Protection Paladin AoE Leveling — AoE Leveling · WoW Wrath of the Lich King

Key talents

• 

  Holy Shield · Protection, up to 1

  Blocks deal holy damage.

  Increases chance to block by 30% for 10 sec and deals 79 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Each block expends a charge. 8 charges.

• 

  Blessing of Sanctuary · Protection, up to 1

  Less damage taken, and mana back when you block, dodge or parry.

  Places a Blessing on the friendly target, reducing damage taken from all sources by 3% for 10 min and increasing strength and stamina by 10%. In addition, when the target blocks, parries, or dodges a melee attack the target will gain 2% of maximum displayed mana. Players may only have one Blessing on them per Paladin at any one time.

• 

  Avenger's Shield · Protection, up to 1

  Pulls three enemies from range; with Shield of the Templar it also silences them.

  Hurls a holy shield at the enemy, dealing 440 to 536 Holy damage, Dazing them and then jumping to additional nearby enemies. Affects 3 total targets. Lasts 10 sec.

• 

  Hammer of the Righteous · Protection, up to 1

  Melee AoE strike.

  Hammer the current target and up to 2 additional nearby targets, causing 4 times your main hand damage per second as Holy damage.

• 

  Spiritual Attunement · Protection, up to 2

  Mana when you are healed.

  A passive ability that gives the Paladin mana when healed by other friendly targets' spells. The amount of mana gained is equal to 10% of the amount healed.

• 

  Reckoning · Protection, up to 5

  Extra attacks after being hit.

  Gives you a 10% chance after blocking or being hit by any damaging attack that the next 4 weapon swings within 8 sec will generate an additional attack.

Abilities

• 

  Avenger's Shield · talent, 5 ranks

  Pull: bounces between up to three enemies (silencing them with Shield of the Templar).

  Hurls a holy shield at the enemy, dealing 1100 to 1344 Holy damage, Dazing them and then jumping to additional nearby enemies. Affects 3 total targets. Lasts 10 sec.

• 

  Consecration · level 20, 8 ranks

  Under the pack.

  Consecrates the land beneath the Paladin, doing 904 Holy damage over 8 sec to enemies who enter the area.

• 

  Holy Shield · talent, 6 ranks

  Keep it up.

  Increases chance to block by 30% for 10 sec and deals 274 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Each block expends a charge. 8 charges.

• 

  Hammer of the Righteous · talent

  Melee AoE on cooldown.

  Hammer the current target and up to 2 additional nearby targets, causing 4 times your main hand damage per second as Holy damage.

• 

  Blessing of Sanctuary · talent

  On yourself.

  Places a Blessing on the friendly target, reducing damage taken from all sources by 3% for 10 min and increasing strength and stamina by 10%. In addition, when the target blocks, parries, or dodges a melee attack the target will gain 2% of maximum displayed mana. Players may only have one Blessing on them per Paladin at any one time.

• 

  Righteous Fury · level 16

  Threat and, with the talent, less damage taken.

  Increases all threat generated. Also increases Holy threat generated by an additional 80%. Lasts until cancelled.

• 

  Judgement of Wisdom · level 38

  Mana from your attacks.

  Unleashes the energy of a Seal spell to judge an enemy, giving each attack a chance to restore 2% of the attacker's base mana. Refer to individual Seals for additional Judgement effect. Only one Judgement per Paladin can be active at any one time.

• 

  Holy Wrath · level 50, 5 ranks

  Against undead and demons: damage and a stun.

  Sends bolts of holy power in all directions, causing 1058 to 1242 Holy damage and stunning all Undead and Demon targets within 10 yds for 3 sec.

• 

  Divine Plea · level 71

  From 71: mana over time.

  You gain 25% of your total mana over 15 sec, but the amount healed by your Flash of Light, Holy Light, and Holy Shock spells is reduced by 50%.

• 

  Divine Protection · level 6

  Damage reduction in an emergency.

  Reduces all damage taken by 50% for 12 sec. Once protected, the target cannot be targeted by Divine Shield, Divine Protection, or Hand of Protection again for 2 min. Cannot be used within 30 sec of using Avenging Wrath.

• 

  Lay on Hands · level 10, 5 ranks

  Full heal in an emergency.

  Heals a friendly target for an amount equal to the Paladin's maximum health and restores 1950 of their mana. If used on self, the Paladin cannot be targeted by Divine Shield, Divine Protection, Hand of Protection, or self-targeted Lay on Hands again for 2 min. Also cannot be used on self within 30 sec of using Avenging Wrath.

The pull

1. Blessing of Sanctuary, Righteous Fury and a seal (Command or Vengeance).
2. Avenger's Shield the first enemy and gather the rest.
3. Holy Shield and Consecration once they are around you.
4. Hammer of the Righteous and Judgement on cooldown.
5. Holy Wrath against undead and demons; Divine Plea when mana dips.

Pulling

Avenger's Shield pulls a group from range; walk into the next one to add it.

Grouping

Stand still once they reach you, back to an obstacle if possible.

Positioning

Keep enemies in front to block them.

Crowd control

Avenger's Shield silences with Shield of the Templar; Hammer of Justice stuns.

Defensives

Divine Protection, Divine Shield, Lay on Hands, Ardent Defender (passive).

Mana and health

Judgement of Wisdom and Divine Plea; Blessing of Sanctuary in Wrath also returns mana when you block, dodge or parry.

Common mistakes

• Letting Holy Shield drop
• Standing in the open, surrounded
• Forgetting Divine Plea

Gear and consumables

Gear

Tank gear with Stamina, block and spell power; a one-handed weapon and shield.

Stats

Stamina, spell power and block; Defense keeps you from being crit by higher-level enemies.

Enchants

Stamina on chest and bracers; spell power on weapon.

• Runic Mana PotionMana in an emergency.
• Runic Healing PotionHealth in an emergency.
• Flask of StonebloodMore health at 80.

Farming spots

In the order you reach them. Each opens its area on the World Map.

• Shoveltusks in central Howling Fjord

  Howling Fjord · Levels 68–70

  Easy

  Shoveltusks and Shoveltusk Stags at levels 68–69 on Howling Fjord's central grasslands: beasts in open country, with tail hair that vendors for 12 silver and Borean Leather for skinners.

  Spawn points

  134

  Respawn

  about 5 min

  Coin per kill

  None

  Vendor loot per kill

  39 silver 13 copper3913

  Creatures

  • ShoveltuskLevel 68 · 76 spawns
  • Shoveltusk StagLevel 69 · 58 spawns

  Pros

  • Very dense and open
  • Melee beasts
  • Skinning: Borean Leather

  Cons

  • No coin
  • Calves add kills worth little

  Requires:

  Any AoE class: frost mage, protection paladin, death knight.

  How to farm it, step by step

  1. 1.Where to stand: Start in open grass.
  2. 2.Pull: Gather six to ten shoveltusks.
  3. 3.Group them up: Lead them in a line and turn.
  4. 4.Abilities: Frost Nova as they bunch up, step out of melee range, then channel Blizzard over the pack; Improved Blizzard and Permafrost keep them crawling through it. Cone of Cold and a second Frost Nova (after its cooldown or Cold Snap) cover the last seconds. Paladins: Avenger's Shield to pull, Consecration, Holy Shield and Hammer of the Righteous. Death knights: Death and Decay, then Pestilence and Blood Boil.
  5. 5.Kite: Open country in every direction.
  6. 6.Finish: Arcane Explosion, Holy Wrath or Blood Boil.
  7. 7.Recover: Drink conjured water and eat between pulls; save Evocation and a mana gem for a pull that runs long. Rebuff Frost or Ice Armor and Ice Barrier before the next pull.
  8. 8.Avoid: Dragonflayer Guardians stand at the edges.

  Show the area on the World Map

• Steam Ragers in eastern Borean Tundra

  Borean Tundra · Levels 70–72

  EasyGood value

  Steam Ragers at levels 70–71 among the geysers of eastern Borean Tundra: melee elementals with Crystallized Air on one kill in seven.

  Spawn points

  51

  Respawn

  about 5 min

  Coin per kill

  None

  Vendor loot per kill

  57 silver 62 copper5762

  Creatures

  • Steam RagerLevels 70–71 · 51 spawns

  Materials

  • Crystallized Air15% of kills · vendor price 6 silver6Used in Leatherworking (2), Blacksmithing (1), Engineering (1) recipes10 combine into Eternal Air, used in Leatherworking (26), Engineering (6), Alchemy (5), Blacksmithing (5), Jewelcrafting (3), Enchanting (1) recipes

  Pros

  • Melee only
  • Crystallized Air on one kill in seven
  • Elemental Fragments vendor for 12 silver

  Cons

  • No coin

  Requires:

  Any AoE class.

  Value:

  Ten Crystallized Air make Eternal Air, used most by Leatherworking; price depends on your realm.

  How to farm it, step by step

  1. 1.Where to stand: Work the steam field from its edge.
  2. 2.Pull: Gather five to eight ragers.
  3. 3.Group them up: Let them bunch behind you.
  4. 4.Abilities: Frost Nova as they bunch up, step out of melee range, then channel Blizzard over the pack; Improved Blizzard and Permafrost keep them crawling through it. Cone of Cold and a second Frost Nova (after its cooldown or Cold Snap) cover the last seconds. Paladins: Consecration and Holy Shield. Death knights: Death and Decay and Blood Boil.
  5. 5.Kite: Open ground between the geysers.
  6. 6.Finish: Arcane Explosion, Holy Wrath or Blood Boil.
  7. 7.Recover: Drink conjured water and eat between pulls; save Evocation and a mana gem for a pull that runs long. Rebuff Frost or Ice Armor and Ice Barrier before the next pull.
  8. 8.Avoid: Nerub'ar Tunnelers surface nearby.

  Show the area on the World Map

• Tallhorn Stags in western Grizzly Hills

  Grizzly Hills · Levels 72–74

  Easy

  Tallhorn Stags at levels 72–73 in western Grizzly Hills: over a hundred melee beasts with tail hair that vendors for 15 silver and Borean Leather for skinners.

  Spawn points

  102

  Respawn

  about 5 min

  Coin per kill

  None

  Vendor loot per kill

  61 silver 3 copper613

  Creatures

  • Tallhorn StagLevels 72–73 · 102 spawns

  Pros

  • More than a hundred spawns
  • Thick Tail Hair on four kills in five
  • Skinning: Borean Leather

  Cons

  • No coin
  • Entropic Oozes and bears share the forest

  Requires:

  Any AoE class; hunters also farm them.

  Watch out for:

  Seething Hate (73, elite)

  How to farm it, step by step

  1. 1.Where to stand: Start in a clearing.
  2. 2.Pull: Gather six to ten stags.
  3. 3.Group them up: Lead them into open ground.
  4. 4.Abilities: Frost Nova as they bunch up, step out of melee range, then channel Blizzard over the pack; Improved Blizzard and Permafrost keep them crawling through it. Cone of Cold and a second Frost Nova (after its cooldown or Cold Snap) cover the last seconds. Paladins: Consecration and Holy Shield. Death knights: Death and Decay and Pestilence.
  5. 5.Kite: Through the clearings; trees break line of sight.
  6. 6.Finish: Arcane Explosion, Holy Wrath or Blood Boil.
  7. 7.Recover: Drink conjured water and eat between pulls; save Evocation and a mana gem for a pull that runs long. Rebuff Frost or Ice Armor and Ice Barrier before the next pull.
  8. 8.Avoid: Entropic Oozes, Graymist Hunters, Grizzly Bears, and the elite Seething Hate.

  Show the area on the World Map

• Mangal Crocolisks in Sholazar Basin

  Sholazar Basin · Levels 75–77

  Medium

  Mangal Crocolisks at levels 75–76 along Sholazar's rivers: beasts with flippers that vendor for 19 silver and Borean Leather on almost every skin.

  Spawn points

  33

  Respawn

  about 5 min

  Coin per kill

  None

  Vendor loot per kill

  75 silver 80 copper7580

  Creatures

  • Mangal CrocoliskLevels 75–76 · 33 spawns

  Pros

  • Severed Flippers on four kills in five
  • Borean Leather on 99% of skins

  Cons

  • Emperor Cobras and Servants of Freya share the river

  Requires:

  Any AoE class.

  How to farm it, step by step

  1. 1.Where to stand: Start on the bank, not in the water.
  2. 2.Pull: Gather four to six crocolisks.
  3. 3.Group them up: Lead them onto the bank.
  4. 4.Abilities: Frost Nova as they bunch up, step out of melee range, then channel Blizzard over the pack; Improved Blizzard and Permafrost keep them crawling through it. Cone of Cold and a second Frost Nova (after its cooldown or Cold Snap) cover the last seconds. Paladins: Consecration and Holy Shield. Death knights: Death and Decay and Blood Boil.
  5. 5.Kite: Along the bank.
  6. 6.Finish: Arcane Explosion, Holy Wrath or Blood Boil.
  7. 7.Recover: Drink conjured water and eat between pulls; save Evocation and a mana gem for a pull that runs long. Rebuff Frost or Ice Armor and Ice Barrier before the next pull.
  8. 8.Avoid: Emperor Cobras and Servants of Freya.

  Show the area on the World Map

• Frozen Earth in central Zul'Drak

  Zul'Drak · Levels 76–78

  MediumGood value

  Frozen Earth elementals at levels 76–77 in central Zul'Drak: melee elementals with Crystallized Water on a fifth of kills and crystals that vendor for nearly 20 silver.

  Spawn points

  49

  Respawn

  about 5 min

  Coin per kill

  None

  Vendor loot per kill

  80 silver 41 copper8041

  Creatures

  • Frozen EarthLevels 76–77 · 49 spawns

  Materials

  • Crystallized Water23% of kills · vendor price 6 silver6Used in Blacksmithing (8), Leatherworking (6), Engineering (4), Alchemy (1), Enchanting (1) recipes10 combine into Eternal Water, used in Leatherworking (35), Blacksmithing (11), Engineering (4), Jewelcrafting (4), Tailoring (4), Alchemy (3), Enchanting (1) recipes

  Pros

  • Crystallized Water on 22% of kills
  • Hoary Crystals on four kills in five

  Cons

  • Elemental Rifts and Priests of Rhunok cast
  • Elite Guardians of Zim'Rhuk nearby

  Requires:

  Any AoE class.

  Watch out for:

  Elemental Rift (77, caster), Priest of Rhunok (76–77, caster), Guardian of Zim'Rhuk (76–77, elite)

  Value:

  Ten Crystallized Water make Eternal Water, used by Leatherworking and Blacksmithing most; price depends on your realm.

  How to farm it, step by step

  1. 1.Where to stand: Start away from the temple's elite guardians.
  2. 2.Pull: Gather four to six elementals.
  3. 3.Group them up: Let them bunch.
  4. 4.Abilities: Frost Nova as they bunch up, step out of melee range, then channel Blizzard over the pack; Improved Blizzard and Permafrost keep them crawling through it. Cone of Cold and a second Frost Nova (after its cooldown or Cold Snap) cover the last seconds. Paladins: Consecration and Holy Shield. Death knights: Death and Decay and Blood Boil.
  5. 5.Kite: Open ground.
  6. 6.Finish: Arcane Explosion, Holy Wrath or Blood Boil.
  7. 7.Recover: Drink conjured water and eat between pulls; save Evocation and a mana gem for a pull that runs long. Rebuff Frost or Ice Armor and Ice Barrier before the next pull.
  8. 8.Avoid: Elemental Rifts and Priests of Rhunok (casters) and the elite Guardians of Zim'Rhuk.

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• Jotunheim Warriors in western Icecrown

  Icecrown · Levels 79–80

  HardGood value

  Jotunheim Warriors at levels 79–80 in the vrykul camps of western Icecrown: melee vrykul with Frostweave on a quarter of kills and up to 37 silver of coin each — but casters stand among them.

  Spawn points

  64

  Respawn

  about 5 min

  Coin per kill

  23 silver 16 copper2316

  Vendor loot per kill

  68 silver 28 copper6828

  Creatures

  • Jotunheim WarriorLevels 79–80 · 64 spawns

  Materials

  • Frostweave Cloth23% of kills · vendor price 12 silver 50 copper1250Used in Engineering (3), Tailoring (2), First Aid (2) recipes

  Pros

  • Frostweave on 23% of kills
  • Coin on every kill
  • Dense

  Cons

  • Njorndar Spear-Sisters and Mjordin Water Magi (casters) are just as common

  Requires:

  Level 79+; good AoE control.

  Watch out for:

  Njorndar Spear-Sister (79–80, caster), Mjordin Water Magus (79–80, caster), Water Terror (77–78, caster)

  Value:

  Frostweave Cloth is used by Tailoring, Engineering and First Aid; price depends on your realm.

  How to farm it, step by step

  1. 1.Where to stand: Start at a camp's edge and check where the casters stand.
  2. 2.Pull: Gather Warriors only, four to six.
  3. 3.Group them up: Lead them away from the casters.
  4. 4.Abilities: Frost Nova as they bunch up, step out of melee range, then channel Blizzard over the pack; Improved Blizzard and Permafrost keep them crawling through it. Cone of Cold and a second Frost Nova (after its cooldown or Cold Snap) cover the last seconds. Paladins: Avenger's Shield, Consecration, Holy Shield. Death knights: Death Grip a caster in if one joins, then Death and Decay.
  5. 5.Kite: Away from the camp.
  6. 6.Finish: Arcane Explosion, Holy Wrath or Blood Boil.
  7. 7.Recover: Drink conjured water and eat between pulls; save Evocation and a mana gem for a pull that runs long. Rebuff Frost or Ice Armor and Ice Barrier before the next pull.
  8. 8.Avoid: Njorndar Spear-Sisters, Mjordin Water Magi and Water Terrors cast; Valhalas Vargul wander.

  Show the area on the World Map

Related

• The full build in the talent calculator
• Gold farming for a paladin
• Paladin class guide
• Every paladin spell
• Leveling guide: quests and zones
• Popular paladin builds