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Shaman or Warrior: Which Should You Play in WoW Forever?
Pick the Shaman if you want faster, easier leveling and a choice of healing, melee or caster roles. Pick the Warrior if you want to tank or play strong melee PvP.
Shaman vs Warrior verdict
3 Shaman 1 Warrior 2 even
For most players the Shaman wins. It levels faster, heals itself, solos better and farms gold more easily.
The Warrior wins PvP with Mortal Strike, Hamstring and Intercept, and it is the class to pick if you want to tank. Dungeons and raids are even.
Shaman vs Warrior: head-to-head comparison
| Category | Shaman | Warrior |
|---|---|---|
| Leveling speed | Winner Enhancement with a slow two-hander kills steadily with almost no downtime; totems ease most fights. | Rough at first: take it slow, keep gear current. Arms with a slow two-hander is the pick once it gets rolling. |
| Solo play | Winner Totems, heals, and three roles of flexibility. Comfortable, if never hands-off. | Not a natural solo class, and almost no self-healing is the main weakness. |
| Dungeons | Even Totems buff the whole party, and Restoration can heal or off-heal; groups are glad to see one. | Even Protection is the classic tank: Shield up, holds aggro, shrugs off boss hits. The toughest tank, an instant group pick. |
| Raiding | Even Raids usually bring two: Windfury and Strength of Earth totems make the whole melee group stronger. | Even Tanks and Fury DPS are both raid staples once the hit gear lands; hungry for hit gear first. |
| PvP | Weaker in PvP; Enhancement can surprise but lacks control. | Winner Strong in PvP. Deep Arms with Mortal Strike and the Spearing Strike dismount is still the classic duelist, and Orcs resist stuns. |
| Gold farming | Winner Enhancement grinds steadily with low downtime; totems keep the pace safe. | Slow, gear-hungry farming with no self-heal. Warriors farm because they must, not because it is fun. |
Playing Shaman in this matchup
Enhancement Shamans level with a two-handed weapon, Windfury, Stormstrike and Maelstrom Weapon, and Healing Wave keeps you going.
At 60 Restoration heals, Elemental casts lightning with Lightning Mastery, and totems buff your party.
Where the Shaman falls short
You cannot tank, and totems need managing.
Playing Warrior in this matchup
Warriors level slowly: you build Rage by fighting, eat after most pulls and rely on your weapon. Victory Rush heals you after kills.
At 60 Protection tanks with 80% Defensive Stance threat and Shield Wall, Fury dual-wields with Bloodthirst and Reckless Swings, and Arms uses Mortal Strike.
Where the Warrior falls short
Leveling is slow, and you depend on gear and healers.
How WoW Forever's talent changes shift this matchup
Both classes changed on 2 November. Shamans lost Lava Burst and gained Call of Thunder, Lightning Mastery and Totemic Call, and Stormstrike hits harder.
Warriors got 80% Defensive Stance threat, a 15 second Slam cooldown, Revenge scaling with Attack Power, and Reckless Swings and Improved Whirlwind in place of Raging Blows.
Which should you pick: Shaman or Warrior?
- You want the smoother leveling ride with totems and almost no downtime.
- You like making the whole group stronger with Windfury and free totem stats.
- You want melee, caster, and healer options without rerolling.
- Enhancement's Maelstrom Weapon hybrid style sounds like your kind of fun.
- You want a raid spot: raids usually bring two shamans.
- The new Dwarf Shaman combo tempts you to the Alliance side.
- You want to tank: Protection is the classic tank and an instant group pick.
- You want to duel: Arms with Mortal Strike is still the classic duelist.
- You enjoy the gear chase: Fury gets dangerous once the hit gear lands.
- You prefer one clear job done excellently over three jobs done well.
- You like the new tools: Bloodthrill payoffs, Weaponmaster choices, Vanguard charges.
- You have a leveling partner to cover the rough start.
Shaman and Warrior race options
Shaman has 5 race choices and Warrior has 10. Races marked new could not play the class in Classic Era. See the racials guide for what each race brings.
| Faction | Shaman | Warrior |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | DwarfNew | Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome, Skyborne High OrderNew |
| Horde | Orc, Tauren, Troll, Skyborne WindshaperNew | Orc, Undead, Tauren, Troll, Skyborne WindshaperNew |
Plan your Shaman or Warrior build
Plan your points before paying for a respec. Open the Shaman talent calculator or the Warrior talent calculator, or try a starter build for your preferred role. The class picking guide compares all nine classes if you are still undecided.
Shaman vs Warrior: common questions
I want to tank dungeons. Which one?
The Warrior. Shamans have no tanking spec in WoW Forever.
Is warrior leveling really as bad as people say?
It is the slowest of any class until you have good weapons. Victory Rush and grouping with a healer help a lot.
Which one do raids want more?
Both. Raids need Warrior tanks and melee, and Shamans for healing and totems.
Should I level with a partner on one of these?
Yes. A Warrior and Shaman pair well: the Shaman heals and buffs, and the Warrior tanks.
Which races can play Shaman and Warrior in WoW Forever?
Shaman: Dwarf on the Alliance; Orc, Tauren, Troll and Skyborne Windshaper on the Horde. Warrior: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome and Skyborne High Order on the Alliance; Orc, Undead, Tauren, Troll and Skyborne Windshaper on the Horde.
What is the best leveling spec for Shaman and Warrior in WoW Forever?
For leveling from 1 to 60, play Enhancement Shaman or Arms Warrior. On our leveling tier list, Shaman is A tier and Warrior is B tier. Each class leveling guide has a talent path from level 10 to 60.