The best race for every class in Wrath of the Lich King 3.3.5a

22 October 2026 · updated 24 October 2026 · 5 min read · Classes

Your race in Wrath of the Lich King decides your faction, your starting zone and a handful of racial abilities. Racials are small next to your gear and how you play, so the honest advice is to pick the race you like the look of. That said, a few racials are strong enough that players chase them, especially in PvP, and this post covers what each race brings and which ones fit each class.

Which races can be which class

Every race can be a Warrior and, once you have a character at level 55, a Death Knight. The other classes depend on the race.

Blood Elf is the only race that can’t be a Warrior in 3.3.5a. Druids are only Night Elves and Tauren, and Shamans only Draenei, Orcs, Tauren and Trolls.

Alliance racials

Human. Every Man for Himself breaks stuns, roots and fear, sharing a cooldown with the PvP trinket, so a Human effectively carries two. Sword and Mace Specialization add expertise for melee, and The Human Spirit adds spirit. Humans are the classic Alliance PvP pick for every class.

Dwarf. Stoneform removes poison, disease and bleed effects and cuts physical damage taken for a few seconds, which is excellent in PvP and on some raid bosses. Gun Specialization adds crit for Hunters with a gun, and Mace Specialization adds expertise. Frost resistance helps against Mages.

Night Elf. Shadowmeld drops you out of combat while standing still, useful for dropping threat or setting up ambushes. Quickness adds dodge, which suits tanks and melee in PvP. Night Elves are the only Alliance Druids.

Gnome. Escape Artist breaks roots and slows, which is very good in PvP. Expansive Mind raises intellect by 5%, a solid bonus for Mages and Warlocks, and Gnomes start with a bonus to Engineering.

Draenei. Heroic Presence gives you and your nearby party 1% hit, which makes the hit cap easier for everyone and made Draenei very popular in Alliance raids. Gift of the Naaru is a heal over time you can cast on anyone, and Draenei start with a bonus to Jewelcrafting.

Horde racials

Orc. Blood Fury is an on-use burst of attack power or spell power. Hardiness shortens stuns on you, and Axe Specialization adds expertise with axes. Command raises pet damage, which is why Orcs are a top pick for Hunters, Warlocks and Death Knights.

Undead. Will of the Forsaken breaks fear, charm and sleep, and it is one of the strongest PvP racials in the game, since so many classes use fear. Cannibalize heals you out of combat, Undead breathe underwater for much longer, and shadow resistance helps against Priests and Warlocks.

Tauren. War Stomp is an area stun, good for interrupting casters or escaping. Endurance adds 5% base health, which suits tanks, and Tauren are one of only two Druid races. They start with a bonus to Herbalism.

Troll. Berserking is a large burst of haste on a short cooldown, strong for any damage dealer or healer. Da Voodoo Shuffle shortens slows and roots, Regeneration speeds health regeneration, and Beast Slaying adds damage against beasts. Bow Specialization adds crit for Hunters with a bow.

Blood Elf. Arcane Torrent silences everything nearby and restores mana, energy or runic power. The silence is a strong PvP tool against casters, and the resource refund helps Rogues and Death Knights in PvE. Blood Elves start with a bonus to Enchanting.

The best race for each class

These are the picks you see most often, not rules. A Blood Elf Rogue or a Tauren Warrior is perfectly good in any content.

A note for a PvP realm

Lasthavens is a PvP realm, so the other faction can attack you in contested zones while you level. The PvP racials, Every Man for Himself, Will of the Forsaken, Escape Artist and Stoneform, are worth a little more there. If you plan to spend a lot of time in arena and battlegrounds or Wintergrasp, let that guide your choice. Otherwise, pick the faction your friends play and the race you’ll enjoy looking at for a few hundred hours.

Not sure about the class yet? The best class to level solo and the best DPS, tank and healer tier lists are good next reads.

Make your character on Lasthavens

Lasthavens is a free Wrath of the Lich King 3.3.5a realm with twice the normal experience from kills, quests and exploring. It plays in your browser, with no 17 GB download and no launcher, on Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, iPhone, iPad and Android.

Play Lasthavens now, or read how playing in a browser works first.