Best Race for Every Class in WoW Forever (After the Racial Overhaul)
Blizzard reworked almost every racial in the WoW Forever beta on 15 October: weapon specializations are gone, the Skyborne got 3% Haste, Troll regeneration doubled and Blood Fury slowed down. Here is the best race for each class on both factions, which races can play what, and every racial as it works now.
By RaidForever Team
Quick summary
- The weapon racials are gone: Human Ruthless gives 2% crit and Orc Savage 1% crit with any weapon, and Dwarf Earth Fury adds 2% to crit damage and healing.
- Skyborne Wind Blessed tripled to 3% Haste, which makes the new race a top pick for every class it can play.
- Orc Blood Fury now has a 3-minute cooldown and Shatter Curse is much weaker; Troll regeneration doubled; Tauren Endurance trades its 1% hit for 2% crit damage and healing.
- Our picks: Human or Skyborne on the Alliance for most damage dealers, Orc or Skyborne on the Horde. Dwarf and Tauren for tanks and healers who want to survive.
- Racials make a small difference compared with gear and skill. Pick a race you like looking at for hundreds of hours; use this to break a tie.
What changed on 15 October
The beta build of 15 October reworked most racial abilities. If you planned your character around Sword Specialization or Axe Specialization, that plan is out of date: weapon racials no longer exist. Hover any racial to see its WoW Forever tooltip.
| Race | What changed |
|---|---|
| Human | Sword Specialization is replaced by  Ruthless: 2% crit with every weapon and spell. |
| Dwarf | Mace Specialization is replaced by  Earth Fury: 2% more critical damage and healing.  Find Treasure can also find extra items in chests. |
| Orc | Axe Specialization is replaced by  Savage: 1% crit with anything.  Blood Fury is now every 3 minutes instead of 2, and  Shatter Curse dispels Curses and Banes but only cuts magic damage by 5% instead of 15%. |
| Tauren |  Endurance gives 2% critical damage and healing instead of 1% hit.  War Stomp is every 90 seconds,  Cultivation every 15 minutes, and  Plainsrunning adds mounted speed but needs you to keep moving. |
| Troll |  Regeneration doubles from 10% to 20%. |
| Gnome |  Eureka! becomes an 8-second buff instead of 3 charges, and also boosts Power Word: Shield. |
| Night Elf |  Quickness’s movement speed now stacks with other speed bonuses. |
| Undead |  Touch of the Grave is more reliable: a 30% chance for casters and 20% for Paladins, Rogues and Warriors, with a 25-second cooldown. |
| Skyborne |  Wind Blessed triples to 3% Haste.  Skysight and  Read Leyline can be cast while moving,  Walk on Air is every 90 seconds, and convergences and leylines are more common. |
Which races can play each class
Every race can be a Warrior. Forever adds six new combinations, plus the Skyborne, whose fifth class depends on the faction you choose for them.
| Race | Warrior | Paladin | Hunter | Rogue | Priest | Shaman | Mage | Warlock | Druid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human | ✓ | ✓ | New | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Dwarf | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | New | — | — | — |
| Night Elf | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ |
| Gnome | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | New | — | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Orc | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | New | ✓ | — |
| Undead | ✓ | New | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Tauren | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
| Troll | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | New | — |
| Skyborne | New | — | New | New | — | New (Horde) | New (Alliance) | — | New |
How we picked
For damage dealers, passive bonuses that are always on beat big cooldowns: Human’s 2% crit and the Skyborne’s 3% Haste work in every fight, while Blood Fury, Berserking and Elune’s Light only help for 10–15 seconds every few minutes. For tanks and healers, survival tools like 
Stoneform and Endurance’s extra health count for more. In PvP, stun and fear breaks such as 
Will to Survive and 
Will of the Forsaken are worth more than any damage bonus.
These are our picks on the current beta. The gaps between races are small, and Blizzard may tune racials again before launch on 4 November.
Warrior
Alliance: Human for Ruthless’s 2% crit with any weapon, plus a stun break for PvP. Skyborne is just as good for damage: 3% Haste means more swings, and more swings mean more Rage.
Horde: Orc for Blood Fury, Savage’s crit and shorter stuns, or Skyborne for the Haste. Tauren for tanks: 5% more health and War Stomp.
Tanks on the Alliance should look at Dwarf: Stoneform is one of the best defensive racials in the game. Read our Warrior guide for builds and gear.
Paladin
Alliance: Human: 2% crit helps Holy, Retribution and Protection alike, and Will to Survive is huge in PvP. Dwarf is the defensive choice, with Stoneform and Earth Fury’s stronger critical heals.
Horde: Undead is the only option, and a good one: Will of the Forsaken covers the fears Paladins struggle against, and Touch of the Grave keeps you topped up.
More in our Paladin guide.
Hunter
Alliance: Skyborne: 3% Haste speeds up every shot. Night Elf is close behind with Elune’s Light for burst and Shadowmeld to drop combat. Humans, new to Hunter in Forever, are a solid choice now that Ruthless works with bows and guns.
Horde: Orc for Blood Fury’s Attack Power, or Skyborne for Haste. Troll adds Berserking and 5% damage against Beasts, which you fight a lot while leveling.
Dwarves keep 
Big Game Hunter for 5% damage against Beasts, plus Stoneform.
Rogue
Alliance: Human: 2% crit, Perception to spot other Rogues, and a stun break make it the best all-round choice, especially for PvP. Gnome is the PvE alternative: Eureka! for an 8-second burst, 5% more Energy and Escape Artist.
Horde: Orc for Blood Fury, crit and shorter stuns. Undead for Will of the Forsaken in PvP. Skyborne for Haste.
Night Elf Rogues are harder to see in Stealth thanks to Quickness. See our Combat Rogue guide for builds.
Priest
Alliance: Human: 2% crit on heals and damage, and 5% more Spirit. Dwarf for Stoneform and Earth Fury’s bigger critical heals. Gnome, new to Priest, gets a version of Eureka! that also boosts heals and Power Word: Shield, plus 5% more mana.
Horde: Undead for Will of the Forsaken, which beats fears, and the caster version of Touch of the Grave. Troll for Berserking’s 10% faster casting and doubled Regeneration.
Night Elves are fine Priests too, with Elune’s Light for a 15-second crit window.
Shaman
Alliance: Dwarf is the only Alliance option, new in Forever: Stoneform for safety and Earth Fury for bigger crits on heals and lightning alike.
Horde: Skyborne: 3% Haste is great for every spec. Orc is the classic pick for Enhancement and Elemental, since Blood Fury boosts both Attack Power and Spell Power. Tauren for Restoration and PvP, with more health and War Stomp.
Troll Shamans get Berserking for a 10-second burst.
Mage
Alliance: Human for 2% crit. Gnome for Eureka!, 5% more mana and Escape Artist, which matters in PvP. Skyborne for 3% faster casting and Read Leyline between fights.
Horde: Orc, new to Mage in Forever: Blood Fury adds Spell Power and Savage adds crit. Undead for Will of the Forsaken in PvP. Troll for Berserking.
Warlock
Alliance: Human for 2% crit. Gnome for Eureka! and 5% more mana; Eureka! only boosts direct damage, so it suits Destruction best.
Horde: Orc for Blood Fury’s Spell Power and Savage’s crit. Undead for Will of the Forsaken and Touch of the Grave. Troll, new to Warlock, for Berserking.
Druid
Alliance: Night Elf for Elune’s Light, Shadowmeld and a stealthier Cat Form, or Skyborne for 3% Haste and its own druid forms.
Horde: Tauren for Feral and Bear tanks: 5% more health, War Stomp and Endurance’s bigger crits. Skyborne for Haste and its own forms.
Druids have the smallest choice of races, so pick the forms you like the look of.
Picked your race? Start at 60
Every racial in WoW Forever
Each race’s racials as they work since 15 October.
Alliance
Human
Alliance- Ruthless — +2% crit chance with all spells and attacks, whatever your weapon. It replaced Sword Specialization.
- Will to Survive — removes all stuns, every 3 minutes.
Perception — much better Stealth detection for 20 sec.
The Human Spirit — +5% Spirit.
Dwarf
Alliance- Stoneform — removes and blocks bleeds, poisons and diseases, and cuts physical damage taken by 10% for 8 sec.
- Earth Fury — +2% critical strike damage and healing. It replaced Mace Specialization.
- Big Game Hunter — +5% damage against Beasts.
- Find Treasure — shows nearby treasure on the minimap, and now gives a chance at extra items from most chests.
Night Elf
Alliance
Elune’s Light — +10% crit chance with all spells and attacks for 15 sec, every 3 minutes.
Shadowmeld — slip into the shadows while standing still; used in combat, enemies stop attacking you.- Quickness — +1% dodge and +2% movement speed, which now stacks with other speed bonuses. Night Elf Rogues and Druids are also harder to spot in Stealth.
Wisp Spirit — move 75% faster as a wisp after dying.
Gnome
Alliance- Eureka! — for 8 sec, your abilities cost 10% less and deal 10% more damage, every 2 minutes.
Expansive Mind — +5% maximum Mana.
Escape Artist — break free of snares and roots, with 3 sec of immunity.
Engineering Specialization — engineering gadgets fail or backfire 20% less often.
Eureka! and Expansive Mind have one version per class: Warriors get Rage, Rogues Energy, and casters Mana.
Horde
Orc
Horde- Blood Fury — +10% Attack Power and Spell Power for 15 sec, now every 3 minutes (was 2).
- Savage — +1% crit chance with all spells and abilities, whatever your weapon. It replaced Axe Specialization.
Hardiness — stuns on you last 20% shorter.- Shatter Curse — removes Curses and Banes and cuts magic damage taken by 5% for 8 sec (it used to grant immunity and 15%).
Undead
Horde- Touch of the Grave — your spells and attacks can drain up to 5% of your health from the target: a 30% chance for casters and 20% for Paladins, Rogues and Warriors, at most once every 25 sec.
- Will of the Forsaken — removes charm, fear and sleep, every 2 minutes.
Cannibalize — regenerate health and mana from a nearby humanoid or undead corpse.
Underwater Breathing — your breath lasts 300% longer underwater.
Tauren
Horde- Endurance — +5% health and +2% critical strike damage and healing (it used to give 1% hit).
- War Stomp — stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yards for 2 sec, now every 90 sec.
- Plainsrunning — build up to 30% extra run speed while moving, and 3% extra mounted speed.
- Cultivation — grow a copy of a nearby herb to pick without Herbalism, now every 15 minutes.
Troll
Horde
Berserking — +10% attack and casting speed for 10 sec, every 3 minutes.- Regeneration — 20% faster health regeneration (was 10%), and 20% of it continues in combat.
Rapid Regeneration — regenerate half your health over 6 sec while standing still.
Beast Slaying — +5% damage against Beasts.
Both factions
Skyborne
Alliance or Horde- Wind Blessed — +3% melee, ranged and spell Haste (it was 1%).
Elemental Insight — +5% damage against Elementals.- Walk on Air — glide downward through the air for 10 sec, every 90 sec.
- Skysight — Horde only: +10% run and mounted speed for 15 min near an elemental convergence, or 30 sec elsewhere. Now castable while moving, and convergences are more common.
- Read Leyline — Alliance only: +100% health and mana regeneration for 15 min near a leyline, or at least 30 sec elsewhere. Now castable while moving, and leylines are more common.
More about the new race in our Skyborne guide, and if you haven’t chosen a class yet, start with which class to play.
FAQ
Do racials matter much in WoW Forever?
A little. The best racials are worth a few percent of damage or survival, far less than your gear, talents and play. Pick the race you enjoy, and use racials to break a tie.
What happened to weapon specializations in WoW Forever?
They were removed on 15 October. Human Sword Specialization became Ruthless (2% crit with anything), Orc Axe Specialization became Savage (1% crit) and Dwarf Mace Specialization became Earth Fury (2% more critical damage and healing).
Are the Skyborne good in WoW Forever?
Very. Wind Blessed now gives 3% Haste all the time, which makes the Skyborne one of the best picks for every class they can play: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid on both factions, plus Shaman on the Horde and Mage on the Alliance.
What is the best Horde race in WoW Forever?
For most damage dealers, Orc or Skyborne. Orc brings Blood Fury, 1% crit and shorter stuns; Skyborne brings 3% Haste. Undead is best for PvP, and Tauren for tanks.
What is the best Alliance race in WoW Forever?
For most damage dealers, Human or Skyborne. Human brings 2% crit and a stun break; Skyborne brings 3% Haste. Dwarf is the defensive choice for tanks and healers.
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