Ranged DPS Class Guide

[Clanked]

There doesn’t seem to be a consolidated place of information on classes. It’s all spread amongst hundreds of threads.
Hopefully I can gather all that information and put it into a useful format for answering that all too important question: "What classes should I pick?"

This will be a constant work in progress, so please leave comments so that I can edit my post to make it more accurate.
So without further ado, I present to you my information on each Ranged DPS Class/Spec:

My categories of ranking are as follows:

Single Target DPS (ST):
Self Explanatory.

AOE DPS (AOE):
How well does the class AOE?
Extra points for no brainer AOE (ex. Arcane Explosion)

Crowd Control (CC):
Poly/Hex/Seduce/Banish

Survivability (SUR):
How well can the class react to any situation?
Usually Fears/Snares/Traps/Etc.

Synergy (SYN):
What does the class bring to the group in addition to doing its role.
Totems/Buffs/Skills that help others in the group. Will list what items each class brings to the group.

Stack Factor (STK):
Does adding more of this class to your group gain you additional buffs? (Think Paladin Auras)

Micromanagement (MM):
A basic feeling of how much you can get out of the class with only a few keys.
If you are a Korean Starcraft player, I don't expect you to care about this because you can already use all the abilities of your five different classes.
Better rating = Less keys needed.

Overall (ALL):
All seven categories added together. Max is 70.

[Clanked]

Shaman
Healing, Totems, Bloodlust

ST--[------7---]
AOE-[------7---]
CC--[---4------]
SUR-[---4------]
SYN-[---------10]
STK-[--------9-]
MM--[---------10]
ALL-[------7---] - 51 Total

Shamans are the cliché multibox class for obvious reasons. They stack well, are easy to use, and can heal the group.
If you are new to multi-boxing this is probably the class you want to use the most of. They are easy to setup, and stack well.
Their DPS won't be what a pure DPS class is, but that’s the tradeoff.
Their AOE must be targeted.
Bringing additional shamans means totems, TOtems, TOTEMS! Bloodlust rotations, and multiple chain heals.
The more chain heals you have casted at once, the more your group gets healed.

Mage
INT Buff, Portals, Food/Water

ST--[---------10]
AOE-[---------10]
CC--[------7---]
SUR-[--3-------]
SYN-[----5-----]
STK-[1---------]
MM--[---------10]
ALL-[-----6----] - 44 Total

Mages bring an AI buff, as well as food/water to the table (literally).
Mages are glass cannons, point them at a target, and they unleash hell until they get killed.
They also have the best AOE in the game (arcane explosion) It requires no targeting for Aoe.
Bringing more than one mage won't gain you additional buffs. They are however the highest ranged DPS class in the game. That means lots of DMG.

Warlock
Soulstone, STAM Buff (w/ Imp), Curses, Pets

ST--[--------9-]
AOE-[--------9-]
CC--[----5-----]
SUR-[--3-------]
SYN-[-------8--]
STK-[-------8--]
MM--[------7---]
ALL-[------7---] - 49 Total

Warlocks bring a STAM buff if their IMP is out, as well as Soulstones.
Curses have various effects on the enemy, the more warlocks you have, the more curses you can apply.
Like mages they are glass cannons. Their aoe however requires targeting to use effectively.
Bringing additional Warlocks means more stoulstones, more pets, more curses.
Although not as much DPS as mages, stacking locks will be a very high DPS group that has a little more versatility.

[Clanked]

Hunter
Expose Weakness, Pets

ST--[-------8--]
AOE-[----5-----]
CC--[------7---]
SUR-[--------9-]
SYN-[--3-------]
STK-[----5-----]
MM--[-------8--]
ALL-[-----6----] - 45 Total

Hunters bring pets to the fight, as well as AP buffs for the group. Enemy DMG reduction, and various other debuffs depending on what pet is brought.
They are very survivable due to traps, an instant aggro dump, pets who can tank, and wearing mail.
More hunters means more pets. That can mean more tanks, or different debuffs, or more DPS. It all depends on what you want to bring with you.
A potential downside to hunters is the cost of bullets/arrows.


Druids
Still looking for more information on druids. What do they bring to the fight.

ST--[------7---]
AOE-[-----6----]
CC--[--3-------]
SUR-[--------9-]
SYN-[-------8--]
STK-[----5-----]
MM--[--3-------]
ALL-[-----6----] - 41 Total


Shadow Priest
Stam Buff / Spr Buff (if specced) / Mana-HP Regen for Group / ShadowDmg Buff

ST--[--------9-]
AOE-[--3-------]
CC--[--3-------]
SUR-[----5-----]
SYN-[---------10]
STK-[--------9-]
MM--[1---------]
ALL-[-----6----] - 40 Total

Shadow priests are an interesting thing. They bring awesome things to the rest of the group, but require quite a bit of micro management to get the most out of them. You have to constantly be watching which dots are about to drop, as well as paying attention to what cooldowns are up. If you can manage playnig them they provide synergy ilke no other. All the damage they do gets passed to the rest of your group as both health and mana. They bring a shadow damage debuff as well, so warlocks will get a damage boost grouping with a shadow priest.
Their AOE consists of target-dotting. Not very good at all.
If you stack priests, your group recieves more Mana/Health back, more shields, and more aoe fears.

[ElectronDF]

I love my hunters. For buffs, Furious howl (AP for pets and hunters), screech (lowers damage to all mobs), thunderstomp (multiple gorillas will guarantee even if one dies, the other will still have aggro), one hunter can be marks (trueshot aura---I don't do it, not worth all the trouble and like BM too much), bring a wasp and armor debuff helps everyone (pets and hunters).

Survivability is through the roof. Even if my 3 tank pets die, I can trap mobs and feign. The pets don't need food anymore with mend pet glyph and talents.

For ammo, get a slow weapon. I use about a 2.9. I also don't get serpent swiftness. What? Herasy. My pets can't lock down a caster anymore, so their speed isn't important to me. My speed just means I use more ammo. I can use special attacks to get the DPS I want. I have never had a problem with DPS.

But since you listen them seperate, synergy, if you choose different pets (all 5 different for PVP and DPS---or 2-3 different and 2-3 for tanks for hard PVE), you get stacking and seperate benefits. 2-3 tank pets mean even if one gets CC, dies, etc. you are still fine. I like tallstrider and hyena for PVP as my standins. Enemy slowed and going to miss 1 attack, AP debuff and attackers AP buffed. Not bad.

Not saying they are the end all of groups, but there is a reason solo people that don't know how to play use hunters, they are easy and fun. That just stacks 5 times for a boxer.

[algol]

If you're new, you should pick shamans.

Anyone who should do differently will disregard that and choose for themselves anyway. Therefore new people should pick shamans.

[Clanked]

I updated the hunter stats, as well as reinforced that new people should probably choose shamans due to their ease.

I need more information on druids. Someone, anyone. Please.
As always if you have comments please leave them, you will only help make it more accurate.

[Anhvariel]

What level are your ratings based on, as some classes gain spells which might change their ratings in later levels?

I think the hunter ratings are still a bit out. From what I have heard, at the moment Volley spam is doing damage on par if not better than mage AOE at higher levels. Also i think the micromanagement rating is probably a tad high for them. At the very least, you can send pet, hunters mark, autoattack and be doing a solid amount of damage, and that's without even worrying about any casting or specials. Naturally most people would be doing a lot more, but in situations where things get a little hectic with boxing, your hunter is still contributing.

For shaman, did you factor Hex into your CC rating for them?

[ahi]

I am trying to get more druids into my mixed group.

I was thinking all boomkins. their +crit / hit aura does not stack

but they bring Innervate, tranquility, mark of wild, aoe, treant pets, super armour bonus
can rex, can BATTLE rez, AND can _stealth_ (more and more important for going afk on Pvp server).

I would say <<for Boomkin at level 60>>

ST--[------7---]
AOE-[-----6---]
CC--[----3------] << entangle outdoor>>
SUR-[----5-----]
SYN-[-------8--]
STK-[----5-----]
MM--[--3-------]
ALL 38

Hmm seems low. Did I mention they look cool and can respec as tanks, healers, or dps :)

[Tasty]

I'd say warlocks have the best aoe in the game, what I wouldn't kill to have SoC :/

[Clanked]

I am trying to get more druids into my mixed group.

I was thinking all boomkins. their +crit / hit aura does not stack

but they bring Innervate, tranquility, mark of wild, aoe, treant pets, super armour bonus
can rex, can BATTLE rez, AND can _stealth_ (more and more important for going afk on Pvp server).

I would say <<for Boomkin at level 60>>

ST--[------7---]
AOE-[-----6---]
CC--[----3------] << entangle outdoor>>
SUR-[----5-----]
SYN-[-------8--]
STK-[----5-----]
MM--[--3-------]
ALL 38

Hmm seems low. Did I mention they look cool and can respec as tanks, healers, or dps :)
Do they really require that much micro management?? Remember, a higher rating means they are easier to play.

[Clanked]

I'd say warlocks have the best aoe in the game, what I wouldn't kill to have SoC :/

I chose mages over locks because AOE doesn't require you to target each mob. This makes it extremly easy, and the DPS is rather comparable.

[ahi]

Yes I think Druids are hard to manage. Compared to a hunter which is often /petattack /auto shot :) or my lock which is /petattack /shadowbolt . I think only slightly less management that a spriest which has an easy rotation


Their 'pets' are on a cool down, and I have not figured out their proper rotation.

Shapeshifting is awesome, but the best solo druids sometimes do it during battle. They sometimes carry 3 sets of gear.

Battle ressing is very powerful, but not as easy as a soulstone.

Launching treants and AOE requires targeting the ground.

Hopefully someone with more experience ( I just dinged 60 ) can re evaluate these numbers .

thanks for compiling the info

[elsegundo]

What about the various builds for priests, warlocks, mages, and hunters.

I assume shamans are in Elemental spec and Druids are in Balance.


WIth the druids, i would raise SUR to 10 in moonkin form.

[Bigfish]

Ranged DPS is ranged DPS to me.

[genocyde]

For starters, I think you need to go through and read some of the 3.0 changes about classes you don't normally play. Particularly for group synergy and buff stacking. Despite some wrong information I think this is a nice little starter guide!

Example:
Shaman Heroism now triggers exhaustion preventing that character from receiving that buff again (in other words the stacking shaman portion of this buff is almost gone)
Hunter expose weakness last I checked no longer benefits the group but the hunter only. I haven't checked this since wrath release since i leveled my druid/priest/magex3 group first.
Shadow priest shadow weaving (shadow dmg buff) also applies to the priest only now not the whole group.
Theres more I'm sure, but those are just the ones that stood out.

Also I believe priests to be a viable contender for best aoe in game as their holy nova does pretty similar damage to a mages arcane explosion and also heals the group. Also Mind sear melts faces but requires targetting.