WoW Forever racials give every race four abilities to work with, which is usually two actives and two passives, and a lot of them are brand new. You’ll find the old resistance passives are gone completely, and in their place each of the Classic races has picked up something new to use, like Shatter Curse for Orcs, Touch of the Grave for the Undead or Elune’s Light for Night Elves. The new Skyborne race also gets two different kits, depending on which faction you choose.
- Human racials
- Dwarf racials
- Night Elf racials
- Gnome racials
- Skyborne (High Order) racials
- Orc racials
- Undead racials
- Tauren racials
- Troll racials
- Skyborne (Windshaper) racials
- Best race for each class in WoW Forever
- How WoW Forever rewrote the Classic racials
- WoW Forever Priest racials and racial spells
- WoW Forever racials FAQ
Below are all races for the 8 Classic races and both Skyborne factions, with the classes each race can play and which classes each one is best in slot for. The values come from the current beta build (1.60.1), so some numbers might still change before launch on 4 November.
| Human | Alliance | Will to Survive, Perception | Sword Specialization, The Human Spirit |
| Dwarf | Alliance | Stoneform, Find Treasure | Mace Specialization, Big Game Hunter |
| Night Elf | Alliance | Elune’s Light, Shadowmeld | Quickness, Wisp Spirit |
| Gnome | Alliance | Escape Artist, Eureka! | Expansive Mind, Engineering Specialization |
| Skyborne (High Order) | Alliance | Walk on Air, Read Ley Line | Wind Blessed, Elemental Insight |
| Orc | Horde | Blood Fury, Shatter Curse | Axe Specialization, Hardiness |
| Undead | Horde | Will of the Forsaken, Cannibalize | Underwater Breathing, Touch of the Grave |
| Tauren | Horde | War Stomp, Cultivation | Plainsrunning, Endurance |
| Troll | Horde | Berserking, Rapid Regeneration | Beast Slaying, Regeneration |
| Skyborne (Windshaper) | Horde | Walk on Air, Skysight | Wind Blessed, Elemental Insight |
Human racials
Humans have the widest choice of classes on the Alliance side, and every one of them is listed in the table above. Will to Survive is used to break out of any stun you’re caught in, and it’s on a 3 minute cooldown, whereas Sword Specialization gives 2% critical strike chance to any Human holding a sword, which is double what the Dwarf and Orc versions give you.
Because the sword bonus is double what the other races get, Human is a natural fit for any Warrior, Paladin or Rogue that wants to use a sword. It’s also the reason Human is seen as BiS for Survival Hunter in PvP though, as being able to break out of a stun whenever you need to means you can keep farming the melee classes that are trying to lock you down.
Dwarf racials
Dwarves are one of the races that picked up a new class in Forever, as they’re now able to play Shaman. Stoneform will cut the Physical damage you take by 10% for 8 sec as well, on top of cleansing the usual Bleeds, Poisons and Diseases, and Big Game Hunter has taken the place of the old Frost Resistance, which gives you 5% more damage against Beasts instead.
Stoneform is used to clear off the bleeds and poisons that melee classes will put on you, and it cuts the damage they do to you as well, so it’s a strong defensive pick for a Paladin or a Priest. The mace bonus suits a Paladin using a big two-handed mace, whereas the bonus against Beasts will help Hunters out a lot while they’re levelling through zones that are full of them. Dwarf Priests also get Desperate Prayer and Chastise as their own racial Priest spells, which they’re able to use on top of everything else.
Night Elf racials
Elune’s Light is the new active that Night Elves get to use, and it gives you 10% critical strike chance for 15 sec every 3 minutes. Shadowmeld has a 10 sec cooldown when you use it out of combat, though that will go up to 2 min if you use it in the middle of a fight, so it’s worth saving it for when you really need it.
Night Elf is seen as BiS for Alliance Hunter levelling, as you’re able to use Shadowmeld to reset a fight whenever it goes wrong, and the crit from Elune’s Light stacks nicely on top of your openers. Quickness also makes Night Elf Rogues and Druids a bit harder to spot while they’re in Stealth, which you’ll notice when you’re out in the world looking for a fight.
Gnome racials
Gnomes are now able to play Priest as well, which is new in Forever. Eureka! will change depending on the class you’re playing, so Mages and Warlocks get their next 3 damaging abilities for 50% less Mana, while Warriors save 40% Rage, Rogues save 20% Energy and Priests save 15% Mana, and all of them deal 10% more damage with those abilities as well.
Gnome sits right at the top of our race tier list because of Eureka!, and it’s seen as BiS for an Alliance Mage, Warlock or Rogue. The cheaper and stronger casts turn Arcane Mage burst into a real threat in PvP, and a Gnome Rogue that has all three of its tools to use is the strongest Alliance levelling pairing you’ll find at the moment.
Skyborne (High Order) racials
Alliance Skyborne follow the High Order, and they’re the only Skyborne that are able to play a Mage. Both of the Skyborne factions share three of their racials, whereas the Alliance side adds Read Ley Line, which doubles your Health and Mana regeneration and will last 15 min if you cast it near a ley line. You’ll start out on Zephras Isle, and our Zephras Isle to Stormwind guide covers the trip over to the mainland once you’re done there.
Alliance Skyborne sit low on our race tier list, as Read Ley Line is mostly a levelling tool for regenerating, and it has almost no use in PvP. It’s still comfortable for a Mage or a Druid that’s levelling on their own though, since doubling your regeneration means you’ll spend a lot less time sitting down to drink, but it isn’t BiS for any class.
Orc racials
Orcs are able to play Mage now as well, which is new in Forever. Blood Fury will boost both Attack Power and Spell Power by 10%, so it’s useful whatever class you’re playing, and Shatter Curse has replaced the old Command passive with a curse cleanse, curse immunity and 15% less Magical damage for 8 sec.
Orc is one of the strongest PvP races you can pick, as the shorter stuns and the curse cleanse will keep you in the fight for a lot longer than you’d expect. That’s why it’s seen as BiS for a Horde Rogue or Warrior in PvP, and because Blood Fury now boosts spell damage as well as attack power, it makes a strong Warlock or Mage too.
Undead racials
The Undead are now able to play Paladin, which is one of the new combinations in Forever. Will of the Forsaken hasn’t changed at all, whereas Touch of the Grave has replaced the old Shadow Resistance with a chance to drain Health whenever you hit something, which is 10% for casters and 5% for melee.
Undead is the unofficial PvP flex race, as the lifesteal from Touch of the Grave will work with any class that relies on sustain, and you’re still able to break out of Fear, Charm and Sleep whenever you need to. It’s also the only race that’s able to play a Horde Paladin, and its racials suit a Paladin well rather than just being a consolation prize.
Tauren racials
War Stomp and Endurance both carry over from Classic for the Tauren, though Endurance now adds 1% hit chance on top of the 5% extra Health it always gave you. Plainsrunning has replaced the old Nature Resistance with movement speed that builds up over time, and it will keep growing up to 30% the longer you keep moving without getting hit.
As Endurance gives you 5% more Health and 1% hit, and War Stomp is able to stun up to 5 enemies at once, Tauren is seen as BiS for Horde tanking, whether you’re a Warrior or a Druid. The stacking speed from Plainsrunning will also help every Tauren get around while they’re levelling, which you’ll appreciate in the bigger zones.
Troll racials
Trolls are now able to play Warlock, which is new in Forever. Berserking is a flat 10% cast and attack speed for 10 sec now, and Rapid Regeneration is a new channeled heal that restores 50% of your maximum Health over 6 sec, as long as you don’t move, act or take any damage while it’s going.
Troll is seen as BiS for a Horde Warlock, as both of its regeneration racials pair well with a class that spends its own Health to get Mana back. Being able to heal half of your Health back on a 3 minute cooldown is something you won’t find on any other racial, and the extra cast and attack speed from Berserking suits Hunters and Mages as well.
Skyborne (Windshaper) racials
Horde Skyborne follow the Windshapers, and they’re the only Skyborne that are able to play a Shaman. They share three of their racials with the Alliance side, but they swap Read Ley Line for Skysight, which gives you 10% movement and mounted speed and will last 15 min if you happen to cast it near an elemental convergence.
Horde Skyborne sit a full tier above their Alliance cousins on our race tier list, as Skysight gives them a speed boost that’s actually useful while they’re out in the world. Shaman is the one class that only the Windshaper side is able to play, and Druids will get the most out of the extra speed while they’re levelling, though it isn’t BiS for any class.
Best race for each class in WoW Forever
If you already know which class you want to play, this is the quickest way to pick your race. These follow the reasoning in each race’s section above and our WoW Forever tier list, and they might shift as Blizzard tunes the racials before launch.
| Class | Best Alliance race | Best Horde race |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Human (swords) or Gnome | Orc (PvP) or Tauren (tanking) |
| Paladin | Human or Dwarf | Undead (only option) |
| Hunter | Night Elf (levelling) or Human (PvP) | Troll |
| Rogue | Gnome | Orc |
| Priest | Dwarf | Undead |
| Shaman | Dwarf | Tauren or Skyborne (Windshaper) |
| Mage | Gnome | Orc or Troll |
| Warlock | Gnome | Troll |
| Druid | Night Elf | Tauren |
How WoW Forever rewrote the Classic racials
The biggest change is that every elemental and shadow resistance racial has been taken out. In Classic these only really mattered for a handful of raid bosses, and they were taking up a slot that could have been doing something in every fight, so Forever has given each race an ability you’ll actually use instead, which means every race now has four racials that are worth having.
The old drawbacks have been removed, too. Blood Fury won’t cut the healing you receive anymore, and Berserking no longer depends on how low your Health is, while the weapon specializations now add critical strike chance to all your spells and attacks instead of weapon skill, making them useful for casters too. Even the profession racials, like Cultivation, Find Treasure and Engineering Specialization, will give you a proper gameplay bonus now rather than a few skill points.
On top of the racials, Forever has opened up some new race and class combinations, so a few races can now play classes that suit their new racials much better than the old ones ever did. You’ll find all of them in the Classes column of the table above, and each race’s section below points out which one is new.
| Race | New in Forever |
|---|---|
| Human | Will to Survive (removes all Stun effects) |
| Dwarf | Big Game Hunter (5% more damage to Beasts), Mace Specialization |
| Night Elf | Elune’s Light (10% crit for 15 sec) |
| Gnome | Eureka! (cheaper, stronger next 3 abilities) |
| Orc | Shatter Curse (curse removal and immunity, 15% less magic damage) |
| Undead | Touch of the Grave (chance to drain Health on hit) |
| Tauren | Plainsrunning (up to 30% movement speed while moving) |
| Troll | Rapid Regeneration (50% Health over 6 sec) |
If you’re still trying to choose a race and class together, our WoW Forever tier list ranks the combinations and is worth a look before you roll a character.
WoW Forever Priest racials and racial spells
Priests have their own race-specific spells on top of the racials, which depend on the race you picked, and Fear Ward is now baseline for every Priest. It used to be a spell that only Dwarves were able to use in Classic, so every Priest will have it from now on, whatever race they are.
| Priest race | Racial Priest spells |
|---|---|
| Human | Divine Grace, Feedback |
| Dwarf | Chastise, Desperate Prayer |
| Night Elf | Elune’s Grace, Starshards |
| Gnome | Confounding Flash, Contingency Plan |
| Undead | Dark Sacrifice, Touch of Weakness |
| Troll | Hex of Weakness, Shadowguard |
WoW Forever racials FAQ
How many racials does each race have in WoW Forever?
Each race has four racials, and most have two actives and two passives. The two Skyborne factions share three of theirs and differ on the fourth.
Were resistance racials removed in WoW Forever?
The Classic resistance passives, such as Frost Resistance for Dwarves and Shadow Resistance for Undead, are gone. Each race got a new racial in their place, like Big Game Hunter for Dwarves and Touch of the Grave for Undead.
What are the Skyborne racials?
Both factions get Walk on Air, Wind Blessed and Elemental Insight. Alliance Skyborne of the High Order also get Read Ley Line, and Horde Skyborne of the Windshapers get Skysight.
What does Touch of the Grave do?
Touch of the Grave gives your damaging spells and attacks a chance to drain Health from the target, up to 5% of your maximum Health. The chance is 10% for casters and 5% for melee.
What does Shatter Curse do?
It’s the new Orc active on a 3 minute cooldown. It removes and grants immunity to all Curses and Banes, and reduces the Magical damage you take by 15% for 8 sec.
What is the best race in WoW Forever?
Gnome is the strongest race on our tier list because Eureka! boosts the burst of any damage-dealing class, especially Mages, Warlocks and Rogues. On the Horde side, Orc and Troll are the top picks thanks to Shatter Curse and Rapid Regeneration.
Do weapon specialization racials work for casters?
Sword, Mace and Axe Specialization now add critical strike chance to all spells and attacks while you have that weapon type equipped, so a caster holding the right weapon benefits too.
