Picking A Class for High-Tier PvP

[Jeremiah]

SO YOU WANT TO PVP!?

UNCLE APHEL IS GONNA TEACH YOU A THING OR TWO ABOUT KILLING NOOBS.

Let me assure you there, sonny-boy, PvP ain't your grandpappy's game!
...
Well, it's not really that hard. But if you found this guide, chances are that you're looking for a definitive handbook to answer all of your burning questions about high-tier and Arena PvP.

If you don't read this guide, you could end up like our friend, "Skully McDeadmage".

BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT!

You've found this guide, and you're reading it! So you won't be a FAILURE like poor ol' Skully. You just listen to me, and we'll go places. I'm talking 2.5k rating+! Maybe even 3k! Who knows!
(Disclaimer: Aphel does not promise you will get 2.5k, or even 2k using his guide. Overexposure to animated gifs may cause brain cancer.)

So, you're thinking about leveling a new class for PvP. But why PvP instead of play casual, or raid? Why PvP as opposed to other things you can do in game?

... It's quite simple, really. IT'S FUN!

PvP is dynamic, action-packed, fast-paced (unless you're a holydin). PvP is what makes the game so interesting, and PvP is one of the main aspects that contributes to WoW's amazing holding power. So why is it so fun? Unlike raiding or doing heroics, PvP isn't pre-programmed. You may have an objective (kill every mother****er in the room), but you're still going up against live players. You have to strategize and attempt to predict what will happen when, who will fire what shot, how to counter each move, or which person you should heal; it's all really amazing! No situation will ever be the same, and nothing is pre-determined. You're literally facing the most dynamic enemy in WoW, because there's no AI.

It can be a bit confusing when you start thinking about what class you want to dedicate yourself to for PvP. This guide attempts to resolve that perennial question by giving you a list of each classes' pros and cons in PvP and Arenas.

Warrior: A highly-competitive class, Warrior is arguably one of the most difficult classes to play in a PvP situation. Prot and Arms excelt at 3v3 teams, but Fury generally doesn't do well in PvP. Warriors potent damage-dealers, and we sought after for many different comps. Last year, a warrior was on the top 3v3 team, in a comp known as TSG. (Death Knight/Paladin/Warrior)


PROS:
-Good damage dealer
-Competitive PvP class
-Highly effective in teams
CONS:
-Moderately difficult to level
-Low survivability against Hunters and casters.
-Are often focused in 3v3s.
EXPECTATIONS:
-Reach armor penetration cap (Arms)
-Reach defense cap (Prot)
-Get a high-performing weapon (or shield)
-Master anti-kiting
SUGGESTED COMPS:
2v2: Arms/Holy
3v3: Arms/Ret/Disc, Unholy/Holy/Arms
RECOMMENDED PLAYER PROFILE:
Shawir

Hunter:The premier healer-killers of Arena, hunters are one of the deadliest classes in Arena if left unmolested. They deliver crushing damage in a quick amount of time. All three specs of Hunter are viable for Arena PVP, but Marksman tends to score the highest. Their quick attacks and silence shot turn the tables for their team in Arena.

PROS:
-Extremely high damage
-Fast leveling
-Strong CC
-Tranquilizing Shot
-High Avoidance
CONS:
-CCing is a bit more difficult to master than a Mage.
-Susceptible to damage
-Heavily weapon-dependant
-Dependant on Holy Paladins
EXPECTATIONS:
-Master the art of crowd control
-Reach armor pen cap
-Choose between AP and Agility
-Pick a good PvP pet (Crab or Spider are recommended)
SUGGESTED COMPS:
2v2: Resto Druid/Marks
3v3: BM/Enhance/Holy Paladin, Marks/DK/Holy Paladin
RECOMMENDED PLAYER PROFILE:
Loinclothz

Warlock:Warlocks unleash amazing amounts of damage in Arena, and are arguably the least gear-dependent of the classes in PvP. Their DoTs and CC are potent, and their pets just make more trouble for everything. Skilled warlock players will master the class, and unleash the horrors of the Nether upon their enemies in combat.

PROS:
-Strong damage through DoTs
-Fast leveling
-Low gear-dependence
-Rarely ever focused in Arena
CONS:
-Depend on healers to regenerate mana
-Are easily locked-up by rogues
-DoTs can break CC'd targets
EXPECTATIONS:
-Understand the mechanics of the class in PvP
-Learn how to 'portal jump'
-Be used to kiting around pillars
-Understand how to escape a rogue
-Understand demons and their uses
SUGGESTED COMPS:
2v2: Affliction/Resto
3v3: Rogue/Lock/Resto, Warrior/Lock/Resto
RECOMMENDED PLAYER PROFILE:
Kigz

Mage:Not unlike the warlock, the mage is a potent damage dealer and control class. Their greatest spells are focused on unleashing lightning-quick spells that tear enemies apart in seconds. Frost is considered the most viable of the PvP specs, with Fire and Arcane rarely being used in 2's or 3's above 2000.

PROS:
-Highly mobile
-Strong CC (Best in WoW)
-Mirror image (Massive strength)
-High mana pool
CONS:
-Low survivability
-LoS-management
-Gear dependent
-Mana-hog
EXPECTATIONS:
-Get used to LoSing enemies, and staying in the LoS of your healer.
-Gem for your spec, and make sure to get your stam+ to a decent level for survivability
-Practice using blink to get away from enemies and get to your healer (also good for LoS)
-Know when to sheep, and when not to sheep
-Understand demons and their uses
SUGGESTED COMPS:
2v2: Disc/Frost
3v3: Priest/Mage/Rogue, Frost/Ele/Envenom-Prep
RECOMMENDED PLAYER PROFILE:
Abni

Paladin: Paladins are the most populous class in the game, but you will be hard-pressed to find a truly skilled paladin. They are reputed as the most "easy" class to play in the game, but mastering their skills makes the paladin an invincible machine of war. They depend upon their teammates to succeed just as much as any other class in Arena.

PROS:
-Highest survivability of all classes
-Strong damage (Ret)
-Strong burst healing (Holy)
-Flexible specs
-Bubble (This is essentially a reset button in Arena)
CONS:
-Easily CC'd or kited
-Holy must remain stationary to heal
-Least mobile healer
-Focused heavily (Holy)
EXPECTATIONS:
-Understand your seals
-Understand your heals (Holy)
-Stop letting mother pay for your meals (JK)
-Don't end up slipping on banana peels (Hunter traps)
*Jokes done*
-Know when to use your bubble
-Know what buffs your team needs
-As a healer, stay in the LoS of your group
SUGGESTED COMPS:
2v2: Holy/Arms, Marks/Ret, Holy/Affliction
3v3: Holy/Unholy/Marks, BM/Enhance/Holy
RECOMMENDED PLAYER PROFILE:
Tommyo

Death Knight: Still a new class in WoW, Death Knights have been making a name for themselves in Arena. Their devastating blows and movement control put them on level with the Hunter for the healer-killing position. They are a great addition to many comps, but Unholy tends to perform the best.

PROS:
-Good damage dealer
-Good at controlling movement
-Anti-magic bubble reduces damage hugely
-Easy to level
CONS:
-Lack of definitive guides for PvPing DKs
-Has longer spell cooldowns than other classes
EXPECTATIONS:
-Reach spell pen cap
-Understand how to use your runes
-Pick a good 2h weapon
-Master the use of death grip
-Master anti-kiting
SUGGESTED COMPS:
2v2: Unholy/Holy
3v3: Unholy/Holy/Arms, Unholy/Marks/Holy
RECOMMENDED PLAYER PROFILE:
Squishyflap


Priest: The most offensive of the healer classes, the discipline priest is perhaps the most devastating PvP healer. They have the ability to dispel buffs on the opposite team, and on their own. Their bubbles and pain suppression make the disc priest amazingly survivable in 3v3s.

PROS:
-Highly-offensive healer
-Big burst heals and DoT heals
-Bubble/Pain Suppression
-Dispel Magic
-Work perfectly with rogues
CONS:
-Highly susceptible to Hunters, Warlocks
EXPECTATIONS:
-Master your heals
-Learn how to LoS ranged damaged dealers
-Understand how to use offensive and defensive spells in conjunction with one and other
-Melt faces
SUGGESTED COMPS:
2v2: Disc/Rogue, Shadow/Rogue
3v3: Priest/Mage/Rogue, Affliction/Ret/Disc
RECOMMENDED PLAYER PROFILE:
Bilian

Druid: Both Resto and Feral druids are highly sought-after in Arena teams. The damage and survivability of Feral is indispensable, and the HoTs of Resto are extremely nice, as well.

PROS:
-Highly mobile (most mobile class in arena)
-Resilient
-Lots of amazing HoTs
CONS:
-A lack of big heals makes it difficult to recover from dispelling DPS classes like Spriests, Hunters or Elemental shamans
-Highly susceptible to rogues (Resto)
-Heavily dependent on buffs (Dispellable)
EXPECTATIONS:
-Apply your heals in the correct order
-Shift forms at the right time
-Cyclone as needed, but don't interrupt your group
-Learn which feral form to use against which class
SUGGESTED COMPS:
2v2: Affliction/Resto
3v3: Warlock/Resto/Rogue, Resto/Feral/Marks
RECOMMENDED PLAYER PROFILE:
Rooftrellenx

Shaman: Totems, totems, totems. Did I say totems? Shaman. Are. Great. Elemental, Enhance and Reso are all extremely viable. They can easily kite melee damage dealers with their wolf form, and have potent abilities to devastate other teams, and supplement their own.

PROS:
-Wide variety of potent spells (totems)
-Strong support for teams
-Rare, and appreciated
CONS:
-Dependent on totem positioning
-Susceptible to all types of damage, easily killed
-Often misunderstood
EXPECTATIONS:
-Understand all of your totems and their functions
-Be willing to change your totem setup at any time to suit the team
-Accept the fact that you may die a little fast if you're not careful, this doesn't mean your team will positively lose.
-Make deadly use of your shocks
SUGGESTED COMPS:
2v2: Resto/Marks, Enhance/BM
3v3: Enhance/Bm/Holy, Prot/Disc/Resto (Double Healer)
RECOMMENDED PLAYER PROFILE:
Fadezzlol (resto)
Xroar (elemental)

Rogue: Rogues perform as excellently in Arena as they do in BGs. Like Hunters and Mages, they unleash instant, devastating damage. Rogues are able to easily escape from battle, and kill casters with ease.

PROS:
-Stealth allows for you to open up and kill fast
-Caster-killer
-Good control
-Disarm (Devastates hunters, warriors, rogues)
CONS:
-Low survivability once unstealthed
-Highly susceptible to hunter teams
EXPECTATIONS:
-Pick your battles. Be willing to switch targets at a moment's notice
-Understand your poisons and abilities
-Use cheap shot and stuns at the right time
SUGGESTED COMPS:
2v2: Rogue/Spriest, Rogue/Disc
3v3: Rogue/Resto/Unholy, Priest/mage/Rogue
RECOMMENDED PLAYER PROFILE:
Rexst

[SuperChickenofDoom]

You almost make the game seemed balanced, haha.

[Jeremiah]

Believe me, there's better balance than most other MMOs; alebit, WoW's been out for 5 years.

[Jeremiah]

Part 2 of the guide is coming soon! Look out for it.

[Jackie Moon]

Love your guides Aphel! Hopefully in part 2 you put Races and Racials and what's best for each Class!

[Phillow]

-Rogue

-Caster-killer

I lol'ed srzly every caster who knows how to play his class can easily kill you in 2-3 gcds..
a warlock with succubus summoned will kill you with one destru chain
spriest are the new pvpgods
boomkin just pop starfall (i have 1k resil but i get 27k dmg from a passiv aoe spell wtf o,O)
mages cc you till you throw your keyboard out of your window
well holy paladins just tank you
disc priest and restor shaman are kinda balanced until you meet harry potter cleave and you wish to be dumbledore to get harry expelled from the arena

[Bowser2222]

Very nice guide! I can see a lot of effort was put into this.

I personally have been playing a mage and a resto druid ever since arena's came out in BC, and as a resto druid I'll tell you that rogues are NOT susceptible to resto druids in the least bit. A good resto druid can EASILY outheal a rogue (up to the point where the rogue can actually die from thorns).

Rogues are by far the most annoying class in the game on both my mage and my druid, and I have played feral as well (and boomkin). Death Knights and warriors are BY FAR the best pvp classes in the game right now, and they work EXTREMELY well as a team. (actually, warriors are the best pvp class).

An addition you might want to add to this guide:

Certain comps, popular comps, and how to play them / counter them, I'd be glad to help out on a few mage / druid comps!
+rep!

[AfterMidnight]

Fastest time I've seen a fresh guide go out of date; at least for the suggested dk that is =(

[Trollblod]

Hmm, you mention that a frost mage should play with a disc priest, but not that a disc priest should play with a frost mage? D: It's one of the best combos for us (disc priest) ;P

[Chronic1337]

Really nice thread!

+rep

You should make a list of items to purchase in PvP and what item to get first, second, third etc. in your second thread

Kind regards,

Chronic1337

[Greedy]

I would enjoy reading similiar stuff of moonkins aswell, since i find them viable in arena. Maybe not in the high-end but meh I'm not the expert.

[Jeremiah]

I'll be posting a fresh guide with the specs I missed. I completely agree, Boomkin is a very viable spec, but I somehow forgot to mention it. It will be indexed by specs instead of classes in the v2 guide, and I'll hopefully get some videos of each major comp running, as well! Look forward to it!

[ÜBER]

Amazing overview I personally play disc/rogue and I have to say you nailed the priest profile. Gj!!

[laughy]

I'd just like to point out that you say mages are rarely speced arcane for 3s, and not only do you link to an arcane mage but he also happens to be the highest rated mage in the world.

[Sprayer1]

where are the owl droods? their starfall was Op Oo
and dk´s suxs hardly in arena atm