You’ve done it…. leveled your character all the way to 70 and are finally ready to play the game. As you lose your first arena match, you can’t help but wonder if you blame your gear, your team composition, or your general lack of skill. I won’t help you improve your mechanics or skills today, but I will help you find the best arena comps.
The best arena comps in TBC for both the 2v2 and 3v3 bracket isn’t exactly clear-cut. According to most players, Dreamstate Druid+Subtlety Rogue is considered the best 2v2 comp while 3v3 is a toss-up between WLD, RLP, RMP, and RLD.
As you look forward to increasing your chances of success in the arena and maybe one day proclaiming yourself as Gladiator, herein lies knowledge to further your chances of reaping those rewards. I will cover popular comps and counters and continue to update this page as my knowledge grows as does my hope that yours will as well.
Best TBC Arena Comps
I don’t claim to be a professional player/Gladiator and the below findings may be subject to change. I encourage you to leave a comment if you disagree with a data point and I will research the matter in further detail.
I’ve spent countless hours pulling and analyzing TBC private server arena ladders based on 2.4.3 S3/S4 gameplay. I’ve chatted with top-rated arena players, researched forum posts, and dug into video comments to find the best comps and counter-comps.
Currently the most popular TBC private server has an arena ladder with the top 50 teams listed on their website. For each of the top 50 teams, I listed the team’s composition and the talent specializations used by each player.
In the table below I’ve laid out the teams in the top 25 and top 50 that use the following setups:
Endless TBC 2.4.3
2v2 Arena Ladder
November 2020
| Top 25 | Teams in Top 25 | Top 50 | Teams in Top 50 |
| Discipline Priest Subtlety Rogue | 5 | Discipline Priest Subtlety Rogue | 13 |
| Dreamstate Druid Subtlety Rogue | 4 | Restoration Druid Arms Warrior | 8 |
| Restoration Druid Arms Warrior | 3 | Dreamstate Druid Subtlety Rogue | 6 |
| Frost Mage Subtlety Rogue | 3 | Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock | 6 |
| Restoration Druid Marksmanship Hunter | 2 | Restoration Shaman Retribution Paladin | 4 |
| Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock | 2 | Restoration Druid Marksmanship Hunter | 4 |
| Restoration Shaman Retribution Paladin | 2 | Frost Mage Subtlety Rogue | 3 |
| Discipline Priest Frost Mage | 1 | Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock | 2 |
| Holy Paladin SL/SL Warlock | 1 | Restoration Shaman Arms Warrior | 2 |
| Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock | 1 | Discipline Priest Frost Mage | 1 |
| Restoration Shaman Arms Warrior | 1 | Holy Paladin SL/SL Warlock | 1 |
Endless TBC 2.4.3
3v3 Arena Ladder
November 2020
| Top 25 | Teams in Top 25 | Top 50 | Teams in Top 50 |
| Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock Arms Warrior | 3 | Discipline Priest Frost Mage Subtlety Rogue | 11 |
| Discipline Priest Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock | 3 | Discipline Priest Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock | 7 |
| Discipline Priest Frost Mage Subtlety Rogue | 3 | Restoration Druid Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock | 4 |
| Restoration Druid Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock | 3 | Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock Arms Warrior | 3 |
| Restoration Druid Frost Mage SL/SL Warlock | 2 | Restoration Druid Frost Mage Subtlety Rogue | 3 |
| Restoration Druid Enhancement Shaman Arms Warrior | 2 | Restoration Druid Frost Mage SL/SL Warlock | 2 |
| Frost Mage Restoration Shaman Shadow Priest | 1 | Discipline Priest Restoration Druid Arms Warrior | 2 |
| Discipline Priest Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock | 1 | Frost Mage Retribution Paladin Restoration Shaman | 2 |
| Restoration Shaman Shadow Priest SL/SL Warlock | 1 | Restoration Druid Enhancement Shaman Arms Warrior | 2 |
| Discipline Priest Restoration Druid Arms Warrior | 1 | Restoration Druid Enhancement Shaman SL/SL Warlock | 2 |
| Frost Mage Retribution Paladin Restoration Shaman | 1 | Frost Mage Restoration Shaman Shadow Priest | 1 |
| Restoration Druid Frost Mage Subtlety Rogue | 1 | Discipline Priest Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock | 1 |
| Discipline Priest Frost Mage Arms Warrior | 1 | Restoration Shaman Shadow Priest SL/SL Warlock | 1 |
| Restoration Druid Enhancement Shaman SL/SL Warlock | 1 | Discipline Priest Frost Mage Arms Warrior | 1 |
| Retribution Paladin Restoration Shaman Arms Warrior | 1 | Retribution Paladin Restoration Shaman Arms Warrior | 1 |
| Restoration Druid Enhancement Shaman Frost Mage | 1 | ||
| Discipline Priest Feral Druid Frost Mage | 1 | ||
| Restoration Druid Restoration Shaman Arms Warrior | 1 | ||
| Discipline Priest Enhancement Shaman Arms Warrior | 1 | ||
| Discipline Priest Frost Mage SL/SL Warlock | 1 | ||
| Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock SL/SL Warlock | 1 | ||
| Restoration Druid Marksmanship Hunter SL/SL Warlock | 1 |
Best 2v2 Arena Comps TBC
S Tier 2v2
Generally agreed by most arena players as the best 2v2 comp overall, Dreamstate Druid/Subtlety Rogue has no glaring weaknesses. Perhaps if the opener is lost against a double dps team, it might take the L, but if played flawlessly it is difficult to lose on this comp.
However, RD is not a completely dominating instant-win comp. In lower skill brackets, it will lose most games to equally poor skilled player comps such as Restoration Druid/Arms Warrior. While there are matches in elite brackets that will go 50/50 (particularly against the other S-tier comps), this comp does not have any hard-counters if played flawlessly.
The Druid is able to CC, HoT, and take advantage of the Dreamstate talent that allows for very high mana regeneration. The rogue is able to control the match and provide enough damage to take down any opponent while coordinating long CC chains with his Druid partner.
Like any arena team at high levels, this team must be played to absolute perfection in order to stay on top of the ladder. The learning curve for this comp is very high and much time will be required to master perfect execution.
| Composition: | Strong Against | Weak Against | Teams in Top 25 | Teams in Top 50 |
| Dreamstate Druid Subtlety Rogue | Restoration Shaman Retribution Paladin | Double DPS Restoration Druid Arms Warrior (Not exactly a counter, but difficult match) | 4 | 6 |
| Discipline Priest Subtlety Rogue | Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock Holy Paladin SL/SL Warlock Discipline Priest SL/SL Warlock Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock Shadow Priest Subtlety Rogue Restoration Shaman Retribution Paladin | Restoration Druid Arms Warrior Restoration Shaman Arms Warrior Restoration Druid Marksmanship Hunter | 5 | 13 |
| Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock | Restoration Druid Marksmanship Hunter Frost Mage Subtlety Rogue Discipline Priest Frost Mage | Discipline Priest Subtlety Rogue | 2 | 6 |
A Tier Comps/Counters 2v2
Any of these compositions have the ability to hit Gladiator.
I did my best to note counters in my table below, but there are always strategies to fighting counter-comps. Higher skilled players who can execute strategies to perfection may not see certain comps below as true counters, but this is the research I’ve gathered from the players I’ve talked to.
I did not include Restoration Druid/Subtlety Rogue in the breakdown below since it is difficult to differentiate whether the team plays as Dreamstate Druid/Subtlety Rogue and Dreamstate is superior in this comp.
| Composition: | Strong Against | Weak Against | Teams in Top 25 | Teams in Top 50 |
| Restoration Druid Arms Warrior | Discipline Priest Subtlety Rogue Dreamstate Druid Subtlety Rogue | Restoration Druid Marksmanship Hunter Frost Mage Subtlety Rogue Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock Shadow Priest Subtlety Rogue Discipline Priest Frost Mage | 3 | 8 |
| Frost Mage Subtlety Rogue | Restoration Druid Arms Warrior Restoration Shaman Arms Warrior Dreamstate Druid Subtlety Rogue | Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock Holy Paladin SL/SL Warlock Discipline Priest SL/SL Warlock | 3 | 3 |
| Restoration Druid Marksmanship Hunter | Discipline Priest Subtlety Rogue Restoration Druid Arms Warrior Restoration Shaman Arms Warrior Discipline Priest Frost Mage | Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock Discipline Priest SL/SL Warlock | 2 | 4 |
| Restoration Shaman Retribution Paladin | Discipline Priest Frost Mage | Dreamstate Druid Subtlety Rogue Discipline Priest Subtlety Rogue | 2 | 4 |
| Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock | Restoration Druid Arms Warrior Dreamstate Druid Subtlety Rogue | Discipline Priest Subtlety Rogue | 1 | 2 |
The comp that caught my eye in this list was Restoration Shaman/Retribution Paladin. It’s very strong against Dpriest/Mage but ultimately struggles against Dpriest/Rogue. While other comps are more of an even fight, this comp definitely takes a very skilled shaman to pull off. Retribution Paladins have extreme melee burst with instant attack, WF, shorter HoJ cooldown, and ranged gouge making them a ton of fun to play.
B Tier 2v2
While the teams below are still somewhat viable, they are ultimately less effective than A-tier comps and will have a much more difficult time achieving Gladiator.
Note that I did not include Holy Paladin/Arms Warrior in the list due to the BoF nerf implemented for patch 2.4.3 that increases the cooldown.
SL/SL Warlock/Shadow Priest is another comp is left off the list below. While stronger in earlier seasons, I believe it will struggle in the 2.4.3 meta:
| Composition: |
| Discipline Priest Frost Mage |
| Holy Paladin SL/SL Warlock |
| Restoration Shaman Arms Warrior |
| Discipline Priest SL/SL Warlock |
| Feral Druid Subtlety Rogue |
| Shadow Priest Subtlety Rogue |
| Discipline Priest Marksmanship Hunter |
| Restoration Shaman Feral Druid |
| Besast Master Hunter Subtlety Rogue |
Best Arena Comps TBC 3v3
While 3v3 is a bit more complex, there is a massive combination of viable comps. I have listed S and A tier based on the top 4 and top 25 respectively. I also included a list of B tier comps, but I’m sure I missed some there. I mainly took the B tier list from the top 50.
Any comp listed below in the S and A tiers is viable to get Gladiator with skilled players. B tier comps may have a chance as well.
S Tier 3v3
| Composition: | Teams in Top 25 | Teams in Top 50 |
| (“WLD”) Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock Arms Warrior | 3 | 3 |
| (“RLP”) Discipline Priest Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock | 3 | 7 |
| (“RMP”) Discipline Priest Frost Mage Subtlety Rogue | 3 | 11 |
| (“RLD”) Restoration Druid Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock | 3 | 4 |
A Tier 3v3
| Composition: | Teams in Top 25 | Teams in Top 50 |
| Restoration Druid Frost Mage SL/SL Warlock | 2 | 2 |
| Discipline Priest Restoration Druid SL/SL Warlock | 1 | 1 |
| Restoration Shaman Shadow Priest SL/SL Warlock | 1 | 1 |
| Discipline Priest Restoration Druid Arms Warrior | 1 | 2 |
| Restoration Druid Frost Mage Subtlety Rogue | 1 | 3 |
| Restoration Druid Enhancement Shaman Arms Warrior | 2 | 2 |
B Tier 3v3
| Composition: | Teams in Top 50 |
| Frost Mage Restoration Shaman Shadow Priest | 1 |
| Frost Mage Retribution Paladin Restoration Shaman | 2 |
| Discipline Priest Frost Mage Arms Warrior | 1 |
| Restoration Druid Enhancement Shaman SL/SL Warlock | 2 |
| Retribution Paladin Restoration Shaman Arms Warrior | 1 |
| Discipline Priest Enhancement Shaman Arms Warrior | 1 |
| Discipline Priest Feral Druid Frost Mage | 1 |
| Discipline Priest Frost Mage SL/SL Warlock | 1 |
| Restoration Druid Enhancement Shaman Frost Mage | 1 |
| Restoration Druid Marksmanship Hunter SL/SL Warlock | 1 |
| Restoration Druid Restoration Shaman SL/SL Warlock | 1 |
| Restoration Shaman Frost Mage SL/SL Warlock | 0 |
| Restoration Druid Frost Mage Arms Warrior | 0 |
| Subtlety Rogue SL/SL Warlock SL/SL Warlock | 1 |
Best 1v1 Class TBC
Rogue is the best 1v1 class in TBC. A good Rogue won’t lose to any class except for maybe a Discipline Priest or Restoration Druid (but who wants to duel as a healer?).
Rogues are represented in just as many high ranked arena comps as Druids as well, so they’re a great choice for PvP overall.
As an Elemental Shaman back in the day, I spent most of my time not playing arena. No teams would have me except a loyal friend on his Frost Mage for 2’s. When he was busy getting Gladiator on RMP, I was stuck outside Orgrimmar dueling. And man, I watched a lot of duels. A good Rogue can absolute dump on other classes.