Multi after patch) and start using the tools that your class provides. We are not meant to be an only DPS class and to think your only job is DPS is simply something that needs to change. Primary job...yes...only job...no.
Danny Nov 26th 2006 9:46AM
As for mages being, "fodder", to hunters this is simply lutacris. This guy must be hiding behind trees to kill mages. I serious doubt he's met someone who knows how to play a mage against a hunter; cuz hunters are one of the easiest classes to pwn with a mage.
Zghuk Nov 26th 2006 12:53PM
Easiest class?
Mage... your are imba... make your own water n bread, frostmages can take down enemies without damage, you can pimp your char with spelldmg easily, and so on
Of course, playing a hunter isnt very difficult, but sometimes people have problems with that pet/hunter aggro system. warlock is also an easy class.
Chris Nov 26th 2006 11:22AM
@ Post #6.
Have you ever played a Shaman? They are one of the hardest classes to play the right way.
Khanmora Nov 26th 2006 12:44PM
I don't think I would recommend anyone start with a hybrid class as they are exceptionally hard to play well. I started with a druid and was astounded when I leveled a hunter at how much easier it was to level up.
Warriors can be leveled very quickly as well especially if you have enough money to gear them up. I have now leveled 3 characters to 60 and my warrior really beat the snot out of everything and has no problem finding work at lvl 60.
Kettric Nov 26th 2006 1:04PM
I think you need to define 'Easy' in order to have this debate. Easy = quick to level solo? Easy = least complicated to play? Easy = getting to do/see everything?
I've leveled one character of every class to 60 (except for a pally-- at least until tBC), and I can say that my priest was the easiest to get to 60 and probably the easiest to play overall. It doesn't take much to learn when to cast what spells, and you can always find a group (at least on my server). The Rogue is probably the least complicated. PvP aside, the Mage was probably the easiest to solo with.
Zantaclaus Nov 26th 2006 2:23PM
Paladin
Oldbear Nov 26th 2006 2:04PM
I've lvled a hunter, and yes they are easy to solo. But I've also lvled a warrior, a priest, a rogue, a pally (first and last Ally character) and have started a shaman for fun.
Any class/race combo can be easy if you only take green mobs and green quests, wait till lvl ?9 to do a battle ground or just plain lack of risk taking.
I enjoy playing any of my characters; and sure it can be grinding greens sometimes. But the trill of killing an orange monster or taking down an elite solo is what makes the game fun for me. I still have to group to do dugeons and I have a blast grouping with guildies.
Play your class to its limit. The run from the local GY is the perfect time to lol and figure out how to get that last 1% of damage done before your character "releases its spirit"... IMHO
Matt T. Nov 26th 2006 6:24PM
Paladin
Paladins just don't die. They wear chain or plate,are decent with a sword, can heal very well as well as have for damage spells, they can drain health for mana and man a for health. Plus if they are going to die they just bubble hearth.
I mean dying make my warrior hard....Warriors die...a lot.
thurin Nov 26th 2006 3:07PM
My two main characters are classes most would consider "easy": Hunter and Rogue. However, I've got to say that being a hunter is much harder to get used to in PvP than rogue. I started leveling a mage recently and it's fairly easy. Unlimited supply of food and drink + massive damage.
Gog Nov 26th 2006 3:12PM
In my experience, hunter is the easiest. Not even a question. While I don't have a 60 hunter, it is the easiest class to level/figure out/get good with.
I can't imagine that people would think that being a Shaman is easy. Shammies and pallies are the toughest class to get my head around. I have a 49 pally and I think I maybe just recently figured out what the hell I'm doing with him. Maybe. Shammies, I took one to 14 and gave up. Perhaps it gets easier after that but I'll probably never know. I'll leave it to people who know what they're doing.