PvE DPS Tierlist

[KnightSwagger]

Can you share me your PvE spec tierlist for each patch?
This helps new people choose a dps spec at the reset.

[Mercy]

If people only played S-tier specs, the game would be ****in doomed.

[Bastardbottle]

If you are asking for a list for class comparision, then you are asking wrong, variety is whats needed. But if you need a stay away list for classes' own specs, then I can provide.

Warrior:
Arms: Some may argue that its viable for PvE but no, getting one combat rogue and feral cat is way better move than getting than a single arms to preserve spots or anything, any raid should consists these two classes/specs by default. Its for PvP only.
Protection; while can be played, its weaker than other tanks and people gonna treat you like a disease.

Hunter:
Survival: Stay away
BM: Stay away aswell, though its more tolerated.

Mage:
Frost: Its can be useful only for specific bosses, stay away and only use it for PvP.

Warlock:
Destruction: Lowest dps, even hybrid spec does better.
Affliction: Very gear dependent and doesnt buff the raid like demo. Can be played if there is a good geared demo providing the buff and if the gear is close to bis.

Shaman:
Enha/Ele: They are kinda weak, fun specs for PvE, every raid should consists one restoration shaman and thats enough, they dont provide unique buffs.

Death Knight:
All three specs can be used for both roles but you should play "Blood" for tanking, if you gonna tank and play dps with other two specs. Though for single target dps blood can be good at BiS (not sure.).

Rogue:
Sublety: Stay away from it, its for PvP.
Assassination: Another gear dependent spec (idk, dont play.), doesnt provide any special buffs, can be specced only if there is a combat rogue within the raid.

Priest:
Holy: While it can be played, most combs would require you to be disc, holy priest isnt anything special.

[debamaamu123123]

If you are asking for a list for class comparision, then you are asking wrong, variety is whats needed. But if you need a stay away list for classes' own specs, then I can provide.

Warrior:
Protection; while can be played, its weaker than other tanks and people gonna treat you like a disease.

Generally agree with you, despite sad bout the dps sham's raid viability but I can't agree that prot warr is a bad tank, if played well, it can be quite a solid one. I am far from even being a good tank for raids since I've spent most of my wow time simply dps-ing and my only tank ever is a 5k prot pala but I have a friend who always liked to tank, has all the tanks possible in game (retail), all BiS and according to him and what I've seen him doing in privates, prot warr>bear tank, just more difficult to handle.

[Keymouse8800]

Bro try everything you like! Its a process everyone should go thru.

[Kovachut]

Spoiler: Show

If you are asking for a list for class comparision, then you are asking wrong, variety is whats needed. But if you need a stay away list for classes' own specs, then I can provide.

Warrior:
Protection; while can be played, its weaker than other tanks and people gonna treat you like a disease.

Hunter:
Survival: Stay away
BM: Stay away aswell, though its more tolerated.

Mage:
Frost: Its can be useful only for specific bosses, stay away and only use it for PvP.

Warlock:
Destruction: Lowest dps, even hybrid spec does better.
Affliction: Very gear dependent and doesnt buff the raid like demo. Can be played if there is a good geared demo providing the buff and if the gear is close to bis.

Shaman:
Enha/Ele: They are kinda weak, fun specs for PvE, every raid should consists one restoration shaman and thats enough, they dont provide unique buffs.

Death Knight:
All three specs can be used for both roles but you should play "Blood" for tanking, if you gonna tank and play dps with other two specs. Though for single target dps blood can be good at BiS (not sure.).

Rogue:
Sublety: Stay away from it, its for PvP.
Assassination: Another gear dependent spec (idk, dont play.), doesnt provide any special buffs, can be specced only if there is a combat rogue within the raid.

Priest:
Holy: While it can be played, most combs would require you to be disc, holy priest isnt anything special.

Since OP was interested in the viable specs "for each patch", you can assume that he's planning on playing on Frostmourne. There, prior to patches 3.2 and 3.3.5, some of the specs you mentioned above are actually good - like SH, BM, Destro, Enh & Ele Shammy, and Assa Rogue. Once ToC and ICC become available on that realm, these specs become underdogs, and OP could consider changing his talents then. That said, I have seen good enhancement and assa players doing decent damage, so while some specs are busted with BiS ICC and RS gear, the underdogs can still perform well if played well (except Frost and Sub, which are purely for PvP as you've said).

Notes:

I haven't played Affli VVarlock, but I have heard that this was the go-to spec in general if there's already a Demolock in the raid.

In ToC, Prot VVarriors become attractive once the player becomes block capped. This spec is very useful against Anub (hc), since it can deal with the Burrowers with ease.

[Bastardbottle]

@debamaamu123123
As I said prot warr can be played, and I add that they can tank anything and its nice to have them for specific bosses pre-icc and add tanking on halion but sadly its weaker/bad when you compare it to the other tanks from 3.3.5a. And definetly no, prot war isnt better than bear. Bears are the best MTs this patch due their insane EHP.

@Kovachut
You are right, I based my list by 3.3.5a.

[Greedman45]

Sigh....

First lets address the op.

I agree with Mercy. kappa

Secondly, lets address Bastardbottle's response.
Assa rogue>combat rogue if a combat rogue or arms warrior is already in the raid. Just most rogues have no idea how to do damage as assassination which is weird because its nothing diffucult. Especially pre-toc patch assa rogue deals way more damage.
Affli lock does more than demo and if a demo is already in the raid then the second or third lock would do much better being affliction.
Survival hunter can pull almost same dps as mm pre-toc as well.

The other dude that said prot warrior can be better than bear.... Sigh again... NOp, just nop. The only reason dk is usable in raids as a tank instead of bear is if you dont already have a frost dk dps so you use the double buff spec for abomination might and talons since at bis gear you can tank even with warrior. Its just that warrior provides nothing as a protection. It is quite fun though and can outdps any other tank unless they "cheat" like using seal of command on lk and stuff like that.Well you could argue that fury wars are cheating on lk dps all the time and i would aggree but thats besides the point.

Back to the op, play assassination rogue and top charts at nax "wink"

[Fnx]

The problem with choosing an S-tier class is that there are a lot of them and a great bunch of the people playing those classes have played them for several years at this point and know every little trick there is. You should focus on what class you find fun to play instead of whats best. That way you have better chances not getting bored quickly in the process

[Bastardbottle]

@Greedman45
Now you mention, I should edit warrior part of my post, forgot to warn about arms. And Im not disagreeing with you and as I know these specs (assa/affli) does better damage already on this patch but undesired if combat/arms(a big no.)/demo isnt present, thats why I added "if" condition on them, they are filler dps es only.

[brooman044]

I disagree that destro is lowest dps spec. Early on throughout naxx and uld it tops the meters compared to aff/demo, other specs don't get better until you have gear with more haste. T7 set bonus work well with destro. Doing naxx and uld with 1 demo and like 5-7 destro is the meta