In this Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin guide, we will cover everything you need to know about this class. Everything from leveling, rotations, and BiS gear to talent builds, and more! This guide will help you play your Paladin effectively from early leveling to MoP Classic endgame. If you are just starting your journey in MoP Classic, it is very important to install the correct addons. Check out our Top Addons guide here at Overgear for more!
4.9Paladin Overview in Mists of Pandaria Classic
MoP Classic Paladins are plate-wearers who can fulfill any role. They can do damage, tank, and heal. Just like in expansions before, Paladins are some of the most versatile classes in the game, with strong utility. Paladins are great for both PvE and PvP, with good damage and healing, as well as group support abilities.
There are three Paladin specializations in MoP Classic:
- Retribution: Melee DPS spec with high burst, cleave potential, and strong off-healing.
- Protection: A strong tank spec with passive mitigation and powerful defensive cooldowns;
- Holy: Focused on single-target and AoE healing using Mana efficiency and cooldown-based bursts.
Each spec has its own unique strengths and role in both group content and solo play. Holy excels at raid healing and survivability. Protection is amazing at tanking dungeons and raids with great threat generation and cooldowns. Retribution is ideal for DPS, especially in PvP or AoE-heavy fights.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Updates
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladins went through several small changes in this expansion. They received improvements to their Holy Power system, which now functions more smoothly across all specs. Major and Minor Glyphs were reworked for utility and customization, giving Paladins more control over how they support their team. Here are all the changes to Paladin in MoP Classic:
- Caps for Hit and Expertise changed to 7.5%;
- Haste now affects more abilities;
- Mastery adds Holy damage to attacks;
- Holy Power cap increased from 3 to 5;
- Holy Power finishers are now off the GCD;
- The Aura system has been removed.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Leveling
MoP Classic Paladins leveling is very efficient thanks to their survivability and self-healing. Retribution is the recommended spec for leveling, as it deals high damage and can take on multiple enemies at once without downtime. You can heal through damage using Word of Glory, and use AoE attacks like Divine Storm to clear big packs quickly.
If you want to level as quickly as possible, you will also need Heirloom gear. Here we have prepared the list of the best Paladin Heirlooms in MoP Classic:
- Polished Helm of Valor;
- Polished Breastplate of Valor;
- Polished Spaulders of Valor;
- Dignified Headmaster’s Charge (if using spellpower);
- Reforged Truesilver Champion (for melee DPS).
However, if you don’t want to go through the leveling process yourself, we can help you with just that! Check out our Fast Leveling service, and we will handle the XP grind for you.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Best Spec
Just like in every other expansion, MoP Classic Paladin has 3 specializations. The best spec for Paladin in MoP Classic will depend on the type of gameplay you enjoy the most, as all of them are viable for PvE.
Holy is focused on healing and support with strong single-target and AoE healing. Protection is a strong tanking spec with high survivability and raid utility. Retribution is a DPS spec with powerful burst, consistent damage, and some off-healing.
Each spec is viable in both PvE and PvP. Retribution has great AoE damage while Protection is a top-tier raid tank. Holy isn’t worse than any of the other two, either, with mana-efficient healing that can be great in literally every setting.
Which MoP Classic Paladin spec you choose depends on your goals:
- Retribution: Strong solo and group DPS with off-healing;
- Protection: Ideal for tanking in dungeons and raids;
- Holy: Best for group healing and raid support.
If you are interested in playing solo or leveling quickly, Retribution will be a good choice for you. That said, in PvE, all three specs are viable at endgame.
📌 Note: For detailed specialization builds, glyphs, and rotations, check out our MoP Classic Paladin spec guides.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Abilities
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladins have access to a versatile set of baseline abilities, useful across all specs:
- Blessing of Kings: Grants stats to allies;
- Divine Protection: Reduces incoming damage;
- Hand of Freedom: Removes movement impairing effects;
- Hammer of Justice: Short stun for PvP and interrupts;
- Lay on Hands: Full heal on a long cooldown;
Each spec also has unique abilities. Retribution has Templar’s Verdict, Holy has Beacon of Light (Holy), and Protection has Avenger’s Shield.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Rotation
Classic MoP Paladin rotation depends heavily on spec and Holy Power generation. Here we have prepared a Paladin rotation for each spec in Mists of Pandaria Classic.
DPS Paladin Rotation
- Activate Seal of Truth (or Seal of Righteousness for Aoe);
- Shorten distance to your enemy with Speed of Light;
- Cast Judgment for Holy Power;
- Use Crusader Strike for more Holy Power (In AoE, instead use Hammer of the Righteous);
- Use Exorcism for even more Holy Power;
- When at 3 power cast Inquisition;
- Use Guardian of Ancient Kings for generating Ancient Power;
- Use Avenging Wrath for damage increase;
- Spend 5 Holy Power on Templar’s Verdict (Divine Storm for AoE).
Tank Paladin Rotation
- Open with Avenger’s Shield;
- Use Crusader Strike;
- Follow up with Judgment;
- Maintain Eternal Flame uptime;
- Shield of the Righteous on 3 Holy Power;
- Hammer of Wrath as a filler in the execute phase;
- Word of Glory to heal;
- Consecration as a filler;
- Holy Wrath as a filler.
Healer Paladin Rotation
- Cast Seal of Insight;
- Keep Beacon of Light on your group’s tank;
- Cast Eternal Flame on 5+ holy power, (3+ with Holy Avenger);
- Use Holy Shock.;
- Eternal Flame on 3+ holy power;
- Flash of Light for healing someone in danger of dying;
- Divine Light for consistent healing;
- Holy Light as filler healing;
- Use Crusader Strike for melee and mana from Seal of Insight.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Best in Slot Items
MoP Classic Paladin BiS list is a great tool to have for all players who need to know how to make their character the most powerful it can be. Here you can find this list that is based on Phase 1 BiS gear. We will update this list as soon as more Mists of Pandaria phases roll out.
Mists of Pandaria Classic DPS Paladin BiS List
Mists of Pandaria Classic Tank Paladin BiS List
Mists of Pandaria Classic Healer Paladin BiS List
We will update BiS lists as new content becomes available. If you want to skip the grind, check out our PvE BiS Gear service!
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Stats
Stat priority is important in order to ensure you can do your role in the group adequately. Here is a list of stat priorities for MoP Classic Paladin:
DPS Paladin Stat Priority
- Hit & Expertise (7.5%): Cap both to avoid missing or being dodged;
- Haste: Increases attack speed and reduces cooldowns; main secondary stat to focus on;
- Strength: Comes with gear by default; scales with item level;
- Mastery: Adds bonus Holy damage. Decent but not as strong as Haste;
- Critical Strike: Weakest stat; offers low value.
Tank Paladin Stat Priority
- Haste: Speeds up attacks, spell casting, and cooldowns;
- Mastery: Increases block chance and mitigation. Best pure defensive stat;
- Stamina: Raises total health;
- Strength: Increases Attack Power and Parry. Adds threat, damage, and avoidance;
- Critical Strike: Low priority for survival. Useful for DPS;
- Dodge/Parry: Provides avoidance but is less efficient than Haste or Mastery.
Healer Paladin Stat Priority
- Spirit: Always prioritize enough Spirit to maintain mana for the full fight;
- Intellect: Usually the best stat after Spirit; high-Intellect gear is almost never a bad choice;
- Haste to Breakpoint: Aim for the closest reachable Haste breakpoint for your current talents (42.83%);
- Mastery: Best throughput stat after meeting Spirit and Haste needs; often the tie-breaker for equal-level gear;
- Haste (Excess Spirit): If you have too much Spirit, Haste can be slightly better than Mastery;
- Critical Strike: Least effective stat due to frequent overhealing.
📌 Note: Stat priorities can change depending on your current gearing situation. You can use Reforging to fine-tune your stats as needed.
MoP Classic Paladin Talent Build
Here we have prepared a general talent build for MoP Classic Paladin. Keep in mind that you might want to adjust this depending on your preferences and specialization.
If you don’t like your current talents, keep in mind that they can be easily changed with a Tome of the Clear Mind.
4.9Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Glyphs
Paladin Glyphs in Mists of Pandaria Classic provide useful enhancements and cosmetic changes. They allow for customization of abilities in both PvE and PvP. Here are some of the glyphs that might enhance your MoP Classic Paladin’s performance:
Major Glyphs:
- Glyph of Hand of Sacrifice;
- Glyph of Templar’s Verdict;
- Glyph of Harsh Words;
- Glyph of Mass Exorcism;
- Glyph of Double Jeopardy;
- Glyph of Divine Protection;
- Glyph of Inquisition.
Minor Glyphs:
Pick the glyphs that suit your playstyle, spec, and preferred activity to enjoy the benefits!
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Best Consumables
MoP Classic Paladin Consumables are important for boosting stats in both PvE and PvP. From flasks and potions to buff food, using the right consumables will boost your damage, survivability, or healing output.
📌 Note: Always make sure to stock up on consumables before raiding, dungeons, or PvP to maintain peak efficiency.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Food
MoP Classic Paladin Food buffs help your character immensely by increasing main and secondary stats:
DPS Paladin food:
Tank Paladin food:
Healer Paladin food:
If you want to create this food for yourself and for sale without the hassle of leveling up the profession, our Cooking Leveling service can do it for you instead.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Enchants
Enchants in Mists of Pandaria Classic are essential for optimizing your Paladin’s stats, offering valuable bonuses to enhance damage, healing, or survivability across all specializations. Here is the MoP Classic Enchants BiS List:
📌 Note: These enchants are presented in a way that makes them possible to acquire by every character. If you have professions that allow for profession-specific enchants, you might consider using them instead.
BiS Profession Enchants in Mists of Pandaria Classic:
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Combat Potions
There are many different MoP Classic Paladin potions that you might want to use. Potion of the Mountains is the best for survivability, Potion of Mogu Power for DPS, and Potion of Focus for mana efficiency during healing.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Flasks
Just like with potions, there are a handful of Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin flasks that you might find helpful. Flask of the Earth is great for tanks, Flask of Winter’s Bite for DPS, and Flask of the Warm Sun for healers.
Create Flasks and Potions on your own to save (and make!) gold without having to level up the profession yourself with the help of our Alchemy Leveling service.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Best Race
Choosing the best Paladin race in Mists of Pandaria Classic depends on your faction and the content you would like to do.
Horde
Both Blood Elf and Tauren are strong choices. Blood Elves bring Arcane Torrent, a useful AoE silence and minor Mana restore, especially strong in PvP. Tauren offer War Stomp, a short AoE stun, which is great in PvP or large pull situations. Blood Elves also benefit from Enchanting bonuses, while Tauren get extra health and faster Herbalism gathering.
Alliance
Human is the top pick due to Will to Survive, which acts like a built-in PvP trinket, freeing up an extra trinket slot in arenas and battlegrounds. This racial is also useful in PvE situations where stuns are common. Humans also gain 1% expertise with swords and maces, plus 10% faster reputation gain through Diplomacy.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin PvP
Paladin is a great class for PvP in Mists of Pandaria Classic. The best spec for PvP is Retribution due to strong burst damage, utility, and healing. You can use crowd control like Hammer of Justice and Repentance to lock down enemies while lining up powerful cooldowns like Avenging Wrath.
Protection and Holy are more niche in PvP. Holy offers strong healing and defensive tools, while Prot can be disruptive in battlegrounds but lacks pressure. Your talents and glyphs should be adapted to your team composition, but always keep key abilities like Hand of Freedom, Divine Shield, Rebuke, and Cleanse ready.
- Retribution has good burst and utility;
- Protection is rarely seen in rated PvP;
- Holy Paladins are powerful healers with strong defensive cooldowns.
Use spells like Hand of Freedom, Hammer of Justice, Divine Shield, and Rebuke wisely. Ret and Holy both benefit from Glyphs and talents that increase utility and mobility. Another important part of being successful in PvP is having proper gear. Get your hands on Full PvP Gear in just a couple of clicks!
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Best Professions
Professions in Mists of Pandaria Classic are not only a solid way to earn gold, but also provide stat bonuses and useful utility. While none are required for Paladins, certain professions can enhance your performance by offering things like increased Strength or Intellect, or providing extra sockets for more primary stats. Here are some of the benefits of different professions:
- Blacksmithing: Extra sockets for Strength gems;
- Engineering: Synapse Springs and Nitro Boosts;
- Jewelcrafting: Stronger custom gems.
We recommend Blacksmithing + Engineering for min-maxing damage in both PvE and PvP. While Blacksmithing might be the best Paladin profession in MoP Classic, it can take a lot of time and gold to level up. If you want to get all the benefits of having this profession without any of the downsides, check out our Blacksmithing Leveling service here at Overgear!
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Class Mechanics
Paladins in Mists of Pandaria Classic use a resource system based on Mana and Holy Power. Mana helps with healing and utility spells, while Holy Power is generated through core abilities and spent on powerful finishers like Templar’s Verdict, Word of Glory, or Shield of the Righteous. Managing Holy Power generation and spending efficiently is key to maximizing throughput, survivability, or damage.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Paladin Macros
Paladin Macros in Mists of Pandaria Classic are a great way to simplify and optimize your gameplay. They help to reduce the number of unnecessary clicks during combat. Here are some of the most useful Paladin Macros in MoP Classic:
Start Auto Attack
/cast Crusader Strike
This macro ensures you automatically start auto-attacking when using Crusader Strike.
Focus Rebuke
#showtooltip Rebuke
/cast [@focus] Rebuke
This casts Rebuke on your focus target instead of your current target.
DPS Cooldowns
#showtooltip Avenging Wrath
/cast Avenging Wrath
/cast Holy Avenger
This macro uses Avenging Wrath and Holy Avenger together.
Cancel Divine Shield
#showtooltip Divine Shield
/stopcasting
/cast Divine Shield
/cancelaura Divine Shield
This macro activates Divine Shield and immediately cancels it.
Mouseover Heal
/cast [@mouseover] Holy Shock
This casts Holy Shock on your mouseover target without switching your main target.
4.9With strong specs and flexible gameplay, Paladins are one of the most complete classes in Mists of Pandaria Classic. Whether you’re healing, tanking, or dealing damage, Paladin has the tools and durability to excel in any role!
