Little works in World of Warcraft without addons. We’ll tell you what the most popular addons are and what they bring.
Interface addons are an integral part of the modern World of Warcraft. These modifications not only allow for major customization of the interface, but also filter out or more clearly display information that would otherwise be hidden. It doesn’t matter whether you’re doing PvE, PvP, roleplaying or trading in the auction house – addons are almost always mandatory.
Such addons are offered on many different sites, the most well-known of which is “Curse”, now better known as “Curseforge”. We show you the 5 most popular addons and tell you why you need them.
1. Details! damage meter
Cursed by some, loved by others – but “Damage Meter” has become an integral part of the modern World of Warcraft. The tool lets you see at a glance which opponent is currently causing how much damage or performing how many actions.
Contrary to many prejudices, Details not only helps to show off your own performance to others, but also has its strengths in the analysis functions. Clear lists and graphs help to identify where difficulties arise in a fight, how and from what players died and when corresponding skills or buffs were used.
Anyone who takes the time to look into details! grappling can not only improve your character’s performance, but also better assess party members and increase overall game understanding.
Even though there are many other alternatives, such as Recount, “Details!” has become the standard that is most widely used in recent years.
Download link for details! Damage meter on Curseforge
2. Deadly Boss Mods (DBM)
For many PvE fans, DBM is seen as an absolute must-have tool, because it makes it much easier to get into boss fights thanks to clear displays. If you don’t have DBM or a comparable addon (like BigWigs), you won’t even be taken into many groups.
Outsiders often criticize that addons like DBM “take over the gaming” – but that doesn’t correspond to reality. DBM is a pure support tool, making it easy to learn and prepare for boss abilities.
DBM is primarily able to display different time bars that indicate exactly when a boss uses a certain ability. This is usually dependent on a fixed timer and can therefore be precisely predicted.
The second function is to communicate clear announcements in order to maintain an overview. For example, if a player has forgotten what to do with a particular ability, DBM will always show a brief warning. For example “Pay attention to the ground” if you have to avoid a negative effect or “Collect” if you have to run to the other group members.
Download link to Deadly Boss Mods (DBM) on Curseforge
3. Weak Auras
Explaining what WeakAuras can do would probably fill several books. It is one of the most powerful World of Warcraft addons ever.
In most cases, WeakAura performs similar tasks as boss mods, but allows for significantly more customization. You can display a variety of cooldowns and timers. If you want more, you can also visually highlight the receipt of special buffs or create clear warning signals if an important buff is missing in the group.
Other functions are more complex, such as during Shadowlands it was common to have a WeakAura to aid in traversing the labyrinth in Tirna Scithe.
In fact, there are now so many different “Weak Auras” (“WAs” that there is a whole website with just different WAs – the selection is almost endless on wago.io.
If you want to experiment with WeakAuras yourself, you should plan a lot of time – because the addon is extremely extensive and complex, but allows a level of detail in customization that you look for in vain with other interface extensions.
Download link to WeakAuras on Curseforge
4. Raider.IO Mythic Plus, Raid Progress, and Recruitment
Another addon that is clearly controversial in the community and yet in many areas it is hard to imagine life without it. This interface addon is like an extension of the Raider.IO website and transfers many of the functionalities into the game.
Hovering over other people in the party finder or your guild list will immediately give you useful information about that character’s progress. You can see at a glance how many raid bosses a character has already defeated, what his or her current rating is in the “Mythic+” area and how many successful runs in high dungeons he or she has already mastered.
The addon was so popular that Blizzard has now built some of the functionality into World of Warcraft.
Especially for people who often put together raids with players from the group search, Raider.IO is a first, solid indicator to get clues about the suitability of a character.
Download link to Raider.IO Mythic Plus, Raid Progress, and Recruitment on Curseforge
5. Auctioneers
For many a closed book, for others the “true” game in World of Warcraft – collecting gold, whether through farms or the auction house.
Auctionator lets you scan the entire auction house and then adds a price to all items in the tooltip. So you can see at a glance what an item in your inventory would fetch for a value in the auction house.
But the tool does even more. If you are a craftsman and want to build a piece of armor, Auctionator calculates what all the materials would cost in gold in the crafting window.
There are also more complex functions. You can create shopping lists that make it easier for you to navigate the auction house or set preferences for when and how you want to sell items in the auction house.
Download link to Auctionator on Curseforge
How to install addons? You can install addons manually by copying the relevant files in the WoW folder to Interface/Addons. However, it is much easier if you use an additional program for this, because then the regular updating of all addons is much easier. One possibility for this is WoWUp, which we have presented to you here.
Do addons cost anything? Basically, interface addons and their use are free of charge. However, since addons are mostly developed by private individuals in their free time – and often with a great deal of time – after years of use you should perhaps think about supporting the addon developers with a small donation. You can usually find the corresponding donation links on the Curse download pages.
What are your favorite addons? Which addons would you not be able to play WoW without?