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 There a Haste Cap or Breakpoint for Holy Paladin?

No. As we mention on our Stats page, how much Haste you want will vary by encounter and is determined primarily by your spell selection and encounter length. If you find yourself out of Mana before a fight is over, you should check to see if you were casting too many expensive spells. If not, then you can likely improve the situation by removing some Haste. You should aim to strike a balance between having enough Haste to respond quickly when others take damage, while also not going out of Mana on longer fights.

4. What is the Best Race for Holy Paladins?

If you are Horde, Blood Elf is the clear choice of race for Holy Paladins. They provide 1% extra Critical Strike chance, as well as extra Mana and a 'purge' (dispel of enemies) with Arcane Torrent.

If you are Alliance, the choice of race is less clear. None of the races provide a significant benefit over any of the others in PVE. Choose whichever race you prefer.

5. How Good are Holy Paladins in Battle for Azeroth (Patch 8.1)?

With the healer balance changes of Patch 8.1, the difference in healer output has been reduced. While Holy Paladins might not be the top healer in that regard, we provide unique abilities and a healing style that is of great benefit to any raid. Most Mythic teams will have at least one Holy Paladin on their roster.

In Mythic+ dungeons, Holy Paladins are less frequently used than Mistweaver Monks, Discipline Priests, or Restoration Druids, but are still capable of completing very high level keys in time.

You can read more about the strengths and weaknesses of Holy Paladins on our Introduction page.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Changelog