Updated
The Skyborne are two races, and they're the two factions
- 2
- playable races
- 5
- classes each
- 4
- shared classes
- 95 / 96
- client race IDs
Blizzard announced one new race. The client ships two. And their class lists explain why.
Two rows, not one
ChrRaces carries them as separate playable entries:
| Client ID | Race | Short name | Faction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | High Order Skyborne | Elf | Alliance |
| 96 | Windshaper Skyborne | Elf | Horde |
Both are full races. Their own class lists, their own starting experience on Zephras Isle, their own character creation options.
The class lists give it away
Here’s the bit that resolves everything. Both versions get the same four classes. Then they split by exactly one:
| Warrior | Hunter | Rogue | Druid | Mage | Shaman | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Order (Alliance) | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | — |
| Windshaper (Horde) | ● | ● | ● | ● | — | ● |
Mage for one. Shaman for the other. Nothing else.
Beta creators describe it the same way: the Alliance Skyborne get the mage, the Horde Skyborne get the shaman. The client’s class lists match with no exceptions.
So the Skyborne are one neutral race with two faction variants. Stored as two rows. What looked like an unexplained asymmetry is just how the game handles a race that can join either side.
What they can play
Four classes for both factions:
- Warrior
- Hunter — pets make it the forgiving pick
- Rogue — stealth, and now axe access
- Druid — with unique Skyborne forms
Then one exclusive each. Mage for Alliance, Shaman for Horde.
The Druid entry is the interesting one. Every other Druid race has had its forms locked in for twenty years. Skyborne get their own. That’s the first genuinely new shapeshift art added to Classic-era Azeroth.
Who they are
Elves. The client’s own short name for both entries is literally “Elf”.
The lore calls them Shan’dorei. Cousins to blood elves and night elves. Descended from the old Kalimdor stock that split after the Sundering, not from either modern nation.
They start on Zephras Isle. That comes with the Skyborne Heroic and Epic packs, along with early name reservation.
And no, they don’t have to be blue. Customisation covers a normal range. The blue is marketing, not a rule.
Why the split matters
Skyborne are neutral, so either faction can recruit them. That’s why they’re the only race in the client with two entries.
In practice:
- Skyborne on Alliance → High Order variant → you can be a Mage
- Skyborne on Horde → Windshaper variant → you can be a Shaman
- Either way, you get Druid
That last point is bigger than it looks. Before Skyborne, Alliance Druid meant Night Elf. Nothing else. A twenty-year monopoly, and plenty of players wanted it broken.
The forums hate them
This is the loudest thing about the race, so let’s not dance around it.
The beta forums are heavily against them. Three of the biggest threads:
- “Consider pumping the brakes on Skyborne” — over ten thousand views
- “Can We Get A Toggle to Turn Off Skyborn?”
- A self-described analysis thread claiming 59% disapproval, 12% in favour
Blizzard hasn’t shown any sign of reversing it. If you’re picking a character rather than picking a forum fight, the class list above is what actually limits you.
What’s uncertain
- Whether the character creator shows them as one race with a faction choice, or two separate options. The data says two. Nobody has confirmed the UI.
- Their racials aren’t documented in effect terms yet. This site has the class list from the client, not the numbers behind their racial abilities.
- The faction mapping is a strong inference, not an official statement. It rests on the mage/shaman split, which both the client and independent creator coverage agree on.