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Azeroth Survivors field guide ▶ Play free

Every class

Azeroth Survivors builds

Each class has three talent capstones that rebuild it around one idea. Pick the capstone first, then take the cards and passives that feed it. Here is what to aim for with every class.

Updated · checked against game 0.90

How to read this. Capstones and milestones are quoted from the game's own talent text (numbers left out, since they change with patches). The "build" picks are our recommendations, checked against community runs, for game 0.90.

Ranged · S tier

Hunter build

“Death from range. Arrows, traps and volleys, as long as you keep your distance.”

  • Auto Shot
  • Multi-Shot
  • Aimed Shot
  • Arcane Shot
  • Volley
  • Explosive Trap
  • Frost Trap

Recommended

Aimed Shot crit sniper

  • Aimed Shot capstone
  • free Aimed Shot milestone
  • crit chance and Blessing of Might (damage) passives
  • crit and damage rings

Every kill can reset Aimed Shot, so dense waves turn into a chain of huge crits. This is the build behind the 100k-crit clips going around.

Alternative

Beast pack (safest)

  • wolf milestone
  • raptor capstone
  • pet damage and crit picks
  • Multi-Shot

Pets body-block and keep killing while you kite. Forgiving if you are still learning boss patterns.

Race: Troll (Berserking for faster cooldowns) or Dwarf (Stoneform shield, gun damage).

Avoid: Standing still to finish a boss. Your whole kit assumes you keep moving.

Capstones

  • Aimed Shot capstone. Start every run with Aimed Shot; a shorter cooldown, and a killing blow readies it again.
  • Pet capstone. A raptor joins your wolf, and pet bites tear through extra enemies nearby.
  • Trap capstone. Start with Frost Trap, and an Explosive Trap sets itself at your feet every few seconds.

Milestones worth chasing

  • Every few shots is followed by a free Aimed Shot.
  • Auto Shot pierces into a second enemy.
  • Enemies killed by Auto Shot or Multi-Shot explode.
  • A wolf fights at your side; its bites can fire a free Multi-Shot.
Azeroth Survivors, hunter aimed shots for 100k+ crits 500k dps Sigmun ·

Ranged · S tier

Warlock build

“Curses and fire. Damage over time stacks up on everything that chases you.”

  • Shadow Bolt
  • Corruption
  • Curse of Agony
  • Immolate
  • Searing Pain
  • Rain of Fire
  • Soul Fire

Recommended

Plague spreader

  • Corruption capstone
  • DoT-jump milestone
  • DoT self-heal
  • area and haste passives

DoTs jump on every death and dying enemies explode, so packs clear themselves while you walk away.

Alternative

Soul Fire + luck

  • soul shard Soul Fire
  • Curse of Agony
  • luck from Gnome racial and gear

A popular community build: luck feeds better card and loot rolls while Soul Fire handles elites.

Race: Gnome (luck and shorter cooldowns), Orc (Blood Fury) or Undead (shadow resistance, a death save).

Avoid: Picking every direct-damage spell. DoT spread is where the class wins.

Capstones

  • Affliction-style capstone. Start with Corruption; enemies that die under your DoTs burst for a slice of their max health.
  • Demon capstone. A Felguard joins your demons, and every demon blow cleaves nearby enemies.
  • Rain of Fire capstone. A second Rain of Fire falls on its own, and its burning ground slows.

Milestones worth chasing

  • Corruption and Curse of Agony jump to the nearest enemy when their target dies.
  • Shadow Bolt forks to two more enemies.
  • Kills can tear open rifts that release Imps (up to five at once).
  • Shadow Bolts corrupt their target, and Corruption ticks can fire a free Shadow Bolt.
  • Shadow Bolt and Searing Pain make an Immolated enemy explode.
Azeroth Survivors | Duskwood | Warlock soulfire/agony & luck build Windowtismm ·

Ranged · S tier

Mage build

“The glass cannon. The biggest area damage in Azeroth, and nothing to hide behind.”

  • Fireball
  • Frostbolt
  • Arcane Missiles
  • Arcane Explosion
  • Pyroblast
  • Blast Wave
  • Frost Nova

Recommended

Fire chain explosions

  • Pyroblast capstone
  • free Pyroblast on Fire crits
  • ignite
  • crit chance passives

Kills explode into the next enemy, so crowds chain-detonate. Highest ceiling, lowest margin for error.

Alternative

Frost control (safer)

  • Water Elemental capstone
  • Frostbolt splinter
  • freeze chance
  • Fortitude for health

Slows, roots and an elemental tank buy time. Recommended for a first Mage run.

Race: Gnome (luck, cooldowns), Troll (Berserking) or Undead (a 4-sec death immunity).

Avoid: Skipping health and armor picks. One bad surround ends a Mage run.

Capstones

  • Pyroblast capstone. Start with Pyroblast; enemies killed by Fire spells explode for part of their max health.
  • Water Elemental capstone. Start with Frostbolt instead of Fireball; a Water Elemental fights for you and Frost Nova bursts on its own.
  • Arcane echo capstone. Start with Arcane Missiles instead of Fireball; spells strike twice more often, and a lucky double strike can roll again, up to 3 more times in a row.

Milestones worth chasing

  • Every fourth Fire crit casts a free Pyroblast.
  • Fire crits ignite their target.
  • Frostbolt splinters on impact; Frost spells can freeze in place.
  • Clearcasting can set off a free Arcane Explosion.
  • Arcane Missiles fires more missiles that leap between enemies.
Not the Warsong Gulch You Remember - Azeroth Survivors - Fire Mage Goerson ·

Melee · A tier

Paladin build

“Holy ground and righteous hammers. Heals himself, shrugs off death once in a while.”

  • Consecration
  • Hammer of Justice
  • Holy Shock
  • Exorcism
  • Judgement
  • Holy Wrath
  • Divine Shield

Recommended

Shield bastion (beginner)

  • Hammer of Justice start
  • Consecration shield
  • death-save milestone
  • Fortitude and Mark of the Wild

Stacks shields and health, then turns them into damage. Very hard to kill.

Alternative

Exorcism crit

  • Exorcism capstone
  • crit-to-Exorcism milestone
  • crit chance passives

More damage, still sturdy. A good second Paladin run.

Race: Dwarf (Stoneform shield) or Human (more experience and gold).

Avoid: Kiting at long range. Your damage lives in the ground under you.

Capstones

  • Holy Wrath capstone. A Holy Wrath bursts from you on its own every 14 sec.
  • Exorcism capstone. Start with Exorcism, and every Exorcism bursts on nearby enemies.
  • Hammer of Justice capstone. 15% more max health; spells deal extra damage based on your max health, and broken shields burst in holy light.

Milestones worth chasing

  • Holy Shock crits call down a free Holy Wrath; Hammer of Justice hallows the ground with a free Consecration.
  • Consecration raises a stacking shield; while it holds, you deal 20% more damage.
  • Holy Shock bolts leap to two more enemies.
  • Critical strikes can hurl a free Exorcism.

Melee · A tier

Warrior build

“Unstoppable in the thick of it. Huge health, cleaving swings, and every kill feeds the fury.”

  • Cleave
  • Whirlwind
  • Mortal Strike
  • Execute
  • Shield Slam
  • Bloodthirst
  • Heroic Strike

Recommended

Eternal Whirlwind

  • Whirlwind capstone
  • strike-twice milestone
  • free Whirlwind on kills
  • area and haste passives

The community favourite "warrior build": constant spinning in the middle of the horde.

Alternative

Shield wall

  • Shield Slam capstone
  • shockwave and shield milestones
  • Fortitude
  • armor

Up to 70% damage reduction plus max-health scaling. Slow but nearly unkillable.

Race: Orc (Blood Fury, health), Tauren (War Stomp, health) or Human.

Avoid: Ignoring pickup range. Melee heroes have to walk to every gem.

Capstones

  • Whirlwind capstone. Start with Whirlwind and spin for free every 3 sec.
  • Mortal Strike capstone. Start with Mortal Strike; killing blows from it or Execute ready it again at once.
  • Shield Slam capstone. Start with Shield Slam; damage reduction can reach 70% and spells scale with max health.

Milestones worth chasing

  • Whirlwind and Bloodthirst strike twice.
  • Every few kills unleash a free Whirlwind.
  • Cleave, Mortal Strike and Execute sweep on to two more enemies.
  • Shield Slam sends a stunning shockwave and raises a shield.

Hybrid · A tier

Shaman build

“Storms that jump from foe to foe, and totems that fight beside you.”

  • Lightning Bolt
  • Chain Lightning
  • Earth Shock
  • Frost Shock
  • Searing Totem
  • Magma Totem

Recommended

Storm chain

  • Chain Lightning capstone
  • no-falloff jumps
  • free recasts
  • haste and area

More enemies on screen means more bounces. Gets stronger exactly when the run gets harder.

Race: Troll (Berserking), Orc (Blood Fury) or Tauren (War Stomp).

Avoid: Spreading picks across lightning, totems and wolves. Commit to one.

Capstones

  • Chain Lightning capstone. Start with Chain Lightning, and a second one casts itself every 3 sec.
  • Spirit wolves capstone. Two spirit wolves fight beside you with Windfury.
  • Totem capstone. Start with Magma Totem, and a second Searing Totem drops on its own.

Milestones worth chasing

  • Chain Lightning jumps to three more enemies with no falloff.
  • Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning can strike again for free.
  • Every few spells are followed by a free Chain Lightning.
  • Every totem you set down sets a second one beside it.

Ranged · B tier

Priest build

“Light and Shadow. Shields and heals keep you alive while pain spreads through the horde.”

  • Smite
  • Holy Fire
  • Shadow Word: Pain
  • Mind Blast
  • Holy Nova
  • Power Word: Shield
  • Penance

Recommended

Shadow pain spread

  • Shadow capstone
  • SW:P apparitions
  • shadow weaving
  • haste

Pain jumps from corpse to corpse and procs free Mind Blasts. Strong, safe and low-effort.

Race: Undead (death immunity), Dwarf (Stoneform) or Human.

Avoid: Expecting fast early clears. Priests are a slow burn.

Capstones

  • Penance capstone. A free Penance about every 3 sec: three bolts of holy light.
  • Smite capstone. Smite hits one more enemy, and its crits set off a free Holy Nova.
  • Shadowform capstone. Shadowform for the whole run; an enemy that dies with Shadow Word: Pain on it bursts for part of its max health, and the pain jumps to the next enemy.

Milestones worth chasing

  • Start with Power Word: Shield; a breaking shield bursts in holy light.
  • A broken shield is raised again (at most every 15 sec).
  • Shadow Word: Pain ticks can loose a free Mind Blast.
  • Shadow spells also strike for a slice of the target's max health.

Hybrid · B tier

Druid build

“Moon, storm and growth. Roots, hurricanes and the steadiest self-healing.”

  • Wrath
  • Moonfire
  • Starfire
  • Hurricane
  • Entangling Roots
  • Swipe
  • Rejuvenation

Recommended

Starfall

  • treant capstone
  • free Starfire milestones
  • crit and area

Treants tank while stars rain down. Relaxed and steady.

Race: Night Elf (Shadowmeld, speed) or Tauren (War Stomp, health).

Avoid: Splitting between caster and Swipe talents in one run.

Capstones

  • Treant capstone. Two treants fight at your side, and you start with Moonfire.
  • Swipe capstone. A free Swipe every 5 sec, and every enemy hit heals you a little.
  • Rejuvenation capstone. Overhealing becomes a shield (up to 20% of max health), and Rejuvenation blooms on its own.

Milestones worth chasing

  • A free Starfire falls around you every 4 sec.
  • Spells can call down a free Starfire.
  • Start with Swipe; everything it hits bleeds.
  • Below 40% health a free Regrowth blooms (every 8 sec).

Melee · B tier

Rogue build

“Fast, fragile and lethal. The quickest hero, with crits that delete elites.”

  • Sinister Strike
  • Eviscerate
  • Backstab
  • Gouge
  • Blade Flurry
  • Adrenaline Rush

Recommended

Toxic chain

  • poison capstone
  • Deadly Poison
  • crit bleeds
  • Treasure Finding / pickup range

Poisoned deaths explode into the pack, which covers the Rogue weakness against crowds.

Race: Night Elf (speed and Shadowmeld), Human or Undead.

Avoid: Face-tanking. Use your speed and the death-save milestone.

Capstones

  • Sinister Strike capstone. Sinister Strike hits more enemies and fires on its own every 3 sec.
  • Poison capstone. Enemies that die poisoned or bleeding burst in a toxic cloud.
  • Backstab capstone. Start with Backstab; Backstab and Eviscerate splash onto nearby enemies.

Milestones worth chasing

  • Strikes apply Deadly Poison.
  • Every few kills grant a free Adrenaline Rush (60% faster cooldowns).
  • Sinister Strike and Backstab strike with both blades.
  • A killing blow leaves you at 25% health and untouchable for 3 sec (every 2.5 min).

Races and racials

Every race brings two or three small bonuses. They will not make a bad build good, but they tilt a class: luck for Gnomes, burst for Orcs, a death save for Undead and Night Elves.

RaceFactionRacials in Azeroth Survivors
Human Alliance
  • Perception: +15% damage for 10 sec, every 30 sec
  • Diplomacy: +20% gold
  • The Human Spirit: +10% experience
Dwarf Alliance
  • Stoneform: a shield worth 30% of max health, every 45 sec
  • Gun Specialization: +6% damage
  • Treasure Finding: +30% pickup range
Gnome Alliance
  • Escape Artist: roots nearby enemies for 2 sec, every 20 sec
  • Engineering Specialization: +20% luck
  • Expansive Mind: -8% cooldowns
Night Elf Alliance
  • Shadowmeld: 3 sec of immunity near death (75 sec cooldown)
  • Quickness: +8% move speed
  • Nature Resistance: +5% damage reduction
Orc Horde
  • Blood Fury: +35% damage for 12 sec, every 40 sec
  • Hardiness: +10% max health
Undead Horde
  • Will of the Forsaken: 4 sec of immunity near death (60 sec cooldown)
  • Cannibalize: every kill heals 1 health
  • Shadow Resistance: +4% damage reduction
Tauren Horde
  • War Stomp: stuns nearby enemies for 2 sec, every 15 sec
  • Endurance: +15% max health
Troll Horde
  • Berserking: cooldowns 30% faster for 10 sec, every 35 sec
  • Throwing Specialization: +3% crit
  • Regeneration: +1.5 health per second

Not every race can be every class; the game follows the Classic race and class combinations.

Stats explained

The run-stats panel lists every number your picks move. The explanations are the game's own. Three rules matter most for builds: Crit past 100% turns into extra critical damage, Echo past 100% makes every spell strike twice and starts rolling for a third, and Armor caps at 60% damage reduction, so stop stacking it there.

StatWhat it does
Damage Every spell you cast deals this much more damage. It grows with your level, gear, talents, jewelry and buffs.
Crit The chance a spell strikes critically. Past 100%, the rest adds to your critical damage.
Crit Dmg A critical strike deals this much of a spell's damage.
Echo The chance a spell strikes twice. Past 100%, every spell strikes twice and the rest is the chance of a third.
Haste Your spells come back this much sooner.
Area Your spells' areas and ranges are this much larger.
Targets Every spell that picks its targets picks this many more.
Health The most health you can have.
Armor Damage you take is reduced by this much (60% at most).
Regen Health you regain every second.
Lifesteal Heals you for this much of all the damage you deal.
Kill Heal Every kill heals you for this much.
Thorns This much of the melee damage you take is dealt back to the attacker.
Lives Times you rise again instead of dying.
Speed You run this much faster.
Pickup Experience and gold fly to you from this far.
Luck Better odds of rarer upgrades when you level up.
Experience You gain this much more experience.
Gold You find this much more gold.
Buff Power Your damage, haste, shield and thorns buffs are this much stronger.
DoT Stacks How many of each of your damage-over-time effects one enemy carries at once.
DoT Haste Your damage-over-time effects tick this much faster.
Vs Elites More damage to elites and bosses.
Execute More damage to enemies below 30% health.
Vs Controlled More damage to rooted, stunned, slowed or fleeing enemies.
Vs Afflicted More damage to enemies carrying one of your damage-over-time effects.
Shielded More damage while you hold an absorb shield.
Melee Your melee swings deal this much more damage.
Pet Damage Your pets deal this much more damage.

Luck is worth more than it looks: better odds of rarer upgrades means stronger cards on every level-up, which is why luck builds (Gnome racial, luck gear) are popular.

General build rules

  1. Capstone first. Plan the run around the capstone you have unlocked and take its spell every time it is offered.
  2. One survival stat by minute 5. Max health, armor, regeneration or a shield.
  3. Scale with numbers on screen. Chains, jumps, splits and on-death explosions get better as waves grow.
  4. Crit is a multiplier. Many milestones trigger on crits (free Pyroblasts, Exorcisms, bleeds), so crit picks do double duty.
  5. Spend gold on caches. Rings, trinkets and legendary amulets often decide a late zone.

New to the game? Read how to play first, or check the tier list to pick a class.