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Your first character
Updated October 4, 2026. Prices are U.S. list prices; check the official shop before you buy.
Quick pick: if you do not know what you want, play a Hunter or a Paladin. Both are forgiving, strong alone, and easy to learn. You can make more characters any time, for free.
1. Pick a side: Alliance or Horde
Every character belongs to the Alliance or the Horde. The two sides have different cities and stories. Today you can group with the other side for most dungeons and raids, so the choice matters less than it used to. If a friend already plays, pick their side.
2. Pick a race
There are more than 20 races, such as humans, dwarves, orcs and elves. Race is mostly about looks and story. Each race has small bonuses, but they barely matter for a new player. Pick the one you like looking at, because you will see it for hundreds of hours. Some races limit which classes you can choose.
3. Pick a class
Your class decides how you fight. There are 13. Each class has 2 to 4 specializations ("specs"), and you can switch spec later.
| Class | Roles | In one line |
|---|---|---|
| Death Knight | Tank, Damage | Heavy armor, slow and tough. Easy to survive with. |
| Demon Hunter | Tank, Damage | Very fast and mobile. Devourer is the new ranged spec in Midnight. |
| Druid | Tank, Healer, Damage | Shapeshifter. Can fill every role. |
| Evoker | Healer, Damage | Dragon caster. The Augmentation spec boosts allies. |
| Hunter | Damage | Ranged fighter with a pet. The easiest class to start with. |
| Mage | Damage | Classic spell caster. Strong damage, fragile. |
| Monk | Tank, Healer, Damage | Martial artist. Lots of movement. |
| Paladin | Tank, Healer, Damage | Holy knight in plate armor. Tough and forgiving. |
| Priest | Healer, Damage | Healer, or a shadow caster for damage. |
| Rogue | Damage | Stealthy melee fighter. Fun but busy to play. |
| Shaman | Healer, Damage | Uses totems and the elements. Melee or ranged. |
| Warlock | Damage | Dark caster with a demon pet. Strong when solo. |
| Warrior | Tank, Damage | Weapon master. Simple idea, high skill ceiling. |
4. Understand your role
- Tank: keeps the enemies' attention and takes the hits. Leads the group. Short wait to find a group.
- Healer: keeps the group alive. Also a short wait.
- Damage (DPS): kills the enemies. The easiest role to learn, but the longest wait in the group finder.
Start as damage while you learn. Try tanking or healing once you know how dungeons work.