How to Choose Your Main in TBC Anniversary (Raids, Heroics, Arena)

Choosing a main in TBC Anniversary is not about finding a perfect “best class” answer, because your first month at level 70 is driven by practical problems: getting invited to groups, clearing Heroics efficiently, securing a weekly Karazhan spot, and finding time for Arena without falling behind in PvE. This guide focuses on real decision-making, not a tier list. It explains how class choice affects invite speed, raid roster stability, and early Season 1 PvP options, so you can pick a main that fits your schedule and keeps progression smooth.

The key idea is simple: the best main is the one that reduces wasted time. In the early TBC loop, the difference between a “good” choice and a “bad” choice is often measured in hours spent waiting for groups, not in small DPS gaps. Tanks and healers usually progress faster because they start groups instead of waiting for them, while certain DPS specs stay consistently welcome because they make runs cleaner and raids more stable. By the end of this article you will have a clear way to pick your main, a realistic idea of what your first alt should be, and a short week-one plan you can follow without overthinking.

Quick Main Picker (Read This First)

If you want a fast answer that matches how most players actually spend their first weeks at 70, use this checklist. It is built around real TBC Anniversary goals: Heroic keys and reputations, quick dungeon gearing, a stable Karazhan spot, and a main that can queue Arena without constant partner drama.

• If your #1 goal is fast invites and fast gearing: main a tank or dedicated healer.
• If your #1 goal is a guaranteed raid slot every week: pick a roster-friendly role with clear utility.
• If your #1 goal is Arena Season 1 consistency: pick a class that fits many comps and feels good to repeat.
• If you play odd hours or mostly solo: pick a strong solo-friendly class that is still welcome in groups.

How to Pick Your Main in TBC Anniversary

The fastest way to choose a main is to stop thinking in “highest DPS” and start thinking in “smoothest progress.” Most players do the same activities early: normal dungeons, reputation farming, Heroics, pre-raid gearing, and then weekly Karazhan plus Tier 4 raids. Your main should fit that reality and help you move through it without getting stuck.

Use this decision rule. If your goal is fast invites and fast gearing, pick a tank or healer. If your goal is a stable raid schedule, pick a spec that a raid leader can slot reliably every week. If your goal is Arena Season 1, pick a class that has multiple viable partners and a playstyle you can repeat for a long time without burning out.

The “Anchor Main” plan that makes alts painless

Even if you want multiple characters, the smartest move is to build one anchor main first. Your anchor main is the character you push through the early gates: gearing, reputations, Heroics, and raid readiness. Once you have one stable character, your schedule becomes easier, your gold becomes steadier, and your weekly upgrades become predictable.

Many players slow themselves down by splitting effort too early and ending up with three characters that are almost ready. TBC Anniversary feels much better when you get one character fully functional first, then add an alt that covers a different activity. Your main gives you momentum, your alt gives you variety.

What Gets You Invited Faster in Dungeons and Heroics

In the first weeks at level 70, your biggest enemy is wasted time. Heroics and reputation grinding dominate early gearing, so the classes that form groups fastest naturally progress faster. This is why tanks and healers feel so strong as mains, even if you are not chasing perfect optimization. You are the start button for content.

If you enjoy leading pulls and controlling the pace, tanking is the most direct way to speed up your entire launch. If you enjoy being the backbone of a run, healing is the other high-value choice. If you prefer DPS but still want smoother grouping, you want utility that makes runs safer and faster, not just damage on paper.

Why tanks are the fastest progression choice

Picking a tank as your main is the most reliable shortcut to early progress because tanks solve the biggest launch problem: group formation. You do not need to be overgeared to be useful. You need to be consistent, know pulls, and keep the run moving. Tanks also get “social snowball” value because healers and DPS remember the tank who runs clean groups and invite them again.

Protection Paladin is a common anchor-main choice because it thrives in dungeon pacing. It is excellent at controlling multiple enemies, making pulls safer, and keeping threat stable in chaotic early gear. That matters because early Heroics punish sloppy pulls and weak control. A Protection Paladin that understands pacing often feels like the captain of the group.

Feral Druid is a strong alternative if you want flexibility. It can tank daily runs, but it also offers the option to swap roles later if your guild needs a different setup. In practice, this means your character stays useful even when roster needs change. It also makes the “main now, alt later” plan easier because your single character covers more situations.

Protection Warrior is still a reliable choice if you like a more traditional tanking feel. Warriors often reward player skill and clean execution, and many raid groups are comfortable building around Warrior fundamentals. If you enjoy the rhythm of careful pulls and strong single-target control, Warrior tanking stays a safe path to stable invites.

Why healers stay in demand every single week

Healing mains progress fast for a simple reason: there are always fewer healers than DPS. A good healer makes bad groups survive, and that creates repeat invitations. Healing also scales well in the early phase because you do not need perfect gear to be valuable. If you can manage mana, keep calm under pressure, and handle mistakes, you will always find content.

Restoration Shaman is often welcomed because it fits smoothly into both dungeons and raids. It offers consistent healing and strong group utility, and many raid teams like having several Shamans for roster stability. If you want a healer that feels “always useful,” Restoration Shaman is a comfortable anchor pick.

Holy Priest is a safe choice for players who want a classic healer identity. It handles many situations well, adapts to different group skill levels, and usually feels strong when teammates make mistakes. In early Heroics where pulls are rough and interrupts are missed, having a healer that can stabilize chaos is a major quality-of-life advantage.

Restoration Druid is great for players who prefer proactive healing and mobility. It can make runs feel smooth when the tank is taking steady damage, and it stays useful across a wide range of content. Holy Paladin is another strong option if you like a durable, consistent support role and enjoy enabling stable tanking.

Why these DPS picks get invited more often

DPS players compete for the most crowded role, so your best advantage is being the DPS that makes a run cleaner. In early TBC, that usually means reliable damage with useful tools: crowd control, interrupts, emergency survival, and low downtime. DPS that need perfect gear or very specific setups can feel slower to gear, not because they are weak, but because they are harder to fit into random groups.

Warlock is a strong early main for players who want steady value in both dungeons and raids. Warlocks bring consistent output, useful control, and a stable damage profile across many fights. They also scale well into weekly raiding without needing a perfect gear lottery to feel good.

Mage is a popular choice because it naturally supports dungeon speed. It has strong control tools and can help groups recover from mistakes. In practice, Mages often get invited because they make content feel safer and more organized, especially when the group is made of strangers.

Hunter is one of the easiest “smooth progress” mains for many players. It performs well early, levels and farms comfortably, and often feels good even when gear is incomplete. If you want a main that can make gold, do quests efficiently, and still contribute strongly in groups, Hunter is a great fit.

Rogue can be very valuable, but it is more slot-dependent. When groups already have melee, you may feel competition, but in good comps Rogue control and interrupts can be extremely useful. Enhancement Shaman and Balance Druid also bring strong value, but their group slots often depend more on what a specific party needs that day.

How to get invited more often if you play a “medium invite speed” DPS

If you love Rogue, Enhancement, or Balance, you do not need to reroll. You just need to reduce friction. These specs are strongest when they look like a clean upgrade for a group, not a gamble.

• Build your own groups: start the run, invite a tank and healer first, then fill DPS.
• Bring “run speed” habits: interrupts, stuns, and fast target switching matter more than meters in Heroics.
• Be the player with a plan: know the dungeon, know the dangerous pulls, keep the pace steady.
• Network once and benefit all week: add good tanks and healers, then run with them again.

How to Get a Stable Raid Spot in Karazhan and Tier 4

Raid rosters in early TBC are built around reliability. Karazhan becomes a weekly rhythm, and Tier 4 raids reward clean execution more than risky min-maxing. If you want a stable raid spot, the best approach is to play a role that a raid leader can schedule confidently every week.

Tanks and healers remain the easiest path into stable raids because fewer players stay committed to those roles long-term. For DPS players, stability usually comes from being consistent and bringing something a roster needs: debuffs, group support, or damage profiles that remain strong even in imperfect early gear.

Why “utility DPS” often have the easiest raid life

If you want a stable raid DPS slot, being a “useful DPS” is often better than being a “selfish DPS.” Utility DPS are the specs that make the whole raid run smoother: they stabilize mana, improve debuff coverage, or help certain group types perform better. This can matter more than raw meters in many normal guild environments.

Warlock remains a classic example of reliable raid value because it tends to perform steadily and fits cleanly into many rosters. Shadow Priest often feels valuable because it supports raid rhythm and consistency in a way that raid leaders notice during long nights. Balance Druid and Enhancement Shaman can be excellent “roster glue” picks because they help groups function better, even when individual gear levels vary.

If you want less stress and fewer “are we short on your spec today?” situations, utility DPS is one of the safest lanes to play. You might not top every meter, but you will often get invited because you make the raid feel stable.

If you are stuck between two classes

If you are choosing between two mains and both feel fun, let your schedule decide. Pick the class that will get you into content more often. If you mostly play solo or at odd hours, lean toward tank, healer, or a strong solo-friendly class with group value. If you mostly play with a guild, lean toward the role your roster is short on. The faster you get into runs, the faster you gear, and the faster every other decision becomes easier.

Arena Season 1: Picking a Main That Works With Many Partners

Arena Season 1 is a major part of the early endgame loop, and the ladder will be active because the system encourages participation. Your best Arena main is not the one that looks perfect on paper. It is the one you can actually find partners for and queue consistently on.

In early Season 1, classes with flexible compositions, strong control tools, and stable survivability tend to feel best because gear is not perfect and games are messy. Healers are especially valuable because they give your team time to learn, recover, and stabilize. If you want a lower-stress Arena experience, pick a class that can play with multiple partners instead of needing one specific setup to function.

A practical Arena rule that avoids burnout

If you want to play Arena consistently in Season 1, choose a main that gives you options when life happens. Real Arena progress comes from queuing regularly, not from finding a perfect “dream comp” and then never playing because one partner is offline.

• Pick a class that can play with different partners: flexibility beats perfection in early Season 1.
• Pick a playstyle you enjoy repeating: you improve faster when you can spam games without stress.
• Avoid “one-comp dependency” if you do not have a fixed team: it creates downtime and frustration.
• Prioritize control, defensives, and healing value: messy games happen early, and stability wins.

Main + Alt Setup That Actually Works in TBC Anniversary

If you only play one character, your decision should match what you do most at level 70. If you spend most days in 5-mans, choose a role that makes 5-mans easy. If your schedule is raid-based, choose a raid-friendly role and commit to it. If your schedule is Arena-based, choose a class you enjoy practicing and queuing regularly.

If you plan to play two characters, the best setup is to cover two different needs. Your main should be your anchor character for consistent progress. Your alt should give you variety without forcing you to repeat the same grind twice. A common and effective approach is a tank or healer main for fast invites, plus a DPS alt for relaxed raids and farming. Another approach is a PvE-friendly main for steady weekly gear, plus a PvP alt once your gold and schedule stabilize.

7-day launch plan you can follow immediately

This short plan turns your class choice into real progress. Keep it simple. Your goal is momentum before weekly raid routines fully lock in.

Tank or Healer path:

• Day 1-2: Run normal dungeons and key quest upgrades to stabilize your baseline gear
• Day 2-4: Farm reputations to unlock Heroics and fill missing slots
• Day 4-7: Spam Heroics for high-impact upgrades, then secure Karazhan groups early

DPS path:

• Day 1-2: Push reputation targets and easy quest upgrades that boost your key stats
• Day 2-4: Run dungeons with a consistent group to reduce LFG downtime
• Day 4-7: Farm Heroics for trinkets and weapons, then lock in a weekly Karazhan spot

Arena-focused path:

• Day 1-3: Build a functional PvE set so gold and upgrades are not a struggle
• Day 3-7: Start testing partners and playstyles while you gear through weekly content
• After Season 1 opens: Queue often, keep your setup stable, and improve fast through repetition

Conclusion

Choosing your main in TBC Anniversary is easier when you focus on progress, not hype. If you want faster invites and smoother gearing, tanks and healers are the best shortcut because they control dungeon access during the early Heroic phase. If you want a stable raid spot, pick a role with clear weekly value and show up consistently for Karazhan and Tier 4. If you want Arena Season 1, choose a class that works with many partners and feels fun to practice, because consistency wins more games than chasing a perfect rumor meta.

The strongest plan is to build one anchor main first, then add an alt that covers a different activity. Pick the class that gets you into content the fastest, not the one that looks best on paper. That approach gives you more invites, more upgrades, and a smoother launch experience without turning the first month into a second job.