Protection Paladin
Our PvE pick · RecommendationTank
The 1 Oct pass was kind: Holy Shield to 30% block, and the 11 Oct sim has Prot Paladin first of the three tanks at 551, ahead of Prot Warrior at 479. Redoubt lost a third of its block but you still need it 5/5 for Shield Specialization. Test the L30 route in Excavation Site: Wetlands and Razorfen Downs.
What the tier lists say
Different scalesA on one list, #2 of 3 on a ranked list
| Rating | List | Page date | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | tanks | page 3 Oct · read 6 Oct | 6 Oct |
| #2 of 3 | best raid tanks | page not shownnot dated · read 6 Oct | 6 Oct |
Ratings of the whole class are on the overview.
Talent build
Hover a talent for its text. Click or tap to pin it, with each source's numbers.Tap a talent for its text and each source's numbers.
Finish the L20 base → Shield Specialization 3/3 → Improved Righteous Fury → Improved Seal of Fury → Swift Judgement (row 4 at 15) → Sacred Duty 2/2 to reach 20 → Templar's Bulwark with the 21st point. Sacred Duty also cuts Bulwark's cooldown by 60 sec.
21 / 0 / 0 of 21 points
Open in the calculatorProtection PvE build at level 30 for a Paladin: Protection 21, Holy 0, Retribution 0.
Protection
21 pointsRotation at level 30
RecommendationSingle target
Open with Righteous Fury, Retribution Aura, Blessing of Kings, Seal of Fury.
- Seal of Fury always
- Judgement on cooldown (taunt or snap threat); Swift Judgement to reset a missed taunt
- Holy Strike on cooldown
- Consecration on every pack
- Exorcism on Undead/Demons
Groups
- Consecration first
- Judgement the target your healer is looking at
- Holy Strike
Tips
Templar's Bulwark (row 5, L30) = 100%-HP absorb; Sacred Duty cuts its cooldown by 60 sec.
No interrupt and no snare — ask a Rogue/Mage for kicks.
Stat priority
- Stamina
- Defense
- Spell Power (Seal of Fury, Consecration, Holy Strike)
- Intellect (mana pool)
- Block value
- Hit / Expertise
- Strength
No stat list; emphasizes mana sustain (Intellect/mana) to keep Consecration uptime.
Recommendation
Level 20: best and second best per slot
| Slot | Best | Second best |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Crusader's Silvered Chain Helm Crafted: Blacksmithing | — |
| Back | Sporid Cape Wailing Caverns dungeon drop | — |
| Wrist | Bandsaw Wristbands The Deadmines dungeon drop | — |
| Hands | Crusader's Gloves Crafted: Blacksmithing | — |
| Waist | Crusader's Chain Belt Crafted: Blacksmithing | — |
| Feet | Pathfinder's Clearway Quest: Wrongly Blamed, Justly Corrected | Crusader's Boots Crafted: Blacksmithing |
| Ring | Slain Baron's Signet Quest: Unending Torment / Abominable Creatures | Seal of Sylvanas Quest: Arugal Must Die (Silverpine Forest) |
| Trinket | Tarnished Locket Quest: Remember That I Love You | — |
| Main Hand | Verigan's Fist Paladin class quest: The Test of Righteousness | Scepter of the Abandoned Ruins of Lordaeron dungeon drop |
| Off Hand / Shield | Seedcloud Buckler Wailing Caverns dungeon drop | — |
Sourced: Guide · 27 Sep
Level 60: where gear will come from
- Pre-raid: the level 50–60 dungeons — Blackmaw Hold, the Drowned City, Krol'dok Stronghold, Alcaz Prison, Shaper's Terrace — plus the Mount Hyjal endgame zone quests.
- Crafted: Blacksmithing specialized plate sets (Forever gives every crafting profession spec-flavoured sets — the L20 'Veteran's / Crusader's' lines are the first tier); Mining +5% Stamina.
- Enchanting: ring enchants (Health) are new; Alchemy's Philosopher's Stone trinket scales with skill.
- Raids open 9 December (Barrow Deeps 10, Hyjal Summit 20, Onyxia's Lair 40) — no loot tables are public, so no level-60 BiS exists yet.
Theory