style="width: 600px; height: 180px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/100205">

Choosing a class can be a
difficult process. After all it’s a choice that will
ultimately stick with you for the life of your account, unless of
course you choose to delete that character. Although after investing
countless hours in a character many players find this almost impossible
to do without much internal conflict. So the more reasonable course of
action is to choose the most suitable class for you possible so
deletion never becomes an issue I know what you are thinking;
how hard can choosing a class be? Trust me when I say once you are
staring at that character screen making that choice becomes far more of
a challenge than you ever imaged possible. It is a big deal and
choosing the right class can really mean the difference between loving
the game, liking the game, or even despising the game.

There are currently (as of
Patch 4.2) ten classes in the game; Death Knight, Druid, Hunter, Mage,
Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, and Warrior. Each class is unique in
its own way making game play distinctly different from class to class.
For instance even though Mages and Warlocks are both spell casters, the
spells they use are vastly different as well as the way they use them.
You will also find that some classes can fulfill more than one role in
battle, while others can perform several. Also remember that not all
races can play as every class, so this may be a factor in your ultimate
decision however, the true key to picking the perfect class for you, is
to identify which
class seems fits your prefered style of play and overall personality
best.

It is  likely that you
will find yourself still torn between a
few. If this is the case, don’t be afraid to test the class
you like
out. Blizzard has made it easier than ever to level up and usually by
level 20 you will have a good feel for the class you have picked. If
you are not enjoying the class by level 20, you most likely
won’t enjoy it at level 85 either.If you do find along the
way
that you are unhappy with your choice, and just not
“feeling” the class. Don’t be afraid to
start over! Sticking with a class you are not totally happy with is not
the way to go. Not only will you find yourself not enjoying playing,
but you may ruin the game for yourself forever. So go by the old motto
of; if at first you don’t succeed try, try again. Continue
trying out classes till you find the perfect fit, even if you have to
try them all. Remember, the ultimate goal of the game is fun, and if
you aren’t having fun there isn’t any point to
playing!

To help you make your ultimate
decision you will find a brief
description of each class on the next page.
If you are
especially interested in a class along the way, simply click the class
name to be taken to more detailed
information and remember, if a class is especially appealing don't
hesitate to jump into game and try it
out!


href="#dk">Death
Knight - href="#druid">
Druid - href="#hunter">
Hunter - href="#mage">
Mage -
Paladin
-
Priest
- href="#rogue">
Rogue - href="#shaman">
Shaman -
Warlock
-
Warrior

style="width: 64px; height: 64px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/100220"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/deathknight"
target="_blank">Death
Knight

Once minions of the Lich King,
Death Knights are now free from his command, but still rely on dark
powers unusable by other classes for their attacks. Engaging their
enemies in melee combat, and hardening
their swings with dark magics,
Death Knights are a formidable force. Death
Knights draw their power
from various runes that are imbued into their weapons. From these runes
the Death Knight can choose to heal themselves with blood runes,
increase their damage and spell attacks with frost ruins, or summon
forth various minions and diseases with unholy runes. Death Knights are
truly
a class for those players with a dark side.


style="width: 64px; height: 64px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/100221"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/druid"
target="_blank">Druid 

Deeply in tune with
nature,
able to harness the vast powers provided by the world around them
druids can unleash this power against their enemies or choose to use it
to heal their allies. Druids are one of the most versatile classes in
the game, able to fulfill nearly every role in game (healing, tanking,
and damage dealing) thanks in part to their master shapeshifting skills
which allow them to take the form of a variety of beasts including, a
bear, a cat, a crow, a sea lion, and even a tree in special situations.
Druids are able to wear cloth
and leather armor and are great for
players who do not want to be trapped into one specific role.


style="width: 64px; height: 64px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/100222"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/hunter"
target="_blank">Hunter

The ultimate ranged class,
Hunters use guns, bows, and crossbows to attack enemies from afar.
Hunters also get a pet companion that
they are able to control and use in combat as added DPS, or their own
personal tank. Hunters can also make use of their deadly traps to burn,
freeze, or disable enemies before they know what has hit them. While
Hunters are excellent in groups, they also excel in solo situations
able to level and complete quests (even difficult ones) with ease
thanks to their large array of skills, high damage output, and loyal
pets.


style="width: 64px; height: 64px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/100223"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/mage"
target="_blank">Mage 

The Mage is spell casting
class, and will appeal to players who wish to
do magical damage from afar. Although they are able to deal large
amounts of damage, Mages have incredibly low survivability and are very
vulnerable to close-range attacks, however, they have a large arsenal
of spells that can contain an enemy and a teleport spell that will
quickly take them away in a pinch. Mages are also able to deal damage
to multiple targets at once by calling down ice storms or even columns
of flame.


style="width: 64px; height: 64px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/100224"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/paladin"
target="_blank">Paladin

Much like the aforementioned
Druid, Paladins are a hybrid class able to fill the roles of tank, DPS,
or healer. Unlike the Druid however, while doing damage Paladins are
limited to mostly melee combat with only a few ranged spells at their
disposal. Holy warriors, Paladins call upon the power of the light to
aid them in all their endevours. Relying on heavy armor and shields to
protect them Paladins are exceptionally useful in groups, not only are
they more difficult to kill than say a cloth wearer, but they also
bring a variety of auras, seals, and blessings that benefit all.


style="width: 64px; height: 64px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/100225"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/priest"
target="_blank">Priest 

Fully devoted to the spiritual
realm, Priests are masters of the healing arts, keeping their
companions alive and kicking even when doom seems evident.
Don’t be fooled by the Priest’s giving demeanor
though, these divine energies can also be turned against foes as well.
Priests can also tap into the darker side of the spiritual realm,
delivering massive amounts of immediate damage or dishing out pains
that will cause enemies to be hurting long after. Be warned though,
that while Priests are adept at both healing and DPS, they can take
little actual damage themselves, although they do have several awesome
abilities to mitigate incoming damage that can prolong their lives.


style="width: 64px; height: 64px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/100226"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/rogue"
target="_blank">Rogue

Cloaked in mystery the Rogue is
a melee DPS class that lurks deep in
the shadows using their Stealth ability, waiting for the perfect moment
to attack. Usually preferring to approach their enemies from behind the
Rogue can do huge
amounts of damage by planning and combining melee
attacks that build up combo points that can be spent for devastating
finishing blows. If that wasn’t enough they add even more
potency to their attack by applying various toxins to their weapons to
ensure a quick death to all foes.


style="width: 64px; height: 64px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/100227">  href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/shaman"
target="_blank">Shaman

One with the elements of the
world, Shamans commune with these
sometimes violent spirit’s the Shaman is able to summon
various
totems representing each of the elements (earth, fire, water, and air)
to either support their allies or to help destroy their foes. The
Shaman is a hybrid class, much like the Druid and Paladin, able to do
damage as well as heal. While some may consider Shaman a bit more
difficult to play than other classes, as the Shaman gains experience
they will find themselves a welcome addition to any
group.


style="width: 64px; height: 64px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/100228"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/warlock"
target="_blank">Warlock

Warlocks aim for dominance and
their method of doing this is to
reaching deep into the realm of dark magics. Often feared, Warlocks
excel at dealing damage slowly over time, ensuring a painful death.
Warlocks are able to drain enemy souls to empower their own spells and
summon
powerful minions to their aid such as imps, succubi, voidwalkers, and
even the fearsome felhunter. The
Warlock is the perfect fit for a
caster with more than a little love of the dark side of Azeroth.


style="width: 64px; height: 64px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/100217"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/warrior"
target="_blank">Warrior

Masters of
battle, Warriors can be either found
in
the role of tank,
strategically holding enemies in
place and
withstanding their blows while their allies take them down, or they can
provide excellent
melee DPS, unleashing
their rage
with a large variety
of weapons. While Warriors use their rage to fuel their attacks they
must carefully monitor it to be as effective as possible while in
battle. Using a variety of stances, a Warrior of any spec can easily
adjust their focus, dealing more damage, increasing their defense, or
finding a balance between the two. Warriors are ideal for players who
like to take charge and engage in battle head
on.



We at Ten Ton Hammer wish you
the best of luck in picking your future class! Please feel free to
share any tips or stories you may have about picking the perfect class
in the comment section below!


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our World of Warcraft Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

About The Author

Get in the bush with David "Xerin" Piner as he leverages his spectacular insanity to ask the serious questions such as is Master Yi and Illidan the same person? What's for dinner? What are ways to elevate your gaming experience? David's column, Respawn, is updated near daily with some of the coolest things you'll read online, while David tackles ways to improve the game experience across the board with various hype guides to cool games.

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