Bellular Warcraft's nine-class guide, checked against the Forever client

2026-11-03 · ForeverDB

Bellular Warcraft ranks every WoW Forever class from most to least played in the beta and sells each one on how it levels and what it brings to a group. We checked the abilities, levels and mechanics they name against the client: most are spot on, three they treat as normal are actually new in Forever, and the only real miss is the claim that Fear never breaks on damage.

This is a community video by Bellular Warcraft, not a Blizzard broadcast. The class rankings and the 'what wears thin by level 40' calls are the creator's own. Every ability name, level and number below is checked against the WoW Forever beta client (build 1.60.1.70755), and where the client can't settle a claim we say so.

Bellular Warcraft runs through all nine classes in WoW Forever, most played to least, selling each on how it feels to level and what it brings to a group. The tier-list opinions are theirs. What we can test is the mechanics they name: the abilities, the levels you get them and the numbers on the tooltips. Most of it checks out, and a few things they describe as normal are new to Forever.

The short version

• Most of what the video names checks out against the client, down to the levels and the numbers on the tooltips.
• Three abilities the video treats as ordinary are new in Forever: the Paladin's Holy Strike (level 6), the Shaman's Fire Nova (level 12) and the Mage's Frost talent Ice Lance (level 20).
• The Warlock 'bane of agony' is the right name now: Bane of Agony was Curse of Agony in Classic, renamed in Forever.
• Ritual of Summoning really does need the caster plus two more party members, as they say.
• A few things only changed versus Classic, not versus the video: Lay on Hands is on a 20 minute cooldown (was an hour), Windfury Totem lasts 5 minutes (was 2), and Chain Lightning was nerfed hard.
• The one claim that doesn't hold: Warlock Fear can break on damage, the client says it 'may interrupt'. The full claim-by-claim table is below.

Claim by claim

Every ability the video names, checked against the Forever client (build 1.60.1.70755). Levels and numbers are the client's own.

The classes in detail

Hunter

The video ranks the Hunter most played, and the client backs the tools it shows. Auto Shot is a level 1 ability and Hunter-only. Mend Pet (level 12) heals your pet 20 health a second for 5 sec while you focus. When something gets in your face you have Wing Clip (level 12, a 50% slow for 10 sec) and Frost Trap (level 28, a 60% slow), though Frost Trap's cooldown is 30 sec in Forever where Classic was 15. The video says most players go Beast Mastery for the pet or Marksmanship for range damage. The client adds a new Forever Marksmanship talent, Lone Wolf (tier 3, level 20), that gives 20% more damage while you have no pet out, which fits the solo play they describe. We can't check the taming level or the lost ammo bag slot from the client. See Hunter changes, the talent calculator and the Beast Mastery, Marksmanship and Survival sims.

Warrior

Warrior is the demand tank. Most of what the video says about threat, downtime and move speed is feel the client can't measure. The one thing we can check is the Whirlwind Axe, the weapon they call an ascension moment: it's in the client. The Whirlwind ability itself (level 36, up to 4 enemies within 8 yards, Berserker Stance) kept Classic's numbers; only its tooltip text changed. See Warrior changes, talents and the Arms and Fury sims.

Paladin

The Paladin 'clown car full of emergency buttons' checks out. Hammer of Justice stuns for 3 sec at level 8 (up to 6 sec at rank 4), Blessing of Protection shields a party member from physical attacks for 6 sec (level 10), Divine Intervention makes a party member immune but unable to act for 3 min (level 30), and Lay on Hands heals for the paladin's full health (level 10) on a 20 minute cooldown in Forever, down from Classic's hour. The spam button, Holy Strike, is new in Forever and not a Classic Era ability: at level 6 it does 25% weapon damage plus 10 to 14 Holy. We can't check the free level 40 mount or the class quest from the client. See Paladin changes, talents and the Retribution sim.

Druid

The Druid forms land where the video says. Bear Form comes at level 10 and Cat Form at level 20, both from quests in Forever (Cat Form from The Great Cat Spirit, where Classic trained it). Nature's Grasp is still there, and in Forever it's trainer-taught at level 10 and usable in any form, where Classic made it a Balance talent. We can't check the 30% cat movement speed from the Cat Form tooltip, nor the 'first 20 levels are a slog' feel. See Druid changes, talents and the Balance and Feral sims.

Shaman

The Shaman totem toolkit is all in the client. Searing Totem (level 10) attacks for 9 to 11 fire, Stoneclaw Totem (level 8) taunts creatures within 8 yards for 15 sec, and Lightning Shield (level 8) wears three lightning balls. Fire Nova is new in Forever: a level 12 class ability that hits for 30 to 36 fire around your fire totem at 30 yd range, with no totem item needed in your bags (it was a Season of Discovery rune). Ghost Wolf gives +40% speed at level 20. Windfury Totem (level 32), the buff the video rates one of the best in the game, lasts 5 minutes in Forever, not Classic's 2. The iconic Chain Lightning (level 32) took a hit: rank 4 does 116 to 130 where Classic did 493 to 551, and it casts in 2 sec instead of 2.5. See Shaman changes, talents and the Elemental and Enhancement sims.

Mage

The Mage control tools match. Polymorph (level 8) sheeps a target for up to 20 sec, Frost Nova (level 10) freezes nearby enemies for up to 8 sec, and Blink (level 20) blinks 20 yards and frees you from stuns and immobilizes. The 'damage on the move' tool, Ice Lance, is a new Forever Frost talent (tier 3, level 20): 26 to 30 frost, tripled against frozen targets. You can sell Conjured Water as the video says, it's in the client. We can't check the AoE nerfs they describe, since the client doesn't hold that maths. See Mage changes, talents and the Arcane, Fire and Frost sims.

Rogue

The Rogue kit is as described. Stealth (level 1) slows you 50% while sneaking, down to 30% at rank 4; Sap (level 10) takes a humanoid out of a fight for 25 sec (up to 45) as long as it isn't in combat; and Evasion (level 8) adds 50% dodge for 15 sec. Lockpicking is in the client's rogue abilities too. The 'highest single target damage' line is a dev statement we can't test from the client. See Rogue changes, talents and the Assassination, Combat and Subtlety sims.

Priest

The Priest is the slow leveller. Shadow Word: Pain (level 4) ticks 30 shadow over 18 sec, and Power Word: Shield (level 6) absorbs 44 damage and, as the video says, stops spell pushback: the tooltip reads 'While the shield holds, spellcasting will not be interrupted by damage.' Psychic Scream, the escape they say comes later, is learned at level 14 and fears 2 enemies for 8 sec. The client's Priest trees are Discipline, Holy and Shadow, so the 'only class with two healing specs' point holds: both Discipline and Holy heal. We can't check the level 20 Mind Flay or the level 40 shadow ramp from our data. See Priest changes, talents and the Shadow sim.

Warlock

Warlock was least played, and most of the video's tools check out. Life Tap (level 6) turns health into mana and Drain Life (level 14) drains 10 health a second back for 5 sec. The DoTs are there: Corruption (level 4) and Bane of Agony (level 8), which the video calls bane of agony. That's the right Forever name, since Classic called it Curse of Agony. Soul Shard is a bag item, so the 'they live in your bags' gripe is real. Ritual of Summoning (level 20) needs the caster plus two party members, exactly as the video says. The one claim to flag is Fear: the video says fear, unlike polymorph, doesn't break on damage. The client's Fear tooltip says 'Damage caused may interrupt the effect', so it can break. The difference from Polymorph, where 'any damage will transform the target back', is that Fear only may break, so your DoTs can keep ticking while the mob runs. See Warlock changes, talents and the Affliction, Demonology and Destruction sims.

Where the client and Bellular Warcraft differ

• Fear: the video says Warlock fear, unlike polymorph, doesn't break on damage. The client's Fear tooltip says 'Damage caused may interrupt the effect', so it can break. The point behind the claim still stands: Polymorph's tooltip says 'any damage will transform the target back', while Fear only may be interrupted, so damage-over-time on a feared target often keeps ticking without ending it.

Sources

• The Only Forever Class Guide You'll Need (Bellular Warcraft, YouTube)
• Paladin: changes from Classic Era (ForeverDB, from the client)
• Shaman: changes from Classic Era (ForeverDB, from the client)
• Holy Strike in the WoW Forever client (ForeverDB)
• Fire Nova in the WoW Forever client (ForeverDB)
• Ritual of Summoning in the WoW Forever client (ForeverDB)