Protection Paladin Pre-Patch Guide for WotLK Classic

Protection Paladin continues as a great AoE tank. Though it has lost its title as the strongest AoE tank in the game, it is by far the most well-rounded and stable tank against all types of incoming damage and no longer depends on Spell Power gear thanks to Touched by the Light. It, and a focus on weapon damage, has resulted in Protection Paladin becoming a much stronger version of itself during Wrath of the Lich King. This page will go over how to play your Protection Paladin, gear you should seek out during the pre-patch, how you should spend your talent points, and what consumables you should use if you are considering tackling some of the Burning Crusade raid content while waiting for Wrath to officially start!

There are many great talents in the Protection tree that will keep us mostly focused there as opposed to branching out to some smaller gains that can be found in the other two trees. This build is primarily focused on doing Maximizing your threat and personal survivability.

1. Defense to 540;
2. Stamina;
3. Block Rating;
4. Expertise;
5. Hit;
6. Dodge;
7. Parry;

The Protection Paladin rotation at Level 70 is very similar to that at Level 80, with the only main difference being the lack of Divine Plea which allows you to remain entirely Mana-positive while doing your rotation. However, due to much shorter fight lengths in the Wrath of the Lich King pre-patch and the changes made to Spiritual Attunement Mana should not be much of an issue.

Similar to other Paladin specs, Protection largely follows an order of priorities as opposed to a rotation. Following such order will lead to your maximum possible single-target threat output.

1. Apply Seal of Vengeance to the target;
2. Apply Holy Shield before pulling;
3. Cast Exorcism and Avenger's Shield on pull if the boss fight does not start in melee:
   • DO NOT cast Exorcism if you risk being melee attacked during its cast;
   • Use Avenger's Shield only for snap threat if you are not able to cast Exorcism without being hit during its cast;
   • Hand of Reckoning can also be used for a bit of additional damage as it will cause a small amount of damage if you are not actively holding threat on the target;
4. Hammer of the Righteous;
5. Judgement of Wisdom;
6. Consecration;
7. Holy Shield.

Similar to single-target as a Protection Paladin, you will be using a list of priorities when AoEing as opposed to a rotation. The AoE rotation is extremely similar except with an emphasis on getting Consecration down.

1. Apply Seal of Vengeance to the target;
2. Cast Exorcism and Avenger's Shield on pull if the boss fight does not start in melee:
   • DO NOT cast Exorcism if you risk being melee attacked during its cast;
   • Use Avenger's Shield only for snap threat if you are not able to cast Exorcism without being hit during its cast;
   • Hand of Reckoning can also be used for a bit of additional damage as it will cause a small amount of damage if you are not actively holding threat on the target;
4. Holy Wrath should only used when you are fighting an Undead or Demon mob type.
5. Hammer of the Righteous;
6. Consecration;
7. Judgement of Wisdom;
8. Holy Shield.

Listed below will be a list of some items that are very powerful and require a relatively low time investment to get to help you get a bit more powerful during the Wrath of the Lich King pre-patch as you prepare to head to Northrend and continue your journey through WoW classic.

Slot	Item	Source
Helm	Hard Khorium Goggles	Engineering
Back	Slikk's Cloak of Placation	Badge of Justice vendor
Wrist	Bracers of the Ancient Phalanx	Badge of Justice Vendor
Waist	Girdle of the Fearless	Badge of Justice Vendor
Ring	Ring of the Stalwart Protector	Badge of Justice vendor
Trinket	Commendation of Kael'thas	Priestess Delrissa — Magister's Terrace
Trinket	Shard of Contempt	Priestess Delrissa — Magister's Terrace

Spicy Hot Talbuk is your best well-fed buff if you are not hit-capped, Roasted Clefthoof if you are hit capped, as your goal is to maximize your Strength.

Flask of Relentless Assault is your typical go-to against most mobs. The exception to this is that when fighting Demons, Elixir of Demonslaying by itself is stronger than any flask and can be paired with a Guardian Elixir of your choosing.

Haste Potion is our best choice as the added Haste allows for more melee swings to maximize damage.