The War Within Season 3 Mythic+ DPS tier list predictions
The War Within Season 3 Mythic+ DPS tier list is here! Сheck your spec position and get the best results in M+ with this tier list for Patch 11.2.
Table of Contents
DPS tier list in M+ for Season 3 predictions
- S-tier: Frost Death Knight.
- A-tier: Enhancement Shaman, Arcane Mage, Fire Mage, Shadow Priest, Demonology Warlock, Retribution Paladin, Beast Mastery Hunter, Havoc Demon Hunter, Assassination Rogue.
- B-tier: Outlaw Rogue, Frost Mage, Balance Druid, Marksmanship Hunter, Unholy Death Knight, Feral Druid, Survival Hunter, Elemental Shaman.
- C-tier: Destruction Warlock, Affliction Warlock, Subtlety Rogue, Windwalker Monk, Arms Warrior, Fury Warrior, Devastation Evoker, Augmentation Evoker.
Season 2 of The War Within is well underway, and the current meta has settled. But with TWW Patch 11.2 on the horizon, everything is about to shift, thanks to class balance updates and new Season 3 tier sets. Here’s our predicted DPS tier list for The War Within Season 3.
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Just like our Tank tier list and Healer rankings, our usual tier list is based on Season 2 performance data. Since Season 3 isn’t live yet, our predictions rely on PRT data, community research, upcoming tier sets, and class balance changes.
Keep in mind that this tier list is subjective and doesn’t perfectly determine what is good or bad. If your favorite class isn’t ranked at the top, don’t worry: you can still play it successfully. C-tier classes are still viable and can perform well; they just require more effort in gear optimization, mastering both AoE and single-target rotations, and thoroughly learning the encounters.
The War Within Season 3 DPS tier list criteria
As always, we’ll rank each class and specialization into tiers from S to C. S-Tier represents the strongest, meta-defining specs, while C-Tier includes those that may struggle in Season 3. This War Within tier list considers performance in Mythic+.
Here’s how the rankings break down in this The War Within specializations tier list:
- Tier S. The best, M+ Season 3 meta defining classes. They are really leagues stronger than those of the tier below. All that thanks to high damage numbers, utility, and powerful tier set bonuses. If you want the easiest time during the Season, you should consider playing a spec from this tier.
- Tier A. Healthy and balanced classes. They have everything they need to successfully go through the content of the new Season. Their only downside is that S-tier classes exist.
- Tier B. Decent specs with some drawbacks that stop them from reaching A. If you’re a dedicated main, however, you can still make these classes shine. It just requires more effort.
- Tier C. For classes that struggle in the new Season. We don’t recommend playing these specs at the moment.
Note
Like any live-service game, the WoW meta can shift with balance updates and tuning passes. We will update our The War Within Season 3 Mythic+ DPS tier list when any significant changes occur. It will likely happen during the first weeks of Season 3.
The War Within Season 3 DPS tier list
This DPS tier list for Mythic+ in The War Within Season 3 is theoretical and subject to change once Patch 11.2 and the Season 3 go live. We’ll update all rankings as soon as balance changes are implemented and early performance data becomes available.
Season 3 Tier sets play a key role for all DPS specs in this list. Unlike previous sets, these are built around Hero Talents rather than traditional class specializations, introducing a unique mechanic across the board. This opens up more room for experimentation, diverse builds, and unexpected combinations.
The best DPS in Season 3 The War Within
There is one spec that promises to perform extremely well in Season 3 Mythic+ content.
Frost Death Knight
Frost Death Knight is one of the most popular melee specs, and for good reason. Its damage output is exceptional, with single-target DPS among the best in the game, rivaling even top-tier Mage specs. On top of that, it delivers superior AoE performance, making it a powerhouse in most M+ encounters. All of these thanks to massive spec rework.
The rework revamps nearly every talent node, adding build variety and fixing long-standing issues like Obliterate cleave dominating the rotation. Frostscythe now leads in AoE damage, Glacial Advance is becoming must-have ability for AoE rotation, and Frostbane talent replaces clunky Shattered Frost gameplay. Rime is now procced by Runic Power spenders and plays a key role alongside Killing Machine, shifting the focus from just spamming Obliterate.
Breath of Sindragosa no longer drains Runic Power and instead scales with Killing Machine and Rime procs, making it more flexible and less punishing. Empower Rune Weapon has been reworked into a short-cooldown Killing Machine generator, and talents like Killing Streak and Runic Overflow offer new synergy and burst options.
Despite its focus on raw damage, Frost DK is also incredibly durable thanks to Anti-Magic Shell, Icebound Fortitude, and Veteran of the Third War. And the spec even brings some party utility (Death Grip, Abomination Limb, and Blinding Sleet), making it not only deadly but also reliable in group content.
As for the Season 3 tier set, Frost Death Knights will likely choose the Deathbringer tier set bonus, as it’s simple, straightforward, and boosts damage in both AoE and single-target situations without requiring any changes to gameplay, just adding extra Killing Machine.
Top DPS specs in Season 3 TWW
Here is the list of top-performing specs in Season 3 of The War Within, based on PTR data, recent balance changes, and our predictions.
Enhancement Shaman
Enhancement Shaman is strong on Season 2, and with Season 3 spec become even better. It maintains a solid and reliable damage profile, performing well across a wide range of encounters. AoE, cleave, single-target, or sustained damage, Enhancement is consistent in every area, though it may not match top-tier specs in pure DPS output.
What truly elevates Enhancement is the unmatched utility Shamans provide, combined with superior DPS output compared to Elemental Shamans. With tools like Capacitor, Tremor, Wind Rush, Stone Bulwark Totems, Heroism and Bloodlust, Skyfury, etc., Shamans have answers for almost any situation. This well-rounded toolkit makes Enhancement Shaman a desirable pick for many Mythic+ groups, especially for players who enjoy a melee playstyle with both damage and support potential.
Skyfury totem is especially valuable in Season 3, as the meta has shifted toward melee DPS, with Frost DKs and other melee classes performing at their peak.
The Season 3 tier set for Stormbringer Enhancement Shamans delivers strong burst potential by weaving in Ascendance and Tempest synergies, but also introduces complex gameplay tied to RNG. The 2-piece bonus allows Tempest to trigger more frequently and even enables rotational Ascendance through Awakening Storms, encouraging talents like Deeply Rooted Elements. This setup can produce explosive damage, particularly in Mythic+ where Maelstrom Weapon generation is high.
The 4-piece attempts to smooth inconsistencies with Storm’s Eye stacks, but managing overlapping procs and Tempest triggers adds pressure and tracking burden. Ultimately, the Stormbringer set rewards high skill but makes Enhancement Shaman more dependent on RNG.
Arcane Mage
Arcane Mage demands near-perfect execution to perform at its best. While it’s capable of delivering solid damage, mastering its complex rotation is key to unlocking its full potential. Arcane may not excel in single-target like Fire or in AoE like Frost, but it hits a sweet spot in between, offering balanced performance in both: something that’s especially valuable for Mythic+ in Season 3.
In high-end and competitive Mythic+ runs, players may lean toward Fire or even Frost depending on the dungeon, but Arcane remains a strong choice for those who value versatility and utility. Its balanced toolkit makes it enjoyable and effective for a wide range of content. Picking Arcane Mage is never a wrong choice: something you can’t always say about Frost or Fire.
As always, Arcane Intellect, Time Warp, Mass Invisibility, Mass Barrier, Alter Time, Mirror Image, and Ice Block are great and will be handy in any dungeon.
The 11.2 Season 3 tier sets bring contrasting experiences for Arcane Mages depending on their Hero spec. Spellslinger benefits from strong AoE potential through Arcane Orb and Arcane Splinter synergy, with the 2- and 4-piece bonuses significantly boosting Arcane Harmony stacking and uptime on Intuition. However, it heavily relies on talenting into Arcane Harmony, making single-target performance underwhelming and overly passive, especially after losing Jackpot! and Spellfrost Teachings. Meanwhile, Sunfury offers flat damage boosts and extended Arcane Soul windows, but lacks interaction, dragging out cooldowns without adding depth to gameplay. Spellslinger is likely more beneficial in Mythic+ scenarios.
Fire Mage
Beyond its strong damage output, Fire Mage offers fast-paced and engaging gameplay that rewards skillful execution with explosive results. Like any Mage, this spec’s toolkit includes key utility spells such as Time Warp, Arcane Intellect, Mass Invisibility, and Mass Barrier, making it a valuable asset to any group.
Currently, Fire Mage delivers the best single-target damage in the game, while still maintaining solid AoE potential. This makes it a top-tier choice for many Mythic+ encounters, where both bosses and trash packs need to be burned down quickly. However, if heavy AoE damage is required, Arcane or even Frost Mage may be better suited. That said, single-target priority often plays a key role, and in that regard, Fire Mage can bring down bosses faster than any other spec.
The Frostfire Mage 11.2 tier set is the best choise for Fire Mage. It focuses on boosting Mastery: Ignite and making procs more impactful. The 2-piece bonus increases the damage of Comet Storm, Frostfire Bolt, and Frostfire Burst by 10% while letting them contribute to Mastery: Ignite at 150% effectiveness. The 4-piece bonus adds a 20% chance for Pyroblast to trigger a Glacial Spike, also feeding into Ignite. This set shifts stat priorities toward Critical Strike and Mastery, encouraging an ignite-spreading playstyle, especially in AoE. Overall, it offers an estimated 18–20% DPS boost, with Comet Storm and Frostfire Bolt seeing the biggest gains. While talent flexibility remains limited due to point costs, the set enhances Frostfire’s cleave identity and could make ignite-based builds more competitive in Mythic+.
Shadow Priest
Shadow Priest’s damage profile relies heavily on ramp-up time, making the spec much more effective in longer encounters on higher Mythic+ keys — especially due to the extended duration of Voidform, its core cooldown. Despite recent nerfs, Shadow Priests truly shine at higher key levels thanks to strong single-target and AoE damage, short cooldown windows, and valuable utility such as Power Word: Fortitude, Mind Soothe, Mass Dispel, and Psychic Scream. However, in fast-paced runs where enemies die quickly (especially if your gear is below that of other DPS) the spec can feel frustrating, particularly when engaging packs without Shadow Crash ready.
The Voidweaver 11.2 tier set is a major win for Shadow Priests, boosting Void Blast’s damage, cast speed, and cooldown in the 2-piece bonus, while the 4-piece amplifies Entropic Rift growth and powers up Void Torrent based on Rift size. This leads to smoother, faster gameplay, powerful AoE and single-target output, especially through Psychic Link. The set enhances existing talent synergy without altering core rotations, making Void Blast andVoid Torrent central to damage windows. Compared to Archon, Voidweaver clearly stands out as the stronger set choice for 11.2.
Demonology Warlock
Demonology Warlock is a strong all-rounder, offering a solid mix of single-target and AoE damage, with both burst and sustained output. It stands as the best-performing Warlock spec in Season 3. On top of its damage, it also brings the full Warlock toolkit: Healthstones, Curses, Shadowfury, Demonic Gateway, and Soulstones, and more, making it a well-rounded and valuable pick for any group.
The 11.2 tier set Soul Harvester for Demonology Warlocks delivers massive passive power. The 2-piece summons a Demonic Soul that deals heavy single-target and AoE cleave damage for 12 seconds, while the 4-piece buffs this further and generates a Soul Shard every 3 seconds during its duration. Though the bonus doesn’t alter rotation or playstyle, the burst damage from Demonic Soul (especially during Summon Demonic Tyrant) is substantial, with cleave hits critting for millions. Extra Soul Shards feel excessive in a spec already abundant in resources, but the raw damage output makes the set feel more impactful than Diabolist in both single-target and AoE.
Retribution Paladin
Retribution Paladin is a straightforward spec with a top-tier damage profile. Its single-target output has seen noticeable improvements in Season 3, while its AoE remains consistently strong. As always, Retribution Paladin features a simple and intuitive rotation, making it an ideal choice for new players or those who prefer a more relaxed playstyle.
The spec brings valuable Paladin utility, including Blessing of Protection, Blessing of Freedom, Word of Glory, Blessing of Sacrifice, Divine Shield, Intercession etc., which can be extremely useful in various scenarios, especially if your group isn’t running a Protection Paladin as the tank. On top of that, Retribution Paladins are notably durable, an important trait for Mythic+ content.
The Season 3 tier sets for Retribution Paladins offer two viable options. Templar focuses on increasing Empyrean Hammer crits and adding an extra Hammer of Light cast, boosting AoE potential and Light’s Deliverance uptime. Herald of the Sun, on the other hand, leans into passive gameplay with enhanced Dawnlight and lingering Solar Wrath effects after Crusade. It suits players who prefer a hands-off, steady damage style.
Beast Mastery Hunter
Although Hunters are often criticized for their lack of group utility, Beast Mastery Hunter stands out as a strong contender in Mythic+. When it comes to sustained AoE damage, few specs can truly compete. To maximize its potential, however, the group needs to execute large pulls with high enemy density. Having physical damage-oriented teammates also significantly boosts BM Hunter’s performance, and fortunately, Season 3 favors those compositions.
Despite its high damage potential, BM remains one of the easiest specs to play, thanks to its intuitive rotation and the ability to deal full damage while moving. This makes it both effective and accessible.
Both Dark Ranger and Pack Leader Hunter tier sets in Season 3 offer strong, viable options, each excelling in different areas. Dark Ranger concentrates its power in the 4-piece, providing significant single-target burst through Withering Fire and Black Arrow interactions, though its impact is delayed and somewhat RNG-dependent. In contrast, Pack Leader spreads its power evenly across its bonuses, passively boosting pet and beast damage while occasionally triggering Stampede for strong AoE. Pack Leader offers more consistent and broad utility. Dark Ranger delivers higher control and stronger bursts, especially in single-target scenarios.
Havoc Demon Hunter
Havoc Demon Hunter remains a valuable asset in any group, largely due to its strong utility. Chaos Brand provides a crucial 5% magic damage boost, significantly enhancing team performance. With high mobility from Fel Rush and Vengeful Retreat, Havoc can quickly reposition during fights. It also brings reliable crowd control with abilities like Chaos Nova and Sigil of Misery, adding further versatility.
What sets Havoc apart is its ability to fit into both physical and hybrid group compositions, something rare for melee specs. This flexibility, combined with its utility, makes it especially appealing. On top of all that, Havoc deals solid single-target and AoE damage, leaving it with very few weaknesses in Season 3.
The Fel-Scarred 11.2 tier set offers strong AoE-focused power through a 30% buff to Immolation Aura and Chaos Strike via the 2-set, and burst potential through Demonsurge and a 20% damage soul fragment from the 4-set. This combo is very potent in Mythic+, but issues arise from the 4-set’s awkward soul pickup mechanic and limitations during Metamorphosis, which hinder fluid gameplay and intuitive rotations. Despite this, the set performs better than in Season 2 and enables distinct builds alongside Aldrachi Reaver, allowing both hero specs to be viable.
Assassination Rogue
Assassination Rogue has received buffs and now feels significantly stronger in Mythic+ content. It can deliver high damage across all types of encounters, with AoE performance looking especially promising. The spec fits well into both physical damage comps and hybrid group setups. However, its main weakness remains the same, Assassination brings little to no utility to the group. But its utility is also the best in the class, thanks to Bait and Switch and Iron Wire procs.
The Deathstalker Rogue tier set in 11.2 is straightforward but synergistic, enhancing Shiv to boost all Deathstalker-related damage by 50% and slightly extending its duration. The 4-piece adds impact by consuming a Deathstalker’s Mark for extra burst during Shiv windows. While simple on the surface, it empowers key talents like Darkest Night, Singular Focus, and Momentum of Despair, creating strong synergy and high-damage moments.
Good DPS specs in Season 3 The War Within
These are good specs to consider for M+ content in The War Within Season 3.
Outlaw Rogue
Although Outlaw Rogue’s AoE is still target-capped, recent tuning changes have greatly improved its overall damage output and consistency. Enhanced energy sustain, stronger cooldown synergy, and solid defensive tools have made the spec feel much more fluid and satisfying to play. These improvements push Outlaw higher in the tier list, making it a strong and viable pick for high-end Mythic+ keys, especially in physical damage-oriented groups.
Outlaw excels in single-target damage and delivers strong AoE as well, but its biggest drawback is the lack of group utility or buffs. While its raw damage is impressive (close to S-tier), that’s the spec’s only real strength.
Frost Mage
Frost Mage remains a competitive option, especially after recent buffs. Its main drawback is the presence of the other two Mage specs, which often overshadow it in certain scenarios. However, Frost offers extra crowd control tools and better survivability compared to its counterparts. Its AoE damage is particularly strong, making it a solid pick for many M+ encounters.
On top of that, you still bring essential Mage utilities like Arcane Intellect, Time Warp, and Mass Barrier, making Frost a well-rounded choice for group content.
Balance Druid
Balance Druids have recently received significant nerfs and are currently underperforming in both single-target and AoE situations compared to the spec’s former glory. While they can still handle both consistently with decent output, it’s not as strong as it used to be.
However, where Balance Druids truly shine is in their utility. Beyond raw damage, they bring a wide range of valuable tools to any group. Mark of the Wild boosts ally effectiveness, while Soothe, AoE Silence, Innervate, and Stampeding Roar provide crucial support in high-end content. With that in mind, the spec stands as a decent and well-rounded choice for Season 3.
Marksmanship Hunter
Marksmanship Hunter has received significant nerfs and no longer performs as well as it once did. While it still delivers some of the best AoE damage in the game, that’s where the positives end. Its single-target damage is underwhelming, and it offers no party buffs or meaningful utility. In terms of raw damage output, MM Hunter remains very strong, but its lack of utility makes it a less attractive pick for group content.
Unholy Death Knight
Unholy Death Knight is a great example of a fun and interactive spec to play. As an alternative to Frost, it may not offer the same burst-heavy damage profile but still provides valuable utility. DK brings key tools to Mythic+, including Death Grip for enemy control, Anti-Magic Zone for group-wide magic damage reduction, and Raise Ally for instant battle resurrection. Its strong slows, crowd control, and self-sustain further enhance its value in challenging M+ content.
Unlike Frost, which thrives on burst damage, Unholy relies on a ramp-up playstyle, using damage-over-time effects and pets to deliver sustained pressure. While its overall damage isn’t as explosive, it remains consistently respectable.
Feral Druid
Feral Druid enters Season 3 as a strong melee spec with excellent burst AoE damage, making it especially effective in physical damage-oriented groups. While energy starvation can still cause downtime, particularly in single-target encounters, its utility, especially Mark of the Wild, remains highly valuable for group content like Mythic+.
Though Feral has one of the weakest defensive toolkits among melee specs, skilled players can compensate with smart positioning and cooldown management. This high skill requirement does impact overall performance, making the spec less forgiving. However, Feral Druid’s solid AoE damage and exceptional utility make it a compelling pick in Season 3.
Survival Hunter
Survival Hunter has excellent survivability and solid damage output. With buffs received in Season 3, the spec is now performing at its peak. Despite offering little in terms of group utility, Survival remains a strong and reliable choice thanks to its consistent damage across all encounter types.
Elemental Shaman
Elemental Shaman brings a number of powerful buffs to the group, most notably Skyfury. The spec also has strong AoE potential thanks to Ascendance. However, outside of that burst window, both its single-target and AoE damage are underwhelming. To truly shine, Elemental Shamans need to align their cooldowns with the most intense moments of an encounter, otherwise, their overall damage output will fall short.
Weak DPS specs in Season 3 The War Within
Destruction Warlock
Destruction Warlock has very high AoE damage, which is highly desirable for Mythic+ encounters, but this strength alone cannot push the spec into the top tiers. It struggles significantly with single-target damage, especially when burst cooldowns are unavailable, making boss fights a weak point for this specialization.
Its overall performance largely depends on the number of enemies pulled, as the spec thrives on the largest pulls possible. Beyond raw AoE damage, Warlocks provide valuable utility such as various Curses, Gateways, Healthstones, Soulstones, and AoE stuns, making them a strong asset to any group. However, you can also choose a different Warlock spec with similar utility and better overall DPS performance.
Affliction Warlock
The damage-over-time-focused kit of the Affliction Warlock currently leads to inconsistent performance. This is due to the spec’s ramp-up nature. Affliction can deliver solid AoE and single-target damage, but it relies too heavily on cooldowns, making it dependent on precise timing. Since it’s difficult to align the entire group’s actions with those timings, the spec struggles in less-than-perfect scenarios. When everything goes as planned, Affliction can be strong, but any disruption can cause its damage output to drop dramatically.
Subtlety Rogue
Subtlety Rogue sits slightly below average in the Mythic+ DPS rankings and struggles to break into the top tiers. While it excels at single-target and priority damage, its overall performance is held back by limited sustained AoE: which is crucial for Mythic+ encounters.
Windwalker Monk
Windwalker Monk is a decent DPS spec for physical damage-oriented groups. Thanks to recent damage buffs, it can deliver impressive numbers in both AoE and single-target scenarios. However, what holds it back is the lack of uncapped AoE, limiting its potential in large pulls. While it still performs better than many other specs, it doesn’t quite reach the top tier. In terms of utility Monks doesn’t have that much to offer, but there are still important things. Paralysis, Tiger’s Lust, and most importantly Mystic Touch.
Arms Warrior
Arms Warrior doesn’t have the same target cap limitations as Fury, but its overall performance remains weak. Neither its AoE nor single-target damage stands out, and its utility is quite limited. The only real opportunity for Arms Warrior to shine is within physical damage-oriented compositions, especially those built around a Brewmaster tank. In this very specific setup, Arms Warrior might find a viable spot.
Fury Warrior
Getting the short end of the stick, Fury Warrior suffers from capped AoE, hitting only up to 5 targets. This means that in larger pulls, typically more than 5-7 enemies, Warrior quickly falls behind in overall damage, and even the latest buffs haven’t addressed this limitation. That said, in situations where you’re consistently pulling 5 to 7 targets, the spec performs quite well. The damage potential is definitely there, and a physical damage-oriented group can benefit greatly from having a Fury Warrior.
Devastation Evoker
Devastation Evoker is a solid and powerful caster with strong damage options for all key scenarios, along with valuable Evoker utility. Its biggest weakness, however, is its heavy reliance on damage cooldowns to perform at peak levels. When those cooldowns are active, Devastation Evoker excels, but if the group pulls a boss or large trash pack at an inconvenient time, the spec can struggle significantly.
Augmentation Evoker
Augmentation Evoker has dropped to the bottom of the WoW DPS tier list. The spec still has strong potential thanks to its high utility and survivability, and even minor tweaks to its damage output could make it very competitive. However, as of now, its damage remains among the lowest in the meta, and no buffs for Augmentation Evoker have been indicated.
And that is for our The War Within DPS tier list for Season 3. We hope it helped you to understand current meta and what to play in the Season 3. Keep in mind, all tier lists are subjective. Everything in this Mythic+ DPS ranking can and likely will change as the Season progresses.
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Comments
Arcane mages are C tier yet they are the top performing prio damage spec, included in god comps. I don’t think Author actually plays WoW…. lmfao
Rip survival hunter
Guardian druids definetly A tier+
Not accurate! did you not look at the new updates?
we should all agree that tier lists in beta are…questionable. Things will change weekly until the final release build comes out. Unless the author wants to actually compare ingame data(not just community opinions) on a weekly basis go test for yourself and see how it feels. or just wait for release 🙂
j’avoue que placé le feral en bas hors qu’il fait plus de dégâts que l’arcane en mm+ actuellement sur la bêta joue t’il seulement a la bêta ?
So…Ele Shaman is the 5th best DPS and Resto Shaman is the best healer… yet Shaman is the worst ranked class??
Have you just not seen the shaman rework? Ele is competing with arcane in ST and is destroying the AOE meters. Stone bulwark totem has fixed their survivability also.
agreed. the top 5 and top 3s don’t even coincide with the list, actually contradicts the rankings.