Welcome to the World of Warcraft Classic Hardcore Leveling Tier List! We will rank each available class and the reason for their place in their current tiers, offering in-depth explanations for possible builds, Solo versus Group Content, and tendencies.
 |  Mage |  Hunter |  Priest |
 |  Warlock |  Paladin |  Rogue |
 |  Druid | ||
 |  Warrior | ||
 |
- Mage (S-Tier)
- Hunter (S-Tier)
- Priest (S-Tier)
- Paladin (A-Tier)
- Warlock (A-Tier)
- Rogue (A-Tier)
- Druid (B-Tier)
- Shaman (B-Tier)
- Warrior (C-Tier)
WoW Classic Hardcore has become a truly addictive experience for many WoW Classic players. The leveling journey has been renewed, as players compete with the hardest quests and most dangerous scenarios to test their mettle in combat. The aspect of having only one life and only one chance to survive each combat has made players appreciate the game in a new light, craving to discover more and more ways to survive and enjoy the thrill. This new hunger created quite a lot of experimentation, for both new and old players alike!
This Tier List is a result of this phenomenon, aiming to capture and detail the experience gathered by both new players and veterans alike. The list takes into consideration two main aspects: Solo and Group Play. As many classes function differently based on the type of content they are doing, we will explain which classes can be considered S-Tier for Solo Play and which classes can be considered S-Tier for Group Content.
Additionally, while the Classic version of the game is not mechanically difficult in terms of rotations, it is difficult in terms of knowledge that players must possess to ensure they stay alive and thrive. Possessing adequate knowledge or lacking it can make a difference, especially when it comes to fast reactions and tools that classes can use in different scenarios. As each scenario can be dealt with by using a particular type of skills and abilities, some classes will find themselves at a disadvantage where they would have to improvise. Such examples can be seen clearly with classes that don’t have self-healing tools and have to rely on either professions or kiting to stay alive and kill powerful foes.
While all classes possess tools to survive and thrive, not all have the same impact. Some classes are way better at dealing with large groups of mobs while others have to flee in terror as they struggle to kite and slow down the foes that chase them.
Overall, each class has its own strong point and can cater to the taste of many players. It is up to the player to decide which class suits them the best in terms of class fantasy and general mechanics. In addition, all of the classes are viable for leveling, including Warrior, although the path for some is long and tedious while for others, it is swift as a breeze.
S-Tier
The S-Tier represents the “Crème de la crème” of WoW Classic, featuring the most powerful classes that feel like they almost have it all. Those classes either usually have overloaded kits with many powerful defensive and offensive abilities or simply have the capacity to sprint through the content without having any difficulty in soloing difficult quests or in some cases, even dungeons!
Mage
“Damn those mages, they claimed another farming spot once again!!”
– Random Warrior Player
Considered by many the only truly overpowered class in WoW Classic, mages have it all! Their kits are overloaded with damaging spells and a plethora of defensive abilities, granting them survivability tools in almost any scenario. The only thing that they lack is a way of self-healing. This is however mitigated by using First Aid and the Cannibalize Undead Racial. However, to make up for this weakness, Blizzard had the genius idea to allow Mages to teleport across Azeroth easily, effectively removing the most troublesome issue with WoW Classic, the travel time. On top of that, they allowed Mages to conjure food out of thin air.
The extreme mobility around the map combined with an infinite food/water supply makes Mage the fastest and most efficient leveling class by far!
Mages excel at both AoE and Single-Target leveling, but they are renowned as the best AoE Farming class in the entire game. Traditionally, Mages level using the Frost specialization, but some prefer to level as Fire for clearing Single Target due to the Pyroblast build. The Frost Build for Single-Target can solo just about any Elite NPC in the game thanks to Improved Frostbolt, Frostbite, Shatter, and Ice Barrier.
The renowned AoE build using Improved Blizzard, Frost Nova, Permafrost, Shatter, and Improved Cone of Cold allows mages to destroy huge packs of mobs, with them being able to even use Ice Block to “Block Pull” 12+ mobs. Once they gain their mounts and Ice Barrier, Mages ascend to an even higher plane of “Easy Farming” as they can use Ice Barrier combined with the mount to pull 20+ mobs at once.
The class is so beloved by the developers that multiple standard AoE spots have been integrated into the game with the sole purpose of funneling the Mage AoE experience.
As for pure survivability, their kit is loaded with mobility and a large amount of defensive tools that can keep them alive in most situations. They have massive mobility through Blink, increased Armor & innate Slow through Frost Armor, and two types of barriers (Mana Shield and Ice Barrier). They can freeze mobs in place with Frost Nova, slow them even further with Cone of Cold, Polymorph mobs into sheep, and even become entirely invulnerable for 10 seconds with Ice Block. Furthermore, they can even use Evocation as a last resort life-saver mechanic by combining it with Mana Shield, acting as a pseudo-second HP Bar.
Lastly, for Solo versus Group content, Mages tend to be better on their own since they can mass AoE farm. However, some players opt to duo with other mages to extend their AoE capabilities and tackle even more mobs. The main issue Mage encounters is that the standard AoE areas are usually highly contested by their fellow brethren, meaning they have to layer to find their spot or simply choose another.
Priest
“Give them a Wand, and watch them conquer the world!”
– Level 10 Enchanter
In a surprising turn of events, Priests have proven immortal. Every Priest that levels in WoW Classic Hardcore becomes extremely hard to kill once they acquire their Wand and Power Word: Shield. The class is so powerful that memes were created about it. They excel at killing Elites thanks to their extreme survivability, even making easy work of difficult Escort Quests. Priests can also fight off multiple targets at the same time, depending on the build they use.`The only issue they have is their somewhat slow leveling speed, however, they are extremely desired for group content, mitigating that problem to a certain extent.
Priests are overall powerhouses regarding survivability, having access to the massively powerful Power Word: Shield, sustainability through Spirit Tap, alongside a full kit of HoTs (Renew) and Direct Healing spells (Flash Heal, Lesser Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, Desperate Prayer) that keep them alive in most situations. Besides their powerful shields and healing spells, they also have access to Psychic Scream which acts as one of their panic buttons, providing powerful CC. However, this safety button tends to backfire, causing chain pulls. Priests must be careful to not take their so-called “Immortality” too seriously.
Priests tend to do amazing in Solo Content but they also excel with powerful DPS classes such as Warrior and Rogue for Group Content. Many Priests choose to tackle the content solo due to their amazing kit, but they can speedrun the leveling process with a strong enough party as well.
In terms of builds and what truly makes them immortal, two consecrated builds have proven again and again that they can face any danger: the Holy Build and the Shadow Build. The Holy Build aims to improve their overall healing spells and the damage of Smite (Spiritual Guidance), with the build relying entirely on spamming Smite to kill off mobs. The Shadow Build on the other hand makes full use of Shadowform and the Wand & DoTs mechanics, aiming to kill multiple mobs at the same time while surviving based on the Shadow Damage dealt with the help of Vampiric Embrace.
Hunter
“Give a man a boar, and watch him make it chase wolves and just about any creature of Azeroth!”
– Dun Morogh Civilian Observer
Hunter is widely known as one of the best Solo Content classes throughout WoW Classic, soloing even the toughest elites and escort quests by using their mighty pets and impressive kiting skills. Hunters are also huge contenders for the fastest speed-leveling classes! The most recent World Race was won by a Hunter, even though the field is largely dominated by Mages.
Hunters have overloaded kits with plenty of tools that ensure their survival if properly used. Their overall survivability is boosted by unique tools such as the infamous Feign Death, defensive traps (Frost Trap & Freezing Trap), movement speed abilities such as Aspect of the Pack & Aspect of the Cheetah, and the nigh-overpowered Deterrence defense tool. While their overall capabilities are simply astonishing when played correctly, they do encounter issues with overpulling and managing aggro, especially in AoE fights. In addition, they are quite weak without their pets, so the initial leveling experience to level 10 can be a rough journey.
Choosing the right pet also plays a huge role in how strong Hunters are. Historically, some pets barely make little difference while others such as the Winded Serpents or Cats are extremely strong.
Hunters can be played in any of the 3 specializations, but most prefer to level as Beast Mastery, especially since pets are far more important in Hardcore than the normal version of the game.
While their strong suit is Solo Content, Hunters also function extremely well in Group Content, excelling with any other DPS that can either hold Aggro or keep up with their great Damage Output. They ideally kill their targets one by one, after which, they swap to AoE killing as soon as they have the necessary gear and full comfort with their kiting skills.
A-Tier
The A-Tier is represented by classes that have a great mix of powerful defensive abilities and offensive ones, boasting a really strong overall performance. Those classes have a high amount of survivability and often manage most solo content without having many difficulties. Their survivability is usually very high and they have access to plenty of defensive tools to ensure that they manage to at least escape, if not triumph. Classes in the A-Tier also have quite a fast leveling experience, being able to either AoE farm easily or complete difficult quests on their own that would have normally required an entire group.
Paladin
“We taught him to use the light, but we never expected him to massacre the entire Kobold population!”
– Northshire Abbey Clerk
Paladins are among the safest and strongest Solo Content levelers in WoW Classic Hardcore, proudly wearing Plate Armor and making full use of the Light to withstand even the toughest foes. Paladin stands at the top of the A-Tier, with some players even considering the class S-Tier material. The main issue they encounter is the initial leveling journey, especially since they struggle with taking on multiple mobs at the beginning of their journey.
While their kit is filled with a large amount of utility and defensive tools, their initial problem is further emphasized by mana issues and quite a severe gear dependency. Nonetheless, even with those initial issues, as they progress through their journey, they unlock more and more of their potential until the point where they are walking self-healing juggernauts that can take on many mobs at once or powerful elites without even breaking a sweat! Paladins are infamous for being able to survive even the toughest of battles once they acquire all of their tools, making the class extremely safe, especially for new players.
However, Paladins are horrible at group content if they don’t choose to play healers, especially since they are extremely mana-hungry. Since they can’t reliably tank dungeons or provide reliable DPS due to their archaic Seals mechanic, the only Group Content they can tackle reliably is moderately hard quests. The problem with group content is that they are highly likely to get swarmed, as they may end up outlasting all of their allies in combat, becoming victims of Social Aggro.
Most Paladins choose to level as either a combination of Holy/Protection or full Retribution. One key component of their gameplay, especially if they choose to do AoE combat always remains Consecration, so the Holy Talent Tree always is part of their core gameplay. Even if extremely safe to play, many players condemn the slow playstyle caused by the Seal mechanics, with Seal Twisting not being that viable in Hardcore due to its huge mana consumption. For those wondering what “Seal Twisting” means, it’s the act of swiftly changing Seals in the attempt to proc two Seal effects at the same time. Since every Seal cast costs mana, this type of playstyle is very taxing in WoW Classic Hardcore.
Nonetheless, the overpowered defensive tools such as Divine Shield, Lay on Hands, Blessing of Freedom, and Blessing of Protection ensure that they can survive even the most dire situations, even when huge pulls caused by Social Aggro are involved.
Warlock
“You’re telling me I can’t summon all those demons at once? Why did I gather so many Soul Shards?”
– Confused Warlock
The practitioners of the dark arts are not far behind in terms of power and survivability in WoW Classic Hardcore, as they prove that instilling fear in their enemies and damning them with curses is sometimes the right choice. Warlocks find themselves in the A-Tier, with some considering them even S-Tier due to their extreme survivability. However, they place in the A-Tier due to their initial low survivability, being dependent on gear, and certain talents that can only be unlocked later on to truly become overpowered in Solo Content.
Their kit is filled with defensive tools to enhance their overall survivability, however, much to their displeasure, Soulstones can’t act as lifesavers in Hardcore. Nonetheless, they get access to the trusty Voidwalker which can be sacrificed, Healthstones, Drain Life, Fear, Howl of Terror, and Death Coil.
However, while all 3 specializations are viable for leveling, only one of them truly acts as a definitory choice for maximum survivability, and that is the Affliction specialization. Their survivability skyrockets once they gain access to Siphon Life, being able to even pull multiple mobs at once and simply survive through the sheer amount of Self-Healing they receive, without any other external help. Siphon Life also allows them to be self-sufficient, since it can be combined with Life Tap to effectively maintain infinite Mana/HP reserves. Of course, even with this tactic being available to them, Warlocks should not get cocky as they remain a Cloth Class that can take heavy amounts of damage, depending on the mobs they fight.
While the class has very high survivability, it is by far not beginner-friendly, as its WoW Classic version has an extremely overloaded kit with many gimmicks that can confuse newbies and even veterans. Playing slowly and getting accustomed to each different mechanic is the key for Warlock.
Due to the nature of their Crowd Control (Fear), they are excellent against Solo Elites but have a tough time with chain-pulling mobs. Social Aggro is often the bane of Warlocks, and the predominant cause of death in Hardcore, especially in tight spaces. Nonetheless, the class is widely regarded as one of the safest for leveling, in both Solo and Group content as long as they don’t overestimate their capabilities.
Lastly, they are highly desired in Group Content due to their Ritual of Summoning ability which saves an extreme amount of time for any dungeon run.
Rogue
“Do we really need to macro Pickpocket for leveling or can we just spam-farm dungeons as usual?”
– Gold-starved Rogue in World Chat
Rogues land themselves in the A-Tier, displaying a great performance, however, they can’t compete with the S-Tier classes until they get to a higher level. Their kit is amazing, filled with crowd-control tools and plenty of defensive abilities, but they are held back by the fact that their kit truly begins shining on the latter levels, making them feel quite weak early on.
Once they get to a higher level, it is extremely tough to die as a Rogue, as long as your cooldowns are available. Builds also play a huge role in how strong a Rogue is and how easily it can survive a threatening encounter, but all Rogues have access to many tools to pretty much fend off almost any type of threat. Their most powerful defensive and crowd control tools are Vanish, Blind, Gouge, Kidney Shot, Evasion, and Sprint. However, all those tools require consumables, and many great Rogues have found themselves wanting to Vanish or Blind but lacking Flash Powder and Blinding Powder; resulting in some truly unfortunate deaths.
Pretty much any Rogue build is capable of soloing extremely hard Elite NPCs, however, some of them are highly recommended for WoW Classic Hardcore. Most Rogues prefer to level as Subtlety as it allows them access to Hemorrhage and Ghostly Strike while also being able to specialize in a Dagger-specific build for Backstab and Ambush. However, other braver Rogues tend to prefer leveling with the Combat specialization and take on multiple mobs at once with Blade Flurry and Sword Specialization.
Rogues can also safely get into spots that only other Rogue players or Druid players may access through the use of Stealth. The mechanic allows players to access key objectives in keeps or caverns without having to deal with potential hyper-spawn issues.
In conclusion, If not for their weak first 20-25 levels, Rogues would absolutely be classed as S-Tier thanks to their higher-level kit. Playstyle also plays a huge role in their performance, but most players will have a similar experience in WoW Classic Hardcore, no matter what build they choose.
B-Tier
The B-Tier Classes are decent overall but suffer from gimmicky mechanics present in their kits or a generally slower leveling experience than other classes. Those classes have a higher survivability rate than those from the C-Tier, along with multiple tools in their kits that can help them overturn dangerous situations. Still, their performance is often weaker than those from Tier A or Tier S, resulting in harder overall solo content.
Druid
“Frontstab? Gone. Entangling Roots inside a cave, no chance. But hey, we get Travel forms and can bully any Warrior if they Mak’Gora us!”
– Night Elf trying to encourage himself
Druids in WoW Classic have always generated a mixed opinion, some believe that they are the coolest class and love leveling and playing them while others think that the class is not viable and can only function as either an Off-Tank or Healer later in the game. The reality is that Druid in WoW Classic Hardcore is an extremely versatile class that has many available tools to tackle many different types of threats, including crowd control, self-healing, sustainability tools, and movement tools.
The main issue that gets them stuck in the B-Tier is the overall difficulty of mastering the class combined with the major limitations imposed by their “Outdoors” abilities such as Travel Form, Nature’s Grasp, and Entangling Roots. Since the game runs on the old system, Druids require considerably more addons to fully optimize their gameplay and survive dangerous situations compared to the other classes. One of the main issues in Hardcore that all Druids must resolve as fast as possible before acquiring their Bear Form is the nonvisible Mana Bar while shifted, which can only be fixed through the use of addons.
Still, even though they are hard to master, Druids have many different power spikes throughout their leveling journey which makes them fun to play and quite efficient at leveling. Players choose to mainly level as a hybrid between Restoration and Feral although some Druid players also attest that it is very viable to level as Balance, albeit much slower than the traditional way. Their level 20 and level 40 power spikes truly change the leveling experience for them, no matter what build they choose to play.
Druids tend to be considerably weaker at Solo Content early on. It is at higher levels when played with specific DoT builds (Moonfire & Insect Swarm) and in Outdoors areas where they can spam Entangling Roots that they can take on even the worst elites. Alternatively, they can use a Feral Build combined with their powerful self-sustain tools such as HoT spells and Innervate to conquer Solo Content, although at a slow pace.
Another important factor is that they can even solo some lower-level dungeons once they acquire specific tools. Many players choose to farm specific dungeons in Hardcore by using Prowl to simply avoid all of the mobs and seek out the specific bosses they desire loot from. Due to their amazing self-sustain, Druids mostly have no issue farming dungeons for acquiring quick gear.
In Group Content, however, Druids are way stronger and can be considered as part of the higher-tier classes, providing very strong utility and a considerable amount of healing. They excel at leveling together with Melee Classes such as Warrior or Rogue.
Shaman
“I swear, this time I won’t die on my Totem Quest! Guys, I am certain I can solo it if I get the proper buffs and a bit of help!”
– Frustrated Shaman on the 7th attempt
Shamans find themselves in the B-Tier, having a somewhat worse but similar experience to Druids. They are extremely good for Group Content, providing a lot of healing, buffs, and damage if needed, but their Solo Content capabilities are quite horrendous. While they can safely level doing Solo Content as well, their initial leveling experience is often encumbered by a lot of hardship and pain, especially when it comes to their Class Quests.
While they have many utility tools, they have a considerable lack of proper defensive tools. Their strongest tools, ironically, are Earthbind Totem, which only slows the enemies, and Stoneclaw Totem which taunts enemies. Apart from that, they don’t have any direct damage reduction defensive tool or any solid escape tool, making them quite susceptible to death if they get swarmed. The only real survivability tools in their kit are their powerful healing spells (Lesser Healing Wave, Healing Wave & Chain Heal), but since all of them are cast times, the pushback effect can lead to a swift death in case shamans get cocky.
Their overall performance tends to be quite decent once they acquire decent gear and a higher level, as the more abilities they gather, the higher their overall survival chances become. Solo Content becomes manageable but still requires Shamans to know the game extensively. They share the same fate as the Druids, being versatile but hard to master, experience with the class is necessary. Since totem placement is difficult and somewhat clunky, the class is not recommended for newer players.
Shamans can be played as Enhancement or Elemetal in WoW Classic Hardcore, with both builds being very viable. It mostly comes down to the preferred playstyle of the player, but gear also plays a huge part in how each build functions. Since Windfury Weapon can be extremely strong with the proper weapon, Enhancement has a higher chance of reaching level 60 since it can instantly delete mobs, depending on RNG.
However, while they may have shortcomings such as gear dependency in Solo Content, they are amazing for duo-leveling, with Warriors and Rogues often being their best buddies. Shamans are better off leveling as either full Restoration or Restoration/Elemental hybrids if they opt for duo-leveling.
C-Tier
The classes in the C-Tier are on the weaker side, experiencing tremendous hardship during their leveling journey. However, those classes are by no means non-viable, they simply either require a very slow pace or the help of other players to progress at the same rate as other classes. Those classes also have very minimal survivability tools in their kits when compared to classes from the upper tiers.
Warrior
“Ohhh, look at the poor thing.. The Shaman/Priest they had as a duo died and now the Warrior went back to green-level mobs and almost gray quests.”
– Mages glancing at the Warrior leveling experience
Warriors at level 60 are complete beasts, being one of the best end-game classes, with many raids choosing to stack several warriors for their sheer DPS and overall astonishing performance. However, Warriors in WoW Classic Hardcore when it comes to leveling represent an entirely different story. They are widely regarded by most as the hardest class to level when it comes to Solo Content. The class spends most of its time during low levels with close to no defensive tools, being stuck with only Hamstring early on and Retaliation/Shield Wall during the middle and later parts of their journey which are extremely long cooldowns.
To add insult to injury, Warriors have absolutely no self-healing, relying entirely on either Potions, First Aid, or the Cannibalize Undead Racial to survive. Couple those things with the fact that Warriors are extremely gear and RNG-dependent and you get the recipe for disaster when it comes to Solo Content leveling. The RNG itself can result in some pretty comedic deaths, as many Warriors found themselves parried 5 times in a row followed by 2 or 3 missed attacks. Those elements discouraged many players from attempting Warriors but some believe that the class is worth it for its powerful end-game capabilities, plus the challenge itself. Some even choose to go one step further and select the Self-Found option, which changes the game entirely, and crowns warrior as the most difficult class to level as a Self-Found character.
However, for Group Content, Warriors are among the paradigm changes entirely, with the class presenting itself as the strongest for any group play. They are highly desired as tanks, providing the best tanking experience for any group. They are also highly wanted by healers as a duo partner since they can endlessly kill mobs as long as the healer doesn’t remain out of mana.
Warriors have multiple builds that they can explore on their leveling journey but the standard ones either revolve around Two-Handed Arms specialization or Dual-Wield Fury specialization. Arms is highly played due to the plethora of strong Two-Handers that ravage foes when used with Cleave + Whirlwind & Sweeping Strikes while Fury is highly desired due to the spammable Bloodthirst ability and berserker-like archetype.
All and all, players who choose Warrior should muster their patience for a long journey if they plan on leveling solo while expecting a lot of fun and exciting moments for any type of Group Content.
D-Tier
D-Tier means completely unplayable and incapable of solo leveling! Luckily, Blizzard hasn’t designed such a class or specific specialization that is entirely unplayable, and as such, this Tier will always remain empty.