So, I decided to sit down and really hash out a D3 class tier list. It’s something I’ve been mulling over, especially with how often things shift around in that game. You play a season, think you’ve got it figured out, and then a patch drops, or someone discovers some wild new build.
Getting Started – The Initial Mess
First thing I did was just open a blank document. No fancy spreadsheets at this stage, just wanted to get my raw thoughts down. My main question was, what am I basing this on? Speed farming? Pushing super high Greater Rifts? Group play? Solo? That’s always the tricky part with these lists, isn’t it?
I figured I’d try to aim for a general feel, mostly solo play with a nod to what’s strong for blasting through content quickly, because that’s what most folks do, I reckon. But even then, some classes just shine in one area and are a bit meh in another.
I started by just listing all the classes: Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Necromancer, Witch Doctor, and Wizard. Then I just sort of stared at it for a bit, thinking back over my playtime with each.
The Sorting Hat Phase
Then I tried to put them into rough buckets. Like, who’s almost always good, no matter what? Those went into a mental “S-tier” pile. Demon Hunter often comes to mind there, usually has some super-efficient build. Necromancer too, especially with some of those corpse explosion shenanigans.
Then there are the ones that are solid, maybe not S-tier gods, but definitely strong and reliable. Your A-tiers. Monk can often be here, Barbarian too, depending on the season’s gear.
It got muddier in the middle. B-tier, C-tier… this is where personal preference really starts to kick in, and where some classes might have one amazing build but the rest are just okay. Wizard can be a bit all over the place here. Sometimes they have something that just melts everything, other times they feel a bit squishy or slow to get going.
And then there are the classes that, well, sometimes feel a bit left behind. Poor Witch Doctor has had some rough seasons, though I always have a soft spot for the class. Crusader can also swing wildly, either a total powerhouse or just feeling clunky.
Trying to be “Objective” (Ha!)
I did try to think about current popular builds. I wasn’t going to spend hours researching leaderboards or anything, this was more of a gut-feel and memory exercise. What builds did I see a lot of? What felt powerful when I was playing it, or playing alongside it?
I also considered ease of play, or rather, how easy it is to get a class performing well. Some classes need very specific gear and a lot of practice to shine, while others can be pretty effective even with less-than-perfect stuff.
I shuffled them around a lot. I’d put a class in A, then think, “No, but what about that one build for farming…” and then maybe bump it up or down. It’s a surprisingly fluid process. You think you’ve got it, then you remember one specific aspect and everything changes.
My Rough Tiers – How it Shook Out (For Now)
So, after a bit of back and forth, here’s a super rough idea of where my head was at. Don’t take this as gospel, it’s just how I was feeling based on my own play and general observations.
- S Tier: Usually Demon Hunter, Necromancer. They just often have builds that are incredibly efficient for speed and power.
- A Tier: Monk, Barbarian. Often very strong, good all-rounders, maybe just a notch below S in terms of raw clear speed or top-end pushing for some builds.
- B Tier: Wizard, Crusader. Can be amazing, can be S-tier with the right setup or patch, but sometimes feel a bit more specific in their strengths or might need more gear to really pop off.
- C Tier: Witch Doctor. Look, I love ’em, but they often seem to need a bit more love from the devs or rely on very niche builds to keep up.
Again, this is super general. One patch can flip this entire thing on its head. And someone who mains a “C-tier” class and knows it inside out can absolutely smoke someone on an “S-tier” class who doesn’t know what they’re doing.
Final Thoughts on the Process
Making a tier list is a funny thing. It’s partly about the game’s balance, but so much of it is also about player perception, current popular builds, and even just what feels good to play. What I ended up with is just a snapshot of my thoughts on a particular day.
It was a good exercise, though. Made me think about all the different ways to play, and how much variety there actually is, even if some classes do tend to float to the top more often than others. It’s a constant dance of buffs, nerfs, and new item combinations. And that’s probably why we keep coming back to it, right?
