World of Warcraft Races Your Character's Foundation
There are 10 World of Warcraft races to choose from, so which race should you pick? This guide will help you make that decision.
The first thing you need to know about World of Warcraft races, is that there are two warring sides, or factions, in WoW. The first decision you should make is which side you want to play on, Horde or Alliance.
Alliance is most often thought of as the good guys while the Horde is most often thought of as the bad guys. As with a lot of things, the truth in who the good guys are, and who the bad guys are, depends on how you look at it. =D
At any rate you should pick whichever side you think you would enjoy playing. Keep in mind that you can only talk to, group with, trade with and be in guilds with, members of your same faction. As a note, It has been my experience, that Horde players tend to be more mature and therefore more courteous toward other Horde players. Of course, there are always a few idiots in any crowd, but the Horde side generally seems to have fewer of them, at least on the servers I've played on.
Here are a few pros and cons of playing each side:
Alliance Pros
- More people play Alliance, so it's often easier to get groups for instance runs, pvp raids, etc.
- A larger variety and better availability of items on the auction house.
- Because of the larger supply of items, and more competition between sellers, Alliance auction house prices may be cheaper than Horde AH prices.
- More guilds to choose from.
- Playing as a "good guy".
Alliance Cons
- More competition for mobs in Alliance quest zones.
- More competition for sales on the auction house, usually means lower selling prices.
- Playing as a "good guy".
- Because of the greater number of people who play Alliance, usually a less mature player base.
Horde Pros
- Less competition for mobs in Horde quest zones.
- Less competition for sales on the auction house, usually means higher selling prices.
- Playing as a "bad guy".
- Usually, a more mature player base.
Horde Cons
- Less people play Horde so it can be harder to get groups for instance runs, pvp raids, etc.
- A smaller amount of items available on the auction house.
- Less auction house competition usually means you'll pay higher prices for items you buy from the auction house.
- Not as many guilds to choose from.
- Playing as a "bad guy".
Picking World of Warcraft Races
Now that you've made the decision as to which side you want to be on, Horde vs. Alliance, it's time to decide which race you want to play.
People most often ask, "Which of the World of Warcraft races are best for my chosen class"? It's my opinion and the opinion of many others, that race really doesn't make a difference in the long run. Any differences in race can be made up for by equipping the proper gear. So, pick a race that you would enjoy playing.
Some people pick their World of Warcraft races based on role playing or a race that identifies with their personality type, that's fine too. The important thing is that you like your character and that you're having fun. After all, this is a game.
You are also limited to certain World of Warcraft Races based on which class you wish to play. Not all races can play each class. The only exception to this is the Death Knight which can be played by any race.
In order to create a Death Knight, you must already have a level 55 or higher character. You also must have one or more open character creation slots, on the server where you wish to create the Death Knight. You may have one death Knight per account, per server. Also, you must install and upgrade your account to the Wrath of the Lich King expansion.
Also note that in order to play the Draenei and Blood Elf races, you must have installed and upgraded your account to at least The Burning Crusade expansion. These two races are not available in "Vanilla" World of Warcraft.
Here are your class choices by race:
Horde
| Class |
Blood Elf |
Orc |
Tauren |
Troll |
Undead |
| Druid |
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| Death Knight |
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| Hunter |
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| Mage |
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| Paladin |
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| Priest |
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| Rogue |
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| Shaman |
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| Warlock |
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| Warrior |
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Alliance
| Class |
Draenei |
Dwarf |
Gnome |
Human |
Night Elf |
| Druid |
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| Death Knight |
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| Hunter |
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| Mage |
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| Paladin |
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| Priest |
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| Rogue |
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| Shaman |
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| Warlock |
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| Warrior |
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