Greetings from Librarian Husky! You probably know that Death Knights have some of the best anti-caster cooldowns in the game, with AMS being especially difficult for any DoT class to deal with. The shield is tough to break, and DKs also have passive magic damage mitigation talents. Even at lower HP, they take less damage. While these passives are nerfed in PvP, they are still strong and often give DKs enough time to recover with Death Strike.

Death Knights: Anti-Caster Powerhouses

You probably know that Death Knights have some of the best anti-caster cooldowns in the game, with AMS being especially difficult for any DoT class to deal with. The shield is tough to break, and DKs also have passive magic damage mitigation talents. Even at lower HP, they take less damage. While these passives are nerfed in PvP, they are still strong and often give DKs enough time to recover with Death Strike.

Vulnerabilities to Physical Damage

Both Frost and Unholy DKs can take significant damage from pure physical specs like Feral Druids and Fury Warriors. Hunters can also bully them. As some of their defensives are nerfed by dampening, DKs become good targets in the late game, especially if you have a disarm effect to negate Death Strike. In a melee-heavy lobby, DKs are excellent targets, but with multiple casters, you may want to focus elsewhere.

Demon Hunter: A Confusing Target

Demon Hunters can be confusing to deal with. Despite a slow start to the season, DHs still have one of the lowest death rates in Solo Shuffle. Like DKs, they benefit from passive damage reduction, making them tough for casters to handle. For melee, Demon Hunters are also hard to kill since Blur is one of the most efficient anti-melee cooldowns in the game.

Demon Hunters: Hard to Kill, but Neutral

Hunters need to aim for a 100 to zero kill in a stun since Nether Walk is essentially a get-out-of-jail-free card against anything that isn’t a Sub Rogue. With a mix of passive damage reduction and strong, efficient cooldowns, Demon Hunters fall into the neutral category. Now that we’ve covered Demon Hunters, let’s move on to Druids, starting with Boomkins.

Boomkin: Good to Train in Arena

If you watched our targeting guides in Dragonflight, you might remember that Boomkin was one of the best targets to attack, and this trend continues in The War Within. Boomkins take a lot of damage, and outside of Barkskin and Renewal, they don’t have great survival options. Their defense relies heavily on cycling, which is crucial for both staying alive and their win condition. Because of this, Boomkin falls into the “good to train” category.

Feral Druids: Still a Good Target

Last expansion, Feral Druids were also a good target and had the highest death rate in the game. Although they have a slightly better defensive kit now, they still take an absurd amount of consistent damage. Most Feral Druids will be playing Wild Stalker, which offers less bulk than Druid of the Claw. The main cooldown to watch out for is Survival Instincts, especially with the new Oak Skin talent that provides 60% damage reduction, making it an easy swap.

Feral Druids: High Damage and a Priority Target

Just like Boomkins, Cyclone remains a threat for Ferals, even though it no longer funnels them damage. As a spec that takes high damage and is critical to shut down, Feral Druid also falls into the “good to train” category. Their high damage output and vulnerability make them a priority in many scenarios.

Evokers: Surprisingly Tanky

Evokers, especially in Dragonflight, have become deceptively tanky. Early in the expansion, Devastation Evokers were on the squishier side, but with the new Slipstream Hero talent, they gained ridiculous mobility. Resetting hover charges after Deep Breath allows them to stay elusive, making it difficult for low-mobility melee classes to stick to them.

Devastation Evoker’s Defensive and Offensive Capabilities

Devastation Evokers also gain 10% additional damage reduction on Obsidian Scales, which has two charges. This not only makes them tankier but also allows them to be more aggressive. Training a Devastation Evoker doesn’t do much to shut their momentum down because they have multiple spell schools to work with, so pinning them with roots can be an effective tactic.

Augmentation Evokers: Even Tankier

Augmentation Evokers are quite tanky as well. Their hover provides a 20% damage reduction, and they can reset this effect using Time Spiral and Time Skip, which also reduces the cooldowns on all of their defensives. This combination makes them a challenging target to deal with in both offense and defense.

Augmentation Evokers: Mobility and Cheat Death

The same mobility traps that apply to Devastation Evokers also apply to Augmentation. If that wasn’t enough, Augmentation Evokers even have a cheat death mechanic. While it can be annoying to deal with, it’s not insurmountable. Evokers can be tanky, and if you can’t 100 to zero them in a stun, they will likely slip away. This puts them in the neutral category for now.

Hunter Specs: New Defensive Buffs

Next up, we have the three Hunter specs, all of which received significant defensive buffs in The War Within. Their shield wall, called Survival of the Fittest, now has an additional charge thanks to the new Padded Armor passive. This gives Hunters a higher defensive budget, making them more resilient in battle.

Marksmanship Hunter: Defensive Synergy

Marksmanship Hunters take their defenses further with the Smoke Screen passive from the Dark Ranger hero spec. This causes their self-heal and shield wall to proc each other at a slightly reduced effect, creating a defensive synergy. It’s essentially a buy-one-get-one-free deal for their defensive kit.

Dealing with Hunter’s Feign Death

If you play a spec with high burst, you’ll need to make sure Hunters are stunned, as Feign Death now provides a massive 90% damage reduction for a few seconds. Landing a kill through that is difficult. This explains why Hunters feel more tanky, but Marksmanship Hunters can still be good targets in melee-heavy lobbies.

Hunters: Hard to Shut Down and Tankier Than Ever

You can’t interrupt their casts, and sticking to Hunters means a higher chance of getting clutch disarms off when needed. Beast Mastery Hunters are less punished when attacked, as training them doesn’t stop their damage—they can perform their entire rotation while moving. The same applies to Survival Hunters, where attacking doesn’t really reduce their damage output.

Pressuring Hunters in Solo Shuffle

Pressuring Hunters can make it harder for them to land traps, but sometimes crowd control (CC) isn’t even needed to win in Solo Shuffle. As one of the hardest classes to shut down and with more tankiness than ever, all three Hunter specs will be placed in the neutral tier. They are difficult to stop and consistently resilient.

Fire Mage: Good to Train in the Current Meta

Ranking Mages in Solo Shuffle is tricky, and each spec needs to be treated differently. Fire Mage goes into the “good to train” category right away. Over the years, Fire has lost much of its tankiness. Once considered a powerhouse in Shadowlands, Fire Mage has now been reduced to a mid-tier or even low-tier joke in Solo Shuffle.

The Decline of Fire Mage’s Durability

A major reason for Fire Mage’s decline is the removal of Flame Cannon, a PvP talent that added extra range and bonus stamina. This helped offset the HP loss from running Glass Cannon, a talent that increases damage but makes the spec frail. Without this, Fire Mages are no longer glass cannons but instead “glass noodles,” making them extremely frail in the current meta.

Frost and Arcane Mages: Challenging to Pin Down

While Fire Mages may struggle, Frost and Arcane Mages deserve a lot more respect in Solo Shuffle. Frost Mages, with their plethora of snares and RNG roots, can be difficult for any class—not just melee—to stay connected with. Your best bet is to lock them down on low HP or sneak in a kill while Hypothermia is active, preventing them from using a second Ice Block.

Windwalker Monk: Deceptively Tanky

When Windwalker Monks aren’t parrying attacks with Fists of Fury, they might literally be dodging melee hits. Monks are one of the most deceptively tanky melee classes in the game, making them a skill check for many players. Their evasiveness and strong defenses place them firmly in the skill check tier.

Retribution Paladin: Good to Train

Next up is Retribution Paladin, often referred to as easy prey for Frost Mages. Despite having defensive options like Shield of Vengeance, Divine Protection, and Divine Shield, Ret Paladins are vulnerable due to their lack of mobility. This makes it easy for melee to stay connected and for casters to keep them immobile. As one of the most reliable targets in Solo Shuffle, Ret Paladins fall into the “good to train” tier.

Assassination Rogue: Good to Train

Rogue is the only class on this list with a spec in each tier. The squishiest spec out of the three is Assassination. While all Rogue specs are challenging to kill due to double Vanish, the removal of Shadow Dance for Assassination means they need to use Vanish aggressively to spread Garrotes. This leaves Cloak of Shadows and Evasion as the only major cooldowns in their defense. Training an Assassination Rogue can limit their damage potential due to the maintenance-heavy nature of the spec, which is why they are placed in the “good to train” tier.

Subtlety Rogue: Skill Check

Subtlety Rogue is arguably one of the tankiest specs in the game when played well. With two charges of Vanish and a shorter cooldown, Sub Rogues are difficult to lock down. Vanish even reduces the cooldowns of their other defensives, making it challenging to get value out of your offensive cooldowns. Ironically, the best spec at killing a Sub Rogue is another Sub Rogue, so they land in the “skill check” tier.

Outlaw Rogue: Somewhere in the Middle

That leaves Outlaw as our last Rogue spec, and they fall somewhere in the middle. While Outlaw continues to have some cooldown reduction on Evasion, the spec is definitely less tanky than it used to be. Outlaw also requires considerably more uptime compared to Subtlety, leaving it more exposed. For now, this spec falls into the neutral tier.

Shaman: Is “Train the Blue” Still Valid in 2024?

Next up is Shaman. You may have heard the phrase “train the blue,” but does that still hold true for Shamans in 2024? Well, kind of. In the past, Elemental Shamans were reliable targets due to limited defensive options, especially when stunned. These days, however, Shamans are tankier, with more defensive tools, including the newly added Stone Bulwark Totem.

Elemental Shaman: Tough for Casters

While Elemental Shamans may still be easy targets for melee classes, attacking them as a caster can be a mistake. They can stack up to 30% magic damage reduction if they manage to Wind Shear your casts back to back. Moreover, training an Elemental Shaman doesn’t stop their damage output much, as they rely on instant-cast micro-bursts every 30 seconds. “Train the blue” doesn’t fully apply to Elemental Shamans anymore, so they fall into the neutral tier.

Enhancement Shaman: Similar Defenses, but Key Weaknesses

Enhancement Shamans share many of the same defensive options as Elemental, but they come with two key weaknesses. These vulnerabilities, combined with similar defenses, make the Enhancement spec a little easier to pressure than Elemental.

Enhancement Shaman: Good to Train

Enhancement is a melee spec, which means it is more exposed to damage, especially considering it has some of the worst mobility in the game. On top of this, Enhancement heavily relies on self-healing to stay alive, which becomes much harder in deeper dampening, making it a very desirable target. With these key weaknesses, Enhancement Shaman goes into the “good to train” tier.

Warlocks: Vulnerable but Dangerous

This brings us to the three Warlock specs, all of which will share the same tier. Earlier, we mentioned that Affliction has the highest death rate in Solo Shuffle, but Destruction isn’t far behind. Warlocks are some of the least mobile casters in the game. If you’re playing melee, being patient with your gap closers should be enough to stay on target.

Destruction Warlock: Hard to Shut Down Damage

The downside of training a Destruction Warlock is that you won’t shut their damage down by much. Assuming they’re playing the Hellcaller hero spec, this turns Immolate into an instant-cast ability called Wither, leaving Fear and Chaos Bolt as the main spells to interrupt.

Warlock Specs: Good to Train

It’s easy to shut down Warlock specs, and with the highest death rates across the board, all three Warlock specs—Affliction, Destruction, and Demonology—will fall into the “good to train” tier. Their vulnerability due to low mobility and reliance on casting makes them prime targets in most situations.

Warrior Specs: Also Good to Train

Now, let’s talk about the two Warrior specs, both of which have turned out to be very good targets. Between the two, Arms is arguably tankier due to Ignore Pain. However, this can work in your favor, as training an Arms Warrior will force them to waste rage on non-damaging globals and even force them into Defensive Stance, reducing their damage output.

Fury Warrior: Relies on Self-Healing

Fury Warriors are slightly trickier to kill because their main defensive cooldown, Enraged Regeneration, can be used while stunned. However, unlike Arms, Fury is heavily reliant on self-healing to stay alive. Both Warrior specs suffer in dampening, where healing is significantly reduced, making them vulnerable targets.

Warriors in a Caster-Heavy Lobby

Warriors also share a weakness with Retribution Paladins: they are always exposed to damage, especially in caster-heavy lobbies. This makes them convenient targets throughout the match. Therefore, while it might seem surprising, both Arms and Fury land in the “good to train” tier due to their defensive limitations and vulnerability in prolonged fights.

Targeting Priorities in Solo Shuffle

When facing both a melee and ranged enemy in Solo Shuffle, you might wonder who to target. In most cases, it’s safer to attack the ranged DPS, assuming you can shut down their damage. However, if your composition is better suited for focusing on melee, such as in triple caster lobbies, it may be advantageous to bully the melee. Generally, larger maps are less favorable for melee, and training casters can be risky due to tools like Gateway or Alter Time that benefit from open spaces.

Targeting Healers: A Different Strategy

Targeting healers requires a different approach. Training a healer from start to finish can be risky, as it leaves both enemy DPS free to snowball their damage. Instead, we categorize healers into two groups: those that are good to swap to and those that you probably shouldn’t train consistently.

Resto Druid: Good to Swap To

First up is the Resto Druid. Swapping to this healer can be key to winning matches. Resto Druids need to invest multiple globals ramping up and maintaining their HoTs, which can be countered by attacking whichever target has the least healing over time—sometimes, that’s the Druid themselves. This doesn’t mean overextending across the map just to hit them, but rather recognizing the opportunity to strike at the right time.

Punishing Resto Druids: Key Swaps

When a Resto Druid pushes in, possibly for a Cyclone, you can immediately punish them for leaving the pillar. While you may not score a kill, you’ll force them to swap all their HoTs, which gives you the right moment to swap back to the squishiest DPS and maintain momentum. If Tranquility and Barkskin are on cooldown, you can potentially kill the Druid outright, so keep an eye on their HoTs and cooldowns.

Preservation Evoker: A Strategic Swap Target

Preservation Evokers are another good swap target, despite being difficult to kill. The goal isn’t necessarily to score a kill, but rather to pressure them. Their Mastery increases healing on targets with lower HP than the Evoker, so keeping their HP slightly lower than the DPS can cut their healing. Killing an Evoker is tricky due to Nullifying Shroud, Emerald Communion, and two charges of their wall, but keeping them low on HP can passively reduce their healing output.

Holy Paladin: Exploiting Light of the Martyr

Holy Paladins are another solid healer to swap to, especially if you pay attention to specific mechanics. Light of the Martyr causes Holy Paladins to place a healing absorption shield on themselves in exchange for stronger Holy Shocks. This self-inflicted debuff provides an opportunity to pressure them effectively while they’re trying to heal others.

Holy Paladin: A Good Target to Pressure

Holy Paladins, despite recent defensive buffs, remain a good healer to pressure, especially when they’re caught out in the open. With abilities like Necrotic Shield or Blessing of Sacrifice pre-stacked, it’s often an ideal time to make a swap. Paladins still need to cast frequently, and locking them out of their Holy school prevents them from using major defenses, including Divine Shield.

Mistweaver Monk: Disrupting the Ramping

Mistweaver Monks, much like Resto Druids, need to ramp their healing for it to become effective. Anything that disrupts their tempo can help your team snowball pressure. Outside of Transcendence (Port), Monks lack strong self-preservation tools, as Life Cocoon and Revival are often used to keep teammates alive. By pressuring them in the open, you can force suboptimal cooldown trades, further hindering their effectiveness.

Priests: Healers to Avoid Training

The final category includes healers you should avoid training, with both Priest specs—Discipline and Holy—falling here. This is largely due to the passive ability Focused Will, which provides a flat 30% damage reduction that can be maintained constantly when hit by melee attacks. Between Fade, Desperate Prayer, and their ability to heal themselves for 30% more, pressuring Priests is generally ineffective and difficult to sustain from start to finish.

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