Sticky Request - WoW Paladin forumFollow

Speccing And Specs

The basics of Holy

Holy is not so much our healing tree as it is our spell tree. If you're looking to extend/increase your mana pool, augment spell damage, healing, spell crit %, whatever... It's all here. Holy is good in both solo and group PvP, and some people even swear by it in PvE grinding. And yes, if you want to primarily heal, this is the tree for you.

Holy is also almost always the best tree to sink excess points into no matter your primary spec. There is not a Paladin in the game that will not be 150% the Paladin they were from having at least ten points into Holy for Divine Intellect and Spiritual Focus. Even if you're tanking, even if you're DPS-ing, even if you never PvP, even if it's just a bank mule for another character. These two talents are just a hair shy of mandatory, especially if you're new to the class.

Weapon doesn't matter. No, shut up. It doesn't. Two-handed, one-handed, sword, mace, whatever... Holy Paladins gear for +spell, +healing, spell crit, MP/5, and stats, just like every other spell-oriented class in the game. We just happen to wear plate.
The basics of Protection

Our Protection tree is identicle to the Warrior's Protection tree in purpose and function. If you want to tank, spec here. Don't tell me you can do it with Holy or Retribution, because I'm immediately going to classify you as an idiot and probably disregard anything you ever say in the future. You're like a dual-wielding Fury Warrior tanking. With perfect gear, a great party, and an easy instance you're probably too high for, you can tank. Otherwise, you spec Protection, because you're only making it harder on your party if you don't.

The basics of Retribution

This is generally considered to be the grinding tree. It is the DPS tree. It is the mandatory-two-handed-weapon tree. It is the physical damage tree. It is the "Holy Knight" tree. It is a good tree for PvP. You will do good damage FOR A PALADIN. You are still going to play second fiddle to every single other DPS build from any other class in the game. Good day to you, sirs.

# I want you to give me a build because I might make a bad one!
No. You are lazy and want me to do your work for you, and I am not going to do anything for you that you are not willing to do for yourself. If you don't care enough about the class to learn about it and figure out what talents would be good or bad for what you want to do with it, then you shouldn't be playing it in the first place. Period. Now, if you are considering taking a specific talent and you question whether it would benefit you or not, that is something I can, will, and have no problem with addressing.

If your build allows you to do what you want to do and you enjoy it, then it is a good build. There are no bad builds, just bad talents. In my own personal and very humble opinion, here are some talents I recommend you avoid like the plague:

Improved Seal of Righteousness: The 15% bonus is still being applied only to the base damage of the spell, meaning it doesn't scale, meaning it's crap.

Improved Lay on Hands: AKA Improved Death Sentence. 30% more armor or a 40-minute cooldown does not make LoH more attractive. If you rely on this spell regularly you are a bad Paladin, and this talent just makes you a bad Paladin with a slightly better panic button.

Pure of Heart: We can already cure disease, so this is esentially a 15% chance to annoy Warlocks before they kill you. There are better places to waste points.

Purifying Power: The mana cost for Consecration is still outrageous at 90%, so you're not going to be using it any more often. You also probably won't be using Exorcism or Holy Wrath often enough for the 20% crit chance to be worth anything in PvE, and it's worthless in PvP against anything other than a Warlock. That leaves a 10% cost reduction for Cleanse, and for two of my talent points, it's not worth it.

Improved Devotion Aura: If you're using a shield, Redoubt is better 100% of the time unless you think you're never going to get hit.

Shield Specialization: ... Is actually a decent talent, but there are quite a few much better talents above it, next to it, and below it. Take it only if you're bloating Protection or you have points to waste and even less worthwhile talents elsewhere to waste them on.

Weapon Expertise: Weapon Skill isn't even remotely as useful as it used to be, much less as a 35-point talent. There are far better places to sink points in the Protection tree. I don't know a single Paladin, Protection or otherwise, that takes this talent.

Improved Seal of the Crusader: No one attacks with Seal of the Crusader. Ever. And the bonus to Holy damage on the Judgement has never been noticeable enough to me to warrent taking the talent. In either case, it serves a Holy or Protection Paladin far better than a Retribution Paladin, whose tree it's in.

Pursuit of Justice: ... Doesn't stack with any other effects, is not a huge bonus, and you can get the exact same benefit from a boot enchant. Save your valuable talent points.

Improved Retribution Aura: ... Would be great for a Protection Paladin, and only a Protection Paladin, but not for a 17-point investment in the Retribution tree.

Divine Purpose: This essentially makes a crit hit you for 190% instead of 200%. How impressed are we? Not very.

Note again that all of the above are really just my opinions only. For every other person out there that agrees with me on one of those talents there will be another who swears it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

# How do I use this FAQ?
Why is this a question in FAQs? Are people this retarded? Anyways, you use this FAQ by reading over it anytime you have the unnatural desire to post. Either you will see your topic ridiculed, or be generally too embarrassed to post realizing that we don't like you, which will mean this FAQ is a success.