Horde Race & Class Selection Guide for Vanilla WoW
Welcome to the Horde! Choosing the right race and class is crucial for your adventure in Azeroth, especially in Vanilla WoW where racial abilities significantly impact gameplay. This guide will help you decide which race best fits your preferred class and playstyle.
Races Overview
Each race in the Horde has unique racial abilities that can synergize with specific classes. Here's a breakdown of each race and their strengths:
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1. Orc
The resilient warriors of the Horde, Orcs excel in melee combat with racial bonuses that make them a top choice for damage dealers and tanks.
- Racial Abilities:
- Blood Fury: Increases melee attack power (scales with level). Ideal for damage-focused classes.
- Hardiness: Reduces the duration of stun effects by 25%. Excellent for both PvP and PvE.
- Command: Increases pet damage by 5%. A boon for Hunters and Warlocks.
- Axe Specialization: Increases expertise with axes by 5. Great for axe-wielding Warriors and Rogues.
Best Class Synergies:
- Warrior: Blood Fury and Axe Specialization make Orc Warriors exceptional damage dealers. Hardiness helps them withstand stuns in PvP.
- Hunter: Command increases pet damage, improving Hunter's overall DPS. Blood Fury also provides a DPS boost.
- Rogue: Blood Fury and Hardiness make Orc Rogues strong contenders in both PvP and PvE, especially for those who wield axes.
- Warlock: The Command racial makes Orc Warlocks ideal for maximizing pet damage, particularly for Demonology builds.
Summary: Orcs are best suited for melee and pet-based classes due to their racials, with strong performance in both PvP and PvE.
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2. Troll
Trolls are a versatile race known for their combat prowess, particularly when it comes to boosting attack and casting speed.
- Racial Abilities:
- Berserking: Increases attack and casting speed based on missing health. Excellent for burst damage during tough fights.
- Regeneration: Health regeneration is 10% better, and 10% of health regeneration continues during combat. Not game-changing but helpful.
- Beast Slaying: Increases damage dealt to beasts by 5%. Handy for leveling and certain PvE encounters.
- Throwing/Bow Specialization: Increased skill with thrown weapons and bows. Good for Hunters and Rogues.
Best Class Synergies:
- Hunter: Berserking and Bow Specialization make Troll Hunters deadly, especially in burst phases. Beast Slaying helps in leveling.
- Shaman: Berserking boosts the effectiveness of Elemental Shaman’s spells and Enhancement Shaman’s melee attacks.
- Mage: Berserking provides a powerful boost to casting speed during critical moments, making Troll Mages a strong choice for burst damage.
- Priest: Troll Priests excel with increased casting speed from Berserking, helping in both healing and damage.
Summary: Trolls excel as both ranged DPS and casters, with a focus on burst damage through Berserking, making them great for PvE and PvP.
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3. Tauren
Taurens are the powerhouse of the Horde, with incredible stamina and the ability to stun enemies. They make outstanding tanks and support classes.
- Racial Abilities:
- War Stomp: A 2-second AoE stun. Great for tanking, PvP, and controlling crowds.
- Endurance: Increases base health by 5%. Fantastic for tanks and survival-oriented roles.
- Nature Resistance: Reduces the chance to be hit by Nature spells. Helpful in specific PvE encounters.
- Cultivation: Herbalism skill increased by 15. Convenient for gathering professions.
Best Class Synergies:
- Warrior: Endurance and War Stomp make Tauren Warriors ideal tanks, adding survivability and crowd control.
- Shaman: War Stomp helps with crowd control, while Endurance provides extra survivability, useful for both healing and damage roles.
- Druid: Tauren are the only race that can be Druids in the Horde. War Stomp and the health bonus make them excellent in all Druid roles—tank, healer, or damage.
- Hunter: While not as optimized as Troll or Orc Hunters, the extra health and War Stomp provide unique survivability advantages.
Summary: Taurens are natural tanks and support classes due to their health bonus and crowd control. They shine in roles where survival and control are key.
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4. Undead (Forsaken)
The Undead (Forsaken) have powerful racials for resisting crowd control, making them potent in PvP and useful for classes that rely on resisting magic effects.
- Racial Abilities:
- Will of the Forsaken: Breaks Charm, Fear, and Sleep effects. Invaluable for PvP and certain PvE encounters.
- Cannibalize: Regenerate health by consuming humanoid or undead corpses. Helps with leveling efficiency.
- Shadow Resistance: Reduces the chance to be hit by Shadow spells by 10%. Strong in encounters involving Shadow damage.
- Underwater Breathing: Increases underwater breath duration by 300%. Situationally useful.
Best Class Synergies:
- Rogue: Will of the Forsaken is vital for PvP Rogues, as it allows them to escape crowd control. Cannibalize provides a helpful self-healing mechanism.
- Mage: Undead Mages benefit greatly from Will of the Forsaken in PvP, helping them counter crowd control effects like Fear and Charm.
- Warlock: Shadow Resistance is useful for Warlocks, and Will of the Forsaken helps them stay in control during PvP.
- Priest: Undead Priests, especially Shadow Priests, gain bonuses to Shadow damage and resistances, with Will of the Forsaken adding much-needed crowd control immunity in PvP.
Summary: Undead excel in PvP thanks to their immunity to Fear and other crowd control effects, making them strong for Rogues, Mages, Warlocks, and Priests.
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Class Considerations
Now that you understand each race’s strengths, here’s a summary of the best race/class combinations for different playstyles in Vanilla WoW:
PvE DPS
- Orc Hunter or Troll Hunter: High burst damage and strong pet synergy.
- Orc Warlock: Command boosts pet damage, great for Demonology Warlocks.
- Troll Mage: High burst potential with Berserking.
PvP
- Undead Rogue or Undead Warlock: Will of the Forsaken provides key advantages in PvP.
- Orc Rogue or Orc Warrior: Blood Fury and Hardiness give a strong PvP edge.
- Tauren Shaman: War Stomp provides clutch crowd control in PvP.
Tank
- Tauren Warrior: The extra health and AoE stun make Tauren the best tanks for Warriors.
- Tauren Druid: The only option for Druid tanks in the Horde, with bonus health and War Stomp.
Healer
- Troll Priest or Tauren Shaman: Both races offer great utility for healing classes, with Trolls having the edge for burst healing due to Berserking.
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Final Tips
- Choose Based on Your Playstyle: Think about whether you prefer PvP, PvE, or a balance of both. Some races (like Undead) shine in PvP, while others (like Orc and Tauren) are better in PvE roles.
- Don’t Forget Racial Abilities:[/
b] Racial abilities are more impactful in Vanilla WoW than in later expansions, so consider how each race’s unique traits can benefit your class.
Good luck, and Lok'tar Ogar (Victory or Death)! The Horde awaits your arrival.
Once you have reached level 10 on your first character, you can join our ranks, check out our recruitment forum here and apply within.
