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DPS Tier List in The War Within: Season 2

Season 2 of World of Warcraft: The War Within (Patch 11.1) has dropped and brought with it class balance changes, a new raid tier and a new Mythic+ rotation. DPS classes have seen some big buffs and nerfs that affect their performance in Mythic+ and the new Liberation of Undermine(d) raid. In this updated guide we’ll break down the current DPS tier rankings (S, A, B, C) for 11.1, go over each spec’s strengths and weaknesses in the current meta and what the best DPS choices are for Mythic+ and raid.

The War Within 11.1 (Season 2) update has significantly changed the DPS meta with buffs, nerfs, tier set bonuses and the mechanics of the new Liberation of Undermine(d) raid and Mythic+ dungeon pool. Staying up to date with the latest rankings is key to optimizing your performance in high end content.

The Importance of DPS in World of Warcraft

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DPS players in World of Warcraft are responsible for outputting as much damage as possible. In The War Within, new raid mechanics and Mythic+ dungeon routes put a premium on burst and sustained DPS to clear trash fast and meet boss DPS checks. Since balance changes happen throughout any WoW expansion, it’s important to stay up to date with who tops the charts.

Knowing which specs are on top and why gives you insight into group composition—especially in Mythic+ where certain DPS specs bring key utility like crowd control, interrupts or powerful buffs. In raids single target output can make or break a boss fight with tight enrage timers. Choosing the right DPS can smooth out your progression and make end game content more manageable

S-Tier: The Best DPS in The War Within

The S-Tier is for the top performing DPS classes in 11.1. These specs deal excellent damage, bring useful utility or both making them highly sought after for high end raiding and Mythic+ pushes.

Class	Spec	Strengths
Mage	Fire	Incredible burst with Combustion, great mobility and utility, top-tier AoE in Mythic+
Warrior	Arms / Fury	Massive single-target and cleave, strong raid buffs (Battle Shout), best execute phase
Death Knight	Frost	Powerful 2-5 target cleave, excellent burst, very durable (Anti-Magic Zone)
Death Knight	Unholy	Huge AoE burst, improved off-cooldown damage, strong raid utility (grips, AMZ)
Druid	Balance	Superior AoE, decent single-target, loads of utility (Typhoon, CR, Mark of the Wild)
Shaman	Elemental	Devastating sustained and burst AoE (Chain Lightning, Earthquake), Bloodlust, off-heals

Why They’re S-Tier

Fire Mage is super popular thanks to tier set buffs that shortened Combustion’s cooldown. In Mythic+ its AoE burst is hard to beat and it brings Dragon’s Breath, Spellsteal, Time Warp
Arms and Fury Warriors both got a big buff and are now monsterous single-target and cleave. They’re top picks for raid progression especially with execute phase damage and group buff.
Frost and Unholy DKs excel in different areas: Frost is 2-target cleave and massive AoE spikes, Unholy is AoE into single-target. Both bring Death Grip, Anti-Magic Zone and strong survivability.
Balance Druid is AoE heaven, has solid single-target after recent buffs and lots of utility (combat rez, Typhoon, etc.).
Elemental Shaman is the gold standard for AoE in Mythic+, Stormkeeper and Earthquake melt big pulls. Bloodlust, off-healing and group utility make it an A-tier pick for dungeons.

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These A-Tier DPS specs are strong with a bit less utility. They’re good options for high end raiding and Mythic+ key pushing.

A-Tier: Strong DPS Options with Slightly Less Utility

A-tier specs are very competitive, strong damage or utility but missing one small thing that keeps them from being S-tier. In good hands they can outperform S-tier specs on lower skilled players.

Class	Spec	Strengths
Shaman	Enhancement	Powerful burst & funnel damage, Bloodlust, great utility & off-heals
Priest	Shadow	Strong multi-DoT in raids, great single-target, Power Infusion utility
Demon Hunter	Havoc	Excellent mobility, Chaos Brand buff, strong burst & cleave
Hunter	Beast Mastery	Full mobility while DPSing, reliable sustained damage, Lust if needed
Rogue	Subtlety	Massive burst windows (Shadow Dance), superb group utility (CC, Shroud)
Druid	Feral	Lethal bleed-based burst, great in shorter fights, strong off-utility
Warlock	Demonology / Destro	Consistent single-target (Demo), powerful 2-target cleave (Destro), Warlock cookies & gateway

Why They’re A-Tier

Enhancement is funnel damage master—turning AoE into huge single-target spikes—and totems like Windfury, Bloodlust and strong defensive utility.
Shadow Priest is a multi-target beast, scales well in raids with multiple bosses or add phases. It brings Power Infusion which boosts your top DPS’s output.
Havoc Demon Hunter has AoE, top-notch mobility, group wide magic damage buff, and Darkness for emergencies.
Beast Mastery Hunter has movement DPS and a simple rotation which is perfect for mechanic-heavy fights.
Subtlety Rogue can wipe out packs with short lethal burst windows and top tier crowd control and Shroud of Concealment.
Feral Druid is lethal in short burst scenarios but can struggle in longer fights if energy starved. It brings Mark of the Wild, off-heals and strong survivability.
Demonology / Destruction Warlock both have unique profiles that excel on single-target or cleave. Warlock utility (healthstones, gateway, soulstone) is always useful in raids and dungeons.

A-Tier specs are very competitive and viable but lack extreme burst, sustained output or utility of S-Tier. In good hands they can perform well in most cases.

B-Tier: Reliable but Situational DPS

B-tier specs can perform well but depend on specific fight mechanics, group comps or gear thresholds to shine. They deliver decent damage but are outshined by specs with more burst, better sustain or more utility.

Class	Spec	Strengths
Hunter	Marksmanship	Long-range damage, decent AoE, good utility
Paladin	Retribution	Solid burst, strong group utility, off-heals
Mage	Frost	Great cleave & control, strong defensives
Warlock	Affliction	DoT-based multi-target, strong execute phases
Rogue	Outlaw	Sustained cleave, good defensive CDs, utility
Druid	Balance (specific fights)	Excellent AoE but can be mid ST in certain raid encounters

Why They’re B-Tier

Marksmanship Hunter got reworked and overall is better but struggles in heavy movement fights and very large AoE pulls.
Retribution Paladin brings high AoE burst, single-target CDs and group saving abilities (Blessing of Protection, Lay on Hands) but its sustained DPS is lower than top tier specs.
Frost Mage improved in 11.1 with better AoE/cleave but isn’t as strong single-target. Its CC and immunity tools are still useful in some fights.
Affliction Warlock thrives in multi-DoT or long living add scenario; otherwise its ramp up feels clunky.
Outlaw Rogue is great for 2-5 target cleave with Blade Flurry but lacks raw burst that Subtlety brings and is target capped, limiting it on large pulls.
Balance Druid is often considered top tier in AoE (especially Mythic+) but drops to B-tier in single-target if the fight doesn’t favor multi-dot or frequent adds.

These specs can still perform well but may need specific fight mechanics, compositions or skill investment to shine. They are not meta-defining.

C-Tier: Weak but Playable

C-tier DPS specs are way behind the curve and rely on niches or exceptional player skill to be competitive. While playable, they may need more effort or rely on specific comp synergies.

Class	Spec	Strengths
Evoker	Augmentation	Some group buffs, unique utility
Hunter	Survival	Melee/ranged flexibility, decent ST
Rogue	Assassination	Powerful AoE potential, strong DoTs

Why They’re C-Tier

- Augmentation Evoker was heavily nerfed in 11.1, reducing overall group damage gain from it. Now it struggles to justify a spot over pure DPS specs, though it still has some buffs and support.
- Survival Hunter has interesting utility and decent single-target but competes with Beast Mastery and Marksmanship for a raid or dungeon spot, both of which generally outperform Survival in the current meta.
- Assassination Rogue is great in theory for multi-DoT AoE but struggles with ramp time and lacks the immediate burst that’s needed in many endgame scenarios. Its single-target is also under-tuned compared to other specs so overall performance suffers.
- C-Tier specs are behind the meta and require more effort to compete with higher ranked DPS classes. They are playable but not optimal for high end content.

Ranged DPS Tier List

In The War Within Season 2 ranged DPS has big advantages on some raid fights and Mythic+ pulls. Ranged are good at spreading multi-target and fight mechanics that requires movement. Here’s a summarized Tier List for ranged specs:

S-Tier Ranged DPS

- - Fire Mage: Top tier burst and mobility, good in raids and Mythic+.
  - Elemental Shaman: Unbeatable AoE, solid ST, Lust and off-heals.
  - Balance Druid (in AoE content): Fearsome multi-target; utility.

A-Tier Ranged DPS

- - Shadow Priest: Multi-DoT powerhouse, strong ST, raid utility.
  - Beast Mastery Hunter: Can DPS while moving 100% of the time, consistent damage.
  - Warlocks (Demonology/Destruction): Each spec has its own strengths (ST vs. cleave) plus Warlock utility.

B-Tier Ranged DPS

- - Marksmanship Hunter: Decent AoE, no top burst, struggles with movement.
  - Frost Mage: Good control, improved cleave, mid-tier ST.
  - Affliction Warlock: Needs longer fights or multi-DoT to shine.

C-Tier Ranged DPS

- - Augmentation Evoker: Post-nerf, no longer a top support spec.
  - Survival Hunter is generally considered melee but can do partial ranged in niche situations.

Ranged DPS do well in fights that require spread multi-target damage, movement or specific utility. Fire Mage, Elemental Shaman and Balance Druid are on top, Augmentation Evoker has fallen off.

Melee DPS Tier List

Melee DPS in The War Within has additional positioning challenges but can deliver big bursts and cleaves if played well. Here’s how melee specs rank:

S-Tier Melee DPS

- - Arms/Fury Warrior: Strong ST and cleave, great raid buffs.
  - Frost/Unholy Death Knight: Excellent AoE, cleave, group utility; very tanky.

A-Tier Melee DPS

- - Enhancement Shaman: Burst AoE, funnel damage, Lust, strong utility.
  - Havoc Demon Hunter: Good mobility, strong ST and cleave, Chaos Brand.
  - Subtlety Rogue: Big burst windows, unparalleled CC/utility.
  - Feral Druid: Good burst, strong off-utility, energy starving.

B-Tier Melee DPS

- - Retribution Paladin: High AoE burst, group support, mid ST DPS.
  - Outlaw Rogue: Cleave and durability, less burst than Subtlety.

C-Tier Melee DPS

- - Survival Hunter: No strong niche; overshadowed by other Hunter specs.
  - Assassination Rogue: Weak ST for raids, ramp-up AoE not always practical.

Melee DPS excel in burst cleave, target switching and mobility heavy fights. Arms Warrior, Frost DK and Enhancement Shaman are top picks, Survival Hunter and Assassination Rogue struggle in the current meta.

Best DPS Classes in Single Target and AoE

DPS classes have different damage profiles. Some are single-target perfect for boss fights or priority targets while others are area-of-effect for Mythic+ or raid add phases.

Best Single-Target DPS Specs

- - Arms Warrior: Explosive ST and top execute phase.
  - Fire Mage: Huge burst with Combustion; can shred high-priority targets.
  - Shadow Priest: Sustained ST with ramped DoTs plus Voidform.
  - Beast Mastery Hunter: High uptime thanks to constant movement.

Best AoE DPS Specs

- - Elemental Shaman: Chain Lightning, Earthquake and Stormkeeper can demolish large packs.
  - Enhancement Shaman: Funnel damage to priority targets while nuking everything else.
  - Unholy Death Knight: Death and Decay–powered wounds detonation for huge AoE.
  - Balance Druid: Constant Starfall with multi-dot potential melts groups.

Some DPS specs are specialized for either single-target boss fights or AoE-heavy encounters. Fire Mage, Frost DK and Arms Warrior are pure single-target, while Elemental Shaman, Unholy DK and Balance Druid are top AoE.

Patch Changes and Their Impact on the DPS Meta

Patch 11.1 brought buffs and nerfs that changed the Season 2 DPS meta:

- - Fire Mage Buffs: Combustion cooldown reduced via tier set, overall damage increased.
  - Warrior Buffs: Both Arms and Fury got ST and cleave buffs, boosted to top tier.
  - Death Knight Changes: Both Frost and Unholy got damage profile fixes, excel in burst and sustain.
  - Shaman Changes: Elemental’s AoE remains strong, Enhancement’s funnel capacity toned down slightly but still powerful.
  - Evoker Nerfs: Augmentation lost much of its group-buffing edge, went from must-have to niche pick.
  - Mage & Warlock Changes: Frost Mage’s AoE got better, Fire shot up with Combustion synergy, Warlocks got stronger tier set bonuses for Demo and Destro.

Keep up to date with these patch notes. Even the smallest change can change the tier list, so follow official patch notes or community discussions to stay ahead. Patch 11.1 brought big balance changes, Fire Mage, Arms Warrior and Frost DK rose in the rankings, Augmentation Evoker and Assassination Rogue dropped. Keeping up with patches is key to being competitive.

Choosing the Right DPS Class in The War Within

At the end of the day the best DPS class is the one that fits your playstyle and you can play with confidence. While S-tier are strong, every spec can clear current content with good play and good gear. Consider the following when choosing a DPS spec:

- - Playstyle: Do you like burst or sustained? Melee or ranged? Pet-based or caster?
  - Group Utility: Some classes bring Bloodlust, combat rez or unique buffs.
  - Content Focus: Raids might favor single-target, Mythic+ demands AoE and control.
  - Skill Cap: High-end specs often require more complex rotations. If you prefer simple, a lower A-tier or B-tier spec might be more comfortable.

No matter your choice, practice, gearing and group coordination are the key to success in World of Warcraft: The War Within. Keep an eye on balance changes, try out different specs and enjoy Season 2’s toughest challenges!