Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Librarian Husky, and today we’re going to be breaking down the 10 best DPS specs that you can use heading into the War Within. You’re busy, and you don’t need the stress of figuring out what class is a sure banger this expansion, so don’t worry, the comeback kid’s got your back.

The Augmentation Evoker

Starting off with what could easily be the number one pick in the game, you have the Augmentation Evoker. This spec is absolutely mandatory and can be filled in any type of content out there. You have a wide variety of group buffing utility that includes a flat main stat increase for your allies, extra critical strike chances, minor spell duplication to just have everyone deal more damage, buffing your tanks with extra health, and your healers with extra mana regen.

The Best Utility and Group Buffing Class

I mean, this is by far the best utility and group buffing class in the game, and it isn’t even close. The craziest thing is that with the integration of the new hero talent trees, the damage you can deal on this spec is a lot higher than you would normally think for a utility-based class in an RPG game.

Combining Buffs and Personal Cooldowns

Once you combine all your buffs onto yourself while popping your own personal cooldowns, you can easily hit over one and a half to two million DPS, which is really insane to think about for a buffing spec. You also have your main resource consumer, which is your eruption, dealing a nice, consistent amount of AoE damage.

Heavy Hitter Abilities

Your very heavy hitter, which is power upheaval, can hit for like 7, 8, 9, or 10 million damage in one single cast. You have to know at this point that the Augmentation Evoker pretty much covers all the bases. They deal very solid damage, and the spec is super fun and unique to play, unlike any other class in the game.

Hero Talent Trees and Gameplay Styles

The hero talent trees and the talent tree overall are very well-designed. You have a nice range of gameplay styles, making this class a sure banger and one of the best specs heading into the War Within. Blizzard did a very well-done job with this class.

Outlaw Rogue: A High DPS AOE Specialist

I put a rogue class on this list, but Outlaw does deserve its place. Here’s the thing about Outlaw Rogue: its AOE damage output is absolutely phenomenal, being one of the highest and most consistent DPS in the entire game in a Mythic Plus environment, where this spec is always taken and wanted.

High Actions Per Minute Class

It’s a very high actions per minute class that’s constantly trying to keep up your buffs, whether it be your slice and dice, your roll the bones, and now your new fate-bound hero talent tree buffs. The whole gimmick is to keep all these up as much as you can and deal the most damage possible inside your stealth windows with your blade flurry reactive to get as many crack shots off as possible.

Interesting Gameplay Style

I think the whole gameplay style of keeping your haste buff up through Take Them by Surprise, which is a passive near the end of your talent tree, and then trying to chain off a bunch of crack shots is pretty interesting. I’m not going to lie, and I do think it’s interactive, but if I’m being completely honest, it doesn’t really feel like a toe-to-toe combat fighter like Outlaw Rogue is supposed to be.

Mythic Plus Focus

Nevertheless, this class is specifically meant and designed for Mythic Plus content, and it is very strong there. However, it does leave the other gameplay avenues like pure single target DPS lacking a little bit. Overall, though, it’s a fantastic AOE DPS spec, and I think if they tweaked the fate-bound hero talent tree to make it a little bit more controllable, this spec is absolutely on the verge of being one of the best in the entire game.

High AOE Damage with Complications

I think it’s an overall decent spec: very high AOE damage with a little bit of complication. Overall, it’s a great spec. Next, we have the Survival Hunter. If you’ve been playing the War Within beta lately, I’m sure you’re aware of the brand-new rework of the Survival Hunter because this spec is doing amazing right now.

Survival Hunter Rework

The rotation that was once bloated and full of way too many buttons has become condensed. They’ve simplified Wildfire Infusion, removed Serpent Sting, and overall just cleaned up the rotation. You have interactions of your Butchery resetting Wildfire Bombs, and you pump out as many Explosive Shots as possible with your procs, which is now your number one AOE DPS active ability.

Fury of the Eagle and Massive AOE Damage

Then you top it all off with your massive Fury of the Eagle. You just destroy mobs in AOE situations, and we haven’t even spoken about the best part of the spec yet: the integration of their Sentinel hero talent tree. This hero talent tree is so easy to just pick up and use that it doesn’t even impede on your rotation.

Sentinel Hero Talent Tree

Your Sentinel ability has a chance to proc off of every attack you use. If you combine that with the Starfall effect on your Wildfire Bombs, it literally becomes your number one DPS ability, and you don’t have to change a thing about your rotation, which makes it extremely efficient and powerful.

Ease of Use and High DPS Potential

It just makes it that much easier for you to pick it up and give this spec a go. There are some points in Mythic Plus where my brother Lance has everything locked in and can easily pull over 2 million DPS without even batting an eye. Survival Hunter is definitely the best part about Hunter overall right now and is easily one of the better classes in the game as of right now when it comes to a mid-range DPS spec. Hats off to Blizzard for this brand-new design; Survival Hunter is looking fantastic so far.

The Explosive Fire Mage

Moving on now to one of the most explosive classes to play in the War Within beta, we have the Fire Mage. Even though this class has constantly gotten nerfed, fire overall is just smacking right now. I’m not going to lie, this class does have a bit of a learning curve, so it’s a little bit difficult to learn, but if you know what you’re doing and you’re the type of player that can plan three, four, or five global cooldowns ahead, you’re going to dominate on this spec.

Well-Designed Talent Tree

They cleaned up the talent tree and designed it so well that if you know how to play properly, you are in your combustion state a really good amount of time, and the AOE damage you can deal is just through the roof. You have the integration of the new Living Bomb being baked into your Fire Blast, the AOE through your Phoenix Flames, instant Flame Strikes, and Pyro Blasts, which can then proc more Living Bombs to spread and deal more damage.

Explosive and Satisfying Gameplay

It is so explosive and very satisfying. The synergy of abilities makes it a very rewarding class to master, as you can chain reactions that lead to massive AOE damage. The Fire Mage is a powerhouse in the War Within beta, proving that even with nerfs, it remains a top contender in DPS.

Sun King’s Blessing and Combustion

You go about your normal rotation and get your Sun King’s Blessing proc to get back into combustion after you hard cast your next Pyroblast. It is very, very fun and easily goes down as one of the most fun specs to play in the entire game.

Frostfire Hero Talent Tree

Another big reason for that has to be their Frostfire hero talent tree. It is just so symbiotic; it works so well with the spec. It allows you to have a chance to proc an instant Frostfire Bolt when you deal damage that hits for a million damage and deals a bunch of AOE damage as well, and explodes.

Instant Cast Abilities and Mobility

Not only that, it can benefit your combustion and get you more procs. It gets to the point where you don’t even have to hard cast anything on Fire Mage anymore. You’re literally just running around spamming Fire Blast, Living Bombs, Phoenix Flames, all instant cast on the move. It is so much fun spamming abilities.

Design and Damage Output

It is a very well-designed spec to play overall and easily one of the highest damage-dealing classes in the game. Hats off to Blizzard for this one. Moving on now to another very sure hitter, you guessed it, we have the Unholy Death Knight.

The Behemoth: Unholy Death Knight

If you’re looking for an absolute behemoth of a class, this could be your go-to option for sure. It’s a very straightforward class and personally has my vote for being the best melee DPS in the game.

Unholy Death Knight: Spreading Festering Runes

You spread your festering runes with Vile Contagion, use your Defile ability to deal more damage, and then spread all of your damage over time effects instantly with one single button using Outbreak. From there, you pop all your cooldowns and annihilate mobs around you with just a pretty much two-button rotation after that. It’s just so satisfying to use.

Hero Talent Trees and Rers the Apocalypse

Then once you add their hero talent trees, things become kind of hilarious. You get the Rers the Apocalypse talent tree, which every 60 seconds or so summons an army of minions to do your bidding and deal a ton of damage around you, all on their own. It’s so satisfying to have your Undead Army to control and wreak havoc and terror across the battlefield.

Design and Class Fantasy

This spec is very well-designed, simple, effective, and has an amazing class fantasy with a super fun design talent tree. If you’re looking for a good DPS heading into the War Within, Unholy has got to be one of your best melee DPS options for sure.

Surprising Choice: Arms Warrior

Next up for another great melee DPS, we have a surprising choice: the Arms Warrior. Yes, believe it or not, Arms Warrior is smashing right now in the War Within meta. This probably is the easiest melee DPS rotation in the game, and it feels like the goal of the warrior is very straightforward.

Maximizing Damage in AOE Situations

You just deal as much damage as you could possibly do in AOE situations. You toss out your Ravager, use your Warbreaker, and pop your Sweeping Strikes. Then that’s it; you just go nuts. You spam Overpower and Cleave as much as possible. It’s going to sound crazy, but I’ve had single Cleave abilities hit for up to 6 to 7 million damage in one global cooldown, which you can spam, which is just insane if you really think about it.

Impressive Damage Output

My highest crit ever on one Cleave on one target was 4.5 million damage. Remember, this is an AOE spell. If you don’t believe me, here’s the picture for proof. Overall, I think their talent trees are very simple and well-designed. The whole purpose of these talent trees is just to deal as much damage as possible. There’s no fluff, no complications—easy to understand and super fun.

Colossus Hero Talent Tree

My favorite part about this spec, though, has to be their Colossus hero talent tree. You go about your normal rotation and gain stacks of what is called Colossal Might, which you build up to 10. Once you hit 10 stacks of Colossal Might, it increases the damage of your next Demolish ability. This talent tree adds a layer of strategy and anticipation, making the gameplay even more engaging.

Colossal Might: A Game-Changing Hero Talent

The new hero talent allows this ability to hit like an absolute nuke, dealing two to three million damage in one swing to a single target and some of that damage to enemies around your target. It’s one of the most satisfying hero talent abilities in the game, in my opinion. Arms Warrior is not bloated with buttons; it has a very straightforward rotation that deals a ton of damage.

Arms Warrior: Simple and Fun

If you’re looking for a class that’s simple and fun, this has got to be one of the specs on your list. It’s easily one of the best in the War Within beta right now. Moving on now, honestly, I didn’t think too many people expected Shadow Priest to actually be as good as it is, especially considering it has two other hero specs.

Shadow Priest: Unexpected Excellence

Making hero talent designs out of that didn’t really sound very promising, but lo and behold, Blizzard hit another banger. Overall, Shadow Priest is much better and way easier to understand than it probably has ever been. They stepped away from the Mind Sear design and embedded all your dots into your Shadow Crash ability, which you use every 20 seconds.

Streamlined Gameplay and Increased Fun

This change makes the class so much easier to understand and manage. After you’ve got your dots up, you have your Shadowy Apparitions floating out, and you’re just building a bunch of insanity for a big Voidform dump. Spamming Devouring Plague increases your damage as long as possible. It’s really fun and offers a nice builder-spender gameplay style for a ranged DPS.

Enjoying Hero Talent Trees

I genuinely enjoy the hero talent trees. I might have an unpopular opinion here, but I really enjoy both of them a lot. You have the Archon hero talent tree, which turns your Halo ability, which looks super cool by the way, into a major offensive cooldown that deals a ton of damage in AOE and triggers your Surge of Insanity, making your rotation feel a lot better with your Mind Flay.

Archon Hero Talent Tree

Not only that, it makes your Halo ability surge three or four different times, so it feels really satisfying to use every 60 seconds or so. Then, of course, you have the fan favorite, which is the Void Weaver. It probably has one of the coolest visual animations in the game. It’s all about using your Void Torrent ability when you’re near max insanity.

Void Weaver Hero Talent Tree

This ability then shoots out an Innate Rift that deals damage. The whole idea is to squeeze as many Devouring Plagues in that Rift cooldown as possible to increase the damage and size of the rift. When it expires, it deals a nuclear explosion to enemies, which is really satisfying.

Utility and Raid Environment

Not only is Shadow Priest’s rotation and talent tree design above average in terms of damage, but their utility in a raiding environment is also very high. You have Power Infusion, Vampiric Embrace, Power Word: Fortitude, Halo healing, and dealing damage. This makes Shadow Priest a well-rounded and powerful choice.

Affliction Warlock: Skin-Melting Damage Over Time

I mean, it’s a very well-designed, dominant spec right now in the War Within and can be a great choice for you if you’re a ranged DPS caster. Speaking of another caster, we have the skin-melting damage-over-time class, the Affliction Warlock. Boy, do we have a banger in this spec.

Redesigned and Fluid Gameplay

This spec has been redesigned and feels so much more fluid than in the last few expansions. Your Siphon Life is tied to your Corruptions now. You can pump out instant Shadow Bolts, the Soul Shard generation is a lot better, and the spec just flows much more fluidly.

Hell Caller Hero Talent Tree

I would say the best part about this spec has to be the AOE damage you can deal with your Hell Caller hero talent tree because it is so strong. You use your Seed of Corruption to spread your new upgraded Corruption, now called Wither. You use your Vile Taint to spread your Curse of Agony and then pair that with all your other damage-over-time effects while spamming Malefic Rapture.

Impressive Damage Output

The damage quite literally left me speechless while I was testing this out, and it felt so satisfying to use. I do wish Vile Taint’s cooldown was reduced to 20 seconds so you don’t have to manually reapply Agony to each target. There are some points where it feels kind of clunky, but if you have situations where enemies are dying within less than 20-second encounters, you’re going to be dominating damage meters.

Fluid and Impactful Affliction Warlock

It’s a very cleaned-up, fluid spec. The hero talent tree feels very impactful for them. Wither is awesome; it’s honestly a chef’s choice. It’s a beautiful damage-over-time spec that you would love to play heading into the War Within if damage-over-time effects and DOTs are your play style.

Windwalker Monk: A Fantastic Choice

Now, Monk may not be the safest choice overall for a class, but good God, is Windwalker in a fantastic spot right now. Individually, the new redesign of their talent trees has left this cast feeling so much better than ever before. There are moments with this spec where I can easily hit over 2 million DPS with all my cooldowns up and just obliterate mobs entirely on my own.

Building Your Windwalker Monk

I will say, I do think you have to be very specific in how you build your Windwalker to be able to deal that much damage. Nevertheless, it’s always going to be a very fun spec to play. Big, juicy Fists of Fury are back, and AOE Blackout Kicks can hit up to eight times in one GCD, which is so fun to use.

Summoning Celestials and Rotation

You’re constantly summoning your Celestials from Pandaria. You have Xuen the White Tiger to assist you in battle with your Fist of Fury procs. The rotation feels good and is very satisfying to execute, making Windwalker Monk a highly enjoyable and powerful class to play.

Windwalker Monk: A Fluid and Dynamic Spec

It is just so fluid, one of the most fluid specs in the game in my opinion. I also love that you have so many micro cooldowns to use in pretty much every pull. You have your Strike of the Windlord, Xuen the Tiger procs, Whirling Dragon Punch, and then their new hero talent ability, Celestial Conduit.

Celestial Conduit: Ultimate AOE Damage

Celestial Conduit deals a ton of AOE damage in a channel, and it also increases the cooldown rate of all your abilities, allowing you to use them again quickly. This makes it very satisfying to mow down groups of mobs all on your own. Windwalker Monk is looking to dominate, as they always do in the early stages of an expansion.

Early Expansion Dominance

If you’re looking for a damage dealer that’s going to excel early on, this spec is high on everybody’s list as one of the best in the game. Moving on, we have the Arcane Mage, which, despite multiple nerfs, remains an amazing class.

Arcane Mage: Redesign and Consistent Damage

The Arcane Mage has been completely redesigned from top to bottom and probably has the highest and most consistent damage in the entire game while being one of the most satisfying specs to play. You’re constantly pumping out Arcane Barrages and proccing Arcane Orbs, which then allows you to spend more Arcane Barrages. It’s just incredibly engaging and powerful.

Arcane Mage: Best Version Yet

It’s probably the best the spec has ever felt. Your Arcane Missiles can now give you Arcane Charges, so there’s no more clunky awkwardness after spending an Arcane Barrage. If you pair your major offensive cooldowns like Touch of the Magi with your Arcane Surge, the damage is simply so juicy and satisfying to play.

Consistent Damage Without Major Cooldowns

I love that this spec doesn’t need its major cooldowns to deal a lot of damage. You have your Spell Slinger hero talent tree that has you shooting out a bunch of splinters to deal massive explosions and damage on your enemies while not impeding your rotation. It feels very impactful.

Aether Attunement Passive

Pair that with your brand new Aether Attunement passive, which allows your Arcane Missiles to be AOE, and you have so much consistent damage on your hands that you don’t even know what to do with it. It’s just so much fun.

All-Rounder Specialization

This spec easily checks off every box in the game: super high damage, great for raiding, great for Mythic Plus, fantastic design, and an amazing hero talent tree. What else could you possibly want in an amazing specialization like this one?

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