WoW Forever: The Best Race for Every Class, and Why

Racials matter more in WoW Forever than they did in Classic. Every race now has four of them, two active and two passive, and many are new: the Gnome's Eureka!, the Human's Will to Survive and the Tauren's Plainsrunning all change how those races play. On top of that, six race and class combos are new, and the new Skyborne race can join either faction.

Here's the best race for every class on both factions, with the reasoning behind each pick. Our picks focus on leveling, where most of your time goes in the first weeks. Where a different race is better for dungeons, raids or PvP, we say so.

Quick picks

Warrior: Night Elf or Orc

Orc has the strongest all-round warrior kit. Blood Fury adds 10% Attack Power for 15 seconds every two minutes, Axe Specialization gives 1% crit with axes, and Hardiness cuts stun durations by 20%, which you'll notice in PvP.

On the Alliance side, Night Elf wins for leveling. Elune's Light is a 10% crit burst for 15 seconds, and Quickness adds 2% movement speed and 1% dodge. Human is the alternative if you use swords: Sword Specialization is a flat 2% crit, the largest weapon racial in the game.

If you plan to tank, look at Tauren (5% more health, 1% hit and War Stomp) or Dwarf (Stoneform reduces physical damage by 10% and clears bleeds and poisons).

Paladin: Human or Undead

Human suits Retribution: 5% more Spirit means faster mana regeneration between pulls, and Sword Specialization adds crit with two-handed swords.

Undead Paladin is one of the new combos, and it's a good one. Cannibalize restores 7% of your health and mana every 2 seconds for 10 seconds, and Touch of the Grave drains health on hits. Both cut downtime, which is a paladin's biggest weakness while leveling.

Hunter: Dwarf or Troll

Most leveling mobs are beasts, so the beast-damage racials win here. Dwarf gets Big Game Hunter (5% more damage to beasts) and Stoneform for emergencies. Troll gets Beast Slaying (the same 5%), plus Berserking and in-combat health regeneration.

Human Hunter is new in Forever. Sword Specialization works with all attacks while a sword is equipped, so a hunter carrying one gets 2% crit on shots too. For leveling, though, the beast bonus of Dwarf and Troll comes up more often.

Rogue: Human or Troll

Combat rogues level with swords, which makes Human the natural Alliance pick: 2% crit from Sword Specialization, plus Spirit for faster regeneration.

For Horde, Troll has the edge. In-combat regeneration and Rapid Regeneration (50% of your health over 6 seconds) mean less eating between pulls. Undead is the PvP pick thanks to Will of the Forsaken, which breaks charm, fear and sleep.

Priest: Gnome or Troll

Gnome Priest is new, and it's the strongest Alliance option. Expansive Mind adds 5% maximum mana, and Eureka! makes your next three damage or healing spells cost 10% less and hit 10% harder. That works for both Shadow and Holy.

Troll is the Horde pick: Berserking speeds up casts by 10%, and in-combat regeneration helps you survive. Undead is close behind for its sustain and Will of the Forsaken.

Shaman: Dwarf or Orc

Dwarf Shaman is new, and it's the only Alliance option. Luckily, it fits well: Stoneform helps a melee class, and Mace Specialization gives 1% crit with maces.

On Horde, Orc gives Enhancement the most damage with Blood Fury and Axe Specialization. Tauren is the safer choice if you want War Stomp and extra health.

Mage: Gnome or Troll

Gnome is the classic Alliance mage, and Forever makes it better. Expansive Mind means more casts per drink, and Eureka! adds burst.

For Horde, Troll edges out the rest with Beast Slaying, Berserking and in-combat regeneration. Orc Mage is new: Blood Fury now boosts Spell Power too, and Shatter Curse reduces magic damage taken by 15% for 8 seconds, so it's worth a look for PvP. Undead remains the safe PvP choice.

Warlock: Human or Undead

Warlocks turn health into mana with Life Tap, so Human Spirit helps more than it looks. Sword crit adds a bit of damage too.

Undead is the Horde pick: Cannibalize and Touch of the Grave both add sustain, and Will of the Forsaken breaks fears in PvP. Troll Warlock is new, and Berserking makes it a solid damage alternative.

Druid: Night Elf or Tauren

Druids have only two classic options. Night Elf suits Feral: Elune's Light adds crit, Quickness adds speed, and Night Elf druids are harder to detect in stealth.

Tauren brings War Stomp, 5% more health and 1% hit, and Plainsrunning builds up to 30% movement speed while you keep moving. Both are good picks, so choose by faction.

The six new combos

Forever opens six race and class combos that weren't possible in Classic:

• Orc Mage: Blood Fury now boosts Spell Power, and Shatter Curse reduces magic damage taken.
• Undead Paladin: Cannibalize and Touch of the Grave solve paladin downtime.
• Troll Warlock: Berserking and in-combat regeneration.
• Human Hunter: carry a sword and Sword Specialization adds 2% crit to your shots.
• Dwarf Shaman: the Alliance gets shamans at launch for the first time.
• Gnome Priest: arguably the best of the six, thanks to Eureka!.

Where does Skyborne fit?

Skyborne is the new race and can join either faction, but it needs a paid pack. Both versions share Walk on Air (a 10-second glide), Elemental Insight (5% more damage to elementals) and Wind Blessed, a flat 1% haste for every class. That makes it a solid pick for any class that can play it.

• Windshaper (Horde): warrior, hunter, rogue, shaman, druid. Skysight adds 10% movement speed, for up to 15 minutes near an elemental convergence.
• High Order (Alliance): warrior, hunter, rogue, mage, druid. Read Ley Line doubles health and mana regeneration, for up to 15 minutes near a ley line.

Skyborne isn't the best race for any class on raw numbers, but 1% haste with good travel tools is a fine trade. More in our Skyborne guide.

Every racial is listed on our WoW Forever races page. If you haven't picked a class yet, start with the best class guide or the leveling tier list.