Content:
Overview
Every fresh WoW Forever character starts with one big decision, and it happens before you even set foot in the world: which race do you pair with which class? The expansion shakes up that choice more than any release in years, handing out six brand-new pairings at no extra cost and, for the first time, letting both factions field every single class.
The headline change is simple but huge. The Alliance finally gets access to the Shaman, and the Horde finally gets a Paladin. Add four more new options on top of that and you have a roster where no class is locked to one side of the war anymore. Below is the quick summary of what’s new; the rest of this guide breaks down the full combination tables faction by faction.
| Combination | Faction | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Human Hunter | Alliance | NEW — a ranged option for the Alliance’s flagship race |
| Dwarf Shaman | Alliance | NEW — brings the Shaman to the Alliance for the first time |
| Gnome Priest | Alliance | NEW — gives Gnomes their first healing-capable class |
| Orc Mage | Horde | NEW — arcane spellcasting for the Horde’s core race |
| Troll Warlock | Horde | NEW — rounds out the Troll’s already deep class list |
| Undead Paladin | Horde | NEW — ties into a Forsaken Paladin storyline; brings the Paladin to the Horde |
All six of these are included free with the base game — you do not need any premium pack to roll one. That matters, because it means the biggest gameplay change of the expansion is available to every player from day one, whether they buy the deluxe editions or not. The only combinations that sit behind a paywall belong to the new Skyborne race, which we cover in its own section further down.
Why does any of this matter beyond bragging rights? Faction identity in World of Warcraft has always been tied to class access. Certain group compositions, certain buffs, and certain playstyles were only ever available to one side. By spreading every class across both factions, WoW Forever lets you choose your side based on story, friends, or aesthetics rather than being funneled toward the Horde or Alliance just to play the class you love. It is a quality-of-life shift that quietly rewrites two decades of habit.
If you want to hit the ground running on a new main, you can buy WoW Forever gold and boosts at Onlyfarms and skip straight to the fun part of endgame. The rest of this guide walks through every legal pairing so you can plan your next character with confidence.
The 6 New Combinations Explained
What each new pairing brings
The six additions are not random. Each one plugs a long-standing gap in a race’s options or gives a faction something it never had. Here is a closer look at all of them and why they matter.
- Human Hunter (Alliance) — NEW. Humans have always been the most flexible Alliance race, and now they add a pet-and-bow specialist to a lineup that already spanned tanks, healers, and casters.
- Dwarf Shaman (Alliance) — NEW. This is arguably the marquee change. The Shaman class had been Horde-only since launch, so Dwarf Shamans finally give the Alliance totems, Bloodlust-style utility, and hybrid elemental play.
- Gnome Priest (Alliance) — NEW. Gnomes were previously stuck without a dedicated healer or shadow caster. The Priest fixes that and makes the race a far more complete pick.
- Orc Mage (Horde) — NEW. Orcs gain their first pure arcane class, adding frost, fire, and arcane spellcasting to a race best known for its melee power.
- Troll Warlock (Horde) — NEW. Trolls were already one of the deepest races for class variety, and the Warlock pushes them even further into caster territory.
- Undead Paladin (Horde) — NEW. The counterpart to the Dwarf Shaman. The Paladin had been Alliance-only, and this pairing introduces it to the Horde through a dedicated Forsaken Paladin narrative.
The practical takeaway: whatever class you enjoy playing, you are no longer forced onto a faction you dislike to play it. Every class now lives on both sides.
There is a nice symmetry to how the two flagship additions were handled. The Shaman coming to the Alliance and the Paladin coming to the Horde are mirror images of one another, and both were the classes each faction had been missing since the very beginning. Rather than simply unlocking them without explanation, the expansion grounds the Horde Paladin in the Forsaken, giving the Undead a reason to wield the Light that fits their grim, defiant character. That narrative framing is a small touch, but it helps the change feel earned rather than arbitrary.
The remaining four combinations are more about rounding out flexibility than making history. Human Hunter, Gnome Priest, Orc Mage, and Troll Warlock each fill a hole in a race’s toolkit, and together they make the mid-tier races far more competitive picks when you are deciding where to invest your leveling time.
Alliance Races and Classes
Full Alliance combination table
The Alliance roster covers four base races in WoW Forever. Humans remain the jack-of-all-trades option, while the Dwarf and Gnome each pick up a game-changing new class. Note that the Night Elf receives no additions this time. New options are flagged directly in the table.
| Race | Classes |
|---|---|
| Human | Warrior, Paladin, Hunter (NEW), Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock |
| Dwarf | Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman (NEW) |
| Gnome | Warrior, Rogue, Priest (NEW), Mage, Warlock |
| Night Elf | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Druid |
A few things stand out. The Human is now the only Alliance race that can play seven distinct classes, cementing its role as the go-to pick for players who like to swap mains. The Dwarf Shaman and Gnome Priest are the two most impactful new choices here, since they open up team roles those races simply could not fill before. If you have always wanted an Alliance Shaman, the Dwarf is your only route.
It is also worth noting what did not change. The Night Elf keeps the exact same five-class list it had before, with no additions in WoW Forever. That is not a knock against the race — the Night Elf remains the sole Alliance Druid, which is a genuinely valuable niche — but if you were hoping to see it branch into new territory this expansion, that update simply is not here.
For newcomers deciding where to start, the Human is the safest all-rounder, the Dwarf is the pick for anyone drawn to the newly available Shaman, and the Gnome is now a legitimate caster and healer race rather than a novelty. The Night Elf stays the specialist choice, ideal if the Druid is what you are after.
Horde Races and Classes
Full Horde combination table
The Horde also fields four base races, and three of them gain a new class this expansion. The Tauren is the lone holdout with no additions. As with the Alliance, new options are marked in the table below.
| Race | Classes |
|---|---|
| Orc | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Mage (NEW) |
| Tauren | Warrior, Hunter, Shaman, Druid |
| Troll | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Shaman, Warlock (NEW) |
| Undead | Warrior, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock, Paladin (NEW) |
The Troll is now the Horde’s most versatile race, able to field seven classes after the Warlock addition — a direct mirror of the Alliance Human. The Undead Paladin is the historic milestone on this side of the war, backed by a Forsaken Paladin storyline that explains how the Horde came by the class. The Orc Mage, meanwhile, gives the faction’s signature race a spellcasting identity it never carried before.
As on the Alliance, one race sits this expansion out in terms of new options: the Tauren. It retains its four-class lineup and, like the Night Elf, keeps its exclusive claim to the Druid on its faction. So while the Horde gained three new pairings overall, the Tauren specifically stays exactly as it was.
If you are weighing Horde races for a new character, the Troll is the versatility king and a strong choice for players who want the most future options on one race. The Undead is the emotional pick for anyone who has waited years to pair the Forsaken with the Light. The Orc finally answers the call for a pure caster on the Horde’s most iconic race, and the Tauren remains the dependable Druid and Shaman specialist.
Skyborne Restrictions
The new race and its limits
WoW Forever also introduces the Skyborne, a brand-new race split across both factions: the High Order serve the Alliance, and the Windshaper serve the Horde. Unlike the six free combinations above, the Skyborne are not part of the base game. Playing one requires the paid Skyborne Heroic Pack, which starts at $29.99.
The Skyborne also come with class restrictions that set them apart from the base races. Neither branch can become a Paladin. On top of that, their spellcasting options are split by faction: the Alliance High Order can be a Mage but not a Shaman, while the Horde Windshaper can be a Shaman but not a Mage. The table below lays out exactly what each side can play.
| Skyborne Branch | Faction | Available Classes |
|---|---|---|
| High Order | Alliance | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Druid, Mage (Alliance-only) |
| Windshaper | Horde | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Druid, Shaman (Horde-only) |
To summarize the caster split clearly: the Skyborne Mage exists only on the Alliance side, and the Skyborne Shaman exists only on the Horde side. If you want a Skyborne with totems, you have to go Horde; if you want one slinging spells as a Mage, you have to go Alliance. And in either case, the Paladin is off the table entirely for this race.
These limits are important to plan around before you spend money. Because the Skyborne sits behind the paid Skyborne Heroic Pack, you cannot simply reroll to the other faction’s branch for free if you pick the wrong caster. Decide up front whether the Mage or the Shaman is the fantasy you are chasing, then buy into the faction that supports it. The four shared classes — Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, and Druid on both sides — give you plenty of common ground regardless of which branch you land on.
Compared with the base races, the Skyborne trade some breadth for a distinct new identity and premium cosmetics. If you are a completionist or you love the race’s theme, the pack is an easy call; if you mainly want the six free combinations, you can skip it entirely and lose nothing from the core experience.
Other Class Changes
Beyond the combination list
While combinations are the main story, WoW Forever ships a couple of broader changes that affect how every class feels to play. They are worth knowing before you commit to a race, even though they do not change which pairings are legal.
- Reworked racials. Each race’s racial abilities have been rebuilt into a cleaner package of two active and two passive traits. This makes the tradeoffs between races easier to read at a glance and gives every race a couple of buttons to press rather than a grab bag of passives.
- New talent milestones. The talent trees have been overhauled, and the standout addition is a new 16-point milestone that rewards players for investing more deeply into a single tree. Expect your build choices to feel more meaningful as you climb toward that threshold.
These systems apply across the board, so they will shape your character regardless of which of the combinations above you choose. Pick the race and class you enjoy first, then lean into the reworked racials and talent milestones to fine-tune your playstyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about WoW Forever combinations
Are the six new race and class combinations free? Yes. All six — Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Gnome Priest, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock, and Undead Paladin — are included with the base game at no extra charge. You do not need any premium pack to roll one.
Can the Alliance finally play a Shaman? Yes, through the Dwarf. The Dwarf Shaman is the Alliance’s first-ever access to the class, which had been exclusive to the Horde before WoW Forever.
Which race should I pick if I want to play a Paladin on the Horde? The Undead. The Undead Paladin is the only Horde route to the class and comes with a dedicated Forsaken Paladin storyline explaining how the faction gained it.
Do I need to pay extra to play a Skyborne? Yes. The Skyborne race — High Order for the Alliance and Windshaper for the Horde — requires the paid Skyborne Heroic Pack, which starts at $29.99. The Skyborne also cannot be Paladins, and their caster options are faction-locked: Mage for the Alliance side, Shaman for the Horde side.
Which races got no new class options? Two: the Night Elf on the Alliance and the Tauren on the Horde. Both keep their existing class lists in WoW Forever without any additions.