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← How you play

How you play Protection Paladin

Collect Holy Power with quick hits and spend it on Shield of the Righteous: that is your armor.

Your buttons, most important first

  1. Avenging Wrath and Divine Toll when ready: they start your big moment.
  2. 3 or more Holy Power: Shield of the Righteous. Keep it up almost all the time.
  3. Judgment and Blessed Hammer on cooldown: they give Holy Power.
  4. Throw Avenger's Shield whenever it is ready. Stand in your Consecration; recast it when nothing else is ready.
  5. Pull with Hand of Reckoning, and taunt with it whenever an enemy hits someone else.
More enemies: Same buttons, but Avenger's Shield moves up to right after Shield of the Righteous.
Biggest mistake: Sitting on 5 Holy Power: your Shield of the Righteous drops and the big hits land.

Hero talents

Templar: after Divine Toll, Hammer of Light lights up. Press it right away: it is your hardest hit.
Lightsmith: one button with 2 charges that alternates Holy Bulwark and Sacred Weapon. Press it when Avenging Wrath is not running.

From the guides: Method 3 Sep · Wowhead 12 Aug · Icy Veins 21 Sep 2026. A patch can change this.

Stay alive

keep this up, before the pull and all fight long
a small one: press it often, just before a big hit
a big one: save it for when your health drops fast
to heal yourself
  • Word of Glory — uses the same Holy Power as Shield of the Righteous: press it when it is free (Shining Light)
  • Lay on Hands — last resort, long cooldown
to get away
when it is casting something

Group

Buttons you press for someone else or for the whole group. For one person: click their name first, then press the button. The grey note says when a button works differently.

to protect someone else: put it on them just before a big hit
when someone else's health is low
when someone is stuck: rooted, slowed or feared
helps everyone near you at once
when someone has died

Consumables

What to bring for this spec. Point at an item for its tooltip.

Dispel

From your group: debuffs you can remove

In the game this card knows your character. Every button shows the key it is on for you right now, the lists above drop whatever you have not learned, and your bags are checked for the consumables.

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