The shifting landscape of Mythic+ in WoW means DPS rankings are never static. Balance changes, tier sets, and seasonal mechanics constantly reshape the meta. This Mythic+ DPS tier list breaks down the strongest specializations and how they fit into the current season, with updates each patch and expansion to reflect new tuning and strategies.
What’s inside this guide:
- Tier Overview – S through C rankings for all DPS classes.
- Meta Context – Key balance changes, scaling, and group utility factors.
- Spec Highlights – Strengths, weaknesses, and roles of each specialization.
- Situational Picks – Comp-dependent specs that shine with the right team.
- Seasonal Updates – Adjusted with each patch to stay current with the meta.
This guide focuses exclusively on Mythic+ performance, which can differ greatly from a raid tier list. As of Patch 11.2, the following adjustments are shaping the current meta.
You might want to check out the following guides from us as well:
| WoW Mythic+ DPS Tier List | WoW Mythic+ Healer Tier List | WoW Mythic+ Tank Tier List |
Methodology: How We Rank Mythic+ DPS
Our rankings are based on a holistic evaluation of a specialization’s performance and value within the Mythic+ environment. While raw damage is critical, it’s not the only factor. The following criteria are weighed to determine final placements:
- Damage Profile (Most Important): The most heavily weighted factor is a spec’s ability to handle the varied damage requirements of a dungeon. This includes sustained AoE for large trash packs, burst AoE for priority adds, strong single-target for bosses, 2-3 target cleave, and the ability to funnel damage into a key target.
- Party Utility: Unique buffs and debuffs are a major consideration in building a successful group. This includes raid buffs (Battle Shout, Arcane Intellect), damage modifiers (Mystic Touch, Chaos Brand), crowd control, combat resurrections, and “Lust” effects.
- Survivability: A spec’s ability to reliably survive unavoidable damage, mitigate mechanics, and reduce strain on the healer is crucial, especially in higher keys.
- High-Key Representation: We analyze data from live servers to see which specs are successfully clearing the highest keys. This provides a real-world check on a spec’s synergy and playability beyond simulations.
- Scaling and Season Maturity: Early in a season, a spec’s base kit and tier set bonuses are heavily weighted. As the season progresses, we place more emphasis on how a spec scales with secondary stats and optimized strategies.
TL;DR Summary: The current S-Tier includes the most dominant and sought-after specializations for high keys: Frost Death Knight, Assassination Rogue, Arcane Mage, and Havoc Demon Hunter.
Mythic+ Party Buffs & Utility Checklist (Lust, CR, Soothe, Purge, Stops)
Use this reference when building a group composition. The goal is to cover as many of these powerful effects as possible.
| Category | Effect (Current) | Who Brings It |
| Primary Buffs | Battle Shout: +5% Attack Power | Warrior |
| Arcane Intellect: +3% Intellect | Mage | |
| Power Word: Fortitude: +5% Stamina | Priest | |
| Mark of the Wild: +3% Versatility | Druid | |
| Damage-Taken Modifiers | Mystic Touch: +5% Physical Damage Taken | Monk |
| Chaos Brand: +3% Magic Damage Taken | Demon Hunter | |
| Group Offensive Buffs | Skyfury — Raid buff that grants Mastery (amount scales by spec) | Shaman |
| Windfury Totem — Party members’ melee attacks have a chance to trigger extra swings (range-limited) | Shaman (any talent) | |
| Burst Haste (“Lust”) | 30% Haste for 40s; 10-min debuff | Shaman, Mage, Evoker, Hunter (Ferocity pet) |
| Combat Resurrection | In-combat rez | Druid, Warlock, Death Knight, Paladin |
| Dispels & Stops | Enrage (Soothe): | Soothe (Druid), Tranquilizing Shot (Hunter), Shiv (Rogue), Overawe talent (Evoker) |
| Offensive Magic Dispel: | Purge (Shaman), Dispel Magic (Priest), Consume Magic (Demon Hunter), Spellsteal (Mage) | |
| AoE Silence: | Sigil of Silence (Vengeance DH), Solar Beam (Druid) | |
| AoE Stun/Disorient: | Leg Sweep (Monk), Shockwave (Warrior), Chaos Nova (DH), Blinding Light (Paladin), Psychic Scream (Priest), Sigil of Misery (DH) | |
| AoE Reposition (Grip): | Gorefiend’s Grasp (DK) | |
| Immunities / Cheat-Deaths | Full or partial damage immunity | Paladin, Mage, Rogue, Hunter, etc. |
S-Tier DPS Rankings – The Best Specs in WoW Mythic+
What defines S-Tier in War Within Season 3? These specs combine top-tier damage with essential utility, making them the most sought-after for pushing high keys.
- Frost Death Knight: Unsurprisingly, Frost DK remains a dominant force. With a reworked Breath of Sindragosa providing a more consistent and flexible cooldown, its power is undeniable, making it one of the best DPS. Its powerful utility, strong personal defensives like Anti-Magic Shell, and massive AoE damage profile keeps it at the top.
- Assassination Rogue: Following massive buffs that were heavily underestimated, Assassination now produces such a high volume of damage that it is considered one of the most powerful specializations in the game. It boasts excellent priority target damage that splashes into significant AoE.
- Arcane Mage: Arcane Mages continue their reign with incredible single-target and priority funnel damage. This ability to focus down key targets is invaluable in high Mythic+, especially when it comes to single-target boss damage.
- Havoc Demon Hunter: Havoc has seen a significant rise in performance. Its damage profile, which excels at priority target damage and is further enhanced by its tier set, has become a valuable asset in the current meta.
A-Tier DPS Rankings – Strong and Reliable Contenders
These specializations are some of the best DPS classes available, highly competitive and possessing the damage output to excel in almost any situation.
- All Warlock Specializations (Affliction, Destruction, Demonology): All three Warlock specs have proven to be massive damage dealers, each with a distinct niche.
- Destruction: In scenarios with uncapped mass AoE, its damage potential is immense.
- Affliction Warlock: Has become a formidable funnel specialization after receiving major buffs, while also pulling great numbers in AoE.
- Demonology Warlock: Remains a single-target powerhouse, performing well in every type of pull.
- Balance Druid: Having received another round of buffs, Balance Druid has climbed several spots. It brings excellent group utility and increasingly respectable damage.
- Devastation Evoker: Shaping up to be a sleeper pick this season, Devastation’s performance has exceeded initial expectations. The strength of its “padding” damage—effectively killing smaller adds—is highly valuable for meeting stricter timers. While its inherent squishiness is a drawback that requires careful play, its valuable defensive utility and highly competitive damage output solidify its place as a strong A-Tier ranged DPS contender.
- Elemental Shaman: Boasting immense raw AoE power, Elemental Shaman excels in large-pull scenarios. It brings strong single-target damage, making it highly competitive on bosses, and also provides the invaluable Skyfury Totem raid buff. Survivability can be a concern, making it a high-reward choice.
- Feral Druid: In a notable turn of events, Feral Druids are performing exceptionally well. Recent single-target buffs have made them particularly effective, and their uncapped AoE with Primal Wrath offers significant damage potential in large pulls, making them a very strong contender.
- Fury Warrior: The prevalence of physical damage compositions has elevated Fury Warrior’s position. It provides the crucial Battle Shout buff in these groups, though it does suffer from target-capping on its AoE abilities.
- Shadow Priest: A strong and flexible pick, Shadow Priest’s damage is solid across the board, and it brings valuable utility with Power Infusion and off-healing. A second charge of Shadow Crash is a huge quality-of-life improvement.
- Subtlety Rogue: In a drastic re-evaluation after receiving huge buffs, Subtlety has jumped to the A-Tier. While incredibly strong, its damage profile is highly burst-oriented, and its funnel damage is lower than that of Assassination.
- Unholy Death Knight: Performing at a level nearly identical to Frost DK, Unholy remains an extremely strong choice. Frost is often positioned slightly higher due to its versatility, but Unholy is a powerhouse in its own right, with excellent sustained damage.
B-Tier DPS – Mid-Tier Specs in the Current Season
These specializations are viable but may require more effort or specific group compositions to shine, positioning them in the mid-tier of the pack.
- Beast Mastery & Marksmanship Hunter: Beast Mastery Hunter has an edge over other Hunter specs and is expected to scale exceptionally well with late-game secondary stats. Marksmanship is a solid ranged option. However, both suffer from a lack of unique utility, making them heavily reliant on raw damage tuning.
- Enhancement Shaman: Recent buffs to Enhancement were relatively minor. The specialization’s single-target damage remains a weak point, placing it behind other melee choices, and its current iteration can feel clunky to play.
- Frost Mage: An incredibly strong alternative to Arcane, Frost Mage can be a better pickup in dungeons where mass AoE is more valuable than priority damage. However, its dependency on mobs remaining stationary within Blizzard makes its overall value, despite strong mage utility, more situational.
- Outlaw Rogue: The 11.2 rework to Killing Spree smoothed out its gameplay, but the other two Rogue specs often overshadow Outlaw Rogue due to its target-capped abilities and more random damage profile.
- Retribution Paladin: Following some positive tuning changes, Retribution Paladins are performing well. They bring a fantastic utility toolkit and strong AoE, but their weakness is a lack of priority or single-target burst.
C-Tier DPS – Specs In Need of Attention
These specializations are currently considered some of the worst specs and may require significant buffs to become competitive in high Mythic+ keys.
- Arms Warrior: Fury has proven to be the superior Warrior specialization, leaving Arms lagging quite far behind in both cleave and single-target damage.
- Fire Mage: Significant nerfs just before the season went live have left Fire Mage in a challenging spot. The spec is heavily reliant on its new tier set, and the lack of access to it for most players is likely exacerbating its poor performance.
- Augmentation Evoker: Still feeling the effects of heavy nerfs from the previous season, Augmentation does not feel essential in most compositions right now. While there is potential in highly coordinated groups, its general throughput is currently quite low.
Comp Dependent DPS – Situational Powerhouses
The value of these specializations is heavily influenced by group composition. In the right environment, they can perform at a much higher level.
- Windwalker Monk: After being placed lower, Windwalker is best evaluated as “Comp Dependent,” becoming a near meta spec in a physical damage composition where its Mystic Touch debuff provides immense value. It continues to face historical issues like being target-capped on AoE abilities.
- Survival Hunter: Often overlooked, Survival Hunter is currently in one of its best states. It is quite strong and, in many situations, can out-DPS classes ranked higher. While it doesn’t bring a party buff and can be historically difficult to build a composition around, its raw damage output should not be underestimated.
Understanding the Meta: Dungeons, Pulls, and Affixes
Dungeon Design and Pull Strategy
- Trash-Dense Dungeons: Dungeons with open layouts and large packs of enemies reward specs with uncapped or soft-capped AoE and mobile kits. Specs that can quickly turn their area damage into single-target focus (funnel) are invaluable for safely clearing “big pull” routes.
- Boss-Heavy or Movement-Intensive Dungeons: These environments favor specs with strong priority/boss DPS and kits that are not dependent on stationary ground effects. Ranged with many instant casts or melee with cleave that doesn’t interfere with their main rotation often excel.
The Impact of Weekly Affixes
At +10, Fortified & Tyrannical are active on every key. At +12, Xal’atath’s Guile replaces Bargains and each death subtracts 15s from your timer.
How Affixes Change Spec Value:
- On Fortified weeks, burst AoE, on-pull control (stuns, displacements), and enrage dispels become high priority.
- On Tyrannical weeks, priority/boss DPS and personal durability are more valuable. Classes with immunities are excellent for mitigating lethal mechanics.
- On weeks with dangerous caster mobs, the value rises for comps with reliable interrupts and offensive dispels.
- During Guile weeks, strong combat res coverage, cheat-deaths, and defensive utility (off-heals, damage reductions) help prevent snowballing time losses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current S-Tier in the WoW TWW 11.2 Mythic+ DPS tier list?
The S-Tier currently includes Frost Death Knight, Assassination Rogue, Arcane Mage, and Havoc Demon Hunter. These specializations combine top-end damage profiles with high-value party tools that solve Mythic+ problems: priority-target pressure for bosses and dangerous elites, burst AoE for large trash pulls, and utility like group buffs, stops, or unique defensives. They also scale cleanly with tier sets and secondary stats, so performance holds as keys rise. Placements are re-evaluated as tuning, dungeon routes, and gear availability shift during Season 3.
How do you rank specs in the Mythic+ DPS tier list?
Rankings weight five pillars: damage profile (sustained/burst AoE, 2–3-target cleave, priority/boss ST, funnel), party utility (raid buffs/debuffs, stops, dispels, Lust access, combat res), survivability, high-key representation (what actually times top keys), and scaling & season maturity. Early in a season, tier-set interactions and base kit matter more; mid-season, secondary stat scaling and solved routes carry more weight. A spec can climb or drop without direct buffs if dungeon meta or affixes change what groups need.
Which melee DPS are strongest in Season 3 (11.2)?
Frost DK, Assassination Rogue, and Havoc DH lead melee. Frost DK brings massive burst and reliable cleave with strong defensives; Assassination excels at priority damage that splashes into AoE; Havoc offers frequent burst windows, Chaos Brand for magic comps, and excellent control. Subtlety Rogue is competitive after buffs, and Feral Druid has surged thanks to improved single-target and uncapped AoE, making it a high A-Tier option for many routes.
Which ranged DPS are strongest right now in Mythic+?
Arcane Mage tops ranged for focused priority/boss damage and Arcane Intellect. All Warlock specs are strong: Destruction Warlock thrives on uncapped AoE in big-pull routes; Affliction converts cleave into priority with funnel; Demonology remains a single-target pace-setter. Elemental Shaman brings huge burst AoE, respectable boss damage, and Skyfury to boost team output, rewarding routes with frequent stacked trash.
Where does Destruction Warlock rank, and when should it be picked?
A-Tier. Choose Destruction Warlock when the plan favors uncapped mass AoE, stable grouping, and coordinated stops. Rain-of-Fire-driven routes erase large packs and keep timers safe. Warlocks add Healthstones, curses, and combat res coverage via Soulstone—valuable insurance in Guile weeks. In boss-heavy lineups, consider Demonology instead; for funnel-heavy tactics, Affliction may edge it.
Why is Feral Druid not S-Tier if it’s performing well?
Feral delivers excellent single-target and uncapped AoE with Primal Wrath, plus Druid utility, but S-Tier specs currently provide either broader damage coverage across more pull styles, stronger priority tools, or uniquely impactful buffs. Feral sits high A-Tier: very strong in many keys, occasionally best-in-slot for uncapped AoE chains, and a safe choice for groups that value consistent melee damage and off-utility.
What puts a spec in D Tier (or near it) in Mythic+?
“D tier” typically signals poor priority damage, a weak or capped AoE profile relative to the dungeon pool, limited utility coverage (no Lust/CR/unique debuff), low survivability under high-key damage, or heavy dependence on perfect setup or gear. In 11.2, Arms Warrior, Fire Mage, and Augmentation Evoker struggle vs. peers due to output profiles and current meta needs. Any spec can time keys, but these require more comp support or favorable weeks.
How important are party buffs like Battle Shout, Arcane Intellect, and Power Word: Fortitude?
These buffs are high impact in high keys. Battle Shout (+AP), Arcane Intellect (+Int), Fortitude (+Stamina), and Mark of the Wild (+Vers) raise the team’s baseline performance. Debuffs like Mystic Touch (physical taken) and Chaos Brand (magic taken) amplify the whole comp’s damage. Coverage of Lust and combat res adds timing leverage and wipe insurance, especially with Xal’atath’s Guile death penalties.
Do I need Lust/BL in every Mythic+ group?
It’s not mandatory, but Lust/BL improves on-pull burst for trash and creates cleaner boss phase checks. Without Lust, groups can time keys by aligning cooldown cycles and relying on specs with frequent burst or strong sustain, but the margin for mistakes narrows. If Lust is missing, prioritize priority damage, reliable stops, and survivability to avoid Guile snowballing.
How do Fortified and Tyrannical change DPS value?
With both active at +10, groups must handle trash-heavy and boss-heavy checks in the same run. Fortified favors specs with burst AoE, strong on-pull control (stuns, grips, displacements), and enrage dispels. Tyrannical raises the value of priority/boss single-target, durable defensives, and immunities. Specs with balanced profiles gain consistency; extreme specialists shine when routes lean into their strengths.
What is Xal’atath’s Guile, and why does it affect comp choices?
At +12, Xal’atath’s Guile increases dungeon pressure by penalizing deaths (–15s each) and scaling enemies further. Groups gain from cheat-deaths, combat res redundancy, and defensive utility that prevents wipes. Comps with off-heals, external DRs, and strong personal defensives reduce time loss, which can matter more than a small DPS edge on paper.
What is funnel damage in Mythic+, and who uses it well?
Funnel converts multi-target scenarios into higher single-target output on a priority enemy—often by cleaving or applying effects broadly while channeling extra damage to a main target. Arcane Mage excels at priority burn; Affliction Warlock routes DoTs and shards effectively; Assassination Rogue maintains high priority while gaining AoE “splash.” Funnel raises safety on dangerous pulls without sacrificing timer pace.
Which specs are comp-dependent and why?
Windwalker Monk and Survival Hunter are prime examples. Windwalker’s value jumps in physical stacks that exploit Mystic Touch and Windfury Totem, especially with Protection Warrior or Brewmaster tanks. Survival Hunter brings high raw damage but no unique party buff; if buffs/debuffs are already covered, Survival can outperform higher-ranked specs in the same comp. Without coverage, both lose relative value.
Is Protection Warrior the best tank partner for melee-heavy comps?
Protection Warrior pairs naturally with melee DPS: it brings Battle Shout, strong control, front-loaded damage, and synergizes with Mystic Touch and Windfury. It handles large, physical-leaning pulls cleanly when supported by stuns, soothes, and grips. Other tanks can work; Prot Warrior simply lines up well with physical stacking and short-cooldown melee burst.
How does Resto Druid pair with the current DPS meta?
Resto Druid offers Mark of the Wild, high throughput, frequent dispel/soothe coverage, and elite control (Typhoon/Ursol’s) that stabilizes big pulls. Mobility and HoT-based healing suit movement-heavy keys. It pairs well with caster and melee comps, smoothing dangerous trash on Fortified and helping mitigate Tyrannical boss spikes with cooldown layering and efficient spot-heals.
What makes Arcane Mage top-tier in Mythic+ keys?
Arcane brings unmatched priority/boss burn, Arcane Intellect, and flexible cooldown windows for planned bursts. It benefits from routes that chain short, controlled pulls into frequent kill phases. With proper planning, Arcane supplies exactly what timers demand: fast deletion of key targets while maintaining overall pace, and it stacks well with magic-leaning comps via Chaos Brand.
Why is Subtlety Rogue A-Tier after 11.2 changes?
Buffs restored explosive burst windows, reliable control, and strong priority kills. Subtlety is more burst-spiky than Assassination and offers less funnel, but excels in on-demand burst for priority targets during chain pulls. Cloak, Feint, and group stops increase survival and control, which matters under Guile. In comps that already cover key buffs, Sub can feel near S-Tier on the right routes.
When should I pick Elemental Shaman over a Warlock spec?
Choose Elemental for huge burst AoE on trash-dense routes, frequent on-pull cooldowns, and Skyfury to boost the team. It performs well when movement and spread mechanics would dilute Warlock setup, or when the comp already has a combat res and doesn’t need Warlock’s utility. Pick Warlock if the plan relies on combat res, uncapped AoE (Destruction), or pure boss ST (Demonology).
How much do tier sets and secondary stats change rankings?
A strong 4-piece can swing a spec an entire tier in early weeks. As players gear up, secondary scaling (crit/mastery/haste/vers) smooths gaps and can reshuffle the middle. Some specs ramp dramatically with certain thresholds (e.g., crit breakpoints or mastery scaling), so a spec underperforming week 1 can become a staple by mid-season without direct buffs.
How should a player choose a main DPS spec for Season 3?
Focus on playstyle fit first—consistent execution outperforms chasing micro-meta shifts. Ensure your group covers party buffs/debuffs (Intellect, Shout, Fortitude, MotW, Mystic Touch, Chaos Brand), Lust, combat res, key dispels/soothes, and stops. Favor specs with priority damage and defensives that match your usual key level. With those boxes checked, any top-half spec can time keys reliably across Fortified, Tyrannical, and Guile weeks.
