The mythical mode of Antorus, the Burning Throne in World of Warcraft is available – and everyone wants to be ahead in the raid. But which classes will actually be at the top of the DPS rankings as the content unfolds?
Damage in Antorus, the Burning Throne, is just as necessary as tanks and healing in any other raid. Big numbers are important here, as without enough DPS the boss is faster. The nice side effect is the joy among damage classes.
With the recently implemented hotfix for class balance, some positions have solidified, while others have shifted a bit. Also, Antorus is still young, and meaningful logs are not yet available. Most players are still wearing old gear, not the new sets.
Fury Warrior
The numbers clearly speak for the axe-swingers: Fury Warriors are currently the kings of DPS. Simulations from Simcraft have shown that the plate wearers can deal the most damage in a frenzy.
This is likely to be confirmed for the time being and not change. The synergy between the Tier 21 warrior set and the Convergence of Fates from the Night Fortress is too strong to allow competition:
The 4-piece bonus of the set increases the damage of Berserk by 25% for 8 seconds when Battle Shout is activated. Battle Shout itself has a reduced cooldown due to the Convergence and guarantees critical hits for 5 seconds.
This synergy was supposed to be removed with the hotfix on December 5th. However, there were 2 changes to the planning before release. Just before the patch, they were completely removed. Blizzard seems to not be entirely satisfied with the status quo.
Shamans
For shamans, it doesn’t matter which of the two damage specializations is played. Enhancement has higher, reliable damage. Elemental shamans have the highest potential damage of all classes, with one exception.
Due to their versatility, shamans shine in Antorus. They bring both high single-target damage and strong group damage. They are flexible, making them favorites for any fight.
No changes have been made to the totems so far. Their simulated numbers speak for them, and in the current logs, Elemental shamans are at the top. With the prevailing trend, both specializations can secure top spots.
Destruction Demon Hunter
After the self-sacrificing followers of Illidan lag somewhat behind in the last raid, they can now prove their strength in Antorus. Even though they are rather difficult to play, demon hunters achieve high numbers and ranks in the DPS comparison.
In the early tests and in the first week, the numbers looked poor. However, one should not be confused by that. In the patch for class balance, the set of the leather wearers has been adjusted and is now much stronger than before.
Although skepticism remains, the new numbers are very promising. With the improvements to the set bonuses, demon hunters might even outdo Fury Warriors.
Affliction Warlock
Affliction is one of the most challenging specializations to handle. That has long been a reason why the numbers were rather low, and few people dared to try it. With Antorus, that could change.
Currently, among warlocks, Affliction is the more popular specialization – and also the strongest of all classes. However, recent changes have noticeably reduced the damage here. In return, the Affliction colleagues are enjoying significant buffs!
The 4-piece set bonus of the T-21 set for Affliction Warlocks is now twice as strong as it used to be. This, combined with the already strong benefits for them, makes them part of the spearhead of spell classes – if you can actually play them.
Outlier: Outlaw Rogue
Rogues are being weakened across the board with Antorus. Whereas Subtlety was still among the top classes at Tomb of Sargeras, today all specializations are far down on the list. This is also due to the sets, whose bonuses are hardly useful for rogues.
A silver lining for assassins, thieves, and poisoners now comes from the Outlaw Rogue. The specialization receives a buff of a solid 4% on every ability. This allows them to surpass Elemental shamans in potential damage as the only class.
The crux of the matter is: Outlaw Rogues must rely heavily on their luck. They are truly strong only when the dice fall well (literally, thanks to Fate Dice) – and, when many players already wear the Pantheon trinkets from Argus.
The list presented provides evaluations made based on calculated DPS, previous changes and trends, discussions on MMO-Champion, and experience.
