Paladin Talent Builds (WoW)  

Choosing a Spec

Paladins are a hybrid class. One of the banes of the hybrid class is you may, for efficiency's sake, spend some time in a build that's not where you ultimately want to be. Or you may change your mind about the role you want to fill. There are many combinations of the three talent trees especially when you factor in the goal of the paladin. Are you just starting out and want to level efficiently? Do you want to raid? As a tank? Healer? Support class? PvP?

So before asking about or deciding on a spec, you're going to want to determine where you're at and what you want to do. But note that whatever choice you make in spec, you're not stuck with it. You can always go to your trainer and re-spec your talents (Just tell him you'd like to unlearn your talents and you'll start with a blank slate). It does cost gold, and each time you re-spec that cost increases to a cap of 25 gold per re-spec. That may seem like a lot when you're just starting out (the first re-spec costs 1 gold) but at end game or even mid-game, 25 gold is easily spent to improve or change your playing experience.

Leveling Specs

There are 2 main specs that can be used for leveling, but Retribution is generally the spec of choice for fast, efficient questing. This is especially true in the early levels. What makes something a "leveling build" is a combination of the capacity for high damage as well as survivability and low down time. Retribution is the damage tree so it makes sense that it's the preferred spec, however at the higher levels, Protection can put out high damage on large numbers of mobs and has significantly greater survivability than Ret does.

However, at level 35 or so re-speccing to Protection can also be a viable alternative. Note also that leveling specs, while they can be pretty cookie cutter, aren't as nailed down as things like a Raid tanking spec. There's some flexibility here. I'll list one or two varieties but if you find yourself thinking you'll be using a different spell or skill more, then change things up.

I think it's important to note that you do not have to level as Retribution. If the play style doesn't sound fund to you but Holy does then, by all means, level as Holy. People have done it. It can be slow going at times because the damage just isn't there initially or, to be perfectly honest even late game, but as long as you're enjoying yourself it doesn't really matter.

Retribution Leveling

This build focuses on the power, and the eficient use of that power, in the Retribution tree. Typically this early in the game, survivability is less of an issue. If you find yourself having trouble surviving then, after you pick up Divine Strength in the Holy tree you can choose to keep moving down the tree picking up Spritual Focus which will make it easier to heal yourself while enemies are hitting you.

It's possible you can continue further down the holy tree at this point, but to get the full benefits from it you're going to have to gear for some of the talents you pick up (if you don't have the Int to crit very often on your healing spells you're not really going to get the mana return benefits from it. And if you gear for Int then your damage is going to suffer).

But again, none of the leveling builds are set in stone.

At this point you can make a choice. You can continue with Retribution for leveling or you can switch to a Protection or Protection/Holy hybrid build. I'll explain further what those builds are in their section. For now, continuing on with Retribution:

What we're going for now is, obviously, more power but we'll also dip back into the holy tree now for Spiritual Focus and then jump back to Retribution.

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