WoW Forever Classes and Races: Every Combo, What to Pick

World of Warcraft: Forever goes live on November 4 (4:30 a.m. IST on November 5), and the first decision every player faces is race and class. Forever keeps the nine original classes, adds the new Skyborne race, and opens up several pairings Classic never allowed. This guide lists every combination as reported by fan databases tracking Blizzard's beta data, and explains how to choose.

Quick summary

• Nine classes: Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock, Druid.
• Ten race options: the eight Classic races plus Skyborne in an Alliance (High Order) and a Horde (Windshaper) version.
• New combos reported: Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Gnome Priest, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock, Undead Paladin.
• Skyborne needs the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher upgrade, per Blizzard's starter guide. A subscription alone does not unlock it.
• Check the character creation screen at launch: fan tables are built from beta data and can change.

Which classes can each race play in WoW Forever?

Source for the matrix: the Forever Guides fan site, which compiled it from beta notes up to October 28. It marks the Skyborne Priest, Paladin and Warlock exclusions as its own reading of community lists, so treat those as unconfirmed until you see the creation screen.

What is new: Undead Paladin, Gnome Priest and more

Six race-and-class pairings are reported as new to Forever: Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Gnome Priest, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock and Undead Paladin. Skyborne also adds its own set of options for every class it can play. If you wanted to be a Paladin on the Horde side, the Undead route is the one to look at.

Who are the Skyborne and what do they get?

Blizzard says Skyborne choose Horde or Alliance at character creation. Horde-aligned Skyborne follow elemental traditions and gain Shaman, while Alliance-aligned Skyborne follow their arcane legacy and gain Mage. Both start on Zephras Isle, a level 1 to 12 zone. Fan sites report that both sides can also play Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid. The Heroic Pack that unlocks the race has been listed at about $30 (US) by Kotaku and fan sites.

Which class should a beginner pick in WoW Forever?

Blizzard's own advice is simple: if your first choice does not feel right, try another class, since discovery is the point. Beyond that, a few practical pointers that follow from how the game works:

• You level to 60, and dungeon groups use a tank, a healer and damage dealers, so classes that can fill those roles are always in demand.
• Ranged and pet classes such as Hunter and Warlock let you pull one enemy at a time, which Blizzard recommends while you learn.
• Play with friends? You can only group, guild, run dungeons and raid with players on the same faction and ruleset, so agree on both first.

Fan tier lists exist, but they are built on beta builds that change, so we are not ranking classes here.

Does your race matter?

Race decides your starting zone, looks and racial abilities, while class decides how you play, per Blizzard. Because the racial pass was still being tuned during beta, pick the race you like and the class you want first, then check the combo exists.

Faction, ruleset and preset checklist

Before you create a character, Blizzard asks you to choose an experience preset (Classic or Enhanced, with Enhanced recommended if unsure) and a ruleset: Normal, PvP, Roleplay or Roleplay-PvP, with Hardcore coming later. You can also choose HD or SD character models for each character. For launch timing and install steps, read our WoW Forever launch time in India guide, and keep an eye on the launch calendar.

FAQ

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