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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsWoW, Casually: Rating the classes for casuals
by Robin Torres 
Jun 3rd 2009 at 4:00PM
Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player with limited playtime. Of course, you people with lots of playtime can read this too, but you may get annoyed by the fact that we are unashamed, even proud, of the fact that beating WoW isn't our highest priority. Take solace in the fact that your gear is better than ours, but if that doesn't work, remember that we outnumber you. Not that that's a threat, after all, we don't have time to do anything about it. But if WoW were a democracy, we'd win.
Hello, my name is Robin and I'm an altaholic. I'm not here to try to stop, however. I find it a lot of fun and playing games is all about fun. But it has prevented me from experiencing the endgame content when everyone is excited about it, rather than just spinning their wheels waiting for the next expansion. So, now I want to choose which alt to take to the end. But which one will be easy for leveling and still be valuable in groups when I reach the endgame?
In my experience, the best class to play as a casual player is one that is easily soloable, with little downtime, but also able to find groups quickly when necessary, particularly at max level. Following is how I rate each class according to those criteria.
In my experience, the best class to play as a casual player is one that is easily soloable, with little downtime, but also able to find groups quickly when necessary, particularly at max level. Following is how I rate each class according to those criteria.
Rogue: Sneaking past mobs you don't want to mess with and stunning your enemies so they can't fight back make the Rogue a fun character to solo. They are extremely gear dependent, however, and self-healing is limited to profession-related skills. While rogues make a fight go quickly, there are many of them and you'll have a hard time finding groups while leveling and in the endgame. (Edited to add note: Many readers have pointed out that there aren't as many rogues as there used to be. Perhaps there are more leveling on PvP servers. Ganking me. Like just now. Regardless, there are many DPS classes vying for group spots and rogues still have a harder time finding groups than all tanks, healers and DPS classes who can also heal as necessary.)
Warlock: Warlocks are extremely easy to solo. They have pets, they have self-heals and they have nasty damage. Their spells make downtime pretty non-existent and they can often solo group quests. A skilled Warlock can find groups at max level, but they are not in high demand at this time.
Warrior: Warriors have become much more fun to solo, but are still hampered by a lack of class specific self-heals and therefore require some downtime. If you do make it to the endgame, however, you will find that tanks are in high demand and that a skilled DPS Warrior can also get work.
Shaman: Leveling a Shaman is not difficult. You can blast, melee and heal. If you want to hang out with the big boys in the endgame, however, expect to keep one of your specs Resto, because non-healing Shamans just aren't in very high demand.
Priest: It takes a while to pick up speed when leveling a Priest without a lot of grouping. Shadow Priest soloing is the fastest and gets much easier when you get Shadowform. If you take one to the endgame, you'll be the belle of the ball. They'll want you for your heals and Shadow Priests can even get spots in raids these days.
Mage: Mages are definitely soloable and are very fun to play, but they tend to have a lot of down time for healing and mana regeneration. With no non-profession-related self-heals and nothing but comfy clothes to wear, you really need to be on your toes with your spells and abilities to battle alone. To partially make up for your downtime, your travel time is greatly reduced by the ability to teleport to major cities any time you like (as soon as you're high enough in level, of course). In groups, Mages are in demand for their DPS and crowd control. Don't discount the utility spells as well. The buffs, food and drink and making convenient portals at the end are all highly valued by groupies.
Druid: I've been playing a Druid since open beta. I love the class and have Night Elf droods abandoned across multiple servers -- once I went Horde, I never rarely go back. Druids are great for soloing as either Balance or Feral spec and are usually welcome in any group while leveling. Because of their multiple forms, Druids rarely get boring and make traveling speedy even at low levels. Druids are also extremely versatile at max level. Groups will want you as a healer, tank or DPS. The only drawback to playing a Druid is that they are not easy to just pick up and play (unlike DKs and Pallies). You really need to learn the nuances of all of your options and it can be hard to go back to after a long absence from the game or playing another class. Many don't consider this a negative thing about the class, however, and enjoy the extra brainpower involved in playing.
Death Knight: Death Knights are cake to solo. Not only do they start at level 55, but they are practically indestructible and mow through mobs speedily. They pair up nicely with any other class for those lucky enough to have a quest buddy. DKs also rock the endgame. They make great tanks and are awesome melee DPS. Their main drawback is that they are a dime a dozen. Once you make it to max level, you'll find many others like you competing for instance and raid spots both in your guild and in PuGs. I highly recommend a DK to every casual player as an alt, but you may find getting groups too time consuming for your busy schedule.
Hunter: The Hunter is one of two classes that I have never played past level 11. It's just not my bag. They are, however, arguably the easiest class to solo. The fact that they have no non-profession-related healing abilities is countered by the fact that their pets take most of the damage and the mobs drop quickly due to massive DPS. Hunters are so easy to solo that they tend to be the class of choice for gold-farmers (do they exist anymore or do they just hack and steal now?) as well as children and players new to MMOs. Because their damage dealing skills are so powerful, they are definitely wanted in the endgame. But you have to have the spec, gear and skills to be able to function in groups and raids and 80 levels of soloing isn't going to get you these. Expect to have to work hard on your gear and grouping skills before being invited to the good PvE group activities.
Paladin: Before Blizzard "fixed" Retribution, leveling a Paladin was easy, but kinda boring and with a lot of downtime for mana regeneration. Now that Ret Pallies are OP (which I think is pretty much an uncontroversial statement), leveling is a breeze and a ton of fun. With barely any downtime and usually multiple mobs at once, I tear through content on my formerly boring, previously mana-challenged paladin. Also, when I have to make sudden AFKs due to my main job of taking care of The Spawn, I rarely come back to a dead Blood Elf. (Though I run the risk of being run off cliffs ever since I taught her how to run around in game. "Oops!", she says.) And once you get to the endgame, the world is your oyster. You'll be wanted as either a tank or a healer by everyone and be favored for (though not guaranteed) DPS spots as Retribution.
When making your decision as to what class to play, think about what role you want to fill when you are ready to participate in the harder group activities. Regardless of how you like to play, you are more likely to get into PuGs and scheduled raids if you are speced in a group-friendly way. So if you are unwilling to play certain roles, choose a class accordingly. Are you against both healing and tanking? Then pick a Hunter or other class that is completely unable to do either. Are you willing to tank, but find playing the whack-a-mole heal game a chore? Then choose a Warrior or Death Knight. But if you are happy to be flexible until you are able to get into a group that allows you to play your favorite spec, then a Paladin or Druid is for you. Taking either class to the endgame will allow you more opportunities and faster grouping than any of the other classes. And for the first few encounters, you will probably want to try healing. Groups are much more likely to be lenient on your mistakes (which you will definitely make) and poor gear if you are a healer, more than any other group role.
When it comes right down to it, no one can tell you what your favorite classes are to play. So if you pick a class that is tougher to level, but you enjoy it more then you have made the right decision. If you are torn like me, however, the above guidelines should help. What did I decide? Well, like I said, I'm a proud altaholic, so I picked two. My Pally is working her way through Outland and my Druid is thoroughly enjoying the quests in Northrend. My guild leader has promised me a healing spot in the second string 10 man raids once I hit 80. Of course, the fact that I'm married to him may have biased his decision a bit. But the healing gap helped too. Anyway, I'm off to play with a rejuvenated sense of purpose after my (kinda) decision. May you have as much fun as I'm having.
WoW, Casually is a column for those of us who are playtime-challenged. We had another good year last year and the new expansion has brought back a lot of players returning as casuals. If you have questions or tips about how to get the most out of your limited playtime, please send them to robin AT wow DOT com for a possible future column.Filed under: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior, Analysis / Opinion, Leveling, Classes, Death Knight, WoW, Casually
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 6)
Eternauta Jun 3rd 2009 5:08PM
You have a good point.
But some people actually don't like versatility.
Eisengel Jun 4th 2009 5:27AM
Besides versatility, leveling as Feral is cake and a half. I started a Druid alt and put it to the side for a while because it was just too easy. When I hit 35 I was in Tanaris with killing critters 5 to 6 levels higher... which is just silly. I also leveled as tanky Feral and would just plow through crowds of mobs. He's currently 78 and farming leather in Sholazar Basin. Crowds of up to 12 rhinos and cats he just muscles through... it's pretty insane.
VegetaPrime Jun 3rd 2009 4:23PM
Good info, but wow, I am so tired of hearing Ret Pallies are OP. The spec spent years being the laughing stock of this game and now that its as viable as other dps classes/specs people complain it's too powerful. You want true over powered, look at Death Knights. I've seen DKs with lesser gear than my pally out dps me by over 1k.
Robert M Jun 3rd 2009 4:28PM
It's not that rets are OP, it's that the rotation is too simple. When aff locks of surv hunters have priority rotations and then see a ret pally just hit whatever ability he has off cooldown, they seem overpowered.
I don't mean to imply they simple to play, but there are times when I'm playing ret that I get frustrated at the downtime in action. I think this leads many to say things like, "ret's OP."
If they had a more sophisticated rotation, I think much of the QQ would subside.
AyaJulia Jun 3rd 2009 4:39PM
If you press three buttons in sequence and your mob is dead at your feet, you're OP. Honestly. Just the truth.
Exorcism > Judgement of Blood/Vengeance > Crusader Strike and pretty much everything up to Northrend is dead. If you get unlucky and nothing crits, you might have to Hammer of Wrath. No one's claiming they're OP all of the time, but while leveling? Yes. Absolutely. I've leveled a lot of things, including a Hunter, and I've never had an easier time.
Leveling OPness doesn't necessarily equate to raid OPness, dungeon OPness, or PvP OPness, but ret pallies are simply the fastest, easiest levelers -I- have ever personally experienced.
Shealtiel Jun 3rd 2009 5:06PM
Well, to the credit of the Retribution Paladin, remember that that Exorcism is guaranteed to be a critical strike against a significant portion of the Northrend NPC population (undead).
Liltimmy Jun 3rd 2009 5:06PM
I've also seen DK's do abysmal DPS in good gear, which seems to show that it's not a skill-less class. I agree that us DK's are the new huntards, since everyone and their mentally challenged cousins are rolling one, but I'm tired of hearing how 'OP' my class is when I'm reading DK blogs and putting a lot of effort into my rotation timing and CDs.
I will agree, though, that the DPS that someone without skill could do on a DK is probably higher than other classes. There is a ceiling to this, however, and as you get closer to end game, skill begins to outweigh class mechanics, imo.
mrbreck Jun 3rd 2009 5:31PM
Leveling as Ret isnt "uber" until at least level 50 when you get Crusader Strike. 1-20 is Judge and auto-attack and that's it. You get Exorcism at 20, but it's on a 15 second cooldown, so it's not as awesome as people make it out to be. Honestly, I would say 1-50 is slower than most other DPS classes, 50-60 maybe about the same, and then at 60 when you get Divine Storm and some nice AP and Crit from Outland gear it really takes off.
DragonFireKai Jun 3rd 2009 7:01PM
The claims of "three buttons, lol" are all made by either people who don't play a paladin, or who play one badly. Complaining about being able to kill non elite trash mobs in three moves is laughable. My prot paladin kills most non elites in northrend in three moves. Avenger's Shield, judgement, Shield of Righteousness. But rotations and priorities become much more complicated when you're fighting something that actually matters. In a raid, a ret paladin is juggling Crusader Strike, judgement, Divine Storm, Exorcism, and Consecration. When the mob drops below 20% Hammer of Wrath jumps into the priority list. Then they need to throw in Divine Plea at the right time to sustain the rotation, and if the paladin's worth his salt, he'll be throwing down Art of War procs, Divine Sacrifice, and the various hands as needed. Plus on several Ulduar bosses, he's probabl gonna be on Hammer of Justice duty too.
AyaJulia Jun 3rd 2009 8:31PM
@DragonFireKai
"In a raid"
Whoops! Back up there, son.
The is a casual column and is largely about what is easiest to level and function with in small groups. No one is claiming any of this extends to raids. Paladins are easy -TO LEVEL- and kill things in 3-4 buttons -WHILE LEVELING.- True fact! I also don't think any of this qualifies as a "complaint" that paladins kill things quickly. "Paladins kill things TOO quickly" would be a complaint. "Paladins kill things quickly" is a simple statement of fact. And I use "OP" as a simple comparison to other classes--say, casters who need to drink every other pull since the spirit nerf or have very few options for CC, for example.
Doubtless the depth of the class will be discovered by anyone taking this columns advice when soloing group quests, doing dungeons, and raiding. But it's very easy to level, compared with others. This is not particularly debateable. Even at lower levels (pre Crusader Strike, and pre Exorcism-on-all-targets) judging Command and auto-attacking, I could plow through multiple mobs with little to no danger, unlike many other classes I'd played.
Ticaa Jun 3rd 2009 4:23PM
i recomend shammys and Spriest... u dont get bored whit this 2 classes
Jason Jun 3rd 2009 4:30PM
I would say Mages are pretty casual. They don't change much from patch to patch, so you don't need to get used to the after-patch mage. Sure there might be down time, but food and water help make up for it. I don't even need to say Looking for Group, people just whisper me with offers. I don't have incredibly good gear, and it's still really fun. I find them very strong in PvE, i can pretty much kill anything before it gets to me (I'm frost). Mages are casual casters that don't need practice to be fun and good.
Druids are also quite fun. I made a druid alt and boy, I never get bored. With several forms, there are plenty of options. Fast cat-form movement and Aquatic forms save time and are nifty. I like my druid a lot, although later you will probably be asked for just one form.
Overall, I would say mages have the best effort/fun ratio.
Wither Jun 3rd 2009 6:37PM
Ehm no. The skill range on mages is by far wider than on many other classes and they won't be enjoyed as much by the casual player. With little practice, mages are a pain in the backside to level as they die easily and have so much downtime for healing and mana. For casual PvP, you will probably die more than a holy spec priest and that's saying something. You have to constantly watch your range when you realise how squishy you are.
For a dedicated player, mages are very rewarding - AoE grinding and snaring in PvP when mastered reap great rewards. However they do require a lot of practice and patience.
For casual playing, you are far better off with a class that doesn't penalise "poor play" so badly. You can play a paladin, death-knight, hunter or warlock badly without worrying about range / positioning, very little downtime for healing / mana and even get quite a few kills in PvP.
ArbyGrot Jun 3rd 2009 4:33PM
If you are super casual and do a lot of soloing (like I do) your best bet is either a Hunter, Paladin, Druid or Death Knight. I have three of these at or near 80 and there is still lots to do even on your own. These classes can do some group quests by themselves or even solo all or part of some 5-mans.
Its just my 2 coppers but if you solo a lot pick a class that has the greatest number of solo options at the level cap.
Brad Powers Jun 3rd 2009 4:33PM
At 80, rogues are currently one of the least-played classes. But I agree that Paladins and Druids seem to be the way to go to experience end-game content.
Justin Jun 3rd 2009 4:37PM
The statement about lots of rogues isn't entirely true, as from my experiences, they are bloody hard to find (Dunemaul Horde EU). According to those armory mined class distribution charts, they also ahve quite a loew representation at level 80.
For a newbie though, I would go for a hunter, walock, pala, or druid just cause they are easy. Mages/Warriors/Rogues require abit of techincal skill to really play well at early levels.
M Jun 4th 2009 8:04AM
I levelled my Rogue through Northrend to 80 first, and I found that for the first time through, in the first two weeks of the expansion's release, on a PvP server, Rogue was rather a bit easier thanks to stealth. Then I finally got tired of Blizzard's hate for melee when fighting Sapphiron (well, standing away from the boss picking my nose while watching the blizzard for half the fight), and took my Hunter to 80.
What made my Hunter easier was because I had been through there already on my Rogue, and there were fewer gankers out -- most of them started in the Boring Tundra, and were still levelling when I took my Hunter to 80 (it's easy to tell when the waves of gankers were coming through the levelling zones by listening to LocalDefense/WorldDefense). My DK was on a PvE server.
Scones Jun 3rd 2009 4:39PM
It seems that Mages are not getting the love they deserve. Mages are a blast ( litterally). You may have the downtime for mana but is that something since most if not all use mana quickly? Mages have mana gems, potions, and evocation to bring back mana and we make enough food and drink to cancel that. With blink, frost nova, blast wave, deep freeze and impact we can keep people and mobs off ourselves. Enemies go down like burning trees and isn't it satisfying to see mobs ignite to their doom? Main point is give mages much more consideration that a hybrid.
theRaptor Jun 3rd 2009 5:43PM
Sorry but mage DPS is just not that impressive while leveling. It is middling at best. DK's just /faceroll through three mobs in the time it takes a mage to take down one. And mages are incredibly, incredibly fragile. I played mage all the way from vanilla to Vashj in SSC before I rerolled spriest. Spriest does comparable leveling DPS to a mage (baring those nice frost C-C-C-COMBOBREAKERS you get, but they aren't consistent) and you have almost no downtime, and are much tougher.
With dual specs I really see no point limiting yourself to one role. If you are a casual you are better off rolling a hybrid so you can swap around what you are doing. Hardcore players tend to have multiple max level toons and so don't get the same experience from a hybrid.
Sinthar Jun 4th 2009 7:55AM
@ Raptor
Strange my experience was entirely the opposite. My friend (a SP) couldnt get near me in dps terms in TBC, in fact my dps was ususally in the top 3 in raids too. Yes this did take a little concentration and spamming a whole 3 buttons (plus a macro to trigger all my cd's), but nothing you couldnt pick up in about 10 mins of thought.
Play a mage right and the mob shouldnt GET to you, so fragility doesnt come into it. Yes DK's would be quicker to level (lets face it starting 55 lvls up with great gear from the q's helps a lot in that reguard)- and imo are so OP as to be boring, plus you cant swing a gnome in dal without hitting 5.
From my guild two quotes - one from a hunter (a good one) and a Spriest - they said the same thing 'OMG mage is SOOO much fun to play'. The hunter switched mains (and still hasnt leveled his hunter past 70) and the spriest is on her mage every day, switching to her sp when its needed.
Mages also have more earning power - portals going for 2-10g a shot (rune costs 20s). I can earn more than a lot of top level crafting profs, by standing in IF or SW and spamming a portal selling macro. I frequently have 2-4 ppl pay me for one portal.