Paladin talent analysis

This page is meant to provide some advice to Paladin players seeking to make their own talent builds and examine the value of specific Paladin talents. It presents views on the usefulness of talents in solo leveling/farming, raiding, and PvP. A comprehensive list of established talent builds can be found at Paladin builds.

A full talent list can be found at Paladin talents

Holy
Under construction

Protection
Protection talents increase paladin's survivability in general. Usually paladins investing points in protection tree are PvE oriented, but one might find few good talents that help fighting against opposing players in battlegrounds.

[[image:Spell_holy_blindingheal.png|50px|Divinity]] Divinity
5 points: Increases all healing done by you and all healing effects on you by 1/2/3/4/5%.


 * 5% to healing isn't huge amount at lower levels, but at raids every hitpoint matters.
 * Solo Utility: +5% healing doesn't affect your downtime much, skip it.
 * Raid Utility: In raids, +5% healing makes a difference, take it. Also holy paladins will find this talent to be one of best which they can find in other trees.
 * PvP Utility: Holy PvP healers love this talent, but retribution and protection paladins might choose strength boost over it.
 * Bottom line: Mandatory when raid tanking or healing, but doesn't shine as brightly when soloing or in PvP even though it is still useful.

[[image:Ability_golemthunderclap.png‎|50px|Divine Strength]] Divine Strength
5 points: Increases your total Strength by 3/6/9/12/15%.


 * 15% boost to strength is very nice when combined with Touched by the Light
 * Solo Utility: This talent boosts your weapon damage making mobs fall quicker, good DPS boosts is also wanted by retribution paladins.
 * Raid Utility: Touched by the Light Gives more holy damage which boosts your threat. Very good talent for tanks.
 * PvP Utility: More damage to your attacks? Yes please!
 * Bottom line: More strength is always good thing for DPS and tanking paladins.

[[image:Spell_holy_sealofprotection.png‎|50px|Guardian's Favor]] Guardian's Favor
2 points: Reduces the cooldown of your Hand of Protection by 60/120 sec and increases the duration of your Hand of Freedom by 2/4 sec.


 * HoP cooldown is now 3 minutes long, additionally HoF lasts 10 seconds
 * Solo Utility: HoP is nice when you pull too many melee mobs and want to run away, but HoF doesn't make you immune to daze effect. And if you come to situation where you find yourself needing HoP more frequently than every 5 minutes, you are pulling wrong.
 * Raid Utility: HoP on healer might save you from wipe after losing aggro, but again, if you know your class well, it won't be happening.
 * PvP Utility: HoP on cloth wearer during battleground makes them immune to warriors and rogues, but spell casters still are nuisance. Attack prevention is also a negative effect. HoF on the other hand will be effective against many classes who have expected to kite opponents. Mages can Spellsteal this buff, so don't use it when an enemy Mage is nearby in a battleground, or on the opposing Arena team.
 * Bottom line: Can be safely skipped. Usually not worth it in raids, because tanks are expected to hold aggro. When soloing or in PvP HoF or HoP might come as saviour of the day, but it is still very situational.

[[image:Spell_magic_lesserinvisibilty.png|50px|Anticipation]] Anticipation (paladin talent)
5 points: Increases your chance to dodge by 1/2/3/4/5%
 * Less chance to be hit, less time wasted.
 * Solo Utility: Avoiding attacks is very useful but the 5 points needed it's just to much, unless you're wiling to take the risk.
 * Raid Utility: DPS and Healers should skip this, but to a tank, the 5 points will give more dodge change than most of the stats in equipment.
 * PVP Utility: Could be considered useless since most of the attacks will come from behind.
 * Bottom line: if you are a tank or like to solo, you'll need this, otherwise skip it.

Under construction

Retribution
Under construction