Raid composition
Blizzard has not published a tank/healer split for any raid, so every composition on this page is a working default built from vanilla norms and what is known about Forever’s class kits. Three things move the numbers from vanilla: there are now three real tank classes, both factions have Paladins and Shamans, and the buff talents that used to force a class into the roster are gone. Check Classes for each spec.
Working defaults
Section titled “Working defaults”These match the guild’s raid targets in the roster tool.
| Raid | Tanks | Healers | DPS | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow Deeps (10) | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 bosses, unknown mechanics. A second tank covers adds; 3 healers survives learning wipes. Drop to 2 healers once farmed. |
| Hyjal Summit (20) | 3 | 5 | 12 | 13 bosses. Third tank flexes to DPS on fights that do not need it. |
| Onyxia (40) | 4 | 10 | 26 | MT plus whelp off-tanks plus backups; vanilla pugs ran 8 to 12 healers. Forever’s 40 exists for one boss, so DPS-heavy is fine. vanilla baseline |
Ratios: the 10 runs 20% tanks, 30% healers; the 20 runs 15% tanks, 25% healers. Once mechanics are known, the healer share should fall toward 20% to 25%.
Forever class facts that change composition
Section titled “Forever class facts that change composition”Three real tank classes: verified
| Class | Why it tanks now | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| Protection Warrior | Vanilla baseline tank | Nothing new |
| Protection Paladin | Seal of Fury makes Judgment a taunt; Templar’s Bulwark absorb; Consecration baseline at 20 | No interrupt. Assign a kicker to the Paladin tank’s target. |
| Feral Druid | Mangle and Lacerate added “to make Druid tanking more practical” | Leather; check whether armor multipliers hold up on the hardest hitters |
Shaman tanking is experimental and has no taunt. Do not roster a Shaman as a tank.
Healers
Section titled “Healers”Priest gained Penance and Prayer of Mending. verified Holy Paladin, Resto Shaman and Resto Druid are all viable. Both factions have Paladins and Shamans now (Undead Paladin, Dwarf Shaman), so Horde gets Blessings and Alliance gets totems. verified
Paladin Blessings last 1 hour. verified Greater Blessings status is unknown, so a Paladin may be buffing 10 to 40 people individually; budget a minute.
Removed buff talents
Section titled “Removed buff talents”In the beta talent export, Blessing of Kings, Divine Spirit, Improved Mark of the Wild and Improved Power Word: Fortitude no longer exist as talents. verified One site says they became baseline; unverified either way, you no longer bring a Paladin or a Priest for a buff talent. Bring them for healing, tanking or damage.
Single hit and crit stats across melee, ranged and spell; +healing grants 1/3 as +damage. verified Gear sharing between casters is easier, which is a loot-rule question, not a composition one. See Loot systems.
Melee Survival Hunter
Section titled “Melee Survival Hunter”Exists. verified Count it as melee for positioning, cleave mechanics and tail-sweep rules on Onyxia.
Party-scoped effects
Section titled “Party-scoped effects”Some buffs are still party-only per one reading, so group deliberately. vanilla baseline mechanics party scope unverified
| Effect | Source | Grouping rule |
|---|---|---|
| Trueshot Aura | Hunter | Put the Hunter with the physical DPS |
| Leader of the Pack | Feral Druid | Physical DPS party. Do not stack with Moonkin aura in the same party. |
| Moonkin aura | Balance Druid | Caster party |
| Vampiric Embrace | Shadow Priest | Melee party for the healing return |
| Mana Tide Totem | Resto Shaman | Healer party |
| Paladin auras | Paladin | One Paladin per party if you have them |
| Light’s Vigil (new) | Paladin | Marked ally’s party |
Debuff limit
Section titled “Debuff limit”Not answered at the Q&A. verified absence If vanilla’s 16-debuff cap returns, Warlock curses and Shadow Priest debuffs need a budget at 40. At 10 and 20 it rarely binds.
Buff coverage table
Section titled “Buff coverage table”What each class brings that the raid wants. Everything is either verified for Forever or vanilla baseline as tagged.
| Buff or utility | Class | Scope | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Word: Fortitude | Priest | Raid | vanilla baseline; Improved talent removed |
| Mark of the Wild | Druid | Raid | vanilla baseline; Improved talent removed |
| Arcane Intellect | Mage | Raid | vanilla baseline |
| Blessings (1 hour) | Paladin, both factions | Per target; Greater unknown | verified duration |
| Blessing of Kings | Paladin | Removed as a talent; baseline or gone unknown | verified removal |
| Divine Spirit | Priest | Removed as a talent; baseline or gone unknown | verified removal |
| Totems (Strength of Earth, Windfury, Mana Spring, Tremor) | Shaman, both factions | Party | vanilla baseline |
| Fear Ward | Priest | Single target | vanilla baseline; racial restriction status unknown |
| Battle Shout | Warrior | Party | vanilla baseline |
| Trueshot Aura | Hunter | Party | vanilla baseline |
| Leader of the Pack / Moonkin aura | Druid | Party | vanilla baseline |
| Vampiric Embrace | Shadow Priest | Party | vanilla baseline |
| Mana Tide | Resto Shaman | Party | vanilla baseline |
| Innervate | Druid | Single target | vanilla baseline |
| Light’s Vigil | Paladin | Marked ally’s party | verified new, mechanics thin |
| Curses (Elements, Shadow, Recklessness) | Warlock | Target debuff | vanilla baseline |
| Sunder Armor, Faerie Fire, Expose Armor | Warrior, Druid, Rogue | Target debuff | vanilla baseline |
| Summons (Ritual of Summoning) | Warlock | Logistics | verified meeting stones do not summon |
| Soulstone | Warlock | Single target | vanilla baseline |
| Combat resurrection (Rebirth) | Druid | Single target | vanilla baseline |
| Interrupts | Warrior, Rogue, Mage, Shaman | Assigned | Prot Paladin has none |
Sample rosters
Section titled “Sample rosters”Barrow Deeps, 10
Section titled “Barrow Deeps, 10”| Slot | Pick | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tank 1 | Prot Warrior or Prot Paladin | If Paladin, assign an interrupter |
| Tank 2 | Feral Druid | Flexes to cat on single-target fights once known |
| Healer 1 | Priest | Fortitude, Fear Ward |
| Healer 2 | Paladin or Shaman | Blessings or totems |
| Healer 3 | Druid or the other of Paladin/Shaman | Drop to DPS on farm |
| DPS 1 | Warlock | Summons, Soulstone, curses |
| DPS 2 | Mage | Intellect, interrupt |
| DPS 3 | Rogue | Interrupt, Expose Armor |
| DPS 4 | Hunter | Trueshot, pulls |
| DPS 5 | Any | Warrior for Battle Shout, Shadow Priest for Vampiric Embrace |
Missing classes are fine at 10. The two things you cannot skip: a Warlock for summons (or three people who walk) and an Enchanter for essences. See Barrow Deeps.
Hyjal Summit, 20
Section titled “Hyjal Summit, 20”Double the 10 with one extra tank and two extra healers, then fill with DPS. Aim for at least one of every class so tier and crafted-set drops never rot. Four groups of five, each with a Paladin aura or a Shaman totem set if you have them.
Onyxia, 40
Section titled “Onyxia, 40”Not a guild-built roster. If hosting, the vanilla shape: 1 main tank with fire resistance, 2 to 3 whelp off-tanks, 8 to 12 healers, the rest DPS, with Fear Ward or Tremor on the main tank group and healers spread. See Onyxia’s Lair.
Unknown as of 2026-09-24
Section titled “Unknown as of 2026-09-24”- Any official tank/healer guidance for the three raids.
- Debuff limit.
- Whether Kings, Divine Spirit and the Improved buff talents are baseline or gone.
- Greater Blessings.
- Which effects are still party-scoped in Forever.
- Fear Ward’s availability (racial in vanilla).
Sources
Section titled “Sources”- https://classicwow.gg/forever/guides/raid-comp
- https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24303313/world-of-warcraft-forever-deep-dive-panel-recap
- https://www.zockify.com/forever/paladin/
- https://www.zockify.com/forever/priest/
- https://www.zockify.com/forever/druid/
- https://kotaku.com/new-things-learned-world-of-warcraft-forever-2000734005
- https://wowsod.pro/articles/wow-forever-qa-recap-september-17