Two characters is the best way to start. You learn the loop (act, switch, act) without juggling a full party.
Good pairs
These are WoWBoxer tips, not official advice. Any two classes can work.
| Leader | Follower | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Paladin | Priest | The Paladin tanks and heals itself; the Priest keeps it topped up and adds damage. Very forgiving. |
| Warrior | Priest | Classic tank and healer. The Warrior needs rage, so let it take hits. |
| Paladin | Warlock | Tank plus damage over time and a pet. The Warlock's Life Tap and Drain Life cover its own mana and health. |
| Hunter | Hunter | Two pets tank, two hunters shoot. Simple keys, strong solo leveling. |
| Druid | Mage | The Druid can tank, heal or deal damage as needed; the Mage brings burst and food and water. |
Avoid at first: two melee classes without a healer, and Rogues as followers (stealth and positioning are hard to box).
Layout
On one 16:9 monitor, give the leader about two thirds of the width. The follower takes the rest, but not the full height: keep it at least 5:4 (for example 850 × 680 on a 1440p screen), or it gets black bars. In the window app, choose 2 clients and Main + side; the preset handles the shapes.
Check the follower's action-bar dot. If it is not green, let Auto-fit action bar (on by default) set the UI Scale, or lower it yourself. Why.
Keys
Use the same keys for the same jobs on both characters:
| Key | Leader | Follower |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main attack | Main attack on the leader's target |
| 2 | Damage over time | Damage over time on the leader's target |
| 3 | Heal yourself | Heal the leader |
| R | Pick a target | Assist the leader |
| F | – | Follow the leader |
The Companion and the add-on build these for your classes and level.
How a fight goes
- Leader: target and pull with 1.
- Point at the follower window: 1, maybe 2.
- Back to the leader: keep attacking. Check the follower's health between presses.
- After the fight: F on the follower.
Tip: let the follower drink while the leader loots and picks the next target.
Classic Era notes
The same pairs work. Talent trees and some spells differ (the Companion's Forever data has Bane of Agony where Classic Era has Curse of Agony), so check your spells in the game.