WORLD OF WARCRAFT: FOREVER · RACIALS, FINAL VERSION

Final racials: every race on one page, and the best pick for each class

Blizzard made its last pre-launch pass on racials on Oct 26 and added three more lines on Oct 27. Here are all 40 racials after it; 23 of them changed after Oct 15, and each change carries its date and the blue post it came from. Then, per class, the race worth picking for leveling, raids and PvP, with reasons that quote only the racial numbers.

Blizzard's Oct 26-27 final pass 40 racials · 23 changed Chinese names = official client names

Best race for each class

The race worth picking after the final changes, per class and per scenario. Every reason cites a final racial number; where races are close or good at different things they are listed together instead of forcing one. There are no live combat logs for Forever yet, so this is not a tier list; live testing has the last word.

Blizzard, Oct 26: the final pass prioritised racial identity, so "some races will naturally be slightly more effective than others at certain combat roles"; weapon specialization racials are not coming back. blue post

ClassLeveling · HordeLeveling · AllianceRaids · HordeRaids · AlliancePvP · HordePvP · Alliance
Tauren / TrollDwarf / Skyborne (High Order)Orc / TrollHuman / DwarfUndead / OrcHuman / Gnome
UndeadDwarf / HumanUndeadHuman / DwarfUndeadHuman / Dwarf
Orc / TrollDwarfOrcDwarf / HumanOrc / TaurenHuman / Night Elf
TrollDwarf / Night ElfOrc / TrollHuman / DwarfUndeadHuman / Night Elf
UndeadDwarf / HumanTroll / UndeadGnome / HumanUndeadDwarf / Human
Tauren / TrollDwarfOrc / TrollDwarfTauren / OrcDwarf
Undead / TrollSkyborne (High Order) / GnomeOrc / TrollHuman / Gnome / Skyborne (High Order)UndeadGnome / Human
OrcGnome / HumanOrcGnome / HumanUndead / OrcGnome / Human
TaurenNight Elf / Skyborne (High Order)Tauren / Skyborne (Windshaper)Night Elf / Skyborne (High Order)TaurenNight Elf

Pick a class to see the reasons. A slash means a tie: each is better at something.

How the numbers compare

All racials open a race for every line and its change history

Horde
Orc
WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlockDruid
Blood Furychanged Oct 26+

Instant, 2 min cooldown. Increases Attack Power and Spell Power by 10% for 15 sec.

  • 10-16Cooldown 2 min → 3 min · source
  • 10-27Cooldown 3 min → 2 min · source
Hardiness

Duration of Stun effects on you reduced by 20%.

Commandchanged Oct 26+

Damage dealt by Hunter and Warlock pets increased by 5%.

Chinese name: 命令 (Classic Era client name)

  • 10-26Re-added: Hunter and Warlock pet damage +5% (replaces Savage, +1% crit) · source
Shatter Curse

Instant, 3 min cooldown. Instantly removes all Curses and Banes, and reduces all Magical damage taken by 5% for 8 sec.

  • 10-16Now dispels Curses and Banes (was immunity); magic damage reduction 15% → 5% · source
Undead
WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlockDruid
Underwater Breathing

Underwater breath lasts 300% longer than normal.

Will of the Forsaken

Instant, 2 min cooldown. Instantly removes all Charm, Fear and Sleep effects. Cannot be used while affected by Scatter Shot.

  • 10-16Unavailable while under Scatter Shot · source
Cannibalize

5 yd range, Instant, 2 min cooldown. When activated, regenerates 7% of total Health and 7% of total Mana every 2 sec for 10 sec. Only works on Humanoid or Undead corpses within 5 yds. Any movement, action, or damage taken while Cannibalizing will cancel the effect.

Touch of the Gravechanged Oct 26+

Your spells and attacks with a damage part have a chance (30% for casters, 20% for Paladins, Rogues and Warriors) to drain Health from the target, up to 5% of your maximum Health. 15 sec internal cooldown. Does not break crowd control. No longer scales with Shadow damage or receives downranking penalties.

  • 10-16Chance 30% casters / 20% Paladins, Rogues, Warriors, 25 sec ICD; no longer scales with Shadow or downranking · source
  • 10-27Internal cooldown 25 sec → 15 sec · source
Tauren
WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlockDruid
War Stomp

0.5 sec cast, 1.5 min cooldown. Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yds for 2 sec.

  • 10-16Cooldown 2 min → 90 sec · source
Endurancechanged Oct 26+

Total Health increased by 5%.

  • 10-16Bonus became +2% crit damage and healing (was +1% hit) · source
  • 10-26Now only +5% Health; no hit or crit-damage bonus · source
Cultivation

Instant. Cultivate a nearby herb, growing a duplicate you can harvest without requiring Herbalism skill. Each herb may only be cultivated once. In play it goes on a 15 min cooldown, though its tooltip shows none.

  • 10-16Cooldown 60 min → 15 min · source
Plainsrunningchanged Oct 26+

Gain 2% increased movement speed every 5 sec spent moving, up to a maximum of 60% increase. Taking damage or standing still will reduce this effect. Does not increase mounted movement speed. Maintaining the effect requires sufficient distance moved per second; stutter-stepping does not maintain it.

  • 10-16Added +3% mounted speed; stutter-stepping no longer maintains it · source
  • 10-261% → 2% per stack, cap 30% → 60%; no longer increases mounted speed · source
Troll
WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlockDruid
Berserkingchanged Oct 26+

Instant, 3 min cooldown. Increases your spellcasting and attack speed by 10% for 15 sec.

  • 10-27Duration 10 sec → 15 sec · source
Regeneration

Health regeneration rate increased by 20%. In addition, 20% of total Health regeneration will continue during combat.

  • 10-16Health regeneration bonus 10% → 20% · source
Beast Slaying

Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.

Rapid Regeneration

Channeled, 3 min cooldown. Regenerate 50% of your maximum Health over 6 sec. Any movement, action, or damage taken will cancel the effect.

Skyborne (Windshaper)new race
WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlockDruid
Walk on Air

Instant, 1.5 min cooldown. Glide downward through the air for 10 sec while controlling your direction of travel.

  • 10-16Cooldown 2 min → 90 sec · source
Skysightchanged Oct 26+

0.5 sec cast, 2 min cooldown. Increases your movement speed by 15% for 15 sec. Used at an elemental convergence it also grants Charged for 1 hour, which raises the bonus to 30%. Charged persists through death and ends when you enter a raid. Can be cast while moving.

  • 10-16Castable while moving · source
  • 10-26Now +15% speed for 15 sec; at an elemental convergence also grants Charged for 1 hour (+30%) · source
  • 10-27Charged is removed upon entering a raid · source
Elemental Insight

Damage dealt versus Elementals increased by 5%.

Wind Blessedchanged Oct 26+

Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 2%.

  • 10-16Haste 1% → 3% · source
  • 10-26Haste 3% → 2% · source
Alliance
Human
WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlockDruid
Ruthlesschanged Oct 26+

Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 1%.

  • 10-16Replaced Sword Specialization: +2% crit · source
  • 10-26Crit 2% → 1% · source
The Human Spiritchanged Oct 26+

Spirit increased by 10%.

  • 10-26Spirit 5% → 10% · source
Perception

Instant, 3 min cooldown. Dramatically increases stealth detection for 20 sec.

Will to Survive

Instant, 3 min cooldown. Instantly removes all Stun effects.

Dwarf
WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlockDruid
Find Treasure

Instant. Allows the dwarf to sense nearby treasure, making it appear on the minimap. Lasts until canceled. Also grants a chance to find additional items in most chests.

  • 10-16Chance for additional items in most chests · source
Stoneform

Instant, 3 min cooldown. Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Bleed, Poison, and Disease effects, and reduces all Physical damage taken by 10% for 8 sec.

Artisan's Precisionchanged Oct 26+

Increases hit chance with spells and attacks by 1%.

Chinese name: 工匠精准 (provisional, no client name yet)

  • 10-26Added: +1% hit (replaces Earth Fury, +2% crit damage, added Oct 15) · source
Big Game Hunter

Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.

Night Elf
WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlockDruid
Shadowmeld

Instant, 10 sec cooldown. Activate to slip into the shadows, reducing the chance for enemies to detect your presence. Lasts until cancelled or upon moving. Using this ability in combat discourages enemies from attacking you, but increases the cooldown to 2 min.

Quickness

Dodge chance increased by 1% and movement speed increased by 2%. Night Elf Rogues and Druids are harder to detect in Stealth as if they were 1 level higher. The movement speed bonus stacks with other movement speed effects.

  • 10-16Speed bonus stacks with other speed effects · source
Wisp Spirit

Transform into a wisp upon death, increasing movement speed by 75%.

Elune's Light

Instant, 3 min cooldown. Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 10% for 15 sec.

Gnome
WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlockDruid
Escape Artist

Instant, 2 min cooldown. Instantly escape the effects of any movement impairing effect and gain immunity to those effects for 3 sec.

Expansive Mind

Maximum Mana, Rage or Energy increased by 5%, whichever your class uses.

Engineering Specialization

Your gnomish ingenuity reduces the rate of engineering devices failing or backfiring when you use them by 20%.

Eureka!

Instant, 2 min cooldown. For 8 sec, your non-periodic damaging abilities cost 10% less (Mana, Rage or Energy) and deal 10% more damage. For Priests, your non-periodic damaging or healing abilities cost 10% less Mana and do 10% more damage or healing. Periodic effects get nothing from it; a channeled spell is not periodic. The Mage's own tooltip is the one that leaves out non-periodic. Also applies to Power Word: Shield.

  • 10-16Now an 8 sec buff with no charges; also benefits Power Word: Shield · source
Skyborne (High Order)new race
WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlockDruid
Walk on Air

Instant, 1.5 min cooldown. Glide downward through the air for 10 sec while controlling your direction of travel.

  • 10-16Cooldown 2 min → 90 sec · source
Read Leylinechanged Oct 26+

2 sec cast, 2 min cooldown. Increases your Health and Mana regeneration by 50% for 15 sec. Used at a Ley Line it also grants Attuned for 1 hour, which raises the bonus to 100%. Attuned persists through death and ends when you enter a raid. Cannot be used while Innervate is active. Can be cast while moving.

  • 10-16Castable while moving; minimum duration 20 → 30 sec · source
  • 10-26Now +50% regen for 15 sec; at a Ley Line also grants Attuned for 1 hour (+100%); unusable during Innervate · source
  • 10-27Attuned is removed upon entering a raid · source
Elemental Insight

Damage dealt versus Elementals increased by 5%.

Wind Blessedchanged Oct 26+

Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 2%.

  • 10-16Haste 1% → 3% · source
  • 10-26Haste 3% → 2% · source

Priest racial spells two per race · beta client text

Spell text from the beta client. Which race gets which spell was first seen in the demo.

HumanPriest
Divine Grace

40 yd range, Instant, 10 min cooldown. Instantly heals a friendly target below 50% Health for 1,285 to 1,513 and removes Weakened Soul from that target. Cannot be cast on self.

Feedback

230 Mana, Instant, 3 min cooldown. The priest becomes surrounded with anti-magic energy. Any successful spell cast against the priest will burn 105 of the attacker's Mana, causing 1 Shadow damage for each point of Mana burned. Lasts 15 sec.

DwarfPriest
Chastise

225 Mana, 20 yd range, Instant, 2 min cooldown. Chastise the target, causing 272 to 306 Holy damage and Immobilizing them for up to 2 sec. Only works against Humanoids. This spell causes very low threat.

Desperate Prayer

Instant, 10 min cooldown. Instantly heals the caster for 1,285 to 1,513.

Night ElfPriest
Elune's Grace

3% of base mana, Instant, 5 min cooldown. Reduces the chance you'll be hit by melee and ranged attacks by 50% for 15 sec or until you are missed 3 times.

Starshards

350 Mana, 30 yd range, Channeled, 30 sec cooldown. Rains starshards down on the enemy target's head, causing 1,800 Arcane damage over 6 sec.

GnomePriest
Confounding Flash

3% of base mana, 0.5 sec cast, 2 min cooldown. Confuses up to 5 enemies within 8 yds for 3 sec. Any damage taken will break the effect.

Contingency Plan

30 yd range, Instant, 10 min cooldown. Place a Holy ward on an ally for 30 sec. The next time this ally takes damage dropping their Health below 35%, they will gain a shield absorbing 926 damage and begin healing for 670 Health over 15 sec. A target may be affected by only one Contingency Plan.

UndeadPriest
Dark Sacrifice

Instant, 10 min cooldown. Cannibalize 1,600 of your own Health over 15 sec to gain 1,600 Mana, plus your Spirit.

Touch of Weakness

195 Mana, Instant. The next melee attack on the caster will cause 56 Shadow damage and reduce the attacker's melee attack power by the attacker by 204 for 2 min.

TrollPriest
Hex of Weakness

240 Mana, 30 yd range, Instant. Weakens the target enemy, reducing melee attack power by 204 and reducing the effectiveness of any healing by 20%. Lasts 2 min

Shadowguard

250 Mana, Instant. The caster is surrounded by shadows. When a spell, melee or ranged attack hits the caster, the attacker will be struck for 96 Shadow damage. Attackers can only be damaged once every few seconds. This damage causes no threat. 3 charges. Lasts 10 min.

Sources

Data source (CC BY 4.0), read from the WoW: Forever launch client 1.60.1.70790. · source

Data: updated 11-05

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