When it comes to Classic Hardcore in World of Warcraft, it’s essential to optimize wherever you can. It’s a fun but challenging game mode, and any advantage that you can give yourself is worth taking - especially if you’re a new player.
Below, you’ll find a tier list of all of the races that are available on Hardcore servers - ranked from trickiest to easiest - to help you pick one that matches your desired experience. We’ve looked at factors like racial abilities, starting zones, survivability, and available classes.
Orc
Orcs are an iconic World of Warcraft race- but unfortunately, they’re not the best pick for new players.
Firstly, their starting zone (Durotar) is notoriously tricky. There are some powerful mobs - some with self-healing or stun abilities - placed in frustrating locations, like narrow paths or caverns.
Compared to the other Classic races, Orcs don’t offer many racial abilities to help with the leveling up process. They do have a high potential damage output with enrage abilities and stun resistance, but nothing in the way of health boosts or regeneration buffs.
They do have access to classes like Hunters, Warlocks, and Rogues, though, allowing for the use of pets or stealth mechanics. If you’re set on playing an Orc but don’t want a grueling experience, opt for a pet class for a little extra support.
Night Elf
Right off the bat, one of the Night Elf racial traits is utterly useless on Hardcore servers. They turn into a Wisp when they die which allows for 50% increased movement speed during death.
Much like Orcs and Trolls, Night Elves have a very difficult starting zone. Teldrassil is beautiful, but it’s packed full of winding caves with painful respawn rates.
Of course, starting zones can be bypassed with some planning but for the most part, the majority of players will start leveling in their assigned starting zone.
Despite all this, Night Elves do have access to some stealth-based abilities with Nightmeld and they get a buff to their Dodge and Nature resistance stat as well. These can prove handy when leveling up in Hardcore.
Night Elves do have access to pet and stealth mechanics in the form of Hunters, Druids, and Rogues, so these are worth picking if you’ve got your heart set on playing in Teldrassil.
Troll
The main reason why we’re ranking Trolls as medium-difficulty for Hardcore is that they start off in Durotar like Orcs. As mentioned, this starting zone is one of the hardest to manage in the game.
Other than this, Trolls are fairly average.
They do have access to a good variety of classes and some useful abilities (like berserking and regeneration) but there’s nothing about them that makes them exceptional. They have a damage buff against beasts, but that’s a little niche.
Dwarf
Like Trolls, Dwarves are a solid pick but not exceptional.
One of the main selling points for picking a Dwarf in HC is that they have Stoneform. This racial ability grants immunity to Bleed, Poison, and Disease, while also providing a 10% buff to the user’s Armor.
Additionally, they’re resistant to Frost damage.
Dwarves start off in one of the easiest starting zones in the game and they have access to a decent variety of classes.
Undead
Undead are one of the best picks for Horde players who want to optimize their leveling experience and play a character with great survivability.
They have a simple starting zone (Tirisfal Glades does present challenges, but they’re manageable) and have access to some strong classes with pets and stealth mechanics.
There are some fantastic abilities in the Undead toolkit. They have an increased underwater breathing ability, meaning it’s harder to accidentally die while doing underwater quests.
Undead also have a health restore in the form of Cannibalize, along with a powerful CC immunity (Will of the Forsaken) and Shadow resistance stat.
Human
Humans are one of the most popular HC races.
They’ve got a decent starting zone, solid classes, and some useful abilities like improved stealth detection and a reputation boost.
The main reason why Humans are great HC picks is that they have a 5% Spirit buff. Spirit increases Health regeneration when not in combat and also helps with Mana regeneration when spells are not being cast. This is powerful and can make a huge difference if you don’t have time to sit for a drink.
Gnome
Out of all the Alliance races, the Gnomes are the best choice for new players.
They start off in a solid starting zone (Dun Morogh is one of the most approachable in the game) and have access to a nice variety of classes. If you do end up playing a Gnome, a Mage is the best pick as Gnomes get a 5% Intelligence buff alongside Arcane resistance.
One of the best things about playing as a Gnome is their Escape Artist ability. It’s a brilliant racial ability that removes any immobilization debuffs or speed debuffs, making it easy to get away from enemies with roots or slows.
Tauren
Finally, Tauren are arguably the best pick when it comes to choosing a Classic Hardcore race with strong survivability.
Tauren players start off in one of the easiest starting zones in the game. As long as you don’t fall off the cliffs in Thunder Bluff, leveling in Mulgore is fun and laid back.
They also have a maximum health boost, which adds to their survivability immensely.
The Tauren racial ability War Stomp provides a 2 second stun to all nearby enemies which can be immensely handy when dealing with packs of mobs or even with enemy players.
On top of all this, Tauren have a Nature resistance boost and plenty of classes to choose from - including Druid, adding to their survivability with movement boosts and stealth mechanics.
Final Thoughts
When trying to figure out which type of character to make in game, consider the following elements:
- What racial abilities do they have access to and how will they benefit you?
- Do they have access to classes with advantages like pets or stealth mechanics?
- What is their starting zone like and can they easily access other zones?
Above all else, though, do make sure to build a character that you enjoy playing. It might sound obvious, but building a Human Mage for the Spirit buff when you’d actually rather be playing an Orc Warrior with cool axes will just cause you to give up.
