Introduction

With the Burning Crusade coming to the anniversary servers, there are numerous tier lists circulating, and we’re adding one more to the collection. Today, we’re presenting a class tier list for the Burning Crusade, but with a unique focus: ranking classes based on their gold making and gold farming possibilities in the Burning Crusade.

• This guide ranks each class by their effectiveness in generating gold;
• We’ll discuss specific farming methods for each class;
• Whether you’re looking to maximize your gold income or simply want to know which class suits your farming style, this guide has you covered.

Changes in Burning Crusade

Before diving into the class rankings, it’s crucial to understand the major changes coming to TBC that will significantly impact gold making strategies. The most important change affecting many players’ plans is the introduction of anti-boosting mechanics.

Anti-Boosting Mechanics

In the Burning Crusade, traditional boosting methods will be largely eliminated. The level disparity system means that high-level characters boosting low-level players will provide minimal experience, making most boosting services impractical.

• Dungeon Boosting Limitations: While there may be some endgame boost possibilities for dungeons like Black Morass or Shadow Labyrinth, the majority of boosting strategies are no longer viable;
• Mage Solo Farming: Mages who planned to solo farm Slave Pens and sell boosts will find this strategy extremely difficult or impossible;
• Paladin Strat Farming: Paladins can still AoE farm Stratholme, but they cannot effectively sell boosts there. The level disparity ensures that boost buyers receive almost no experience;
• Higher Level Requirements: To sell boosts, you’ll need to operate in higher-level dungeons, which makes the entire process significantly more challenging than it was in original TBC.

Despite these changes, solo farming remains possible. Paladins can still farm Stratholme for gold, but the ability to simultaneously sell boosts has been removed. This fundamental shift means that gold farming strategies must focus on direct farming rather than service-based income.

S Tier Classes

The S tier represents the absolute best classes for gold farming in the Burning Crusade. These classes offer exceptional farming capabilities, whether through instance farming, open-world farming, or unique class mechanics that provide significant advantages.

Paladin

Paladins remain one of the top gold farming classes in the Burning Crusade, and this ranking is far from controversial. Despite the anti-boosting changes, paladins maintain their dominance in gold generation through several key advantages.

• Stratholme Farming: Paladins can consistently farm between 400 and 500 gold per hour in Stratholme, making it one of the most reliable gold farming methods available;
• Instance-Based Farming: Farming inside instances eliminates competition from other players and bots. You don’t have to worry about open-world bots stealing your spawns or competing for resources;
• Enchanting Synergy: By bringing enchanting, you can disenchant drops and post valuable materials on the auction house, significantly increasing your gold income;
• Raw Gold Generation: Stratholme provides substantial raw gold drops, meaning you’re earning gold directly without relying entirely on auction house sales;
• Boosting Possibilities: While traditional boosting is limited, there may still be some boosting opportunities in higher-level dungeons or even raids. For example, Sethekk Halls doesn’t have the anti-boost mechanic active, unlike Slave Pens.

The combination of reliable instance farming, lack of competition, and consistent gold generation makes paladin an S-tier choice for anyone serious about gold farming in TBC.

Mage

Mages continue to be S-tier for gold farming, particularly for open-world farming scenarios. While dungeon farming has become significantly more challenging due to anti-slow mechanics, mages excel in other areas.

• Open World AoE Farming: Mages remain exceptional at pulling large groups of mobs and AoE farming them down efficiently;
• Dungeon Farming Challenges: The anti-slow mechanics mean that slows only last 20-30 seconds, after which mobs can teleport to you, making traditional mage dungeon farming much more difficult;
• Flexible Farming Options: Despite dungeon limitations, mages still have several viable farming locations and methods available;
• High Gold Potential: When mages can effectively farm, they generate gold at rates comparable to or exceeding other top-tier classes.

While mages face new challenges in TBC, their versatility and AoE capabilities keep them firmly in the S tier for gold farming.

Warlock

Warlocks represent one of the more surprising entries in the S tier. While not traditionally considered a top gold farming class, recent discoveries on the PTR have revealed that warlocks can farm at levels comparable to paladins.

• Felguard Tanking Strategy: Warlocks can use their Felguard as a tank to group up mobs. Since the anti-slow mechanic doesn’t affect the Felguard, this bypasses many of the limitations other classes face;
• Dungeon AoE Farming: The strategy involves sending the Felguard in to pull mobs for about 20 seconds, then using Seed of Corruption to AoE everything down. This method allows warlocks to farm Stratholme on par with paladins;
• Open World Sustainability: Warlocks have excellent sustainability for open-world farming, with a personal tank (pet) available at all times;
• Early Testing Results: Current testing shows warlock farming is already competitive, and there’s potential for optimization that could make it even more efficient.

While mages may still rank slightly above warlocks overall, warlocks have proven themselves to be a legitimate top-tier gold farming class in the Burning Crusade. Their unique mechanics allow them to circumvent many of the anti-boosting limitations that affect other classes.

Druid

Druids earn their S-tier ranking primarily through two key advantages: Flight Form at level 68 and Swift Flight Form (likely available in Phase 2). These abilities, combined with excellent farming capabilities, make druids exceptional for gold generation.

• Flight Form Advantages: At level 68, druids gain access to Flight Form, which provides significant mobility advantages for farming;
• Swift Flight Form: When Swift Flight Form becomes available, druids can gather herbs while in flight form, which is an enormous advantage for gathering professions;
• Feral Farming Efficiency: As feral druids, you have virtually no downtime. The combination of Omen of Clarity for free heals and instant cast abilities means you can maintain constant combat;
• Bot-Level Efficiency: The reason most bots in Burning Crusade are feral druids is because they can operate 24/7 in cat form with minimal downtime, only exiting to cast instant heals;
• Anzu Mount Lockout Sales: Druids have the unique ability to sell their lockout for the Anzu mount. Many players will pay you to join their runs daily, allowing you to earn gold while gearing up if you join their heroic dungeons and summon the boss for them.

While mages may pull larger groups and generate more gold per pull, druids make up for it with zero downtime. While a mage sits down to eat and drink after a pull, a feral druid has already killed two more mobs. This consistent, uninterrupted farming makes druids an excellent choice for gold generation.

A Tier Classes

The A tier represents strong gold farming classes that are excellent choices but lack some of the advantages that push classes into the S tier. These classes are still very capable of generating substantial gold, but they may have limitations in consistency, scalability, or farming methods.

Rogue

Rogues earn their A-tier ranking through their unique ability to stealth farm, which opens up farming opportunities unavailable to other classes. However, this farming method comes with significant RNG elements.

• Stealth Farming: Rogues can stealth through dungeons and areas that other classes cannot safely access, allowing them to farm valuable mobs and chests;
• Pickpocket Farming: The ability to pickpocket enemies provides additional gold generation opportunities;
• Locked Chest Hunting: Rogues excel at finding and opening locked chests, some of which can contain items worth thousands of gold;
• Late TBC AoE Potential: Later in TBC, rogues gain some AoE farming capabilities, though these are more limited compared to classes like mages or paladins;
• RNG-Heavy Farming: The main limitation of rogue farming is its reliance on RNG. You might spend an hour farming and earn 50 gold, or spend 30 minutes and find a chest worth 10,000 gold.

The RNG element can be both a blessing and a curse. While it adds excitement and the potential for massive payouts, it also means inconsistent gold generation. For players who enjoy the thrill of potentially finding valuable loot, rogue farming can be highly engaging.

Hunter

Hunters are excellent for sustained farming, offering similar advantages to warlocks but with some key differences that place them in the A tier rather than S tier.

• Exceptional Sustainability: Hunters have minimal downtime, similar to warlocks, but often with even better mobility and tagging capabilities;
• Superior Open World Farming: When it comes to open-world farming, hunters may actually outperform warlocks due to better mobility and faster target acquisition;
• Constant Movement: Unlike warlocks, who are more stationary when killing things, hunters are extremely mobile, allowing for efficient farming across large areas;
• Pet Tanking: Like warlocks, hunters have a personal tank (pet) that provides sustainability and reduces downtime;
• Dungeon Farming Limitations: The main factor keeping hunters in A tier is their inability to AoE farm dungeons like Stratholme in the same way that warlocks and paladins can.

Hunters are a popular class for good reason—they top DPS charts and are excellent for farming. However, the lack of effective dungeon AoE farming methods prevents them from reaching S tier. For open-world farming, hunters are an outstanding choice.

C Tier Classes

The C tier represents classes that are significantly less effective for gold farming compared to the top-tier options. While these classes aren’t completely useless for gold generation, they lack the efficiency, sustainability, or unique advantages that make other classes superior choices for farming.

If your primary goal is gold farming, you should strongly consider one of the six classes mentioned above (S and A tier) rather than these three options. However, these classes may still have niche uses or service-based income opportunities.

Warrior

Warriors face significant challenges when it comes to gold farming, primarily due to lack of self-sustain and high downtime requirements.

• High Downtime: Warriors require frequent food breaks when farming, significantly reducing their efficiency compared to classes with self-healing capabilities;
• Limited Farming Advantages: Warriors don’t bring any unique advantages that make them particularly good for gold farming;
• Late TBC Potential: There is some potential for warriors to farm certain dungeons later in TBC when they acquire significant defense, block rating, and parry rating. Some footage exists of warriors farming Scarlet Monastery, though SM isn’t particularly profitable without the ability to sell boosts;
• Stratholme Farming Possibility: If warriors can eventually farm Stratholme at the same level as paladins, they would instantly move to at least B tier. However, this is unlikely to happen, especially with knockdown mechanics. Paladins currently survive early in Phase 1 by using bubble, and warriors lack this safety net;
• Service-Based Income: Warriors can sell tanking services, which provides an alternative income stream, though this is service-based rather than direct farming.

Warriors climbing to B tier would likely require Phase 2 or Phase 3 content, and even then, it’s uncertain. For the start of TBC, warriors are firmly in C tier for gold farming purposes.

Priest

Priests share many of the same limitations as warriors when it comes to gold farming, though they may have slightly better sustainability due to healing capabilities.

• Limited Farming Efficiency: Priests don’t have the AoE capabilities, mobility, or unique farming advantages that make other classes effective for gold generation;
• Service-Based Opportunities: Like warriors, priests can sell healing services for raids and dungeons, providing an alternative income method;
• Raid and Dungeon Demand: Many players want priests for healing their raids and dungeons, which can create service opportunities, though this is indirect gold generation rather than farming.

While priests may rank slightly above warriors in the C tier, they’re still quite far from the effectiveness of A and S tier classes for direct gold farming.

Shaman

Shamans face similar challenges to priests and warriors, lacking the efficiency and unique advantages needed for top-tier gold farming.

• Farming Limitations: Shamans don’t have exceptional AoE farming capabilities, mobility advantages, or instance farming methods that make other classes effective;
• Service Opportunities: Restoration shamans are in high demand for raid healing, which can provide service-based income opportunities;
• Alternative Income Methods: Like other C-tier classes, shamans can generate gold through selling services rather than direct farming.

Shamans, along with warriors and priests, represent classes that you probably shouldn’t pick if your primary goal is gold farming. While they can generate some income through services, they lack the direct farming efficiency of higher-tier classes.

Conclusion

When it comes to gold farming in the Burning Crusade, class choice matters significantly. The six classes in S and A tier—Paladin, Mage, Warlock, Druid, Rogue, and Hunter—offer the best opportunities for efficient gold generation.

• S Tier Classes: Paladins, Mages, Warlocks, and Druids provide the most reliable and efficient gold farming methods, whether through instance farming, open-world AoE, or unique class mechanics;
• A Tier Classes: Rogues and Hunters are excellent choices with strong farming capabilities, though they may have some limitations in consistency or farming methods compared to S tier;
• C Tier Classes: Warriors, Priests, and Shamans are significantly less effective for direct gold farming, though they may have service-based income opportunities.

Remember that the anti-boosting mechanics in TBC have fundamentally changed the gold farming landscape. Classes that relied on selling boosts must now focus on direct farming methods. Choose your farming class based on your preferred playstyle, whether that’s consistent instance farming, open-world AoE, stealth farming, or gathering with flight form advantages.