A new season of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is upon us, along with Awakened raids and a fresh batch of Mythic dungeons. For my fellow paladin orders, I offer the best way to build your Protection spec.
Of course, certain circumstances will require tweaks here and there. This guide should help even the greenest Paladin tanks hold their own. Just don’t forget to read up on bosses before you fight them.
Protection Paladin Talent Build
To import this quickly, copy the text below. In game, open your talent window, and click on the loadout drop-down menu. Select import, and then paste this text: BIEAomTTpSA9oX6huYLb5nP3rXSaJkioFtIhSJJJSEhEAAgAAAAAAAAIRSCBEIpIKJJAgIQCgACQA
This build focuses on giving you a simple toolkit with a few options for extra utility. For me, tanking can get overwhelming when I have way too many different actions to worry about. Feel free to adjust talents if you want something a little more simple. For example, Blessing of Freedom is a great utility to get yourself out of movement impairment abilities. As a tank, it’s great to be able to unstick yourself immediately instead of relying on a mechanic. But if you feel like you need more defensive options, it’s probably the first talent to get rid of. As always, make sure to adjust your talents depending on what you encounter.
Some people might not like it for how situational it can be, but I think Final Stand is imperative for tanking. Divine Shield is one of the most powerful defensive cooldowns in the game. However, its main drawback is that it breaks aggro. Final Stand makes it actively taunt all enemies around you instead. This last-ditch option has saved me from more than a few wipes on bosses.
On here, I have Searing Shield selected instead of Focused Enmity. That’s because it’s a great tool for getting the attention of trash and adds. However, it’s never a bad idea to swap to Focused Enmity when you’re dealing with solo bosses.
Best Gear
A paladin is only as good as his equipment. When acquiring something new, there are things to consider about whether or not to keep it. First and foremost, focus on the Item Level. Don’t worry about secondary stats if you’ve got something with a higher level. The great thing about Paladins is that we’re versatile enough to do well with any stat buffs. Ironically, versatility is one of the least important ones. Remember:
- Item Level >>> Strength > Haste > Mastery > Critical Strike, Versatility
We want our global cooldowns to be faster with Haste, but Mastery also helps our blocking. Versatility and Crit are great for a little boost of healing and DPS, but those shouldn’t be our primary focus. That said, if that’s the best you got, it’s still pretty good.
Best in Slot, or BiS, shows you what the most important items you can get are. If you don’t plan on being a Mythic raider, that’s totally fine. Focus on getting your class set bonus for Heartfire Sentinel’s Authority. REMEMBER: Season 4 sets do not mix with previous seasons. It’s recommended that you keep your Season 3 gear until you have enough to at least get the two-piece set bonus. Those are more important than the item levels right now.
| Slot | Item | Source | Enchantments |
| Head | Heartfire Sentinel’s Forgehelm | Vault – Raszageth, Aberrus – Magmorax, Amirdrasil – Tindral Sageswift, Creation Catalyst, or The Great Vault | Incandescent Essence |
| Neck | Kagni’s Scorching Talisman | Aberrus – Warlord Kagni | n/a |
| Shoulders | Heartfire Sentinel’s Steelwings | Vault – Broodkeeper Diurna, Aberrus – Forgotten Experiments, Amirdrasil – Smolderon, Creation Catalyst, or The Great Vault | n/a |
| Back | Voice of the Silent Star | Aberrus, The Shadowed Crucible – Sarkareth | Homebound Speed |
| Chest | Dathea’s Cyclonic Cage | Vault of the Incarnates – Dathea Ascended | Sustained Strength |
| Wrist | Primal Molten Vambraces | Blacksmithing | Devotion of Speed |
| Gloves | Heartfire Sentinel’s Protectors | Vault – Dathea, Aberrus – The Forgotten Experiments, Amirdrasil – Igira the Cruel, Creation Catalyst or The Great Vault | n/a |
| Belt | Primal Molten Greatbelt | Blacksmithing | Shadowed Belt Clasp |
| Legs | Heartfire Sentinel’s Faulds | Vault – Sennarth, Aberrus – Rashok, Amirdrasil – Larodar, Creation Catalyst or The Great Vault | Fierce Armor Kit |
| Boots | Spittle-Resistant Sollerets | Aberrus, The Shadowed Crucible – Magmorax | Watcher’s Loam |
| Ring | Seal of Diurna’s Chosen | Vault of the Incarnates – Eranog | Devotion of Haste |
| Ring | Emissary’s Flamewrought Seal | Vault of the Incarnates – BoE Drop | Devotion of Haste |
| Weapon | Gholak, The Final Conflagration | Amirdrassil – Fyrakk | Sophic Devotion |
| Shield | Defender of the Ancient | Amirdrasil – Gnarlroot | n/a |
For Gems, I recommend having a Fierce Illimited Diamond. Fill the rest of your sockets with Quick or Keen Ysemerald. For Trinkets, try and get your hands on Fyrakk’s Tainted Rageheart. The Cataclysmic Signet Brand or an Elementium Pocket Anvil will also be great options.
Hopefully, these elements will help you out on the field. Always remember to be flexible and shift talents when you need to. The cost of high versatility is keeping up with what roles you need to fill. Coordinate your raid buffs with any other paladins in the group. Now go out there and get these Awakened raids done!
