A WoW: Forever guild raiding roster has to cover three raid sizes at once: Barrow Deeps (10-player), Hyjal Summit (20-player) and Onyxia's Lair (40-player), all unlocking December 9, 2026 per Blizzard's roadmap. Aim for roughly 25 active level-60 raiders plus a bench — enough to fill Hyjal Summit and split into two Barrow Deeps teams — and pair with a partner guild or steady pugs for Onyxia's 40 slots.

Roster targets per raid

RaidSizeRostered playersRough role split
Barrow Deeps1012–142 tanks, 2–3 healers, 5–6 DPS
Hyjal Summit2024–262–3 tanks, 5–6 healers, 11–13 DPS
Onyxia's Lair4045–50 (two guilds pooling is normal)4–6 tanks, 10–12 healers, the rest DPS

The 20–25% overhead is not optional. Between no-shows, burnout in week two and people who hit 60 later than promised, a roster sized exactly to the raid cap will miss its first Barrow Deeps night. Role splits above are the usual vanilla-style starting point; Blizzard has revamped every class and spec, and boss lists are not published, so expect to tune after the first week of pulls.

Timeline from launch to first raid night

  1. September 17 – October 21 — beta (level 30 cap). Recruit on the beta forums and Discords, test who actually shows up on schedule, get a feel for the reworked classes.
  2. October 27 – November 3 — Early Name Reservation. Up to three characters per upgrade-pack owner. Lock in raid mains here; a Forever name is a Main Name plus a Secondary Name, so agree on a guild naming convention before the window opens.
  3. November 4, 3 p.m. Pacific — launch. Play is included with a normal subscription, so there's no extra purchase gating your recruits.
  4. November 4 – roughly November 25 — leveling. Boosters quote 2–3 weeks for a full 1–60 at launch. No level scaling and no flying means group leveling in the Riverglades (30–45) is where a guild actually bonds.
  5. Late November – December 8 — pre-raid dungeons. Alcaz Prison, Shaper's Terrace and Krol'dok Stronghold are the three new 40–60 dungeons, on top of Blackrock Depths, both Blackrock Spires, Scholomance, Stratholme and Dire Maul. Run them as guild groups to sort your tank and healer bench.
  6. December 9 — Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia's Lair open together. First 10-player teams in, 20-player on night two, Onyxia on the weekend with your partner guild.

Barrow Deeps Raid (10-Player)Forever's first 10-player raid, cleared with your character from December 9.from 35 EURGet it done

How many people should a WoW: Forever raiding guild recruit?

Recruit to fill Hyjal Summit with a bench — 24–26 raiders — and treat that as your core. That number also divides cleanly into two Barrow Deeps teams, which matters because Blizzard calls Barrow Deeps a maximum-level 10-player challenge, and a single 10-player guild that loses two people has no raid.

Going straight for 45–50 members before launch usually backfires: half of them are tourists who never reach 60. A tight 25 that raids weekly, plus an Onyxia alliance with a like-sized guild, is the shape that survives past January.

What's the best way to recruit for a Classic+ guild before launch?

Beta is the recruitment window. Announce your faction, raid days and expected attendance early; players choosing between guilds pick the one with a schedule already posted. Remember the Skyborne are faction-locked — Windshaper is Horde, High Order is Alliance — so anyone rolling the new race has to match your side.

Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes (emailed from October 20) are a real recruiting tool: an invited friend plays November 4–11 without a subscription, so a Heroic Pack owner brings one trial recruit and an Epic Pack owner brings three. Realm names and regions have not been announced, so hold off on realm-specific posts until Blizzard publishes them.

Which classes and roles does a Forever raid roster need?

Plan around roles, not fixed class lists, because every class and spec has been revamped and the raids' boss mechanics are not public. Two things are confirmed and worth recruiting for: Paladins get a tanking seal plus more group healing, and new combinations exist — Forsaken Paladin for Horde, Dwarf Shaman for Alliance. Skyborne can be Warrior, Hunter, Rogue or Druid on both sides, Shaman on Horde and Mage on Alliance.

For 40-player Onyxia, healer depth is the usual bottleneck. If your 25-player core has six healers, your partner guild needs to bring the other five or six.

Can a 10-player guild still raid Onyxia?

Yes, by pooling. Onyxia's Lair is a 40-player raid and a single 10-player guild will not fill it alone, but two or three friendly guilds sharing a Discord can. Set the loot rules in writing before December 9 — that's where cross-guild raids fall apart.

If your group would rather skip the gearing grind or is short a tank on raid night, PewPewShop's vetted human players (no bots, long zero-ban record) can join your run: Forever pre-orders cover 1–60 leveling and dungeon runs, and raid help from December 9 starts at EUR 25 for Onyxia's Lair, EUR 35 for Barrow Deeps and EUR 45 for Hyjal Summit, or all three from EUR 95.