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Hunter or Priest: Which Should You Play in WoW Forever?
Pick the Hunter if you mostly play alone and want low-downtime leveling. Pick the Priest if you want to heal dungeons and raids, or play Shadow in PvP.
Hunter vs Priest verdict
3 Hunter 2 Priest 1 even
The Hunter wins for most players, especially if you level alone. It is faster, safer and better for gold. You rarely stop to drink and your pet tanks for you.
The Priest wins in dungeons and raids, where its healing is always in demand. In battlegrounds the two are even: Shadow has strong burst and control, and the Hunter has range and a pet.
Hunter vs Priest: head-to-head comparison
| Category | Hunter | Priest |
|---|---|---|
| Leveling speed | Winner The easiest solo leveler in WoW Forever: pet tanks, you shoot, loot, repeat, with Rapid Killing chaining kills. | Level as Shadow: faster than the healing trees and barely drinks. Wand early, then Mind Flay everything after. |
| Solo play | Winner Strong solo and the recommended first character, and mistakes rarely kill you. | Fragile alone; cloth armor and mana punish careless pulls before the toolkit fills out. Not a natural solo class. |
| Dungeons | Solid ranged DPS, but one damage dealer among many. | Winner The healer every group leans on. Binding Heal and Prayer of Mending are new tools; instant invites at every bracket. |
| Raiding | Marksmanship brings Trueshot Aura for ranged allies; still a DPS slot. | Winner The raid healer every group leans on. Divine Aegis prevention plus Penance triage. |
| PvP | Even Strong in PvP; Survival is built for it, with traps, kiting, and Strider Kick. | Even Strong in PvP; the Shadow side is dangerous, and Devouring Contagion spreads your plague. |
| Gold farming | Winner Pet tanks elites while you chain-pull; one of the best farmers. | Healing trees are not built for farming, and Shadow farms slowly. The priest's gold comes from groups. |
Playing Hunter in this matchup
The Hunter's pet does the tanking, so you can level without waiting for anyone. You pull, shoot and loot, and Feign Death resets fights that go wrong.
At 60 Marksmanship and Beast Mastery deal ranged damage, and Survival adds traps and melee tools. New talents like Summon Hawk, Lone Wolf and Sniper Shot add options.
Where the Hunter falls short
You can only deal damage, and raids have many ranged damage dealers to choose from.
Playing Priest in this matchup
Priests level as Shadow. Shadow Word: Pain, Mind Blast and Mind Flay kill one mob at a time, and Power Word: Shield stops damage before it lands. You drink more than a Hunter, and wanding low mobs saves mana.
At 60 Holy and Discipline make you a full healer with Penance, Divine Aegis, Prayer of Mending and Holy Binding. Shadow is strong in PvP with Psychic Scream, Silence and Devouring Contagion.
Where the Priest falls short
Leveling in cloth with no escape tools is risky, and healing specs are slow to quest in.
How WoW Forever's talent changes shift this matchup
Priests changed only a little at launch. Binding Heal left the Holy tree but is still taught by trainers, Holy Binding took its slot, and Shadow Word: Death now costs you 30% of your health if the target survives.
Hunters gained damage on Aimed Shot, Sniper Shot, Arcane Shot and Serpent Sting, and all traps now share one 30 second cooldown.
Which should you pick: Hunter or Priest?
- You play mostly solo and want zero dependence on groups.
- You want the fastest route to 60 with the fewest deaths.
- You are new and want the most forgiving first character.
- You like the pet playstyle: taming, naming, and fighting beside a bear, boar, or turtle.
- You want top-tier gold farming without needing a group.
- You prefer winning PvP with kiting and traps over winning it with shadow magic.
- You want instant dungeon groups at every level.
- You want a near-guaranteed raid spot as a healer.
- You like the idea of a Shadow PvP spec that is dangerous.
- You enjoy triage gameplay: Penance, Prayer of Mending, shields before the damage lands.
- You are leveling with friends and want to be the one keeping everyone alive.
- The new Gnome Priest combo appeals to you and you want a fresh-start healer.
Hunter and Priest race options
Hunter has 8 race choices and Priest has 6. Races marked new could not play the class in Classic Era. See the racials guide for what each race brings.
| Faction | Hunter | Priest |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | HumanNew, Dwarf, Night Elf, Skyborne High OrderNew | Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, GnomeNew |
| Horde | Orc, Tauren, Troll, Skyborne WindshaperNew | Undead, Troll |
Plan your Hunter or Priest build
Plan your points before paying for a respec. Open the Hunter talent calculator or the Priest talent calculator, or try a starter build for your preferred role. The class picking guide compares all nine classes if you are still undecided.
Hunter vs Priest: common questions
I play alone 90% of the time. Is there any reason to pick priest?
Only if you want to heal later. The Hunter is faster and easier on your own. A Priest can solo as Shadow, but it drinks more and dies more easily.
Everyone says priest leveling is miserable. Is Shadow actually fine?
It is slower than a Hunter, not miserable. Level as Shadow, use your wand to finish mobs and keep Power Word: Shield up, and it goes smoothly.
Which one is better in battlegrounds?
They are even. Shadow bursts hard and has Psychic Scream and Silence. A Hunter keeps its range and uses traps and the pet to stop you closing in.
Will I actually get groups as a priest, or is that just theory?
Yes. Healers are in short supply, and a Priest gets dungeon invites far faster than any damage dealer.
Which races can play Hunter and Priest in WoW Forever?
Hunter: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf and Skyborne High Order on the Alliance; Orc, Tauren, Troll and Skyborne Windshaper on the Horde. Priest: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf and Gnome on the Alliance; Undead and Troll on the Horde.
What is the best leveling spec for Hunter and Priest in WoW Forever?
For leveling from 1 to 60, play Beast Mastery Hunter or Shadow Priest. On our leveling tier list, Hunter is S tier and Priest is A tier. Each class leveling guide has a talent path from level 10 to 60.