The best class and spec for raids in WoW Forever right now is Survival Hunter, ahead of Retribution Paladin and Marksmanship Hunter. Here is every damage spec with its tier, the raid sim value and a talent build.
Updated Nov 6, 2026Client build 1.60.1.70790Judged for level 60 on the launch client, before the first level 60 results3 specs moved on Nov 6, 2026
Why each spec sits where it does, its value in the raid sim and its strengths and weaknesses on a boss.
Warrior raid specs
Fury Warrior
Raid damage at 60A
Low confidenceSim 965 · 76% of the top valuePublic lists: none yet for the specB for the class
Fury holds A: seventh of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 965, 7 DPS more than on November 4. The sim plays the new Warrior tree: Improved Whirlwind, Reckless Swings and Flurry at 30% for three swings. Its value sits above the middle of the field but well short of the S line 15% above it. Rage still depends on hits and crits, so gear matters more than for a caster.
Low confidenceSim 850 · 67% of the top valuePublic lists: none yet for the specB for the class
Arms stays at B: 16th of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 850, with the new Warrior tree: Two-Handed Weapon Specialization at 6%, Improved Slam and Spearing Strike. Its value sits below the middle of the field, inside the B range. Mortal Strike comes at level 40, and Fury does more on a boss with the same gear.
Low confidenceSim 1061 · 84% of the top valuePublic lists: A for the spec
Retribution stays in S: second of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 1061 from a record of November 4 that the sim did not re-run. Its new tree brings Champion of the Light at up to 60% of your Intellect and Unsealed Wrath. That value is still over the S line, 15% above the middle of the field, but only by 9 DPS now that the middle rose. One sim carries it, so confidence stays low. Blessing of Kings is a basic Paladin spell in Forever, and plate and an emergency heal make it a safe raid spot.
Low confidenceSim 1264 · 100% of the top valuePublic lists: none yet for the specA for the class
Survival stays in S: first of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 1264 from a record of November 4 that the sim did not re-run, still far ahead of everyone else. That number weaves Auto Shots between melee hits, and pure melee did 921 on November 3, just above the middle of the field. Low confidence, because one sim backs it and no level 60 raid has been tested.
Medium confidenceSim 996 · 79% of the top valuePublic lists: none yet for the specA for the class
Marksmanship holds A: fourth of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 996 from a record of November 4 that the sim did not re-run, with the stronger Aimed Shot and Trueshot Aura of the launch. We keep it in A because that number needs weaving too. Staying at range it did 971 on November 3, still the best Hunter that never steps into melee. Sniper Shot reaches 45 yards and adds 10 yards to your next three shots, handy on big raid floors.
Low confidenceB → ASim 966 · 76% of the top valuePublic lists: none yet for the specA for the class
Beast Mastery rises from B to A: sixth of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 966, 74 DPS more than on November 4 and the biggest gain on that board. Almost all of it is your pet's melee, which hits much harder in a newer run of the sim with the same talents. Treat the jump as a change in the model until a second sim backs it, so confidence stays low. That number comes from weaving, stepping into melee between two Auto Shots, and staying at range the whole fight gave 786 on November 3. Pets scale with your gear but ignore stat buffs, which costs them in a raid full of buffs.
Low confidenceSim 914 · 72% of the top valuePublic lists: none yet for the specB for the class
Assassination stays at B: 11th of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 914, 16 DPS more than on November 4 but still half a DPS below the middle of the field. The sim plays the Rogue rework, Mutilate as the last talent of the tree and Venom after each Shank, now with new gear and a slightly different build. This close to the A line the next sim can move it either way.
Strong
The developers want Rogues on top of single target damage
Low confidenceA → BSim 892 · 71% of the top valuePublic lists: none yet for the specB for the class
Subtlety falls from A to B: 14th of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 892. It lost 8 DPS on new gear in the sim while the middle of the field rose to 914.5, so it now sits 23 DPS under the A line. The sim plays the Rogue rework with Shank, Boot Knife and Death Mark, the new last Subtlety talent. Its talents shine in PvP more than on a raid boss.
Low confidenceSim 858 · 68% of the top valuePublic lists: none yet for the specB for the class
Combat stays at B: 15th of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 858, with the Rogue rework, Shank and Poised for Energy. It still trails the other two Rogues by more than 30 DPS. Blade Flurry helps on bosses with adds.
Low confidenceSim 823 · 65% of the top valuePublic lists: B for the spec
Shadow stays at B: 17th of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 823, 11 DPS more than on November 4 and still below the middle of the field. Shadow Weaving can no longer fail since October 1, which helps every Shadow caster in your raid, and Vampiric Embrace keeps healing the group on top.
Low confidenceS → ASim 1046 · 83% of the top valuePublic lists: A for the spec
Enhancement falls from S to A: third of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 1046, 7 DPS more than on November 4. The middle of the field rose from 899 to 914.5 though, which puts the S line at 1052, 6 DPS above it. The sim plays its new tree with Mental Dexterity, which turns 150% of your Intellect into attack power, Maelstrom Weapon and Improved Stormstrike. Its totems lift the whole raid on top: Windfury, Strength of Earth and Grace of Air reach everyone since October 16.
Medium confidenceSim 794 · 63% of the top valuePublic lists: A for the spec
Elemental stays at B: 18th of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 794, 17 DPS over the B line, 15% below the middle of the field. Lightning Overload copies a bolt up to 30% of the time, and Lightning Mastery is your burst button from level 40. Totems and Chain Lightning come on top of its damage.
Low confidenceSim 926 · 73% of the top valuePublic lists: S for the specA for the class
Arcane holds A: ninth of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 926 from a record of November 4 that the sim did not re-run, now 12 DPS above the middle of the field. That record plays the Arcane Blast of the launch, 12% of your Intellect as spell damage per stack. Low confidence, one sim and no level 60 raid yet.
Low confidenceSim 915 · 72% of the top valuePublic lists: none yet for the specA for the class
Fire holds A: tenth of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 915, 7 DPS more than on November 4 and half a DPS above the middle of the field, so the next sim can move it either way. Critical Mass is back at 3 ranks for 6% crit, and Combustion has 3 charges again since October 1. Low confidence, one sim and no level 60 raid yet.
Low confidenceSim 715 · 57% of the top valuePublic lists: none yet for the specA for the class
Frost stays at C: last of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 715 from a record of November 4 that the sim did not re-run, about 22% below the middle of the field. Ice Barrier adds 15% Frost damage and 5% more while the shield holds, but Winter's Chill only boosts your next Cone of Cold, nothing a boss fight is built on, and Shatter rewards frozen targets, which a raid boss usually is not. Frost is the leveling and PvP spec, Fire and Arcane do the raid damage.
Low confidenceSim 943 · 75% of the top valuePublic lists: D for the specA for the class
Demonology holds A: eighth of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 943, above the middle of the field but well under the S line 15% above it. Soul Link also takes the edge off raid damage.
Low confidenceSim 906 · 72% of the top valuePublic lists: S for the specA for the class
Affliction stays at B: 12th of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 906, 16 DPS more than on November 4 and 9 DPS below the middle of the field. The sim build goes 35 points into Affliction and plays Wrack, which does most of its damage there. It brings Healthstones, Soulstones and summons to any raid.
Low confidenceSim 897 · 71% of the top valuePublic lists: none yet for the specA for the class
Destruction stays at B: 13th of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 897, 7 DPS more than on November 4 and 18 DPS below the middle of the field. Shadow and Flame adds up to 20% Fire or Shadow damage. Its burst tools shine on short fights and adds.
Medium confidenceSim 990 · 78% of the top valuePublic lists: C for the spec
Feral holds A: fifth of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 990, 25 DPS more than on November 4, with new gear in the sim and the same talents. The launch made Shred, Claw, Ravage, Rip, Rake and Ferocious Bite about 25–30% stronger, and Shifting Power, which turns Mana into Energy, is now the 31 point cat talent. Every Druid brings Innervate and a battle resurrection. A strong raid spot that can also step in as a second tank.
Low confidenceSim 789 · 62% of the top valuePublic lists: C for the spec
Balance stays at B: 19th of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 789, 12 DPS over the B line, 15% below the middle of the field. Starfire is about 40% stronger since the launch, and Moonkin Form gives your whole raid 3% crit on attacks and spells, though it does not stack with Leader of the Pack. Every Druid brings Innervate and a battle resurrection.
Re-ranked on the raid sim of November 6, which re-ran 15 of our 20 specs on new gear: Beast Mastery rises from B to A, Enhancement falls from S to A and Subtlety from A to B. Survival still leads, Retribution is second.
Most re-run specs gained a few DPS, so the middle of the field rose from 899 to 914.5. Enhancement gained 7 and still slips 6 DPS under the S line. Beast Mastery gained 74 with the same talents, almost all from its pet's melee in a newer sim run, so we treat that jump as a change in the model until a second sim backs it.
Survival, Retribution, Marksmanship, Arcane and Frost keep their records of November 4 on the older gear. Fire clears the middle by half a DPS and Assassination misses it by half a DPS, so the next sim can move either of them. It is still a model of one fixed build on a boss that stands still, not a log from a live raid.
Re-ranked on the raid sim of November 4, the first board that plays the new Rogue, Warrior and Enhancement trees: Enhancement rises from A to S, Subtlety from B to A and Elemental from C to B. Fury falls from S to A, Arms and Beast Mastery from A to B.
The six specs we held as provisional on November 3 are ranked like every other spec now. Every record of this board was made before the servers opened, so it is still a model of one fixed build on a boss that stands still, not a log from a live raid.
Subtlety clears the middle of the field by one DPS, Assassination misses it by one and Beast Mastery by seven, so the next sim can move any of them either way.
Re-ranked on the raid sim of November 3, the first full board after the launch class changes: Retribution rises from A to S, Demonology falls from S to A, Affliction and Shadow from A to B and Frost from B to C. The sim column now shows that snapshot without trinkets.
The sim does not play the Rogue rework and the new Warrior and Enhancement trees yet, so those six specs are provisional. Fury stays in S and Arms in A although the sim puts them lower, because the Warrior talents it misses add damage. Enhancement stays in A although it sits just over the S line, one sim on an unfinished tree is not enough for S.
No big tuning is planned before the raids open on December 9, only fixes for bugs and serious outliers, and a larger pass once enough players are past level 30. That is a plan, not a promise, and no raid has been tested yet.
The launch changes of November 2 raise damage across the classes, Hunters, Feral Druids and Enhancement Shamans most, and remove Lava Burst. On November 3 the raid sim was re-running its specs on these numbers one at a time, so the sim column stays at October 23 and no raid tier moves until it has a full board on the new numbers.
Reasons fixed: Champion of the Light has 5 ranks up to 60% of your Intellect, Ice Barrier adds 15% Frost damage and 5% more while it holds, and Elemental and Feral name the changes the sim column does not play yet.
Re-ranked on the raid sim of October 23, the first one with the class changes of October 16: Demonology rises from A to S, Fire, Arcane and Affliction from B to A, Destruction and Balance from C to B, and Combat drops from A to B. The sim column now shows that snapshot without trinkets.
Every move follows the spec's place among our 20 specs. The sim lowered its own S line to 15% above its median that day (was 20%), which moves nothing here. Marksmanship and Beast Mastery stay in A because their numbers need melee weaving, Enhancement stays in A for totems that lift the whole raid.
No level 60 raid has been tested, the sim is a model, and its Warlock and Shaman settings changed again on October 24, after this snapshot. Gear and fights from the beta's farewell event of October 22 and 23 count for nothing here: Blizzard said its items will not be part of the launch.
Champion of the Light gives 20/40/60% of your Intellect again, Ice Barrier adds Frost damage, and Winter's Chill only boosts Cone of Cold now. Retribution and Frost keep their tiers with new reasons.
Battle Shout, Trueshot Aura, Moonkin Aura, Leader of the Pack and the Shaman's Strength of Earth, Grace of Air, Windfury and Flametongue Totem reach the whole raid since October 16. The raid sim of October 6 does not count this yet, so no tier moves.
The Rage fixes of October 8 came after the raid sim of October 6, so the sim values do not count them yet. No tier moves.
Re-ranked on the raid sim of October 6, which now counts the beta Wrack update: Arms drops from S to A, Feral rises from B to A, Retribution climbs to third place.
Beta builds 1.60.1.70205 and 1.60.1.70235 changed no talents or spells, so nothing else moves.
Re-ranked on the raid sim of October 3, shown as its own column next to our tier.
Up: Arms to S, Demonology and Shadow to A, Arcane, Affliction and Fire to B. Down: Beast Mastery to A, Destruction to C.
New: Survival Hunter at S and Combat Rogue at A.
The old reason for Fire about Ignite had no official source and is gone.
Ranked Nov 6, 2026, checked on Nov 6, 2026 against client build 1.60.1.70790.
Where our data comes from
Confirmed
Blizzard: 8 beta builds and 11 official posts since Sep 17, 2026, with development notes and class deep dives.
Beta data
Game client: the talents and abilities of every spec from the tables of client build 1.60.1.70790.
Raid sim
MythicSim (as of Nov 6, 2026), the only public sim, for damage on a raid boss at level 60: its own labelled column next to our tier, not the verdict.
Public lists
5 public tier lists from Sep 22, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026, checked against the facts: where they match the facts, confidence goes up. Where they disagree or nothing is tested, we say so.
Editorial
The tier is our call, made from these sources.
What the tiers mean
SA group asks for it first. Top output and something nobody else brings.
AStrong in any group, an easy invite.
BSolid, does the job when played well.
CWorks, but trails the others clearly.
DNot recommended for this content right now.
How sure we are
High confidenceThe facts and the public lists agree, and it was seen in the beta at the current level cap.
Medium confidenceThe facts and most public lists agree, but it is not tested where it counts yet.
Low confidenceThe lists disagree or barely rank it. Our verdict rests on the kit alone.
Maintained by the MMonster guides team
FAQ
What is the best class and spec for raids in WoW Forever?
Survival Hunter and Retribution Paladin. Survival stays in S: first of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 1264 from a record of November 4 that the sim did not re-run, still far ahead of everyone else. That number weaves Auto Shots between melee hits, and pure melee did 921 on November 3, just above the middle of the field. Low confidence, because one sim backs it and no level 60 raid has been tested. A strong spec only counts once your raid is full. If your guild is still short when the first raids open on December 9, you can also join WoW Forever raid runs with experienced players.
Which spec deals the least raid damage?
Frost Mage. Shatter needs frozen targets. Last in the raid sim.
How final is this raid DPS ranking?
Not final. The sim column is a model, one fixed build per spec on a boss that stands still, and no raid opens before December 9. No big tuning is planned before the raids open, only fixes for bugs and serious outliers, then a larger pass once enough players are past level 30. That is a plan, not a promise, so we check every patch.
What is the best Warrior spec for raids?
Fury, tier A. Fury holds A: seventh of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 965, 7 DPS more than on November 4. Arms sits in B.
What is the best Paladin spec for raids?
Retribution, tier S. Retribution stays in S: second of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 1061 from a record of November 4 that the sim did not re-run.
What is the best Hunter spec for raids?
Survival, tier S. Survival stays in S: first of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 1264 from a record of November 4 that the sim did not re-run, still far ahead of everyone else. Marksmanship sits in A.
What is the best Rogue spec for raids?
Assassination, tier B. Assassination stays at B: 11th of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 914, 16 DPS more than on November 4 but still half a DPS below the middle of the field. Subtlety sits in B.
What is the best Priest spec for raids?
Shadow, tier B. Shadow stays at B: 17th of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 823, 11 DPS more than on November 4 and still below the middle of the field.
What is the best Shaman spec for raids?
Enhancement, tier A. Enhancement falls from S to A: third of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 1046, 7 DPS more than on November 4. Elemental sits in B.
What is the best Mage spec for raids?
Arcane, tier A. Arcane holds A: ninth of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 926 from a record of November 4 that the sim did not re-run, now 12 DPS above the middle of the field. Fire sits in A.
What is the best Warlock spec for raids?
Demonology, tier A. Demonology holds A: eighth of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 943, above the middle of the field but well under the S line 15% above it. Affliction sits in B.
What is the best Druid spec for raids?
Feral Combat, tier A. Feral holds A: fifth of our 20 damage specs in the raid sim of November 6 with 990, 25 DPS more than on November 4, with new gear in the sim and the same talents. Balance sits in B.
What changed in this tier list lately?
November 6: Re-ranked on the raid sim of November 6, which re-ran 15 of our 20 specs on new gear: Beast Mastery rises from B to A, Enhancement falls from S to A and Subtlety from A to B. Survival still leads, Retribution is second. Most re-run specs gained a few DPS, so the middle of the field rose from 899 to 914.5. Enhancement gained 7 and still slips 6 DPS under the S line. Beast Mastery gained 74 with the same talents, almost all from its pet's melee in a newer sim run, so we treat that jump as a change in the model until a second sim backs it.
How often is this tier list updated?
With every patch. This version is for client build 1.60.1.70790. We rank everything again for level 60 as level 60 results come in.
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