With the WoW Classic TBC Anniversary update making waves, many players are wondering which DPS specs truly shine in the early days of Phase 1 content. Whether you're returning to TBC Classic after a break or gearing up for a fresh start, it's crucial to know which DPS builds perform the best in Karazhan, Gruul's Lair, and Magtheridon's Lair.
If you’re looking to maximize your DPS and take on the challenges of Phase 1 raids, this TBC Anniversary DPS Tier List will guide you through the top-performing melee and ranged DPS specs. Additionally, if you're struggling to gather the resources needed to optimize your build, you can always buy WoW Classic gold from PVPBank to speed up your progression. Whether it’s gear, consumables, or crafting materials, having the right currency can make all the difference in TBC Classic.
So, let’s dive right into the rankings!
S Tier DPS – The Powerhouses of Phase 1
S-tier DPS specs are the absolute top performers in Phase 1 of TBC Classic. These specs excel at single-target damage, offer incredible burst potential, and scale beautifully with early gear.
1. Arcane Mage
Arcane Mage is arguably the strongest DPS spec in Phase 1, especially when it comes to 10-man raids like Karazhan. Arcane's ability to burst down bosses and manage mana efficiently makes it a go-to choice for early TBC content. The Arcane Blast rotation and Arcane Power cooldown give Arcane Mages explosive damage spikes.
-
Strengths: High single-target burst, strong mana management, and great group support.
-
Why It’s S Tier: Arcane Mages benefit heavily from early gear, especially spell power and hit rating. Their synergy with raid buffs like Arcane Intellect makes them a perfect choice for any TBC Classic raid group.
2. Destruction Warlock
Destruction Warlocks are beasts in Phase 1. With powerful single-target damage and the ability to provide group utility through debuffs like Curse of the Elements, Warlocks are indispensable in raids. Destruction is their strongest build in Phase 1, and they scale well with early crit and hit gear.
-
Strengths: Aggressive single-target damage, excellent raid utility, and synergy with party buffs.
-
Why It’s S Tier: Destruction Warlocks excel in both DPS output and group utility. Their ability to scale with early gear makes them a prime choice for Phase 1 raids.
3. Beast Mastery Hunter
Beast Mastery Hunters are incredibly strong in Phase 1 and offer excellent DPS with low gear dependency. With their pets scaling well throughout the expansion, BM Hunters are consistently reliable in both dungeons and raids. Additionally, their tranquility and aspect buffs provide added utility to the team.
-
Strengths: Reliable DPS, low gear dependency, and easy to play.
-
Why It’s S Tier: Beast Mastery Hunters are powerful in Phase 1, with pet damage scaling excellently and making them top-tier contenders.
4. Survival Hunter
Although not as powerful as Beast Mastery in raw DPS, Survival Hunters still provide great utility and solid damage output. The Expose Weakness debuff can be game-changing for melee DPS and adds even more utility for your raid group. Plus, Survival scales well with agility gear and can hold its own in Phase 1 raids.
-
Strengths: Solid DPS, great raid utility, and good gear scaling.
-
Why It’s S Tier: Survival Hunters are an excellent choice for both DPS and utility, making them perfect for raid progression.
A Tier DPS – High Damage, Gear Dependent
A-tier specs are still very strong but typically gear dependent. These specs require better itemization and stat scaling to reach their full potential.
1. Fury Warrior
Fury Warriors are fantastic once they get their gear in order. They are damage monsters once they get access to high-end weapons like The Unstoppable Force and Gorehowl. While they struggle without weapons, their DPS scaling in TBC Classic is unmatched when properly geared.
-
Strengths: High DPS potential, great scaling with gear, and strong in 10-man raids.
-
Why It’s A Tier: Fury Warriors can easily fall behind in Phase 1 if they don’t get the right gear early, but once they’re fully geared, they become top-tier.
2. Demonology Warlock
Demonology Warlocks bring strong raid utility through the Demonic Pact buff, which increases the spell power of your entire raid. Although their DPS output is slightly lower than Destruction Warlocks, they scale well in later tiers and provide excellent utility for your group.
-
Strengths: Solid DPS, great raid utility (Demonic Pact), and useful pet management.
-
Why It’s A Tier: While not as strong as Destruction Warlocks, Demonology Warlocks provide sustained DPS and can be a great asset to your raid’s overall damage output.
3. Fire Mage
Fire Mages are solid DPS in Phase 1, especially in multi-target and cleave scenarios. However, Fire needs a bit of crit scaling to reach its full potential, making it slightly less effective than Arcane in the early stages of TBC. Nonetheless, Fire still provides great value to any raid group.
-
Strengths: Multi-target DPS, high cleave potential, and strong AoE damage.
-
Why It’s A Tier: Fire Mages aren’t as strong as Arcane but still perform very well when geared for crit.
B Tier DPS – Consistent Damage with Utility
B-tier specs still provide solid performance but generally offer less damage compared to the top-ranked classes. They tend to be good utility specs with consistent DPS.
1. Affliction Warlock
Affliction Warlocks bring strong utility and consistent DoT damage, but they lack the burst potential of Destruction Warlocks. Their DPS scaling is slower, and they rely on longer ramp-ups to reach their peak.
-
Strengths: Strong utility, consistent DoT damage, and mana regeneration.
-
Why It’s B Tier: While Affliction Warlocks provide solid utility and decent DPS, their lower burst potential holds them back in Phase 1.
2. Arms Warrior
Arms Warriors are excellent in PvP but less effective in PvE compared to Fury Warriors. They bring the Blood Frenzy raid buff, which increases the physical damage of the entire raid, but their DPS output lags behind that of Fury Warriors.
-
Strengths: Good utility, raid buff (Blood Frenzy), and decent DPS.
-
Why It’s B Tier: Arms Warriors don’t deal as much damage as Fury Warriors and are typically outshined in Phase 1 raids.
3. Enhancement Shaman
While Enhancement Shamans offer great group support and decent damage, they depend heavily on uptime and weapon RNG. They provide a unique utility that other specs can’t match, but they don’t quite scale to the same level as other melee DPS.
-
Strengths: Great group support, decent DPS, and unique buffs.
-
Why It’s B Tier: Enhancement Shamans struggle to deal with inconsistent damage compared to other specs, making
