Cataclysm Classic Protection Paladin Guide

This page contains all relevant information needed for Protection Paladin before the release of Cataclysm Classic. Be sure to check back as we get closer to the release date, as this page will be updated with the latest information as it becomes available.

Yes! Protection Paladin remains incredibly strong in Cataclysm and still remains the king of AoE threat. Protection Paladin also offers the most utility of any tank with the immensely powerful debuffs they provide to targets as well as their Blessings and Hands to bolster the strength of your group.

Strengths

• King of AoE threat thanks to Hammer of the Righteous and Consecration.
• Strong buffs and utility such as Blessings, Hands, and Auras.
• Brings the powerful debuffs Vindication and Judgements of the Just, especially strong in a 10-man raid.
• Strong and consistent self-healing with Word of Glory.
• Incredibly durable and consistent.
• Ability to dispel Poison and Diseases with Cleanse.

Weaknesses

• Must choose between self-sutain and damage output due to how Holy Power functions with Word of Glory and Shield of the Righteous.
• Extremely gear dependent compared to other tanks.
• Limited mobility makes movement and picking up new mobs challenging at times.

In Cataclysm Tauren are now able to be played as Paladin, making them the default choice thanks to the Stamina gained from their Endurance racial. Blood Elf is still a strong choice thanks to the Mana generation and the on-demand silence with Arcane Torrent

As Alliance, the default choice will be Dwarf due to the incredible strength of Stoneform. The flat 10% damage reduction is an incredibly powerful cooldown to mitigate incoming damage. There is not a wrong choice, as each Alliance race offers unique benefits, but Dwarf will yield the best results in a tanking role.

1. Blacksmithing — Lets you add an extra socket to both your Gloves and Bracers thanks to Socket Gloves and Socket Bracer. As a Protection Paladin the added sockets are incredibly valuable as it is crucial to be able to reach and maintain our CtC Table cap and these Gem sockets only becomes more valuable as the expansion progresses onward and Epic Gems are introduced.
2. Blacksmithing — Engineering is still one of the best Professions in the game and is made even stronger for Tanks with the addition of two new Tinkers, Quickflip Deflection Plates and Grounded Plasma Shield. Both are incredible increases to your survivability. It is also impossible to ignore Nitro Boosts which provide a ton of movement speed which as a Paladin your options when it comes to mobility are incredibly limited. And you will still retain access to Synapse Springs for when you are out in the world Soloing or switch to a DPS spec.
3. Leatherworking — Is another great choice as there is no new Stamina enchantment to Bracers in Cataclysm. The Leatherworking enchant Draconic Embossment - Stamina will grant you 155 more Stamina than Enchant Bracer - Major Stamina. This is the single largest primary stat gain you can obtain as a Tank and especially as a Tank like Protection Paladin where you are incredibly vulnerable to incoming Spell Damage the flat health increase can make a massive difference.

Addons and Macros can greatly improve your quality of life during Cataclysm. Listed below are some of our recommendations on Addons and Macros to help get the most out of your time playing the game.