Paladin Class Overview

Paladin is one of two classes in World of Warcraft that has a specialization that can Tank, Heal and DPS. While Paladin lacks any major mobility cooldowns or consistent forms of crowd control, they are one of the sturdiest and most consistent classes in the game and allow for reliably strong outcomes to almost any encounter. All three Paladin specializations utilize Mana as their primary resource.

Paladins are able to choose from three specializations: Retribution, Protection, and Holy.

• Retribution Paladin — Focuses on dealing damage with close range and melee attacks bolstered by the Light. This specialization offers some of the strongest burst damage in the game while bringing powerful buffs to the raid, such as Sanctified Retribution
• Protection Paladin — Focuses on survivability, protecting your allies by tanking and mitigating incoming damage. Protection is the sturdiest specialization in Wrath of the Lich King, and thanks to tools such as Ardent Defender, they can handle damage that would otherwise be lethal.
• Holy Paladin — Focuses on healing. Holy Paladins are extremely powerful single-target healers and widely considered the best tank healer in the game. Beacon of Light is an incredible tool that only amplifies the power of the Paladins single target healing capability by duplicating it onto an additional target.

This question depends entirely on what role you would like to fill. Each of Paladin's three specializations fills one of the three major in game roles; Retribution Paladin if you would like to play DPS, Holy Paladin if you would like to play as a Healer, or Protection Paladin if you would like to play as a Tank.

In Wrath of the Lich King, Paladin can be Draenei, Dwarf, or Human if you are playing Alliance. Blood Elf is the only race for Paladin if you are Horde. Paladins are masters of all things holy and one of only two classes in the WoW Wrath of the Lich King expansion that can tank, heal, and DPS.

It depends on your goals and faction choice. If you are Horde, Blood Elf is the only option and by default the best. As Alliance, you can choose from Draenei, Human, and Dwarf. Draenei is the best if you are focused entirely on PvE, as the added Hit rating from Heroic Presence is extremely powerful compared to other available racial bonuses. If you are looking mostly for PvP, Dwarf is your best option because of how prominent Poisons are in The Wrath PvP. Stoneform is a great cooldown that could help you survive some situations you may otherwise not be able to.

Paladin is able to wear Cloth, Leather, and Mail armor right away, and are able to wear Plate after reaching Level 40. Paladins are able to use both One-Handed and Two Handed Axes, Maces, and Swords, as well as Polearms. As a Retribution Paladin you will primarily be focusing on Strength and utilizing a two-handed weapon to be able to deal maximum damage with abilities such as Crusader Strike, but as Holy Paladin or Protection Paladin you will almost always be wearing a Shield and a one-handed weapon. As Holy you will prioritize Intellect and Spell power to maximize your healing, where as a Protection your focus will be on Stamina and more defensive stats so the one-handed weapon and shields you will be wearing as either specialization will likely be very different.

Addons and Macros can greatly improve your quality of life in Azeroth, Outland, and Northrend. Listed below are some of our recommendations on Addons and Macros to help get the most out of your time playing the game.

Listed below are guides filled with information to help you play your Paladin optimally in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion.