~7 MIN
Protection Paladin Overview
The Protection Paladin tank spec wields a shield and a mighty weapon, consistently ranking high on Tank Tier Lists for its reliability and performance. Protection Paladins, like all Paladin specs, use Holy Power as their main resource. This power is accumulated through specific ‘builder’ abilities and spent on powerful ‘spender’ abilities to enhance durability and impact
Protection Paladin Strengths and Weaknesses
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| ✅ Great group utility. | ⛔️ Low Health pool. |
| ✅ Very effective CC and defensives. | ⛔️ Mistakes crucially affect your performance. |
| ✅ Impressive AoE damage for a tank. | ⛔️ Limited mobility. |
Protection Paladin Changes In The War Within
With the War Within expansion, the Protection Paladin talent changes are relatively minimal, impacting both the general class and spec talent trees. The most significant adjustments include the removal of Crusader’s Reprieve, as well as the separation of abilities Incandescence and Touch of Light. Additionally, several talents in the spec tree have been streamlined to single-point choices, with some replaced to enhance flexibility and build variety.
Protection Paladin Hero Talents
- Lightsmith: this build revolves around its primary talent, Dawnlight, which triggers Damage over Time through Holy Power spenders.
- Templar: with this specialization, the Light’s Guidance talent swaps your Eye of Tyr ability with Hammer of Light, enhancing the Paladin’s offensive and defensive power.
Changes to The Existing Abilities And Talents
Although the recent updates for Protection Paladin may seem minor, they bring noticeable adjustments. Now, Shining Light from the specialization tree gains a double stack, while Improved Holy Shield and Sanctuary now exist independently from their previous choice node, with the latter talent undergoing a redesign. Additionally, the Bastion of Light talent has moved to the tree’s bottom tier, further boosting Judgment Holy Power generation for enhanced effectiveness.
Basics of Protection Paladin Gameplay
Protection Paladin Rotation
| Single Target Rotation | AoE Rotation | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Consecration | Consecration |
| 2 | Shield of the Righteous when you are at 3-5 Holy Power | Shield of the Righteous when you are at 3-5 Holy Power |
| 3 | Judgment | Avenger’s Shield |
| 4 | Hammer of Wrath | Judgment |
| 5 | Avenger’s Shield | Hammer of Wrath |
| 6 | Hammer of the Righteous / Blessed Hammer | Hammer of the Righteous / Blessed Hammer |
| 7 | Consecration | Consecration |
Offensive Cooldowns
| Spell | Cooldown | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Avenging Wrath | 2 min | Causes Holy Power to explode om use, damaging nearby enemies. |
| Moment of Glory | 1,5 min | Grants you a shield and increases the damage of Avenger’s Shield. |
| Avenger’s Shield | 15 sec | Hits the target with a shield, dealing massive damage. |
Defensive Cooldowns
| Spell | Cooldown | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Shield | 5 min | Grants immunity to all damage for 8 seconds. |
| Lay on Hands | 10 min | Heals a friendly target for 100% of your max HP. |
| Ardent Defender | 2 min | Reduces incoming damage by 20% for 8 sec. |
| Guardian of Ancient Kings | 5 min | Reduces incoming damage by 50% for 8 sec. |
Protection Paladin Build
Raid Single Target 
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AoE Mythic+
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Protection Paladin Stats
- Haste;
- Mastery;
- Versatility;
- Critical Strike.
Notably, the top three stats offer close but distinct benefits. Haste is invaluable for lowering the Global Cooldown (GCD) on abilities, which ensures quicker spell usage—a vital asset for a Prot Paladin’s reactive playstyle. Many talents, like Shield of the Righteous, Word of Glory, and Righteous Protector, benefit significantly from Haste.
Mastery further amplifies survivability through Mastery: Divine Bulwark, a crucial stat for damage mitigation, especially when Consecration is in play.
Versatility provides an all-around boost by enhancing both damage output and healing received, crucial for sustained tanking.
Critical Strike, though helpful for DPS, has a lesser impact on tanks and is generally lower in priority.
Protection Paladin Leveling
- Dungeons. Keep queuing for dungeons (timewalking events are especially effective) to consistently gain XP. This method slows down as you approach the max level, but it’s straightforward and low-effort;
- Questing. Select either the Draenor or Legion timelines through Chromie and dive into a storyline. The quests are conveniently clustered, and you’ll gain insight into the lore while boosting your XP;
- For a hands-free experience, consider a Power Leveling service. This option lets you relax with friends or enjoy a movie while your character levels up without any extra effort from you.
Best Gear for Protection Paladin
| Slot | Item | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Wrathbark Greathelm | Mists of Tirna Scithe |
| Neck | Sureki Zealot’s Insignia | Sikran |
| Shoulders | Entombed Seraph’s Plumes | Catalyst / Raid / Vault |
| Cloak | Wings of Shattered Sorrow | Rasha’nan |
| Chest | Entombed Seraph’s Breastplate | Catalyst / Raid / Vault |
| Wrist | Bracers of Umbral Mending | Grim Batol |
| Gloves | Entombed Seraph’s Castigation | Catalyst / Raid / Vault |
| Belt | Girdle of Somber Ploys | The Dawnbreaker |
| Legs | Entombed Seraph’s Greaves | Catalyst / Raid / Vault |
| Boots | Boots of the Black Bulwark | The Bloodbound Horror |
| Ring | Key to the Unseeming | The Bloodbound Horror |
| Ring | Seal of the Poisoned Pact | Queen Ansurek |
| Main Hand | Engorged Worm Smasher | The Necrotic Wake |
| Shield | Acidslough Bulwark | Mists of Tirna Scithe |
Best Protection Paladin Trinkets
A Tier
Tier Set Bonuses for Protection Paladin
Entombed Seraph’s Radiance is the Protection Paladin Tier Set for Season 1 in the War Within.
| 2-set | Shield of the Righteous deals 10% increased damage and grants a 3% damage reduction. |
|---|---|
| 4-set | Casting a Holy Power ability increases the damage and healing you deal during your next Avenging Wrath by 0.5%. This effect stacks. |
Best Crafted Gear for Protection Paladin
- Everforged Vambraces and Everforged Greatbelt with Elemental Focusing Lens;
- Algari Alchemist Stone;
- Any Low Item Level Piece + Spark of Omens.
Best Consumables for Protection Paladin
| Type | Best | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Flask | Flask of Alchemical Chaos | Flask of Tempered Swiftness |
| Combat Potion | Tempered Potion | — |
| Health Potion | Algari Healing Potion | — |
| Weapon Buff | Algari Mana Oil | — |
| Augment Rune | Crystallized Augment Rune | — |
| Food | Feast of the Divine Day | Chippy Tea |
| Diamond | Culminating Blasphemite | — |
| Other Gems | Masterful Emerald | — |
Best Protection Paladin Enchants
| Slot | Best Enchant | Cheaper Version |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Enchant Weapon – Authority of Radiant Power | — |
| Cloak | Enchant Cloak – Chant of Burrowing Rapidity | — |
| Chest | Enchant Chest – Crystalline Radiance | — |
| Bracers | Enchant Bracer – Chant of Armored Speed | Enchant Bracer – Whisper of Armored Speed |
| Legs | Stormbound Armor Kit | Dual Layered Armor Kit |
| Boots | Enchant Boots – Scout’s March | — |
| Ring – Regular | Enchant Ring – Radiant Haste | Enchant Ring – Glimmering Haste |
| Ring – Cursed | Enchant Ring – Cursed Haste | — |
| Ring | Devotion of Haste | Writ of Haste |
Protection Paladin End-Game