Table of Contents
1.
Introduction
One of the recurring themes that you will come across as you work your way
into Arena games is "the meta". In short, this refers to the current ranking of
strategies according to their strength. With regards to PvP in World of
Warcraft, this mostly deals with the team compositions.
The meta can change quickly, after a new patch or hotfix or even depending
on the time of day. It is important to know the meta so you can play something
that can counter what other people are playing.
Below are all of the relevant team compositions, or comps for
short, that are both popular and strong in this expansion. Underneath each comp
there is a recommended alternative healer (if you cannot find the best healer),
followed by the strengths and weaknesses of that particular comp. Note that
within each tier, the compositions are not listed in order of power.
2.
Tier 1
Tier 1 team compositions have both strong defensive and offensive
cooldowns throughout an Arena match. These teams also have very few bad
matchups or counters.
| Composition |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
|
Alternative healer:
|
- Multiple sources of crowd control
- Strong sustained and burst damage
- Countless utility spells to help healer
|
- If the Retribution Paladin is being focused, they will be doing
a lot less damage. This is because they will have to spend Holy Power
on
 Word of Glory instead of damaging abilities.
- Can be difficult to chase mobile targets as no one on this team
has much mobility.
|
| Shadowplay:
Alternative healers:
|
- Strong single-target and spread damage
- Multiple defensive cooldowns to rotate
- Spammable crowd control (
 Fear,  Cyclone, etc.)
makes it difficult for other teams to pressure your teammates
- The longer the arena match, the more favored this comp becomes
|
- Lack of mobility
- Can struggle against teams with two melee on it if the Warlock is
being focused. Teammates will have to help peal off enemy melee to allow
the Warlock to cast.
|
| RMP:
Alternative healer:
|
- Strong burst damage
- Short offensive cooldowns
- Multiple stuns and interrupts
- Potential to swap and kill any enemy
|
- Rogues can potentially get swapped to and killed in one stun
- After using burst cooldowns, Fire Mages' damage is easy to shut down
|
| WMP:
Alternative healer:
|
- Multiple sources of crowd control
- Strong sustained damage
- Short offensive cooldowns
|
- Fire Mages can struggle to cast against teams with multiple interrupts
- Few ways to help teammates that are being focused
- The Warrior will struggle against teams with multiple roots or
slows
|
| Cupid:
Alternative healer:
|
- Several ways to crowd control enemy healer
- Strong single-target damage
- Great utility for teammates
|
- Predictable crowd control
- Very few defensive cooldowns
- Discipline Priests run out of Mana quickly against teams with two melee on it
|
| Dancing with the Stars:
Alternative healer:
|
- Multiple ways to crowd control
- Short burst cooldowns
- Strong sustained damage
|
- Rogues are fragile and can die in a single stun
- Balance Druids will not have high sustained damage if they are forced
to be in Bear Form when being focused.
|
|
Alternative healers:
|
- A lot of mobility and has the ability to run after enemies that are kiting
away.
- Multiple defensive cooldowns
- Strong offensive cooldowns
|
- Without a trinket available the Windwalker Monk can die in a stun
- This comp can struggle to help their healer stay alive if they use their
stuns to try to get a kill.
|
|
Alternative healer:
|
- Strong single-target and spread damage
- Multiple defensive cooldowns to rotate
- Great crowd control (
 Hex,  Hammer of Justice, etc.)
makes it difficult for other teams to pressure your teammates
- The longer the arena match, the more favored this comp becomes
|
- Lack of mobility
- Can struggle against teams with two melee on it if the Shadow Priest is
being focused. Teammates will have to help peal off enemy melee to allow
the Priest to cast.
|
3.
Tier 2
Tier 2 team compositions have the potential to be successful. However, they
will struggle against Tier 1 and other Tier 2 teams.
| Composition |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
| TSG:
Alternative healers:
|
- Strong single-target and cleave damage
- Multiple ways to interrupt casters or healers
- Several defensive cooldowns to rotate
|
- Struggles versus teams with roots or snares
- If playing with a Mistweaver Monk, they will need to look for drinks
throughout the game to stay at high Mana
- Chances of winning are lower the longer the game goes into dampening
|
| RPS:
Alternative healers:
|
- Strong single-target and spread damage
- Multiple ways to crowd control and lock down the enemy healer
- Multiple defensive cooldowns to rotate
|
- Shadow Priests struggle versus melee teams that will focus them the
entire game
- The Rogue can potentially get swapped to and die in a stun
|
| WLS:
Alternative healer:
|
- Great sustained single-target damage
- Easy to swap targets if an enemy overextends into your team
- Multiple ways to crowd control the enemy healer
|
- Your healer will have to do most of the setting up for crowd control.
This can be difficult versus teams with roots or snares
- Very little utility to help the healer if they are being focused
|
| Hero Cleave
Alternative healer:
|
- Strong single-target and cleave damage
- All teammates have can survive into late dampening
- Multiple utility spells to help teammates that are in trouble
|
- Although they have great survivability, Unholy Death Knights will
struggle when games have high dampening
- Demon Hunters and Death Knights will struggle to connect to targets
with teams that have multiple roots/snares.
|
| Jungle:
Alternative healers:
|
- Strong single-target damage
- Very mobile
- Multiple sources of crowd control
|
- Predictable crowd control
- Hunters and Feral Druids lack defensive abilities
- Struggles against teams with strong sustained damage
|
| Turbo:
Alternative healers:
|
- Strong single-target damage
- Short burst cooldowns
- Multiple interrupts
|
- Enhancement Shamans are fragile and can die in a single stun
- Predictable damage
- Very little crowd control
|
| RLS:
Alternative healer:
|
- Strong single-target and spread pressure
- Multiple sources of crowd control
- Several defensive cooldowns
|
- The Warlock will struggle to cast against teams with
multiple interrupts
- Rogues are fragile and can easily die in a single stun.
- Difficult to kill enemies that are low
|
| Shadowcleave:
Alternative healer:
|
- Strong single-target and spread pressure
- Short offensive cooldowns
- Multiple defensive cooldowns
|
- Low mobility
- The Death Knight will struggle against teams with multiple slows or
roots
- The Warlock can have hard time casting against teams with
several interrupts
- Little to no tools to help teammates that are being focused
|
|
Alternative healers:
|
- Several interrupts
- Multiple defensive cooldowns
- Strong offensive cooldowns
|
- Without a trinket available the Demon Hunter can die in a stun
- Spammable crowd control (
 Polymorph, Cyclone, etc.)
makes it hard to get pressure
- Very little crowd control
|
| Thundercleave:
Alternative healer:
|
- Strong single-target damage
- Multiple interrupts
- Short offensive cooldowns
|
- Predictable burst damage
- Few defensive abilities
- Low mobility
|
| Vanguards:
Alternative healer:
|
- Strong single-target and cleave damage
- Several utility spells for teammates being focused
- Multiple interrupts and stuns
|
- Retribution Paladins lack personal defensives
- Very little crowd control for enemy healers
- Will struggle to connect to enemies with multiple roots or snares
|
4.
Tier 3
Tier 3 comps will struggle against most other teams. It is not impossible to
win, but it is better to play a Tier 1 or 2 team composition.
| Composition |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
| Beastcleave:
Alternative healer:
|
- Strong single-target damage
- Short offensive cooldowns
- Multiple sources of crowd control
|
- Low mobility
- Very few defensive cooldowns
- Predictable crowd control
|
| FLS:
Alternative healer:
|
- Strong single-target and spread pressure
- Multiple interrupts
- Several defensive cooldowns
|
- Feral Druids are fragile and can die in a single stun
- The Warlock will struggle to cast against teams with
multiple interrupts
|
|
Deletion:
Alternative healers:
|
- Short single-target burst cooldowns
- Very mobile
|
- Very little crowd control
- Both Enhancement Shaman and Windwalker Monks are fragile and can die
in a stun
- Predictable damage
|
5.
Conclusion
No matter what class or specialization you play, there is always a team
composition you can play. Every team has a weakness and it is important to
know them. Teams and their weaknesses can change frequently throughout a season.
If there is a team comp that is missing, please let us know in the
comments so we can add it to the list.
6.
Changelog
- 17 Dec. 2020: Updated Tier List for Shadowlands.
- 02 Nov. 2019: Made several changes to the guide.
- Updated all Tier 1, 2, and 3 compositions.
- Added additional description to new comps added.
- 10 Nov. 2017: Guide added.
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