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I'm a little bit confused as to what class to play. I was playing a warlock up to level 7 and was told that Warlocks are more of a DOT Steady DPS class, by somebody, who recommended I play an Elementalist Shaman.
But I've read here in the forums that there are a couple of contenders for this, Moonkins, Mages, Hunters.
Somebody on my server even recommended a Shadow Priest.
Any insight into these classes would be appreciated - I'm new and don't really know anything about this game.
I just want to be able to level fast and be somewhat viable/good in PVP lateron. (I don't mind learning a class and playing to its potential.)
All classes have the potential to do what you described.
Choose the class you like to play most. Play those who interest you up to level 20 ( it will go fast, dont worry ) and pick when you have a feeling for the classes.
Be aware though, that the priest and the druid can also heal and that groups may expect you to do so. Warlock, mage, hunter are pure DPS.
I will tell you that as a person whose main is now a shadow priest that Twoflower is right about the healing part. I get tons of tells for groups, but pretty much everyone wants me to heal. Healers are in very, very short supply (at least on my server). I am dual specced shadow and discipline so I can switch in to healing mode when I need to, although I don't currently pug because I don't have enough experience healing in groups yet, a skill I'm working on with a regular 5-man I run with.
Also please realize there is a big difference between burst DPS and overall DPS. Burst DPS is how much damage you can do in one hit, which is kind of sexy but not nearly as important as your overall DPS. Your overall DPS is sustained damage over time. People get way, way too fixated on what they get in one hit, but you don't want to be just a one-hit wonder. Shadow priests do a combination of burst DPS and damage over time through dots and channelled spells (mind flay). One of the highest overall DPSers in our guild is a shadow priest, even if she doesn't have the highest record for burst DPS. A burst DPS class certainly can do very high sustained DPS also, but they have to understand well how their spells work, what spell rotations to use, and how the spells interact with one another.
Warlocks are best known for their dots, but depending on their spec, they can also do very high burst damage.
However, my main back in the Burning Crusade days was a warlock, and I can also say that pure DPS have a much harder time finding groups when I wanted them. There is a tradeoff. And as much problem as my warlock had finding groups some days, my hunter friends had it a lot worse. I can't speak for mages, having never played one.
I like the fact that I can play either a DPS or a healer, depending on what the group needs. I have a lot more experience as a DPS class, but once I get comfortable with the role of healer, I can pretty much count on getting groups whenever I need them and whatever I need them for. That's a pretty nice situation to be in.
And a druid has even more flexibility, because they can perform all three roles, depending on gear and spec.
I would have to say that Warlock (Destro) and Shaman (Elem) are probably one of the biggest burst classes.
Burst isn't in high demand anymore though, considering... Resilience.
Elemental is honestly one of the most ridiculous when it comes to burst considering you can stack so much crit you'll be at 40% crit without much gear at 80, with pretty decent SP... Or you can get good spell power, with around 33% crit, either way, more than 1/3rd of your attacks critting = awesome.
A lot of classes have it hard up to 20 then are super easy to 80. Some classes have it super easy to 20 than hard to 80.
All classes are about equal right now leveling wise, at least at some point.
All classes are also good in pvp, it's not exactly balanced but a lot will change before you get 80.
Finding a class you actually LIKE playing is most important because the game changes so much and so fast the class you start leveling will be different by the time you get to 80.
Leveling ease wise from 1-80 hunters take the badge.
Warlocks are easy once you get your voidwalker but no, they wont one shot mobs.
Mages are a little harder. If you go fire you can 2 shot mobs but you will have to drink every other mob. Frost mages don't have to drink so much but take longer to kill things
Druids, you'll want to be feral to 40 then switch to moonkin if your looking for the fastest leveling spec. They are also very fast.
Shaman you will probably be enhance to 75 if you want the "fastest" leveling spec.
And the last class you said you were interested in were priests. Priests are very easy if you level the right way. 1-50 go holy taking only dmg talents and then go shadow. At 50 you get a spell that gives you a large amount of mana back and you can constantly kill.
Classes that one shot things or normally classes that have a lot of downtime. Leveling steady dps is the best.
I'm sure everyone will say "well I leveled my druid moonkin from level one" and so on. But these are the FASTEST leveling specs. You can level as any spec pretty easily. These are just the fastest.
If I were to suggest any class to a new person who knows they want to dps pvp and pve at 80, need easy leveling, I'd suggest a hunter.
Elemental is honestly one of the most ridiculous when it comes to burst considering you can stack so much crit you'll be at 40% crit without much gear at 80, with pretty decent SP... Or you can get good spell power, with around 33% crit, either way, more than 1/3rd of your attacks critting = awesome.
From previous MMOs I've played, I know how important crit dmg and crit rate can be. Is the ele shaman's ability to stack this much crit unique to its class? Or could any mage or hunter do this as well?
I have to disagree with you on some points rae... Frost Mages aren't much slower, AND they don't have to eat nearly as much (Slowing the target down usually means the target dies before it reaches you, especially after 40.) and they can deal about the same DPS, especially once you get the right talent points.
Enhancement Shaman to me is not the fastest anymore, after I hit 30 I went back and forth between Ele and Enhance, finally at about 63 I went Ele and I tried Enh again once I reached Northrend, but honestly, it's not up to par at all compared to killing mobs right as they reach you. I get hit once and gain all my mana back. Repeat.
I think at 40 is when Feral Druids REALLY start to shine... Heal on crits, which helps a lot, and then that makes you level faster, then once you reach 50 it's INSANE how fast it goes.
Priests got screwed in one of the last patches, you can't 24/7 kill mobs anymore. You have to take breaks now, unless you're fully spirit lol.
As for Live...
Uhh, I'd just have to say that Elemental Shaman can do it best, considering they have like, 13% crit through easy to get talents, which you can get by about level 70. On my Elem Shaman at 79 (With awesome gear waiting at 80) I have about 40% crit with decent MP/5 and Mana. I don't go OOM in 5 minute fights.
That's what i was saying about mages. They equal out. Fire mages kill quick, eat more. Frost mages kill slower, eat less. Frost mages have a little more control over their mobs which in most cases make it a bit easier. If you want a class that is burst fire>frost most of the time unless you get lucky shatter crits.
I leveled my shaman to 70 in BC. In NR I did enhance all the way up though everyone pushed my to do ele. I never ended up doing it just because I had all the blue enhance gear. All I know is right now when I lvl ele shaman can't touch me, enhance one shot me. I don't think either have mana problems anymore though which was why many didn't like ele before. When I raid my ele I end every fight 20-40% mana......
I leveled my druid a verry long time ago but I did feral to 70. Then when wrath came out I did boom. I was just going off what the forum guides say. hehe If you *wanted* to go boomkin don't go until 50.
Priests haven't changed, least for me. Both my horde and alli at 50 I went shadow and never had any mana problems. Never had spi gear, thought I chose spi over anything else. She just hit 68 and I pull 4-5 mobs everytime and have never drank since 50.
I would consider shaman in one of the top burst. Warriors, enhance and ele shaman, and locks are all about equal burst wise. My resto druid has no pvp gear but the best pve gear so with me spam healing myself the only 3 classes that can kill me uninterrupted are warriors, enhance shaman, and warlocks.
One thing most people don't understand about shaman is at 80 you wont have as much crit. Haste>crit majorly as an ele shaman. I have full 232 gear on my shaman alt and she only has 35%. Haste is much more important.
And as for shaman unique with their crit. yes and no. At lower levels and leveling yes.
At 80 no gear at all I have a natural 4% crit. Not all classes get this some get a lot more. But at 80 crit is more important than haste to certain classes. So at 80 no, not really. Other classes will need and have a lot more crit then I do.
I'd consider 12k Starfire crits pretty bursty . But that's a L80 Boomkin w avg item level 220 (i think).
I was also feral from L20 (when I started to "get" the game) to L70. And I remember taking less time to kill a mob in Cat Form than it took for my stealth to cooldown. I was Prowling every two mobs instead. That was while levelling.
I went tank at L70 and I quested in bear form as a "ooo, more adds for my Swipe to crit off" (crits heal you for a % of max health as feral and as tank, you have lots of health ) slow dps-er.
Fire mages can get bursty with Pyroblast (if it crits), but I've always experienced them as a "steady, high dps" playstyle. It'd be a tiny party if your Fireball crits. Frost Mages on the other hand are more of a "Frostbolt sucks, at least it slows the mo... did that crit just do omgwtf damage??"
Frostbolt crits from a Frost Mage are bigger then Fireball crits from a Fire Mage. And if you have enough crit rating, there is Frostfire Bolt pwning them all .
Renata
. But that's a L80 Boomkin w avg item level 220 (i think).
) slow dps-er.
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