Mists of Pandaria Classic DPS rankings predictions
Not sure what to play in Mists of Pandaria? This MoP Classic DPS tier list will guide you to the best DPS specs for your next Classic adventure.
Table of Contents
MoP Classic DPS tier list Phase 1
- S tier: Survival Hunter, Arms Warrior, Unholy Death Knight, Arcane Mage, Enhancement Shaman, Subtlety Rogue.
- A tier: Frost Death Knight, Frost Mage, Marksmanship Hunter, Feral Druid, Windwalker Monk, Destruction Warlock.
- B tier: Retribution Paladin, Affliction Warlock, Elemental Shaman, Combat Rogue, Balance Druid, Assassination Rogue.
- C tier: Shadow Priest, Demonology Warlock, Beast Mastery Hunter, Fury Warrior, Fire Mage.
Mists of Pandaria expansion many consider one of the best in WoW history. Curious about the current meta? We’ve got you covered. This MoP Classic tier list will help you identify the best and worst DPS classes and specs in the first Phase of Mists of Pandaria.
In this article, you’ll find not only the full MoP DPS tier list but also a detailed breakdown of every DPS spec.
Note
Mists of Pandaria Classic launched just recently, so this analysis remains theoretical. It’s based on data from the original MoP launch in 2012 and PTR testing for Phase 1 MoP Classic.
But you should understand that the original MoP and MoP Classic are not identical. The developers have already announced some balance changes from the Warlords of Draenor expansion that will be applied to MoP Classic in Phase 1. Read more in MoP Classic gets Warlords of Draenor class changes article.
Because of this, spec performance may change significantly with the release. We will update this guide with the new info, so stay in touch.
MoP Classic DPS ranking criteria
As always, we’ve ranked each class and specialization into tiers from S to C. S-Tier includes the strongest and most dominant DPS specs, while C-Tier features those that are currently underperforming in key endgame content like raids and challenge modes. These rankings reflect performance in MoP Classic’s Phase 1 meta.
Here’s how the rankings break down in this Mists of Pandaria Classic DPS tier list:
- S-Tier – The top-performing specs that define the meta in MoP Classic. They offer outstanding damage, strong utility, and excellent performance in most encounters. If you’re aiming for the best possible results, S-Tier specs are your safest bet.
- A-Tier – Strong and well-rounded DPS specs that can handle all content reliably. They may not outshine the S-Tier, but they’re solid choices for any group or raid composition.
- B-Tier – These specs are viable but have some limitations. They may require more effort or ideal group setups to perform at their best. Dedicated players can still succeed with them.
- C-Tier – The weakest performers in the current patch. These specs often lack competitive damage or utility and may struggle in high-end content. We suggest avoiding them if you’re focused on efficiency.
Mists of Pandaria Classic DPS tier list
Here is the complete Mists of Pandaria Classic DPS tier list for Phase 1, featuring all 23 damage-dealing specs. Keep in mind that many specs will shift in performance across future MoP phases. For example, Survival Hunters, who start strong, will become one of the weakest DPS specs by the final phase, while Beast Mastery Hunters will rise to take their place. Similar changes will affect Warriors, Rogues, Mages, Warlocks, and Druids as well. Their different specs will shine in different phases.
If you’re planning to play through all of MoP Classic, be mindful of these class specifics:
- Death Knights and Shamans perform exceptionally well in Phase 1 as DPS, but will see a significant drop in effectiveness in later phases if the devs don’t implement balance changes.
- Shadow Priests, Windwalker Monks, and Retribution Paladins are expected to stay mid-tier damage dealers from Phase 1 through the end of MoP if the devs don’t implement balance changes.
- Warrior, Rogue, Mage, Warlock, Hunter, and Druid are always expected to have at least one top-tier spec in MoP, but which specific spec holds that spot may change as the expansion progresses.
Here are the end-phase MoP DPS ranking predictions to help you compare your class and spec’s long-term potential. Note that this is just a prediction, and the actual situation in the later phases remains unknown.
S-tier DPS in Mists of Pandaria Classic
Let’s break down all S-tier DPS specs in Mists of Pandaria Classic.
Survival Hunter
Survival Hunter is expected to perform exceptionally well in Phase 1, even with low gear and especially in full Phase 1 BiS. While Survival Hunter’s power may decline in later phases, Beast Mastery will take over as a top-tier DPS spec. Overall, Hunter remains a strong and reliable choice in MoP Classic, with at least one spec consistently among the best.
Survival Hunter is a strong DoT-based spec with high single-target damage and decent utility. While nerfed Lock and Load lowers burst, buffs to Serpent Spread and new talents keep it competitive. Survival is less effective in AoE than BM, but single-target is great.
Arms Warriors
Arms Warriors start off top-tier in MoP Classic Phase 1. New abilities like Avatar, Storm Bolt, and Skull Banner provide strong burst potential. However, the spec can feel clunky later on due to its reliance on procs and weaker scaling with gear.
Stance mechanics have been reworked: Battle Stance is ideal for general PvE, while Berserker Stance is used in passive-damage scenarios to generate more rage. Arms isn’t commonly stacked in raids, but it offers valuable raid utility like Sunder Armor, Weakened Blows, Shouts, and Rallying Cry.
Unholy Death Knight
Unholy Death Knights, while performing slightly better than Frost early on, are also expected to decline in effectiveness as the expansion progresses. Despite this, they offer strong Shadow damage scaling, good performance in longer encounters, and solid utility tools like Anti-Magic Zone, Ebon Plaguebringer, Death Grip, and Unholy Aura, which increases raid Haste.
Their DPS remains consistent early on, largely due to weapon-based scaling rather than secondary stats. They also bring valuable utility with abilities like Death Grip, Chains of Ice, Anti-Magic Zone, and Remorseless Winter. Thanks to their reliable performance, Frost is a top-tier raid option in early MoP.
Arcane Mage
Arcane Mages are no longer hindered by rapid mana depletion thanks to changes in Arcane Charges, now functioning as a proper resource system. They rely less on Crit, offering more stability early on. However, the spec remains highly stationary, depending on hard casts and Rune of Power placement, making it less effective in movement-heavy encounters. Their utility is identical to other Mage specs, but positioning limitations can affect performance.
Enhancement Shaman
Shamans may rarely top the DPS charts in MoP, but they remain valuable in raids thanks to their solid damage and powerful utility. Enhancement Shamans perform well early on, but by the end of the expansion, their DPS output is similar to that of Elemental Shamans.
Enhancement Shamans are strong in Phase 1, focusing on melee attacks, Windfury Weapon, and powerful burst abilities like Ascendance. Totems now provide short-duration auras, and buffs like Burning Wrath and Grace of Air add value. They’re viable contributors, but stacking them in raids isn’t necessary.
Subtlety Rogue
Rogues will always have a strong DPS spec throughout the entire MoP Classic run. Subtlety Rogues shine early on but are later replaced by Combat Rogues as the expansion progresses.
Subtlety Rogues are top-tier in the early phases of MoP, thanks to strong single-target and decent AoE damage through Backstab, Hemorrhage DoTs, and the new Crimson Tempest. Their gameplay is flexible but reliant on procs. While they offer solid utility, the lack of unique raid buffs makes them less attractive for stacking.
Best DPS in Mists of Pandaria Classic
Here’s a list of strong DPS specs that deal high damage in Phase 1 but don’t reach the top only because they’re outshined by S-tier specs.
Frost Death Knight
Frost Death Knights are among the strongest melee DPS specs in Phase 1 of MoP Classic, thanks to a solid, straightforward toolkit that doesn’t rely heavily on Critical Strike or Haste. While Soul Reaper scales better for Unholy, Frost still benefits from strong burst potential and cleave damage.
Frost Mage
Mages will always be strong in MoP, but different specs shine at different times. In Phase 1, low Haste, Crit, and Mastery make it difficult for Fire and Arcane Mages to unlock their full potential. These specs will rise to the top in later phases, but for Phase 1, Frost Mage is the most reliable option, performing well even with limited secondary stats.
MM Hunter
Marksmanship Hunters struggle with weak AoE, gear dependence, and RNG-based procs. However, with solid Phase 1 gear, they become quite strong, though they still may not offer much utility.
Feral Druid
Feral Druids start strong in Phase 1 with impressive single-target damage driven by a bleed-heavy rotation. However, the spec is gear-dependent and features a complex rotation, making it harder to play efficiently, especially for casual players. When executed well, Feral can remain competitive throughout the expansion. They also bring solid raid utility with spells like Mark of the Wild, Rebirth, Innervate, and Symbiosis, which provide unique benefits based on group composition. Feral is a viable raid option, though not typically stacked unless in the hands of skilled players.
Windwalker Monk
Windwalker Monks enter MoP Classic as a melee DPS spec focused on burst damage, strong AoE, and high mobility. Despite the new class hype and high expectations, their performance across all MoP phases remains average: viable, but rarely top-tier compared to other melee specs. Of course, this could change if the developers decide to adjust balance in the Monk’s favor.
Their strength lies in utility: Windwalkers offer crowd control, off-healing, group mobility, and useful buffs like Legacy of the Emperor. However, because they lack unique raid DPS buffs and their output is balanced rather than exceptional, they are rarely prioritized or stacked in raid compositions.
Check our Mists of Pandaria Classic Monk overview to learn more about this class.
Destruction Warlock
Warlocks remain top-tier DPS picks throughout MoP Classic. In Phase 1, Destruction Warlocks will lead the way in both single-target and AoE encounters, while Affliction Warlocks will become absolute powerhouses as better gear becomes available in later phases.
Destruction Warlocks are A-tier, offering strong performance in all raid scenarios. Their rotation is explosive and consistent, fueled by Burning Embers and high crit synergy. Combined with standard Warlock utility (Healthstones, Soulstones, Curses), Destruction is reliable and highly stackable in raids.
Good DPS specs in MoP Classic
These DPS specs are still solid and can find their place in both raids and dungeons.
Retribution Paladin
Retribution Paladins remain mid-tier throughout all phases of MoP Classic. Despite receiving updates to their rotation and talents, their DPS output stays average, held back by their reliance on procs, cooldowns, and gear scaling.
Their true strength lies in their exceptional utility. While Auras are no longer part of their toolkit, they still bring valuable Blessings, Hand spells, and other raid support abilities. With many other classes losing long-duration buffs (such as Shaman totems), Paladins will become one of the most desirable utility classes. Even if their DPS isn’t top-tier, their support makes them a valuable addition to any raid group.
Affliction Warlock
Affliction Warlocks are expected to rise to the top in the later phases of MoP. While their performance in Phase 1 is not exceptional, they scale extremely well with gear. They excel at multi-target pressure, have good mobility, and provide consistent value, making it worthwhile to bring multiple Affliction Warlocks in a group later on.
Elemental Shaman
Elemental Shamans are gear- and RNG-dependent, starting off mid-tier in Phase 1. They benefit from burst tools like Ascendance and Echo of the Elements, but early lack of Haste and Crit holds them back. Despite that, their utility and off-healing make them a flexible and useful raid pick.
Assassination Rogue
Assassination Rogues perform well early in MoP Classic, boosted by buffs and the powerful Dispatch execution ability. Their rotation remains smooth, but their effectiveness declines in later phases. They’re not ideal for stacking, as Master Poisoner does not stack.
Balance Druid
Balance Druids are highly situational in MoP Classic. In Phase 1, their output is held back by reliance on hard-casting and early access to Haste and Crit. However, they bring exceptional utility, including Symbiosis, Ysera’s Gift, Typhoon, and Cenarion Ward, making them valuable to most raid groups. While early DPS is inconsistent, Balance scales well and becomes more attractive in later phases of the expansion.
Combat Rogue
Combat Rogues start off weaker in Phase 1 due to gear dependency and low burst outside of cooldowns. However, with buffs to Blade Flurry and the addition of Crimson Tempest, they scale well and become a strong pick in the later stages of MoP.
Weak DPS specs in MoP Classic Phase 1
These specs may underperform in Phase 1, but they have the potential to improve with future balance and content patches.
Shadow Priest
Shadow Priests require a lot of secondary stats, which are hard to come by in Phase 1, posing a clear challenge to their early performance. Their Mastery has been improved to empower DoTs, giving them a chance to tick twice and significantly increasing damage over time. However, their utility has been reduced: Vampiric Embrace is now a short-duration active cooldown, and Vampiric Touch no longer restores mana to the raid.
Despite not having the highest DPS output, Shadow Priests bring solid raid utility (5% Spell Haste via Shadowform) and useful off-healing, making them a viable pick for most raid comps. Bringing more than one is reasonable if the group values their consistency and flexibility.
Demonology Warlock
Demonology Warlocks fall behind both Affliction and Destruction. While capable of high DPS, their complex and overloaded kit often leads to mistakes and inconsistent results. Though they bring the same utility as other Warlock specs, their clunky mechanics make them a niche raid pick: viable in the right hands, but rarely the preferred choice.
BM Hunter
BM Hunters are top-tier in later phases with excellent single-target and incredible AoE thanks to Beast Cleave. Expect them to be highly favored in raids, especially in AoE-heavy encounters. But early on BM Hunter is not so strong.
Fury Warrior
Fury Warriors fall into the C-Tier in early MoP due to their heavy dependence on Critical Strike Chance, which is limited in Phase 1. They don’t perform well until later in the expansion when better gear becomes available.
Their utility remains strong with Banners, Shouts, and Rallying Cry, but Fury is best saved for later phases when their gear scaling allows them to truly shine.
Fire Mage
Fire Mages have high potential but are heavily RNG-dependent in Phase 1 due to the lack of Critical Strike gear. They scale extremely well as the expansion progresses, becoming S-tier in later phases. Their utility remains unchanged, offering standard raid tools like Arcane Brilliance, Time Warp, and portals.
That’s everything you need to know about the Mists of Pandaria Classic DPS rankings. If your favorite class or spec isn’t at the top right now, don’t worry: things can change. The meta will shift with future MoP patches, and your class might rise in performance in upcoming dungeons and raids. And if it still struggles later on, there’s always a chance for balance updates from the developers.
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