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Class deep dive: Paladin in WoW: Forever

· by Davina Asaria

Blizzard closes its class deep dive series with the Paladin. The Seal and Judgement system stays at the heart of the class, but every spec gets new tools: Holy gets more ways to heal groups and to deal Holy damage, Protection gets real tank cooldowns and better threat, and Retribution gets more consistent damage and an easier form of Seal Twisting.

For every class

  • Talents start at level 10.
  • The one-point milestone talents at 11, 21 and 31 points get company: a new milestone at 16 points.
  • You change your talents, Legacy talents included, at a class trainer in one of the major cities.
  • Dual Specialization unlocks at level 40.
  • Everything can still change during the beta.

Paladin: baseline abilities

  • Holy Strike (new, level 6): instant Holy damage based on 50% of your weapon damage, plus a bonus that grows with each rank.
  • Judgement: no longer uses up your active Seal.
  • Salvation: no longer a Blessing, so a target can have a Blessing and Salvation at the same time. The raid version for a whole class is now called Mass Salvation.
  • Righteous Fury: less bonus threat, because Protection Paladins now deal a lot more Holy damage than in Classic Era.
  • Seal of Fury (new, level 10): a tanking seal with three parts. Every melee swing deals a fixed amount of bonus Holy damage (so a fast weapon is best for tanking), you get an absorb shield worth 50% of that damage, and its Judgement deals Holy damage and taunts the target. Because the taunt comes from Judgement it reaches 10 yards, where Growl and Taunt only reach 5.
  • Fire, Frost and Shadow Resistance Aura: now work for the whole raid within 30 yards.
  • Consecration: now learned by every Paladin at level 20. It deals proper damage to the first 4 enemies that stand in it and very little to the rest, so Paladins hold threat on 4 targets, just like a Warrior with Thunder Clap. Blizzard wants to keep the Classic feel and not slide into big AoE pulls.
  • Lay on Hands: cooldown down to 20 minutes (was 1 hour).
  • Seal Twisting: no longer works baseline. It comes back in a friendlier form through the Retribution talent Twist of Light (see below).

Holy

  • Healing Light and Unyielding Faith move up to row 2. Healing Light now also boosts Holy Shock, Unyielding Faith now shortens Fear and Disorient effects.
  • Spiritual Focus now also works for Light's Vigil and costs only 2 points.
  • Improved Seals: now boosts all Seals and Judgements, 3 points.
  • Voice of Truth (new 11-point milestone): 6 seconds immune to Silence and Interrupt, 3 minute cooldown.
  • Reverence (new): up to 30% of your Spirit based mana regeneration keeps going while casting.
  • Purifying Power (new): cheaper Cleanse and Purify, shorter cooldown on Exorcism and Holy Wrath.
  • Infusion of Light (new): crits with Holy Shock and Flash of Light make your next Holy Light up to 1 second faster. Blizzard wants Holy Paladins to do more than just spam Flash of Light.
  • Illumination: also triggers from Light's Vigil, but now refunds 50% of the base mana cost. It used to scale out of control.
  • Divine Favor is now the 16-point milestone.
  • Divine Precision (new): up to 18% more hit chance with Holy spells, because plate healing gear will not have hit on it.
  • Holy Shock moves to the 21-point milestone with a 10 second cooldown (was 30). Good news for "Shockadin" builds.
  • Consecrated Ground (new): your Holy spells deal up to 10% more damage to the first 4 enemies in your Consecration.
  • Holy Power: up to 15% more crit chance for Holy Shock and Holy Strike.
  • Light's Vigil (new 31-point milestone): a 1.5 second cast on an ally or an enemy. The next Holy Shock on that target triggers no cooldown. On an ally it also heals their whole party. Set it up on several parties, then fire Holy Shock after Holy Shock when the whole raid takes damage.
  • Improved Blessing of Wisdom and Lasting Judgement are now baseline.

Protection

  • Toughness moves up to row 1, Anticipation to row 2 with up to 20 Defense.
  • Redoubt: a 10% chance on being hit to gain up to 20% Block Chance. No crit needed anymore.
  • Precision: now raises the hit chance of all spells and attacks, so your Judgement taunt lands more often.
  • Improved Seal of Fury (new 11-point milestone): mana back every time a Seal of Fury shield is used up, more against higher level enemies such as raid bosses.
  • Improved Righteous Fury: now up to 6% less damage taken while Righteous Fury is active.
  • Shield Specialization: blocks can restore mana.
  • Sacred Duty (new): more Stamina and shorter cooldowns on Divine Shield, Divine Protection and Templar's Bulwark.
  • Swift Judgement (new 16-point milestone): finishes your Judgement cooldown right away and makes the next one free. Handy after a resisted taunt.
  • One-Handed Weapon Specialization: moves to row 4 and needs only 3 points.
  • Templar's Bulwark (new 21-point milestone): an absorb shield worth 100% of your maximum health for 8 seconds, 5 minute cooldown, gives Forbearance.
  • Reckoning: can now also trigger after a block (up to 40%), at most once every 1.5 seconds.
  • Iron Creed (new): Holy Strike gives more threat and, with Righteous Fury, up to 10% less damage taken for 6 seconds.
  • Holy Shield now requires Templar's Bulwark.
  • Blessing of Sanctuary and Improved Concentration Aura are gone. Blessing of Kings is now baseline.

Retribution

  • Deflection moves to row 1, Conviction to row 2.
  • Benediction: cheaper instant spells and abilities, up to 10%.
  • Holy Conduit (new): Consecration, Holy Wrath and Exorcism cost up to 40% less.
  • Vindication: lowers the target's Attack Power and raises yours by up to 3% for 30 seconds.
  • Sanctified Judgement (new): Judgement can refund up to 60% of the judged Seal's cost.
  • Pursuit of Justice: up to 15% movement speed (was 8%).
  • Eye for an Eye: works against all crits now, but reflects up to 10% (was 30%).
  • Sacred Arbiter (new 16-point milestone): Holy Strike deals 20% more damage and refreshes all Judgements on the target, also those of other Paladins. Judgement of Wisdom, Light and the Crusader can stay up at the same time.
  • Vengeance: now 30 seconds, up to 3% per stack and 3 stacks. Far more reliable than before.
  • Repentance is now the 21-point milestone.
  • Champion of the Light (new): spell damage based on your Intellect.
  • Instrument of Law (new): an instant Hammer of Wrath and 20% less threat without Righteous Fury.
  • Twist of Light (new 31-point milestone): Seals cost 20% less, and a replaced damage Seal leaves an Echo, so your next swing gets the effect of both the old and the new Seal. Seal Twisting, but without the tight timing. Holy Shock is the alternative for Shockadin builds.
  • Improved Retribution Aura and Sanctity Aura are gone.

Already changed in the October 15 build

The beta keeps moving. In the newest build Salvation and Mass Salvation are live, with a new spell Revoke to take Salvation off someone again, Reckoning stores up to 4 charges again, and Champion of the Light was lowered to 10/20/30% of your Intellect. You find all of it in our article on the October 15 beta update.

What this means for Legends of Azeroth

Paladins can now tank properly with Seal of Fury and Templar's Bulwark, Holy keeps its strong single target healing but gets real group tools, and Ret can twist seals without a stopwatch. Blizzard calls them the strongest single target healers in the game. That completes the series: all nine class deep dives are now in our news. Share your favourite build in Discord!

Source: Blizzard Entertainment at https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-gb/news/24302099