The War Within DPS Rankings: Liberation of Undermine(d) (Patch 11.1 / Season 2)

Arms Warrior received healthy buffs leading to the next raiding tier in Season 2. Their damage profile is their strongest asset as they currently have great single-target, 2-target, and on-demand burst damage if an opportunity arrives. They also have one of the best Execute damage in the game, making them an amazing candidate to progress dangerous bosses that require more output in later phases. Overall, just like its sibling spec, we believe Arms will be one of the best melee options in Liberation of Undermine(d).

Fury Warrior received some changes leading up to the patch and Liberation of Undermine(d) new tier, which will increase their damage performance and durability. They will retain their burst-orientated gameplay, which holds immense value for any fights looking to add extra cleave on top of the already heavy single-target checks. They are quite durable and a bearer of Battle Shout, which is a valuable raid buff. We believe that Fury Warrior will be one of the best melees going into Season 2, with a strong 5-target cleave in case add damage is present in the fight.

Enhancement Shaman's performance will continue to be amazing in the upcoming Liberation of Undermine(d) tier. Yes, even after the multiple nerfs that the spec endured, they are still considered as one of the best melee specs, so far. From a competitive single-target (one of the best) to good cleave options when factors extra mobs surround the main target, you really can't go wrong with this spec.

Shadow Priest received their fair share of changes leading up to the new Liberation of Undermine(d) raid. By itself, Shadow Priest single-target damage output is great, but the ability to focus on their primary target and effortlessly cleave multiple targets, even if they are not close to each other is why we believe they are among the top-ranged DPS specs so far. The output of Shadow Priest is the driving factor of their placement on the rankings. Additionally, they can off-heal with Vampiric Embrace, which can be a lifesaver in critical situations during raids. Lastly, the defensive cooldown, Dispersion, can be used instead of an "immunity" soak when necessary.

Frost Death Knight's biggest strength comes from their ability to deal great burst single target damage while simultaneously cleaving multiple targets at once, thus excelling best in situations where more targets are present. There are a few specific fights where the Frost Death Knight shines, especially the ones where Death Grip ability can be utilized (not many of them). Overall, with great defensive capabilities, a Raid "utility" ( Anti-Magic Zone) and a great damage profile, Frost Death Knight is a good choice for any raid looking to add more melee specializations.

The main reason for bringing a Windwalker Monk is entering Season 2 in a much better state compared to how they performed throughout the last raiding tier. Their single target is now ranked among the best, which will ultimately make them a lot more attractive melee option for the raid. They will retain their strong burst (both ST and AoE) and the Mystic Touch unique Monk buff. At last, they have multiple defensive options, which has proven times again that is great against progress boss fights.

Demonology Warlock received barely any changes leading to Season 2, with the most notable one being their great tier-set. Their single-target damage will remain "mid", and it still needs more attention to align with the majority of the specs, which is also a major factor for their placement. Spread cleave is another issue of the specs as when targets are far away from you, both of your siblings' specs will have a much greater chance to be picked up instead of you.

Devastation Evoker are going to continue to have a great single-target damage, both burst-orientated and sustained throughout the new raiding season. They excel in handling movement effortlessly, which enables them to execute their rotation without any issues while on the move. However, it's important to keep in mind that they have a limited range of 25 yards, which could be a disadvantage in certain situations depending on your group's positioning. Overall, we believe they will be one of the best ranged option at the start of Season 2 for raid.

Beast Mastery Hunter stands out as it is one of the few Ranged DPS options capable of performing their entire rotation while moving and not losing DPS. This makes them invaluable for any mechanics or tasks required during a fight. In addition, their single target, especially sustained, is great, which is the driving factor for choosing its rankings. However, one of the main disadvantages of having Beast Mastery Hunter is that they suffer from a lack of spread cleaving (when mobs are far away from each other), which can diminish their performance for some of the raid bosses.

Havoc Demon Hunter possess a versatile and effective range of damage abilities that make them a valuable asset in any situation. With a single talent build, they are able to compete effectively in fights that require a mixture of combat styles. One of their greatest strengths lies in their ability to deal strong cleave damage to 2-5 targets, as well as burst area-of-effect damage. Nevertheless, Demon Hunters still have access to the powerful Darkness ability, which can serve as a valuable raid cooldown.

Unholy Death Knight did receive their fair share of changes leading to the next raiding tier. Their sustained single target is mediocre, but their true strength lies withintheir burst capabilities (AoE and ST). In addition, they are durable melee DPS option and have useful raid-wide utility tools ( Anti-Magic Zone / Death Grip). Overall we believe the spec needs further adjustments to be placed higher, as the majority of the time its sibling spec (Frost) will likely outshine them.

Fire Mage has received significant buffs that will improve their damage output leading up to the next season. The spec now has good on-demand burst damage profile, which is great for vital DPS checks and being relatively mobile compared to the rest of the Ranged DPS choices out there. They are one of the most durable raid specializations. At last, Fire Mages are known for their incredible toolkit and are traditionally useful for progression or damage in demand.

Outlaw Rogue are capable of dealing great cleave and AoE damage, while doing good single-target, thanks to Blade Flurry. Don't forget that Rogue has a solid set of defensive abilities, as well as the ability to apply Atrophic Poison debuff, which is a great raid utility for any purpose of the raid (reclear or progress).

Balance Druid received a massive amount of changes leading up to the next raiding tier. Balance Druid, you may not have the highest single-target output, but your damage toolkit is well-rounded and all-inclusive, making you a valuable asset in the game. Starfall, in particular, is a unique ability that sets you apart from other specs as it allows you to constantly cleave spread groups of enemies. This will be particularly great in the upcoming raid as there are quite a few fights that require cleave. Also, don't forget the mandatory Mark of the Wild raid-wide buff is a must in every raid, making it more appealing to pick them up. At last, their single-target has been steadily improving since the start of the PTR testing and is now in a better state.

Frost Mage enjoyed several rounds of spec changes, which will result in an improvement in their single-target damage output. Priority-target damage while doing AoE (cleaving on top of the boss, or in other words, stacked cleave) will be a massive asset for boss fights that require such. Mage durability is also one of their strongest assets, which adds value to any raid looking to bolster their rankings with an extra Ranged option.

Feral Druid possesses all the typical utility of a Druid, including the ability to provide Innervate and Mark of the Wild. In addition, their single-target appears to be in a much better shape compared to the previous season. On top of this, they have a good cleave potential while focusing on priority-target damage, which will be a key factor in the upcoming new tier. Keep in mind that due to the limited melee slots in the raid, if you already have Mark of the Wild, your value will drop so be aware.

Elemental Shaman received minor changes leading up to the new raiding tier in Season 2. Unfortunately, while they are one of the best classes in AoE (with good priority-target damage focusing on the boss while doing so), their raw single-target when fighting a single enemy is considered mid. With this in mind, there might be situations where the spec can be played, but overall we believe your performance will not be as strong as it was during Season 1.

Survival Hunter received a notable amount of changes leading into 11.1.0, which will improve their single-target damage output. The spec will now do better to sustain single target damage, but due to its lack of meaningful raid-wide buffs, will likely be pushed off the "optimal" melee setup for raids. Still, they are versatile enough to be capable of doing well in any encounter, regardless of the target count.

Affliction Warlock did receive a handful of changes leading up to Liberation of Undermine(d) new raiding tier. Although their single-target is not among the best, they will have even better on-demand damage compared to the previous season and are extremely strong in spread-cleave fights where priority-target damage is needed the most (funnel). With this in mind, we believe there are going to be specific boss fights where Affliction Warlock can shine!

Arcane Mage received their fair share of changes leading to the Liberation of Undermine(d) raiding tier. Although they will retain their burst-orientated damage profile, their overall damage is nowhere nearly as dominant as they were compared to the start of Season 1. Mages are also still quite strong defensively, and immunities like Ice Block / Ice Cold will always have value in a raid. Anytime there is a damage increase phase or a requirement for a burst-damage orientated scenario, Arcane Mage will be great.

Destruction Warlock will retain their strong 2-minute burst windows, which is great for pockets of time wherea  high amount of damage is in need. Their ability to deal an incredible two-target cleave damage thanks to Havoc will also remain valid. Warlock utility is always a must in a raid composition, hence why we firmly believe your value is far too strong to be discounted even if they are not among the best current DPS options. At last, they are considered one of the most durable ranged DPS options, which is a great asset for boss progression.

Retribution Paladin received a minor changes leading into 11.1.0. Unfortunately, their single-target performance is considered "mid", which is the main factor for their rankings. On top of this, in fights where cleaving is important, they don't have the consistent priority-target damage, nor the funnel to compete against other melee specs for a raid spot. At last, you have a great utility suitable for raiding, which can be of help to any raiding team.

Subtlety Rogue received very little changes going to the next raiding tier. Their sustained single target is considered "mid", but still has a strong upfront burst potential, which can be useful in some of the boss fights. In addition, Subtlety Rogue is known to have great funnel damage, so anytime an opportunity arises they can be useful too to any raid composition. Their durability has never been an issue, as well as their utility (just like every Rogue spec so far).

Marksmanship Hunter has gotten a "semi-rework" leading to the next raiding tier. Unfortunately, even after the rework, they have one of the lowest numbers across all DPS specs. Not only this, but their 2-target is one of the worst, as well as having no option to spread-cleave as a Ranged DPS. All of this combined is going to place them on the bottom few of our DPS Raid rankings.

Augmentation Evoker It has seen the most negative changes from any other DPS, as they have been nerfed multiple times, leading to the Liberation of Undermine(d) raiding tier. They will retain their ability to enhance the damage and defensive capabilities of your raid members, while the players behind the Prescience and Ebon Might buffs are responsible for most of their damage. Having at least one Augmentation Evoker in your raid composition can be very advantageous in some of the fights where "hyper-carry" DPS is in need.

Assassination Rogue receive little to no changes going forward to the next raiding tier. Their single target is going to have an issue, which is going to drive their rankings down. Although their AoE performance is amazing, there are little to no situations where that can turn useful. Further single-target buffs must be present before they climb the rankings.