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Picking the right composition in 3v3 Arena can be difficult. In World Of Warcraft: Shadowlands, there's a wide range of choices for your 3v3 Arena comp. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses in each general type of composition can really help make or break your next arena match.
If knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each type of composition is half the battle, knowing how to handle the opponent's classes would be the other half. Let's take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each type of comp to help you in your next arena match.
Class Choices
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Picking the proper class for these comps will come down to you and what you love to play. Each class, like each composition, has its own strengths and weaknesses. Certain classes like Discipline Priest, Retribution Paladin, and Feral/Moonkin Druid are DPS but can prove extremely helpful to aid in healing. Other classes like Rogue, Warrior, and Mage prove to be quite annoying in their ability to crowd control (CC).
Mixing and matching these classes together can be a trial and error experience, finding what works together and what doesn't. But most importantly play what you love to play and find what works for you in your composition, all the while keeping in mind the utility, strengths, and weaknesses of the other classes.
DPS, Healer, And Tank Comp
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This is a pretty common composition. Its strength lies in being well-balanced in DPS, heals, tankiness, and survivability. With the DPS and protection from the tank, the healer and DPS will have safe opportunities to heal, as well as assistance in DPSing down a target. As long as the healer stays alive with help from the DPS and tank, this comp has a lot of potential and survivability.
The weaknesses in this composition fall into a possible lack of DPS and if any one of the three players dies, especially the healer, the strengths of this composition fall apart rather quickly. If this composition is a three-legged stool, then all players have to stay alive to make sure this works when facing a full team. It may be possible for two of the three to fend off a team of three, but the real strengths of this comp come from the cooperation of each player — and if one of the legs breaks, then the weaknesses begin to show
Two DPS And Healer Comp
Another fairly common composition, this one can be a doozy for anyone to deal with. The strengths of this composition lie in its high DPS and survivability. Two high DPS who can maintain health with the Healer's assistance will be a nuisance to anyone. If the DPS has high enough burst damage, as well as CCs, and can also help protect the healer, this is possibly one of the deadliest compositions out there.
On the flip side, the weaknesses of this comp are that if the Healer goes down, it means a possible quick end for the DPS. If the DPS can't take down targets fast enough or protect the Healer, that could mean bad news for this comp. This can be overcome, but in general two DPS will have a hard time taking down a team of three on their own, especially if they have a lot of CCs and a healer. The strongest comps usually have a healer, this alone signifies how important the survival of a healer is.
Three DPS Comp
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This comp is almost a meme, but it can prove extremely annoying and deadly. The strengths of this composition are its high burst, almost completely ensuring the death of any target all three jump on together. With some well-placed CCs and high burst DPS, it's certain death for the chosen opponent. Their ability to DPS targets down together one at a time till they are the last ones alive is this comp's ace up its sleeve.
The weaknesses of this comp are pretty obvious. Namely, no heals. If this comp loses one player, it is losing what gives it a heads-up in arenas, making CCs and strategic DPSing that much more important. DPS does have some survivability in most cases, so if the battle isn't seeing consecutive opponent insta-kills from the high DPS output, then making use of CCs, line-of-sight, and any survivability cooldowns may just make up for the weakness of not having a healer.
Healer And Two Tanks Comp
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This composition can survive through a lot, which is its primary strength. Two tanks will have high defenses, possible good DPS, and CCs, all the while being healed, and this can prove to be a pain for any team up against this composition. By being a wall of defenses and slowly (or possibly quickly) DPSing down the enemy team with constant pressure this can be one composition no one wants to deal with.
The lack of possible DPS however can prove to be a weakness here. If the tanks don't have enough damage output to down the enemy team through their defenses, survivability, and possibly heals, then this composition may take the fight nowhere. If you are going to run this comp, make sure your two tanks can output some decent DPS to take down the healer to make up for its possible weakness.
Other Comps
Some of these other comps are not as popular and may not prove as effective as the previously mentioned, from either a lack of heals or a lack of DPS. That's not to say it isn't possible to do well with these comps, but with their weaknesses outweighing their strengths, it may be difficult. However, they are still worth covering.
A two DPS and a tank comp have their strengths in CCs and DPS. If they can place proper CCs, line-of-sight, and strategically line up their opportunities they can do fairly well. Not having a healer, however, can prove to be a huge weakness of this comp. It may be a domino effect if one team member goes down, since that means fewer CCs and DPS.
A two tanks and one DPS comp would fall into these same strengths and weaknesses, and possibly even lack DPS in some instances on top of it. A three tank comp has promise in its pressure, possible DPS, and survivability, but will fall into the same weakness of not having enough DPS or a healer if their survivability defenses fall short.
A three healer comp has its strengths in, well you guessed, healing. This comp has the potential to survive anything, but with a lack of DPS the fight may not be more than a 'let's see how much I can heal through' battle. It is true that some healer classes can DPS, and possibly enough to prove effective, but against another team with a healer, CCs, and survivability, it may be all in vain to attempt this comp seriously.
A two healer and a DPS or tank comp will also have its strength in survivability but will lack the DPS needed to burst through the enemy's defenses and heals. Unless that single DPS/tank has enough DPS and CC breaks to pressure the other team, this may prove to be an ineffective composition.