Protection Paladin Tank Gear and Best in Slot — 12.1

NEW! The Icy Veins app is here Try out the WoW Class Codex Addon with the Icy Veins app Download App

Welcome to our Gear and BiS Page for Protection Paladin for Midnight Season 2. Check this page to learn everything you need to know about gearing a Protection Paladin, including the BiS Gear from all sources, Raiding, and Mythic+, information on the best Trinkets, Tier Sets, and much more.

Generally speaking, you will prioritize an item level upgrade over an "optimal" item at a lower item level as your survival is heavily reliant on Strength and Stamina. If you have a choice on the same item level, the alternative will likely, in generic circumstances, not make a difference defensively. We recommend just simming the choice and doing whatever helps you do more damage.

There are exceptions to this rule and encounter specific situations where a stat is massively devalued. You should keep an eye on the raid encounter guides to be aware of this. Similarly, certain Mythic+ key levels and dungeons require a slightly different gearing path. We linked the related guides below, but generally, we will add a note here as well.

Upgrading gear in Midnight continues to use the Crest system which lets you increase the item level of gear along tracks that relate to where you obtained the item, which harder content dropping gear that can be upgraded to higher Item Levels. For more information, read up on our dedicated page on how the gearing system works and what has changed in the Midnight expansion.

OverallMythic+Raid

This list contains the Best in Slot Gear from any source in Midnight Season 2. It serves as a reference to what is currently the highest-performing gear available to Protection Paladin from all sources.

This list is by no means a replacement for simming yourself. What is BiS right now may not be the same as the below as this would be an example of an end game setup, and serve as guidance of what items to target.

FAQWhich Tier Set Pieces Do I Want?

In this season you retain the bonuses from the item you Catalyze meaning that all 5 tier pieces are on the table. For the items you are specifically targeting to Catalyse these would be:

• Helmet: Skullguard of the Risen Sacrifice from Nek'zali.
• Shoulders: Cinderfury Shoulderguards from Murder Row.
• Chest: Reckless Spirit Breastplate from Coiled Altar (9/6 Myth).
• Gloves: Scaleplate Strangulators from Twin Fangs.
• Legs: Chausses of Unbound Rancor from Ula'tek (9/6 Myth).

FAQWhat to Get From The Great Vault?

You have two options with the Great Vault. You have the standard thinking and the optimised thinking. The Standard thinking would be to opt for any item from the Last 2 bosses if you have killed them on Mythic as they will be 9/6 Myth. Next, other items from Mythic raids will appear as 6/6 Myth in the vault. Finally, Heroic kills will yield 1/6 Myth from the vault. This is a change with Season 2. From the optimised thinking you can opt to pick a Bonus Roll from the vault each week and exclusively target a boss which yields multiple good drops (Coiled Altar, Ula'tek). For this to work you should not obtain items through conventional means (winning the roll or having it distributed to you) as you can potentially get a duplicate from your Bonus Roll. This method should only be used by structured teams that have agreed to use this methodology for their loot.

Protection Paladin

1.1.

Overall Best in Slot

Warhelm of the Consecrated Flame Helm

Nek'zali with Catalyst Empowered Blessing of Speed

Gauntlets of the Consecrated Flame Hands

Twin Fangs with Catalyst

Aqirbane Reliquary Neck

Ula'tek

Girdle of Toxic Regret Waist

Coiled Altar

Pauldrons of the Consecrated Flame Shoulders

Murder Row with Catalyst Silvermoon's Mending

Greaves of the Consecrated Flame Legs

Ula'tek with Catalyst Forest Hunter's

Silken Voodoo Drape Cloak

Coiled Altar

Spellbreaker's March Feet

Crafted by Blacksmithing Shaladrassil's Roots

Bulwark of the Consecrated Flame Chest

Coiled Altar with Catalyst Mark of the Worldsoul

Band of the Amani Warlord Ring

Altar of Fangs Enchant Ring - Silvermoon's Alacrity

Shirt

Sickening Signet of Atroxus Ring

Voidscar Arena Enchant Ring - Silvermoon's Alacrity

Tabard

Voracious Heart of Ula'tek Trinket

Ula'tek

Spellbreaker's Bracers Bracers

Crafted by Blacksmithing

Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique Trinket

Coiled Altar

Aman'muso, Warlord's Vengeance Main Hand

Coiled Altar Acuity of the Ren'dorei

Venom-Slashed Scuteward Off Hand

Lost Explorers

This list contains the Best in Slot Gear from Mythic+ in Midnight Season 2. It serves as a reference to what is currently the highest-performing gear available to players from dungeons only.

This list is by no means a replacement for simming yourself. What is BiS right now may not be the same as the below as this would be an example of an end game setup, and serve as guidance of what items to target.

FAQWhich Tier Set Pieces Do I Want?

In this season you retain the bonuses from the item you Catalyze meaning that all 5 tier pieces are on the table. For the items you are specifically targeting to Catalyse these would be:

• Helmet: Helm of the Raptor King from King's Rest.
• Shoulders: Cinderfury Shoulderguards from Murder Row.
• Chest: Breastplate of Soaring Terror from Ruby Life Pools.
• Gloves: Gauntlets of the Avian Sentinel from King's Rest.
• Legs: Legplates of Charged Duality from Temple of Sethraliss.

TipsWhich Dungeons Should I Farm?

If you have limited time to play the game, we recommend to farm the following dungeons:

• Voidscar Arena: This dungeon features a lot of high impact gear slots; Weapon, Trinket, Ring, and some Catalysable pieces for Tier.
• Ruby Life Pools: Features the shield that you will want to farm.
• King's Rest: Has a wide variety of loot that is deisrable to catalyse.

Protection Paladin

1.2.

Best Gear from Mythic+

Warhelm of the Consecrated Flame Helm

King's Rest with Catalyst Empowered Blessing of Speed

Gauntlets of the Consecrated Flame Hands

King's Rest with Catalyst

Strand of Warding Fangs Neck

Altar of Fangs

Girdle of Pestilent Purification Waist

King's Rest

Pauldrons of the Consecrated Flame Shoulders

Murder Row with Catalyst Silvermoon's Mending

Greaves of the Consecrated Flame Legs

Temple of Sethraliss with Catalyst Forest Hunter's

Bloodthorn Burnous Cloak

Blinding Vale

Spellbreaker's March Feet

Crafted by Blacksmithing Shaladrassil's Roots

Bulwark of the Consecrated Flame Chest

Ruby Life Pools with Catalyst Mark of the Worldsoul

Band of the Amani Warlord Ring

Altar of Fangs Enchant Ring - Silvermoon's Alacrity

Shirt

Ritual Binder's Ring Ring

King's Rest Enchant Ring - Silvermoon's Alacrity

Tabard

Sapling of the Dawnroot Trinket

Blinding Vale

Spellbreaker's Bracers Bracers

Crafted by Blacksmithing

Tumor of the Swarm Trinket

Voidscar Arena

Taz'Rah's Cosmic Edge Main Hand

Voidscar Arena Acuity of the Ren'dorei

Tempest's Shelter Off Hand

Den of Nalorakk

This list contains the Best in Slot Gear from Raids in Midnight Season 2. It serves as a reference to what is currently the highest-performing gear available to players from raids only.

This list is by no means a replacement for simming yourself. What is BiS right now may not be the same as the below as this would be an example of an end game setup, and serve as guidance of what items to target.

FAQWhich Tier Set Pieces Do I Want?

In this season you retain the bonuses from the item you Catalyze meaning that all 5 tier pieces are on the table. For the items you are specifically targeting to Catalyse these would be:

• Helmet: Skullguard of the Risen Sacrifice from Nek'zali.
• Shoulders: Pauldrons of the Forgotten Sacrifice from Trash Mobs with Haste and Mastery.
• Chest: Reckless Spirit Breastplate from Coiled Altar (9/6 Myth).
• Gloves: Scaleplate Strangulators from Twin Fangs.
• Legs: Chausses of Unbound Rancor from Ula'tek (9/6 Myth).

TipsWhich Raid-Items Do I Want Most?

There are a lot of good items from the various raids. Below you can find a few which you should prioritize first.

• Aman'muso, Warlord's Vengeance: Weapon with a special effect. Once you obtain Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique it will start to cleave.
• Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique: To enable the above weapon.
• Aqirbane Reliquary: Special neck that everybody will want.
• If you are a Mythic raider the last 2 bosses will give you 9/6 Myth Items. This would be Chest, Legs, Weapon, Trinkets and Belt.

Protection Paladin

1.3.

Best Gear from Raid

Warhelm of the Consecrated Flame Helm

Nek'zali with Catalyst Empowered Blessing of Speed

Gauntlets of the Consecrated Flame Hands

Twin Fangs with Catalyst

Aqirbane Reliquary Neck

Ula'tek

Girdle of Toxic Regret Waist

Coiled Altar

Pauldrons of the Consecrated Flame Shoulders

Trash Drop with Catalyst Silvermoon's Mending

Greaves of the Consecrated Flame Legs

Ula'tek with Catalyst Forest Hunter's

Silken Voodoo Drape Cloak

Coiled Altar

Spellbreaker's March Feet

Crafted by Blacksmithing Shaladrassil's Roots

Bulwark of the Consecrated Flame Chest

Coiled Altar with Catalyst Mark of the Worldsoul

Apex Brute's Claw Ring Ring

Sszorak Enchant Ring - Silvermoon's Alacrity

Shirt

Vile Alchemist's Band Ring

Vashnik the Malignant Enchant Ring - Silvermoon's Alacrity

Tabard

Voracious Heart of Ula'tek Trinket

Ula'tek

Spellbreaker's Bracers Bracers

Crafted by Blacksmithing

Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique Trinket

Coiled Altar

Aman'muso, Warlord's Vengeance Main Hand

Coiled Altar Acuity of the Ren'dorei

Venom-Slashed Scuteward Off Hand

Lost Explorers

Itemization

Enchants and Stat Priority

Looking to optimize your character? Check out our Enchant and Stat Priority guides for more information!

EnchantsStats

As a Protection Paladin or any tank in general your trinket slots can be a powerful tool to solve an issue defensively. In many scenarios your class toolkit (Defensive cooldowns) will cover these needs entirely and you can lean towards more offensive trinkets which will be ranked below. In the scenarios where you do need that additional defensive layer there will be a "Defensive" tier which details trinkets of value for these purposes.

With Midnight Protection Paladin now works on a 1 minute cycle, therefore on use trinkets that can work on this cycle will perform better as it will line up with Avenging Wrath and Divine Toll. Meaning 1/2/3 Minute cooldown trinkets will be preferred over 1.5 minute trinkets.

Protection Paladin Trinkets

On-Use - Voracious Heart of Ula'tek
Passive - Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique

Click for Protection Paladin Trinket Rankings

Ranking	Trinkets
S Tier	Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique Voracious Heart of Ula'tek
A Tier	Gebbo's Bottomless Bag - Click for Details The buff from this trinket is pretty good, but you have no control over which secondary stat gets buffed or when it gets buffed. The high proc rate counters this. Sapling of the Dawnroot - Click for Details A simple passive damage trinket with Strength on it.
B Tier	Venomous Gladiator's Badge of Ferocity - Click for Details This trinket gives you a large amount of Strength every minute. It lines up perfectly with our cooldowns with one big downside... You need to do PvP. As it is a PvP item, it will have a fixed item level and will be outscaled by fully upgraded Hero Track trinkets and any Myth trinket on this list. Vile Vial of Volatile Venom - Click for Details Random secondary stats on a 2 minute cooldown. Will line up for every other use of Avenging Wrath but could roll Mastery making it not very powerful. It also has a downside of reducing that secondary stat afterwards which would be when you are falling out of Sentinel. Merektha's Fang
Defensive Trinkets	First Mate's Shellward - Click for Details 1m30s big absorb shield. It's arguably the best option available for something that is both controlable and you can incorporate into a cooldown plan. Tumor of the Swarm - Click for Details Random absorbs. When seeking defensive trinkets you want it to solve an issue which this does not facilitate as you cannot control when the effects occur. Idol of the Howling Nexus - Click for Details A strange trinket that gives you a flat amount of Mastery but only gives you the Strength when it procs, so you are actively weaker as a tank until it triggers. On average any other trinket would give you more of a Defensive gain due to the passive Strength (which is armour, and more damage so your rotational absorbs are stronger).

Bonus Rolls are here to stay in Season 2. You now only need to use one Voidcore to Bonus Roll any item (was previously 2 for Raid Items, 1 for any other source). They have changed slightly in how you acquire them:

• From the start of Season 2: You are able to obtain a Voidcore from the Great Vault as a reward option.
• From Week 8 of Season 2: You can purchase 1 Voidcore per week.

Your primary goal with the Voidcores are to get hard to obtain items such as trinkets as they have high levels of competition from the DPS in your group. However, if you do not have a Weapon or Shield yet those are also good options to chase. You should also take into consideration potential power to meet your goals in game, for example if your guild has not killed Mythic Belo'ren there is no value in you having multiple Voidcores spare as that can provide you with the power required to kill the boss that reset. You will get 2 more the reset after. The general priority is as follows:

Voidcore (Bonus Roll) Priority

1. Myth Track Aman'muso, Warlord's Vengeance
2. Myth Track Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique
3. Myth Track Shield (if you do not have a Crafted Shield)
4. Remaining BiS List items

Generally speaking you want to have Arcanoweave Lining on your two embelished items.

However, if you are not expecting to receive a Mythic Weapon or Shield in the first few weeks this will change your priority of embellishments as you cannot put Arcanoweave Lining on a crafted weapon.

The below section will have more details on what to craft and when you will replace them.

Crating items at the start of the Season is focused on your progression goals. At the start of a Season it is always best to craft a weapon as they are scarce and not readily available for a few weeks. They are also crest neutral if you obtain a 1/6 Myth weapon as a replacement. We will then focus on obtaining our embelished items.

Protection Paladin Crafting Order

Any strength 1 hand weapon made with Myth crests such as Spellbreaker's Blade with Darkmoon Sigil: Hunt
If you are not a Mythic raider Spellbreaker's Rebuke with Arcanoweave Lining
Once you have a Myth Track Weapon/Shield: Spellbreaker's Bracers with Arcanoweave Lining
Once you have replaced both the Weapon and Shield: Craft a pair of Spellbreaker's March with Arcanoweave Lining.

For more information about crafting gear you can visit our Professions page.

You can add sockets to Helmets, Belts, and Bracers with the Miasmic Jewelbinder consumable that you can get if you do not select any of the choices in your Great Vault. Not picking a choice will grant you tokens, six of which can be traded in for the Miasmic Jewelbinder item that allows you to add a socket to the above piece of gear, if you acquired them in Season 2.

Completing end-game activities in Midnight will reward you with Crests. Once you have upgraded a slot to a certain item level, upgrading other items of that slot to that item level is free.

We recommend not upgrading pieces using Myth crests in the first few weeks of Midnight Season 2. The reason for this is due to the crest upgrade costs in Midnight have increased meaning that you can upgrade fewer items per week. As a result, if at all possible, you have an incentive to strategically game your upgrades, and craft Myth-track embellishment items first.

Crest Optimisation Tip: If you are not crafting a Weapon/Shield try to get a Strength 2 Hand Weapon (Ret Loot Spec) and upgrade that to make upgrading the Weapon and Shield free.

Protection Paladin Crest Upgrade Priority

Weapon/Shield ➜ Trinkets ➜ Helmet/Chest/Legs ➜ Other Armour/Sim Recommendation

Throughout this page and elsewhere in our guide, we regularly refer to the importance of simming yourself on Raidbots. This is because every character is unique, and each gear piece you have access to can change what is best right now for you.

While we do offer recommendations for gear and trinkets, these are not complete replacements for simming yourself. The only way to truly optimize your character to that degree is by making use of the tools available!

Optimization

Simulations and Tools

For further reading on how to truly maximize your character's potential, check out our guide on Raidbots!

Go to Guide

Panthea

Guide Author

Follow Panthea

This guide has been written by Panthea, who raids in Catalyst and is the author of TankNotes. He plays all tanks and is a Moderator for the Hammer of Wrath Paladin Discord. You can follow him on Twitter.

In The Same Category

Protection Paladin GuideProtection Paladin TalentsProtection Paladin Easy ModeProtection Paladin StatsProtection Paladin EnchantsProtection Paladin Rotation