Shadowlands BETA: Where have the melee DPS landed? Here’s our conclusion.
You can never go wrong with ARMS WARRIOR
This is probably one of the best specifications of the game considering the level of damage , utility and personal survivability. Arms Warrior is considered a powerful covenant ability in Kirian. With its high damage and high utility, it is tagged as a fun specification. It is going to be disruptive on the battlefield with intervene, ignore pain spell reflect and overwatch spell reflect. This specification, in all likelihood, PVP tuning because it has a high level of utility and high damage. Conclusion: S tier
Nothing over the top with ASSASINATION ROGUE
Specialization can play with mages and hunters. Not as explosive as Subtlety but it still brings kidney shot, blind, and that’s going to synergize and work really well with mages. Others may think there’s bias because it has not changed, not any weaker than it was in BFA but other things have improved. Conclusion: B tier
ENHANCEMENT SHAMAN’s stigma
Although it gets a lot of stigma, it is getting a lot of buffs recently towards its healing where its strength is coming from. Phenomenal if paired with Arms Warrior to give you protection. If enhancement shaman were to get its healing reduced it’ll fall down the drain. You are going to experience a lot of damage output with Venthyr covenant also with chain harvest despite a nerf applied to it. If played with an arms warrior, it would perform really well and enhancer trauma becomes a lot better. Conclusion: B tier
FERAL DRUID: leveled up
It does a huge amount of healing like enhancement but brings consistency through ferocious bite and does horrible amounts of damage. Its healing is as unpleasant as enhancement but more limitless. And with the ability to shape shift, you are more mobile and you have many defensive cooldowns unlike enhancement shaman which makes it a way better specialization. Definitely belongs to the S tier.
Just the same with FROST DEATH KNIGHT
Despite seeing nerf after nerf to this specialization, it still brings a huge burst set up. Frost is transferring over from battle for azeroth nearly in the same spot. Basically just the same with grip, double blind, set up chill streak, burst down targets instead of blood of the enemy replacing it with new covenant abilities. A little bit extra utility with lichborne and death coil, but in terms of its performance, it is ending up in tier A.
FURY WARRIOR, the “underdog hipster”
Probably the least melee spec but definitely better than where it was. Main problem is it lacks mortal wound effects. You can play with the windwalker monk to bring the mortal wounds effect to the spec that otherwise does not have it. Not as much as fun if you were playing arms warrior in PVP so this goes on the C tier.
HAVOC DEMON HUNTER calls for an A tier position
Class is not particularly strong. The covenant, night fae and the hunt allows demon hunters to get huge burst damage out. Considered solid but not super over the top. What makes it strong- darkness, low cooldown blur with soul buying conduits and leech healing. Has good synergies with arms warrior and other specializations because you’ll bring mortal wounds with honor talents. Decision: A tier
Same old gimmick with OUTLAW ROGUE
Very similar to assasination, the problem is it is not sub. PVP sub is doing outrageous damage and has way more stuns. Outlaw lost its range stun thus going back to kidney shot. Same old trick is present- blind is 30 seconds faster than other rogue specs. Considered as a hipster spec, for the big brother Subtlety Rogue is still present at the moment. You get mortal wounds from poisons returning to rogue specs which is great for outlaw and allows it to compete more with assasination than it did in battle of azeroth. Outlaw has good synergies, hunters and mages which puts itself in the middle spot, tier B.
RETRIBUTION PALADIN (not dead)
Because of its hybrid healing and limitless word of glory, ret paladin is still in a good position. You can still do a huge amount of burst damage during avenging wrath. If partnered with Night Fae, you’ll get high mobility and tons of damage during avenging wrath or blessing of summer. Ret Paladin brings utility like concentration aura or blessing of sanctuary to remove stuns and fears which are consistent. Its own personal durability is higher than enhancement shaman. Placement is tier A.
S in SUBTLETY ROGUE is for S tier
No doubt it’ll do intense damage. Even despite PVE trinkets removed, Subtlety Rogue can dismantle compositions because of the ability to control the hybrids. Stunning and locking down hybrids to prevent healing and has enough damage to kill them before the stun lock has ended. No questions asked for Subtlety Rogue, S for S tier.
SURVIVAL HUNTER, above average
Has good synergies with Feral Druid which can lift Survival Hunter up. This spec has decent kiting and survivability on its own. In battle of azeroth, it is a pretty good spec thus basically transferring over everything. It synergizes heavily thus other specs would definitely want to team up with Survival Hunter. Falls under tier A.
UNHOLY DEATH KNIGHT (consistent)
Specialization has less gimmick than frost. Overall consistent but main concern is if it can stay afloat through all the burst damage cooldowns, sharpened blades, templars verdicts and chain harvests. It does have the survivability but does not fall on the S tier– belongs to A tier.
WINDWALKER MONK, above the top
Say no more, definitely belongs to S tier. It has damage buff after damage buff and will do a ton of burst damage. One of the hybride which can heal a lot and has high mobility. Downsides are to be against Subtlety Rogue compositions that lock you down in stuns. With Death Knights getting pulled up by Windwalkers, there is going to be high synergy which will make this spec better than the rest.
Video chapters:
0:01 Intro
2:07 Arms Warrior
5:15 Assasination Rogue
5:09 Enhancement Shaman
7:00 Feral Druid
7:52 Frost Death Knight
9:29 Fury Warrior
10:46 Havoc Demon Hunter
13:24 Outlaw Rogue
14:50 Retribution Paladin
16:59 Subtlety Rogue
17:56 Survival Hunter
19:26 Unholy Death Knight
21:49 Windwalker Monk