TBC Anniversary Healer and Tank Tier List: Phase 3.5 Zul'Aman

Quick summary

• Best healers for Phase 3.5: Restoration Shaman and Holy Priest (S), then Holy Paladin and Restoration Druid (A), then Discipline Priest (B). The order comes from the six criteria below, not from another site's list.
• Best tank: Protection Paladin (S). Protection Warrior and Feral Druid share A tier. Warriors have the best emergency cooldowns, and Druids have the most health, but neither handles big trash pulls as well.
• Zul'Aman is a 10-player raid with no attunement (Blizzard). Most groups bring 2 tanks and 2–3 healers. A Paladin plus a Druid or Warrior tanking, with a Shaman and a Priest or Paladin healing, covers every boss.
• Every spec can clear current content. The tiers measure how much each spec makes a raid easier, not whether it can do the job.

This TBC Anniversary healer tier list and tank tier list covers the Phase 3.5 content that went live on October 22, 2026: Zul'Aman, Black Temple and Mount Hyjal. Blizzard's Zul'Aman update announcement also removed the Black Temple and Hyjal attunements, so tanks and healers on new characters can go straight to Tier 6 raids. Sunwell Plateau (Phase 4) has no announced date yet, so this list doesn't rank specs for it.

How we rank TBC Anniversary healers and tanks

Most tier lists give a letter and a paragraph of opinion. We score each spec against six criteria taken from its documented toolkit (spell and talent tooltips on Wowhead and the Warcraft Wiki). Then we place it by how many of the criteria it covers well. If two specs cover the same number, they share a tier.

Healer criteria

1. Raid healing: does it have smart or AoE heals for raid-wide damage (Hex Lord's Spirit Bolts, Hyjal waves, Illidari Council)?
2. Tank healing: can it keep one target alive through heavy hits on its own?
3. Unique raid buff: does it bring something no other healer can (Bloodlust, Fear Ward, Innervate, Blessings)?
4. Mana over long fights: does it have a tool that keeps it casting on 8–10 minute Black Temple fights?
5. Friendly dispels: can it remove Magic debuffs such as Zul'jin's Creeping Paralysis and Halazzi's Flame Shock?
6. Raid seats: how many of this spec does a 10- or 25-player raid want?

Tank criteria

1. Crushing-blow protection: can it push crushing blows off the table with block (a shield class), or does it rely on armor and health?
2. Single-target threat: how fast does it build threat on one boss?
3. AoE threat: can it hold large trash packs and Hyjal waves?
4. Emergency cooldowns: what does it press when a healer dies?
5. Illidan's Shear: can it reach enough avoidance to never take a Shear? Shear can't be blocked by a class without a shield.
6. Second role: can it do useful damage or healing when the raid needs only one tank?

This is a decision aid built for Phase 3.5. A skilled player on an A-tier spec helps a raid more than a careless player on an S-tier spec.

TBC Anniversary healer and tank tier list (all 8 specs)

Role	Spec	Tier	Strongest criterion	Main limit
Healer	Restoration Shaman	S	Bloodlust/Heroism plus Chain Heal	No friendly Magic dispel
Healer	Holy Priest	S	Circle of Healing and Prayer of Mending	Tank healing costs a lot of mana
Healer	Holy Paladin	A	The strongest single-target heals	No AoE heals
Healer	Restoration Druid	A	HoTs on the move, Innervate, Rebirth	Slow to react to a sudden spike
Healer	Discipline Priest	B	Pain Suppression and Power Infusion	Gives up Circle of Healing
Tank	Protection Paladin	S	AoE threat and crushing-blow protection	Least damage reduction from cooldowns
Tank	Protection Warrior	A	Shield Wall, Last Stand, Shield Block	Weaker AoE threat on big packs
Tank	Feral (Bear) Druid	A	Highest armor and health	Can't block, so can't avoid Shear

The sections below explain each placement against the criteria. For the damage side of the same raids, see our TBC Anniversary DPS tier list.

Best healer in TBC Anniversary: the healer tiers explained

Restoration Shaman (S tier)

• Raid healing: Chain Heal jumps to the most injured nearby targets, so it fits stacked raids and melee groups.
• Unique buff: Bloodlust (Horde) or Heroism (Alliance) speeds up the whole group for every boss. A Shaman's totems also add Mana Spring, Wrath of Air, Strength of Earth, Windfury or Grace of Air to its party.
• Mana: Mana Tide Totem restores mana to the whole party, not just the Shaman.
• Tank healing: Earth Shield, the 41-point Restoration talent, heals a tank automatically when it's hit.
• Limit: Shamans can only cure poisons and diseases on allies, not Magic. Bring a Priest or Paladin for Magic dispels.

Holy Priest (S tier)

• Raid healing: Circle of Healing (41-point Holy talent), Prayer of Healing and Prayer of Mending, which jumps between targets as they take damage.
• Unique buffs: Prayer of Fortitude and Fear Ward. Every TBC Priest can cast Fear Ward on a tank, which matters for fears on Black Temple bosses.
• Dispels: Dispel Magic and Mass Dispel cover Creeping Paralysis and Flame Shock in Zul'Aman.
• Mana: Shadowfiend returns mana during long fights.
• Limit: a Priest can heal a tank, but it's less mana-efficient at it than a Paladin.

Holy Paladin (A tier)

• Tank healing: Holy Light and Flash of Light, helped by Illumination refunding mana on critical heals, are the strongest single-target heals in the game.
• Unique buffs: Blessings of Wisdom, Might and Salvation (plus Kings if the build takes that Protection talent) and Cleanse for Magic, poison and disease.
• Limit: Paladins have no AoE or chain heal. On fights with heavy raid-wide damage they can only heal one target at a time. That's why they sit one tier below Shamans and Priests.
• Raid seats: most raids want one or two Holy Paladins on tanks. Few want more.

Restoration Druid (A tier)

• Raid healing: Rejuvenation, Regrowth and Lifebloom keep healing while the Druid moves, which suits Hyjal waves and Halazzi's spread phases.
• Unique buffs: Innervate for a caster's mana, Rebirth to bring back a dead player in combat, Gift of the Wild, and the Tree of Life aura, which raises healing taken by nearby party members.
• Limit: HoTs heal over time, so a Druid can't instantly refill a tank who drops from full in two hits. Pair a Druid with a Paladin or Priest on spike-heavy fights.

Discipline Priest (B tier)

• Unique cooldowns: Pain Suppression cuts damage on one target, and Power Infusion speeds up another caster's spells.
• Limit: a Discipline build gives up Circle of Healing, which is the Holy Priest's best raid heal. Raids gain more from a Holy Priest in the same seat.
• Where it fits: arena, or as a tank-focused healer when no Holy Paladin is available. Our PvP tier list covers where Discipline ranks in arena.

Full builds and gear for each healing class are in our priest guide, paladin guide, shaman guide and druid guide.

Best tank in TBC Anniversary: the tank tiers explained

Protection Paladin (S tier)

• AoE threat: Consecration, Holy Shield and Righteous Fury hold big packs. Each block or heal also gives mana back through Spiritual Attunement.
• BT and Hyjal bonus: most enemies there are Demons or Undead, so Exorcism and Holy Wrath add threat and damage on them.
• Crushing blows: Holy Shield raises block chance, so a geared Paladin can push crushing blows off the attack table. It can also reach enough avoidance for Illidan's Shear.
• Limit: it has fewer big defensive cooldowns than a Warrior, so healers have to react faster when things go wrong.

Protection Warrior (A tier)

• Emergency cooldowns: Shield Wall and Last Stand are the strongest panic buttons any tank has. Shield Block covers crushing blows.
• Single-target threat: Shield Slam, Devastate and Revenge hold one boss well once the Warrior has Rage.
• Limit: Thunder Clap and Cleave can't match a Paladin on large packs, and threat stats (Hit, Expertise) compete with survival stats on gear.
• Second role: a Warrior that isn't needed as a tank can switch to Fury or Arms with dual spec. See our warrior guide.

Feral Druid (A tier)

• Survivability: Dire Bear Form gives the most armor and health of any tank. Druids need less Defense than other tanks to stop being critically hit, thanks to Survival of the Fittest.
• Second role: Cat and Bear use the same talents and much of the same gear, so a Feral Druid can tank one boss and do melee damage on the next.
• Limit: a Druid can't block. It takes crushing blows when other tanks wouldn't, and it can't reach enough avoidance to never take Illidan's Shear. Most raids put a Warrior or Paladin on Illidan.

Tank stat targets to know before raiding

Target	Who it applies to	What it does
490 Defense skill	Warriors and Paladins	You can't be critically hit by a level-73 raid boss
About 415 Defense skill	Druids with 3/3 Survival of the Fittest	The same crit protection, because the talent covers the rest
102.4% combined avoidance and block	Warriors and Paladins	Crushing blows are pushed off the attack table

These are the standard TBC numbers listed on the community wiki pages for Defense skill. Resilience also reduces crit chance and can replace some Defense. Check the character sheet's Defense tooltip in game, which shows your crit reduction.

Pair tanks and healers for a 10-player Zul'Aman group

A typical Zul'Aman group is 2 tanks, 2–3 healers and 5–6 DPS. Zul'jin needs only one tank, so the second tank can switch to an off-spec there. Our Zul'Aman guide covers the timed run and each boss in full.

Pairing	Why it works	Watch out for
Prot Paladin + Feral Druid	AoE threat for trash plus a high-health boss tank. The Druid can Innervate a healer	The Druid can take crushing blows on Nalorakk's bear form
Prot Paladin + Prot Warrior	Two shield tanks with strong cooldowns	Less AoE threat on trash than with two Paladins
Resto Shaman + Holy Paladin	Bloodlust on every boss plus a dedicated tank healer	Neither has a Magic dispel and AoE heals at once. The Paladin covers dispels, the Shaman covers raid healing
Resto Shaman + Holy Priest	The two S-tier healers. Strong raid healing and every dispel you need	Tank healing leans on the Priest's mana
Two Resto Shamans	Two Bloodlusts, popular for the timed bear run	No friendly Magic dispel. Bring a Priest or Paladin DPS who can help
Add a third healer	Safer progression or a group still in Karazhan gear	One fewer DPS seat for the timer

Example. Your group has a Protection Paladin, a Feral Druid, a Restoration Shaman and a Holy Priest, and you want the timed bear run. The Shaman's Bloodlust covers every boss and the Priest handles Spirit Bolts and dispels. Keep that pair, and only add a second Shaman if you have a free DPS seat.

Know each Zul'Aman boss's tank and healer job

Boss	Tank job	Healer job
Akil'zon	Light damage except Call Lightning, so threat gear is fine	A Nature Resistance Totem helps with the Electrical Storm. Watch players thrown by Gust of Wind
Nalorakk	Two tanks swap between his troll and bear forms	Keep both tanks topped up. Pre-place HoTs before his bear-form silence
Jan'alai	Main tank in the middle. The off-tank picks up hatchlings by the platforms, which suits an AoE tank	Heal the main tank hard after the enrage at low health
Halazzi	One tank on Halazzi, one on the Spirit of the Lynx	Spread out and dispel Flame Shock
Hex Lord Malacrass	The off-tank holds any add that isn't crowd-controlled	Top the raid up before each Spirit Bolts. Priests and Paladins dispel his copied Magic effects
Zul'jin	One tank is enough. The second can DPS or heal with an off-spec	Fully heal Grievous Throw targets. Priests and Paladins dispel Creeping Paralysis. Save cooldowns for the lynx phase

Item drops for each role are in our Zul'Aman loot guide.

Pick a healer or tank by goal

Your goal	Pick	Why (criterion)
Easiest raid invite as a healer	Restoration Shaman	Bloodlust and totems no other class brings
Best tank healer	Holy Paladin	Strongest single-target heals
Healer that also does well in arena	Discipline Priest	Pain Suppression and instant-cast tools
Easiest raid invite as a tank	Protection Paladin	AoE threat for BT and Hyjal trash
Tank you can play as DPS on other nights	Feral Druid	Shares talents and gear with Cat Form
Easiest tank for a new player	Protection Warrior	Cooldowns cover mistakes while you learn

Gear up a tank or healer for Phase 3.5

1. Get into heroics first. Heroic keys only need Honored reputation since October 22 (Blizzard), and heroics were moved to their final, easier tuning. Our heroic dungeons and keys guide covers each key.
2. Spend badges well. Every boss in Karazhan, Gruul, Magtheridon, Serpentshrine, Tempest Keep and Zul'Aman now drops Badges of Justice. See which G'eras items suit each role in our badge gear guide.
3. Learn the 10-player raids. Our Karazhan raid guide covers the first raid most new tanks and healers gear in.
4. Know your set bonus. Our Tier 6 guide lists every healer and tank set.

Boosted, returning and alt players

• Level 58 boost. If you're choosing a class for the boost, a hybrid (Druid, Paladin, Shaman) gives you two roles to fall back on.
• Dual spec. Hybrids can keep a damage spec and a support spec, so they can fill whichever seat the group is missing.
• Fresh 70s. Zul'Aman has no attunement, and the Black Temple and Hyjal attunements were removed on October 22. Our fresh 70 catch-up guide lays out the fastest route from leveling gear to raid-ready.

Raid run listings for every current TBC raid are on our TBC Anniversary raids page. Other services and guides are on the TBC Anniversary hub. Blizzard's End User License Agreement restricts account sharing and paid in-game services, and a marketplace listing isn't publisher permission.

FAQ

What is the best healer in TBC Anniversary Phase 3.5? Restoration Shaman and Holy Priest share the top tier. Shamans bring Bloodlust and party totems no one else can, and Holy Priests have the strongest raid healing and every dispel you need.

What is the best tank in TBC Anniversary? Protection Paladin, because Black Temple, Hyjal and Zul'Aman have a lot of trash where AoE threat matters. Protection Warriors are still the best choice for many single-boss jobs, and they have the strongest emergency cooldowns.

What is the best race for a tank or healer? Racials are a small edge. Tauren get extra health and Night Elves extra dodge, which help Druid tanks. A Draenei's Heroic Presence gives nearby party members extra hit, and a Blood Elf's Arcane Torrent restores mana for healers.

Which healer is easiest for a beginner? Holy Paladin has the fewest heals to manage, since you mostly heal one or two tanks. Restoration Druid is the hardest to learn well, because HoTs need planning before the damage lands.

How many tanks and healers does Zul'Aman need? Most groups bring 2 tanks and 2–3 healers. Zul'jin needs only one tank, so the second can switch to a damage or healing spec for that fight.

Does my healer or tank pick matter for clearing raids? Not for clearing. Every spec can clear current content with good play. The pick matters most for how easy it is to find a raid spot and how much a group gains from your buffs.

Related guides

• TBC Anniversary Zul'Aman guide: bosses, timed run and prep
• TBC Anniversary DPS tier list
• TBC Anniversary priest guide
• TBC Anniversary paladin guide
• TBC Anniversary heroic dungeons and keys
• TBC Anniversary Tier 6 sets, tokens and bonuses
• TBC Anniversary new badge gear from G'eras