WoW Forever Paladin Guide: Builds, Gear & Macros

Snapshot boundary: The beta is closed. The level-20/30 talent tables below are archived examples for fixed build 1.60.1.69876, not current level caps or verified level-60 builds. Role choices are editorial guidance; announced class mechanics have their own source.

Retribution is the simplest Paladin leveling recommendation because it improves the weapon-and-Seal loop while preserving Paladin healing and defensive tools. Protection is the dungeon-tank alternative; Holy is better when healing groups is the main objective.

Practical beta routes

• Wolfsbane Paladin weapon quest — starting level, dungeon materials and the final fight.

Choose the activity before choosing gear

Activity	Practical decision
Solo	Retribution is the archived weapon-and-Seal example; preserve mana for recovery and support.
Dungeon	choose tank or healer duties before pulling and carry the appropriate shield or healing set.
PvP	plan dispels, healing and stuns around allies; do not assume the class has a conventional interrupt.

For the rank and currency systems, see PvP rewards and reputation.

A Forever change worth checking

The Paladin deep dive says Seal Twisting is no longer baseline; its new version is attached to Twist of Light. Do not import a Classic twisting sequence into the archived 11/21-point plan or assume that a tank's Seal of Fury behaves like a damage Seal. Blizzard — class deep dive, announced mechanics.

Level 20 Retribution build — 11 points

Talent	Rank
Deflection	5/5
Benediction	5/5
Seal of Command	1/1

The plan reduces friction in the early melee kit and reaches Seal of Command with exactly 11 points.

Level 30 Retribution extension — 21 points

Keep the level-20 points, then add:

Talent	Added rank
Conviction	5/5
Improved Judgement	2/2
Sanctified Judgement	3/3

This extension stops at a complete 21-point plan rather than forcing a higher-row talent without its listed prerequisite.

Combat priority

1. Keep the appropriate Seal active; Forever no longer consumes Seals when Judgement is cast.
2. Use Judgement on cooldown when its effect and mana cost fit the pull.
3. Use Holy Strike as the core active weapon strike.
4. Use Hammer of Justice, healing and defensive cooldowns to prevent deaths rather than saving every tool for an imagined perfect fight.
5. Against Undead and Demons, remember that Paladin-specific tools have extra relevance.

Gear direction

Prioritize meaningful weapon upgrades for Retribution. Strength, Intellect, Stamina and the unified Hit/Critical Strike stats can all matter depending on the item and how often you heal. Blizzard says hybrid itemization is intentionally broader in Forever, so a single pre-launch stat string should not override a clear upgrade.

Protection players should build around Seal of Fury, shields and survival. Holy players should review spell/healing weapons and Spirit rather than copying the Retribution weapon plan.

Use the Talent Calculator for Protection and Holy alternatives.

Early gear sources and alternatives

These are lookup examples from the 42-item loot snapshot, reviewed September 24, not new October item testing or a BiS ranking. That dataset does not contain full attributes, class restrictions or confirmed boss attribution. Inspect the actual tooltip, trained weapon type and role before rolling; two items in the same slot are not automatically interchangeable upgrades.

Slot / type	Beta lookup candidate	Source	Another candidate
Main Hand Sword	Cursed Felblade — requires level 13	Ragefire Chasm	Vileblood Scimitar — requires level 17
Off Hand Shield	Mirror of Rath'mael — requires level 19	Ruins of Lordaeron	No second same-slot sample in this snapshot
Chest Mail	Golemguard Chest — requires level 13	The Hall of Thanes	Abomination Bones — requires level 15

If the tooltip is unsuitable, compare an already-owned quest or crafted item instead of farming a name on this list. No drop rate or guaranteed upgrade is promised.

For a separate Horde quest weapon route, use Wolfsbane; it is a multi-step class quest, not an ordinary dungeon drop or a promised BiS weapon.

Enchants and consumables for this role

Separate your melee weapon from healing equipment. Compare Strength-oriented upgrades for attacking and Intellect/healing options for support; check shield requirements for tanking. Budget a level-appropriate enchant, food and a usable healing or mana potion before expensive temporary upgrades.

Use Enchanting for formulas, Merchant's Favor for vendor requirements and Camping for non-stacking class buffs. Check item level, slot restrictions and temporary-effect compatibility before paying.

A practical macro template

#showtooltip Holy Light
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][help,nodead][@player] Holy Light

This attempts Holy Light on a living friendly mouseover, then a friendly target, otherwise yourself. The self-cast fallback can spend mana unintentionally; range, spell knowledge and casting restrictions still apply.

Target priority is conditional, not a retry after a failed cast: an otherwise valid out-of-range mouseover still takes priority.

This is English-client syntax, not an in-game Forever test. Replace spell names with the exact names from your own spellbook. Use the macro setup and troubleshooting guide for binding, target checks and limitations.

Data note and sources

Blizzard has described Paladin changes in more detail than other classes, but the talent allocation still uses the fixed 1.60.1.69876 snapshot and remains subject to beta tuning.

• Blizzard — Forever Deep Dive, Paladin section
• Beta Build Tracker
• Blizzard — class deep dive, announced mechanics