Protection Paladin Tank Spec, Builds, and Talents — Midnight Season 1

This page covers all the talents you can access, explaining how each will be used. Some of these active or passive talents can make a huge difference in how Protection Paladins are played, all of which is explained on our rotation page.

Some talents have a more versatile use in Mythic+ than in raids; as such, if this is more your thing, we strongly recommend you check the Mythic+ page.

Two default builds are detailed below. These provide a balance of throughput and unique utility. You can also get the import code by pressing the "Copy Export String" button on the calculator.

3.

Best Talents for Protection Paladin

Single-Target Talents Templar Mythic+ Talents Templar Delves Talents Templar

2.1.

Best Single-Target Talents for Protection Paladin

This Templar build offers high Single Target damage and all of the core talents for survivability. The scenarios where you would use this are primarily Raiding on a boss fight that does not have consistent add spawns or open world content where you are fighting 1-3 enemies. If you are looking for a build that helps with Cleave DPS scenarios we would recommend the Mythic+ Talents.

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import these talents directly into your game!

Templar ST Build Show Copy

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2.2.

Mythic+ Talents for Protection Paladin

This Templar build has the core utility required for Mythic+ dungeons at the expense of Single Target damage. There are some talents you may decide to change for specific scenarios for example if you wanted to pick Blessing of Spellwarding or Ferren Marcus's Fervor you can take points away from Tyr's Enforcer or Final Stand as a second option.

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import these talents directly into your game!

Templar Mythic+ Build Show Copy

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2.3.

Delve Talents for Protection Paladin

These talents are exactly the same as the Mythic+ talents due to the content damage profile being the same. If you do not need Final Stand you can swap this for additional damage by picking up Ferren Marcus's Fervor.

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import these talents directly into your game!

Templar Mythic+ Build Show Copy

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New in Midnight are Apex Talents which sit at the end of the Protection talent tree. These are unlocked at Levels 81, 84, 87 and 90, and are all passive effects which impact your rotation when they trigger.

They all revolve around the buff (triggered by Judgment) which adds additional effects to Avenger's Shield:

1. First Point: Enables Vanguard to deal additional damage to enemies between you and the target.
2. Second and Third Points: Vanguard generates Holy Power when consumed.
3. Fourth Point: Every cast of Avenger's Shield while you have Avenging Wrath has the effects of Vanguard (Holy Power + Additional Damage), you also gain some bonus AoE damage to Shield of the Righteous.

Protection Paladin gets to pick between the Templar and Lightsmith Hero Talents from Level 71.

The recommendation in Season 1 would be towards Templar talent builds.

Templar is focused around big bursts of damage. Every time you use Divine Toll you will be able to cast Hammer of Light. As these have a 1 minute cooldown it pairs perfectly with Avenging Wrath (with Righteous Protector talented) to create very frequent high damage burst windows.

This Hero Talent tree offers a very methodolical rotation flow for Protection Paladin and creates an exciting moment of gameplay every minute when all of the abilities are available.

Lightsmith is more utility focused as the focus of this Hero Talent is applying Holy Bulwark / Sacred Weapon to players. Holy Bulwark provide a damage absorb shield to the player, and Sacred Weapon gives bonus damage or healing to the player. Every time you cast the Bulwark/Weapon you will also provide lesser versions to other players too making a well timed Holy Bulwark a small group absorb shield benefiting your healer in Mythic+!

You will also never need to worry about Weapon Oils again as you gain access to Rite of Sanctification where you can imbue your main hand weapon with a much stronger buff that is only available for Lightsmith Paladins!

Certain talents require you to change how you play and change your rotation in varied amounts. We will go over the strengths of those talents here, but if you want to know how to use those talents in the rotation, follow the link to the Rotation page where we go through the rotation or priority system we follow.

Opting into War Mode makes you eligible for open-world PvP but also grants you the following benefits:

• World Quests at maximum level have 10% increased rewards (30% if you are Alliance).
• You gain 10% increased Experience while leveling (30% if you are Alliance).
• Allows you to earn Conquest Points towards weekly gear rewards.
• Grants you the use of PvP talents in the open-world.

With the benefits of enabling War Mode for leveling and PvE content, it is recommended that you enable the feature to maximize your leveling and rewards at maximum level. However, you will make yourself eligible for open-world PvP, and the possibility of being "ganked" while leveling or doing World Quests exists.

This list is going to be assuming you care little about actual PvP combat, and focuses rather on optimal talents for outdoor PvE, such as World Questing and Leveling.

• Warrior of Light makes Shield of the Righteous deal 30% more damage at the cost of less Armor granted. This is generally fine for outdoor content since tanks usually do not struggle to survive in it.
• Steed of Glory increases the duration of Divine Steed by 2 seconds, which means you can travel a lot further per Steed charge, allowing you to quickly get between two places. Note, however, that it does cause you to knock back enemies that get close to you, which can be a negative aspect if you are trying to gather them up to AoE.
• Aura of Reckoning will give you passive additional damage after you are hit 50 times.

Talents, such as Hallowed Ground and Shield of Virtue, do what Protection Paladins already do very well with either Blessing of Freedom or Avenger's Shield. Shield of Virtue most importantly makes Avenger's Shield silence players, as it does not do it normally, but it will silence targets around it as well and has very limited use.

Most other talents are either very weak or benefit players around you instead and are very limited in use.