Currently there are a lot different ideas out there as to which class is the best class overall. There are many different opinions between which classes on Destruction and Order are the best. To get a feel for what that general perception is, I have started a forum post in the general forums looking for player feedback. (Class Power Rankings – Feel free to add your 2 cents as well) Once I have had enough responses to this post I will sort the data out and represent it in my next post which will be my first in the series of breaking down the classes of Warhammer Online.
So feel free to add to the discussion and post away below as well. Here is my post from the forms.
Hey guys I’m looking for some feedback as to how you would rank the classes in Warhammer and why. In the next few weeks I am going to be doing some research regarding each class and eventually drawing some conclusions from the data and posting this information on my blog. (Also I am aware that there are changes coming in 1.4.1 that may change this but I will deal with that later) Please use the following format in your post.
Also please follow with why you ranked the class where it is ranked.
Destro
1 Best class – Why?
2 class –
3 class –
4 class –
5 class –
6 class –
7 class –
8 class –
9 class –
10 class –
11 class –
12 Worst class – Why?Order
1 Best class – Why?
2 class –
3 class –
4 class –
5 class –
6 class –
7 class –
8 class –
9 class –
10 class –
11 class –
12 Worst class – Why?Do I expect everyone to feel the same? No. But I do need your input so please power rank away.
Also here is the list of classes for those that don’t remember:
Destro Order
Black Guard Archmage
Black Orc Bright Wizard
Choppa Engineer
Chosen Ironbreaker
Disciple of Khaine Knight
Magus Runepriest
Marauder Shadow Warrior
Shaman Slayer
Sorcerer Swordmaster
Squig Herder Warrior Priest
Witch Elf White Lion
Zealot Witch HunterThanks in advance for all your time and info.
Vauleen of Volkmar 
Hm, you will certainly get some conflicting feedback from the community, as it’s hard to be objective when putting together a list of careers, especially the ones you have played, the ones you play with and the ones you play against. I can’t help but feel that splitting the careers by archetype would give a better picture of the overall balance.
Also, best as in most efficient, most feared, most imbalanced (a SW can be very efficient but not very feared because SWs are somewhat of a silent killer)? Do we take into consideration the skill level of individual careers (some careers are harder to play than others). At what gear level should we compare the careers, some scale better than others. Group play, solo play or both? Do you want us to be as objective as we can or is it okay to list careers from the viewpoint of our main char? I’d like a lot more information. 😀
Anyway, here’s my general list of generally “best” careers based (took me a while eventhough I tried not to think too hard):
Destro
1 Best class – Disciple of Khaine
Best destruction healer with strong morale abilities (both defensive and offensive) along with the capability to be one of the most effective, versatile and toughest melee dps careers destro has.
2 class – Chosen
Auras complement an array of skills that allow the Chosen to control the battlefield while being virtually invincible or being able to put on some serious hurt on people. What a tank should be like.
3 class – Sorceror
Burst on demand with AoE capabilities that can put any other career (except the BW) to shame.
4 class – Marauder
Almost every possible debuff and CC when tri-specced with respectable damage. Depending on the spec can have mad survivability (Hulking Brute, the best detaunt tactic around, 0 armor penetration proc with a heal component) mad damage (high crit chance/crit bonus damage tactic synergy, armor penetration possibilities with on demand survivability) or mad group synergy (armor debuff, wounds debuff, healing debuff, working pull, aoe knockdown, disorient, AP denial, etc.). This viability makes the career exceptionally good in solo play and good in group play. Terribly underrated career.
5 class – Black Guard
Very potent debuff choices: outgoing healing, armor, wounds debuffs, AoE snare, AP denial,… with some amazing CC options, and either good damage (with a detaunt immunity) or very good survivability. The only thing missing is a stagger and some viable morales.
6 class – Witch Elf
Good damage because of the armor ignoring attacks and very good tactic synergy. Can provide good dps in a group and is very effective in solo play
7 class – Choppa
Exceptional dps in a group environment with some potent debuffs.
8 class – Black Orc
Missing key elements that make a good tank. Although can provide substantial dps or achieve adequate survivability. Too reliant on an obsolete mechanic.
9 class – Squig Herder
Can be a squishy killer when played right, but otherwise missing burst on demand to kill healed/guarded targets. Can be very survivable when given the space to kite, but relatively easy to lock down in group play.
10 class – Zealot
Good healer when complementing a DoK in small-scale play but too easy to interrupt and kill in large-scale due to the long cast time on group heals. Can do some dps but lacking a resist debuff to do respectable damage. Can’t really be played as a hybrid.
11 class – Shaman
Worst healer destro side because of almost no instant healing with only hots left when long casted heals aren’t viable (a lot of the time). Can dps like a pro and have exceptional survivability with it due to the kiting capabilities, but when you have to sacrifice healing everyone just to stay alive you can’t really be classified as a good healer.
12 Worst class – Magus
Supposed to be a defensive caster but isn’t any harder to kill than other casters/ranged dps, while not being able to compete with the damage they deal due to screwed up skill/spec synergy and mechanic.
Order
1 Best class – Slayer
Capability to outdamage all other melee careers in a group enivronment due to their mechanic, ease of stacking armor penetration and Inevitable Doom, together with the most potent AoE debuff order has, Shatter Limbs (not to mention a 100% uptime heal debuff, a parry/block debuff and many options when it comes to ignoring avoidance). Potent in solo play, especially with the overpowered defensive sets.
2 class – Bright Wizard
Overwhelming burst on demand with best AoE capacity in the game (alongside Sorcs). Has some decent CC when specced for it.
3 class – Warrior Priest
Unparalleled healing with the option of being an AP battery while doing so and unmatched survivability. They are alot weaker than DoKs when specced dps though.
4 class – Knight of the Blazing Sun
Auras complementing their defensive capabilities, the ability to control the battlefield with the AoE stagger and other decent CC. Slightly worse than Chosen because they lack the damage a properly specced Chosen can inflict.
5 class – Ironbreaker
Nerfed patch by patch but still a decent tank. More than decent survivability and can spec for awesome damage. Lacks in the tank department as their CC is poor and they don’t have much group utility.
6 class – Archmage
Very good healing capacities in small scale (Magical Infusion, Desperation, Funnel Essence, no AP problems) with partial viability in large scale (insta rezes, MoM, AP denial) and they are a nightmare to catch. Can do very good dps when specced for it while still being hard to catch.
7 class – White Lion
Unparalleled burst and decent sustained damage. The most mobile of all careers. Lacks group synergy (only armor debuff) and AP management, plus it relies on a stupid pet. Also, we want a working pull.
8 class – Witch hunter
Slightly worse than Witch Elves but fills the same role.
9 class – Swordmaster
Decent damage but lack survivability the other tanks can achieve and has almost no group synergy apart from the core abilities. Also lacks decent CC. Too reliant on a restrictive mechanic.
10 class – Shadow Warrior
Lacks burst on demand. Doesn’t have much survivability despite it appearing so. Decent melee options.
11 class – Runepriest
A decent healer in small scale when complementing other healers, but lacks anything that would make him viable in large scale play. Pigeonholed into healing because the dps specs are garbage.
12 Worst class – Engineer
A defensive caster that isn’t defensive. Lacks either burst or survivability. Currently it has none. Has to sacrifice mobility in order to gain damage, which usually means worse survivability. Does both physical and magical damage which means that either source becomes obsolete as soon as the Engineer invests stat points into increasing the damage of one of them (weaponskill or ballistic skill). Better cleansing options next patch will only decrease the damage this career does.
I was doing my best to make a general list and yeah the thread has been derailed a bunch of times. And I guess people just don’t want to be general, which is good I guess. Anyway I’m going to work with what feedback I get and from there head into the classes and how they stack up.
That is a thing I need to do more research into, i appreciate you for the blog post.