Use WoWSims, not Raidbots — Raidbots is retail-only and does not support Classic. Open the WoWSims module that matches your game version and spec, import your character with the WowSimsExporter addon or build the gear set in the browser, set your buffs, consumables and fight length, then run the sim for a DPS number and stat weights.
That's the whole answer. The details below are what separates a sim number you can trust from one that just makes you feel good.
The step-by-step
- Open the right module. WoWSims (wowsims.github.io) is split by game version — Classic Era, Season of Discovery, TBC, Wrath, Cataclysm. Pick the one your realm is actually on, then your class and spec. Simming a Wrath build in a Classic Era module gives you garbage.
- Get your gear in. Fastest path: install the WowSimsExporter addon, run its slash command in game, copy the export string, and paste it into the sim's Import box. No addon? Click each slot and pick your items manually — slower, but identical results.
- Match your real raid. Set raid buffs and boss debuffs to what your group actually brings. A sim with every buff checked will not resemble your 10-man.
- Set consumables honestly. Flask or elixirs, food, potions, weapon oils. On Classic Era, world buffs (Rend, Songflower, DMF, Zandalar) swing DPS enormously — sim both with and without them, because your parse changes completely.
- Configure the encounter. Target count, boss level, and fight duration. A 60-second burst fight and a 300-second grind rank your gear differently, especially for classes with long cooldowns or mana constraints.
- Raise the iterations. Default counts are fine for a quick look. Push them up until the DPS number stops moving between runs before you make a real gear decision.
- Run stat weights, then compare gear. Stat weights tell you what to gem, enchant and prioritize. The item-comparison view tells you whether that specific drop is an upgrade. Change one variable at a time and re-run.
Does Raidbots work for WoW Classic?
No. Raidbots runs SimulationCraft against the retail game and its APL logic, so it has no profiles for Classic specs, items or talent trees. Every Classic-flavored sim community has moved to browser-based sims instead.
Do I need an addon to sim Classic?
No — the addon only saves typing. It reads your equipped gear, talents and glyphs and packages them as an import string. If you'd rather plan a set you don't own yet, build it by hand in the sim's gear planner and skip the addon entirely.
Why is my sim DPS higher than my actual logs?
Sims assume flawless uptime, perfect rotation, zero movement, and no deaths. Real bosses have adds, target swaps and a floor covered in bad things. Use the sim to rank choices — this gear versus that gear, this enchant versus that one — and use Warcraft Logs to judge your actual play against other people on the same fight.
What's worth simming first?
Consumables and enchants, before gear. They're cheap, they apply to every fight, and for most Classic specs they're a bigger jump than one sidegrade item. After that, sim your trinket combinations — Classic trinkets with procs and on-use effects rarely rank the way the raw stat budget suggests.
If you'd rather spend your evenings raiding than tuning spreadsheets, PewPewShop's vetted human players do coaching and play-together sessions where a pro walks you through your rotation and gear decisions live — and if you just need clears, Classic Raid Clear starts from EUR 15 and Classic Dungeon Boost from EUR 10.5. No bots, no cheats, just people who already solved these numbers.