In WoW Classic, racial abilities tend to have a bigger impact on classes. This means that choosing one race over another for the same class has some impact on how good that class is. So, here are the best race and class combos in WoW Classic: Season of Discovery.
The Best Race and Class Combos for Every Class in World of Warcraft Classic Season of Discovery
There are a total of eight races to choose from in WoW Classic, and each race has up to six class options with a total of nine classes available. Some races are better for certain classes, though, which can be a big deal if you’re hardcore into raiding or PvP. Let’s go over the best races for each class for both Horde and Alliance.
Best Hunter Races: Night Elf and Orc
Why Night Elves Make the Best Hunters
This time, Night Elf takes the top spot for Alliance Hunters due to their abilities rather than by default. Night Elves have the best base Agility stat among Alliance races, but the percentage amount of extra Dodge chance you get from Quickness helps when you end up in melee or when you’re taming new pets. It’s more valuable than the Dwarf’s flat +5 to Gun Skills. Although, that makes Dwarf a good runner-up.
Why Orcs Make the Best Hunters
Then, we have Orcs for Horde Hunters. Orcs have a racial ability that increases damage done by Hunter and Warlock pets. Since Hunters pretty much always have a pet helping them in combat after it’s unlocked at level 10, the 5% bonus pet damage is a pure damage boost that scales with you. I also like having Blood Fury as an Orc Hunter for the 25% increase in Melee Attack Power for situations where I end up in melee combat with more enemies than I intended to fight.
Best Druid Races: Night Elf and Tauren
There’s not much to say with this one because Night Elf and Tauren are the only races capable of being Druids. That means they’re the best races by default for each faction.
Best Mage Races: Gnome and Troll
Why Gnomes Make the Best Mages
With Alliance, Gnomes are the best option for Mages because of their 5% increased Intelligence stat, which is the primary stat for a Mage. I love having the Escape Artist trait as well on a Mage for PvP since being snared often means death on a squishy class. However, Humans make a good second option for Alliance Mages because of their Spirit increase, helping your mana regen so you can keep pumping out DPS.
Why Trolls Make the Best Mages
For Horde, Trolls are generally strong casters, and that also means they’re the best option for Mages. Specifically, Trolls have a racial ability called Berserking, which increases casting and attack speed by 10-30% based on how low your health is. The lower your health is, the faster you cast. This can come in clutch when you’re about to die since you might be able to finish off the enemies and survive instead.
Best Paladin Race: Human
In Classic WoW, there are no races that can be a Paladin on the Horde side, so we’ll look at just the best Alliance race for Paladins. Humans are the best Paladin pick with their Mace and Sword specializations, but also the 5% bonus to Spirit to keep your mana up. The only other option is Dwarf, and they have one trait that helps Paladins, which is Stoneform. It makes you immune to Bleeds, Diseases, and Poisons while increasing your Armor by 10%.
Best Priest Races: Human and Troll
Why Humans Make the Best Priests
Humans once again take the top spot for Alliance Priests. Spirit is a Priest’s best friend, so having the 5% extra Spirit as a Human is a huge help. If you’re going to be a healer, this is particularly important because you’ll need that mana regen to keep your party alive.
Why Trolls Make the Best Priests
For the Horde, Trolls are the best Priests for the same reason they make the best Mages. Berserking sets Trolls apart because when you’re a healer and your party is dying, having that casting speed increase to fall back on can be the deciding factor for how a fight goes. The health regeneration doesn’t hurt either since you can regen instead of having to use mana to top yourself off on health.
Best Rogue Races: Night Elf and Orc
Why Night Elves Make the Best Rogues
For the Alliance, the Night Elf high base Agility stat is again useful for Rogues. Quickness doesn’t hurt either for the extra Dodge chance. However, Humans are a decent second choice for the Sword specializations +5 to Sword Skill. Otherwise, the rest of the racial abilities don’t make a huge difference for Rogues.
Why Orcs Make the Best Rogues
Orcs have Blood Fury, which makes them great Rogues on the Horde side. Blood Fury increases your Melee Attack Power by 25% for 15 seconds, but reduces healing effects on you for 25 seconds. If you like PvP, then Hardiness is also helpful since it gives you an extra 25% chance to resist Stuns.
Best Shaman Race: Troll
No Alliance races can be a Shaman, so we’ll just look at Horde. You might not be surprised that I put Troll as the top option again, especially considering that two out of three Shaman specializations are casting based. Berserking makes Trolls the best for Elemental and Restoration Shaman. However, if you want to play an Enhancement Shaman, then Orc is also a strong choice with Blood Fury.
Best Warlock Races: Gnome and Orc
Why Gnomes Make the Best Warlocks
Like Mages, Gnomes are the best option for Warlocks because of the increased Intelligence. Warlocks also use Intelligence as their primary stat, so you’ll get the most use out of having that 5% bonus from being a Gnome. However, if you really don’t want to play a Gnome, then Humans are an acceptable alternative because of the Spirit increase that’ll give you mana.
Why Orcs Make the Best Warlocks
Then, for Horde we have Orcs as the best choice for the same reason they’re the best Hunters: increased pet damage for Warlocks. Once you can summon a demon, you basically always have one with you. So, having the extra 5% damage is overall helpful no matter what you’re doing.
The Best Warrior Races: Human and Troll
Why Humans Make the Best Warriors
Every race can be a Warrior, but for the Alliance, Humans have weapon specializations that are more useful than other racial options you have access to. The Spirit bonus can be useful for health regen between fights so you don’t go through so many food items or bandages.
Why Trolls Make the Best Warriors
Then, for Warrior, we have Trolls as the best option once again. Between Berserking, increased health regen, and health regeneration during combat, Trolls are an overall great option for every Warrior specialization. Even if you decide to tank, you can bring damage with Berserking. Clearly, Trolls are too strong in Classic WoW. But Tauren also make great Warriors if you want to tank because of their increased max health and War Stomp can act as a nice crowd control option.
And that covers the best race and class combos in WoW Classic: SoD. Remember that while some races are a better fit for a class than others, you can play any combination you prefer in the end. From here, check out both our WoW Classic guide hub and WoW Season of Discovery guide hub for more content.
