Cataclysm Classic Protection Paladin Guide
Welcome to our Protection Paladin guide for Cataclysm Classic, tailored for PvE content. Here, you will learn how all you need to know to play Protection Paladin proficiently. Click the links below to navigate the guide or read this page for a short introduction.
Protection Paladin Cataclysm Pre-Patch Information
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.
Is Protection Paladin Viable in Cataclysm Classic?
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Best Races for Protection Paladin
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.
Best Professions for Protection Paladin
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Paladin Addons and Macros
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.
Changelog
- 02 Nov. 2024 (pre-raid gear page): Updated for Firelands.
- 13 Oct. 2024 (gear page): Updated for Firelands.
- 17 Sep. 2024 (pre-raid gear page): Reviewed for Phase 3.
- 17 Sep. 2024 (gear page): Reviewed for Phase 3.
- 17 Sep. 2024 (spells page): Reviewed for Phase 3.
- 17 Sep. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for Phase 3.
- 30 Jul. 2024 (gear page): Reviewed for Phase 2.
- 27 Jul. 2024 (pre-raid gear page): Reviewed and Updated for ZG/ZA release.
- 20 May 2024 (this page): Updated for Phase 1 release.
- 08 May 2024 (spells page): Added page.
More Cataclysm Paladin Guides
More Cataclysm Spec Guides from Other Classes
This guide has been written by Sellin, a former top 10 US raider and current season and several time Gladiator, long time WoW Player and passionate about all things Warcraft and Theorycrafting. You can follow him on Twitter and watch him on Twitch.
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