I enjoyed beta very much, maybe a little too much...
It's been a little over a week since they increased level cap to 30, so I'd like to share some feedback based on my experience with beta. This time I won't be doing "tierlist", but simply try to provide as much information about every class as possible. But before I do, some "in before" is required.
All characters were more or less SSF geared, no targeted BiS farm, all dungeons done once. If item dropped and I won roll, then i had it, if not, they move along. No BiS consumables. No stacking quests at lvl20. Grouped up when i had to.
No, You shouldn't care about level 30 in normal circumstances, but this is the best info we will get for now unless Blizz leaks something themselves.
I'll go through classes in alphabetical order, so no funny ideas that X class is stronger than Z because it was first.
Yes, You can level with every single spec, but some specs are terrible, and some amazing. Play what You want to play.
All done on PVE - i have 0 interest in PVP as will be switching to HC realm as soon as it becomes avaiable.
THIS IS MY PVE OPINION:
Druid
Wrath changes DID NOT improved Bala situation, still mana hungry, still low dmg and clunky, I DO NOT recommend going bala early. feels bad
Rage changes improved bear situation, now it feels nice, even early. Cat on 20 feels like cat always felt in classic - good. Feral is the way to go for leveling still.
Resto feels amazing even without gear to heal in dungeons, but leveling with it after mobs start to scale harder feels bad. Don't go resto early, if You want to heal, gather healing gear and just change it for dungeons, at 40 buy dual spec.
COPIUM : weapon scalling makes me think feral bear and cat will be very competetive at 60 - much more than druid was before. Resto druid looks amazing as well.
Hunter
hunter BM is basically leveling cheatcode - Your pet (if You have 1.2AS one or lower) does between 60-70% of Your damage and I think it will start falling off at 60 due to pet not being able to scale harder past that, Gear help with that a little, but not enough - great for leveling, strongly recommend.
MM hunter - Your go to spec for 60, earlier its just better to go BM
Survi hunter - starts getting online around level 30 and does competetive dmg even to BM, HOWEVER you're taking dmg - something that just simply isn't happening with BM. You can level with it if You really want, but BM is objectively better option.
COPIUM : pet scalling + new items might help hunter scale and stay competetive after 60 - something that was not the case in classic
Mage
pretty much all specs are viable now, saw arcane mages, fire mages and frost all doing competetive dmg in dungeons. In my opinion frost is still the best leveling spec due to ability to slow or freeze targets and prevent dmg. Fingers of frost are doing big work and shatter helps with aoe greatly.
NO COPIUM for mage, You just simply cannot go wrong choosing this class, even if You end up doing less dmg than others, all the utility that mage brings to the table will be still highly valued at 60
Paladin
Holy paladins felt worst for me - big mana problems, not that big heals, very rarely had paladin healing dungeons, and pretty much no-one levels with this spec. MIght be better late, but early is not good, avoid going holy early.
Prot - tanking in prot before 20 is basically hoping You won't get kicked from PT for not holding aggron HOWEVER after 20 i deem prot pally as one of the best leveling specs in forever. You can grab multiple yellow or orange mobs at once and kill them without losing much. Move from pack to pack with almost 0 downtime. Felt amazing and my go to if I level paladin. Strongly Recommend.
Retri - some people say retri is S tier, but I disagree, it is strong, but not as strong as prot. You can kill pretty much everything, but You will have some downtime. Still - very good choice if You don't want to tank.
COPIUM -
Hpall will get more tools for mana sustain + healing utility that WILL make paladin competetive healer.
Prot struggles a little bit with single target, but at 40 You get utility that helps with that, so I think You'll be competetive.
If retri doesn't fall off it will be a competetive dps class at 60.
Priest -
Sadly, no matter what Your choice is wanding is still the best method to level, spec doesn't really matter.
Still a strong healer.
COPIUM
Dealing damage as shadow I was performing at 70% of what I could do as mage, but Priest as we know gets a lot of DMG in later talents. Shadowform and other utility makes me think that Spriest WILL be able to dish out competetive dmg at 60. Not sure about mana regen
Rogue
Same old, Same old. Combat is that way to go during leveling. However You still play rogue - feels really bad early, but scales pretty well and performs at competetive level during dungeons. Exactly what You can expect from rogue.
COPIUM:
Blizz said rogues will be no.1 single target dmg. You can ask HOW if rogue didn't change much, but You need to remeember that for rogue it is possible to have ENCHANT + WF totem + Sharpening Stone + poison all at the same time on weapons which makes me think this will be very interesting late game, especially with 5% for extra swing from combat talents.
Shaman
Elemental - unfotunately, even with all the changes going ele realy is a mistake, low dmg, very mana hungry, feels bad, don't do it.
Enh shaman - feels good, it's basically better version of enh shaman from classic in every way, this is the way to level
Resto - bad for leveling, fantastic for healing.
COPIUM
All added and new mana sustain MIGHT make ele/enh competetive DPS classes for level 60 + You got new buttons that You can click. Shaman DPS no longer troll pick for raids.
Resto doesn't need copium it WILL feel much better than before, very strong.
Warlock-
Affli is still the way to level. Fantastic Dmg, control sustain makes this spec simply the best for leveling.
Demo second best, still very strong alternative to affli, cannot go wrong with that.
Destro unfortunately not good early, however later with all skills and utility WILL feel amazing, can't want to try it on lvl 60
NO COPIUM
Warlock is very, very strong. Cannot go wrong.
Warrior
Arms - pretty much dead spec for leveling
Fury - viable, however very painful early, You'll feel that classic "warrior leveling special" until You get Your utilities.
Prot - in my opinion it's the best warrior leveling spec. Feels fantastic and with block You pretty much don't get damaged and can sustain solely on victory rush without downtime. Prot also best single target threath right now in the game.
COPIUM
last time I wrote warr needs help with rage gen, blizzard listened, warrior feel much, much better. Level 60 warr tank might be the best, fury while nerfed stil very very competetive.
NO COPIUM for arms, because it's deadge
TL:DR
Don't level with healing spec - it's bait
Always level with prot spec over dmg spec, it feels good
Don't level with caster if You have other alternatives
Play whatever class You like, there is a big chance everything will be at least viable
P.S.
this time all characters are parked in TB for Your OCD