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{{partying}}
'''Class roles''' refer to the "job" of a class in a group setting. At its most basic level, these include the roles of [[tank]], [[healer]], and [[damage dealer]] ([[DPS]]). But each of these roles include '''sub-roles''' and classes can also have '''support roles'''. This guide generally addresses [[PvE]] needs, but includes some info useful for [[PvP]].
 
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'''Class roles''' refer to the "job" of a player in a group setting. There are three primary roles: [[tank]], [[healer (role)|healer]], and [[damage dealer]] (DPS). These may be further divided into '''sub-roles''', such as main tank and off-tank. Groups may also choose to assign '''support roles''', such as being responsible for [[crowd control]]. Balance of class roles is critical to attaining an effective composition in [[dungeon]]s, [[raid]]s and [[battleground]]s.
   
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Choice of the role is largely determined by [[specialization]], with each specialization designed to perform a specific role. While it is possible for characters to perform roles other than those intended for their spec, the result is generally ineffective and/or inefficient, and often cannot be sustained for long.
=== Primary roles ===
 
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==Primary roles==
 
There are three primary roles in almost every [[MMORPG]], and ''World of Warcraft'' is no exception.
 
There are three primary roles in almost every [[MMORPG]], and ''World of Warcraft'' is no exception.
   
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*{{alert|tank}} '''[[Tank]]''' - Tanks protect their allies by drawing enemies' attacks toward themselves and absorbing damage.
*'''[[Tank]]''' - The role of a tank in the group is to take the damage for the group, protecting the others from being attacked. Tanks usually have high health, high armor, and often high [[Avoidance (attack table)|Avoidance]]. Their job is to keep the monster's [[Threat]] or attention on them, preventing the monster from attacking others in the group, who are often less armored and less able to take the damage of being hit by the monsters (mobs). Tanks are often the leaders of the group, the first ones into a fight and the last ones out. Good tanks can make a very hard [[Instance]] seem easy.
 
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*{{alert|healer}} '''[[healer (role)|Healer]]''' - Healers keep their allies alive by healing their wounds and protecting them from harm.
*'''[[Healer]]''' - The role of a healer in the group is to heal others when they are hurt or take damage, thus keeping party members alive in order to tank or kill the enemies. The role often requires quick reaction time and steady nerves, the healer is often credited (wrongly or correctly) with good groups and bad.
 
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*{{alert|dps}} '''[[damage (role)|Damage Dealer]] (DPS)''' - Damage dealers focus on the critical task of dealing damage to the party's foes.
*'''Damage Dealing : [[DPS]]''' - The role of DPS is to kill the monsters. This may sound simplistic, but it takes skill and know-how to dish out powerful damage without overwhelming the group's tank and causing the monsters to attack you.
 
   
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[[File:Dungeon Finder roles.png|thumb|left|Role selection in the [[Dungeon Finder]]. From left to right: tank, healer, dps. The flag refers to [[Leader|Group Leader]].]]
=== Sub-roles ===
 
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{{clrl}}
Sub-roles refer to the breakdown of each of the primary roles. For example, DPS is composed of melee, ranged physical, and ranged elemental. The following is a breakdown of all the sub-roles within WoW and the corresponding classes which fill those roles.
 
 
The role of a '''tank''' in the group is to take damage for the group, protecting the others from being attacked. Tanks usually have high health, high armor, and often high [[Avoidance]]. In PvE, a tank's job is to keep the monster's [[threat]] or attention on them, preventing them from attacking others in the group, who are often less armored and less well-suited to taking damage. Tanks are often the leaders of the group, the first ones into a fight and the last ones out. Good tanks can make a very hard [[dungeon]] seem easy. Small groups will have a single tank, while larger groups may have several, often switching targets mid-fight. Tanks are less common in PvP, but can be extremely effective as flag carriers and defenders. Despite the lack of use for their taunting abilities, tanking specs are often still effective in PvP, trading sheer healing and damage output for resilience and staying power.
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The role of a '''healer''' in the group is to heal others when they are hurt or take damage, thus keeping party members alive in order to tank or kill the enemies. The role often requires quick reaction time and steady nerves. Healers must anticipate incoming damage and balance the protection of their allies with their finite supply of [[mana]]. Healers are often credited (rightly or wrongly) for the success or failure of a group. In PvE, healers are mostly focused on the tank(s), but must do their best to keep all members of the group alive. Healers are arguably the most critical and responsible members of a group, capable of compensating for others' errors and often expected to pull absent-minded allies out of the fire.
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The role of '''DPS''' is to kill the monsters. This may sound simplistic, but it takes skill and know-how to dish out powerful damage without overwhelming the group's tank and causing the monsters to attack you. While the tanks and healers focus on keeping the party alive, it is the DPS that must attend to the vital task of actually defeating the group's enemies. The DPS must also deal damage quickly enough to defeat their target before the healers' mana expires, the group is overwhelmed by additional mobs, or the enemy [[enrage (mechanic)|enrages]] and wipes the party. The most populous role and also the least responsible, DPS are often given additional tasks such as [[interrupt]]ing and [[crowd control]].
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For a more detailed overview, see [[Choosing a class#Class roles|Choosing a class role]].
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==Sub-roles==
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{{ood-section}}
 
Sub-roles refer to the breakdown of each of the primary roles. For example, DPS is composed of melee, ranged physical, and ranged caster. The following is a breakdown of all the sub-roles within WoW and the corresponding classes which fill those roles.
   
 
'''[[Tank]]'''
 
'''[[Tank]]'''
*'''Single Target Tank''' - The ease or ability to hold [[Threat]] on a single target in a group setting. Most people would consider the [[warrior]] class to be the master of this area of tanking.
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*'''Single-Target Tank''' - tanks and holds [[threat]] on a single target in a group setting.
*'''Small Group Tank''' - The ease or ability to tank and hold [[Threat]] on 2-4 targets in a group setting. Most people would consider the [[druid]] class to be the best for tanking in this role.
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*'''Small-Group Tank''' - tanks and hold [[threat]] on 2-4 targets in a group setting.
*'''Large Group Tank or AOE Tanking''' - The ease or ability to and hold [[Threat]] on 5 or more targets simultaneously. Most people would consider the Paladin to be the king of tanking multiple targets.
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*'''Large-Group Tank or AOE Tank''' - tanks and holds [[threat]] on 5 or more targets simultaneously.
*'''DPS Tanking''' - The ability to deal high amounts of damage while tanking. Currently (patch 3.0.9), the death knight is the best tank for this role.
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*'''DPS Tank''' - deals high amounts of damage while tanking.
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'''[[healer (role)|Healer]]'''
 
*'''Single-Target Healer or Tank Healer''' - heals a single target over an extended period of time. paladins and Discipline priests make excellent tank healers.
 
*'''Raid Healer''' - heals multiple players either simultaneously or over a very brief period of time. The shaman excels at healing melee groups, the Holy priest does very well in large, spread-out groups, and the druid does well in situations that involve large areas with lots of movement.
 
*'''PvP Healer''' - heals in PvP combat. This takes additional skill and know-how. Each class can fill this role, but they do so in different ways: druids are able to sneak and heal on the run; shamans can armor up with a shield and self buffs, making them difficult to take down even if they aren't moving; priests utilize magic shields and multiple healing techniques to survive; and paladins are able to survive extreme damage in many situations due to their shields and protective buffs.
 
*'''Support Healer''' - heals when needed, supporting other healers in the raid/party. Again, all healers can fulfill this role, but often the druid and shaman are considered best.
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'''[[damage (role)|DPS]]'''
 
*'''Melee DPS''' - deals large amounts of damage at point-blank range. The rogue is the ultimate melee DPS class.
 
*'''Ranged Physical DPS''' - deals large amounts of physical damage from afar (the difference between physical and caster DPS is that physical damage can be blocked/reduced by armor, whereas magical damage can be resisted/reduced through resistances, not armor). The hunter is the only class in this category.
 
*'''Ranged Caster DPS''' - deals large amounts of magical damage from afar. The warlock and mage are both very good at fulfilling this role.
 
*'''AoE (Area of Effect) DPS''' - deals damage to multiple targets simultaneously. The mage is the perfect class for this, but many others can also do well in this role.
   
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==Support roles==
'''[[Healer]]'''
 
 
Supportive roles include all the other roles needed to create an effective party. These are not always required roles, but they do make groups faster, make fighting easier, and often more fun. There are many supportive roles but this list will cover some of the most important or common.
*'''Single Target Healer or Tank Healer''' - The ease or ability to heal a single target over an extended period of time. Most players would agree the paladin is supreme single target healer.
 
*'''Raid Healer''' - The ability to heal multiple players either simultaneously or over a very brief period of time. The shaman excels at healing melee groups, the priest does very well in large spread out groups, and the druid does well in situations that require large areas with lots of movement.
 
*'''PVP Healer''' - The ability to heal in pvp takes additional skill and know-how, each class can fill this role, but they do so in different ways: druids are able to sneak and heal on the run, making then very effective at pvp healing; shaman can "armor up" wearing a shield and self buffs, providing a very difficult healer to take down, even if they aren't moving; priests utilize shields and multiple healing techniques to withstand the stress of PvP healing; and paladins are able to survive extreme damage in many situations due to their shields and protection buffs.
 
*'''Support Healer''' - The ability to heal when needed, supporting other healers in the raid/party. Again, all healers can fulfill this role, but often the druid and shaman are considered best.
 
   
 
*'''[[Crowd Control]]''' or '''CC''' - CC refers to spells and abilities which limit an opponent's ability to fight. CC abilities are used to temporarily reduce the number of mobs that the group fights at once. Due to the fact that most groups cannot tank more than a certain number of elite mobs at a time, crowd control is often essential in preventing a group from being overwhelmed. All classes have some form of CC, but certain forms are better in certain situations.
'''[[DPS]]'''
 
 
*'''[[Buff]]ing''' - Buffing is the ability to add a temporary effect to friendly players or party members. Buffs can add abilities or enhance statistics, creating a more powerful character. These effects become more important as you level and enter higher, more difficult areas.
*'''Melee DPS''' - The ability to deal large amounts of damage at point blank range. The rogue is the ultimate melee DPS class.
 
 
*'''Resurrection''' - [[Resurrection]] is a priest spell, but generically resurrection refers to the spells which bring players back to life. The priest, shaman, paladin, druid, and, to a lesser extent, warlock and death knight are all able to resurrect, some better than others. The shaman and warlock (through buffs) are the only two able to resurrect themselves after dying, while the druid and death knight are the only ones able to resurrect during combat.
*'''Range Physical DPS''' - The hunter is the only class which falls into this category, dealing large amounts of physical damage from afar (the only major difference between physical and elemental would be physical can be blocked and reduced in damage by armor; where elemental can be resisted or reduced damage through resistances, not armor).
 
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*'''[[Wipe recovery]]''' - Assisting the group to recover from a wipe without characters having to run back to their corpses from the graveyard. This is generally performed by either self-resurrecting following a wipe, or by evading death while the rest of the group is killed, and subsequently resurrecting the rest of the group, or a healer who can. Several classes can perform this role, as can any character with certain items such as [[Goblin Jumper Cables]]. Shamans can perform solo-wipe recovery using [[Reincarnation]].
*'''Range Elemental DPS''' - The ability to deal large amounts of elemental damage from afar, the warlock and mage are both very good at fulfilling this role.
 
 
*'''[[Consumable]]s''' - The ability to create temporary consumables (which disappear after being logged out) for use in the group. For example, the mage is able to create water and food, and the warlock is able to create [[Healthstone]]s.
*'''AoE (Area of Effect) DPS''' - The ability to deal damage to multiple targets simultaneously. The mage is the perfect class for this role.
 
 
*'''[[Misdirection]]''' - This is an ability unique to the hunter, where the hunter is able to project their own [[Threat]] onto another party member for a brief period of time. The enemy targets act as if the attacks came from the 'misdirected' character. This ability is very helpful in fast-moving raids as well as difficult or dangerous situations.
   
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==Classes==
'''[[Hybrid]]'''
 
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Different classes have access to different roles. Some, such as the [[paladin]], can be any of the three roles (tank, healer, or DPS); others, like the [[warlock]], can only be DPS.
Hybrids are classes which can fill multiple different roles depending on their gear/spec and playstyle.
 
*'''Druid''' - The druid is the ultimate hybrid, able to fill the roles of tank, healer, melee DPS, or ranged elemental DPS :: Only some roles can be fulfilled at a time, often shape shifting is required, as well as spec and gear changes at higher level.
 
*'''Shaman''' - The shaman is able to the roles of healer, melee DPS, or ranged elemental DPS. These roles can be used at anytime, but gear / spec will vastly improve the effectiveness of each.
 
*'''Warrior''' - The warrior can fulfill the role of a tank or melee DPS.
 
*'''Paladin''' - The paladin can fulfill the roles of tank, healer, or melee DPS.
 
*'''Death knight''' - The death knight can fulfill the role of tank or melee DPS.
 
*'''Priest''' - The priest can fulfill the role of healer or ranged elemental DPS.
 
   
=== Support roles ===
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{{Class roles}}
Supportive roles include all the other roles needed to create an effective party. These are not always absolutely needed roles, but they do make groups faster, make fighting easier, and often more fun. There are many supportive roles but this list will cover some of the most important or common.
 
   
*'''[[Crowd Control]] or CC''' - CC refers to spells and abilities which limit an opponent's ability to fight. CC abilities are used to reduce the number of mobs that the group fight at once. Due to the fact that most groups cannot tank more than a certain number of elite mobs at a time, crowd control is often essential to prevent a group from being overwhelmed. For a guide on how to effectively use CC in instances, see the Instance grouping guide for a crowd controller. All classes have some form of CC, but certain forms are better in certain situations.
 
*'''[[Buff]]ing''' - Buffing is the ability to add a temporary affect to friendly players or party members. Buffs can add abilities or enhance statistics, creating a more powerful character. These affects become more important as you level and enter higher, more difficult areas.
 
*'''[[Resurrection]]''' - Resurrection itself is a priest ability, but I am referring to the group of spells which allow players to bring their dead friends back to life. The priest, shaman, paladin, druid, and to a lesser extent, warlock are all able to resurrect, some better then others. The shaman and warlock (through a buff) are the only two able to resurrect themselves after dying... while the druid is the only one able to resurrect during combat.
 
*'''[[Consumable]]s''' - The ability to create temporary consumables (which disappear after being logged out) for use in the group, for example the Mage is able to produce water and food and the Warlock is able to produce [[Healthstones]].
 
*'''[[Misdirection]]''' - This is an ability unique to the hunter, whereas the hunter is able to project their own [[Threat]] onto another party member for a brief period of time. The enemy targets act as if the attacks came from the 'misdirected' character. This ability is very helpful in fast moving raids as well as difficult or dangerous situations.
 
 
[[Category:WoW classes| Class role]]
 
[[Category:WoW classes| Class role]]
 
[[Category:Guides]]
 
[[Category:Guides]]

Latest revision as of 20:43, 22 September 2023

Partying Help
Tactics

Partying
Instancing

Group Roles

Tank
Healer
Damage

Functions

Leader
Crowd control
Main assist
Puller
Rezzer
Scout

Related

Aggro
Hybrid classes
Meeting Stone
Pickup group
Wipe

Class roles refer to the "job" of a player in a group setting. There are three primary roles: tank, healer, and damage dealer (DPS). These may be further divided into sub-roles, such as main tank and off-tank. Groups may also choose to assign support roles, such as being responsible for crowd control. Balance of class roles is critical to attaining an effective composition in dungeons, raids and battlegrounds.

Choice of the role is largely determined by specialization, with each specialization designed to perform a specific role. While it is possible for characters to perform roles other than those intended for their spec, the result is generally ineffective and/or inefficient, and often cannot be sustained for long.

Primary roles

There are three primary roles in almost every MMORPG, and World of Warcraft is no exception.

  • Tank Alert Tank - Tanks protect their allies by drawing enemies' attacks toward themselves and absorbing damage.
  • Healer Alert Healer - Healers keep their allies alive by healing their wounds and protecting them from harm.
  • Damage Dealer Alert Damage Dealer (DPS) - Damage dealers focus on the critical task of dealing damage to the party's foes.
Dungeon Finder roles

Role selection in the Dungeon Finder. From left to right: tank, healer, dps. The flag refers to Group Leader.

The role of a tank in the group is to take damage for the group, protecting the others from being attacked. Tanks usually have high health, high armor, and often high Avoidance. In PvE, a tank's job is to keep the monster's threat or attention on them, preventing them from attacking others in the group, who are often less armored and less well-suited to taking damage. Tanks are often the leaders of the group, the first ones into a fight and the last ones out. Good tanks can make a very hard dungeon seem easy. Small groups will have a single tank, while larger groups may have several, often switching targets mid-fight. Tanks are less common in PvP, but can be extremely effective as flag carriers and defenders. Despite the lack of use for their taunting abilities, tanking specs are often still effective in PvP, trading sheer healing and damage output for resilience and staying power.

The role of a healer in the group is to heal others when they are hurt or take damage, thus keeping party members alive in order to tank or kill the enemies. The role often requires quick reaction time and steady nerves. Healers must anticipate incoming damage and balance the protection of their allies with their finite supply of mana. Healers are often credited (rightly or wrongly) for the success or failure of a group. In PvE, healers are mostly focused on the tank(s), but must do their best to keep all members of the group alive. Healers are arguably the most critical and responsible members of a group, capable of compensating for others' errors and often expected to pull absent-minded allies out of the fire.

The role of DPS is to kill the monsters. This may sound simplistic, but it takes skill and know-how to dish out powerful damage without overwhelming the group's tank and causing the monsters to attack you. While the tanks and healers focus on keeping the party alive, it is the DPS that must attend to the vital task of actually defeating the group's enemies. The DPS must also deal damage quickly enough to defeat their target before the healers' mana expires, the group is overwhelmed by additional mobs, or the enemy enrages and wipes the party. The most populous role and also the least responsible, DPS are often given additional tasks such as interrupting and crowd control.

For a more detailed overview, see Choosing a class role.

Sub-roles

Icon-time This section contains information that is out-of-date.

Sub-roles refer to the breakdown of each of the primary roles. For example, DPS is composed of melee, ranged physical, and ranged caster. The following is a breakdown of all the sub-roles within WoW and the corresponding classes which fill those roles.

Tank

  • Single-Target Tank - tanks and holds threat on a single target in a group setting.
  • Small-Group Tank - tanks and hold threat on 2-4 targets in a group setting.
  • Large-Group Tank or AOE Tank - tanks and holds threat on 5 or more targets simultaneously.
  • DPS Tank - deals high amounts of damage while tanking.

Healer

  • Single-Target Healer or Tank Healer - heals a single target over an extended period of time. paladins and Discipline priests make excellent tank healers.
  • Raid Healer - heals multiple players either simultaneously or over a very brief period of time. The shaman excels at healing melee groups, the Holy priest does very well in large, spread-out groups, and the druid does well in situations that involve large areas with lots of movement.
  • PvP Healer - heals in PvP combat. This takes additional skill and know-how. Each class can fill this role, but they do so in different ways: druids are able to sneak and heal on the run; shamans can armor up with a shield and self buffs, making them difficult to take down even if they aren't moving; priests utilize magic shields and multiple healing techniques to survive; and paladins are able to survive extreme damage in many situations due to their shields and protective buffs.
  • Support Healer - heals when needed, supporting other healers in the raid/party. Again, all healers can fulfill this role, but often the druid and shaman are considered best.

DPS

  • Melee DPS - deals large amounts of damage at point-blank range. The rogue is the ultimate melee DPS class.
  • Ranged Physical DPS - deals large amounts of physical damage from afar (the difference between physical and caster DPS is that physical damage can be blocked/reduced by armor, whereas magical damage can be resisted/reduced through resistances, not armor). The hunter is the only class in this category.
  • Ranged Caster DPS - deals large amounts of magical damage from afar. The warlock and mage are both very good at fulfilling this role.
  • AoE (Area of Effect) DPS - deals damage to multiple targets simultaneously. The mage is the perfect class for this, but many others can also do well in this role.

Support roles

Supportive roles include all the other roles needed to create an effective party. These are not always required roles, but they do make groups faster, make fighting easier, and often more fun. There are many supportive roles but this list will cover some of the most important or common.

  • Crowd Control or CC - CC refers to spells and abilities which limit an opponent's ability to fight. CC abilities are used to temporarily reduce the number of mobs that the group fights at once. Due to the fact that most groups cannot tank more than a certain number of elite mobs at a time, crowd control is often essential in preventing a group from being overwhelmed. All classes have some form of CC, but certain forms are better in certain situations.
  • Buffing - Buffing is the ability to add a temporary effect to friendly players or party members. Buffs can add abilities or enhance statistics, creating a more powerful character. These effects become more important as you level and enter higher, more difficult areas.
  • Resurrection - Spell holy resurrection [Resurrection] is a priest spell, but generically resurrection refers to the spells which bring players back to life. The priest, shaman, paladin, druid, and, to a lesser extent, warlock and death knight are all able to resurrect, some better than others. The shaman and warlock (through buffs) are the only two able to resurrect themselves after dying, while the druid and death knight are the only ones able to resurrect during combat.
  • Wipe recovery - Assisting the group to recover from a wipe without characters having to run back to their corpses from the graveyard. This is generally performed by either self-resurrecting following a wipe, or by evading death while the rest of the group is killed, and subsequently resurrecting the rest of the group, or a healer who can. Several classes can perform this role, as can any character with certain items such as Inv misc enggizmos 10 [Goblin Jumper Cables]. Shamans can perform solo-wipe recovery using Spell shaman improvedreincarnation [Reincarnation].
  • Consumables - The ability to create temporary consumables (which disappear after being logged out) for use in the group. For example, the mage is able to create water and food, and the warlock is able to create Healthstones.
  • Ability hunter misdirection [Misdirection] - This is an ability unique to the hunter, where the hunter is able to project their own Threat onto another party member for a brief period of time. The enemy targets act as if the attacks came from the 'misdirected' character. This ability is very helpful in fast-moving raids as well as difficult or dangerous situations.

Classes

Different classes have access to different roles. Some, such as the paladin, can be any of the three roles (tank, healer, or DPS); others, like the warlock, can only be DPS.

Class Tank Healer DPS
Melee Ranged
Death knight Death knight Tank Melee DPS
Demon hunter Demon hunter Tank Melee DPS
Druid Druid Tank Healer Melee DPS Ranged DPS
Evoker Evoker Healer Ranged DPS
Hunter Hunter Melee DPS Ranged DPS
Mage Mage Ranged DPS
Monk Monk Tank Healer Melee DPS
Paladin Paladin Tank Healer Melee DPS
Priest Priest Healer Ranged DPS
Rogue Rogue Melee DPS
Shaman Shaman Healer Melee DPS Ranged DPS
Warlock Warlock Ranged DPS
Warrior Warrior Tank Melee DPS