Paladin PvE

Rotations & Guide · PvE · PvP · Builds · Abilities · Talent Calculator · Changes vs Classic

Paladins are plate hybrids that heal, tank and fight in melee with Seals and Judgement. Forever overhauls them heavily: the new Light's Vigil turns the level 40 Holy Shock talent into group healing, Protection gets Seal of Fury, Judgement of Fury, Hammer of the Righteous and Templar's Bulwark, and Retribution gains Holy Strike and Twist of Light seal echoes (Twist of Light is in Blizzard's notes, but the client does not show how to learn it).

Holy Paladin PvE guide

Holy is the Paladin's healing spec. At level 20 you heal one target at a time with Holy Light and Flash of Light, and you have no group heal, so the tank always comes first. In Forever, Holy Light is both your biggest and your most Mana-efficient heal, and the new Voice of Truth protects your casts from interrupts.

Your job in a group

You are the group's healer. Keep the tank alive with Holy Light, top up everyone else with Flash of Light or a low rank of Holy Light, and remove poisons and diseases with Purify. You have no group heal and no interrupt at 20, but Hammer of Justice stuns a caster or an enemy that reaches you. You also bring Devotion Aura for the party, a Blessing for each player (Wisdom for casters, Might for melee), Blessing of Protection for a party member who pulls an enemy off the tank, Lay on Hands for an emergency, and Redemption to bring the dead back after a fight. Pulling is the tank's job; yours is to stay in range and keep enough Mana for the next pull.

Opener

Cooldowns

Stats

Healing Power, Intellect, Mana per 5 sec, Spirit, Stamina, Critical Strike. Healing Power adds to every heal, and Holy Light takes a large share of it (its spell power coefficient is 0.714, against 0.429 for Flash of Light). Intellect and Mana per 5 sec come next, because at 20 you run out of Mana long before you run out of time. Critical Strike matters little yet: Illumination, which returns Mana on critical heals, can't be reached until 25.

Tips

Protection Paladin PvE guide

Protection is the Paladin tank. Forever gives it Seal of Fury, whose swings deal Holy damage and, with a shield, grant small absorb shields, and whose Judgement taunts. Swift Judgement gives you a second taunt right away. No trainer teaches Righteous Fury yet, so threat builds slowly, and Retribution Aura is your only way to hold a whole pack at 20.

Your job in a group

You tank. Pull, hold threat with Seal of Fury, Judgement, Holy Strike and Retribution Aura, and taunt loose enemies back with Judgement (Seal of Fury's Judgement taunts) and Swift Judgement. You have no interrupt; Hammer of Justice is your only way to stop a cast. Pull at a pace your healer's Mana allows, and turn enemies away from the group. You bring Devotion Aura or Retribution Aura for the party, a Blessing for each player, and Lay on Hands and Blessing of Protection for emergencies.

Opener

Cooldowns

Stats

Defense, Stamina, Armor, Block Value, Hit, Strength, Spell Power, Intellect. Defense, Stamina and armor keep you alive through the mistakes a level 20 group makes, and Defense stacks on top of Anticipation's Defense Skill. Hit matters because every missed swing is Seal of Fury damage, absorbs and threat you don't get. Blizzard's notes say Retribution Aura now scales with your spell power, which helps you hold packs. Intellect keeps Seal of Fury and Judgement going until Shield Specialization returns Mana at 30.

Tips

Retribution Paladin PvE guide

Retribution is the Paladin's two-handed damage spec. From 20, Seal of Command adds Holy damage to your swings, and because Judgement no longer uses up your seal, you Judge on cooldown. Forever adds Holy Strike, an instant strike, and Blizzard has since cut its cooldown to 10 seconds and raised the weapon damage of every rank after the first.

Your job in a group

You deal melee damage. Seal of the Crusader's Judgement makes elites and bosses take more Holy damage for 40 sec, which helps you and any other Holy damage dealer. You have no interrupt, but Hammer of Justice stuns a caster, and a stunned target takes far more from Seal of Command's Judgement. You bring Blessing of Might for melee and Blessing of Wisdom for casters, an aura, Purify for poisons and diseases, and Lay on Hands, Blessing of Protection and Redemption as backup for the healer. Let the tank pull and hit first: nothing in your build lowers your threat.

Opener

Cooldowns

Stats

Weapon DPS, Strength, Hit, Critical Strike, Agility, Stamina, Intellect. Seal of Command's bonus and Holy Strike are both based on weapon damage, so a slow, hard-hitting two-hander matters most. Strength adds attack power, and hit keeps your swings, and the seal procs that ride on them, landing. Critical Strike gains value in the level 30 build, which takes Conviction. Intellect pays for your seals and Judgements.

Tips

Checked against WoW Forever beta build 1.60.1.70009.

Paladin abilities