Paladin · Holy
Holy Paladin is a beacon-based healer built around casting Holy Shock as much as possible, using Infusion of Light and Flash of Light to keep Holy Power moving, then spending before you cap. Herald of the Sun is the raid default; Lightsmith is the current recommended Mythic+ build. Judgment and Consecration are damage tools, not the core healing engine.
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Guide contents
How Holy Paladin wins
Holy Paladin is a beacon-based healer built around casting Holy Shock as much as possible, using Infusion of Light and Flash of Light to keep Holy Power moving, then spending before you cap. Herald of the Sun is the raid default; Lightsmith is the current recommended Mythic+ build. Judgment and Consecration are damage tools, not the core healing engine.
- Role
- Healer
- Stat lead
- Item Level / Intellect then Mastery (raid baseline)
- Single target
- Herald of the Sun
- Cleave / AoE
- Herald of the Sun
Strong when
- Strong tank and spot healing
- Holy Shock and Infusion of Light create fast reactive healing
- Powerful raid utility through Aura Mastery and Blessings
- Excellent utility (Blessings, Lay on Hands)
Plan around
- Less passive rolling healing than HoT healers
- Mana pressure on heavy AoE
- Mana management matters when heavy AoE forces repeated Holy Light casts
What changed for this spec
Blizzard's stated intent is more talent diversity, a smaller gap between Light of Dawn and the other Holy Power spenders, more damage, and a viable Beacon of Virtue in dungeons. Word of Glory and Eternal Flame healing rose 20 percent on top of a 19 percent across-the-board healing increase; all damage rose 20 percent, Judgment and Hammer of Wrath 25. Avenging Crusader now transfers only 55 percent of healing done, down from 80. Pillar of Light's Beacon of Virtue healing rose 50 percent and Ringing of the Heavens now casts Divine Toll at 200 percent effectiveness. The only rewritten ability is class-wide: the Lightsmith talent Divine Guidance, now routed through Consecration.
Source: Blizzard, Curse of Ula'tek content update notes (https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24293281). Transcript: docs/apps/wow-god/research/patch-12.1/12.1.0-CLASSES-section.txt
Not re-verified for Season 2. This ordering was checked for patch 12.0.7. Patch 12.1 raised max-level player health and creature damage by 25% and deliberately moved power out of cooldowns into steady-state damage, either of which can move secondary weights. Open question: no Season 2 sim source has been checked, so the order below is last season's and is shown unchanged rather than guessed at.
Stat priority and consumables
Item level and effect strength still matter. Use this ordering to break close choices, then re-check it after major gear swaps.
- 1.Item Level / Intellect
- 2.Mastery (raid baseline)
- 3.Haste (Mythic+ baseline)
- 4.Critical Strike
- 5.Versatility
Herald raid: Mastery > Haste > Critical Strike > Versatility. Herald Mythic+: Haste > Critical Strike = Versatility > Mastery. Lightsmith raid: Mastery > Critical Strike > Haste > Versatility; Lightsmith Mythic+: Haste > Critical Strike = Versatility > Mastery. Do not use a single stat order across every build.
Flasks, food, potions, weapon oils, and runes for this build.
Priority order is from patch 12.0.7 and has not been re-derived for 12.1. Individual lines naming an ability that 12.1 removed or redesigned are annotated above; lines that 12.1 only retuned are unchanged, because a damage number moving does not by itself reorder a priority list.
Opener and priority
Use these as decision priorities, not a rigid cast sequence. Re-evaluate whenever targets, resources, procs, or mechanics change.
Core principles
- Spend and generate Holy Power: your Holy Power spenders are some of your most efficient spells, and the goal of the spec is to cast as many of them as possible. Never cast a Holy Power generator if you are already at 5 Holy Power.
- Do not sit on your cooldowns: strive to get as many uses of Divine Toll and Avenging Wrath as possible. If in doubt, use them - saving them for a rainy day creates a rainy day.
- Use Holy Light when needed: it is your only way to scale healing output up when the normal rotation is not enough, but respect its high mana cost.
Herald of the SunThe default frame. The first list is the healing priority; the second list is the damage priority for when nobody needs healing.
Single-target priority
- 1.Spend Holy Power - immediately if you are on 5 Holy Power
- 2.Divine Toll - on an ally, with 2 or fewer Holy Power to avoid waste
- 3.Holy Light - as needed and as mana allows
- 4.Spend Infusion of Light procs
- 5.Holy Shock - on an ally
- 6.Spend Holy Power
- 7.Flash of Light - or Judgment if you need to move
AoE priority
- 1.Shield of the Righteous - damage priority - use this list when nobody needs healing; cast if on 5 Holy Power
- 2.Divine Toll - on an enemy
- 3.Judgment - with Righteous Judgment this is your best generator because its Consecrations stack
- 4.Holy Shock - on an enemy
- 5.Spend Holy Power on Shield of the Righteous
- 6.Flash of Light - for Holy Power
LightsmithSame core loop, but Holy Bulwark and Sacred Weapon replace Divine Toll and Awakening adds a Judgment line to the healing priority.
Single-target priority
- 1.Spend Holy Power - immediately if you are on 5 Holy Power
- 2.Holy Bulwark or Sacred Weapon - with 2 or fewer Holy Power to avoid overcapping
- 3.Holy Light - as needed and as mana allows
- 4.Spend Infusion of Light procs
- 5.Holy Shock - on an ally
- 6.Judgment - with an Awakening proc
- 7.Spend Holy Power
- 8.Flash of Light - or Judgment if you need to move
AoE priority
- 1.Shield of the Righteous - damage priority - use this list when nobody needs healing; cast if on 5 Holy Power
- 2.Holy Bulwark or Sacred Weapon - your Divine Toll replacement as Lightsmith
- 3.Judgment - with Righteous Judgment this is your best generator because its Consecrations stack
- 4.Holy Shock - on an enemy
- 5.Spend Holy Power on Shield of the Righteous
- 6.Flash of Light - for Holy Power
Pre-combat checks
- Apply Beacon of Light and Beacon of Faith. Put them on squishy ranged targets such as Mages, Shamans, Hunters, or Boomkins; tanks are also fine if they need it.
- Enable Devotion Aura - it is the only useful aura in PvE and should be on at all times.
- If you are playing Lightsmith, apply your weapon buff: Rite of Sanctification or Rite of Adjuration.
Major cooldowns
Divine Toll and Holy Prism
- Use close to on cooldown when you will not do excessive overhealing - they are short cooldowns, so do not sit on them.
- Divine Toll on an ally to heal, on an enemy for damage. Use it with 2 or fewer Holy Power to avoid Holy Power waste.
- Holy Prism usually goes on an enemy because that heals the most, and also wants 2 or fewer Holy Power.
- As Herald of the Sun they apply two Dawnlights: Eternal Flame places them on specific targets, Light of Dawn on random ones - either is fine.
- As Lightsmith, they are replaced by Holy Bulwark and Sacred Weapon.
Holy Bulwark and Sacred Weapon (Lightsmith)
- Press them on cooldown when you need the 3 Holy Power, with 2 or fewer Holy Power to avoid overcapping.
- Holy Bulwark is worth prioritizing on squishy targets; casting it on yourself sends the extra Solidarity Bulwark to a tank, which heals the most.
- Sacred Weapon should just go on yourself - the extra copy goes to another healer, or a DPS in Mythic+.
- With Resounding Strike, use them while people are injured so Hammer and Anvil has value.
- With Tempered in Battle, Sacred Weapon creates a mini Spirit Link with its target - strong, but dangerous at a bad moment.
Avenging Wrath / Avenging Crusader
- Avenging Wrath is not a huge cooldown but lasts a long time (30 seconds with Sanctified Wrath). Use it close to on cooldown whenever you need a healing boost.
- Avenging Crusader is a 1-minute cooldown - use it practically on cooldown. While active, the button becomes Crusader Strike and both it and Judgment convert their damage to healing.
- With Hand of Divinity, your next two Holy Lights (one with Avenging Crusader) are instant; you have 20 seconds, so do not waste them but do not panic-cast them either.
Aura Mastery
- In organized raids this is assigned. Otherwise press it right before the group takes heavy damage - it is only 9% damage reduction plus Devotion Aura's 3% and costs a global, so it must be proactive.
- With Ringing of the Heavens, use it immediately after damage starts so the free Divine Toll also gets value.
Divine Shield, Blessing of Protection, and Blessing of Sacrifice
- In Mythic+, Divine Shield works as a healing cooldown: one fewer player to heal is roughly a 20% group damage reduction.
- Blessing of Protection immunes physical damage, removes bleeds and physical debuffs, and drops the target's aggro - never on the tank unless they ask, but useful on a DPS early in a pull.
- Blessing of Sacrifice is your main external and should be used often; watch your own health, since the transferred damage ignores your own damage reductions. It cannot kill you - it falls off at 20% health.
- Divine Shield fully immunes Sacrifice transfer damage; Divine Protection does not reduce it.
Advanced tips
Positioning
- Holy Paladin no longer depends on melee range - the whole healing rotation works from ranged; only Shield of the Righteous and Avenging Crusader's Crusader Strike need melee.
- Melee is still a small Mastery: Lightbringer benefit, and your Beacons on ranged players act as Mastery centers through Beacon of the Lightbringer.
- Position where you can heal the most players and feel safest; Mastery efficiency is a lower priority.
Beacon targets and transfers
- Put Beacon of Light and Beacon of Faith on ranged players (Mages, Shamans, Hunters, Boomkins); tanks are fine if they need it. Beacon of Virtue goes on any injured target other than yourself.
- Never Beacon yourself - Light of the Martyr blocks Beacons from healing you while any absorb remains.
- Only direct spells transfer to Beacons; Avenging Crusader, Light of Dawn, and enemy Holy Prism are the exceptions (the latter two at half rate). Lay on Hands, HoTs, and trinket healing never transfer.
- Avoid directly healing your own Beacon targets - Beacons only transfer healing done to other targets.
Mana management
- Excess mana means more Holy Light casts; running dry means fewer Holy Lights or dropping Divine Overload.
- Shield of the Righteous costs no mana and returns 1.2%; an offensive Holy Shock returns half its cost. Both are healing losses, so use them in genuinely calm moments.
- The strongest mana regen in combat is casting nothing at all.
Import strings were built for patch 12.0.7 and have NOT been re-verified for 12.1. Nobody authoritative publishes import strings, so none was rewritten here rather than invented. Patch 12.1 moved or removed talents in several trees, so a string may import a build that no longer exists. Check the listed key talents against the 12.1 changes above before importing.
Talents and hero trees
Use Herald of the Sun for the single-target profile below and Herald of the Sun when cleave or adds make its toolkit more valuable.
Recommended starting profiles
Single-target: Herald of the Sun
Herald of the Sun is the recommended raid tree. Beacon of Faith is the stable default; Beacon of Virtue is a high-throughput, high-mana flex choice.
- Herald of the Sun hero tree
- Stat priority: Item Level / Intellect > Content-specific secondaries
Multi-target: Herald of the Sun
Lightsmith is the recommended Mythic+ tree, adding damage-oriented choices such as Righteous Judgment and Crusader's Might without replacing the core healing loop.
- Herald of the Sun hero tree
- Prioritize AoE and add-swap talents
Talent builds and import strings
Start with the profile matching your content. Boss and dungeon tabs in the gear section show the exact loadout used for each ranked result. A build with no import string has not had one exported for this patch; the key talents below are the build.
Raid - Herald Standard
Current Herald raid default. Beacon of Faith is the mana-stable baseline; Beacon of Virtue is the high-HPS flex option when the encounter rewards its burst and you can pay its mana cost.
CEEAVg1HmQqr1Dwlv86ljju8vCAAAYBAMDAAsMzMzYGzMzGDGzyYbmZZGNxwYmZYY2yAwAwGYjlZMzysNzMbNAAAALgB2MMmxAAAMzwMGjGAM+ - Herald Standard
Current Lightsmith Mythic+ default. It adds damage-focused picks including Shining Righteousness, Righteous Judgment, and Crusader's Might while preserving the Holy Shock, Infusion, and Holy Power loop.
CEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYBAMDAwglxMzMzYmZWGMGWGbzMLGNxwYmZYY2yAwAwGYzsMzMAIAgZmtlFbzMsxGzMsBMjBAYmBgZMGNAM+ - Beacon of Virtue Flex
Take Beacon of Virtue with Pillars of Light when party damage arrives in repeatable bursts. Build to 5 Holy Power, apply Virtue immediately after the first damage tick, then spend, Holy Shock, and spend again.
Arena – Burst & Peel (3v3)
Built for survivability, peels, and healing through pressure - lean on crowd control (Hammer of Justice, Repentance, Blinding Light), external saves (Blessing of Sacrifice and Blessing of Protection), and cooldown-lined burst healing to answer the enemy go. Swap CC and utility picks to match the enemy comp on the talent calculator.
Complete talent referenceshow
Every class, specialization, and hero-tree talent from Blizzard game data. Active and choice talents stay open; passive nodes remain searchable and expand on demand.
Complete talent referenceshow
Every class, specialization, and hero-tree talent from Blizzard game data. Active and choice talents stay open; passive nodes remain searchable and expand on demand.
Paladin class tree
Shared class talents, including throughput, control, defensives, and movement.
Active and choice talents
Lay on HandsActiveHeals a friendly target for an amount equal to 100% your maximum health.
Cannot be used on a target with Forbearance. Causes Forbearance for 30 sec.
Auras of the ResoluteActiveLearn Concentration Aura, Devotion Aura, and Crusader Aura:
Concentration Aura:
Interrupt and Silence effects on party and raid members within 40 yds are 30% shorter.
Devotion Aura:
Party and raid members within 40 yds are bolstered by their devotion, reducing damage taken by 3%.
Crusader Aura:
Increases mounted speed by 20% for all party and raid members within 40 yds.
Blinding LightActiveEmits dazzling light in all directions, blinding enemies within 10 yds, causing them to wander disoriented for 6 sec. Damage may cancel the effect.
Turn EvilActiveThe power of the Light compels an Undead, Aberration, or Demon target to flee for up to 40 sec. Damage may break the effect. Lesser creatures have a chance to be destroyed. Only one target can be turned at a time.
Divine SteedActiveLeap atop your Charger for 3 sec, increasing movement speed by 100%. Usable while indoors or in combat.
Wrench EvilChoiceTurn Evil's cast time is reduced by 100%.
Stand Against EvilChoiceTurn Evil now affects 5 additional enemies.
Steed of LibertyChoiceDivine Steed also grants Blessing of Freedom for 3.0 sec.
Blessing of Freedom:
Blesses a party or raid member, granting immunity to movement impairing effects for 8 sec.
Blessing of FreedomChoiceBlesses a party or raid member, granting immunity to movement impairing effects for 8 sec.
Divine TollChoiceInstantly cast Holy Shock, Avenger's Shield, or Judgment on up to 5 targets within 30 yds.
Holy PrismChoiceFires a beam of light that scatters to strike a clump of targets.
If the beam is aimed at an enemy target, it deals 2,459 Holy damage and radiates 2,578 healing to 5 allies within 30 yds.
If the beam is aimed at a friendly target, it heals for 6,074 and radiates 930 Holy damage to 5 enemies within 30 yds.
Generates 3 Holy Power.
Echoing BlessingsChoiceBlessing of Freedom increases the target's movement speed by 30%. Blessing of Protection and Blessing of Sacrifice reduce the target's damage taken by 15%. These effects linger for 8 sec after the Blessing ends.Unbound FreedomChoiceBlessing of Freedom increases movement speed by 30%, and you gain Blessing of Freedom when cast on a friendly target.
Blessing of SacrificeActiveBlesses a party or raid member, reducing their damage taken by 30%, but you suffer 100% of damage prevented.
Last 12 sec, or until transferred damage would cause you to fall below 20% health.
Divine ResonanceChoiceAfter casting Holy Prism, Holy Armament, or Divine Toll, you instantly cast Holy Shock every 5 sec for 15 sec.
Quickened InvocationChoiceDivine Toll's, Holy Armament's, and Holy Prism's cooldown is reduced by 15 sec.
Blessing of ProtectionActiveBlesses a party or raid member, granting immunity to Physical damage and harmful effects for 10 sec.
Cannot be used on a target with Forbearance. Causes Forbearance for 30 sec.Sacrifice of the JustChoiceReduces the cooldown of Blessing of Sacrifice by 60 sec.
RecompenseChoiceAfter your Blessing of Sacrifice ends, 50% of the total damage it diverted is added to your next Judgment as bonus damage, or your next Word of Glory as bonus healing.
This effect's bonus damage cannot exceed 30% of your maximum health and its bonus healing cannot exceed 100% of your maximum health.
Sacred StrengthChoiceHoly Power spending abilities have 2% increased damage and healing.
Divine PurposeChoiceHoly Power spending abilities have a 15% chance to make your next Holy Power spending ability free and deal 15% increased damage and healing.
Worthy SacrificeChoiceYou automatically cast Blessing of Sacrifice onto an ally within 40 yds when they are below 35% health and you are not in a loss of control effect.
This effect activates 100% of Blessing of Sacrifice's cooldown.
Righteous ProtectionChoiceBlessing of Sacrifice now removes and prevents all Poison and Disease effects.
Golden PathChoiceConsecration heals you and 5 allies within it for 2 every 0.9 sec.
Selfless HealerChoiceFlash of Light and Holy Light are 30% more effective on your allies and 40% of the healing done also heals you.Passive talents
Hammer of WrathPassiveDuring Avenging Wrath, Judgment is empowered into Hammer of Wrath.
Hammer of Wrath
Hurls a divine hammer that strikes an enemy for 44 Holy damage.
Generates 1 Holy Power.
Improved CleansePassiveCleanse additionally removes all Disease and Poison effects.Empyreal WardPassiveLay on Hands grants the target 30% increased armor for 8 sec and now ignores healing reduction effects.
Fist of JusticePassiveHammer of Justice's cooldown is reduced by 15 sec.
A Just RewardPassive2 ranksAfter Cleanse successfully removes an effect from an ally, they are healed for 4,104.
AfterimagePassiveAfter you spend 20 Holy Power, your next Word of Glory echoes onto a nearby ally at 30% effectiveness.
Guided PrayerPassiveWhen your health is brought below 25%, you instantly cast a free Word of Glory at 60% effectiveness on yourself.
Cannot occur more than once every 60 sec.
Light's CountenancePassiveThe cooldown of Blinding Light is reduced by 15 sec.
Greater JudgmentPassiveJudgment deems the target unworthy, preventing the next 1,835 damage dealt by the target.
Holy ReprievePassiveYour Forbearance's duration is reduced by 10 sec.CavalierPassiveDivine Steed now has 2 charges.
Divine SpursPassiveDivine Steed's cooldown is reduced by 20%, but its duration is reduced by 40%.
Armory of LightPassiveWhile holding a shield, you have a 15% chance to block incoming spells, reducing their damage by 20%.
Without a shield, you have a 15% chance to parry incoming melee attacks, reducing their damage by 20%.
ObduracyPassive2 ranksSpeed increased by 4% and damage taken from area of effect attacks reduced by 4%.
Sanctified PlatesPassive2 ranksArmor increased by 20%, Stamina increased by 10% and damage taken from area of effect attacks reduced by 6%.
Divine ReachPassiveThe radius of your auras is increased by 20 yds.
Brought to LightPassiveKilling an enemy that yields experience or honor causes you to explode with holy energy, healing up to 5 nearby allies and yourself for 218, split evenly among them.
Fear No EvilPassiveFear duration on you reduced by 20%. This effect is increased to 60% during Avenging Wrath.
Consecrated GroundPassiveYour Consecration is 15% larger, and enemies within it have 50% reduced movement speed.
Holy AegisPassiveArmor and critical strike chance increased by 4%.Improved Blessing of ProtectionPassiveReduces the cooldown of Blessing of Protection by 60 sec.
Unbreakable SpiritPassiveReduces the cooldown of your Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Lay on Hands by 30%.
Lightforged BlessingPassiveShield of the Righteous heals you and up to 2 nearby allies for 43.Lightforged BlessingPassiveShield of the Righteous heals you and up to 2 nearby allies for 43.
Lead the ChargePassiveDivine Steed reduces the cooldown of 4 nearby ally's major movement ability by 3.0 sec.
Your movement speed is increased by 3%.
Holy RitualPassiveAllies are healed for 7,637 when you cast Blessing of Protection or Blessing of Sacrifice on them.
Blessed CallingPassiveAllies affected by your Blessings have 15% increased movement speed.
Inspired GuardPassiveDivine Protection increases healing taken by 15% for its duration.
Light's RevocationPassiveRemoving harmful effects with Divine Shield heals you for 10% for each effect removed. This heal cannot exceed 30% of your maximum health.
Divine Shield may now be cast while Forbearance is active.
Faith's ArmorPassiveWord of Glory grants 20% bonus armor for 4.5 sec.
StoicismPassiveThe duration of stun effects on you is reduced by 20%.
Seal of MightPassive2 ranksMastery increased by 4% and Intellect increased by 4%.
Vengeful WrathPassive2 ranksHammer of Wrath deals up to 50% additional damage based on its target's health. Lower health targets receive more damage.
Eye for an EyePassiveMelee and ranged attackers receive 133 Holy damage each time they strike you during Divine Protection and Divine Shield.
Blessing of DawnPassiveWhile you are above 85% health, 5% of all damage taken by allies within 20 yds is redirected to you, up to a maximum of 1,527 every 5 sec.
LightbearerPassive10% of all healing done to you from other sources heals up to 4 nearby allies, divided evenly among them.
Blessing of DuskPassiveDamage taken reduced by up to 10%, increasing as your health decreases.Holy specialization tree
Every Holy talent currently exposed by Blizzard game data.
Active and choice talents
Holy ShockActiveTriggers a burst of Light on the target, dealing 822 Holy damage to an enemy, or 4,309 healing to an ally.
Generates 1 Holy Power.
Light of DawnActiveUnleashes Holy energy, healing up to 5 injured allies within a 40 yd radius around you for 1,925.
Aura MasteryActiveEmpowers your chosen aura for 8 sec.
Devotion Aura: Damage reduction increased to 12%.
Crusader Aura: Mount speed bonus increased to 60%.
Concentration Aura: Affected allies immune to interrupts and silences.
Moment of CompassionChoiceYour Flash of Light heals for an additional 50% when cast on a target affected by your Beacon of Light.
Resplendent LightChoiceHoly Light heals up to 5 targets within 12 yds for 8% of its healing.
Unwavering SpiritChoiceThe cooldown of Aura Mastery is reduced by 30 sec.Protection of TyrChoiceAura Mastery also increases all healing received by party or raid members within 40 yards by 10%.
LiberationChoice12% of Word of Glory and Light of Dawn's healing is converted into Holy damage that strikes a nearby enemy.
Crusader's MightChoiceHoly Shock reduces the cooldown of Judgment by 1.5 sec and Crusader Strike reduces the cooldown of Judgment by 1.5 sec.
Beacon of FaithChoiceMark a second target as a Beacon, mimicking the effects of Beacon of Light. Your heals will now heal both of your Beacons, but at 30% reduced effectiveness.
Beacon of VirtueChoiceApply a Beacon of Light to your target and 4 injured allies within 30 yds for 9 sec.
All affected allies will be healed for 10% of the amount of your other healing done.
Avenging WrathChoiceCall upon the Light to become an avatar of retribution, increasing your damage, healing, and critical strike chance by 20% for 20 sec.
Avenging CrusaderChoiceYou become the ultimate crusader of light, for 15 sec. Auto-attack damage is increased by 1,000%, Judgment and Crusader Strike heal up to 5 injured allies within 40 yds for 55% of the damage done, split evenly among them.
This spell is replaced with Crusader Strike while active.
Crusader Strike:
Strike the target for 49 Physical damage.
Generates 1 Holy Power.
Sanctified WrathChoiceAvenging Wrath and Avenging Crusader have 25% increased duration.
AwakeningChoiceWhile in combat, your Holy Power spenders have a 15% chance to cause your next Judgment to deal 30% increased damage and critically strike.
Activating Avenging Wrath activates Awakening.
Tyr's DeliveranceChoiceActivating Avenging Wrath releases the Light within yourself, healing 5 injured allies instantly and an injured ally every 0.9 sec within 40 yds for 133.
Allies healed also receive 10% increased healing from your Holy Light, Flash of Light, and Holy Shock spells for 12 sec. 
Hand of DivinityChoiceActivating Avenging Wrath calls upon the Light to empower you, causing your next 2 Holy Lights to be instant cast and cost 50% less mana.
Beacon of the SaviorActiveWhile in combat, apply a Beacon of the Savior to the lowest health ally within 30 yds that causes your direct healing on others to also heal that ally for 10% of the amount healed.
Beacon of the Savior transfers to the lowest health ally within 30 yds if it heals a target past maximum health or if an ally drops below 50% health.Passive talents
Infusion of LightPassiveYour Holy Shocks have a 10% chance to empower your next spell cast:
Flash of Light: healing increased by 200% and becomes instant cast.
Judgment: Greater Judgment prevents an additional 150% damage dealt by the target and generates 1 additional Holy Power.
Light's ConvictionPassiveHoly Shock now has 2 charges and it refunds 50% of its mana cost when cast on an enemy.
Beacon of the LightbringerPassiveMastery: Lightbringer now increases your healing based on the target's proximity to either you or your Beacon of Light, whichever is closer.
ExtricationPassiveWord of Glory and Light of Dawn gain up to 30% additional chance to critically strike, based on their target's current health. Lower health targets are more likely to be critically struck.
Ringing of the HeavensPassiveActivating Aura Mastery also casts a Divine Toll at 200% effectiveness.
Unending LightPassiveLight of Dawn receives 20% increased benefit from Mastery: Lightbringer.
AwestruckPassiveHoly Shock, Holy Light, and Flash of Light critical healing increased by 20%.
Divine FavorPassiveThe mana cost of Holy Light is reduced by 10% and its cast time is reduced by 15%.
Imbued InfusionsPassiveConsuming Infusion of Light reduces the cooldown of Holy Shock by 1.0 sec.
Light of the MartyrPassiveWhile above 80% health, Holy Shock's healing is increased 20%, but creates a heal absorb on you for 30% of the amount healed that prevents Beacon of Light from healing you until it has dissipated.
Righteous JudgmentPassiveJudgment has a 100% chance to cast Consecration at the target's location.
The limit on Consecration does not apply to this effect.
Saved by the LightPassiveWhen an ally with your Beacon of Light is damaged, they absorb the next 85 damage, increasing by up to 300% based on their current health. Lower health allies are shielded for more.
Light's ProtectionPassiveAllies with Beacon of Light receive 5% less damage.Overflowing LightPassive50% of Holy Shock's overhealing is converted into an absorb shield. The shield amount cannot exceed 10% of your max health.
Shining RighteousnessPassiveShield of the Righteous deals 977 damage to its first target struck.
Shield of the Righteous now has a 35% chance to activate Divine Purpose if talented.
Tirion's DevotionPassiveLay on Hands' cooldown is reduced by 40% and restores 5% of your Mana.
Commanding LightPassiveBeacon of Light transfers an additional 5% of the amount healed.
Glistening RadiancePassiveWhile at maximum health, targets with Beacon of Light generate an absorb shield equal to 2% of their health every 3 sec, up to a maximum of 6%.
Breaking DawnPassive2 ranksIncreases Light of Dawn's healing by 10%.Divine RevelationsPassiveWhile empowered by Infusion of Light, Flash of Light heals for an additional 20% and Judgment refunds 0.5% of your maximum mana.
Divine GlimpsePassiveHoly Shock and Judgment have a 8% increased critical strike chance.
Bestow LightPassiveLight of the Martyr's health threshold is reduced to 70% and increases Holy Shock's healing by an additional 5% for every 5 sec Light of the Martyr is active, stacking up to 3 times.
While below 70% health, the light urgently heals you for 76 every 1 sec.
Empyrean LegacyPassiveJudgment critical strikes empower your next Word of Glory to automatically activate Light of Dawn at 30% effectiveness.VenerationPassiveJudgment grants an absorb shield on up to 5 injured allies for 8% of the damage done, split evenly among them.
Flash of Light and Holy Light critical strikes reset the cooldown of Judgment.
ReclamationPassiveHoly Shock refunds up to 10% of its Mana cost and deals up to 50% more healing or damage, based on the target's missing health.
Pillars of LightPassive Beacon of Faith:
Allies with Beacon of Light or Beacon of Faith are healed for 125 every 3 sec.
Beacon of Virtue:
Beacon of Virtue instantly heals allies for 2,226.
Seek DeliverancePassiveWhile Avenging Wrath is not active, you gain 5% Mastery.
While Avenging Wrath is active, you gain 30% movement speed.Call of the RighteousPassive2 ranksAvenging Wrath's cooldown is reduced by 30 sec, but its duration is reduced by 8.0 sec.
Avenging Crusader's cooldown is reduced by 15.0 sec, but its duration is reduced by 5.0 sec.
Truth PrevailsPassiveJudgment heals you for 1,185 and its mana cost is reduced by 30%. 50% of overhealing from this effect is transferred onto 2 allies within 40 yds.
Divine OverloadPassiveHoly Light's healing is increased by 30%, but its mana cost is increased by 20%.
Rising SunlightPassiveYour healing is increased by up to 10%, based on the average health percentage of allies with your Beacon of Light.
Glorious DawnPassiveHoly Shock has a 12% chance to refund a charge when cast and its healing is increased by 10%.
Seraphic BarrierPassiveWord of Glory and Light of Dawn now convert 15% of their healing into an absorb shield instead.
Inflorescence of the SunwellPassiveInfusion of Light has 1 additional charge.Templar
Templar hero talents, including every active, choice, and passive node exposed by Blizzard.
Active and choice talents
Bonds of FellowshipChoiceYou receive 20% less damage from Blessing of Sacrifice and each time its target takes damage, you gain 4% movement speed up to a maximum of 40%.
Unrelenting ChargerChoiceDivine Steed lasts 2 sec longer and increases your movement speed by an additional 30% for the first 3 sec.Endless WrathChoiceEmpyrean Hammer has a 10% increased chance to critically strike.
SanctificationChoiceCasting Judgment increases the damage of Empyrean Hammer by 5% for 10 sec.
Multiple applications may overlap.Divine ExactionChoiceDivine Toll casts 2 additional times on your target at 100% effectiveness.
Seal of the TemplarChoiceTemplar's Verdict damage increased by 25%.Passive talents
Wrathful DescentPassiveWhen Empyrean Hammer critically strikes, 50% of its damage is dealt to nearby enemies.
Enemies hit by this effect deal 5% reduced damage to you for 8 sec.Higher CallingPassiveCrusader Strike, Hammer of Wrath and Blade of Justice extend the duration of Shake the Heavens by 1 sec.
Sacrosanct CrusadePassiveWake of Ashes surrounds you with a Holy barrier for 10% of your maximum health.
Hammer of Light heals you for 5% of your maximum health, increased by 1% for each additional target hit. Any overhealing done with this effect gets converted into a Holy barrier instead.Light's GuidancePassiveWake of Ashes is replaced with Hammer of Light for 20 sec after it is cast.
Hammer of Light:
Hammer down your enemy with the power of the Light, dealing 373 Holy damage and 183 Holy damage up to 7 nearby enemies.
Additionally, calls down Empyrean Hammers from the sky to strike 3 nearby enemies for 18 Holy damage each.
Costs 5 Holy Power.
Light's DeliverancePassiveYou gain a stack of Light's Deliverance when you call down an Empyrean Hammer.
While Wake of Ashes and Hammer of Light are unavailable, you consume 60 stacks of Light's Deliverance, empowering yourself to cast Hammer of Light an additional time for free.Zealous VindicationPassiveHammer of Light instantly calls down 2 Empyrean Hammers on your target when it is cast.
HammerfallPassiveTemplar's Verdict calls down an Empyrean Hammer on a nearby enemy.
While Shake the Heavens is active, this effect calls down an additional Empyrean Hammer.Undisputed RulingPassiveHammer of Light applies Judgment to its targets, and increases your Haste by 12% for 6 sec.Shake the HeavensPassiveAfter casting Hammer of Light, you call down an Empyrean Hammer on a nearby target every 2 sec, for 8 sec.Light's JudicatorPassiveEmpyrean Hammer deals 20% increased critical strike damage and its critical strikes have 50% chance to grant an additional stack of Light's Deliverance.
Divine HammerPassiveDivine Toll summons Divine Hammers that spin around you for 8 sec.
Divine Hammer
Strikes all enemies nearby for 51 Holy damage every 2 sec. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.Lightsmith
Lightsmith hero talents, including every active, choice, and passive node exposed by Blizzard.
Active and choice talents
Divine InspirationChoiceYour spells and abilities have a chance to manifest a Holy Armament for a nearby ally.ForewarningChoiceThe cooldown of Holy Armaments is reduced by 20%.
Authoritative RebukeChoiceSuccessfully dispelling a harmful effect reduces Cleanse's cooldown by 1.0 sec. Effect increased by 100% while wielding a Holy Armament.
Tempered in BattleChoiceWhen you or an ally wielding a Holy Bulwark are healed above maximum health, transfer 100% of the overhealing to your ally.
When you or an ally wielding a Sacred Weapon drop below 40% health, redistribute your health immediately and every 1 sec for 4 sec. May only occur once per cast.
Rite of SanctificationChoiceImbue your weapon with the power of the Light, increasing your armor by 5% and your primary stat by 2%.
Lasts 1 hour.
Rite of AdjurationChoiceImbue your weapon with the power of the Light, increasing your Stamina by 3% and causing your Holy Power abilities to sometimes unleash a burst of healing around a target.
Lasts 1 hour.
Holy BulwarkActiveWill the Light to coalesce and become manifest as a Holy Armament, wielded by your friendly target.
Holy Bulwark:
While wielding a Holy Bulwark, gain an absorb shield for 15.0% of your max health and an additional 2.0% every 2 sec. Lasts 20 sec.
Becomes Sacred Weapon after use.
Generates 3 Holy Power.
Divine GuidanceChoiceFor each Holy Power ability cast, your next Consecration deals 806 damage immediately, split across all enemies.
Up to 3 nearby allies are each healed for 30% of the damage amount.
Blessed AssuranceChoiceCasting a Holy Power ability increases the damage and healing of your next Crusader Strike by 100%.
Holy ArmamentsActiveWill the Light to coalesce and become manifest as a Holy Armament, wielded by your friendly target.
Holy Bulwark:
While wielding a Holy Bulwark, gain an absorb shield for 15.0% of your max health and an additional 2.0% every 2 sec. Lasts 20 sec.
Becomes Sacred Weapon after use.
Generates 3 Holy Power.Passive talents
SolidarityPassiveIf you bestow an Armament upon an ally, you also gain its benefits.
If you bestow an Armament upon yourself, a nearby ally also gains its benefits.
ValiancePassiveConsuming Infusion of Light reduces the cooldown of Holy Armaments by 3.0 sec.
Blessing of the ForgePassiveAvenging Wrath summons an additional Sacred Weapon, and during Avenging Wrath your Sacred Weapon casts spells on your target and echoes the effects of your Holy Power abilities.Laying Down ArmsPassiveWhen an Armament fades from you, the cooldown of Lay on Hands is reduced by 15.0 sec and you gain Infusion of Light.Shared ResolvePassiveThe effect of your active Aura is increased by 33% on targets with your Armaments.
Reflection of RadiancePassiveWhen your Holy Bulwark absorbs damage or your Sacred Weapon deals damage or healing, you have a chance to gain Awakening.
MasterworkPassiveAfter casting a Holy Armament, your next 3 casts of Crusader Strike bestow a Lesser Armament of the same kind on a nearby ally.
Hammer and AnvilPassiveJudgment critical strikes cause a shockwave around the target, healing to up to 5 injuried allies for 430.
Resounding StrikePassiveHoly Armaments activate Hammer and Anvil at 100% effectiveness.Herald of the Sun
Herald of the Sun hero talents, including every active, choice, and passive node exposed by Blizzard.
Active and choice talents
Blessing of An'sheChoiceThe healing and damage of Holy Shock is increased by 15%.
Lingering RadianceChoiceDawnlight leaves an Eternal Flame for 6 sec on allies or a Greater Judgment on enemies when it expires or is extended.
Morning StarChoiceEvery 5.0 sec, your next Dawnlight's damage or healing is increased by 5%, stacking up to 10 times.
Morning Star stacks twice as fast while out of combat.
Gleaming RaysChoiceYour Holy Power spenders deal 3% additional damage and healing.
Eternal FlameActiveHeals an ally for 1,436 and an additional 465 over 16 sec.
Healing increased by 25% when cast on self.
IllumineChoiceDawnlight reduces the movement speed of enemies by 50% and increases the movement speed of allies by 20%.
Will of the DawnChoiceMovement speed increased by 5% while above 80% health.
When your health is brought below 35%, your movement speed is increased by 40% for 5 sec. Cannot occur more than once every 1 min.Passive talents
AuroraPassiveAfter you cast Holy Prism or Divine Toll, gain Divine Purpose.
Divine Purpose
Your next Holy Power spending ability is free and deals 15% increased damage and healing.
Sun SearPassiveHoly Shock and Light of Dawn critical strikes cause the target to be healed for an additional 281 over 4 sec.
LuminosityPassiveCritical Strike chance of Holy Shock and Light of Dawn increased by 5%.
Second SunrisePassiveLight of Dawn and Holy Shock have a 15% chance to cast again at 30% effectiveness.Walk Into LightPassiveInfusion of Light occurs 100% more often during Avenging Wrath.
DawnlightPassiveCasting Holy Prism or Divine Toll causes your next 2 Holy Power spending abilities to apply Dawnlight on your target, dealing 1,327 Radiant damage or 2,802 healing over 8 sec.
8% of Dawnlight's damage and healing radiates to nearby allies or enemies, reduced beyond 5 targets.
Dawnlight's healing does not transfer to Beacon of Light.Sun's AvatarPassiveYou link to your Dawnlights within 30 yds, causing 82 Radiant damage to enemies or 141 healing to allies that pass through the beams, reduced beyond 5 targets.
Endless GleamPassiveDawnlight's duration is increased by 0.5 sec when it heals an ally with full health.
Born in SunlightPassiveDawnlight's critical strike chance is increased by 15% during Avenging Wrath.
Solar GracePassiveHaste is increased by 5%.Boss and dungeon loadouts
Switch between raid and Mythic+ to inspect the top player for every available encounter: exact talents, source link, item level, enchant and socket counts, and the player's gear.
Season 2 class set
datamined. Read out of the game's spell data and republished by Wowhead. Blizzard does not publish set bonus text, so there is no first-party version to compare it against.- 2-piece
- Infusion of Light increases the healing of Flash of Light by an additional 100% and the absorb from Greater Judgment by an additional 100%.
- 4-piece
- Judgment now has a 20% chance to grant Infusion of Light. Holy Light now has a 100% chance to grant Infusion of Light, but its mana cost is increased by 50%.
Source: Wowhead spell pages, retrieved 2026-09-05. spell 1296656, spell 1296657. Third party, not Blizzard. If one of these is wrong, check the overview page and tell us.
Pulling the top Warcraft Logs result, exact talents, and equipment for each boss.
Editorial acquisition targets
Use these slot targets when planning drops and crafted pieces. The encounter explorer above remains the source for the exact gear worn by each ranked player.
Season 1 acquisition targets, not re-verified for Season 2. The rows below name Season 1 items at their Season 1 item levels and are accurate as that; they are not Season 2 recommendations. Season 2's raid is The Venomous Abyss (8 bosses, Nek'zali the Soulcoiler through Ula'tek). Confirmed Season 2 raid item levels run 279 (Raid Finder, first boss) to 344 (Mythic, last two bosses and Very Rare drops), with Normal 292-302, Heroic 305-315 and the Great Vault paying 292/305/318/334 by difficulty. Open question: per-slot best-in-slot for Season 2 needs a sim source, and none was reachable.
Season 1 acquisition targets, not re-verified for Season 2. The dungeons named below are the Season 1 pool and are not in Season 2 rotation. Season 2 runs Altar of Fangs (new in 12.1), Murder Row, Den of Nalorakk, The Blinding Vale, Voidscar Arena, Temple of Sethraliss, Kings' Rest and Ruby Life Pools. Confirmed Season 2 keystone item levels: +2 through +3 pay 295 end-of-run and 305 in the vault, rising to 311 end-of-run and 318 in the vault at +10 and above. Open question: per-slot best-in-slot for Season 2 needs a sim source, and none was reachable.
Enchants
Choose enhancements after your equipment is settled. Secondary-stat enchant choices move with your current stat mix and the content you are preparing for.
Gems
Socket into the current stat priority, then re-check after major equipment swaps rather than treating a gem choice as permanent.
Embellishments
Crafted effects are capped at two equipped embellishments. Lock these in only after deciding which crafted slots survive your next raid or Mythic+ upgrades.
Utility, defensives, and movement
Your Paladin toolkit is part of the rotation whenever it prevents lost uptime, lethal damage, or an enemy cast.
Utility & CC
Movement
External saves - Blessing of Protection, Sacrifice, and Lay on Hands - define Paladin raid value.
Interface and macros
Use interface changes only when they expose a decision sooner: resources, procs, defensives, dispels, interrupts, and encounter assignments.
Written for patch 12.0.7. Patch 12.1 increased max-level player health and creature damage by 25% and made crowd-control diminishing returns reset after 20 seconds instead of 16, so defensive timing and crowd-control advice on this page is the most likely to have moved. Source: Curse of Ula'tek content update notes, https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24293281.
What improves results
- At 5 Holy Power, spend before using another generator
- Track Infusion of Light and consume it deliberately with Flash of Light
- Holy Shock remains a key reactive heal and generator, but comes after an Infusion-powered Flash of Light in the current priority
- Do not sit at capped Holy Power waiting for a perfect spender
- Keep a Beacon near the ranged stack if you heal from melee, but do not sacrifice safe positioning to chase Mastery
- Consecration is never Holy Power generation; it is damage when Righteous Judgment makes it worthwhile
- Use Judgment for damage and Righteous Judgment value, never ahead of needed healing
- Avenging Crusader changes your active window only if you actually talent into it
Common mistakes
- Casting into capped Holy Power
- Ignoring Infusion of Light or consuming it on a meaningless heal
- Capping Holy Power
- Overusing Holy Light in raid when mana cannot support it
- Using Beacon of Virtue on cooldown instead of on a real group-damage event
- Using Consecration like a Holy Power builder
- Treating Judgment or Consecration as the universal Holy Power engine
- Saving Avenging Wrath or Aura Mastery too long
FAQ
5 quick answersWhat is the best Holy Paladin stat priority in Midnight Season 1?
Item level and Intellect usually matter most, but the secondary order changes with content. Herald raid is Mastery-led, while Mythic+ favors Haste with Critical Strike and Versatility; Lightsmith raises Crit in raid but keeps the same Haste/Crit/Versatility focus in Mythic+.
What does Holy Paladin revolve around?
Holy Power and Infusion of Light. At 5 Holy Power, spend; then prioritize Divine Toll, an Infusion-powered Flash of Light, Holy Shock, another spender, and Flash of Light. Judgment is damage/build utility and Consecration is never a Holy Power generator.
Should Holy Paladin default to Avenging Crusader in raid?
No. Treat Avenging Crusader as an optional build, not the default recommendation. If you do play it, your active window changes: Judgment and the temporary Crusader Strike button become high priority while you keep spending Holy Power before capping.
What Holy Paladin gear should I use in Mythic+?
Keep the four-piece set and target the dungeon table, especially Spellboon Saber from Algeth'ar Academy and Ward of the Spellbreaker from Magister's Terrace. The Lightsmith Mythic+ stat profile favors Haste, then Critical Strike and Versatility, rather than blindly stacking Mastery.
Which Holy Paladin race should I pick?
Race is a small optimization. Dwarf brings Stoneform for high-key utility; Blood Elf adds Arcane Torrent and a small Crit bonus; Tauren brings War Stomp and Stamina; Human has Will to Survive and secondary-stat value. Choose the one you will enjoy, then use its utility deliberately.
Guide Updates
- Jul 16, 2026Revalidated the 12.0.7 guide against current specialist guidance: corrected Herald raid and Lightsmith Mythic+ imports, gear sources, content-specific stat priorities, gems, enchants, and consumables.
- Jul 16, 2026Rebuilt the Holy Paladin priority around Holy Power at 5, Divine Toll, Infusion of Light into Flash of Light, Holy Shock, and an immediate spender. Consecration never generates Holy Power; Judgment is damage/build utility.
- Jul 15, 2026Added Infusion of Light tracking and decision-making to the Holy Paladin healing loop.
- Jul 15, 2026Corrected Holy Paladin rotation and cooldown guidance: Consecration does not generate Holy Power, and Judgment generation is talent-dependent.
- Jul 14, 2026Added Holy Paladin PvP BiS, FAQ, patch stamp, and guide update history.
- Jul 11, 2026Marked Holy Paladin as the reference-quality deep guide for the class-guide template.
Talents by enemy class
Pick an opponent to see the pressure your PvP build must answer. Named picks appear only in reviewed matchup plans; the baseline comes from this spec's current arena build when one is published.
Grip setups, anti-caster pressure, and sustained melee uptime.
Mobility, anti-slow, and physical or magic mitigation.
Keep an answer for grip-based isolation and do not spend movement before the Death Knight commits their control chain.
Built for survivability, peels, and healing through pressure - lean on crowd control (Hammer of Justice, Repentance, Blinding Light), external saves (Blessing of Sacrifice and Blessing of Protection), and cooldown-lined burst healing to answer the enemy go. Swap CC and utility picks to match the enemy comp on the talent calculator.
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