10 Class Duos for Leveling Together in WoW Forever

Which duo leveling WoW Forever pairing should you pick before the November 4 launch? Our top 3: Warlock + Priest, Warlock + Paladin, Mage + Priest. This is our opinion of each class’s tools, not a measurement: every duo has to be tested at launch.

The 10 best class duos for leveling together

• Rank 1Warlock + Priestlife into mana, heals
• Rank 2Warlock + Paladinarea damage, heals, mana
• Rank 3Mage + Priestarea damage, healed mage
• Rank 4Hunter + Druidtanking pet, heals
• Rank 5Paladin + Priesttank + healer
• Rank 6Paladin + Mageshielded mage, area
• Rank 7Warrior + Druidtank, Thorns, heals
• Rank 8Warrior + Shamantank + totems
• Rank 9Warrior + Paladinsingle target, fast kills
• Rank 10Hunter + Roguesingle target, stuns

1. Warlock + Priest: the warlock’s health becomes the duo’s mana

The warlock pays for spells with health, and the priest gives it back. The whole duo fits in that sentence. Life Tap (level 6) converts health into mana, and spirit increases the amount returned, according to the spell’s text. Renew (level 8) restores health over 15 seconds. So the warlock keeps casting while their hit points climb back.

Health Funnel (level 12) channels healing to the demon at the cost of the warlock’s health; again, the priest restores what was spent. The Voidwalker (level 10) fights beside the warlock. Power Word: Shield absorbs damage without interrupting the warlock’s spells, according to the text of its highest rank.

Later, Divine Spirit (level 30) raises your partner’s Spirit, so the mana Life Tap returns. It may be learned through a talent: check at launch.

Races. Alliance: Human or Gnome warlock, Human, Dwarf, Gnome or Night Elf priest. Horde: Orc, Undead or Troll warlock, Undead or Troll priest.

2. Warlock + Paladin: area damage, healing and mana

Same engine as rank 1, with a paladin in place of the priest. Life Tap turns the warlock’s health into mana, and Holy Light (level 1, 40 yard range) gives it back.

Here the warlock handles the area damage. Rain of Fire (level 20) burns enemies in an area and costs mana; Blessing of Wisdom (level 14) restores some to the targeted ally. Hellfire (level 30) sets the ground around the warlock on fire, and the warlock takes damage too, while Concentration Aura (level 22) gives party members a chance to ignore spell interruption when hit. This duo depends on pack size: against a lone monster, the three combos lose much of their point.

Races. Alliance: Human or Gnome warlock, Human or Dwarf paladin. Horde: Undead paladin, Orc, Troll or Undead warlock.

3. Mage + Priest: the mage hits the whole pack, the priest keeps them alive

What really helps a mage early is Arcane Explosion (level 14), an instant blast around the caster with a 10 yard radius. The priest heals and shields the mage while they AoE (area damage) and pull big packs as a pair.

Arcane Explosion with Power Word: Shield (level 6): the shielded mage hits the whole pack from the middle of the enemies. Frost Nova (level 10), which roots nearby enemies for up to 8 seconds, with Renew (level 8): the priest heals while the monsters stay put, as long as the Nova does not break. Blizzard (level 20) on a big pack, with Flash Heal (level 20, 1.5 second cast) to keep the duo up.

Even stronger in our view: a Fire or Arcane mage. Flamestrike (level 16) sets the whole area ablaze, Fire Blast (level 6) hits instantly, and Arcane Explosion finishes the pack. The duo kills monsters and packs much faster than a Frost mage relying on Blizzard. Blizzard still works, but Forever weakened it: 1,168 damage over 8 seconds at rank 6, against 1,192 in Classic.

Frost Nova can break under the mage’s own area damage. Our article on the priest’s wand covers their leveling lever.

Races. Alliance: Human + Human or Gnome + Gnome. Horde: Undead + Undead or Troll + Troll.

4. Hunter + Druid: the pet holds, the druid heals then hits

The base of this duo is a Beast Mastery hunter whose pet holds the target. Call Pet (level 10) summons it. Growl makes it taunt the target: according to the spell’s text, it is « increasing the likelihood the creature will focus attacks on you », with « you » being the pet.

The druid has two jobs here. First, healing: Healing Touch (level 1) for a big direct heal on the pet or the hunter, then Regrowth (level 12), which heals instantly and over time. That doubles up on Mend Pet (level 12), the hunter’s own heal. Then hitting: Cat Form (level 20) moves the druid into melee and raises attack power.

We could not find the rank 1 level of Growl.

Races. Alliance: Night Elf druid, Human, Dwarf or Night Elf hunter. Horde: Tauren druid, Orc, Troll or Tauren hunter.

5. Paladin + Priest: a healed Protection paladin, built for dungeons

Here the paladin is Protection. What matters for them: Judgement (level 4), which releases the seal’s energy on the enemy, and Consecration (level 20), Holy area damage around the paladin. With a shield, they hold big packs while the priest heals them.

Combos: Judgement with Renew, the paladin chains Judgements while the heals tick; Consecration with Flash Heal, big packs in an area, healed fast on every hit taken; Retribution Aura (level 16) with Power Word: Shield, attackers take Holy damage while the shield absorbs the blows.

The damage Retribution Aura returns stays low, and the argument rests on how many enemies are hitting the group. In play, a tank plus healer duo finds a dungeon group quickly. See our guide to leveling in dungeons and the dungeons and raids page.

Races. Alliance: Human or Dwarf for both. Horde: Undead for both. These are the races the two classes share.

6. Paladin + Mage: a mage shielded from blows, a pack held in place

Close to the Mage + Priest duo, with a paladin who protects rather than heals full time. Blessing of Protection (level 10) protects an ally from all physical attacks for 10 seconds, but they cannot attack physically either; after that, Forbearance stops you from casting it again for 1 minute, and the spell shows a 5 minute cooldown at its highest rank. The text only forbids physical abilities: the mage can still cast.

Combos: Blessing of Protection with Arcane Explosion, the mage hits the area while shielded from blows; Consecration with Frost Nova, rooted enemies stay in the zone that hurts them; Retribution Aura with Blizzard, the pack takes Blizzard and hurts itself by hitting the group.

The Nova can break if the target takes damage: Consecration does not always keep it rooted.

Races. Alliance: Human or Dwarf paladin, Human or Gnome mage. Horde: Undead paladin, Orc, Troll or Undead mage.

7. Warrior + Druid: the warrior holds big packs, Thorns do the damage

In play, the Protection warrior makes big AoE pulls. The druid’s Thorns, cast on the warrior, deal Nature damage to every monster that hits them, and the druid heals. Thorns damage stays modest: the value comes from the number of enemies.

On the warrior’s side: Thunder Clap (level 6) slows the attack speed of up to 4 enemies, Taunt (level 10) forces a target to attack the warrior, and Challenging Shout (level 26) forces nearby enemies, within 10 yards, to focus their attacks on the warrior for 6 seconds. Stances matter: going by their text, Thunder Clap requires Battle Stance and Taunt requires Defensive Stance, so the warrior swaps stance between the two. On the druid’s side: Rejuvenation (level 4) heals over 12 seconds, and Healing Touch (level 1) heals in one go.

Three combos: slowed enemies that hurt themselves on Thorns; every enemy on the warrior, who heals continuously; the retaken target stays on the warrior while they are healed.

Races. Alliance: Night Elf druid, warrior of any race. Horde: Tauren druid, Orc, Troll, Tauren or Undead warrior.

8. Warrior + Shaman: the totems make the difference

The warrior draws enemies and hits; the shaman’s totems protect, heal and strengthen the group. Stoneskin Totem (level 4) reduces the physical damage taken by party members within 30 yards; it pairs well with Taunt (level 10), which brings the enemy onto the warrior.

Healing Stream Totem (level 20) heals the whole party every 2 seconds. Windfury Totem gives main-hand weapon hits a 20% chance to grant an extra attack: it arrives at level 32, just past our 1-30 range. Cleave (level 20) hits a second nearby target.

One last asset, out of combat: Ancestral Spirit (level 12) lets the shaman resurrect the warrior, who stands on the front line, if they fall. It cannot be cast in combat.

Races. Alliance: Dwarf shaman, Human, Dwarf, Night Elf or Gnome warrior. Horde: Orc + Orc, Tauren + Tauren or Troll + Troll.

9. Arms Warrior + Retribution Paladin: one target at a time, then the next

This duo bets on single target. The Arms warrior and the Retribution paladin hit one target hard, kill fast and chain monsters. Kill speed remains to be confirmed in game.

Combos: Heroic Strike (level 1) for the big hit, with Seal of Righteousness (level 1), which adds Holy damage to every melee attack. Rend (level 4) makes the target bleed, and Judgement (level 4) releases the seal’s energy on it. Cleave (level 20) also hits a second nearby enemy. Holy Strike (level 6) is an instant attack at 50% weapon damage, with extra Holy damage.

A duo with no dedicated healer: the paladin keeps their heals, but they are not the core of the plan. Our Arms Warrior PvE build covers the talents.

Races. Alliance: Human or Dwarf for both. Horde: Undead paladin, Orc, Troll, Tauren or Undead warrior.

10. Hunter + Rogue: the pet keeps threat, the rogue stuns

The hunter sends the pet in first, the rogue stuns targets to limit the damage the pet takes, and both focus their damage on a single target. It is the most PvP-oriented duo in the ranking. It is also the one that waits longest: Cheap Shot only arrives at level 26 and Kidney Shot at level 30.

Combos: Growl with Feint (level 16, which greatly reduces the rogue’s threat), so the pet holds threat rather than the rogue; Mend Pet (level 12) with Cheap Shot, a target stunned for 4 seconds from Stealth while the pet is healed; Cheap Shot then Kidney Shot, chained stuns, with the second one’s duration depending on combo points.

Before level 26, the duo relies on the pet (level 10), the pet heal (level 12) and, from level 16, Feint.

Races. Alliance: Human, Dwarf or Night Elf. Horde: Orc or Troll. These are the races the two classes share.

Duo leveling WoW Forever: our method

This ranking is a reasoned opinion, not a measurement: the game is in beta and nobody has timed these duos. We read the spells of both classes, levels 1 to 30, in their official text (rank 1 levels, cross-checked on wowforevertalents.com), then kept those that work with the partner. Four questions: who takes the hits, who heals, area or single target, how comfortable it is. Tooltips show the highest rank, and values change from one patch to the next. Our tier list ranks endgame, not leveling.

Which duo to pick for your playstyle

The safest for beginners

A healer in the duo forgives mistakes. Warlock + Priest or Paladin + Priest: one spends health and gets it back, the other takes hits while being healed and shielded. Mage + Priest joins them if you like watching packs melt, but it asks you to place the mage in the middle of the monsters.

The best for area damage

For big packs, look at Mage + Priest, Paladin + Mage and Warrior + Druid: area damage, control, and someone who holds the line. For single target, Arms Warrior + Retribution Paladin and Hunter + Rogue put everything on a fast kill.

The easiest for finding a dungeon group

In play, a tank plus healer duo finds a group quickly. Paladin + Priest is the clearest case; Warrior + Druid and Warrior + Shaman come close. Keep the dungeon details in our dungeons and raids page, and your route in the RestedXP dungeon guide.

Races and factions: choose well before the November 4 launch

Choose the race before you create the characters. Both duo members must be on the same faction; the race can differ, and the same-race pairs mentioned in the duos are examples, not a requirement. We leave out the two Skyborne races from our survey: their availability at launch is not confirmed. The races page details the racials, and our article on the October 15 patch explains what changed. To plan each member’s talents, the talent calculator is ready.

Alliance

All ten duos are possible on the Alliance side in our survey. Human and Dwarf cover most classes. In our survey, leaving out the Skyborne, Night Elf is the only Alliance druid race and Dwarf the only shaman race.

Horde

All ten duos exist on the Horde side too. The paladin is Undead in our duos, and the druid Tauren. Orc and Troll hold the melee and spellcasting classes, and Undead opens the most combinations (warlock, priest, mage, paladin, warrior).

Frequently asked questions about duo leveling

What is the best duo for leveling in WoW Forever?

Warlock + Priest comes first in our opinion, because the priest returns what the warlock spends. That « best » is a ranking of tools, not a measurement: Mage + Priest or Paladin + Priest may suit your playstyle better.

Do you need a healer in your duo for leveling?

No, no game text requires one. A healer saves you pauses and deaths, but Hunter + Rogue and Arms Warrior + Retribution Paladin bet on fast kills with no dedicated healer.

Is leveling as a duo faster than solo?

We do not know yet: the game is not out, and we have no measurement. The expected gain comes from sharing roles, and we found no announcement of a group experience bonus. For how long a solo climb takes, see our article on the time to reach level 60.

Can you level as a duo with two classes of the same type (two mages, two warriors)?

We found nothing that forbids it, but we have not ranked any duo of that kind. Two mages or two warriors do not split roles: the gain described above largely disappears.

Which duos work without a pure healer?

Seven duos out of ten have no priest. Among them, Hunter + Rogue (the pet holds, and the hunter heals only the pet) and Arms Warrior + Retribution Paladin (the paladin keeps their heals without building the plan on them) are the most committed. The others lean on a paladin, druid or shaman who heals or protects on top of their main role.

Going further

To prepare for launch, read our survival guide for rushing level 60, then the RestedXP dungeon guide and the RestedXP update for levels 1 to 35. On addons, our article on leveling addons rounds out the picture.

Once your duo leveling WoW Forever pick is made, head to the talent calculator, the Spellbook and the class macros for the group.

The builds hub gathers all 27 specializations: see for example the Frost Mage, the Holy Priest or the Holy Paladin. Once you hit level 60, the BiS list takes over. And if you want to know which classes players are choosing, the beta census shows the trend.

Sources: wowforevertalents.com (class spellbooks and racials), Blizzard’s announcement on rulesets, and the official WoW: Forever announcement.