The War Within Season 2 Mythic+ DPS tier list prediction
With all the information finally hitting PTR, here’s a The War Within Season 2 Mythic+ DPS tier list prediction for you!
Table of Contents
Key takeaways
- This M+ DPS tier list for Season 2 is based on PTR data and will be updated as new information becomes available. Keep in mind that every tier list follows its own criteria, so don’t be discouraged if your favorite specs in higher tiers here. They may dominate another tier list somewhere else based on different criteria!
- S-tier: Augmentation Evoker, Enhancement Shaman, Beast Mastery Hunter, Fire Mage.
- A-tier: Destruction Warlock, Elemental Shaman, Balance Druid, Demonology Warlock, Frost Death Knight, Arms Warrior, Windwalker Monk, Unholy Death Knight, Frost Mage, Feral Druid, Retribution Paladin, Shadow Priest, Devastation Evoker.
- B-tier: Affliction Warlock, Rogue, Fury Warrior, Survival Hunter, Havoc Demon Hunter, Arcane Mage.
- C-tier: Marksmanship Hunter.
With the new World of Warcraft season on the horizon, players are looking forward to fresh content, including dungeons, balance updates, and class tweaks. And so naturally, it’s time for another The War Within specs tier list!
Just like our Tank tier list and Healer rankings, this Mythic+ DPS tier list for Patch 11.1 is based on PTR data. Keep in mind that this is just an early prediction. Changes may happen based on player feedback, and additional tweaks could be made before the update goes live.
As always, tier lists are just opinions based on available information. If your favorite class isn’t ranked at the top, don’t worry. Having fun is what truly matters, not just dry stats and rankings. With that said, let’s dive into the War Within Season 2 DPS tier list!
The War Within Season 2 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 2. This War Within tier list considers performance in raids, Mythic+, Hero Talents, and recent reworks based on PTR data and testing.
Here’s how the rankings break down in this The War Within specializations tier list:
- Tier S. The best, M+ Season 2 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.
The War Within DPS tier list: Patch 11.1 prediction
An important role is played by the new Tier sets. This time all of them share a unique mechanic that defines the nature of set passive. There are four types of bonuses. DPS can only have two of them.
- Jackpot! Procs of this passive provide free casts of spec-specific abilities.
- Winning Streak! Procs of this passive provide a unique stacking buff.
Now that we’ve figured everything out, we can start ranking classes and specs to their respective tiers.
S-tier classes
Augmentation Evoker
Due to being the only true support spec, Augmentation Evoker still reigns supreme in the WoW DPS tier list. Season 2 Mythic+ tests of the spec showed one of the highest damage profiles. With the possibility of almost 100% Ebon Might uptime, Augmentation Evoker shapes to be a very dominant spec. Every group wants one of those, as they can buff everyone’s damage. That was the reason for them being on top of Season 1. Evokers also bring a lot of utility. Expunge, Cauterizing Flame, Rescue, Zephyr, Blessing of the Bronze, Fury of the Aspects. This is not the whole list, but this spec brings huge value.
The tier set bonus is Jackpot! The procs cast Upheaval of 100% efficiency while using Breath of Eons guarantees such a proc. A 4-piece improves Upheaval, granting you an Essence Burst on every cast. Essence Burst raises the damage of Eruption by 25%. All these effects further increase the AoE profile of Augmentation Evoker.
Enhancement Shaman
This spec continues to be as strong as the previous season. It’s the best melee option in DPS rankings War Within Patch 11.1, as it has the best damage profile as of now. Be it AoE, cleave, single-target, or consistent damage, Enhancement excels at everything. Add to that Shaman utility as well. Capacitor, Tremor, Wind Rush, Stone Bulwark Totems, Heroism and Bloodlust, Skyfury, etc. Shamans have answers to many situations and scenarios.
The tier set provides you with stacking up to five times Winning Streak! The buff increases the damage of Stormstrike, Doom Winds, and Lava Lash by 5% per stack. Maelstrom Weapons have a chance to consume one stack. Each time that happens with a 4-piece bonus, you will cast Doom Winds. This cast of Doom Winds will give another stacking buff empowering your Crash Lightning. This set provides a strong boost to your damage profile.
Beast Mastery Hunter
Although Hunters are known for not providing much utility to the table, BM Hunter earns its place in the S-tier thanks to damage. Thanks to the combination of talents and tier-set bonuses, BM can have a high uptime of Bestial Wrath. In terms of the sustained AoE damage, there are no equals to this spec. And while being so strong, the spec remains easy to play. All that thanks to intuitive rotation and ability to attack while moving.
The aforementioned tier set provides you with Jackpot! proc. Your attacks have a chance to trigger a 200% effectiveness Barbed Shot. Using Bestial Wrath guarantees the proc. The 4-piece bonus provides a 10-second buff to your pet. Pet attacks start to cleave and reduce the cooldown of Bestial Wrath. Bestial Wrath is the reason BM Hunter is so high, so any interactions with it make the spec stronger.
Fire Mage
Last but not least in our The War Within tier list is Fire Mage, which has great single-target and AoE damage. Although it was nerfed during PTR, it is still closest to other DPS in this tier. Thanks to Combustion, Fire Mage has the strongest burst among ranged specs. They also provide exciting and fast-paced gameplay. What makes Fire Mage a competitive choice against BM Hunter and Enhancement Shaman is his synergy with Augmentation Evoker. Mage and Evoker make a perfect combo, complementing each other. Evoker benefits a lot from Arcane Intellect, while Mage is the best target for damage buffs. And don’t forget things like Time Warp, Mass Invisibility, Mass Barrier, magical tables, and portals.
The tier set bonus revolves around Combustion. The Jackpot! proc reduces the cooldown of this button for 2 seconds. The 4-piece effect also provides an extra damage boost when you get the proc and press Combustion. With all these bonuses, Fire Mage’s burst damage becomes even stronger.
A-tier classes
Destruction Warlock
This spec has all it needs to be an S-tier if it wasn’t for other DPS in that tier, especially BM Hunter. Destruction has a very high AoE damage. Overall performance depends on the amount of enemies pulled. This spec wants the biggest pulls possible. Destruction Warlock is a viable pick in M+. Warlocks also bring various Curses, Gateways, Healthstones, Soulstones, AoE stuns, etc. So damage is not the only reason to pick one for a run.
The tier set uses Jackpot! for procs. Every proc sends 12 bolts of 200% effectiveness Demonfire, while every Summon Infernal guarantees a proc. The 4-piece bonus interacts with your mastery, increasing it and making it grand maximum benefits for a short duration. These bonuses are for both single-target and AoE.
Elemental Shaman
One of the top damage specs of Season 1, Elemental Shaman became more streamlined. Despite the nerfs, Elemental Shaman is still a decent caster with a stronger sustained presence than before. Not as powerful as S-tier classes. But simplicity with good damage makes it a viable choice. You probably have to compete for the spot with your melee brother, however. Having a Shaman is a good utility source, as totems tend to cover many situations. We are glad to see Elemental Shaman being relevant in Season 2 and hope the situation won’t change in the near future.
The Jackpot! procs summon Fire Elemental for 8 seconds, while Ascendance guarantees proc triggering. With full bonuses, summoning or extending the duration of Fire Elemental provides a short damage buff to your spammers. That being Chain Lightning, Lightning Bolt, and Lava Burst.
Balance Druid
With buffs to single-target damage and AoE, as well as its ramping-up nature, Balance Druid is a solid pick to go into Season 2. Druids bring a lot of utility to the group, be it Mark of the Wild, Soothe, AoE silence, Innervate, Stampeding Roar, etc.
The tier set bonus is Jackpot! spawns a Wild Mushroom at the nearest enemy location. Using Chosen of Elune or Celestial Alignment guarantees such a proc. The 4-piece bonus empowers Starfall and Starsurge on targets affected by Wild Mushroom. These bonuses increase both single-target and AoE capabilities of a spec.
Demonology Warlock
A great all-rounder spec with its single-target, burst, and sustained damage. A perfectly valid alternative to many specs on the TWW DPS tier list. The only reason it is not in the S-tier is that the highest potential numbers for classes in that tier are higher. But again, reaching those numbers requires the most optimal play. The package of Warlock tricks, such as Healthstones, Curses, and Soulstones is included.
The tier set bonus comes with a Jackpot! proc. It summons a Greater Dreadstalker at 165% effectiveness. Summoning a Demonic Tyrant guarantees a proc. The 4-piece bonus makes every active Dreadstalker use Dreadbite whenever you cast Hand of Gul’dan.
Frost Death Knight
It is one of the most popular melee specs due to the combination of the gameplay feel and damage output. Frost DK is one of the top 3 melee specs based on performance. Combined with high survivability for a melee and with some niche utility, like the Anti-Magic Zone, Frost DK is a valid choice in Season 2.
The tier set bonus provides a Winning Streak! The stacking buff empowers your Frost Strike and Glacial Advance. With the full bonus, the abilities have a chase to cast a Frostscythe. Losing a stack of buff grants Murderous Frenzy, which gives Mastery increases and sends an empowered Frostscythe at your enemies.
Arms Warrior
Out of two DPS specs for Warrior, Arms comes out as the winner. Throughout PTR, this spec received massive changes to damage, improving all of its damage profiles. There may be some dungeons where Fury is better due to the nature of packs and encounters. But on the paper, Arms Warrior is a better choice. Although the utility is almost non-existent, you still have a Rallying Cry to help your party.
The set bonuses provide simple but effective stacking buffs via Winning Streak! Each stack increases the damage to your Overpower. With 4 pieces, when the streak ends, you get increased Haste and extra damage on Mortal Strike and Cleave per Winning Streak! stack you had.
Windwalker Monk
Windwalker Monk is another example of a good melee in Season 2. Due to buffs to its damage, as well as better Haste and Mastery scaling, this spec can dish out huge damage in many scenarios. What keeps it back is the lack of uncapped AoE damage. This spec still heads above many others, just not as high as we want it to be. 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.
The tier set provides a Winning Streak! that increases the damage of Rising Sun Kick and Spinning Crane Kick per stack. The full bonus grants you an interaction with the buff. Now Fists of Fury provides two stacks of the streak, one at the cast and another at the end of the channel. The streak always ends when it reaches maximum stacks, but when it does you receive a 5% per stack buff to the next Fists of Fury cast.
Unholy Death Knight
Unholy DK is a perfect example of a fun and interactive spec to play. A great alternative to Frost DK, this spec has a good damage profile and utility. It is not as burst-oriented as Frost DK. Instead it has ramp-up nature thanks to DoT and pets. Switching between Hero talents specs allows you to tailor your kit to better single-target and AoE, or improved sustained damage. If you prefer such gameplay, Unholy Death Knight is a great alternative.
The tier set provides a Winning Streak! It improves the damage of your Death Coil and Epidemic. With a full bonus, Dark Transformation grants up to 10 stacks of Winning Streak! while also increasing their damage bonus.
Frost Mage
Frost Mage is still a competitive option, but sadly nerfs hit it. Fire Mage is just better in terms of damage. Still, this spec has extra crowd control options, as well as better survivability. So if you’re not a fan of Fire Mage gameplay, you can consider playing Frost into Augmentation Evoker. Somebody needs to bring Arcane Intellect, Time Warp, and Mass Barrier after all.
A Jackpot! proc from your tier set sends a volley of up to 9 Frostbolts, one to the primary target and 8 for additional. Using Icy Veins guarantees a proc. With a 4-piece bonus, Icy Veins also grants a Jackpot! proc every 10 seconds for the next 30 seconds.
Feral Druid
The PTR changes to Feral Druid increased its damage capabilities in single-target, AoE, and sustained damage. There are still stronger options among melee, but don’t forget Druid utility, such as Mark of the Wild, Innervate, Stampeding Roar, etc., that those melees lack. Class however is still dependent on major cooldowns and Energy management. So even though it’s a strong option, it is not for everyone. Add to that complex rotation that includes bleeds and snapshots. This class requires near-perfect execution to show competitive results.
The bonus from the set increases the damage of your primary abilities such as Ferocious Bite, Rip, and Primal Wrath per Winning Streak! stack. The 4-piece effects provide an extra buff and damage for Apex Predator’s Craving proc.
Retribution Paladin
Retribution Paladin is a simple spec with a good damage profile. It has great single-target and AoE damage like many contestants of A-tier. It also brings in Paladin utility, such as Blessing of Protection, Blessing of Freedom, etc., which can be extremely viable. Especially if you are not running Protection as your tank.
The Winning Streak! from the set empowers your Templar’s Verdict and Divine Storm. With the 4-pieces, when you lose the streak, you get a Holy Power refund, increased damage, and unlimited Holy Power, although for a short duration.
Shadow Priest
Due to the unique ramping-up DoT-oriented kit, Shadow Priest is able to deal very high damage. There is one nuance though. You want to make sure enemies live long enough for your damage to ramp up. This also includes having enough time to get all your necessary abilities off cooldown before the next pack of enemies. Still, the spec is good, especially in high-level keys. They also have more utility options. Power Word: Fortitude, Leap of Faith, Psychic Scream, Angelic Feathers, and Power Infusion, to name a few.
With the tier set, you get a Jackpot! that shoots a 200% effectiveness Void Bolt at your target. Using Dark Ascension or Void Eruption guarantees a proc. With 4 pieces, procs also give you a short Power Infusion. Power Infusion also increases the damage of Mind Blast and Void Bolt.
Devastation Evoker
A decent powerful caster. Has nice damage options for all necessary scenarios and Evoker utility. The biggest problem with this spec is the existence of Augmentation. It is so much better than many will consider playing Devastation throwing. The spec is absolutely valid to play, just be ready for people asking you to switch spec.
The Jackpot! proc from the set casts 3 Shattering Stars at 50% effectiveness. Dragonrage always triggers a proc. With the second effect, casting Shattering Star or getting Jackpot! procs give a stacking 2 times damage increase for the next empowered spell.
B-tier classes
Affliction Warlock
The damage-over-time oriented kit of Affliction Warlock currently results in inconsistent performance. The reason is that the class has a ramp-up nature, while also having some problems with its skill interactions. So it’s just safer to pick any other form of Warlock.
The tier set grants Haste buffs and improves your Unstable Affliction.
Rogue
Outlaw Rogue suffers from capped AoE damage. Although other forms are good enough, the lack of good AoE stops it from entering higher ranks.
As for Assassination and Subtlety Rogue, we cannot give a proper Mythic plus DPS rankings. Their current tier sets are bugged, so we cannot access their true performance. Rogues received little to no change during PTR. The new tier sets don’t really favor them. So if everything stays the same and the sets are fixed, we expect Assassination to be a top B-tier pick. The Subtlety spec is above average in the same tier.
The tier set for Outlaw increases the damage of Dispatch and grants a chance to Roll the Bones to give you another buff.
The Assassination set empowers Rupture, Envenom, and Crimson Tempest with stacking buffs.
Subtlety gets empowered by Eviscerate, Black Powder, Secret Technique, and Shadow Dance.
Fury Warrior
Getting a short end of the stick, like many other DPS cases, Fury Warrior suffers from capped AoE. The damage potential is there, and in some specific scenarios, Fury has the upper hand. But Arms generally is better.
The tier set increases the damage of Rampage, as well as randomly improves either Bloodthirst or Raging Blow.
Survival Hunter
This spec has great survivability and good damage. But sadly its damage is not enough to compete with some other options. Add to this lack of utility Hunters provide.
The tier set empowers your Wildfire Bomb and Kill Command.
Havoc Demon Hunter
Although Havoc keeps receiving more love from developers, it is still not enough to compete with other DPS. The damage is there, it keeps growing with changes. But it still needs more.
The tier set empowers your Blade Dance and Chaos Strike.
Arcane Mage
One more example of a complicated class that requires near-perfect execution. You can reach decent damage output with it, but it requires you to know difficult rotations. Many other classes and specs can do the same much easier.
Tier set grants extra procs of Clearcasting and Aether Attunement.
C-tier classes
Marksmanship Hunter
This Hunter sits kinda low as it struggles with dealing damage, even compared to your class peers. In some scenarios, even tanks deal more damage than MM Hunter. BM is currently a far superior option at the top of DPS tier list War Within.
The tier set procs improve your auto-attacks and Lock and Load procs.
Conclusion
And that is for our The War Within DPS tier list. We hope it helped you to see the situation on PTR and what to expect with the Season 2 coming. Don’t forget, it is just an opinion and prediction. Everything in this M+ DPS tier list is subject to change. The most important thing is to have fun playing your favorite class!
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Comments
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.