Hello, Librarian Husky here! By now, you probably realize that Frost DK isn’t the top spec in the game, but it’s far from the worst. If you’re playing 2v2, your best option is pairing with a Holy Paladin since you’ll need that Hodge for your Pillar of Frost. You could experiment with other healers, but why would you? Look at how those cooldowns align perfectly.

Unholy DK in 2v2

Unholy DK is similar, but with much more consistent pressure, allowing you to pair effectively with a Resto Shaman. That said, DK Pali is a nightmare for many double DPS comps. Together, you’re essentially a wall of cooldowns and immunities, designed to stop double DPS in their tracks by pressing that W key and Terminator-walking toward them with unhealable damage. Unholy DKs are also the bane of many healers.

Pressure During Cooldowns

Their pressure is extremely tough to handle during cooldowns, especially when Necrotic Strike is stacked high and Glyph of Strangulate can silence for up to 7 seconds. Once you add a stun to the mix, it’s basically lights out unless properly peeled.

Druid Options in 2v2

Now, let’s discuss Druids. Unfortunately, Boomkin isn’t really suited for 2v2, but there are two different routes you can take. You can go the Healer DPS route and pair up with a Holy Paladin for more control with stun setups, or you can take a much different approach with double DPS.

Challenges for Boomkin

The issue with Boomkin is that its niche involves doing massive spread pressure over a long period, and there aren’t many DPS partners who can help you do that without dying. This means playing with either a Sub Rogue and trying to win in two Smoke Bombs or playing with a Ret Paladin and trying to blast with cooldowns while supporting each other’s hybrid abilities.

Feral Druid in 2v2

If there’s one contestant for king of 2v2, it’s definitely Feral Druid. It’s arguably the best melee in the entire game, and 2v2 is a melee fiesta. If you want to play with a healer, then Disc Priest is your best bet, but both Resto Shaman and Holy Paladin work too.

Feral Druid and Healer Pairing

Between Pain Suppression, Dome, Survival Instincts, Barkskin, Cyclone, and more, Disc Priest and Feral is one of those comps that double DPS will absolutely dread facing. Just like DK/P, you are a wall of cooldowns designed to survive through an apocalypse.

Feral Druid and Hunter Pairing

You can also take an alternative route and pair with a Hunter, creating one of the best double DPS setups in the game. Having a Hunter on your team provides a potent combination of burst and CC in the opener, presenting a significant challenge for any healer.

Resto Druid in 2v2

As for Resto Druid, your best 2v2 setup involves similar strategic pairing to maximize your strengths and mitigate vulnerabilities in matches.

Druid Partner Options in 2v2

Your partner is the one who will actually play with you. All jokes aside, Druid has a wide array of potential 2v2 options, working well with both melee and casters, thanks to having good control and multiple stun options.

Caster Route for Druid

Taking the caster route means playing a more involved role with your partner, assisting your Fire Mage or Affliction Warlock in setting up damage with your stuns and then collectively controlling the pace of the game with CC.

Melee Route for Druid

When playing with a brawler melee like DK or Arms Warrior, you can afford to play more passively, letting them do most of the work for you. This places Sub Rogue somewhere in the middle, where you want to support their setups when needed but focus on efficiency in between.

Hunter in 2v2

Now, if there’s one class that is a bit unconventional compared to retail when it comes to 2v2 comp selection, it’s definitely Hunter. Your best comps are actually with another DPS, pairing with either a Sub Rogue or Feral Druid, creating one of the most explosive threats in the game.

Hunter and DPS Pairing

Thanks to Readiness, Hunter comps can play extremely aggressively in the opener with their CDs, utilizing an onslaught of burst and CC designed to win the game early. They can even back-to-back Rapid Fire and Kera Shot for massive pressure.

Hunter and Healer Pairing

If you prefer a slower game, you could pair up with a Disc Priest. This setup offers much-needed CC synergy since Fear doesn’t DR with Trap. Additionally, the damage provided by Disc will be useful for closing out games.

Challenges with High-Tier Healer/DPS Setups

Keep in mind that this comp might struggle against high-tier Healer/DPS setups. Despite being another S-tier ranged DPS, Fire Mage comps require specific strategies to maximize their effectiveness in these challenging matchups.

2v2 Comp Selection for Mage

Mage is more stringent when it comes to 2v2 comp selection. Even though Combustion is one of the scariest burst cooldowns in the game, it requires a bit more setup and is quite RNG dependent. Therefore, your best option is to play with a healer, either taking the damage route with a Disc Priest or using the control of a Holy Paladin to set up kills.

Frost Mage in 2v2

Due to Frost’s punchy damage profile, it offers more flexibility with comp selection in 2v2. It potentially provides the best overall double DPS option in Cataclysm with Rogue. Rogue Mage is one of the scariest openers in the entire game thanks to the immense burst and control offered by both classes.

Rogue Mage Strategy

Typically, this comp aims to burn multiple defensives in the opener, then reset the fight before going in again, repeating this process until nothing is left. Some strategies never change, do they?

Frost Mage with Healer

Frost Mage can also pair well with healers, and Disc Priest is the preferred option. This comp heavily relies on control and repeated setups using Deep Freeze. Your games will obviously be longer with this comp, but the sheer amount of control offered by the Mage gives the composition significant power in dictating tempo.

Paladin Specs in 2v2

Next, we have our two Paladin specs, with Holy already being mentioned a few times in this list. Holy Paladins pair best with the brawling archetype of melee DPS, and playing with an Unholy DK, Feral Druid, or Arms Warrior is recommended.

Attrition-Based Comps

If you want to push, these comps revolve entirely around attrition. They’re not looking for long CC chains to secure kills but instead aim to gradually overwhelm their opponents with raw damage. The reason Paladins work best with brawler melee DPS is not only because of utility like Hand of Freedom and CC support from Hammer of Justice but also because their wall of healing cooldowns enables their partners to maintain pressure and stay alive until the next set of offensives.

Holy Paladin in Attrition Comps

Holy Paladins are the healers that want you to press W all game, which is ideal for comps whose win condition is constant pressure. On the other hand, Ret Paladin definitely does not win through prolonged attrition. As one of the melee lacking a Mortal Strike effect, Rets need to find alternative ways to close out games, typically by pairing with another bursty DPS.

Ret Paladin Pairings

Hunters, DKs, and Rogues are their best options as these classes not only offer healing reduction debuffs but also have synergistic CC, which can be chained together to overwhelm the enemy healer. Ret Paladins also bring powerful off-healing in the arena thanks to the combination of Last Word and Selfless Healer, which when combined, turn Word of Glory into a lay on hands when used on another player.

Ret Paladin in Double DPS Setups

With excellent healing burst and utility, Rets work perfectly in double DPS setups. Moving on, we have our two Priest specs, with Disc already mentioned a few times in this guide. While it’s possible to pair with virtually any DPS, playing with a Sub Rogue or Feral Druid is by far the best. These two melee classes offer immense control and great burst damage, which synergizes perfectly.

Disc Priest in 2v2

With the Disc Priest toolkit as the most offensive healer in the game with the highest possible damage output, Disc Priest can actually play a pseudo-support role in the bracket by assisting their teammates with kills. Having the control of a Rogue or Feral will allow you to cast those sweet Mind Spikes.

Shadow Priest in 2v2

Unfortunately, Shadow Priest is one of the weaker DPS specs in 2v2 in early Cataclysm. Like Fire Mage, their damage has a relatively long ramp, which can make it difficult to play fast-paced double DPS comps. As a safe pick, pairing with the Holy Paladin is likely your best option, as it’s going to give you the ability to cross CC with stuns and silences effectively.

Double DPS Options for Shadow Priest

If you really want to play double DPS, you could go the CC route and pair up with a Frost Mage or Sub Rogue looking to end games in a setup or two. Alternatively, you could rely on the tried and true Ret Paladin to try and squeeze out wins.

Sub Rogue in 2v2

If there’s one possible contender for king of 2v2, it’s definitely Sub Rogue, who can take two different paths for S-tier compositions. While it’s possible to play with any healer, a Disc Priest is going to be your best bet in the early expansion, as the cross CC potential from stuns and fears enables deadly setups on enemy players.

Sub Rogue with Healer

In the late expansion, with access to powerful PVE gear and legendary daggers, you might see more Rogues shift over to playing with Resto Shaman since Shadow Dance damage is high enough to solo without any offensive support.

Double DPS Options for Sub Rogue

The other route you can take as a Sub Rogue is playing double DPS with either a Frost Mage or Marks Hunter. These comps provide a powerful combination of burst and control, making them highly effective in the arena.

Sub Rogue Openers

Sub Rogues have the scariest openers in the entire game, and it’s quite possible to win in the opening exchange if the enemy team doesn’t properly trade cooldowns. Regardless of the path you choose, Sub Rogues are a crucial part of some of the hardest execution tests for enemy players in Cataclysm Arena.

Elemental Shaman in 2v2

Moving on to our Shaman specs, let’s start with Elemental, which is definitely an off-meta DPS with some obscure 2v2 comps. While it might seem completely out of left field, your best option when playing with a healer might actually be pairing with a Resto Druid. As an Elemental Shaman, you’re going to be focused all game while trying to set up Elemental Mastery with Lava Burst and Fulmination.

Healer Pairings for Elemental Shaman

To secure a win against any team with a healing button, you’ll definitely need a stun to keep someone in place while also wanting some cross CC. This is where a Resto Druid or a Holy Paladin comes into play. Alternatively, you can play with the DPS versions of these classes since they will also provide that much-needed stun and hybrid support.

Enhancement Shaman in 2v2

Enhancement Shaman is another off-meta pick for 2v2. As another melee lacking a Mortal Strike effect, it’s not well-suited for playing with a healer. Instead, you’ll want to pair with another melee who can press W with you and aim to win in under a minute.

Melee Pairings for Enhancement Shaman

Ret Paladins and Unholy DKs are likely your best options as these two DPS have enough pressure to solo healers while you assist with damage and utility.

Restoration Shaman in 2v2

As the best overall healer in the game, Restoration Shaman definitely has a few options when it comes to 2v2. It’s crucial to remember that while you have many choices, selecting the right partner to complement your abilities is vital for success in the arena.

Restoration Shaman in 2v2

Restoration Shamans don’t contribute much in terms of damage, but they provide the best damage buffs for any of their partners, especially with Strength of Earth Totem, which gives a massive main stat buff to melee. When these damage buffs are combined with the best healing output in the game and offensive support from purges and wind shears, Shamans have a wide variety of comp options for 2v2.

Best Partners for Restoration Shaman

Relying on the attrition of Affliction Warlocks, Unholy DKs, Feral Druids, or even Sub Rogues to gradually deplete the other healer’s mana, Shamans can effectively support these classes. Affliction will work best when paired with a Resto Shaman, as their damage profile is designed to gradually wear down the enemy team’s health.

Affliction Warlock and Restoration Shaman Synergy

You’ll want a healer who helps you maximize your damage in very long games. It’s important to note that Warlocks not only take less damage with Soul Link but also receive more healing thanks to Demon Armor. When combined with the passive healing provided by Restoration Shaman, you have an ideal match.

Challenges of Warlock and Shaman Comp

Remember that while Lock Shaman might be your best comp option, it will result in some very long games without a punchy damage profile. This comp relies on gradual pressure and sustainability to outlast opponents in extended matches.

Preparation for Sweaty Matchups

You need to be ready for some intense matchups, especially since there’s no dampening in Cataclysm. Lastly, but certainly not least, Arms Warrior is a significant force in the 2v2 bracket for Season 9.

Arms Warrior and Holy Paladin Combo

If you’re coming from Wrath, you’re in luck because the iconic Warrior-Holy Paladin combo returns in Cataclysm as your best comp. Playing with a wall of cooldowns once again allows you to press that W key with greater force and gradually wear down enemy healers.

Warrior Strengths and Challenges

While Warriors may not be as effective against double DPS compared to DK-P, they will still be a formidable challenge in Season 9 where Warrior damage is exceptionally high.

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