What Makes and Breaks a Paladin

What makes and breaks a Paladin?
A full review of the key components of the Paladin class.

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Table of Contents:
WHAT MAKES AND BREAKS A PALADIN?
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION


GENERAL
BLESSINGS
SEAL AND JUDGEMENT SYSTEM
AURAS
GENERAL SUMMARY

HOLY
ILLUMINATION
HOLY LIGHT (HL)
FLASH OF LIGHT (FOL)
HOLY SHOCK (HS)
DIVINE FAVOR (DF)
DIVINE ILLUMINATION
LAY ON HANDS (LOH)
UNDEAD COMBAT SKILLS
HAMMER OF WRATH (HOW)
CONSECRATION
HOLY SUMMARY

PROTECTION
HAMMER OF JUSTICE (HOJ)
DIVINE SHIELD (DS)
SUBSECTION 1: FORBEARANCE
DIVINE INTERVENTION (DI)
RIGHTEOUS FURY
RIGHTEOUS DEFENSE
SPIRITUAL ATTUNEMENT
HOLY SHIELD
SUBSECTION 2: DAMAGE MITIGATION
SUBSECTION 3: THREAT GENERATION AND ITS SCALING
PROTECTION SUMMARY

RETRIBUTION
AVENGING WRATH (AW)
SEAL OF COMMAND (SOC) AND SEAL OF BLOOD (SOB)
SUBSECTION 4: SPELL HIT RATING
SUBSECTION 5: JUDGEMENT OF COMMAND/BLOOD
SANCTITY AURA
REPENTANCE
CRUSADER STRIKE
SUBSECTION 6: MANA MANAGEMENT IN PVE
RETRIBUTION SUMMARY

TL-DR VERSION AND COMPLETE SUMMARY

Introduction

I have now played my Paladin for over 3 years. I have seen the paladin evolve from buff-bot and OOC resurrector, to powerhealer. From laughable tank to respectable tank, especially in multi-target encounters. And yes, from ‘lol-ret’ to a competitive and viable damage dealing class.

I have a decent geared Mage as well, but I am proud to say that in general, my Paladin is the class I want to play as my main character. As a hybrid in nature, the Paladin offers me diversity. All with all, I like my Paladin as he is, but I do not disagree that there are possibilities for improvements. This is what I am trying to achieve with this post: a general understanding and summation of the things that make and break a Paladin.

As starter I will do the general section of the paladin, which will be followed by a breakdown of the strong and flawed abilities and talents of each of the 3 specs, looking mainly at PvE point of view, but in certain cases not forgetting a few PvP issues.

GENERAL

What do Paladins offer to their fellow adventurers, no matter how they are specced? Buffs! Paladins have been seen since the dawning of WoW as buffbots. So, what do we presicely offer?

Blessings
The blessings that paladins offer are amongst the strongest buffs available in the game. Other then that fact, a Paladin can adjust what blessing he gives to a specific target. A quick overview:
• Blessing of Wisdom (BoW): Restores 41 mana per 5 seconds. Upgradeable to 49 – 50 mp5 with talents. This blessing is very loved by all healers, over longer periods of time, it restores about half as much mana as using a Super Mana Potion each 2 minutes.
• Blessing of Might (BoM): Increases melee and ranged attack power by 220. Upgradeable to 264 attack power with talents. What do I need to say, your melee and hunters will simply love the extra dps this blessing gives. Alongside with warrior and druid tanks for the little extra threat generation
• Blessing of Salvation (BoS): Reduces all threat generated by 30%. Practically, this blessing means 1 thing, you can do 30% more damage before pulling aggro! Especially good for casters, since melee will want that BoM until they die from pulling aggro.
• Blessing of Light (BoL): Increased healing done by Holy Light by up to 580 and of Flash of Light by up to 185. Upgradeable to 700 resp. 245 with a libram from Karazhan. This is actually a very selfish blessing, since only the Paladins will get their healing increased by it. Quite important for performance in raids.
• Blessing of Kings (BoK): Increases total stats by 10%. Only available by talents. BoK is a general buff in stamina, intellect, agility, spirit and strength. Useful for all classes, but considered by most people to be slightly inferior to BoW, BoM and BoS, except on tanking warriors, tanking paladins and feral druids (scaling issues). Concidered by a lot of paladins, including me, as a spell that should be baseline, given the general demand for it.
• Blessing of Protection (BoP): Grants immunity to all physical damage and effects for 10 seconds. Cannot use physical abilities while this blessing is active. 5 minute cooldown. Causes Forbearance. Upgradeable to 3 minute cooldown with talents. Generally this blessing is used on casters who pull aggro on an enemy, since it masks their threat for the duration. Also useful for the paladin himself in case Divine Shield is on cooldown, and he needs to get rid of some mobs battering on him. DO NOT CAST ON MAIN TANK DURING BOSS ENCOUNTERS!!!
• Blessing of Sanctuary (BoSanc): Reducing damage taken from all sources by up to 80. When you block a melee attack the attacker will take 46 Holy damage. Only available by talents. Pretty much a tanking blessing for Paladins, extra threat generation, combined with less damage taken. Warriors can use both the functions as well, but gain less threat from the holy damage.

• Blessing of Freedom (BoF): Grants immunity to movement impairing effects for 10 seconds. 25 second cooldown. Upgradeable to 14 second duration with talents. Mainly PvP utility, it prevents movement slowing or prohibiting debuffs, which aren’t common in PvE.

• Blessing of Sacrifice: Absorbs damage on each attack taken, and deals the absorbed damage to the Paladin. 30 second cooldown. PvP gimmick to prevent incapacitate effects and Polymorph abilities affecting the Paladin too much.

Blessings are loved by players, although ignorant tanks tend to want BoK over BoL. And careless dps classes that get their asses saved by a well timed BoP will be very pleased with you.

Conclusion: Blessings MAKES a Paladin!
Suggestions for Developers: Blessing of Kings could easily be made baseline.