Shadowlands DPS Performance and Representation in Mythic+ Season One

Live Posted 2021/01/19 at 12:58 AM by Archimtiros

Warcraft LogsRaider.ioClass Representation in Mythic+of course notThe Influence of PridefulPridefulManifestation of PridePridefulRing of PeaceClass OpinionsFury Warrior

Archimtiros & Max of BDGG

Despite a general community stigmatism against Warriors early in the expansion, Fury has been performing very well in Mythic+ for quite some time and even more so since their recent buff, subsisting on good sustained damage and using Signet of Tormented Kings for more frequent cooldowns rather than obscenely strong ones. While pug groups may not have caught on yet, well played Fury Warriors are easily keeping up with the strongest specs in overall damage, all the way up through +15 keys. There is still some concern however, in that despite high overall damage and frequent cooldowns, they lack the raw burst potential found in other top specs such as Fire Mage, Balance Druid, or Windwalker Monk, which limits their competitiveness in high level push groups that relay on spacing out individual cooldowns to handle packs or Prideful mobs. Likewise, while they have some useful tools in Intervene, Spell Reflection, and Rallying Cry, they lack of the overall utility or personal survivability of other "meta" classes, making Fury Warriors very good for pugs and weekly vault groups farming +14 keys, but underrepresented in competitive 20+ push groups.Balance Druid

Hpo of BDGG

Moonkin in its current state in mythic plus is extremely strong, The Night Fae covenant ability Convoke the Spirits paired with Celestial Alignment and the legendary Balance of All Things on top of the seasonal affix brings the highest single target burst damage in the game by a mile. Starfall's uncapped AoE, and the general utility tactics such as taunting with Force of Nature, Soothe, Entangling Roots, Typhoon, Disorienting Roar, and Ursol's Vortex makes Druids extremely versatile in any group or dungeon. The general shift to Resto Shaman as the meta healer also makes Balance Druid's battle res more important, as it removes the need for an engineer in the party, and innervate continues to provide a small but useful utility boon not provided by other classes. Overall Balance Druid is a top tier Mythic+ spec, with little to no downside, a massive amounts of utility, and an extremely strong damage profile.Marksmanship HunterMarksmanship Hunters are one of the best DPS specs Mythic+ and have the highest representation of any class, keeping up with Balance Druids, Fire Mages, Windwalker Monks and Outlaw Rogues. The incredible burst AoE damage provided by Wild Spirits is frequent enough to trivialize many packs, while still maintaining decent damage in between, due to the sheer number of minor cooldowns Marksmanship has to rotate through. Unlike Fire Mages and Balance Druids, Marksmanship's damage is all target capped, causing the spec to fall slightly behind in larger pulls such as the Ardenweald section of De Other Side, but the raw burst makes up for it and few classes keep up in overall damage. Hunters are aslo able to bring Binding Shot, Misdirection, Bursting Shot, Freezing Trap, and Bloodlust, contributing a great deal of utility which has helped solidify their current dominance in Mythic+.

With their huge presence in high key pushing, I expect to see many featured as one of the staple DPS in the upcoming MDI.Windwalker Monk

J-Funk

Similar to Raiding and PvP, Windwalker Monks are extremely dominant in Mythic+. With strong 2 minute burst damage potential and high sustained AoE damage much in part, because of the Calculated Strikes conduit. Additionally WW Monk has an incredibly versatile and somewhat unique suite of utility options available to them such as Ring of Peace and Mystic Touch which push them further ahead of other melee DPS. One of the primary concerns with Windwalker in higher keys in BfA was their personal survivability which has been somewhat alleviated in SL with the addition of Expel Harm and Fortifying Brew. Overall WW Monk plays somewhat similarly to what it did in BfA only now its great utility and high damage especially early in the expansion compared to the other struggling melee specs are causing it to take over the melee spot in +20 push groups.
For more information on classes in Shadowlands Season 1, check out our Class Guides!

Blood DKFrost DKUnholy DK

Havoc DHVengeance DH

Balance DruidFeral DruidGuardian DruidRestoration Druid

Augmentation EvokerDevastation EvokerPreservation Evoker

BM HunterMM HunterSurvival Hunter

Arcane MageFire MageFrost Mage

Brewmaster MonkMistweaver MonkWindwalker Monk

Holy PaladinProtection PaladinRetribution Paladin

Discipline PriestHoly PriestShadow Priest
Assassination RogueOutlaw RogueSubtlety Rogue

Elemental ShamanEnhance ShamanRestoration Shaman

Affliction WarlockDemo WarlockDestro Warlock

Arms WarriorFury WarriorProtection Warrior

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Comment by ZtinktoofThat 0.2% for Survival hunter sure is sexy isn't?
Showing off what a fabulous job they did by making it melee.Comment by NiccoloMMy 4 BFA toons: Beast Mastery Hunter, Destruction Warlock, Retribution Paladin, and Havoc Demon Hunter.

I'm QQing so hard right now.

I'm a bit incredulous about the chart, though. The affixes are supposed to be very anti-melee, yet the top 4 are all melee. Does this just mean that, if they didn't have to do the mechanics, they could have done even more dps than ranged?Comment by 1296443In other words;
Wow has a lot fotm players.

Its kinda disgusting that some ppl ask for these specs below +15.Comment by jthm91buff all the other classes and make each spec viable enough with the fotm class. people should enjoy a spec they like and not be burdened with knowing its not playable at the end of it. level the playing field even if the fotm spec does better by couple of % you can still do high keys being the spec you love.Comment by Bigglez1995In other words;
Wow has a lot fotm players.

Its kinda disgusting that some ppl ask for these specs below +15.Comment by Allinobuff all the other classes and make each spec viable enough with the fotm class. people should enjoy a spec they like and not be burdened with knowing its not playable at the end of it. level the playing field even if the fotm spec does better by couple of % you can still do high keys being the spec you love.Comment by NierielNoraThese kinds of analysis ruin the game. They force you to play a specific class, and only that class. Otherwise you are benched until you give up, quit the game and create a new character.

The question raised is whether the fact that means they're the only , and the answer is of course not. Comment by JlopezIn other words;
Wow has a lot fotm players.

Its kinda disgusting that some ppl ask for these specs below +15.Comment by darkage2It further divides the player base into those that play 24/7 (no life, no job) and the casual players. Which wouldn't be a huge problem if Mythic20+ is and stays a niche. For those that want it. But the issue is, Shadowlands is only gear grinding. Nothing else. Remove the gear grinding from the expansion, and the remaining content is playable within a week and finished. Furthermore, the gear grinding only drops gear that is usable in said dungeons. It's kinda meta, that players realizing that this kind of grinding is pointless, is similar to realizing that you are dead. The gameplay is literally dead in Shadowlands.Comment by TulkorEh there are some reasons to take some classes over others outside of fotm stuff - balance/hunter vor raging weeks f.e.Comment by chaosman66I love how people in beta cried about MM so hard they made it one of the best specs and just killed off BM.Comment by NiccoloMYou do NOT deserve any gear, just beause you pay to play. You get gear for effort put into the game.Comment by trogThese kinds of analysis ruin the game. They force you to play a specific class, and only that class. Otherwise you are benched until you give up, quit the game and create a new character.

The question raised is whether the fact that means they're the only , and the answer is of course not. Comment by Seniaabuff all the other classes and make each spec viable enough with the fotm class. people should enjoy a spec they like and not be burdened with knowing its not playable at the end of it. level the playing field even if the fotm spec does better by couple of % you can still do high keys being the spec you love.Comment by lgleonardogomesDPS is important, everyone knows. But something I don't see on the websites out there are tips on ideal compositions and how classes can be replaced in these positions. like: Shaman or Mage (lust)Comment by SarthoriusThat 0.2% for Survival hunter sure is sexy isn't?
Showing off what a fabulous job they did by making it melee.Comment by GrimdwarfThat 0.2% for Survival hunter sure is sexy isn't?
Showing off what a fabulous job they did by making it melee.Comment by tmag84These kinds of analysis ruin the game. They force you to play a specific class, and only that class. Otherwise you are benched until you give up, quit the game and create a new character.

The question raised is whether the fact that means they're the only , and the answer is of course not. Comment by LabambaprinceYou know wow class balance reminds me a lot of Diablo 3 sets.
So in diablo 3, every season you can choose between different types of set item for your character, there is usually one overpowered (sometime two) for the endgame (grift), and the rest is garbage.
Well thats the same for Classes and specs in wow (except for the warrior, warrior is trash anyways).

Its the design and balance philosophy going arround at blizzard. No talent and no ressources to properly balance the game.

Expect next season to see assassination, dk frost, bm or survival, fury and so on, shines...
Too difficult for poor devs to balance every specs there are so many buttons and things you know :).Comment by NierielNoraGear grinding has always been one of the fundamentals of this game...

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