How WotlK Classic Revives the Magic of WoW: A PVP Comparison with TBC and Cataclysm

Wotlk classic release date had put every gaming enthusiast at the edge of their seat and as soon as they got their hands on it, the playing and comparing began.

While some enjoyed the mesmerizing Wotlk experience, others were more persistent on liking cataclysm. However, some totally think that no expansion can beat the sleekness of TBC.

Therefore, we bring this guide to compare the PVP mode of Wotlk, Cataclysm, and TBC. 

What is PVP

Although pro gamers are primarily familiar with PVP and other modes of WOW, some newbies might want to know the basics. PVP is a short form for player vs. player, comprising matches in Arena, battlegrounds, and World PVP.

You can engage in Dueling or 1×1 combat, Battlegrounds for seemingly larger combats, or Arena for 2×2. However, you can also go 4×4 or 5×5. The PVP mode of every expansion has something different to offer.

The basics of the expansion are the same, yet you will get a newer experience in every expansion. So, without any further due let’s get a detailed look at the PVPs of Wotlk, Cataclysm, and TBC.

First, Let’s Talk WOTLK

Here we will take a look at the PVP tiers list of Wotlk. We are ranking all the classes and specializations according to their performance. This list will help you get an idea of do’s and don’ts during the player vs. player combat and will provide insight into potentially deadly rivals.

WOW Wrath PVP Class Tier list

First of all, we have the following tires

• S tier
• A tier
• B tier
• C tier
• D tier

Now let’s sort the specialization into each tier and also see the other classes suitable for pairing.

The S Tier

In the S tier, we have the Subtelty Rogue. It is not an exaggeration to name them as the Ultimate winners in the Player vs. Player mode. The reason for that is, they have very low damage vulnerability.

In addition to this, they can control the crowd with their Shadowdance. You should also pair them with Shadow Priest and Restoration Druid. Or, you can also go with the Restoration Shaman.

The list does not end here, You can also count on Holy Paladins‘ performance in the arena, especially in the 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 arena. Whether it is spell resistance, Sacred cleansing, or healing, the Holy paladin has it all on its stried.

The other notable classes in the S tier for PVP are

• Arms Warrior with Elemental Shaman and Holy Paladin
• Discipline Priest with Mage, SR, and Marksmanship Hunter.
• Frost Mage with SR and Discipline Priest and also with Warlocks and Restoration Shaman.

The A Tier

Some classes work well in Arena regardless of the brackets, that’s why we have included it in our A tier. In wotlk, a defensive toolkit is essential to sustain the damage. The Unholy Death Knights are best equipped for defense. The Affliction Warlocks also make their way into Wotlk PVP A tier along with Feral Druid. Moreover, Marksmanship Hunter also got upgradation from Burning Crusade to Wrath which we will talk about later.

The B Tier

The B tier is full of classes that are excellent yet predictable. Here we have a Retribution Paladin, Enhancement Shaman, and  Fire Mage. While Retribution Paladins are known for The Act of War in Wrath arenas, the Enhancement Shaman has a pack of defense and support capabilities. Moreover, the Fire Mage also got some new integrations, such as Living Bomb. The other two classes making their way into B tier are Beast Mastery Hunter and Balance Druid. Most of you will like the Starfall spell of the BD that can destroy an entire team.

The C Tier

This tier is most likely to hold you through 2v2 combat, other than that there are not very significant specs in this tier. However, if you still choose the tier we have shortlisted a few classes that might work right. The Frost Death Knight with their Hungering Cold spell is the one that can get you through. You may also like to consider Assassination Rogue and Protection Warrior. Moreover, the Survival Hunter will also work in 2v2 combat but it is unwise to choose them for 3v3 or 5v5.

The D Tier

The D tier is the least of the arena-compatible classes. They are totally one-dimensional. You can get a level up with these classes but you can not overtake the ranked 1 in the game.

In D tier we have Demonology Warlock, Arcane Mage, and Blood Death Knight. The Arcane Mage can work with some skills but if you are against Pro players you might want to reconsider your choice. Additionally, it is possible to get some action with DW in 1v1 combats but they are no good in the arena.

Now that you know the goddess Wotlk brings to the PVP, let’s see what TBC has got for you.

What TBC Brings To The Server

TBC introduced the Arena in WOW. It was the start of the utter madness of conquering the enemies. The 2v2, 3v3, and 5v5 combats to win ratings were liked by the WOW passionates.

If you like the original charm of the PVP mode of TBC, you might want to know the PVP class tiers to steal the game.

The S tier of TBC

In the S tier, we have Rogues at the top similar to the Wotlk. The Rogues made their way up due to their Stealth which allowed them to sneak around. The second one is Warlocks, especially Afflictions ones. You will see that the Warlocks in TBC have Siphon Life and Soul Link specs. In Wotlk, they now have two spells such as Unstable Affliction and Haunt. The Soul link also improved to an 11-point selection in the demonology tree and it applies to all warlock specializations. The Mages are also a great class with their ability to subdue many classes. They have effective mobility and burst damage but in Wotlk, they also have Deep Freeze and Fingers of Frost.

The A Tier of TBC

In the A tier of TBC, we are looking at Shadow Priest and Warrior. The Warrior can exert extreme pressure on the enemies as they have high burst and sustained damage specs. The Shadow Priest is also a very reliable class for healing and lets the team play defensively. It is one of the best classes in TBC when paired with Warlocks, however, in Wotlk their abilities are much more refined with Dispersion, Psychic Horror, and Improved Devouring Plague

The B-Tier of TBC

In the B tier of PVP, we have Hunters to add sustained damage. Using Hunters in 2v2 is more suitable. The Beast Mastery Hunters in TBC are much better than in Wotlk as their Bestial Warth is cut short. The second class in the B tier is Elemental Shaman. They have Bloodlust and Heroism to increase melee and spell-casting speed. If you want to play defensively, you can use Elemental Showman for off-heals. They are also capable of the Purge to get the enemy down the killing drain. They are almost the same in Wotlk with a few new skills. Finally, you can always include Retribution Paladins in your team while playing PVP in TBC as it offers Avenging Wrath and Crusader Strike. These specs can give the enemy a taste of persistent damage and mighty bursts.

The C-tier of TBC

While going down the list toward potentially less compatible classes for PVP we have Balance Druid, Enhancement Shaman, and Feral Druid. The BD came to be known as Boomkins in TBC as they were capable of Starfire. They can inflict considerable damage but may suffer due to line of sight. The Enhancement Shaman is good for burst but may lack some defense. You must know that these two C-tier classes are much better equipped in Wotlk and can be considered in the B-tier. The feral druid is the last class in the PVP and may have serious lacks in burst but is good in control and defense. However, in Wotlk FD jumped to A-tier in our list because they now have many improvements. For PVP they have come up with Predatory strikes, very effective in the arena. The Berserk is also helpful in inflicting extreme damage.

People who were excited after the Wotlk Classic release date surely got some improvements throughout the classes of the PVP. However, orthodox TBC lovers still like to enjoy the old rides.

Cataclysm and PVP Field Magic

Most of the changes that Cataclysm brings to the field are dedicated World PVP zones, rated battlegrounds, and new arena locations. These changes somehow elevated the experience of many players who wanted to see something different than previous PVP modes.

Now PVP players will get Honor points and Conquest points. Also, players will get arena points and ratings from rated battlegrounds. There are two brackets for rated battlegrounds 10v10 and 15v15. The battlegrounds include Battle for Gilneas and Twin Peaks for 10v10. Also, Tol Barad will be a new world PVP zone.

Apart from fields, Blizzard also added a fun game by improving the classes.

So let’s thoroughly see the class changes and new field introductions in Cataclysm.

The classes with more specs

The Death Knight

The new spells such as Outbreak (causes shadow damage to the target and infects closer enemies), Dark Simulacrum (places a dark ward on the enemy for 12 secs), and Nacrotic Strike.

Moreover, the Unholy and Frost are also given abilities such as Frost Strike and Scourge Strike respectively.

The Druid

The Druids can now cast the Thrash spell which causes bleed damage to the enemy. The other new spells are Stampeding Roar and Wild Mushroom. One of the notable mechanical changes in druid is the ability to dispel defensive magic, poisons, and curses with Remove Corruption.

Specializations such as Balance, Feral, and Restoration can break the enemies back with some new inclusions.

The Hunter

The hunter can now call the pet 5 and have renewed resource mechanics. This class’s mana is replaced by Focus which came out excellent as focus works like energy. The hunter can also store 5 pets and switch between the pets anytime.

The Mage

The new spells in the mage class of Cataclysm are creating a portal and teleporting a member to Tol Barad. Mage is now able to wrap time and increase haste by 30%. The Arace Missiles are also redesigned and mages now can conjure food up until level 38.

The Paladin

A new spell called Inquisition is added that consumes up to 3 holy powers to increase your damage done by 7%. The Holy can heal nearby targets, the Protection can reduce the damage, and the Retribution can attack the nearby enemies.

The priest

The priest also comes in the form of a new Mind Spike that can blast the target for 80.8652% of the spell power. The other new spell is Leap of Faith which pulls the spirit of a party member and moves them in front of you. However, in cataclysm, the Divine Spirit and Prayer of Spirit are no longer present.

The Rogue

The Combat Readiness and Smoke Bomb are new spells for the Rogue Class. You will also see some mechanic changes such as no multiple ranks for poisons and no target requirements for abilities like Slice and Dice.

The Shaman

The shaman will make an impact with Healing Rain and Spiritwalker Grace, however, the cleanse Spirit will just eliminate the curses. Almost all the Totem such as Sentry and Cleansing are excluded from the class but restoration shamans can still terminate magic debuffs by Purify Spirit.

The Warlock and Warrior

Some new spells are also incorporated in Warlocks. The major change in Warlock is the removal of Agony and Doom from curse infliction. These spells will now only cause magic. Lastly, the Warrior class will not be paired with rogues and enhancement shamans for weaponry. However, if you want to learn more about every class, here is a guide.

Final analysis

Now that you know the PVP modes of the TBC and Cataclysm, and you are aware of the excitement the Wotlk release date brought into the wow world, you have an open option to choose between the extensions. Remember, these tiers only explain the specs of classes and are given a tier rank according to their abilities in PVP. However, every player perceives a particular class as best or worst according to their experiences in the game. So, we can not pass the final judgment on what is best for you because, in the end, it’s your game and your ground.