WoW: The 3 best classes for beginners and returnees

 Getting started in World of Warcraft can be difficult. We will tell you which class is perfect for taking your first steps in Azeroth.

With its 13 classes and 49 specializations, World of Warcraft offers a pretty wide range of options for how to immerse yourself in Azeroth. But which class should you choose as a newbie?

We'll introduce you to three classes that are perfect for newcomers to World of Warcraft so that you can get started easily in 2023.

Update: The article is originally from 2021. We updated it for Dragonflight in November 2023.

Paladin – The all-round talent

Who is the Paladin suitable for? The Paladin is suitable for undecided people who don't yet know whether they want to heal, tank, or deal damage in the endgame - because the Paladin can do all of them. With his plate armor and numerous defensive abilities, he is a tenacious fighter who can also dish out some really nasty punches in close combat.

Retribution Paladins wield powerful two-handed weapons.

What can paladins do? Paladins in World of Warcraft basically have three different alignments that they can specialize in. The Paladin can take on all three roles necessary for a successful party. One of his most well-known abilities is the God Shield, which can make him immune to all damage for a few seconds.

• Protection (Tank): The Protection Paladin arms himself with a shield and a melee weapon to attract the threat of enemies so that the rest of the party can deal damage without problems.
• Retribution (Damage): The Retribution Paladin uses powerful melee attacks that grant Holy Power. Once he has accumulated enough of them, he can use them for powerful special attacks that do a lot of damage. In addition, unlike many other melee fighters, the Retaliator also has very strong survival skills.
• Holy (Healing): The Holy Paladin must use his mana wisely to keep his allies alive. In contrast to other healers, the paladin is mostly found in close combat and combines attacks with healing on his party members.

Pros

• Extremely resistant
• strong self-healing
• Can fill any role

Cons

• No ranged options
• Limited popular selection

Which races can become a paladin? Only a few races can become a paladin in World of Warcraft. There are significantly more in the Alliance than in the Horde.

• Alliance: Human, Dwarf, Lightforged Draenei, Dark Iron Dwarf, Draenei
• Horde: Tauren, Zandalari Trolls, Blood Elves

You should play Paladin if: You want to play a versatile class that can fulfill basically any role. Paladins are popular with other players because of their versatility, as they can fill any spot in a group and also have really strong defensive skills for all allies.

Recommended specialization: When leveling up, it is worth playing in the “Retaliation” specialization, as this means you can overcome most challenges alone and cause high damage. For dungeons, you can of course switch to Holy or Protection if you want to fill other roles in the group.

Hunter – Flexible killing machine

Who is the hunter suitable for? Hunters are the ultimate solo class in World of Warcraft. With a wild animal as a companion, hunters can tackle almost any quest single-handedly and are also welcome in groups thanks to various traps, high damage, and various buffs. There is also an additional collecting aspect - because there are many rare and great animals in WoW that can be tamed by the hunter.

Hunters fight from a distance – and can use wild animals.

What can hunters do? Hunters are pure damage classes in all their specializations and therefore ensure that enemies die quickly in a group. At the same time, they can rely on an animal companion who acts as a tank in solo play and thus attracts a threat from enemies.

• Beast Mastery (Damage): As the name suggests, Beast Mastery hunters specialize in their companions. This hunter's animals are particularly powerful and deal a large amount of damage. Many abilities strengthen the companions or even summon additional wild animals, which then attack the opponents as a whole herd.
• Marksmanship (damage): Marksmanship hunters are the snipers among hunters and can do without a companion. They deal massive damage from long-range, using a variety of different shots and abilities. Regardless of whether it's individual target damage or group damage, the marksmanship hunter has a wide range of skills.
• Survival (Damage): The Survival Hunter was only majorly redesigned a few years ago and has a special feature: it is a melee specialization. Instead of attacking from a distance with a bow or shotgun, the hunter and his wild animal get up close and personal with the enemy in order to give them a good beating at close range.

Pros

• Extremely good solo options
• Three varied specializations
• Collectible wild animals as companions

Cons

• Only DPS specializations
• Hunters still have a negative reputation among many as “bad players”

Which people can become hunters? When it comes to hunters, you have a huge selection of possible races. Because all playable species on Azeroth can become hunters.

• Alliance: Human, Void Elf, Dwarf, Lightforged Draenei, Night Elves, Dark Iron Dwarves, Gnomes, Kul Tirans, Draenei, Mecha-Gnomes, Worgen, Pandaren
• Horde: Orc, Nightborne, Undead, Highmountain Tauren, Tauren, Mag'har Orc, Troll, Zandalari Troll, Blood Elves, Vulpera, Goblins, Pandaren

You should play Hunter if: You want a class that can handle pretty much any challenge single-handedly. Animal collectors also get their money's worth here. But be careful: Hunters have had a negative reputation for 18 years that many of them are bad players - but maybe you can convince everyone otherwise?

Recommended specialization: The “Beast Mastery” specialization is worth it for leveling up. Not only do you have access to more interesting companions, but they also take on many tasks in battle, such as refueling. Ultimately, all 3 specializations are suitable for leveling.

Demon Hunter – Simple but cool class

Who is the Demon Hunter suitable for? The Demon Hunter, especially in its DPS variant, is particularly suitable for players who are quickly overwhelmed by too many skills or who quickly feel unpleasant pressure to perform in groups.

While most players can tell a bad Demon Hunter from a good one, Demon Hunter has a fairly flat learning curve and produces solid results even when played sub-optimally.

With Dragonflight and the new talent system, this has changed a bit and the number of skills has increased, but there are still fewer than with other classes.

Demon hunters have the option of briefly taking on a demon form, which allows them to be even more effective. They can also double jump and even glide, allowing them to easily throw themselves off cliffs without being harmed.

But be careful: In order to create a demon hunter, you must first level any other character to level 10, only then will the demon hunter be unlocked. Activation shouldn't take longer than an hour, even for newbies.

Demon hunters can become demons themselves during “metamorphosis”.

What can demon hunters do? Demon Hunters, along with the Caller from Dragonflight, are the only classes in World of Warcraft that only have two specializations. This means that they have less choice than all other classes in WoW, but at the same time, they are focused on fewer skills and are therefore more “clear” than other classes.

• Vengeful (Tank): Vengeful Demon Hunters first jump into the group of enemies to bind them to themselves with glowing seals. They use the powers of their inner demon to toughen themselves with armored spikes or to use a firebrand aura to further damage their enemies. The tank demon hunters are extremely mobile and can benefit from this in many places. You also have solid self-healing and can “take care of yourself” for a while.
• Devastation (Damage): Devastation Demon Hunters are best known for their devastating Eyesteel, which can destroy entire groups of enemies in a matter of seconds. But apart from that, they also rely on quick attacks, which in many cases damage large groups of opponents at the same time. Their high mobility makes it easy to disappear from dangerous areas and avoid death traps.

Pro

• Easy for beginners
• Cool gimmicks like gliding and double jump
• Very cool optics

Cons

• Only 2 specializations
• Only 1 people per faction to choose from

Which races can become demon hunters? Due to their story origins, Demon Hunters are extremely limited when it comes to selecting a race.

• Alliance: Night Elves
• Horde: Blood Elves

You should play Demon Hunter if: You want to play a class that is very easy to learn and just plain fun. Demon hunters are very mobile, rushing from enemy to enemy, and only need to concentrate on a few skills. They also survive any fall because they can glide - extremely useful in many situations.

Recommended Specialization: While leveling, you should use the “Devastation” specialization as it deals very high damage and allows you to plow through enemies. If you prefer to level up through dungeons, you can also try your luck as a tank (Vengeance). However, this means you are a little slower in the open world.

Play what you like: Ultimately, of course, these are just recommendations. Many classes in World of Warcraft play extremely differently from specialization to specialization, so you should try something out at the beginning.

Please note, however, that most classes are only “complete” later in the game. Skills are added as you level up. A class that seems boring at level 8 can be extremely challenging and a lot of fun at level 70.

Which class would you recommend to newcomers and why?