Holy Paladin Frequently Asked Questions — Battle for Azeroth (BfA) 8.1

1. Why Do You Recommend Devotion Aura over Aura of Mercy?

Many people wonder why they see top performing Holy Paladins on combat logs using Aura of Mercy and not Devotion Aura as the guide recommends. The simple answer is: Devotion Aura's damage prevented does not show up on combat logs, but Aura of Mercy's healing does. So even though Devotion Aura prevents far more damage than Aura of Mercy heals, and is the superior talent choice in almost all situations, it will not provide the largest healing per second number in a combat log.

For a very detailed look at the strength of Holy Paladin Auras you can read Dreamguard's analysis on his blog here

2. Is There a Critical Strike Cap?

There is a Critical Strike "soft cap"; a point past which the value of more Critical Strike rating is greatly reduced. However, unlike in Legion, it is impossible to reach in the early raid tiers of Battle for Azeroth. If it does become possible at any point during Battle for Azeroth, it will be mentioned in our discussion of stat priorities elsewhere in the guide.

3. Is Having Two Holy Paladins in a Raid Bad?

Having more than one Holy Paladin can be a benefit depending on the boss encounter, but is typically not optimal for your raid. Their abilities and healing style will often overlap and make them both less effective than bringing another healer would have been. That being said, unless you are pushing Mythic raid progression any healer composition can work and you should bring your best healers regardless of class or specialization.

4. Can My Raid Stack Two Devotion Auras?

The passive damage reduction of Devotion Aura does not stack. However, the active portion gained by using Aura Mastery from two Paladins will stack. Doing so is not recommended because the damage reduction stacks in a multiplicative manner. That is, you would receive a 36% total damage reduction from their combined use, not 40%. Therefore, it is almost always better to spread out the use of Aura Mastery if you have two Holy Paladins in your raid.

5. Can I use my Silver Hand Transmog with a Sword and Shield?

You may replace the appearance of any One-Handed Sword and Shield with The Silver Hand appearance. You do not see your shield if you cover the appearance of it with The Silver Hand. You may, of course, also replace the appearance of any Two-Handed weapon with The Silver Hand.

6. Changelog