Paladin Class Overview
Paladins are holy warriors who blend heavy armor, divine magic, and powerful melee combat. With three distinct specializations — Holy, Protection, and Retribution — the class offers a role for every type of player, from healing allies to tanking deadly foes or smiting enemies with righteous fury.
What Is a Paladin?
Paladins are versatile plate-wearers who channel the Light to protect allies, heal wounds, and strike down enemies. Their toolkit includes strong defensive cooldowns, blessings, auras, and powerful utility that makes them valuable in any group. Whether tanking, healing, or dealing damage, Paladins bring unmatched durability and support.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Extremely durable with strong defensives
- Powerful group utility (Blessings, Auras, Lay on Hands)
- Strong off-healing even in DPS and tank specs
- Excellent burst damage and cooldown windows
- Reliable performance in Mythic+ and raids
Weaknesses
- Limited mobility
- Cooldown-dependent gameplay
- Some specs require precise timing to maximize value
- Can feel slow outside of burst windows
Paladin Specializations
Holy Paladin
A plate-wearing healer who uses the Light to restore allies, provide powerful cooldowns, and offer unmatched spot healing. Holy excels in Mythic+ thanks to strong burst healing, utility, and survivability.
View Holy Paladin Mythic+ Build →
Protection Paladin
A sturdy tank spec with excellent mitigation, self-healing, and group utility. Protection Paladins thrive in Mythic+ thanks to their control tools, interrupts, and reliable defensive cooldowns.
View Protection Paladin Mythic+ Build →
Retribution Paladin
A melee DPS spec focused on holy-infused strikes, strong burst windows, and powerful off-healing. Retribution excels at priority damage and group support.
Which Paladin Spec Should You Play?
- Holy: For players who enjoy healing with strong cooldowns and plate durability.
- Protection: For players who want a tank with unmatched utility and self-healing.
- Retribution: For players who enjoy bursty melee DPS with strong off-healing.
Paladin in Mythic+ and Raids
Mythic+
- Holy offers strong burst healing and utility
- Protection is one of the most reliable tanks for high keys
- Retribution provides strong burst and off-healing
- Paladins bring Blessings, Auras, and powerful defensives
Raiding
- Holy excels at tank healing and cooldown support
- Protection offers stable mitigation and group utility
- Retribution provides strong single-target burst
About the Paladin Class
The Paladin class in World of Warcraft offers a versatile and durable playstyle with three unique specializations. Whether you prefer healing, tanking, or dealing damage, Paladins remain one of the most iconic and reliable classes in the game. As MMO Builds expands, more Paladin guides and builds will be added.