by Terrazel

July 6, 2023

WoW Classic Hardcore: Best and Worst Classes for Leveling

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Wondering what are the best and worst classes for leveling in WoW Classic Hardcore? Well, you have come to the right place.

WoW Classic Hardcore continues to captivate players as its official launch draws near. It’s only available on PTR for now. But the heroes of Azeroth are making the most of it. They have tons of fun raiding Mor’Ladim at level 1 or participating in an epic Horde vs. Alliance clash. Yet, it’s undeniable that the Hardcore realm is an unforgiving place. And amidst the excitement, somewhere, many players are having trouble with leveling up their characters. 

Understanding their struggles, WillE has come up with an in-detail analysis of the classes’ performance. Taking into account the statistics of over 80,000 characters up until the end of June, the content creator analyzed the Deathlog data. He managed to draw several fascinating conclusions. And thus, shed light on which classes will propel gamers toward the pinnacle of power and which may leave them languishing in the depths. 

The Deathlog

Before we dive into the lists, if you are unfamiliar with Deathlog, here’s a brief explanation of what it is and how it works.

Deathlog is an addon that collects valuable data about characters who meet their demise in Hardcore mode. It records details such as the character’s name, level, race, class, date of death, location, cause, and even their final words. The information is displayed not only to the player who falls in battle but to others as well. 

Thanks to this addon, players can see a “heat map.” Said feature highlights which areas of a specific location are most dangerous for the adventures. Furthermore, it also shows which monsters in Azeroth hold the highest count of champions’ death under their belts. And so, it serves as a great way to avoid unnecessary encounters that may result in one losing their hard-earned progress and coveted items.

Best Classes for Leveling up in WoW Classic Hardcore

Now that we all understand what Deathlog is and how it works, let’s dive into our very first class among the top performers.

The Mage

When it comes to scaling the heights of WoW Classic Hardcore, Mage shines as the first and foremost choice. According to the analysis, Mages tend to achieve an impressive average level of 14.5. Just 0.1 short from Shamans’ 14.6. However, what sets them apart is their exceptional probability of level climbing. The percentage of Mages reaching levels 20, 30, 40, 50, and even 60 is much more abundant than that of their fellow spellcasters. This owes much to their wide array of control abilities and impressive agility. Thus, allowing Mages to dominate the battlefield and advance swiftly through the ranks.

The Priest

While not as fast and efficient as Mages, the Priests also demonstrate excellent results. Besides gaining a fairly powerful array of spells early on, the Priests also have a versatile arsenal. Their abilities range from protecting and healing to crowd control and dispelling. Thus, they can survive in almost every situation that would place other classes in peril.

The Paladin

Securing the third position, Paladins emerge as the formidable champions of melee combat in WoW Classic Hardcore. Similar to Priests, they wield a formidable arsenal of potent offensive abilities. Moreover, Paladins also possess an extensive repertoire of defensive capabilities. A large health pool, sturdy armor, and healing skills. Paladins can also switch between a two-handed weapon to a shield and a one-handed one. Thus, enhancing their survival odds. It is worth noting, however, that this may lead to a slightly slower pace during combat encounters. 

The Hunter

Now you may wonder why Hunter ranks that low. Well, sure, their HP bar isn’t as thick as that of the tanking classes, but they have their pets to make up for it. And their damage output is astoundingly high. So, shouldn’t they be the strongest during leveling? Yet, according to the data, only a minority of players manage to reach milestones of levels 10, 20, 30, and so on. 

WillE himself leveled a Hunter to level 60. So, he can explain the reasons behind the lack of success. The pets of this class often cause more trouble than benefit. They often unintentionally attract unwanted attention during combat. After all, there is little maneuverability and control over these beasts. Especially when they get feared and run into another pack and aggro them.

At level 30, the situation slightly improves when the Hunters gain their Feign Death ability. It can save them in dangerous situations. However, reaching such a milestone itself is a challenge. 

Worst Classes for Leveling up in WoW Classic Hardcore

With the best classes determined, it’s time to take a look at those that pose a challenge to even the most seasoned players to level up.

The Warrior

Warrior has always been one of those challenging classes to level up in WoW Classic. They only have a few abilities starting off. Other than that, they face limitations in terms of mobility and lack defensive skills. Yet, in Hardcore, Warrior remains the favored choice among players. The reason is, despite all of the disadvantages stated above, they actually deal surprisingly high damage output. Thus, at the highest level, Warriors reign supreme as the ultimate tanks and fighters. And when equipped with powerful gear, they will be unstoppable. So, when choosing a Warrior, your task is to try to survive the lower levels and persevere until you reach 40 and beyond.

The Warlock

Warlock as the worst choice for leveling up in WoW Classic Hardcore may come as a surprise to some. But according to the addon, this is the reality that we are living in. These dark sorcerers have tanking and damaging pets, crowd control, decent damage, and the capacity to regenerate mana and HP. Yet, they own the lowest odds of achieving key milestones of 10, 20, 30, and so on. For example, only 55.3% of all Warlocks managed to reach level 10 compared to Warrior’s 60%. Only 12.5% of characters survived to level 20, while the statistics for Rogues and Hunters are 15.6% and 16.8%, respectively.

There are several primary factors that contribute to this struggle. First of all, the Warlocks’ limited defensive abilities during the early stages. Second, the unreliability of their demon pets as tanks. Following up is the deceptive effectiveness of their Healthstones. Those green rocks don’t heal as much as we think they would. And to top it all off is the potential harm inflicted by certain abilities. Take Life Tap and Health Funnel, for example. All of these elements combine to create a false sense of security. Thus, leading to a more reckless playstyle. Ultimately, it results in Warlocks experiencing a much higher frequency of deaths compared to other classes.

Others

Rogues, Shamans, and Druids find themselves positioned in the middle ground. They are pretty good choices for a character to level up. However, they lack distinct prominence or remarkable advantage to earn their place as one of the top performers.

WillE’s video comprises a wealth of intriguing analysis and captivating details. Therefore, we wholeheartedly encourage you to explore it and delve deeper into the subject.

We hope that this knowledge can assist you in making an informed decision when selecting a class that aligns with your goals. However, it’s important to remember that the ultimate goal of playing games is to have fun. So, nothing is holding you back from choosing the class that resonates with you the most. And if leveling and gearing up in WoW Classic Hardcore ever prove too troublesome, fret not! WowVendor has got your back with our WoW Classic Era Hardcore Level Boost that promises to propel your character to the highest peak of their power:

Share with us your favorite class for leveling up in WoW Hardcore Classic in the comments below!