Midnight Healer Tier List and Tank Tier List: Season 2 Raids
Midnight raid healer and tank tier list for Season 2 (12.1.5): all 13 specs ranked by 733 Mythic kills, plus healer counts and tank setups per boss.
In this guide 15 sections
This Midnight healer tier list and tank tier list ranks all seven healers and six tanks for Season 2 raiding on patch 12.1.5. It doesn't copy anyone else's tier letters. Every tier comes from the rosters of 733 Mythic raid kills logged after 12.1.5 went live, pulled from Raider.IO on October 29, 2026. Below the tiers you'll find how many healers Mythic guilds bring to each Venomous Abyss boss and which tank pairs they use.
Quick summary
- Best raid healer in Midnight Season 2: Holy Priest. It fills about 23% of healer seats in Mythic kills since 12.1.5 and appears in over 80% of them.
- Preservation Evoker, Restoration Shaman and Holy Paladin are A tier. Preservation leads on Kith'ix; Shaman and Paladin are steady on every boss.
- Best raid tank: Blood Death Knight. It holds three of every four tank seats in Mythic Kith'ix kills and appears in 97% of them.
- Protection Paladin is the clear second tank, and Mythic guilds bring it as a pair or with Blood for The Twin Fangs and The Coiled Altar.
- Healer count changes by boss. Most Mythic kills use four healers, but Vashnik and The Coiled Altar often take five.
How this healer and tank tier list is ranked
- Kith'ix share. All 174 Mythic kills of The Unbinding of Kith'ix with public rosters on Raider.IO (October 13 to 29). Mythic Kith'ix opened with 12.1.5, so every kill uses current tuning, and its first killers are the strongest guilds in the world.
- Venomous Abyss share. 559 first Mythic boss kills in The Venomous Abyss logged October 14 to 29 by 480 guilds, up to 100 per boss, starting with the highest-ranked guilds.
- What we count. A spec's share of all healer seats, or all tank seats, in that sample. The samples contain 2,999 healer seats and 1,463 tank seats in total. An even split would be 14.3% per healer and 16.7% per tank.
- Tier. The average of the spec's rank in the two samples. Healers: S is 2 or better, A is up to 3, B is up to 5, C is above 5. Tanks: S is 1.5 or better, A is up to 2.5, B is up to 4, C is above 4.
- Context, not counted. The race column shows the first Mythic kills of all eight bosses by the world's top 50 guilds (400 kills, August 22 to September 27), before 12.1.5.
Seat share shows what Mythic guilds bring, not raw healing or damage taken. Healers and tanks are picked for raid cooldowns, buffs and the players a guild already has, so this list says more about roster value than about meters. The data comes from Raider.IO's public API, which reads rosters from uploaded combat logs. Our raid DPS tier list uses the same kills.
Midnight raid healer tier list
| Healer | Tier | Kith'ix share (rank) | Venomous Abyss share (rank) | Average rank | In % of kills (Kith'ix / Abyss) | Race share, pre-12.1.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Priest | S | 22.7% (2nd) | 23.7% (1st) | 1.5 | 82% / 82% | 17.2% (3rd) |
| Preservation Evoker | A | 25.7% (1st) | 16.1% (4th) | 2.5 | 82% / 60% | 33.1% (1st) |
| Restoration Shaman | A | 17.5% (4th) | 21.7% (2nd) | 3 | 66% / 81% | 17.0% (4th) |
| Holy Paladin | A | 18.6% (3rd) | 18.6% (3rd) | 3 | 75% / 71% | 18.8% (2nd) |
| Restoration Druid | B | 8.8% (5th) | 10.7% (5th) | 5 | 35% / 42% | 2.7% (6th) |
| Mistweaver Monk | C | 5.0% (6th) | 6.9% (6th) | 6 | 21% / 28% | 2.4% (7th) |
| Discipline Priest | C | 1.7% (7th) | 2.3% (7th) | 7 | 7% / 9% | 8.7% (5th) |
The top four healers are close. Holy Priest takes S because it's first or second in both samples. The real gap is between those four and the bottom three.
Midnight raid tank tier list
| Tank | Tier | Kith'ix share (rank) | Venomous Abyss share (rank) | Average rank | In % of kills (Kith'ix / Abyss) | Race share, pre-12.1.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Death Knight | S | 74.9% (1st) | 47.4% (1st) | 1 | 97% / 78% | 56.7% (1st) |
| Protection Paladin | A | 10.0% (2nd) | 23.7% (2nd) | 2 | 21% / 43% | 25.0% (2nd) |
| Brewmaster Monk | B | 4.3% (4th) | 9.5% (3rd) | 3.5 | 9% / 19% | 2.5% (5th) |
| Guardian Druid | B | 5.7% (3rd) | 7.5% (4th) | 3.5 | 11% / 15% | 8.7% (3rd) |
| Protection Warrior | C | 3.5% (5th) | 7.3% (5th) | 5 | 8% / 14% | 0.9% (6th) |
| Vengeance Demon Hunter | C | 1.6% (6th) | 4.6% (6th) | 6 | 3% / 9% | 6.3% (4th) |
Blood dominates every sample. Most Mythic kills have at least one Blood DK, and many have two.
How many healers Mythic guilds bring to each boss
Mythic is a fixed 20 players, and the healer count is the first roster call a raid leader makes. These counts come from the same kills.
| Boss | Typical healers | What the data shows |
|---|---|---|
| Nek'zali, Entombed Sentinels, The Lost Explorers | 4 | Top-50 guilds used four healers in most race kills. The Lost Explorers had five in 15 of 50 |
| Vashnik the Malignant | 5 | 40 of 50 race kills and 47 of 100 kills since 12.1.5 used five or more |
| Sszorak | 4 or 5 | Four in 48 of 50 race kills, but 34 of 100 recent kills used five |
| The Twin Fangs | 4 | Five healers in only 1 of 100 recent kills |
| The Coiled Altar | 5 | 44 of 50 race kills and 66 of 99 recent kills used five or more |
| Ula'tek | 4 | Four in 48 of 50 race kills; five in 1 of 100 recent kills |
| Kith'ix (flexible 15–25) | 4 or 5 | 75 of 174 kills used five, 69 used four |
Example. Your guild runs four healers and keeps wiping on Mythic Coiled Altar. Two out of three recent kills used a fifth healer. Bench one DPS for that boss before you look at healer specs.
Tank pairs by boss
Most fights take two tanks. What changes is which two.
| Boss | Tank setup Mythic guilds use |
|---|---|
| The Twin Fangs | Protection Paladin. Top-50 guilds averaged 1.74 Prot Paladins per kill, often two. Since 12.1.5 it's about one Prot Paladin per kill |
| The Coiled Altar | One Protection Paladin and one Blood DK (about 0.9 of each per kill in both samples) |
| Ula'tek | Two Blood DKs. 1.96 Blood DKs per kill in the race and 1.57 since 12.1.5 |
| Every other boss | Blood DK first, with Protection Paladin, Guardian or Brewmaster as the second tank |
That's why Protection Paladin is A tier despite a small Kith'ix share: two Venomous Abyss bosses ask for it by name. Our Venomous Abyss raid guide explains each boss's mechanics.
Why each healer ranks where it does
Holy Priest (S)
First in the Venomous Abyss and second on Kith'ix, and present in about 82% of kills in both. It rose from 3rd in the race to the top since 12.1.5. Holy Priests also bring Power Word: Fortitude, so a raid with one doesn't need a Shadow or Discipline Priest for the buff.
Preservation Evoker (A)
The race favorite: a third of all healer seats and a Preservation in 94% of top-50 kills, with almost two per kill on Ula'tek. Since 12.1.5 its Venomous Abyss share fell to 16.1%, but it still leads on Kith'ix at 25.7%. It's the healer the very top guilds still stack.
Restoration Shaman (A)
Second in the Venomous Abyss and in 81% of those kills. It brings Skyfury and Spirit Link Totem. Our Restoration Shaman guide covers its raid build.
Holy Paladin (A)
Third in both samples at 18.6%, and the most consistent healer in the data: its share barely moved from the race. It brings Devotion Aura and Aura Mastery. See our Holy Paladin guide.
Restoration Druid (B)
The biggest healer riser, from 2.7% in the race to about 10% now. Blizzard's October 27 hotfix notes say Resto Druids are "performing well in raid settings" (Blizzard hotfix notes). The same hotfix buffed talents favored in dungeons (Verdancy +60%, Regrowth +10%, Improved Swiftmend 40%). They're excluded only from PvP, so raids get them too, and they aren't in this data yet.
Mistweaver Monk (C)
Sixth in both samples, though its share has nearly tripled since the race. Blizzard fixed a bug on October 27 where Mistline sometimes didn't heal the lowest-health target.
Discipline Priest (C)
The biggest faller. Top-50 guilds brought Disc for The Coiled Altar (1.16 per kill) and The Twin Fangs, which gave it 8.7% of race seats. Since 12.1.5 it holds about 2%, and Holy Priest has taken the Priest slot.
Why each tank ranks where it does
Blood Death Knight (S)
Blood holds 75% of tank seats on Kith'ix and almost half in the Venomous Abyss. It's the default first tank on every boss except The Twin Fangs, and it shares The Coiled Altar with Protection Paladin. Blood brings Raise Ally, a battle resurrection. Our Blood Death Knight guide covers the build.
Protection Paladin (A)
Second in both samples and the specialist for The Twin Fangs and The Coiled Altar. It brings Devotion Aura, Blessing of Spellwarding and Intercession (combat res).
Brewmaster Monk and Guardian Druid (B)
They trade 3rd and 4th place. Brewmaster rose from 2.5% of race seats to 9.5% in the Venomous Abyss since 12.1.5 and brings Mystic Touch. Guardian brings Mark of the Wild and Rebirth, which Balance and Restoration Druids already cover in many raids.
Protection Warrior and Vengeance Demon Hunter (C)
Both appear in under 15% of kills. Protection Warrior rose from under 1% in the race. Vengeance fell from 4th in the race to last, and its Chaos Brand is also brought by Havoc and Devourer.
Raid buffs and cooldowns by healer and tank
List what the rest of your roster already covers before you pick the healer or tank spot.
| Buff or tool | Healer source | Tank source | DPS that also bring it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Word: Fortitude | Holy or Discipline Priest | None | Shadow Priest |
| Mark of the Wild | Restoration Druid | Guardian Druid | Balance, Feral |
| Skyfury | Restoration Shaman | None | Elemental, Enhancement |
| Mystic Touch | Mistweaver Monk | Brewmaster Monk | Windwalker |
| Devotion Aura | Holy Paladin | Protection Paladin | Retribution |
| Chaos Brand | None | Vengeance Demon Hunter | Havoc, Devourer |
| Battle Shout | None | Protection Warrior | Arms, Fury |
| Battle resurrection | Restoration Druid (Rebirth) | Blood DK (Raise Ally), Guardian (Rebirth), Prot Paladin (Intercession) | Death Knights, Druids, Warlocks |
Example. Your raid has a Holy Priest, a Holy Paladin and a Preservation Evoker, and you need a fourth healer. Nobody brings Skyfury and you have no Shaman DPS. Take the Restoration Shaman: it's A tier and fills the buff.
Raid vs Mythic+: why the lists differ
| Spec | Raid tier (this list) | Mythic+ tier |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Priest | S | B |
| Holy Paladin | A | S |
| Preservation Evoker | A | C |
| Restoration Druid | B | C |
| Guardian Druid | B | S |
| Protection Paladin | A | B |
Raids reward raid-wide cooldowns and healing 20 players through scripted damage. Mythic+ rewards dispels, interrupts and keeping five players alive through trash. A healer that's average in keys can be a raid's first pick, and the reverse.
Pick a raid healer or tank spec
- Ask your raid leader what's missing: a buff, a battle res, a raid cooldown or a fifth healer for Vashnik and Coiled Altar.
- Check the boss. Bring a Protection Paladin for The Twin Fangs. Expect five healers on Coiled Altar.
- Play a spec you can perform. The top four healers sit within a few points of each other.
- Don't read HPS alone. Compare logs on the same boss, difficulty and healer count, and check overhealing, deaths and cooldown timing.
Returning and alt players
A healer or tank is usually the fastest way into a raid group when you return for 12.1.5. Gear up with our 12.1.5 catch-up guide and check the Great Vault guide for weekly slots. Choosing a class, not just a spec? See the Midnight class tier list. Our Kith'ix raid guide covers the single-boss raid added in 12.1.5 (Blizzard 12.1.5 notes).
For PvP rankings, see the Midnight PvP tier list. Every other Midnight guide is linked from the World of Warcraft hub.
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If you would rather not grind this part yourself, World of Warcraft raid services are listed on FullBoosts. Read Blizzard's End User License Agreement before you buy any service from anyone, FullBoosts included. A marketplace listing isn't publisher permission.
FAQ
What is the best healer for raids in Midnight Season 2? Holy Priest. It holds about 23% of healer seats in Mythic kills since 12.1.5 and appears in 82% of them. Preservation Evoker, Restoration Shaman and Holy Paladin are close behind in A tier.
What is the best tank for raids in Midnight Season 2? Blood Death Knight. It holds 75% of tank seats in Mythic Kith'ix kills and is the first tank on almost every Venomous Abyss boss. Protection Paladin is second.
How many healers does a Mythic Venomous Abyss raid need? Usually four. Mythic guilds bring five for Vashnik and The Coiled Altar, and about a third of recent Sszorak kills used five too.
Why is Holy Paladin S tier in Mythic+ but A tier in raids? Our Mythic+ list puts it first because it heals most top keys and covers the season's poisons. In raids, Holy Priest and Restoration Shaman hold more healer seats since 12.1.5, though Holy Paladin is still in about 70% of kills.
Is Discipline Priest bad in raids now? Mythic guilds rarely bring it since 12.1.5: about 2% of healer seats, down from 8.7% in the race. Holy Priest has taken the Priest slot.
How often does this tier list change? Raid rosters shift after tuning, so the list is rebuilt from fresh kill data. These tiers are a snapshot from October 29, 2026.
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