Protection Paladin guide

Rotation and opener

Activate Righteous Fury, the assigned aura and blessing, then Seal of Fury for tanking. Gather enemies in a place where Consecration can keep working.

Combat priority

1. 
   Righteous Fury

   Activate before tanking and keep it on. Starting a pull without your threat modifier creates avoidable threat problems.

2. 
   Seal of Fury

   Use the tanking Seal with a shield. Its Judgement is your taunt; this is a different job from the damage Seal used while soloing.

3. 
   Holy Shield

   With the deep Protection build, maintain the defensive block tool while actively tanking. The level-30 build has Templar's Bulwark but not Holy Shield.

4. 
   Judgement

   Take back a loose enemy with Seal of Fury active. Think about the next taunt need before spending this only for routine damage.

5. 
   Holy Strike

   Use to establish and maintain single-target threat. Stay in melee range and continue autoattacking while placing the pack.

6. 
   Consecration

   Place under the enemies once they are gathered. Refresh while several targets still need threat, but stop spending on an almost dead pack.

7. 
   Exorcism

   Add against Undead and Demons when Mana permits. It is not a universal ranged pull against every creature type.

Multiple targets and dungeon pulls

Gather enemies into a stable position, then Consecration and direct attacks onto the priority target. Face the pack away from the party and avoid turning your back while repositioning.

The first four Consecration targets receive stronger damage and threat than additional targets. More enemies do not automatically make a pull more efficient; a manageable pack is easier to control.

When a caster remains outside Consecration, move the melee pack toward it or use line of sight. Tell the group to interrupt; Paladin does not have a normal interrupt to solve every cast.

Resources and cooldowns

Mana limits repeated Consecration casts. Keep enough for the next pull and avoid using every area-damage spell on a nearly dead target. Judgement with Seal of Fury is part of recovery, not a reason to ignore sustained threat.

• Templar's Bulwark is for a dangerous damage window. Use it before the incoming hits overwhelm healing rather than after the healer has already run out of options.
• Swift Judgement resets Judgement for an emergency taunt or threat response. Do not spend both on routine damage immediately before an add phase.
• An immunity can change who enemies attack. Warn the group and think through threat before using a survival button which may send a boss toward a healer.

Specialization mechanics and group play

Seal of Fury makes Judgement a taunt. If the wrong Seal is active, pressing the same key will not provide the tanking response you expected.

A fast one-handed weapon supports Seal of Fury's repeated melee interactions. Keep a shield equipped and compare threat generation alongside Armor, Stamina and block-oriented defense.

Mana is a pull-size constraint. Shield Specialization and Improved Seal of Fury support recovery, but repeated Consecration can still drain you. Drink before the next difficult pull rather than halfway through it.

In a raid, agree on tank swaps and save Judgement when a swap is imminent. In a dungeon, mark a kill target so early single-target threat and group damage work together.

PvE talent choices

Standard Build 51 points · 8 / 36 / 7

Holy

0/2Improved Holy Strike0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Holy Strike ability by 1 sec.5/5Divine Strength5/5 · PassiveIncreases your Strength by 10%.0/5Divine Intellect0/5 · PassiveIncreases your total Intellect by 2%.0/3Healing Light0/3 · Passive0/2Spiritual Focus0/2 · Passive3/3Improved Seals3/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage done by your Seals and Judgements by 5%.0/2Unyielding Faith0/2 · PassiveReduces the duration of Fear and Disorient effects on you by 15%.0/1Voice of Truth0/1 · ActiveGrants you immunity to Silence and Interrupt effects. Lasts 6 sec.0/3Reverence0/3 · Passive0/2Purifying Power0/2 · Passive0/2Infusion of Light0/2 · Passive0/5Illumination0/5 · PassiveAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 20% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires Reverence0/1Divine Favor0/1 · ActiveWhen activated, gives your next Flash of Light, Holy Light, or Holy Shock spell a 100% critical effect chance.0/3Divine Precision0/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with Holy spells by 6%.Requires Holy Shock0/1Holy Shock0/1 · ActiveBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.0/2Consecrated Ground0/2 · PassiveGives your Holy spells 5% increased damage against the first 4 enemies that enter your Consecration.0/5Holy Power0/5 · PassiveIncreases the critical strike chance of your Holy Shock spell by 3%, and all other spells by 1%.0/1Light's Vigil0/1 · ActiveApplies Light's Vigil to the target for 30 sec. Your next Holy Shock cast on them triggers no cooldown and causes friendly targets to heal their party for 315 to 333, or enemy targets to suffer 175 to 189 Holy damage and refund 75% of Light's Vigil's Mana cost. You may only have 1 Light's Vigil active per Paladin, per party.Requires Holy Shock

Divine Strength 5/5Improved Seals 3/3

Protection

0/5Toughness0/5 · PassiveIncreases your armor value from items by 2%.5/5Redoubt5/5 · PassiveDamaging melee attacks against you have a 10% chance to increase your chance to block by 6%. Lasts 10 sec or 5 blocks.3/3Precision3/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%.0/2Guardian's Favor0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Blessing of Protection by 1 min and increases the duration of your Blessing of Freedom by 3 sec.3/5Anticipation3/5 · PassiveIncreases your Defense Skill by 4.1/1Improved Seal of Fury1/1 · PassiveWhen Seal of Fury's shield is fully absorbed, restore 38 Mana, increased by 15% per level the attacker is above you, up to 45%.3/3Improved Righteous Fury3/3 · PassiveWhile Righteous Fury is active, all damage taken is reduced by 2%.3/3Shield Specialization3/3 · PassiveIncreases the amount of damage absorbed by your shield by 10%, and gives your blocks a 33% chance to restore 6% of your maximum Mana. May only occur once every 3 sec.Requires Redoubt2/2Sacred Duty2/2 · PassiveIncreases your total Stamina by 2% and reduces the cooldown of your Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Templar's Bulwark spells by 30 sec.1/1Swift Judgement1/1 · ActiveFinishes the remaining cooldown on your Judgement ability and reduces the Mana cost of your next Judgement by 100%.Requires Improved Seal of Fury3/3One-Handed Weapon Specialization3/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with one-handed melee weapons by 3%.0/3Improved Hammer of Justice0/3 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Hammer of Justice spell by 5 sec.1/1Templar's Bulwark1/1 · ActiveWhen activated, this ability grants you an absorb shield equal to 100% of your maximum health for 8 sec. Applies Forbearance for 1 min. Cannot be cast while Forbearance is active.5/5Reckoning5/5 · PassiveGives you a 8% chance to gain an extra attack after Blocking a melee attack and a 20% chance to gain an extra attack after being the victim of a non-periodic critical strike.5/5Iron Creed5/5 · PassiveIncreases the threat generated by your Holy Strike ability 5%. While Righteous Fury is active, Holy Strike also reduces your damage taken by 2% for 6 sec.1/1Holy Shield1/1 · ActiveIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires Templar's Bulwark

Redoubt 5/5Precision 3/3Anticipation 3/5Improved Seal of Fury 1/1Improved Righteous Fury 3/3Shield Specialization 3/3Sacred Duty 2/2Swift Judgement 1/1One-Handed Weapon Specialization 3/3Templar's Bulwark 1/1Reckoning 5/5Iron Creed 5/5Holy Shield 1/1

Retribution

5/5Deflection5/5 · PassiveIncreases your Parry chance by 5%.0/5Benediction0/5 · PassiveReduces the Mana cost of all instant cast spells and abilities by 2%.2/2Improved Judgement2/2 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Judgement ability by 2 sec.0/2Holy Conduit0/2 · PassiveReduces the mana cost of your Consecration, Holy Wrath, Exorcism, and Hammer of Wrath spells by 20%.0/5Conviction0/5 · PassiveIncreases your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 1%.0/3Vindication0/3 · PassiveGives your damaging melee attacks a chance to reduce the target's Attack Power by 42, and increase your Attack Power by 1% for 30 sec.0/3Sanctified Judgement0/3 · PassiveGives your Judgement ability a 33% chance to return 20% of the Mana cost of the judged seal.0/1Seal of Command0/1 · ActiveGives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.0/2Pursuit of Justice0/2 · PassiveIncreases movement speed and mounted movement speed by 8%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.0/2Eye for an Eye0/2 · PassiveAll critical strikes against you cause 5% of the damage taken to the attacker as well. The damage caused by Eye for an Eye will not exceed 50% of the Paladin's total health.0/1Sacred Arbiter0/1 · PassiveIncreases the damage of your Holy Strike ability by 10% and causes it to refresh all Judgement effects on the target.0/2Crusade0/2 · PassiveIncreases all damage dealt by 1%. Increased by an additional 1% against Demon and Undead targets.0/3Two-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 3%.0/3Vengeance0/3 · PassiveIncreases your Physical and Holy damage dealt by 1% for 30 sec after landing a critical strike. Stacks up to 5 times.Requires Sanctified Judgement0/1Repentance0/1 · ActivePuts the enemy target in a state of meditation, incapacitating them for up to 6 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids.0/3Champion of the Light0/3 · PassiveIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.0/2Instrument of Law0/2 · PassiveReduces the cast time of your Hammer of Wrath by 0.5 sec, and reduces all threat you generate by 10% while Righteous Fury is not active.0/1Twist of Light0/1 · PassiveWhen you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.

Deflection 5/5Improved Judgement 2/2

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Build reference · Level-60 allocations are beta plans, not final launch performance rankings.

Level 30 (Beta) 21 points · 0 / 21 / 0

Holy

0/2Improved Holy Strike0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Holy Strike ability by 1 sec.0/5Divine Strength0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Strength by 2%.0/5Divine Intellect0/5 · PassiveIncreases your total Intellect by 2%.0/3Healing Light0/3 · Passive0/2Spiritual Focus0/2 · Passive0/3Improved Seals0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage done by your Seals and Judgements by 5%.0/2Unyielding Faith0/2 · PassiveReduces the duration of Fear and Disorient effects on you by 15%.0/1Voice of Truth0/1 · ActiveGrants you immunity to Silence and Interrupt effects. Lasts 6 sec.0/3Reverence0/3 · Passive0/2Purifying Power0/2 · Passive0/2Infusion of Light0/2 · Passive0/5Illumination0/5 · PassiveAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 20% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires Reverence0/1Divine Favor0/1 · ActiveWhen activated, gives your next Flash of Light, Holy Light, or Holy Shock spell a 100% critical effect chance.0/3Divine Precision0/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with Holy spells by 6%.Requires Holy Shock0/1Holy Shock0/1 · ActiveBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.0/2Consecrated Ground0/2 · PassiveGives your Holy spells 5% increased damage against the first 4 enemies that enter your Consecration.0/5Holy Power0/5 · PassiveIncreases the critical strike chance of your Holy Shock spell by 3%, and all other spells by 1%.0/1Light's Vigil0/1 · ActiveApplies Light's Vigil to the target for 30 sec. Your next Holy Shock cast on them triggers no cooldown and causes friendly targets to heal their party for 315 to 333, or enemy targets to suffer 175 to 189 Holy damage and refund 75% of Light's Vigil's Mana cost. You may only have 1 Light's Vigil active per Paladin, per party.Requires Holy Shock

Protection

0/5Toughness0/5 · PassiveIncreases your armor value from items by 2%.5/5Redoubt5/5 · PassiveDamaging melee attacks against you have a 10% chance to increase your chance to block by 6%. Lasts 10 sec or 5 blocks.3/3Precision3/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%.0/2Guardian's Favor0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Blessing of Protection by 1 min and increases the duration of your Blessing of Freedom by 3 sec.2/5Anticipation2/5 · PassiveIncreases your Defense Skill by 4.1/1Improved Seal of Fury1/1 · PassiveWhen Seal of Fury's shield is fully absorbed, restore 38 Mana, increased by 15% per level the attacker is above you, up to 45%.3/3Improved Righteous Fury3/3 · PassiveWhile Righteous Fury is active, all damage taken is reduced by 2%.3/3Shield Specialization3/3 · PassiveIncreases the amount of damage absorbed by your shield by 10%, and gives your blocks a 33% chance to restore 6% of your maximum Mana. May only occur once every 3 sec.Requires Redoubt2/2Sacred Duty2/2 · PassiveIncreases your total Stamina by 2% and reduces the cooldown of your Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Templar's Bulwark spells by 30 sec.1/1Swift Judgement1/1 · ActiveFinishes the remaining cooldown on your Judgement ability and reduces the Mana cost of your next Judgement by 100%.Requires Improved Seal of Fury0/3One-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with one-handed melee weapons by 3%.0/3Improved Hammer of Justice0/3 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Hammer of Justice spell by 5 sec.1/1Templar's Bulwark1/1 · ActiveWhen activated, this ability grants you an absorb shield equal to 100% of your maximum health for 8 sec. Applies Forbearance for 1 min. Cannot be cast while Forbearance is active.0/5Reckoning0/5 · PassiveGives you a 8% chance to gain an extra attack after Blocking a melee attack and a 20% chance to gain an extra attack after being the victim of a non-periodic critical strike.0/5Iron Creed0/5 · PassiveIncreases the threat generated by your Holy Strike ability 5%. While Righteous Fury is active, Holy Strike also reduces your damage taken by 2% for 6 sec.0/1Holy Shield0/1 · ActiveIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires Templar's Bulwark

Redoubt 5/5Precision 3/3Anticipation 2/5Improved Seal of Fury 1/1Improved Righteous Fury 3/3Shield Specialization 3/3Sacred Duty 2/2Swift Judgement 1/1Templar's Bulwark 1/1

Retribution

0/5Deflection0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Parry chance by 1%.0/5Benediction0/5 · PassiveReduces the Mana cost of all instant cast spells and abilities by 2%.0/2Improved Judgement0/2 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Judgement ability by 1 sec.0/2Holy Conduit0/2 · PassiveReduces the mana cost of your Consecration, Holy Wrath, Exorcism, and Hammer of Wrath spells by 20%.0/5Conviction0/5 · PassiveIncreases your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 1%.0/3Vindication0/3 · PassiveGives your damaging melee attacks a chance to reduce the target's Attack Power by 42, and increase your Attack Power by 1% for 30 sec.0/3Sanctified Judgement0/3 · PassiveGives your Judgement ability a 33% chance to return 20% of the Mana cost of the judged seal.0/1Seal of Command0/1 · ActiveGives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.0/2Pursuit of Justice0/2 · PassiveIncreases movement speed and mounted movement speed by 8%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.0/2Eye for an Eye0/2 · PassiveAll critical strikes against you cause 5% of the damage taken to the attacker as well. The damage caused by Eye for an Eye will not exceed 50% of the Paladin's total health.0/1Sacred Arbiter0/1 · PassiveIncreases the damage of your Holy Strike ability by 10% and causes it to refresh all Judgement effects on the target.0/2Crusade0/2 · PassiveIncreases all damage dealt by 1%. Increased by an additional 1% against Demon and Undead targets.0/3Two-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 3%.0/3Vengeance0/3 · PassiveIncreases your Physical and Holy damage dealt by 1% for 30 sec after landing a critical strike. Stacks up to 5 times.Requires Sanctified Judgement0/1Repentance0/1 · ActivePuts the enemy target in a state of meditation, incapacitating them for up to 6 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids.0/3Champion of the Light0/3 · PassiveIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.0/2Instrument of Law0/2 · PassiveReduces the cast time of your Hammer of Wrath by 0.5 sec, and reduces all threat you generate by 10% while Righteous Fury is not active.0/1Twist of Light0/1 · PassiveWhen you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.

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Build reference · Level-60 allocations are beta plans, not final launch performance rankings.

AoE 51 points · 0 / 23 / 28

Holy

0/2Improved Holy Strike0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Holy Strike ability by 1 sec.0/5Divine Strength0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Strength by 2%.0/5Divine Intellect0/5 · PassiveIncreases your total Intellect by 2%.0/3Healing Light0/3 · Passive0/2Spiritual Focus0/2 · Passive0/3Improved Seals0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage done by your Seals and Judgements by 5%.0/2Unyielding Faith0/2 · PassiveReduces the duration of Fear and Disorient effects on you by 15%.0/1Voice of Truth0/1 · ActiveGrants you immunity to Silence and Interrupt effects. Lasts 6 sec.0/3Reverence0/3 · Passive0/2Purifying Power0/2 · Passive0/2Infusion of Light0/2 · Passive0/5Illumination0/5 · PassiveAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 20% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires Reverence0/1Divine Favor0/1 · ActiveWhen activated, gives your next Flash of Light, Holy Light, or Holy Shock spell a 100% critical effect chance.0/3Divine Precision0/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with Holy spells by 6%.Requires Holy Shock0/1Holy Shock0/1 · ActiveBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.0/2Consecrated Ground0/2 · PassiveGives your Holy spells 5% increased damage against the first 4 enemies that enter your Consecration.0/5Holy Power0/5 · PassiveIncreases the critical strike chance of your Holy Shock spell by 3%, and all other spells by 1%.0/1Light's Vigil0/1 · ActiveApplies Light's Vigil to the target for 30 sec. Your next Holy Shock cast on them triggers no cooldown and causes friendly targets to heal their party for 315 to 333, or enemy targets to suffer 175 to 189 Holy damage and refund 75% of Light's Vigil's Mana cost. You may only have 1 Light's Vigil active per Paladin, per party.Requires Holy Shock

Protection

0/5Toughness0/5 · PassiveIncreases your armor value from items by 2%.5/5Redoubt5/5 · PassiveDamaging melee attacks against you have a 10% chance to increase your chance to block by 6%. Lasts 10 sec or 5 blocks.3/3Precision3/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%.0/2Guardian's Favor0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Blessing of Protection by 1 min and increases the duration of your Blessing of Freedom by 3 sec.5/5Anticipation5/5 · PassiveIncreases your Defense Skill by 4.1/1Improved Seal of Fury1/1 · PassiveWhen Seal of Fury's shield is fully absorbed, restore 38 Mana, increased by 15% per level the attacker is above you, up to 45%.3/3Improved Righteous Fury3/3 · PassiveWhile Righteous Fury is active, all damage taken is reduced by 2%.3/3Shield Specialization3/3 · PassiveIncreases the amount of damage absorbed by your shield by 10%, and gives your blocks a 33% chance to restore 6% of your maximum Mana. May only occur once every 3 sec.Requires Redoubt2/2Sacred Duty2/2 · PassiveIncreases your total Stamina by 2% and reduces the cooldown of your Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Templar's Bulwark spells by 30 sec.0/1Swift Judgement0/1 · ActiveFinishes the remaining cooldown on your Judgement ability and reduces the Mana cost of your next Judgement by 100%.Requires Improved Seal of Fury0/3One-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with one-handed melee weapons by 3%.0/3Improved Hammer of Justice0/3 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Hammer of Justice spell by 5 sec.1/1Templar's Bulwark1/1 · ActiveWhen activated, this ability grants you an absorb shield equal to 100% of your maximum health for 8 sec. Applies Forbearance for 1 min. Cannot be cast while Forbearance is active.0/5Reckoning0/5 · PassiveGives you a 8% chance to gain an extra attack after Blocking a melee attack and a 20% chance to gain an extra attack after being the victim of a non-periodic critical strike.0/5Iron Creed0/5 · PassiveIncreases the threat generated by your Holy Strike ability 5%. While Righteous Fury is active, Holy Strike also reduces your damage taken by 2% for 6 sec.0/1Holy Shield0/1 · ActiveIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires Templar's Bulwark

Redoubt 5/5Precision 3/3Anticipation 5/5Improved Seal of Fury 1/1Improved Righteous Fury 3/3Shield Specialization 3/3Sacred Duty 2/2Templar's Bulwark 1/1

Retribution

5/5Deflection5/5 · PassiveIncreases your Parry chance by 5%.2/5Benediction2/5 · PassiveReduces the Mana cost of all instant cast spells and abilities by 2%.2/2Improved Judgement2/2 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Judgement ability by 2 sec.2/2Holy Conduit2/2 · PassiveReduces the mana cost of your Consecration, Holy Wrath, Exorcism, and Hammer of Wrath spells by 20%.5/5Conviction5/5 · PassiveIncreases your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 1%.0/3Vindication0/3 · PassiveGives your damaging melee attacks a chance to reduce the target's Attack Power by 42, and increase your Attack Power by 1% for 30 sec.3/3Sanctified Judgement3/3 · PassiveGives your Judgement ability a 100% chance to return 60% of the Mana cost of the judged seal.0/1Seal of Command0/1 · ActiveGives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.2/2Pursuit of Justice2/2 · PassiveIncreases movement speed and mounted movement speed by 8%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.0/2Eye for an Eye0/2 · PassiveAll critical strikes against you cause 5% of the damage taken to the attacker as well. The damage caused by Eye for an Eye will not exceed 50% of the Paladin's total health.1/1Sacred Arbiter1/1 · PassiveIncreases the damage of your Holy Strike ability by 10% and causes it to refresh all Judgement effects on the target.0/2Crusade0/2 · PassiveIncreases all damage dealt by 1%. Increased by an additional 1% against Demon and Undead targets.0/3Two-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 3%.3/3Vengeance3/3 · PassiveIncreases your Physical and Holy damage dealt by 1% for 30 sec after landing a critical strike. Stacks up to 5 times.Requires Sanctified Judgement0/1Repentance0/1 · ActivePuts the enemy target in a state of meditation, incapacitating them for up to 6 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids.3/3Champion of the Light3/3 · PassiveIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.0/2Instrument of Law0/2 · PassiveReduces the cast time of your Hammer of Wrath by 0.5 sec, and reduces all threat you generate by 10% while Righteous Fury is not active.0/1Twist of Light0/1 · PassiveWhen you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.

Deflection 5/5Benediction 2/5Improved Judgement 2/2Holy Conduit 2/2Conviction 5/5Sanctified Judgement 3/3Pursuit of Justice 2/2Sacred Arbiter 1/1Vengeance 3/3Champion of the Light 3/3

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Build reference · Level-60 allocations are beta plans, not final launch performance rankings.

Leveling 1-60 51 points · 0 / 23 / 28

Holy

0/2Improved Holy Strike0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Holy Strike ability by 1 sec.0/5Divine Strength0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Strength by 2%.0/5Divine Intellect0/5 · PassiveIncreases your total Intellect by 2%.0/3Healing Light0/3 · Passive0/2Spiritual Focus0/2 · Passive0/3Improved Seals0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage done by your Seals and Judgements by 5%.0/2Unyielding Faith0/2 · PassiveReduces the duration of Fear and Disorient effects on you by 15%.0/1Voice of Truth0/1 · ActiveGrants you immunity to Silence and Interrupt effects. Lasts 6 sec.0/3Reverence0/3 · Passive0/2Purifying Power0/2 · Passive0/2Infusion of Light0/2 · Passive0/5Illumination0/5 · PassiveAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 20% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires Reverence0/1Divine Favor0/1 · ActiveWhen activated, gives your next Flash of Light, Holy Light, or Holy Shock spell a 100% critical effect chance.0/3Divine Precision0/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with Holy spells by 6%.Requires Holy Shock0/1Holy Shock0/1 · ActiveBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.0/2Consecrated Ground0/2 · PassiveGives your Holy spells 5% increased damage against the first 4 enemies that enter your Consecration.0/5Holy Power0/5 · PassiveIncreases the critical strike chance of your Holy Shock spell by 3%, and all other spells by 1%.0/1Light's Vigil0/1 · ActiveApplies Light's Vigil to the target for 30 sec. Your next Holy Shock cast on them triggers no cooldown and causes friendly targets to heal their party for 315 to 333, or enemy targets to suffer 175 to 189 Holy damage and refund 75% of Light's Vigil's Mana cost. You may only have 1 Light's Vigil active per Paladin, per party.Requires Holy Shock

Protection

0/5Toughness0/5 · PassiveIncreases your armor value from items by 2%.5/5Redoubt5/5 · PassiveDamaging melee attacks against you have a 10% chance to increase your chance to block by 6%. Lasts 10 sec or 5 blocks.3/3Precision3/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%.0/2Guardian's Favor0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Blessing of Protection by 1 min and increases the duration of your Blessing of Freedom by 3 sec.2/5Anticipation2/5 · PassiveIncreases your Defense Skill by 4.1/1Improved Seal of Fury1/1 · PassiveWhen Seal of Fury's shield is fully absorbed, restore 38 Mana, increased by 15% per level the attacker is above you, up to 45%.3/3Improved Righteous Fury3/3 · PassiveWhile Righteous Fury is active, all damage taken is reduced by 2%.3/3Shield Specialization3/3 · PassiveIncreases the amount of damage absorbed by your shield by 10%, and gives your blocks a 33% chance to restore 6% of your maximum Mana. May only occur once every 3 sec.Requires Redoubt2/2Sacred Duty2/2 · PassiveIncreases your total Stamina by 2% and reduces the cooldown of your Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Templar's Bulwark spells by 30 sec.1/1Swift Judgement1/1 · ActiveFinishes the remaining cooldown on your Judgement ability and reduces the Mana cost of your next Judgement by 100%.Requires Improved Seal of Fury0/3One-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with one-handed melee weapons by 3%.0/3Improved Hammer of Justice0/3 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Hammer of Justice spell by 5 sec.1/1Templar's Bulwark1/1 · ActiveWhen activated, this ability grants you an absorb shield equal to 100% of your maximum health for 8 sec. Applies Forbearance for 1 min. Cannot be cast while Forbearance is active.2/5Reckoning2/5 · PassiveGives you a 8% chance to gain an extra attack after Blocking a melee attack and a 20% chance to gain an extra attack after being the victim of a non-periodic critical strike.0/5Iron Creed0/5 · PassiveIncreases the threat generated by your Holy Strike ability 5%. While Righteous Fury is active, Holy Strike also reduces your damage taken by 2% for 6 sec.0/1Holy Shield0/1 · ActiveIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires Templar's Bulwark

Redoubt 5/5Precision 3/3Anticipation 2/5Improved Seal of Fury 1/1Improved Righteous Fury 3/3Shield Specialization 3/3Sacred Duty 2/2Swift Judgement 1/1Templar's Bulwark 1/1Reckoning 2/5

Retribution

5/5Deflection5/5 · PassiveIncreases your Parry chance by 5%.5/5Benediction5/5 · PassiveReduces the Mana cost of all instant cast spells and abilities by 10%.2/2Improved Judgement2/2 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Judgement ability by 2 sec.2/2Holy Conduit2/2 · PassiveReduces the mana cost of your Consecration, Holy Wrath, Exorcism, and Hammer of Wrath spells by 20%.1/5Conviction1/5 · PassiveIncreases your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 1%.0/3Vindication0/3 · PassiveGives your damaging melee attacks a chance to reduce the target's Attack Power by 42, and increase your Attack Power by 1% for 30 sec.3/3Sanctified Judgement3/3 · PassiveGives your Judgement ability a 100% chance to return 60% of the Mana cost of the judged seal.0/1Seal of Command0/1 · ActiveGives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.2/2Pursuit of Justice2/2 · PassiveIncreases movement speed and mounted movement speed by 8%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.0/2Eye for an Eye0/2 · PassiveAll critical strikes against you cause 5% of the damage taken to the attacker as well. The damage caused by Eye for an Eye will not exceed 50% of the Paladin's total health.1/1Sacred Arbiter1/1 · PassiveIncreases the damage of your Holy Strike ability by 10% and causes it to refresh all Judgement effects on the target.0/2Crusade0/2 · PassiveIncreases all damage dealt by 1%. Increased by an additional 1% against Demon and Undead targets.0/3Two-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 3%.3/3Vengeance3/3 · PassiveIncreases your Physical and Holy damage dealt by 1% for 30 sec after landing a critical strike. Stacks up to 5 times.Requires Sanctified Judgement1/1Repentance1/1 · ActivePuts the enemy target in a state of meditation, incapacitating them for up to 6 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids.3/3Champion of the Light3/3 · PassiveIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.0/2Instrument of Law0/2 · PassiveReduces the cast time of your Hammer of Wrath by 0.5 sec, and reduces all threat you generate by 10% while Righteous Fury is not active.0/1Twist of Light0/1 · PassiveWhen you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.

Deflection 5/5Benediction 5/5Improved Judgement 2/2Holy Conduit 2/2Conviction 1/5Sanctified Judgement 3/3Pursuit of Justice 2/2Sacred Arbiter 1/1Vengeance 3/3Repentance 1/1Champion of the Light 3/3

Open this exact build in the calculator

Build reference · Level-60 allocations are beta plans, not final launch performance rankings.

Important talent effects

Improved Seal of Fury

When Seal of Fury's shield is fully absorbed, restore 38 Mana, increased by 15% per level the attacker is above you, up to 45%.

1 rank

Improved Righteous Fury

While Righteous Fury is active, all damage taken is reduced by 2%.

3 ranks

Sacred Duty

Increases your total Stamina by 2% and reduces the cooldown of your Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Templar's Bulwark spells by 30 sec.

2 ranks

Swift Judgement

Finishes the remaining cooldown on your Judgement ability and reduces the Mana cost of your next Judgement by 100%.

1 rank · Requires Improved Seal of Fury

Templar's Bulwark

When activated, this ability grants you an absorb shield equal to 100% of your maximum health for 8 sec. Applies Forbearance for 1 min. Cannot be cast while Forbearance is active.

1 rank

Holy Shield

Increases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.

1 rank · Requires Templar's Bulwark

PvP talent choices and play

A tank build can protect a teammate and interrupt melee pressure, but threat does not control players. Save Hammer of Justice for a useful stop and keep healing or defensive options available when your team is being focused.

Recommended gear & upgrades

Forever beta equipment options. Compare level requirements and sources; these are not final launch rankings.

Head

Source / location

Acolyte's Chain Helmmail · Level 25

BlacksmithingCrafted

Acolyte's Silvered Chain Helmmail · Level 20

BlacksmithingCrafted

Crusader's Chain Helmmail · Level 25

BlacksmithingCrafted

Crusader's Silvered Chain Helmmail · Level 20

BlacksmithingCrafted

Frostreaver Crownmail · Level 27

World drop

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Chest

Source / location

Acolyte's Silvered Chain Shirtmail · Level 22

BlacksmithingCrafted

Crusader's Chain Shirtmail · Level 15

BlacksmithingCrafted

Crusader's Silvered Chain Shirtmail · Level 22

BlacksmithingCrafted

Double Link Tunicmail · Level 25

World drop

Guard's Silvered Chain Shirtmail · Level 22

BlacksmithingCrafted

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Main Hand

Source / location

Bookmaker's Sceptermace

The Hidden KeyQuest

Crested Sceptermace · Level 24

Trash dropBlackfathom Deeps

Curly's Chopperaxe

Darkspear Skirmisher's Bludgeonmace · Level 28

Darkspear Raiders - ReveredReputation

Debt Collectorsword · Level 26

Bazil ThreddThe Stockade

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Off Hand

Source / location

Basalt Bucklershield

The CorrupterQuest (Horde)

Captain Rackmore's Wheelshield

Claim Rackmore's Treasure!Quest

Energized Stone Circleshield

Power StonesQuest

Farseer's Forgotten Shieldshield

Heart of Agamagganshield · Level 30

Charlga RazorflankRazorfen Kraul

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View equipment for every slot

Stats and equipment decisions

Enchanting equipment

For inexpensive leveling preparation, Enchant Bracer - Inferior Stamina and Enchant Chest - Inferior Stamina add survival to equipment you expect to keep. Prioritize an important weapon or role-specific item upgrade before spending heavily on temporary armor.

Consumables and preparation

Lesser Mana Potion

Mana recovery during a long pull. Drink between fights as well; a potion is a backup rather than a reason to begin every pull nearly empty.

Elixir of Wisdom

An Intellect buff for a larger casting budget while leveling and running dungeons.

Minor Arcane Elixir

A spell-damage preparation option for Holy-damage attacks. It is not a healing elixir and should not replace healing gear.

Greater Healing Potion

An emergency health button for tanking or solo play, especially when stopping to cast a heal would be dangerous.

Wool Bandage

Restore health between fights without consuming the Mana needed for the next pull.

Roasted Boar Meat

An inexpensive cooked food option while leveling. Keep food and drink together so recovery does not leave one resource empty.

Useful profession pairings

Mining and Blacksmithing provide a direct equipment route for armor and weapons. Compare recipes with your next quest or dungeon upgrade before spending rare materials.

Herbalism and Alchemy supply health and Mana recovery for repeated tanking. These remain useful even when you already have a good weapon.

Engineering is an alternative for devices and extra pull utility. It complements planning and group interrupts rather than replacing your normal tank abilities.

Mining · Blacksmithing · Herbalism · Alchemy · Recipe database · Camping buffs

Races and racial abilities

Alliance: Human and Dwarf are the Paladin choices. Human Sword Specialization and Dwarf Mace Specialization have revised critical-strike effects; choose around the weapon and role rather than old weapon-skill assumptions.

Horde: Undead can play Paladin in Forever. Will of the Forsaken provides an answer to fear, sleep and charm; Cannibalize supports recovery outside combat.

Stoneform is useful for removing harmful physical-related debuffs, while Human Will to Survive provides a stun response. Survival and keeping control of your character matter alongside raw damage.

Leveling and solo play

1. Protection works well when a pull can be gathered safely and your healer or own Mana supply can sustain it. Begin with two manageable enemies before attempting larger packs.
2. Holy Strike arrives at level 6 and baseline Consecration at level 20. Before Consecration, rely on direct attacks and controlled pulls rather than pretending you already have a full AoE toolkit.
3. Use the level-30 build for the defensive and Mana talents you can actually reach. The level-60 allocation adds later tools, including Holy Shield, which should not be included in an early-level routine.
4. Between pulls, replenish both health and Mana. Food alone will not restore the casting resource needed to keep a new pack under control.

Leveling routes and preparation · Dungeon entrances and level ranges

Useful macros

#showtooltip Judgement
/cast [@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Judgement

Strengths and weaknesses

Common mistakes

• Tanking without Righteous Fury
• Moving the pack out of Consecration
• Spending all mana immediately before another pull

Full Protection talent reference

Exact rank text and prerequisites from the calculator’s existing talent data. Use the interactive tooltip for additional ranks.

View every Protection talent

Toughness

Passive · Tier 1 · 5 ranks

Increases your armor value from items by 2%.

Redoubt

Passive · Tier 1 · 5 ranks

Damaging melee attacks against you have a 10% chance to increase your chance to block by 6%. Lasts 10 sec or 5 blocks.

Precision

Passive · Tier 2 · 3 ranks

Increases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%.

Guardian's Favor

Passive · Tier 2 · 2 ranks

Reduces the cooldown of your Blessing of Protection by 1 min and increases the duration of your Blessing of Freedom by 3 sec.

Anticipation

Passive · Tier 2 · 5 ranks

Increases your Defense Skill by 4.

Improved Seal of Fury

Passive · Tier 3 · 1 ranks

When Seal of Fury's shield is fully absorbed, restore 38 Mana, increased by 15% per level the attacker is above you, up to 45%.

Improved Righteous Fury

Passive · Tier 3 · 3 ranks

While Righteous Fury is active, all damage taken is reduced by 2%.

Shield Specialization

Passive · Tier 3 · 3 ranks

Increases the amount of damage absorbed by your shield by 10%, and gives your blocks a 33% chance to restore 6% of your maximum Mana. May only occur once every 3 sec.

Requires Redoubt

Sacred Duty

Passive · Tier 3 · 2 ranks

Increases your total Stamina by 2% and reduces the cooldown of your Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Templar's Bulwark spells by 30 sec.

Swift Judgement

Active · Tier 4 · 1 ranks

Instant | 1 min cooldown

Finishes the remaining cooldown on your Judgement ability and reduces the Mana cost of your next Judgement by 100%.

Requires Improved Seal of Fury

One-Handed Weapon Specialization

Passive · Tier 4 · 3 ranks

Increases the damage you deal with one-handed melee weapons by 3%.

Improved Hammer of Justice

Passive · Tier 4 · 3 ranks

Decreases the cooldown of your Hammer of Justice spell by 5 sec.

Templar's Bulwark

Active · Tier 5 · 1 ranks

110 Mana | Instant | 5 min cooldown

When activated, this ability grants you an absorb shield equal to 100% of your maximum health for 8 sec. Applies Forbearance for 1 min. Cannot be cast while Forbearance is active.

Reckoning

Passive · Tier 5 · 5 ranks

Gives you a 8% chance to gain an extra attack after Blocking a melee attack and a 20% chance to gain an extra attack after being the victim of a non-periodic critical strike.

Iron Creed

Passive · Tier 6 · 5 ranks

Increases the threat generated by your Holy Strike ability 5%. While Righteous Fury is active, Holy Strike also reduces your damage taken by 2% for 6 sec.

Holy Shield

Active · Tier 7 · 1 ranks

150 Mana | Instant | 10 sec cooldown

Increases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.

Requires Templar's Bulwark

Changes from Classic