Protection Paladin Beginner's Guide

This is intended to be a simple guide to the basic rotation and dynamics of the spec that gets you up and running without requiring more advanced optimization.

Information on hero talents will be coming soon, but in general know that overall they add a minor layer on top of how each spec plays, and most of what’s here should be applicable regardless.

Talent Build #

This is a simplified talent build designed to avoid complex interactions and skip unnecessary abilities. While not optimal in all cases, it should be a great way to get started learning the spec and should work reasonably well in world content, delves, dungeons, and raids. Abilities and talents not chosen in this build are not described here, and the rotation information assumes you’ll be using the build.

Copy the text below to import the recommended build:
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Resources #

Holy Power – All Paladins use Holy Power as their primary resource. You can build up to five Holy Power points with damage abilities like Judgment and Blessed Hammer. You’ll then use these points primarily to keep the armor bonus from Shield of the Righteous active, but can also use it on Word of Glory if you need healing in a pinch.

Mana – Protection Paladins have a mana bar, but in practice don’t need to think much about it.

Auras #

Paladins have the unique ability to activate Auras, which are a set of permanent buffs that affect you and your entire group within a wide area. They can be changed at any time without cost or cooldown. You’ll always want to have at least one active.

Devotion Aura – Provides a minor reduction to all damage. This is what you’ll want to use in almost all situations. If you’re in a group with another Paladin that’s already using this Aura you can safely select another.

Concentration Aura – Shortens the duration of interrupt and silence effects. Mainly useful if you know you’ll be encountering enemies that actively disrupt spellcasts, which isn’t super often. Even in these situations you’ll want to swap back to Devotion Aura when this isn’t needed.

Core Abilities #

Blessed Hammer – Spins a hammer around yourself, damaging enemies in a moderate area and reducing damage done by a small amount, while generating 1 Holy Power. 3 charges with a 5s cooldown. With Grand Crusader has a chance to reset the cooldown on Avenger's Shield. This is good to use as a fallback anytime you don’t have a more pressing ability to use.

Judgment – Ranged ability that does moderate damage to the target, generates 1 Holy Power, and with Greater Judgment increases the damage the target takes from your next Shield of the Righteous. 2 charges with a 5s cooldown. Used primarily to build Holy Power but keep in mind that the damage it does is substantial.

Avenger's Shield – Ranged ability that does moderate damage to the target while interrupting them, and reduced damage to other nearby enemies. 13s cooldown With Bulwark of Order also gives you a minor absorb shield. Our recommended build doesn’t invest heavily in talents that improve Avenger’s Shield, and unlike other damage abilities it doesn’t generate Holy Power. That said it’s a good way to first pull enemies, is very helpful for the interrupt effect, and should still be used opportunistically when you can.

Consecration – Marks the ground around you for 14s, dealing damage over the duration to enemies within, and heals allies within via Golden Path and Seal of Mercy. Also slows enemies within via Consecrated Ground. 4s cooldown, meaning as long as you watch out for it expiring you’ve got plenty of room to keep it active continuously. With Strength of Conviction your Holy Power spenders gain bonus damage or healing while you’re in the marked area. You’ll want to keep this active as close to fulltime as possible around yourself.

Shield of the Righteous – Spend 3 Holy Power to damage all enemies in front of you and gain bonus armor for a short while, and do some healing on yourself and allies via Lightforged Blessing. This should be your primary way to spend Holy Power, and generating enough to keep it active as continuously as possible is a central goal.

Word of Glory – Spend 3 Holy Power to do moderate healing to the target, and with Light of the Titans applies a heal over time effect as well. Faith in the Light gives you a block chance bonus when Word of Glory is used. Since Holy Power is usually needed for Shield of the Righteous you’ll mainly want to use Word of Glory only via Shining Light.\

Hammer of Wrath – Ranged ability on a 7s cooldown that does moderate damage while generating 1 Holy Power, but is only usable on enemies that are near death. Should be used whenever possible as an additional source of Holy Power.

Hand of Reckoning – Taunts the target attack you. 8s cooldown. Use this to pick up enemies not currently attacking you or to help pull enemies towards you.

Cooldowns #

Bastion of Light – 2m cooldown. Causes your next 5 Judgments to generate 3 Holy Power, giving you a flood of points that make keeping Shield of the Righteous active much easier and giving you some room to fit in Word of Glory if needed. Try to have both judgement charges available before using this to maximize its usefulness.

Lay on Hands – 5m cooldown. Instantly heal the target for a huge amount, usually their full health. Note that using this on yourself will prevent the use of Divine Shield for 30s, and visa versa. Very helpful to save yourself or an ally from a dangerous situation, but the long cooldown means you’ll want to be strategic in its use.

Effects #

These are some of the more notable effects, interactions, and passive talents that you should be aware of. It’s not covering effects (even if they’re very strong) that provide flat bonuses or that don’t require much thought to use, and it only includes those used in our recommended build.

Mastery: Divine Bulwark – Provides three effects: increases your block chance, reduces damage taken while in your consecration, and provides a damage bonus. All three become stronger with more Mastery Points. Gives a strong incentive to stay in consecration as much as possible.

Relentless Inquisitor – Gives a haste bonus as you spend Holy Power, accelerating your rotation.

Defensives / Sustains #

Ardent Defender – 1.5m cooldown. Reduces all damage taken by 30% for 8s, and prevents the next attack that would’ve killed you from doing so. Via Resolute Defender the cooldown gets reduced as you spend Holy Power. This is a strong defensive ability with a short enough cooldown to use fairly often, so activate it either when low on health or expecting dangerous attacks.

Sentinel – 2m cooldown. Empowers you defensively and offensively for 20s. You’ll gain a stack of health bonuses and damage reduction that reduces over time, but spending Holy Power will delay this reduction. Your damage abilities will also generate more Holy Power, your damage and healing effects will become stronger, and you can use Hammer of Wrath regardless of enemies health. While the damage and holy power bonuses last the full 20s, the strongest defensive effect is front-loaded to the beginning due to the decaying benefit, so keep in mind that you may need other defensive abilities if you get in danger towards the end. This should be used either when you need a burst of damage done or when expecting heavy incoming damage.

Guardian of Ancient Kings – 5m cooldown. Reduces all incoming damage by 50% for 8s. A very strong defensive ability with a long cooldown that should be used strategically, but very helpful to let you survive in situations that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to.

  • Righteous Protector will reduce the cooldown on Guardian of Ancient Kings as you spend Holy Power

Divine Shield – 3.5m cooldown. Makes you impervious to all damage and harmful effects for 8s. Via Resolute Defender the cooldown gets reduced as you spend Holy Power, and with Final Stand will taunt all nearby enemies to attack you. This is a signature Paladin ability and is extremely powerful - look for opportunities to use it to protect yourself if about to die, or to negate major attacks or negative effects from bosses. The taunt effect also makes it great to urgently pull dangerous enemies away from your allies. Note that it applies Forbearance so will prevent you from using Lay on Hands on yourself for 30s.

Rotation Overview #

This is an overview of the core rotation. It’s not a strict priority order but rather an outline of how the different abilities interact and are used. It assumes you’re using the recommended talent build above.

Maintenance - keep these active or use these as much as you can

Mitigation - use these as needed to reduce incoming damage

Holy Power - use these to keep a steady supply of Holy Power

Sustain - use these to restore health and help your healer out

Threat – use these to make you get and keep aggro

Crowd Control #

Rebuke – Melee interrupt with a 15s cooldown. Your primary interrupt that you should try to use any time a nearby enemy is casting something dangerous.

Hammer of Justice – 1m cooldown. Stuns the target for 6s. The cooldown can be reduced as you spend Holy Power via Fist of Justice. Great either as a last-ditch interrupt or to prevent damage from dangerous enemies.

Mobility #

Divine Steed – Doubles movement speed for 5s. 45s cooldown with 2 charges when talented.

Blessing of Freedom – Removes and prevents all roots or slows for 8s from the targeted ally. 25s cooldown.

Utility #

Redemption – Out-of-combat resurrect for the targeted ally

Intercession – Resurrects the targeted dead ally, even while in combat. 10m cooldown. The long cooldown means you’ll have a limited number of times you can use this during a dungeon or raid, but can save your group if things have gotten dicey.

Quality of Life #

Sense Undead – Tracks undead enemies on the minimap. Unlikely to be useful in most content.

Not Used #

Flash of Light – A minor short-cast heal that burns your mana up very quickly and puts you in danger while being cast. Beginners should largely ignore this in favor of Word of Glory.

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