BEST PVP SUPPORT CLASS TIER LIST | WoW Shadowlands 9.0.5

We will be ranking every DPS in terms of support options. Patch 9.0.5 might be bringing some new changes to the meta, but if you’re looking to re-roll or just simply looking for a spec that can support its team, this is the guide that will fit you best!

Here are the criteria where the rankings were based so that we may know how to exactly compare the support toolkit of different specs. Disclaimer: the list did not include any crowd control spells as a part of the team even though you can use crowd control to help support your teammates in game surviving or scoring kills. This mainly concerns the spells that directly interact with your team.

Criteria for ranking of the tier list:

• Off-Healing. We need to consider how much healing a spec can do and how easy it is to pull off in arena.
• Team Defense Cooldowns and Utility. We have to consider how the spec can reduce damage taken on their team. If the class has strong team defensive cooldowns, it will probably do well in this category.
• Increase Team Throughput. We should also give points to how well a spec can increase its team’s damage or healing because both of these things directly support your team defensively.
• Team Mobility Buffs. This is overlooked in the support option but will be important in the ranking list. Having team mobility against mages and melees is really strong in Shadowlands arena.
• Magic, Curse, Disease, and Poison Dispels. We should consider the type of dispels some healers can bring. Some non-healer specs are capable of dispelling. Even if a spec can’t dispel magic, we should consider curse, disease, and dispels as they come into play.

D-TIER

Rogues

They are the only ones in this tier as they don’t have many support options except for Smoke Bomb. Outside of their control, they don’t really have anything to support their team. On top of that, it is rare when they use smoke bomb defensively.

C-TIER

Hunters

Although not traditionally thought of as a support class, they have a few options that are actually quite good in today’s meta. First of which is Roar of Sacrifice: a super strong support option as it can counter cooldowns like combustion and shadow dance.

Windwalker Monks

Which rank as the lowest hybrid DPS on the list. Monks do have some off-healing support but it is hard casted and relatively weak to other hybrids. One of their biggest support option is Tiger’s Lust which can counter Root Beam from Balanced Druids.

Mages

Having really unique and powerful support option for their team in the current meta. Although, it does not come into play every game. They are also one of the few classes in the game that can dispel curses which has tremendously high value in the meta right now. Also, mages are one of the classes that come with a team buff, offering Arcane Intellect to their teammates.

B-TIER

Death Knights

This team has one of the best team defensive cooldowns in the game with Anti-Magic Zone. Combined with Dome of Ancient Shadow PVP talent, this ability plays a huge role against casters in arena, specifically into fire mages for countering combustion.

Demon Hunters

Who also gave a strong team defensive cooldown like Death Knights with Darkness. When combined with Cover of Darkness talent, this is truly one of the strongest team defensive cooldowns in the game. On top of that, they are one of the few classes that can remove magic crowd control from their partners with Reverse Magic.

A-TIER

Warlock

This class has some of the best support of any non-hybrid in the game. With Demonic Gateway, Warlocks add a ton of mobility for their team on larger maps. Gateway can also play an additional team defensive cooldown by opening up a way to completely avoid enemy damage. On top of that, the Health Stones offer an additional team defensive cooldown for any Warlock team.

Balanced and Feral Druids

Who offer similar but unique for their team. Both druids offer off-healing to their team. Feral druids has instant cast heals for Predatory Swiftness while Boomkin has super fast off-healing with the Protector of the Grove PVP talent. On top of that, both of these specs offer thorns which can be used to indirectly mitigate damage from enemy melee.

Elemental Shamans

They have two of the strongest team support options in the game with Grounding Totem and Tremor Totem. Grounding is incredibly disruptive and has massive potential for stopping damage, crowd control, and interrupts for their team. Tremor is not as dynamic but is still incredibly valuable. On top of that, they offer casted off-healing for their team and when combined with a curse dispel, they can easily fill the role of off-healer.

Shadow Priest

Arguably, the strongest support in the A-tier. They offer an array of support options for their team starting with Mass Dispel. This is a truly unique dispel option and can be used to break their party out of crowd control. They also offer great off-healing for their team, primarily with Power Word: Shield and Vampiric Embrace. Additionally, they offer great mobility with Leap of Faith. This can quickly remove teammates from vulnerable positions.

S-TIER

Retribution Paladin

You should know by now that their healing is amazing. Word of Glory combined with the Healing Hands talent offers some of the best instant cast off-healing in the game. They also have a few options of breaking crowd control from their partners with Blessing of Sanctuary and Blessing of Protection. Paladins also have a few options for their team depending on what composition they are facing. Finally, having a poison and deceased dispel also has a high value especially considering the popularity of Shadow Priests.

Warriors

Some people view Warriors as an aggressive, all-in DPS class but they are far from that. They have multiple support options for their team and nothing is more important than Intervene. This talent has so much flexibility that not only can it be used to mitigate damage, but it can reduce damage overall with the Safeguard Conduit. Finally, War Banner and Rallying Cry offer Warriors truly unique team defensive options.

Enhancement Shamans

Arguably, the best support healers in the game. Having discussed the totems in Elemental Shamans, while Enhancement Shaman has both their off-healing and are also stronger with their heals being instant cast through Maelstrom Weapon. They also offer a hex dispel which has high value into other shaman teams and warlocks. Finally, they have multiple ways to increase their team’s throughput. Either with Skyfury or Windfury Totem or with Bloodlust and the Shamanism PvP talent, which can be used on both DPS and healers depending on what the situation needs.

REMINDER:

A good support class is able to directly help their team either with obvious things like off-healing and throughput increases, or with less obvious things like mobility assistance. Either way, there are multiple support options for you and the top spec’s are really valuable in today’s meta.

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VIDEO CHAPTERS:
0:00​ – Intro 2:07​ – D Tier 2:38​ – C Tier 4:28​ – B Tier 6:08​ – A Tier 9:22​ – S Tier