Hello, Librarian Husky here! Today, we have our MPS meta tier list for the War Within expansion. When we assembled this list, we started by looking at how the specs were performing in their single-target results during raid testing. However, this data is almost a month old, and a lot of tuning has occurred. Therefore, we had to move away from real-time results and start relying on simulations to assess how the specs were performing in terms of single-target damage.

But that’s not enough; you also have to consider the damage they do in Mythic Plus, their AOE damage, and how popular they currently are in the beta regarding their Mythic Plus performance. Once you evaluate their current value in single-target damage, AOE damage, and Mythic Plus damage, you can use other metrics, such as whether they are the best spec in their class or if they have competition, for example, in the tank or healer role, which might affect their popularity.

Havoc Demon Hunter Analysis

Starting first, we have Havoc Demon Hunter which sits at a very comfortable A level. They sit at this level because they have one of the best splits of hero talents across all MPS specs. It’s going to be a very important feature for your spec to be able to change what you do based on your hero talents, which is something that Havoc can do. Fel Barrage is your stereotypical, almost a parody of an all-in talent for AOE damage, uncapped AOE damage, Mythic Plus damage, very well versed around cooldowns, tuned around your big cooldown.

Metamorphosis and Aldrachi Reaver Analysis

In this case, Metamorphosis, whereas Aldrachi Reaver has a much more consistent and fluid damage output around your Reverse Glaive damage. Buffs and flows much better in single-target right now, Aldrachi Reaver is doing very well in their single-target simulations. You can go in Mythic Plus playing both the Aldrachi Reaver and the more AOE burst-based Fel Barrage as a spec. So, you’re doing very well in both scenarios right now as a Havoc Demon Hunter.

The things that might stop you from doing even better, as we just mentioned, are the fact that someone else in your class is also doing very well, which is Vengeance. As you know, it’s quite hard in the meta of Mythic Plus to see two specs of the same class be meta at the same time. We have to go back all the way to six years ago to find double Rogue comps to see two specs of the same class being used. So, what happens when both of these specs are going to be meta could be the worry for Havoc Demon Hunter but even then, by themselves, they are still very powerful and they remain powerful in raid as well. It’s a very comfortable situation right now for Havoc Demon Hunter.

Talid and Feral Druid Positioning

Who is perhaps in a less comfortable situation is Talid. I don’t want to fall too much into the memes related around Feral Druid. It’s not that Feral itself is doing quite poorly, even when looking at the simulations. These are quite outdated; they’re not nearly as weak at the moment, but that is always kind of the problem we fall on when we talk about Feral Druid. They are generally quite underplayed spec; they would need to be doing some pretty top-tier damage to start being played by the community, something like a Retribution Paladin or a Survival Hunter.

Feral Druid’s Position in the Current Meta

That we have seen in this expansion, or in the last expansion, you usually find that if you’re ever in a situation where you can say, “Yeah, Feral is doing pretty good damage, similar to Warrior, similar to Rogue, or similar to Death Knight,” then you’re going to have way more Warriors, Death Knights, and Rogues in your groups than a Feral Druid. This is the issue Feral is facing right now. Their two hero talents, Wild Stalker and Dud of the Claw, do not offer as advantageous a split as Havoc’s talents. They lack a super fixed single-target hero talent and a distinct one for AOE.

They do have one talent that is somewhat suitable for Mythic Plus, which is

Wild Stalker, but even then, whether you are playing with Wild Stalker or Dud of the Claw, it is essentially nothing special. This is the crux of the problem with Feral Druids. Unless they have something truly unique, they tend to be underplayed. However, they do benefit from the fact that Balance Druids are currently performing even worse than Feral Druids—definitely a lower tier. This at least positions them favorably in the in-class competition for the best DPS pick.

Unfortunately for them, Guardian Druids and Restoration Druids are performing quite well right now, so there isn’t the leverage of being the only Druid needed for their utility like “Mark of the Wild.” This diminishes their niche further within the Druid class roles, adding to their challenges in gaining a firm foothold in competitive play.

Comparative Performance and Class Roles

The comparison of Feral Druids to other classes such as Warriors, Rogues, and Death Knights highlights a fundamental issue: even if Ferals perform comparably, they are less likely to be chosen due to the greater popularity and familiarity of these other classes. The hero talents of Feral Druids, Wild Stalker and Dud of the Claw, while designed for adaptability, do not offer the standout benefits necessary to elevate the spec in competitive play. This general underperformance in distinctiveness contributes to their lower play rates, despite potentially offering competitive damage outputs.

Current Challenges for Feral Druids

Feral Druids currently face significant challenges in securing a stable position within raid groups, largely due to their underperformance compared to more favored classes like Warriors and Rogues. Despite any personal achievements in raids, the general perception and reality are that Feral Druids are not the optimal choice, given their current capabilities and the competitive alternatives available.

Survival Hunter’s Unique Position

Survival Hunters, although similar to Feral Druids in terms of popularity, have managed to carve out a niche due to their superior damage output. Unlike Feral Druids, Survival Hunters have adapted well to the current meta, leveraging their unique talent setups to maximize both single-target and AoE damage.

Impact of Sentinel on Survival Hunters

The Sentinel talent has become a cornerstone for Survival Hunters, outshining other builds by effectively combining AoE capabilities with robust single-target damage. This has allowed Survival Hunters to perform effectively across various combat scenarios, contrasting sharply with the more narrowly focused builds of other classes.

Adaptation and Nerfs

Despite multiple nerfs, the Sentinel build remains effective, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability of Survival Hunters. The integration of Lunar Storm and Symphonic Arsenal further enhances this build, contributing a significant portion of overall damage and confirming its viability in both raids and Mythic Plus scenarios.

Survival Hunter Advantages

Survival Hunters have recently gained a reputation for being particularly resilient in Mythic specs, which has enhanced their consideration over Feral Druids. The reasons are multifaceted: firstly, they deliver more damage; secondly, they offer enhanced AoE capabilities crucial for Mythic Plus. Recent buffs to their general capabilities have also made them tankier in these scenarios. Unlike Feral, Survival Hunters currently excel within their class, competing strongly against both Beast Mastery and Marksmanship. While they are a melee spec, not ranged, they are in a generally better position, although they still face challenges from community preferences unless their damage output becomes exceptionally high, as seen previously at the end of the Shadowlands expansion.

Rogue Class Overview

Turning to the Rogue class, we delve into the nuances of its three specs: Subtlety, Outlaw, and Assassination. Particularly noteworthy is the Assassination Rogue, which currently ranks in the S tier for its robust performance in Mythic Plus during the beta phase. This spec primarily utilizes the Death Stalker hero talent. Despite missing the last trio of talents necessary to enhance the Arterial Precision line, their single-target damage remains formidable. However, the major strength of Assassination Rogue lies in its performance within Mythic Plus. Yet, this isn’t solely about Assassination; Outlaw and Subtlety also show strong capabilities. Outlaw, for instance, now records one of the highest single-target damage outputs thanks to repeated buffs to its Fate Bound hero talent and overall spec enhancements. These changes have elevated its single-target damage considerably, though its AoE capabilities also remain impressive.

Outlaw Rogue’s Current State

Why it’s not being noticed nearly as much is twofold: firstly, Assassination is performing even better, leading many Rogues to favor that spec; and secondly, the beta cycle for Outlaw has been plagued by bugs. Despite these challenges, Outlaw, as a trickster, should be excelling in Mythic Plus due to the very powerful hero talent, Nimble Flurry, which significantly buffs your cleave damage by 20% through Blade Flurry. However, this is currently undermined by a bug affecting the interaction between Crackshot and the use of Between the Eyes plus KRA. Even with these setbacks, considering their current prowess in single-target scenarios with Fate Bound, and the potential they could reach once fully functional in AOE with Trickster, Outlaw remains a robust spec.

Subtlety Rogue’s Versatility and Burst Potential

Subtlety also remains a compelling choice within the Rogue class, benefiting from two considerably enhanced hero talents—Stalker and Trickster—which are almost interchangeable in Mythic Plus and single-target scenarios. Trickster, in particular, allows for extraordinary burst damage when combined with Flawless Form and increases to your finisher damage. In a single cooldown window during Shadow Blades, you can integrate three different Shadow Dance charges along with Symbols of Death, Flagellation, Cold Blood, and the damage stacks of Flawless Form. This setup creates one of the most powerful burst windows available to a Subtlety Rogue, which is exceptionally useful in raids when needing to focus burst damage on a challenging add or during a difficult boss phase.

Rogue Class Overview for Upcoming Expansion

Rogue as a class is performing exceptionally well for the upcoming expansion, with each spec demonstrating distinct strengths: one excels in single-target scenarios and has potential in AOE; another shines in AOE while remaining competent in single-target; and a third is more specialized in funneling damage, prioritizing targets, or executing burst damage. This versatility ensures that Rogues remain highly valuable and adaptable across different combat situations.

Warrior Class Analysis

Following Rogues, we examine the Warrior class, which includes Arms and Fury. Currently, their rating is somewhat mediocre due to varying effectiveness between the two specs, especially in AOE scenarios and Mythic Plus content. Arms Warriors, in particular, are rarely seen in Mythic Plus, with very few logs available for analysis compared to Fury Warriors, who also don’t appear frequently. Despite decent single-target damage, which could place them in the middle or even the higher end of the A tier, their overall utility and lack of necessary crowd control in Mythic Plus significantly limit their desirability.

Comparative Performance and Utility of Warrior Specs

In terms of single-target damage, both Arms and Fury Warriors perform well. However, when considering their popularity and effectiveness in Mythic Plus, their standings falter. The key question is what additional utility or unique advantages Warriors bring to Mythic Plus, where they currently lack in crowd control and other supportive roles. This shortfall in utility, coupled with the competitive environment where other classes like Vengeance Demon Hunters excel, further challenges the Warrior’s position. This competitive backdrop, especially with Protection Warriors performing well, potentially diminishes the desirability of the Arms and Fury specs in group content, further complicating their standing in the meta.

Tank Spec Influence in the Meta

If you have a more powerful tank spec in the meta, similar dynamics can be observed with the Death Knight (DK) specs, specifically Frost and Unholy. We recently discussed the popularity of these specs in Mythic Plus. Frost DK stands out as the only melee spec

to rival the popularity of ranged specs in Mythic Plus, such as those involving Shadow Priests and Mages. This is notable because, while Frost DK’s single-target damage isn’t significantly better than that of Unholy DK, their performance in Mythic Plus warrants attention.

Death Knight Specialization Dynamics

Frost DK’s single-target damage may not be exceptional, but their prowess in Mythic Plus cannot be ignored. It’s possible to find scenarios where both Frost and Unholy DKs are equally viable, with one excelling in raids and the other in Mythic Plus, depending on their strengths. Currently, Frost DKs almost exclusively use the Deathbringer talent in Mythic Plus for its AoE capabilities. The Deathbringer talent allows for the activation of the Reaper’s Mark every 45 seconds—nearly every pull in Mythic Plus—enhancing AoE damage significantly.

Comparative Analysis of Unholy DK

Unholy DKs, in contrast to Frost, are versatile in their gameplay, capable of utilizing both the Runic Empowerment and Soul Reaper talents despite numerous nerfs. However, they do not match the relevance of Frost DKs in Mythic Plus environments. This distinction highlights the specialized roles these specs fulfill based on their abilities and the current meta demands, with Frost DKs often preferred for their consistent and impactful AoE damage in fast-paced Mythic Plus scenarios.

Comparative Popularity and Performance of DK Specs

Why Unholy DK receives a naturally lower rating than Frost in Mythic Plus comes down to the comparative advantages each spec offers. Currently, Frost DK’s edge in Mythic Plus significantly surpasses Unholy DK’s advantage in single-target scenarios. This is similar to the dynamics observed with other classes, where one spec outshines another in particular types of content. Additionally, both Unholy and Frost DK face competition from Blood DK, which is also performing well as a tank, potentially complicating Frost DK’s role as a staple in Mythic Plus lineups.

Challenges Facing Retribution Paladin

Turning our focus to Retribution Paladin, there is a noticeable dip in their performance and popularity. Unlike their counterpart, Protection Paladin, who is not excelling in Mythic Plus, Retribution Paladin faces its own set of challenges. They have even lost a mandatory raid buff aura, diminishing the necessity for multiple Paladins in a raid setup. Currently, their damage in Mythic Plus is lackluster, being easily surpassed by other classes and specs, such as Havoc Demon Hunter and Outlaw Rogue. This leaves Retribution Paladin without a distinctive role or unique capabilities that could enhance their desirability in raids or Mythic Plus scenarios.

Windwalker Monk’s Current State

Similarly, Windwalker Monks are experiencing a parallel situation to that of Retribution Paladins. Without recent reliable simulation data, assessments of their performance must rely on outdated information or empirical results from recent beta Mythic Keys. Like Retribution Paladins, Windwalker Monks currently lack standout features or exceptional performance metrics that would elevate their status within competitive PvE content, rendering their current evaluation quite challenging.

Evaluating Windwalker Monks in Current Meta

If we were to assess their damage, Windwalker Monks might actually rank one tier higher, especially in Mythic Plus contexts. They do not face as many challenges as Retribution Paladins, where Holy Paladins currently dominate the beta. In contrast, Mistweaver Monks aren’t as popular as healers and Brewmaster Monks are not as favored as tanks. This scenario potentially positions Windwalker Monks favorably, possibly as the only Monk in a raid group. Given the current preferences for tanks like Blood Death Knights and Vengeance Demon Hunters, or even Guardian Druids, Windwalkers could find it easier to secure spots in raids compared to Retribution Paladins.

Windwalker Performance in Mythic Plus

The performance of Windwalker Monks in Mythic Plus is also commendable and slightly better than some counterparts. This advantage is significant when comparing overall utility and flexibility within a raid group. Windwalkers offer a unique blend of capabilities that, when optimized, provide substantial contributions to any team configuration, enhancing their appeal and utility in high-level PvE content.

Positioning of Enhancement Shaman

Enhancement Shaman find themselves in a peculiar spot within the current meta. Their hero talent, Stormbringer, is performing well for single-target situations. However, unlike Havoc Demon Hunters who have two viable hero talents, Enhancement Shaman’s Totemic Call is currently overshadowed by Stormbringer. Despite this, their AoE capabilities, particularly through Tempest which enhances splash and uncapped damage, are robust. This makes their single-target and AoE damage competitive. The question remains why they aren’t ranked higher. The challenge lies in the overshadowing presence of their other class specs, particularly Elemental and Restoration Shamans, which currently hold more potent positions in the meta, possibly limiting Enhancement’s visibility and desirability in group settings.

Comparative Analysis of Shaman Specs

Currently, Enhancement Shaman face stiff competition not just externally but from within their own class. While their single-target damage was previously superior to many, it has been eclipsed by the performance of Elemental Shamans. Furthermore, the main single-target hero talent, Feral Spirit, has been nerfed, though it may still perform better than some Enhancement talents in specific scenarios.

Mythic Plus and Restoration Shaman Impact

In Mythic Plus, Enhancement Shamans are still played, but at a significantly lower rate compared to Elemental Shamans. Additionally, Restoration Shamans have become the most played healer in recent beta phases, alongside Holy Paladins, which likely secures their role in raids as well. This overshadows the unique offerings of Enhancement Shaman within the broader Shaman class.

Enhancement Shaman’s Unique Challenges

Unlike other specs such as Windwalker Monks or Subtlety Rogues, which have unique features like specialized burst or funnel damage, Enhancement Shamans lack distinctive characteristics that would set them apart in competitive PvE environments. This lack of a unique selling point, combined with the increased utility of other Shaman specs in raids (both Restoration and Elemental Shamans now provide essential raid buffs), significantly diminishes the appeal of Enhancement Shamans. This scenario has led to a decreased likelihood of securing a raid spot, further complicating their position within the class hierarchy.

Thank you for diving into our guide! Discover our exceptional WoW Retail boosting services and elevate your gaming experience with our top-tier boosts.