Greetings, adventurers! Librarian Husky here, bringing you the latest insights and updates from the depths of Azeroth. There’s been some massive new information uncovered about the state of balance in Phase 4 of the Season of Discovery. With the new Fire Resistance requirements in Molten Core, the shift in power has been enormous across the board. Let’s dive in and talk about the very strongest classes in Phase 4 right now.

Impact of Fire Resistance on DPS Rankings

The big, unexpected change since our previous DPS tier list is that Fire Resistance requirements are creating a huge shift. For one thing, the fights are longer on average. Additionally, some classes benefit more from the different gear swaps than others.

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Utility and AOE Changes

In our previous DPS tier list, we discussed utility and AOE damage in depth. Recently, however, I was inspired by a tweet about the idea of DPS misinformation circulating. This sparked a renewed interest in examining which classes are truly the strongest under the new Fire Resistance requirements.

Endgame Projections for Classes

I also wanted to look at exact endgame projections for each class. With full Fire Resistance, how can you expect each class to perform at the true B level? We’ll rank everything from B tier up to S tier, starting with the B tier.

B Tier: Shadow Priests

Shadow Priests are usually expected to perform well at the start of a phase when gear is limited. Right now, however, the highest-ranking Shadow Priest is only 33rd in the world. They’re being outperformed by Ferals, Rogues, and Hunters. The saving grace for Shadow Priests, though, is that they still provide substantial utility to their groups.

Utility and Mana Sustain of Shadow Priests

Shadow Priests provide the raid with utility, offering infinite mana through Vampiric Touch and powerful magic dispels. At endgame, Shadow Priest damage tops out around 3,400. A way to significantly increase this output is by using Power Infusion on a Shadow Priest a few seconds before the pull. This allows every dot they apply to be permanently snapshotted, boosting their damage by up to 200 additional DPS for the entirety of the fight.

B Tier: Elemental Shaman Performance

Currently, the highest-ranked Elemental Shaman globally sits at a disappointing 343rd place. They trail the highest-ranked Enhancement Shaman by 800 DPS, and their mana battery role has been largely replaced by Shadow Priests. Additionally, the Fire Resistance Totem has proven somewhat unreliable in raids, making this a challenging time for Elemental Shamans.

Projected DPS for Boomkins

Boomkins currently have a relatively stable role in the raid, with projected DPS around 2,600. Although this isn’t impressive, buffs are likely in the near future, offering hope for improvement in their damage output and utility.

Current State of Retribution Paladins

Ret Paladins have more build variety than ever, yet they remain somewhat weak in the current meta. Presently, only one Ret Paladin appears in the top 200 logs, and there is concern as Feral Druids begin to challenge Ret Paladins for gear priority, particularly for Hand of Ragnaros. Ret Paladins’ projected DPS is about 4,600, which seems respectable. However, simulators assume perfect gameplay, and realistically, Ret Paladins may need buffs to achieve this level of performance consistently.

E Tier: Warlocks’ Performance

Currently, there are four Destruction Warlocks in the top 100 rankings and one exceptional Affliction Warlock ranked 13th in the world. This demonstrates two facts about Warlocks: they are the second-best caster class in the game, and to maximize DPS, having a support Warlock handling curses is essential. With a projected DPS of 3,200, Warlocks deliver solid caster DPS, only slightly behind Mages. Combined with their utility, Warlocks are among the most sought-after classes in the game.

Challenges for Warriors

The top-ranking Warrior globally currently holds only the 26th position, indicating challenges in the class’s overall performance within the current meta. Warriors may struggle to compete with other top DPS classes, especially as Fire Resistance requirements shift raid dynamics.

Warrior DPS Projections

Warriors are currently underperforming in the endgame, ranking far lower than expected. However, hope remains. When fully buffed with world buffs, a Warrior can increase DPS by around 1,100. As we see more fully buffed, max-geared Warriors, their performance may tell a different story.

Challenges and Potential of Fire Mages

Two of the top 12 parses are Fire Mages, showing their potential. However, a major limitation for Fire Mages is their responsibility for decursing, especially with healers being dropped from raids.

Enhanced Shamans’ Current State

There is much debate, especially among Alliance players and Retribution Paladins, on the power of Enhanced Shamans. Despite discussions, only four of the top 100 parses belong to Enhancement Shamans, with a divide on whether to dual-wield or use the Hand of Ragnaros.

Faction Balance in Phase S

For faction balance discussions, this phase provides all the evidence needed. Moving into the S tier, we see Feral Druids performing exceptionally well, with 10 of the top 100 parses belonging to them. Notably, none of these top Ferals have a Hand of Ragnaros yet, which promises significant DPS gains when they do.

Projected DPS for Feral Druids

Prior to this phase, most DPS projections assumed the use of .5 gear sets. However, with the Fire Resistance requirements, there has been a shift toward the Tier 1 set, as it offers substantial built-in Fire Resistance. This is beneficial, as the Tier 1 set for Ferals is incredibly powerful, resulting in no drop-off in DPS.

Rogue Performance and Gear Advantage

Rogues are also thriving in this phase, with the third highest parse globally belonging to a Mutilate Rogue, and 13 of the top 100 parses coming from Rogues. One key factor contributing to their strength is their pre-raid gear, such as the Fel Striker and Devilcore. Mutilate Rogues are currently simming at around 4,150 DPS, while Saber Slash builds also exceed 4,000 DPS. As more Rogues acquire full BiS gear in the coming weeks, their full potential will become even more apparent.

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Strength of Hunters in Current Meta

I definitely underestimated how incredibly strong Hunters would become, especially with the use of Explosive Trap. Whether it’s fair or not, Hunters have been the biggest target of complaints due to their dominance, particularly in Alterac Valley. With their max Fire Resistance build, Hunters are simming around 4,000 DPS, which is comparable to Rogues.

Debate on Class Buffs and Nerfs

Many expect Hunters to be nerfed soon, but I’d love to hear from you on which class you think needs the biggest buffs in the next patch. Personally, I believe Elemental Shaman could use a boost. Although I’m Horde-biased, it’s clear that Ele Shaman are underrepresented in raids.

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