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Paladin · Healer

Paladin Hardcore guide

HardcoreData-drivenMediumPatch 1.15.9
212Updated

More Paladin guides

This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.

Overview

The Paladin is a Classic Era class that can play healer, tank, melee DPS. It is B tier on our ladder: 10.7% of the top players, average item level 67. In Hardcore realms death is permanent: every choice favors survival over speed.

Build cheat sheet

Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.

Builds

Paladin · Hardcore

More damageHardcore
Open build

When to use it

What the 5 top Hardcore players we read are using. Average item level 52. Talent points 18/21/12.

Hardcore build

5 top profilesAverage item level 52Retribution 18 · Holy 21 · Protection 12

Talent trees

Holy

16
5/55/5
5/520%
40%1/140%20%
40%40%
40%40%
40%
40%

Protection

8
5/540%
3/340%20%
40%20%20%20%
0/30/3
20%0/5
0/5
20%

Retribution

12
20%5/5
2/23/340%
20%40%40%2/2
0/220%
40%20%
40%
40%

Gold, what most of the top players take (with its rank); the rest shows the share of players who take it.

Secondary stat split

  1. 1. Spirit 100%

Gear by slot

  • Main hand

    • Thrash Bladeilvl 53 · 20%
    • Hameya's Slayerilvl 60 · 20%
    • Massacre Swordilvl 59 · 20%

    ✦ Fiery Weapon (20%)

  • Off hand

    • Aegis of Stormwindilvl 54 · 20%

    ✦ Thorium Spike (20-30) (20%)

  • Ranged / relic

    • Egan's Blasterilvl 1 · 20%

  • Trinket

    • Mark of the Chosenilvl 48 · 40%
    • Argent Dawn Commissionilvl 1 · 20%
    • Luffailvl 50 · 20%

  • Head

    • Whitesoul Helmilvl 60 · 60%
    • Vanguard Headdressilvl 58 · 20%

  • Neck

    • Gemshard Heartilvl 54 · 20%

  • Shoulders

    • Revenant Shouldersilvl 51 · 20%
    • Earthslag Shouldersilvl 52 · 20%
    • Imperial Plate Shouldersilvl 53 · 20%

  • Back

    • Deep River Cloakilvl 56 · 20%
    • Cerise Drapeilvl 56 · 20%

  • Chest

    • Plate of the Shaman Kingilvl 60 · 40%
    • Emerald Breastplateilvl 60 · 20%

    ✦ Reinforced Armor +40 (20%)

  • Wrists

    • Hyperion Vambracesilvl 60 · 20%
    • Shizzle's Nozzle Wiperilvl 55 · 20%
    • Imperial Plate Bracersilvl 54 · 20%

  • Hands

    • Lightforge Gauntletsilvl 59 · 20%
    • Vice Gripsilvl 48 · 20%

    ✦ Reinforced Armor +40 (60%)

  • Waist

    • Imperial Plate Beltilvl 53 · 40%
    • Lightforge Beltilvl 58 · 20%
    • Belt of the Ordainedilvl 60 · 20%

  • Legs

    • Commander's Leggingsilvl 62 · 20%
    • Templar Legplatesilvl 57 · 20%
    • Leggings of the Ursailvl 55 · 20%

    ✦ Reinforced Armor +40 (60%)

  • Feet

    • Hyperion Greavesilvl 62 · 20%
    • Southsea Mojo Bootsilvl 45 · 20%
    • Imperial Plate Bootsilvl 59 · 20%

    ✦ Reinforced Armor +40 (40%)

  • Ring

    • Ring of Living Stoneilvl 57 · 40%
    • Masons Fraternity Ringilvl 47 · 40%
    • Woodseed Hoopilvl 47 · 40%

Abilities

  • Holy ShockBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 216 to 233 Holy damage to an enemy, or 610 to 627 healing to an ally.
  • Holy ShieldIncreases chance to block by 30% for 10 sec, and deals 83 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.
  • RepentancePuts the enemy target in a state of meditation, incapacitating them for up to 6 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids.

Strategy

1Surviving

Never pull more than you can kill, keep an escape and a healing potion ready and avoid elite quests without a group.

  • Playing safe means asking for a pause whenever you are below half mana.
  • Spending all your mana at the start of a long fight.
  • Pulling threat off the tank: in Classic, threat is slow to build and a dead damage dealer deals no damage.
  • Running out of consumables: potions, flasks and food are part of the build in Classic raids.
  • Ignoring crowd control assignments: sheep, sap and fear the packs you are asked to, and don't break them.

2What the top Hardcore players wear

Secondary stat split of the top players: Spirit 100%.

  • Main hand: Thrash Blade (20%) · Fiery Weapon
  • Off hand: Aegis of Stormwind (20%) · Thorium Spike (20-30)
  • Ranged / relic: Egan's Blaster (20%)
  • Trinket: Mark of the Chosen (40%)
  • Head: Whitesoul Helm (60%)
  • Neck: Gemshard Heart (20%)

Tips

  • Playing safe means asking for a pause whenever you are below half mana.
  • Learn the downranked versions of your heals: they cost less mana and heal enough outside the spikes.
  • Spend your talent points in the order of this guide and only change the rows the content asks for.
  • Hit rating comes first until you reach the cap for your content: missed spells and swings are wasted damage.

Changelog

  1. Guide created for patch 1.15.9.

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