Holy Paladin Healing Guide — Dragonflight 10.2
Welcome to our Holy Paladin guide for World of Warcraft — Dragonflight 10.2. Here, you will learn how to heal as a Holy Paladin in both raids and Mythic+ dungeons. We cover everything from the basics all the way to min-maxing techniques to optimize your output.
If you were looking for WotLK Classic content, please refer to our WotLK Classic Holy Paladin guide.
Holy Paladin Overview
Heading into Dragonflight, many beloved Holy Paladin abilities such
as Divine Toll and
Tyr's Deliverance have returned. Overall the spec
feels closer to previous iterations where
Holy Shock feels like a very powerful
ability. Many talents were also added to increase the power of casting in order
to give players desiring a casting playstyle stronger options to increase their output.
The biggest reason for excitement in the Holy Paladin talent trees is that you
will be able to play the spec however you wish to. If you want to cast, there are
plenty of options, and if you prefer a melee playstyle, then you also have talents
amplifying that playstyle. The talent tree has everything you could hope for and then some.
Holy Paladins specialize in tank and single-target healing, with this being
their primary role. They excel at this because of Beacon of Light and
Holy Shock, as well as their efficient single-target heals. They
also possess several tools that help them mitigate or avoid damage, both on
themselves and on other raid members, such as
Blessing of Protection
and
Devotion Aura. With so much utility, they are consistently one
of the strongest specs in every form of content and have been that way for years.
In order to properly play a healing role, you will need more than just class-specific information. To better understand healing in general, we recommend that you read our healing guide.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Provide excellent passive tank healing through
Beacon of Light.
Have many utility spells such as
Blessing of Protection and
Blessing of Freedom that can be cast on themselves or others.
Have very high survivability due to plate armor, as well as defensive spells like
Divine Protection or
Divine Shield.
Extremely high damage output for a healer as our core healing abilities like
Crusader Strike and
Judgment provide both healing and damage in the same cast.
Very valuable in raiding content thanks to having a very powerful raid cooldown in
Aura Mastery.
Struggle to heal multiple spread targets quickly since it relies heavily on
Light of Dawn for Area of Effect (AoE) healing
Generally not a very mobile healer, with only
Divine Steed as a movement speed increase.
Dragonflight Changes for Paladins
We are maintaining a list of changes for Paladins, so you can see what changes with every patch of Dragonflight.
Holy Paladin Class Changes in Patch 10.2
In Patch 10.2, Holy Paladin received fairly decent nerfs to its overall healing, damage
, and mana. That being said, it did receive some buffs to spells such as Flash of Light,
Holy Light,
Holy Prism, and
Word of Glory. Overall, the class still
remains fairly strong and viable in every form of content.
For a full list of Holy Paladin changes in Patch 10.2, you can visit the dedicated Class Changes page below:
Guide Updates for Patch 10.2
The Holy Paladin playstyle and talent choices were only minorly changed heading into the new patch. While every page has received minor tweaks, it is recommended to visit the talent page specifically to ensure your talents are up to date with the latest builds.
Pending Guide Changes
As more data is collected from Raid and Mythic+, there is a good chance that minor adjustments are made to the recommended talents. Keep an eye out for changes over the next few weeks.
Leveling a Holy Paladin
If you want to play a Holy Paladin but currently do not have one at max level, you can check out our leveling guide for tips on your journey.
Once you reach the max level, it can be somewhat overwhelming to completely change the way you play by suddenly implementing a large number of addons in a short space of time, especially if they have a heavy visual impact on your UI. We recommend using some of the more basic addons recommended on our Addons page below while leveling so that you have more time to get used to them during the easier phases of playing your class.
Having a not only comfortable but solid UI is incredibly important, especially once you hit max level. To prevent yourself from being overwhelmed by all the choices, we recommend starting with some basic addons while you are going through the leveling process. This will help you get accustomed to the different addons while the class is still in a relatively easier phase.
Basics of Holy Paladin Gameplay
Holy Paladin, like any healer, is all about using your abilities strategically. Rather than a fixed rotation, you will be using your flexible spell kit to adapt and overcome whatever the game throws at you.
In order to be a successful Holy Paladin, it is vital you make use of your
cooldown abilities as efficiently as possible. This means using
Holy Shock,
Judgment, and
Crusader Strike as many
times as possible over the course of a fight as well as consuming
Infusion of Light.
If you are an absolute beginner to the spec but would like to learn the basic fundamentals of the class, I recommend looking through the Spell Summary first, as well as the Easy Mode page linked below.
If you are familiar with Paladin and how it plays, you can jump right into our Talent and Rotation pages.
How to Gear Up a Holy Paladin
If you are interested in finding out what gear will put your Holy Paladin in the best possible position to perform well, I would recommend looking at our gear page. Here, you can find information on the best items available for Holy Paladin.
To be successful, you will want to make sure you have the correct consumables, gems, enchants, and more. On top of this, you will want to check our stats page to help you make the correct decision when choosing what consumables to use.
Holy Paladin in Dragonflight
Even with the introduction of a new talent system, Holy Paladin remains
a top healer choice for any form of content. Holy Paladin will continue to
bring extremely high damage, unique utility, an immunity, and very strong
single-target healing. In many cases, these strengths that have existed for
multiple expansions at this point are only amplified by new talents in
Dragonflight. Divine Toll, a popular covenant choice throughout
Shadowlands, returns in the form of a new talent.
Holy Shock has received
many talents to increase its power and have the ability to feel as strong as ever.
Regardless of whether you prefer Mythic+, Arena, or even raiding, Holy Paladin
will be one of the strongest healers.
Holy Paladin End-Game
There are three main forms of end-game content. Raiding, Mythic+, and PvP. In each of them, the class plays slightly differently. In order to perform as well as possible for your preferred form of content, we recommend reading one of our dedicated pages, which you can find below.
Improving as a Holy Paladin
If you feel like you are not performing as well as you should be. You can visit one of our pages below to help find information on common mistakes and frequently asked questions.
Changelog
- 29 Nov. 2023 (gear page): BiS List and Embellishment recommendations updated.
- 29 Nov. 2023 (enchants page): Minor updates to gem recommendations.
- 21 Nov. 2023 (enchants page): Weapon enchant recommendation updated.
- 21 Nov. 2023 (Amirdrassil page): Fyrakk tips added.
- 13 Nov. 2023 (mythic+ page): Talent recommendations updated.
- 13 Nov. 2023 (talents page): Mythic+ talent recommendations updated.
- 07 Nov. 2023 (gear page): Embellishment and BiS list updated for sporecloak nerfs.
- 06 Nov. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (gear page): Page Updated for 10.2.
- 06 Nov. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (mythic+ page): Page Updated for 10.2.
- 06 Nov. 2023 (DPS guide): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (rotation page): Page Updated for 10.2.
- 06 Nov. 2023 (talents page): Page Updated for 10.2.
- 06 Nov. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (this page): Page Updated for 10.2.
- 30 Oct. 2023 (Amirdrassil page): Page added.
- 04 Sep. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (gear page): BiS gear added.
- 04 Sep. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (DPS guide): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (talents page): Formatting updates.
- 04 Sep. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.1.7
- 08 Aug. 2023 (Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible page): Talent recommendations updated.
- 07 Aug. 2023 (enchants page): Updated enchant recommendations.
- 07 Aug. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated talent recommendations.
- 07 Aug. 2023 (rotation page): Updated rotation and added more info about Beacon of Light targetting.
- 07 Aug. 2023 (talents page): Updated talent recommendations.
- 07 Aug. 2023 (easy mode page): Updated talent recommendations.
- 19 Jul. 2023 (gear page): Trinket tier list updated.
- 17 Jul. 2023 (gear page): Trinket tier list updated.
- 17 Jul. 2023 (mythic+ page): Talent recommendation updated.
- 17 Jul. 2023 (talents page): Mythic+ talent recommendation updated.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (how to improve page): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (gear page): Gear recommendations updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (enchants page): Recommendations Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (stats page): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible page): Talents updated for patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (mythic+ page): Talents updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (DPS guide): DPS rotation updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (rotation page): Rotations updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (talents page): Talent recommendations updated for 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (spells page): Spells updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (easy mode page): Talent recommendation updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jun. 2023 (Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible page): Sarkareth tips added.
- 27 May 2023 (rotation page): Avenging Crusader rotation updated.
- 26 May 2023 (gear page): Information about Timewalking trinkets added.
- 20 May 2023 (gear page): Embellishment recommendations changed to account for bug fixes.
- 16 May 2023 (gear page): Embellishments updated.
- 09 May 2023 (Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible page): Page added.
- 01 May 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (gear page): Updated for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (enchants page): Updated for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (stats page): Updated for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (rotation page): Updated for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (talents page): Updated for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (spells page): Updated for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (easy mode page): Updated for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.1.
- 28 Mar. 2023 (gear page): Primordial Gem recommendations updated.
- 28 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Primordial Gem recommendations updated.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (Legendaries): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (gear page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (DPS guide): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (rotation page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (talents page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (easy mode page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 22 Feb. 2023 (mythic+ page): Talent recommendation updated.
- 22 Feb. 2023 (talents page): M+ Talent recommendation updated.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (gear page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (DPS guide): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (talents page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 13 Jan. 2023 (gear page): Added Spark of Ingenuity crafting recommendations.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (simulations page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (gear page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (addons page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (enchants page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (stats page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Page added.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (DPS guide): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (rotation page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (talents page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (spells page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (this page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (simulations page): Reviewed for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (addons page): Reviewed for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (stats page): Reviewed for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (DPS guide): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Legendaries): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Torghast): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Covenants and Soulbinds): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (how to improve page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (simulations page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (addons page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Castle Nathria page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Sanctum of Domination page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Sepulcher of the First Ones page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 31 May 2022 (DPS guide): Page reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
- 21 Feb. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Reviewed and approved for Patch 9.2.
- 21 Feb. 2022 (DPS guide): Reviewed and approved for Patch 9.2.
- 26 Jan. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Updated to include nerfs and double Legendary combinations.
- 15 Jan. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Page added with initial thoughts and information.
- 01 Nov. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Updated for Patch 9.1.5.
- 13 Jul. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Wording revised to reflect the launch of Patch 9.1.
- 28 Jun. 2021 (DPS guide): Reviewed and approved for Patch 9.1.
- 04 Jun. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Page updated to reflect Legendary changes.
- 17 May 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Page updated to reflect recent nerfs to Holy Paladin.
- 25 Apr. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Page filled with initial information.
- 12 Apr. 2021 (DPS guide): Added information about Awakening vs. Shield of the Righteous on single target.
- 12 Oct. 2020 (Ny'alotha page): Page updated for the Shadowlands pre-patch.
- 15 Jan. 2020 (DPS guide): Added DPS guide.
- 09 Dec. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added Zaqul and Azshara.
- 02 Oct. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added Queens Court.
- 13 Sep. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added tips for the first 5 bosses.
- 08 Jul. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Page added.
- 24 Jun. 2019 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 24 Jun. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 24 Jun. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 14 Apr. 2019 (Uldir page): Added comments about the Glimmer of Light build.
- 14 Apr. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Added comments about the Glimmer of Light build.
- 14 Apr. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Page added.
- 21 Jan. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Page added.
- 10 Dec. 2018 (Uldir page): Reviewed and deemed up to date for Patch 8.1.
- 03 Sep. 2018 (Uldir page): Added preliminary boss tips and talent advice.
- 10 Aug. 2018 (Uldir page): Added Holy Paladin Boss by Boss page (empty for now).
More Paladin Guides
Guides from Other Classes
This guide has been written by Mytholxgy, who plays healer in Liquid. He is a Templar in the Paladin class discord. You can reach him on Twitter and watch him stream on Twitch.
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