Season of Discovery Paladin Guide - Best Builds, Runes, and Rotation

Hello and welcome to the ultimate WoW Season of Discovery Paladin guide, where you will find the most complete information on how to play this class in WoW SoD. The new version of the game brings major updates to the traditional gameplay, including exciting changes and new features. The key addition is runes, which greatly change how classes work. Now, classes can take on roles and abilities they couldn't before, changing how players approach game strategies. This affects how raid teams are formed and how classes are built, offering many new strategic options.

Get ready to master the Paladin class and 3 of its roles. We'll cover everything you need to know to excel as a Paladin, turning you into a powerful force in the game. We'll explore the strengths and weaknesses of playing a Paladin Season of Discovery, explaining how the class works with the addition of runes. 

Our guide will also help you choose the perfect race for your Paladin that matches your playstyle and goals. We'll delve into stat priorities, too, giving you tips on how to fine-tune your character for optimal performance. We’ll teach you how to approach leveling and make it as fast as possible. Moreover, we will name the best Paladin build for various roles that work best in all types of content: group activities, solo playthroughs, and PvP. With our guide, you'll have all the tools and knowledge at your disposal to thrive as a Paladin in the Season of Discovery.

 

SoD Paladin Phase 4 Changes

Phase 4 brings a few key changes to the Paladin runes. While you get to enjoy the increase level cap, some of the older runes became learnable skills in the skill book, while new runes took their place. Here's a quick overview:

Retribution Paladins will be pleased to learn about them being powered up this season. So, check out our updated guide for Paladins in Phase 4! You can also learn where and how to find all of the runes for Paladins in our dedicated article.

 

Paladin Pros & Cons

As a classic Paladin PROs and CONs in Season of Discovery, this class received quite a lot of updates. So someone who has played this class before might expect to see something weird. So, let’s just go over the strengths and weaknesses of this class:

The Paladin PROs include:

• Strong AoE and Cleave Potential: With abilities like Consecration, Avenger's Shield, and Divine Storm, Paladins excel in dealing with multiple targets.
• Impressive Group Utility: The class offers valuable utility spells like Blessing of Protection, Hammer of Justice, and Cleanse, enhancing group dynamics.
• Ranged Pull Tools: Abilities like Exorcist and Avenger's Shield provide effective ranged options for engaging enemies.
• High Burst Potential: Paladins rely on strong burst damage to maintain threat, compensating for cooldowns.
• Essential Utility Spells: Even at level 25, spells like Blessing of Freedom and Blessing of Protection remain crucial.

However, there are also some drawbacks. The Paladin CONs include:

• Limited Reactive Potential at Level 25: With few abilities available, the Paladin's capacity to react in combat is somewhat restricted.
• Lack of On-Demand Mobility: The class does not have tools for quick movement or closing gaps with enemies.
• Reliance on Auto-Attacking: Due to long cooldowns, Paladins are often dependent on auto-attacks for generating of threat.
• Challenges in Early Game: The Paladin faces difficulties in the early phases, especially at level 25, due to missing key features.
• Sustained Single-Target Threat Issues: Compared to other tank specs, Paladins might struggle with maintaining consistent threat on single targets.

In summary, as of Phase 4 and level cap of 60, Paladins have pretty strong defensive abilities, solid burst skills, and some of the strongest runes for PvP and PvE. Overall, Paladins are in a much better place than they were in Phase 1.

How to Play Paladin in Season of Discovery

To give an answer to the question of how to play Paladin in WoW SoD, you first need to decide on what role and, by extension, build you’re going to use. If we’re talking about the classic Paladin role of tanking, then the main challenge for you would be knowing how much risk you can take. In other words, how many enemies can you aggro and keep on yourself without the risk of dying to them. This class utilizes Seals - which are sort of short-lasting buffs that you need to manage during difficult encounters.

Plus, in the Season of Discovery, you have your runes that kind of add to your tanking toolkit, making your job a little easier. Yes, it all might sound vague right now, but we’ll get into everything in more detail later on. We’ll tell you all about the Paladin best runes that will offer significant enhancements to the class abilities and should be chosen to complement your role in a group. For leveling, typically, a Retribution Paladins are the preferred choice because of obvious focus on higher DPS and mobility. BLOG20

Speaking of which, your Paladin may be DPS, which is sort of mind-bending if you come to think of it. Nevertheless, in SoD, it is very much an option, and the main piece of advice we can give you is to learn your single-target rotation, which we’ll give you in this article. In total, if you learn the aspects of the Paladin class through this guide, you won’t have a hard time in any activities, whether it is the solo content, WoW Season of Discovery Paladin PvP, dungeons, or raids.

Paladin Best Race in WoW Season of Discovery

To start, Paladin is a class exclusive to the Alliance side only. Long story short, your best Paladin race in WoW SoD would be humans because their racial ability gives you increased damage to maces and swords — the main weapons used by the class. However, you can also be the Dwarf Paladin. So, let us compare the two races:

In short, Human Paladins are arguably better than Dwarf Paladins, but you have to base your choice on aesthetics as well, because nobody will judge you if you pick the race that you like the most!

Paladin Stat Priority

Your Paladin stat priority will differ based on your build and role. Let’s name 3 different roles and their stat priorities so you can make the choice for yourself.

Tank Role

1. Stamina
2. Armor
3. Hit Rating
4. Strength
5. Spell Power

As a tank, your main focus for Paladin stats is on enduring through various encounters while also maintaining an effective on-demand threat. At the levels under consideration, the majority of your damage is derived from the inherent values of your spells. With the introduction of SoD, weapon damage gains importance, especially since Divine Storm and Seal of Martyrdom scale with it, and consequently with strength and attack power.

DPS Role

1. Hit to 9% (6% gear with 3/3  Precision)
2. Strengh
3. Agility / Crit
4. Intelect

No matter the WoW Season of Discovery Paladin PvE content or PvP content, as soon as you max out the hit, your next goal is to focus on Strength, because unlike before, your attacks don’t scale with magic power; they scale with your Strength stat.

Healer Role

1. Intellect
2. Mp5
3. Healing Power
4. Crit Chance
5. Stamina
6. Armor
7. Spirit

Because your only job as a Healer is to make sure your teammates don’t die, the stats that you will be prioritizing will reflect just that.

 

Best Paladin Runes Season of Discovery

In World of Warcraft's Season of Discovery, Paladins have access to a range of impactful runes. Here are the best Paladin Season of Discovery runes that you might want to obtain based on your chosen role:

Each rune offers unique enhancements, catering to the diverse roles and playstyles of Paladins, from damage dealing and healing to tanking and group support. It can be rather tricky to get all of the runes that you need, especially since they’re all located in different parts of Azeroth. However, you can buy Season of Discovery Rune boosting service from Skycoach, and our WoW veterans will obtain those runes your build requires for you! BLOG20

Paladin Leveling Guide in WoW Season of Discovery

You will enjoy Paladin leveling in WoW Season of Discovery  no matter which role to decide to go for, but each of them has their own approaches when it comes to gaining experience. Even though this is one class, your leveling routine will be at least somewhat different. So, let us give you a few tips for each of the roles you can play.

Paladin Tank Leveling Tips:

• The Paladin tank in WoW's Season of Discovery focuses on managing resources and understanding the limits of their current setup. As a tank, you are expected to set the pace for group content and make strategic decisions about which challenges to take on.
• When solo, Paladin tanks play similarly to a standard Paladin, maintaining buffs and keeping their chosen seal active in combat. They face mana issues at early levels when alone, but can leverage their survivability for more dangerous pulls.
• The unique mechanic of Seals is crucial for Paladin tanks. These short-term buffs last for 30 seconds, provide consistent on-melee-hit bonuses, and empower your Judgement. Understanding and effectively using these Seals is key to successful tanking.

Paladin Healer Leveling Tips:

• Paladin healers in the Season of Discovery should focus on efficient mana usage and choosing the right moments to use their healing abilities.
• They need to strike a balance between healing and dealing damage when necessary, as well as maintaining buffs and auras to support their party.
• Understanding the synergy between different abilities and when to use them is crucial for Paladin healers to be effective in both solo and group content.

Paladin DPS Leveling Tips:

• DPS Paladins should concentrate on maximizing their damage output while managing their mana and cooldowns effectively.
• They need to be adept at positioning and choosing the right targets to maximize their damage potential.
• Utilizing their abilities and talents strategically, DPS Paladins can excel in both single-target and AoE situations, making them versatile in various combat scenarios.

These tips highlight the importance of understanding the unique mechanics and roles of the Paladin 1.15.3 class in leveling. Since leveling for Paladins can be particularly tricky, why not use the help of SkyCoach’s Powerleveling services which can take your character to any desired level without you needing to spend any time or effort. These services are performed by real WoW veterans who know all the ins and outs of leveling for your class. Don’t hesitate to contact the managers if you have any questions.

Best Paladin Builds Season of Discovery

Since we approach this whole guide by giving you the 3 options, we’re going to do the same with the best Paladin builds for WoW SoD, which will also offer you 3 options to pick from. Just remember that these builds aren’t the only viable ones, and even they will change as time passes. All builds here are for Phase 4 only, so up to level 60.

Tank Build (Retribution)
 

This build focuses on the Retribution tree, primarily to utilize the Consecration spell, a key ability for tank Paladins. Consecration is unique in that it offers unlimited AoE damage potential, dealing consistent damage to all enemies within its range each tick. It's a ground-placed ability that doesn't require casting or channeling, making it easy to use but also stationary, as it cannot be moved once placed. This means Paladins often need to stay near the consecrated area during its duration. The choice of this specialization is influenced by the runes selected, particularly the Seal of Martyrdom in the chest rune, which is preferred over Divine Storm due to its better synergy and similar functions to Consecration.

Healer Build (Holy)

The primary reason for this build is Illumination, which provides excellent mana regeneration for sustained high-level heals during fights.

The Holy tree focuses on increasing healing and mana generation, with Divine Strength being notable because Sheath of Light converts 30% of attack power to spell power, enhancing healing. For Runes, Divine Storm and Beacon of Light are generally useful, though Beacon of Light can be swapped for Crusader Strike if mana issues arise or multi-target healing isn't needed.

DPS Build (Retribution)

Phase 4 Retribution Paladins in WoW's Season of Discovery, the optimal approach involves focusing on the Seal of Martyrdom, which is crucial for supporting healer and caster mana in 5 and 10 man content. The Exorcist rune is recommended for this role, although its damage output is moderate, with alternatives like Rebuke or Inspiration Exemplar also being viable for their utility. Talent-wise, selecting Seal of Command is essential for enabling seal twisting, a key technique for enhancing Paladin damage. The build also includes investing in critical strike talents and reducing spell costs. It's important to note that if seal twisting isn't feasible with the Seal of Martyrdom, Divine Storm becomes the preferred choice. BLOG20

Paladin Best in Slot Gear WoW Season of Discovery

The following list of the Paladin Best in Slot gear consists of items from Phase 4 and Molten Core Raid. It includes items for DPS, Tank, and Healer builds.

Phase 4 of content features a new raid, and you can bet your top dollar for the fact that it will contain the next tier of BiS gear. If you wish to claim that gear for yourself, we suggest you buy Molten Core raid boost from Skycoach so that our WoW veterans can dive into the raid for you and get you that rare loot.

Best Paladin Rotation

Your WoW Paladin rotation Season of Discovery will depend on the build that you have chosen for yourself. That said, we’re giving you a template of a rotation for each of the roles.

Tank rotation:

Tanks must consider the interaction between abilities, such as cooldown reductions from talents like Improved Judgement. These interactions can affect the rotation. Despite these complexities, Paladins must efficiently use their limited abilities.

1. Avenger's Shield
2. Exorcism (if ran into Exorcist or eligible)
3. Judgement
4. If you run with Divine Storm, cast it.
5. Seal of Martyrdom > Seal of Command > Seal of Righteousness
6. Consecration

Healer rotation:

Healers don’t use rotations in the usual sense of the word. Instead, they base the sequence of pressing their abilities depending on prioritization. Here’s an example:

1. In critical situations where a player's life is at risk, prioritize using spells like Blessing of Protection and Lay on Hands to save them from imminent danger.
2. If you find yourself taking substantial damage and need to focus on healing, consider using Divine Protection to safeguard yourself while continuing to provide healing support.
3. Always ensure that Beacon of Light is applied to a party member, typically the tank, to provide consistent healing.
4. When a player is sustaining heavy damage and requires a substantial heal, opt for Holy Light to deliver a potent healing effect.
5. During phases of moderate damage, where mana efficiency is crucial, rely on Flash of Light as your primary healing spell.
6. When your group is facing minimal to no damage, take the opportunity to contribute to damage output. Cast Divine Storm to deal damage and provide light healing.
7. Be mindful of your group's needs and choose between Devotion Aura to mitigate heavy damage or Retribution Aura to expedite clear times based on the situation.

DPS rotation:

There may be 3 different rotations based on whether or not you have obtained the Seal of Martyrdom and whether or not you are using the Divine Storm

1. Start combat with Judgement using Seal of the Crusader (for single targets over 20 seconds).
2. Maintain Seal of Command for optimal damage.
3. Cast Crusader Strike on cooldown.
4. Utilize Divine Storm when available.
5. If using Seal of Martyrdom, execute the twist rotation:
   Swap to Seal of Command when swing timer is > 1.5 seconds.
   Cast Seal of Martyrdom with < 0.4 seconds left on auto-attack timer.
   Use Judgement of Martyrdom before switching to Seal of Command.
6. Manage your Mana efficiently, especially when casting Judgement with Seal of Command.
7. Maintain Judgement synergy with your chosen Seal.

Paladin Best Professions in WoW Season of Discovery

Choosing the Paladin best professions in WoW SoD can significantly impact your class effectiveness in various roles, whether you're tanking, healing, or dealing damage. Each profession offers unique advantages that can enhance your gameplay. 

• Engineering (All Roles): Engineering is a versatile profession suitable for all Paladin roles. It offers gadgets, explosives, and throwables that can provide utility and damage in various situations. It's particularly valuable for Paladin Tanks and Healers due to tools like Target Dummy, which can help control encounters, and Large Copper Bomb for AoE damage. Additionally, Engineering synergizes with Mining.
• Blacksmithing (Tank and DPS): Blacksmithing benefits Paladin Tanks and DPS, especially in Season of Discovery (SoD) phase 4. Tanks can craft mail pieces like Shining Silver Breastplate for solid gear options, while DPS Paladins can eventually craft valuable items as the game progresses.
• Enchanting (Tank): Enchanting may not have direct PvE or PvP benefits for Paladins, but it's a profitable profession. Tank Paladins can leverage their AoE farming capabilities to grind high-level enchanting materials from drops, making it synergistic with solo farming gameplay.
• Mining (Tank and Healer): Mining doesn't provide direct combat benefits but complements Blacksmithing and Engineering. It's useful for gathering ores and metals, primary crafting reagents for these professions. Tank and Healer Paladins can benefit from this gathering skill.
• First Aid (All Roles): Every Paladin should invest in First Aid, which is beneficial for all roles. It allows Paladins to bandage themselves or others during combat, taking advantage of their immunities.

Paladin Best Consumables

As for the list of the best Paladin consumables to go for, it all depends on the type of content you’re trying to create. Below is a list of all consumables that you will need for any type of content you’re playing. The list will make you the best PvE Paladin in any role.

For All Roles:

• Mana Potion — Essential for all Paladins, these potions provide vital mana regeneration, ensuring you have the resources to cast your spells and abilities when needed.
• Heavy Sharpening Stone / Heavy Weightstone — These stones add flat damage to your weapon, enhancing your overall damage output. Useful for DPS Paladins.
• Lesser Mana Potion, Silk Bandage, and Healing Potion — Keep these resources on hand for emergencies or challenging encounters. Useful for all roles.
• Elixir of Minor Fortitude — While the health bonus is modest, it's worth using if available for all roles.
• Strong Troll's Blood Potion — Provides health regeneration, offering additional survivability. Low priority, but useful if you have it for all roles.

For Healers:

• Scroll of Intellect II — Purchased from vendors in cities, this scroll is the best +Intellect consumable, enhancing your mana pool and healing capabilities.
• Elixir of Wisdom — While slightly lower in intellect, this elixir is easier to obtain and can be crafted by Alchemists.
• Elixir of Fortitude — Additional health is beneficial for healers, improving survivability.
• Minor Mana Oil — Enchanters can apply this oil to your weapon, providing more Mp5 (mana regeneration).
• Smoked Sagefish — Another source of Mp5, particularly useful for low-level characters who may struggle with mana management.

For DPS:

• Free Action Potion — Essential for DPS Paladins, this potion grants immunity to stuns and is valuable when facing enemies with crowd control abilities.
• Scroll of Agility II — Increased agility translates to more critical hits, making this scroll a valuable choice for DPS Paladins.
• Scroll of Strength II — Additional strength boosts damage output, enhancing your DPS capabilities.
• Elixir of Agility — While it may not stack with the scroll, this elixir provides agility, improving armor, dodge chance, and melee attack crits.
• Swiftness Potion — Having an on-demand sprint can be incredibly useful, especially for Paladins who lack mobility options.
• Dragonbreath Chili - let's you spit out fireballs randomly.
• Elixir of Ogre's Strength — Strength contributes to damage and threat generation, making this elixir valuable for DPS Paladins.

Conclusion

To conclude, Paladins are a very interesting choice in this iteration of the classic WoW formula. They will be a little tough to play at the start of the game. The first 25 levels will probably be the most difficult ones. However, as we’ve said before, the further you advance into the content, the more powerful and desired the Paladins will become. Another thing that should make you want to try out this class is the fact that you can actually make it into a full-blown DPS role, which has never been possible in the past. Whatever you choose your Paladin to be, this guide covers everything you need to get started. 

F.A.Q.