Nerdy WoW List

I like World of Warcraft. I like lists, especially totally arbitrary and pointless lists. Thus, it seemed logical to combine these two to create a totally arbitrary and pointless list based on WoW. For a long time I've been caught up on the aesthetics of the race/class combination. For those of you who don't play, there are currently 12 races which players can choose from when they create characters, and there are 10 different classes a character can be. Each race can be any one of about 7 of those classes, though the exact number available varies from one to the next. Anyway, back to my point. When making a new character, the two most important initial decisions are the race and class you will play, as your appearance, abilities, starting area, and general game play experience will be shaped primarily by those two factors. Thus, those decisions should be made carefully.

While it is true that every race/class combination in the game is perfectly playable at all levels, there are some which seem "better" than others. Part of this is the right blend of racial bonuses and abilities that compliment a given class. A bigger part, to me, is whether or not the two feel right together. For example, an Orc can be a rogue. But a beefy, muscular barbarian sneaking around quietly like a ninja just doesn't seem quite right.

With this basic idea in mind, I set out to make a list of the ten "best" race/class combinations. I basically looked at a combination of the feel and suitability, the standing within the game's community and lore, my personal preferences, and the functionality of special attributes and bonuses. I then asked my best friend and each of my siblings (since all of them play the game) to compose similar lists, using their own criteria. That produced a total of 5 lists between us. I then took those lists and used them in combination to form a collective list of the top 10 race/class combinations.

Keep in mind (for those of you who play the game) that this is mostly based on our personal ideas about what feels right. It's not a judgment of what is statistically optimal. So with that, here is our list.

THE TOP 10 RACE/CLASS COMBINATIONS IN WORLD OF WARCRAFT

#10. Tauren Warrior

#9. Troll Druid

#8. Troll Hunter

#7. Undead Warlock

#6. Orc Death Knight

#5. Dwarf Hunter

#4. Orc Warrior

#3. Troll Shaman

#2. Night Elf Druid

#1. Human Paladin