Dispel

• For the priest spells, see Dispel Magic or Mass Dispel.

Dispel refers to the general game mechanic of removing buffs and debuffs. All of these effects belong to a particular dispel type. Most dispel abilities remove effects from a specific dispel type, but in some cases they remove depending on a specific mechanic (for example, Luffa removes bleed effects). Dispel mechanics can also be categorized into defensive and offensive dispels. Defensive dispel abilities remove debuffs from friendly units, whereas offensive dispel abilities remove buffs from enemy units. Dispelling specific abilities may cause an additional effect to occur in response, otherwise known as dispel protection or dispel backlash.

For a list of dispel abilities for specific dispel types, see curse, disease, magic, poison, and typeless.

Below is a table showing which classes can dispel which types of buffs and debuffs. Self-only dispels (such as Cloak of Shadows and Stoneform) are not included. PvP Talent dispels are marked with a yellow asterisk (yellow) and only function in War Mode and instanced PvP content; they do not function in dungeons or raids.

Below is a list of abilities that can dispel effects based on class, then type (defensive or offensive). Each type of effect that can be dispelled is marked by an icon next to it. Self-only dispels are not listed.

• Demon Hunter
• Defensive
• Reverse Magic (PvP Talent)
• Offensive
• Consume Magic
• Druid
• Defensive
• Nature's Cure (Restoration)
• Remove Corruption
• Offensive
• Soothe
• Hunter
• Offensive
• Tranquilizing Shot
• Defensive
• Mending Bandage (Survival PvP Talent)
• Mage
• Defensive
• Remove Curse
• Offensive
• Spellsteal
• Monk
• Defensive
• Detox (only dispels Magic for Mistweaver)
• Revival (Mistweaver)
• Paladin
• Defensive
• Cleanse (Holy)
• Cleanse Toxins (Retribution and Protection)
• Priest
• Defensive
• Purify (Discipline and Holy)
• Purify Disease (Shadow)
• Offensive
• Dispel Magic
• Both
• Mass Dispel (Removes Immunities)
• Rogue
• Offensive
• Shiv
• Shaman
• Defensive
• Cleanse Spirit
• Purify Spirit (Restoration)
• Offensive
• Purge
• Warlock
• Defensive
• Imp's Singe Magic
• Offensive
• Felhunter's Devour Magic
• Warrior
• Offensive
• Shattering Throw

The following abilities have an additional effect if they are dispelled. These "protection" effects exist in order to deter an opponent from dispelling them. The effects caused by dispelling vary; some benefit the caster while others harm the victim or the dispeller. Certain abilities only gain protection effects via talents; these talents are listed instead.

• Death Knight
• Unholy
• Life and Death (PvP Talent)
• Druid
• Balance
• Dying Stars (PvP Talent)
• Restoration
• Lifebloom
• Mage
• Frost
• Chilled to the Bone (PvP Talent)
• Paladin
• Retribution
• Law and Order (PvP Talent)
• Priest
• Shadow
• Vampiric Touch
• Warlock
• Affliction
• Unstable Affliction

In Classic, there are limited ways to resist both offensive and defensive dispel effects. When an offensive dispel is resisted, it does not remove any buffs. Likewise, when a debuff resists a defensive dispel, it is not removed.

For offensive dispels, both Devour Magic and Purge are capable of being resisted so long as the target has sufficient resistance.

Defensive dispels are not hindered by the afflictor's magic resistance, but rather by select talents that grant dispel resistance. For example, the talent Vile Poisons gives up to a 40% chance for the rogue's poisons to resist dispel effects.

Prior to the Cataclysm expansion, dispel abilities were distributed differently to classes. As no specializations existed, dispels were instead class based. Magic effects could only be removed by priests and paladins, rather than all healers. This originally left the Horde with only one defensive magic dispel class prior to The Burning Crusade.

Dispels would fail to cast on targets that had no effects to remove, and would display an error message stating such. No mana would be consumed nor would the global cooldown be triggered, making it impossible to "waste" a dispel. In addition to this benefit, there were "upgraded" dispel abilities that featured passive dispel effects, providing certain classes a significant advantage over others. Abolish Disease and Abolish Poison would dispel any further applied effects for 12 seconds. Disease Cleansing Totem and Poison Cleansing Totem would passively dispel any nearby ally for the entire duration of the totem, allowing a single shaman to dispel numerous effects with one press, thus saving them a lot of mana and gcds. Though these "upgraded" abilities didn't replace their original counterparts, they were nearly always used as they were undoubtedly superior. Blizzard considered dispels "trivial" due to these factors.

As a result, several changes were made for Cataclysm to better distribute dispels, increase their opportunity cost, and require more player input to use effectively.