Best WoW Classic Racial Abilities, Ranked

Every race in World of Warcraft: Classic comes with four pre-determined Racial Abilities. WoW Classic players don’t necessarily have to take these abilities into account in most other versions of the game, but in vanilla WoW, these small bonuses can end up being incredibly strong by the endgame.

Some WoW Classic Racials are not very memorable, or provide small stat bonuses that you will barely notice in combat. But some of the best WoW Classic Racial abilities can completely change up your approach or the classes you choose as each Race, or even become a regular part of your combat rotation.

8 Shadowmeld

Night Elf Racial Ability

The Night Elf racial ability Shadowmeld is one of the race’s most iconic. This WoW Racial ability lets Night Elves enter Stealth while standing still. This is invaluable on PvP servers and in Hardcore mode, but it’s also great in PvE when you see a Son of Arugal or other zone mini-boss enemy approaching.

Because Warriors, Hunters, and Priests cannot normally Stealth, this is a great addition to these Night Elf classes’ toolkits. But it’s also great for Rogues and Druids because it passively enhances their existing Stealth abilities, reducing the chance of being seen.

7 Mace & Sword Specialization

Human Racial Ability

The Human racial abilities Mace Specialization and Sword Specialization serve the same purpose but for two different weapon skills. As a Human in WoW Classic, you get a basic +5 to both Mace and Sword skills.

This might not seem like much, but at max level, this translates to a pretty noticeable extra chance to hit with melee weapons. If you want to play as a Human in WoW Classic, pick a class that can take advantage of this bonus, like Warrior, Rogue, or Paladin.

6 Engineering Specialist & Cultivation

Gnome & Tauren Racial Abilities

Two races get Racial abilities in WoW Classic that boost their skill with certain professions. Gnomes get Engineering Specialist, which boosts Engineering by 15 points, and Tauren get Cultivation, which boosts Herbalism by 15.

Of the two, the Gnomes’ extra Engineering skill is more powerful, as it means being able to craft higher-level gear faster than other classes. But Cultivation is handy because it reduces the chance of a failed harvest and boosts your material gains from the start.

5 Stoneform

Dwarf Racial Ability

The Dward racial ability Stoneform is one of the best defensive Racials in WoW. When activated, Stoneform grants the Dwarf character full immunity to all Bleed, Disease, and Poison effects for the duration of 8 seconds. It also boosts Armor by 10% for this period, too.

Because of this one Racial, Dwarves make for excellent Tanks for the Alliance. If things get hairy, or you are facing enemies that can inflict these effects, a Dwarf tank can take it all head-on and come out on the other side with barely a scratch.

4 Escape Artist & Will of the Forsaken

Gnome & Undead Racial Abilities

Escape Artist, a Gnome Racial ability, and Will of the Forsaken, an Undead Racial ability, both serve the same purpose: breaking CC. Gnomes are able to break any effect that impairs Movement Speed or completely immobilizes them, while Undead can become immune to Charm, Fear, and Sleep effects – which are extremely common in much of the game’s mid-to-late game content.

Of the two, Escape Artist is the most useful across the board, but there are moments when an Undead character can ignore an incoming Fear (or a Raid-wide Fear) that can keep you out of trouble. Essentially, Escape Artist will break most CC while Will of the Forsaken his more specific, but still powerful.

3 Blood Fury & Berserking

Orc & Troll Racial Abilities

Two Races available to Horde players (Orcs and Trolls) both have a similar activated ability that empowers themselves in different ways. The Orc Racial ability Blood Fury increases Melee Attack power but reduces incoming Healing, while the Troll Racial ability Berserking increases Casting & Melee Attack Speed based on your current HP total.

Of the two, Trolls come out on top because Blood Fury can only affect Melee damage, while Berserking affects both casters and melee specs. If you are playing a Melee DPS class, though, the Orcs’ 25% boost to Attack Power is hard to pass up.

2 Diplomacy

Human Racial Ability

The Human Racial ability Diplomacy was recently removed from World of Warcraft in The War Within, but in WoW Classic, players can see what makes this racial ability just so useful. Diplomacy simply increases all incoming Reputation gains by 10% – which saves a lot of time when grinding out Reputation for certain parts of endgame WoW content.

Think of it like this: as a Human in WoW, when others have to kill 10 enemies to get a certain amount of Reputation, you only have to kill 9. This Reputation bonus also applies to Quest Reputation rewards. You won’t notice it, but over time, your Reputation bonus will add up and you will end up saving a ton of time grinding.

1 War Stomp

Tauren Racial Ability

War Stomp is the best WoW Classic racial ability because it grants all Tauren classes a way to Interrupt enemies. Most classes in WoW Classic don’t have an Interrupt ability, which stops enemy spellcasts or Stuns them to prevent abilities. But no matter which class you choose, all Tauren characters get War Stomp and a way to prevent opponents from doing what they want to do – a really underrated skill in the vanilla game.

War Stomp is a powerful addition to a Tauren Warrior or Druid’s Tanking toolkit because it can affect up to 5 enemies in the nearby area, not just the target. But no matter what kind of Tauren you make, War Stomp is an invaluable ability that you will likely end up using as often as your Class cooldown abilities.