Season of Discovery Phase 2 DPS Tier List (Level 40) - Best DPS Class & Specs Ranked in SoD

Season of Discovery Phase 2 DPS Tier List (Level 40) - Best DPS Class & Specs Ranked in SoD

12/27/2023 2:41:39 PM

Tag: WoW Classic Guides

With Phase 2 of World of Warcraft Season of Discovery looming, preparation is key! Choosing the right DPS in Season of Discovery can be exciting, but also a bit overwhelming. Therefore, we bring you the Season of Discovery Phase 2 DPS tier list, and rank the best DPS class and specs at level 40!

Season of Discovery Phase 2 Best DPS Ranking - SoD Level 40 DPS Tier List

If you prefer ranged or melee combat, Hunters, Mages, and Warlocks excel at ranged DPS, while Rogues, Warriors, and Feral Druids thrive in melee range. If you enjoy fast-paced rotations with frequent button presses, or something more methodical and strategic, classes like Warlocks and Mages can have complex rotations, while Hunters and Fury Warriors often have simpler playstyles. If you like high burst damage or consistent sustained damage, Hunters and Rogues excel at burst damage, while Warlocks and Mages offer more sustained output. Next, let's dive into our WoW Classic Phase 2 DPS ranking!

S Tier

Assassination Rogue

The Assassination Rogue is currently performing exceptionally well, standing at the top of the WoW SoD Phase 2 DPS rankings. The class has been significantly empowered by the inclusion of specific runes in the game. One such rune, Deadly Poison, scales poison damage with the Rogue's Attack Power, creating a potent combination with the Envenom ability. This synergy results in substantial sustained damage output. Additionally, the combination of Sinister Strike's scaling and the bleed effect further enhances the Rogue's damage capabilities. Currently, the best Assassination Rogue is reported to be achieving around 235 DPS. This impressive performance is further augmented by the class's high mobility and crowd control abilities, which are expected to improve as the game progresses. The scalability of the Rogue, especially with the current gear and Deadly Brew, positions it as the top best DPS class in the Season of Discovery level 40.

Beast Mastery Hunter

As for the Beast Mastery Hunter, this class is known for its consistent high damage output and ease of farming, both in terms of elites and gold. However, there's a unique aspect to playing a Beast Mastery Hunter in the current meta. Approximately 50% of the Hunter's damage is attributed to their pet, which makes the gameplay experience feel somewhat divided. While the Hunter itself is dealing significant damage, a large portion of it is actually coming from the pet. This dynamic can lead to a sense of diminished agency for the player. Despite this, after several nerfs, the class remains in a strong position. The Rune of Biznicks is particularly powerful, further boosting the Hunter's capabilities. Although the class excels in damage output and farming efficiency, the reliance on the pet and the lack of new gameplay elements compared to other classes in the Season of Discovery phase might make the experience less engaging for some players.

Arms Warrior

For no one's surprise, the Warrior is in the top tier. The best Warrior can do 233 DPS. The combination of Raging Blow and Berserker Rage is incredibly powerful, allowing Warriors to constantly have the

A Tier

Retribution Paladin

The most versatile and the most overpowered Season of Discovery Phase 2 DPS class right now is the Retribution Paladin. They excel in raids, elite farming, AoE farming, and PvP. With their Crusader's Shield, which significantly slows enemies, and their Hammer of Justice stun, Retribution Paladins are formidable in combat. Despite lacking mobility, they don't need it due to their powerful toolkit.

Feral Druid

The Feral Druid is also very versatile. The best Feral Druid can currently do 206 DPS. Everyone wants a Feral Druid in their raid for their Wide Strikes, which function like Windfury, benefiting physical damage classes. Their Mangle rune also enhances bleed effects, greatly increasing DPS. Feral Druids bring buffs, Battle Resurrection, and significant single-target damage.

Destruction Warlock

Next, we have the Warlock, unsurprisingly the best caster class. The best Warlock can currently do 207 DPS. The efficiency of rune abilities in terms of Mana usage benefits Warlocks, who typically would cast Shadow Bolt. Spells like Chaos Bolt and Incinerate cost little Mana, and spamming Chaos Bolt is more beneficial than using Shadow Bolt. Warlocks also offer great utility for AoE damage and have pets and Soulstone, making them the top DPS best SOD Phase 2 DPS Class

B Tier

Arcane Mage

The Arcane Mage is incredibly powerful for area farming and has many resources for AoE pulls. With abilities like Frost Nova and Mana Shield, the Arcane Mage is extremely strong right now. The best Arcane Mage currently does 152 DPS and is much more consistent than the Fire Mage.

Fire Mage

The Fire Mage, also in the B tie of our WOW Classic Season of Discovery Phase 2 DPS tier list, has excellent resources like the Burnout rune, but still doesn't quite stand out, especially when compared to the Arcane Mage. Nevertheless, Fire Mages are enjoyable to play, and the best one currently deals 185 DPS. With access to Burnout, which increases critical damage, Fire Mages consistently produce high numbers. However, the Arcane Mage is much more consistent.

Balance Druid

We have the Balance Druid in the B tier. The recent buffs have benefited the Druid, especially in PvP against Paladins and Shamans, thanks to the buffed Starfall. The best Druid support can currently do 135 DPS. However, Druids lack access to their Moonkin Form, which will significantly enhance their performance in the next phase.

C Tier

Enhancement Shaman

Enhancement Shaman is the weakest among physical DPS classes. It suffers similarly to the Shadow Priest and Frost Mage, lacking access to key talents like Flurry and Stone Strike. Like the Shadow Priest, I believe this class will shine in the next phase, but for now, it's mainly used as a Mana battery through Shamanistic Rage. However, without Windfury Weapon, Enhancement Shamans fall short.

Elemental Shaman

The best Elemental Shaman currently can deal 139 DPS. The main issue for Elemental Shamans now is that the rank 4 Lightning Bolt, which is obtained at level 24, has a 3-second cast. This means the Elemental Shaman's rotation is limited to using Flame Shock, Lava Burst, and then casting Lightning Bolts. Even with recent buffs to Lava Burst and the 50% chance to trigger an additional Lava Burst, Chain Lightning, or Lightning Bolt, the damage output is still not as high as expected. Additionally, they don't have access to Chain Lightning yet, which limits their AoE damage.

Shadow Priest

Next in the WoW SoD level 40 DPS tier list is the Shadow Priest. Despite several buffs in the past few weeks, the Shadow Priest still struggles to take off. However, I feel it's one of those classes that will be much talked about in the next phase. Right now, the best Shadow Priest can do 126 DPS, but similar to the Frost Mage, it lacks access to talents that would significantly enhance its damage, like Shadow Weaving, Darkness, and Shadowform. This class will likely have a much greater impact in the next phase with access to these talents.

D Tier

Frost Mage

The best Frost Mage currently can do 90 DPS. The issue with Frost Mages right now is that with a level cap of 25, they don't have access to the Frost talents that enhance the runes they're using, like Icelance and Fingers of Frost. The Shatter talent, which significantly increases critical hit damage, is not fully accessible, leaving Frost Mages far behind.