Overview
The Monk is a hybrid class that came with the Mists of Pandaria expansion. Whatever role they take, Monks fight mostly with their hands and feet and draw their power from their inner chi. Some of their abilities, such as Expel Harm and Chi Wave, heal allies and damage enemies at the same time.
Monks can fill all three group Class Roles: Tank, Healer, Damage. They use fist weapons, staves, polearms, and one-handed axes, maces and swords. Brewmaster and Windwalker Monks run on Energy, Windwalkers also build Chi, and Mistweavers use Mana instead of Energy. The August Celestials, four Wild Gods who watch over Pandaria, lend Monks part of their power.
Specializations
| Specialization | Role | Play style | Preferred weapons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewmaster | Tank | A tough brawler who avoids harm with unpredictable movement and mystical brews; it absorbs and staggers incoming damage. | Staff, polearm |
| Mistweaver | Healer | Heals with life energies and the wisdom of the Jade Serpent; melee strikes such as Rising Sun Kick can boost its healing. Uses Mana. | Staff, mace, sword |
| Windwalker | Melee damage | An unmatched martial artist who batters foes with fists and kicks, with some ranged attacks and fast movement. Uses Energy and Chi. | Fist weapons, axes, maces, swords |
Hero talent trees
At high level every Monk specialization chooses between two hero talent trees. Each tree is shared by two of the class's specializations:
| Hero tree | Shared by | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Conduit of the Celestials | Mistweaver, Windwalker | Follows the August Celestials and can briefly channel all of them at once. |
| Master of Harmony | Brewmaster, Mistweaver | Seeks physical perfection and taps into the flow of chi. |
| Shado-Pan | Brewmaster, Windwalker | Builds up power, then unleashes a flurry of blows. |
Races
The official class page lists every playable race except the Dracthyr, and the wiki agrees that the Dracthyr cannot be Monks. See Playable Races for the full list.
Sources
Game pictures: © Blizzard Entertainment · worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com
