WOW Insiderhttp://www.wowinsider.comWOW Insiderhttp://www.wowinsider.com/media/feedlogo.gifWOW Insiderhttp://www.wowinsider.comen-usCopyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/The Light and How to Swing It: Seals, Blessings and Auras part IIIhttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/05/12/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-seals-blessings-and-auras-part-i/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/05/12/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-seals-blessings-and-auras-part-i/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/05/12/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-seals-blessings-and-auras-part-i/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Alright, so much for Wrath of the Lich King. Everything looks cool so far and it's shaping up to be one heck of an expansion. Maybe somewhere in between Levels 70 and 80, Blizzard will throw in more creative Seals, Blessings, and Auras for the Paladin to play with. With the revelation that Death Knights will be sporting a Paladin-like ability called Presence, it's time for us to take a look at the Paladin's third core ability, the Aura. In many respects, Auras are the most defining ability of a Paladin because it's something that cannot be taken away from them. It is a Holy spell applied as a Physical buff, so it cannot be dispelled or stolen. Only the ridiculously overpowered Cyclone (you can quote me on that) removes it temporarily (it used to be permanent prior to Patch 2.2). But more on that later.

Auras are an important part of a Paladin's arsenal but are also the most underrated. If I had 1 Copper for each Paladin I've seen rush headlong into battle with Crusader Aura on, I would probably have enough Gold to train for Artisan Riding all over again. Auras are passive area-of-effect buffs that affect the Paladin and her party and cost nothing to cast. Because it is a party-wide buff, it helps to get the Holy talent Aura Mastery for more group utility. Auras can also be toggled in between eating and drinking or while mounted, but not while casting spells. As good as Auras are, however, it suffers from one major shortcoming: it activates the Global Cooldown.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Seals, Blessings and Auras part III

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]]>AuraAura-MasteryAurasConcentration-AuraCrusader-AuraDevotion-AuraFire-Resistance-AuraFrost-Resistance-AuraPaladinRetribution-AuraSanctity-AuraShadow-Resistance-AuraZach YonzonMon, 12 May 2008 17:00:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Seals, Blessings and Auras part IIhttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/05/04/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-seals-blessings-and-auras-part-i/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/05/04/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-seals-blessings-and-auras-part-i/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/05/04/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-seals-blessings-and-auras-part-i/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Last week we took a look at one of the Paladin's core class mechanics, the Seal, which is a short-duration buff that is both preparatory (for Judgement) and integral to a Paladin's attack cycle. Last week, I also mentioned how Seals fail to play a part in a healers spell cycle because of how they operate. Because seals require a Paladin to make a melee attack in order for a seal to work or proc, they are similar to Rogue poisons or Shaman weapon buffs. But seals are not weapon buffs, allowing them to proc off unarmed melee attacks (although why anyone would want to is anyone's guess) but also making them susceptible to dispel mechanics.

I personally think there was a wasted opportunity in this design because it locks out one key aspect of the class from an entire spec. Because of the short seal duration, healers must get into melee range and whack at opponents constantly. Even if a Retribution Paladin is in the raid keeping up a Holy Paladin's judged seal, the Holy Paladin himself won't reap the benefits of his own judgement -- most likely Wisdom or Light -- because he won't be hitting the enemy. A healing Paladin's two-button spell cycle consists of Holy Light and Flash of Light which both have cast times, necessitating periods of no movement and often precluding melee combat. If EA Mythic's Warhammer Online follows through with the hype, there won't be any, as animated designer Paul Barnett would call it, "namby pamby healer classes."

While Retribution is fun and can dish out some hurt, and while Protection are kings of tanking entire armies, when a Paladin specs Holy, she becomes exactly that -- a namby pamby healer class. The Holy spec is somewhat ironic and goes against the grain of the core class design. Paladins are a heavily-armored melee class. When they spec Holy, that armor often goes to waste and the melee aspect is shelved away. If the spec was built to take advantage of the seal system rather than be hindered by it (putting up seals activate the GCD, pushing back healing or cleansing), we'd have a very different story. We would have Holy Paladins rushing into combat -- I don't care if they deal piddly damage -- in order to be effective, rather than standing in the back of the raid. I attribute that playstyle dichotomy to the failure of seals.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Seals, Blessings and Auras part II

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]]>Blessing-of-KingsBlessing-of-LightBlessing-of-MightBlessing-of-SalvationBlessing-of-SanctuaryBlessing-of-WisdomHealerHolyPaladinProtectionRetributionSealZach YonzonSun, 04 May 2008 10:00:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Seals, Blessings, and Auras part Ihttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/29/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-seals-blessings-and-auras-part/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/29/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-seals-blessings-and-auras-part/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/29/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-seals-blessings-and-auras-part/#commentsFiled under: , ,


In the Burning Crusade intro cinematic, we see an extremely cool sight with a Draenei Paladin reading from a libram, casting a spell, and walking dramatically away with his Hammer of the Naaru over his shoulder. That spell that he cast was a Seal, one of the core features around which the class is designed. A Seal lasts thirty seconds (which makes you wonder why the Draenei in the video cast it, seeing as how he'll probably need to refresh it once he's out of the building) and can be unleashed through a Judgement for a particular effect.

Seals are self-affecting magic effects while Blessings, the other core class mechanic, can be cast on others and often have longer durations. Auras are an area-of-effect buff and the third core class feature that rounds out the Paladin's playing mechanics. Although other classes have persistent area-of-effect buffs such as a Shaman's totems or a Druid's 41-point talents, only Paladins have passive, permanent aura. Understanding and mastering the use of these three core features are key to playing the Paladin class.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Seals, Blessings, and Auras part I

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]]>AuraBlessingCrusader_StrikeHolyHoly_ShockHybridPaladinProtectionRetributionSealSeal_of_BloodSeal_of_CommandSeal_of_JusticeSeal_of_LightSeal_of_RighteousnessSeal_of_the_CrusaderSeal_of_VengeanceSeal_of_WisdomZach YonzonTue, 29 Apr 2008 17:00:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Support class in disguisehttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/21/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-support-class-in-disguise/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/21/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-support-class-in-disguise/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/21/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-support-class-in-disguise/#commentsFiled under: , ,


I re-specced to Holy again a few weeks back to concentrate on our 5v5 after quite some time of running around whacking things with a hammer. This is one of the best things about being a hybrid class. We have the option to play a particular way. Before I had decided to focus on Retribution for a couple of months, I would re-spec about 4-5 times a week depending on what our raid needed and spec Ret when I wanted to muck around in the Battlegrounds.

The trouble is, between Holy and Retribution, there is a world of difference in how to play. Granted, most of your spells will be pretty much the same, but the playing style is completely different. As much as Shockadins will protest, the truth is, Holy is a support spec. It is terrible for questing and the best thing to do is find a partner who can kill things for you. Despite the improvements to Holy Shock and the spell damage included with healing gear, the experience pales in comparison to pure DPS classes or specs. This is fine. The only real beef I have is in the disparity in play experience and the nagging feeling that, at the heart of it all, Paladins are glorified sidekicks.

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]]>AuraBlessingHolyLightPaladinProtectionRetributionSealSupport-classZach YonzonMon, 21 Apr 2008 16:00:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Blood Knights moving forwardhttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/09/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-blood-knights-moving-forward/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/09/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-blood-knights-moving-forward/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/09/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-blood-knights-moving-forward/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


In a bold move that is perhaps indicative of the direction Blizzard will be taking with the game and lore progression, Patch 2.4 saw the removal of M'uru from Silvermoon City and the displacement of Lady Liadrin from the chamber in Farstriders' Square. In a scripted event that reveals what happened to the captured Naaru, Lady Liadrin pays a visit to A'dal in Shattrath City, eventually pledging the service of the Blood Knights to the Shattered Sun Offensive. In the blink of an eye, Lady Liadrin become Exalted with the Shattered Sun Offensive (where'd she get that quest, I wonder!) and leaves Shattrath wearing one of the coolest tabards in the World of Warcraft.

What does this imply for Blood Elf Paladins? Gameplay-wise, not much. Although I would've welcomed a change in the quests for Horde, the biggest changes were that all the quests that were previously available from Lady Liadrin are now obtained from Lord Solanar Bloodwrath. Obviously moved for logistical reasons, the quests are virtually identical to the ones that Lady Liadrin dispensed. The one noticeable change is in the early quest Claiming the Light from Knight-Lord Bloodvalor. In the original quest, players were to fill a Shimmering Vessel with power from M'uru, whom the Blood Knights used to hold captive. The updated quest now requires the player to draw the lingering energies from the Blood Elf Magisters rather than M'uru, indicating that what remains are mere vestiges of the power that the Blood Knights once wielded.

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]]>Blood-ElfBlood-KnightKaelthasLady-LiadrinLoreMuruPaladinPatch-2.4QuestsSilvermoon-CityZach YonzonWed, 09 Apr 2008 16:00:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Holy paladin gear enchants, part 1http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/02/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-holy-paladin-gear-enchants-part/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/02/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-holy-paladin-gear-enchants-part/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/02/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-holy-paladin-gear-enchants-part/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


A few months back, I did a rogue column on how rogues can enhance their gear with enchantments, gems, armor kits and the like. Well, it's time for paladins to get a similar guide -- in three different forms! Yes, since paladins have three main specs for three different roles, they need some wildly different enchantments. Today, we'll look at above-the-belt enhancements for a regular ol' endgame healing paladin, soon to be followed by prot and ret recommendations. (Shockadins, just grab the caster junk like usual.)

Head

Glyph of Renewal: This item, available for 90g once you get revered with Honor Hold or Thrallmar, gives you a one-time boost to your head item's healing and mp/5. Revered with HH/Thrall isn't too hard, and you need all the mp/5 you can get, so pick this up if you're planning on any serious healing. 10/10 PVE, 7/10 PVP.

Glyph of the Gladiator: On the other hand, if you're the arena type and find yourself a bit lacking in the two key PVP stats, you might want to pick up this stam/resil item from revered with Shattered Sun Offensive. It's pretty useless for PVE, though, so save it for your _____ Gladiator's set piece. 3/10 PVE, 9/10 PVP.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Holy paladin gear enchants, part 1

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]]>enchantsenhancementshealingpaladinpaladin-healingpaladinsthe light and how to...the-light-and-how-to...TheLightAndHowTo...Elizabeth WachowskiWed, 02 Apr 2008 11:30:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Badge rewards in 2.4http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-badge-rewards-in-2-4/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-badge-rewards-in-2-4/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-badge-rewards-in-2-4/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Now that the patch is upon us, it's a good time for reflecting upon all the new badge rewards available to us in the near future. As a hybrid class with 3 main viable specs (healing, tanking, DPS), it's no wonder that there's a lot of new badge gear for paladins in this patch. Allison did a fantastic write-up of new badge gear for druids a few days back, so I figured I'd follow her format as it relates to paladins!

Holy

Itemization for Healing specs has been pretty solid when it comes to badge gear, and the new stuff is no exception. Just like the Pier 1 set that 2.3 introduced, you'll find lots of healing, spell crit and mana per 5 on the new gear... just more of it.

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]]>2.32.4badge-gearbadge-lootbadgesbadges-of-justicedpshealingholypaladinpatch-2.3patch-2.4protectionretributionsunwellsunwell-badge-loottanktankingChris JahoskyTue, 25 Mar 2008 10:20:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: State of the classhttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/19/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-state-of-the-class/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/19/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-state-of-the-class/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/19/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-state-of-the-class/#commentsFiled under: ,


When I first decided to roll a Paladin, I had no interest in healing or tanking. I rolled one back in the days before Burning Crusade, back in the heyday of the Reck Bomb. The idea of having what seemed essentially like a Warrior who had access to spells and could self-heal was extremely enticing. I've also had a fascination with the Paladin ever since I played Final Fantasy IV (released here in the States as Final Fantasy II). I've had a Paladin in every game I ever played where it was possible to have one.

I used paladins to great effect when I played Warcraft 2, and as anyone who's ever played Warcraft 3 can tell you, paladins were central to the story (Arthas Menethil, better known these days as The Lich King, started out as a Paladin of the Silver Hand under Uther the Lightbringer, the original Paladin). Oddly enough, when I started playing WoW back in June of 2005, my first character wasn't a Paladin (I rolled Horde, and thus couldn't). However, as soon as I started playing as Alliance on a different server, I created one immediately.

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]]>holypaladinpatch-2.4protectionretributionsunwellsunwell-plateauthe-light-and-how-to-swing-itChris JahoskyWed, 19 Mar 2008 18:30:00 ESTThe Light and How To Swing It: Build you own TTRadinhttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/13/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-build-you-own-ttradin/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/13/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-build-you-own-ttradin/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/13/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-build-you-own-ttradin/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Hi folks, it's me again. Somehow, Liz's computer got unplugged from the Light at the last minute and wiped her draft for this week clean. The task has fallen upon me once to swing the Light and wreak havoc upon these pages with blood and fury. Or something like that. In the wake of the admittedly lackluster (what, no giant GMs or gnome-transfigurations or demons run amuck?) second take on the TTR stress test, I've decided to write up the experience about making your own Paladin on the Tournament Test Realm, aka the TTRadin. If you haven't logged on to the TTR, now's a good time to download the PTR client and get yourself started.

Paladin without the pain
If you've never played a Paladin before, the TTR is an excellent way to experience some Paladin goodness without having to go through the entire leveling experience -- some parts of which even self-confessed altaholic and column co-writer Chris Jahosky admits to having a dislike for. Of course, leveling is part of the education process, so don't expect to know all the abilities and talents a Paladin -- or any class you make, for that matter -- right off the bat if you don't have a max-level character of that class on the live servers. That said, making a character on the TTR is well worth the effort and is definitely something any player can use to explore their options. Getting a taste of a max-level character, in our case a Paladin (this is a Paladin column, after all), is something players can learn from.

So where do we start? We have the usual racial choices: Human, Dwarf, or Draenei for the Alliance; and Blood Elf for the Horde. Because it isn't a PvP server by definition, you can make an Alliance and a Horde character. The tournament server also isn't like the live realms in that there are no quests or NPCs aside from the trainers, vendors, and arena representatives. I haven't explored the tournament realm completely, but it's safe to assume that it's a barren world. The NPCs are all Goblins, by the way, which is a bit unsettling and bizarre. There are few things stranger than seeing little green men and women in full Tier 2.

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]]>ArenaBlessing-of-KingsDragonspine-TrophyEye-of-GruulGuardians-FavorHoly-LightItemsMerciless-GladiatorMerciless-Gladiators-AegisMerciless-Gladiators-PainsawMerciless-Gladiators-RedemptionMerciless-Gladiators-VindicationMystic-DawnstonePaladinPatch-2.4PTRPublic-test-realmPvPResilienceSeason-2Tournament-test-realmTTRTwinblade-of-the-PhoenixZach YonzonThu, 13 Mar 2008 20:00:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: A class full of ironyhttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/05/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-a-class-full-of-irony/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/05/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-a-class-full-of-irony/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/03/05/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-a-class-full-of-irony/#commentsFiled under: , ,


I have once again managed to steal the Light for another week, as regular columnists Chris and Elizabeth are off on their own epic quests while I am left to tend to the shop, so to speak. For today, we'll take a closer look at how the class is designed and its inherent ironies.

When I first rolled a Paladin, I didn't know what I was getting into. I rolled it mainly as a companion toon for my playing partner, my wife, who was elated at the Horde finally getting a 'pretty' race and promptly rolled a Warlock. As I leveled with her demon-enslaving new main, the experience challenged and frustrated me and it soon became apparent that Blizzard had designed the Paladin under a completely different design perspective. I was hooked. If there are any perceived failures about the class, it is largely because Blizzard had a vision for the Paladin class that was different from traditional class designs.

Blizzard worked hard at defining each class with a clear directive to make each one feel different from the others. Rogues had Energy, combo points and finishing moves; Warriors had Rage, a sort of reverse Mana bar; and Shamans had the totem system. Paladins are designed largely around the interesting Seal system. Everything that a Paladin does revolves around Seals, Blessings, and Auras, with Seals being the primary mechanic for dealing any sort of damage. For the most part, class design has worked for many classes while others, like the Shaman, have had more than its fair share of issues.

Personally, I love the Paladin class. My main is now a Blood Elf Paladin, with my Troll Shaman getting a little less love than it used to. I also used to play a Troll Hunter and an Undead Rogue. While I enjoyed all of them as I played them, it was the Paladin that appealed to me the most. To be honest, I still have no idea why. Maybe it was the challenge. Maybe it was hybrid aspect. Maybe, for all I know, it was the coolness of it all. When you get right down to it, though, Paladins have -- if you examine it very carefully -- what is probably the most inherently flawed ironic class design in the game. Let me explain.

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]]>AuraAuto-attackBlessingBlessing-of-MightBlessing-of-SalvationBlessing-of-WisdomDevotion-AuraFire-Resistance-AuraFlash-of-LightHoly-LightHoly-ShockJudgementLay-on-HandsMeleeMelee-classPaladinSealZach YonzonWed, 05 Mar 2008 15:00:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Three easy steps to Retribution PvPhttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/02/27/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-three-easy-steps-to-retribution-p/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/02/27/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-three-easy-steps-to-retribution-p/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/02/27/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-three-easy-steps-to-retribution-p/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Regular Paladin columnist Elizabeth was crit by an insane amount of work at, well, work and her co-columnist Chris is away completing his own epic quest, so like those duplicitous Blood Elves, I'll be stealing the Light for this week and swinging it around. Since most of the stuff I write on the site concern the one thing I really like to do -- PvP -- I think I'll get into character and write about something that some people find taboo... Retribution PvP. After writing about a few rules on healing in PvP, let's indulge ourselves with a little retributive mayhem. Despite being the most ridiculed spec in the entire game, Retribution can be a lot of fun -- and painful for your opponents -- once you get some fundamentals down pat.

Step one: gear up
If you are at all interested in PvP as a Retribution Paladin, you must get geared up. There are no two ways about this. Unless you have the proper gear, you will simply not perform as well as similarly-geared classes and your PvP experience will be diminished greatly. Retribution is one of the most equipment-dependent specs in the game, and you will feel it in PvP. Chris has written an excellent starter guide for all aspiring Ret Pallies, which is an excellent read for learning about the perfect Retribution gear. In order to do some PvP, we'll then need to take the next step and go beyond what Chris suggested and aim much higher as far as at least one piece of equipment is concerned -- your weapon.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Three easy steps to Retribution PvP

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]]>auraavenging-wrathbenedictionblessing-of-freedomblessing-of-mightblessing-of-protectionconsecrationconvictioncrusader-strikedivine-purposedivine-shieldfanaticismLay-on-handsof-the-gorillapaladin-macrospursuit-of-justicepvp-macrosrepentanceresilienceret-pallyRetributionretribution-talentssanctified-judgementsanctity-auraseal-of-commandsealsshaman-purgingshockadinspell-damagevengeanceZach YonzonWed, 27 Feb 2008 11:00:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Four things for 2.4http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/02/13/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-four-things-for-2-4/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/02/13/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-four-things-for-2-4/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/02/13/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-four-things-for-2-4/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The 2.4 PTR is up, which means it's time for everyone's favorite pastime: complaining about the patch notes. ZOMG, more badge loot and no attunement for Hyjal? Blizzard is caving in to casuals! Another difficult 25-man raid instances? Oh noes, the gear gap is back and Blizz only cares about raiders!

But class complaints tend to be more numerous and specific. In all the hubbub, it's sometimes hard to tell exactly what's going to happen to paladins in the next patch. So here, without delay, are the four things you need to expect in 2.4:

1. Enter the Sunwell.

Whether you're sitting around picking at your toes after having cleared BT, stuck bumping your head up against SSC or The Eye, or just waiting for another 5-man, Patch 2.4 has a new PVE encounter for you. People who enjoy small groups can go to Magister's Terrace and fight Kael'thas, hardcore raiders can set foot in Sunwell Plateau, and not-quite-as-hardcore raiders can burst into the attunement-free Black Temple and Mount Hyjal.

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]]>2.4paladinpatch-2.4the light and how to swing itTheLightAndHowToSwingItElizabeth WachowskiWed, 13 Feb 2008 20:30:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Levels 41-50http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/02/05/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-41-50/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/02/05/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-41-50/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/02/05/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-41-50/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


This week I'm going to continue the class guide by talking about levels 41-50. This is the level range I dislike the most when playing most of my characters (more specifically, 45-50), but I'm going to include suggestions to help you get through it as fast as possible. Since you got your mount at 40, you'll notice a distinct drop in travel time, but please be careful when mounted -- enemy mobs can still hit you, potentially knocking you off your mount to make your escape on foot. You may have chosen to respec at 40 to Protection or Holy, but I'm continuing as Retribution for leveling purposes (though Prot grinding is also quite fun). As such, certain quests / areas may be harder for some specs than others, so I've tried to offer alternative zones when possible just in case you start having trouble.

If you missed the last two installments of the leveling guide, you can find 1-20 here, and 21-40 here. Before we get started on level 41, I have a couple of recommendations: First, make sure your First Aid skill is leveled up and you have a nice stock of bandages, as sometimes you'll be low on mana and a bubble/bandage can save your life. Second, always carry around a stack or two of the best water (and maybe food) you can get, and if you've leveled cooking, try to keep yourself food buffed as much as possible. Third, take a deep breath -- some of the zones you have to quest in at this level range are notorious ganking grounds on PvP servers, and many have tough mobs that may give you trouble (especially if they have a level or two on you). You will likely find yourself running back from the graveyard a lot, and that's always frustrating. Just keep on at it, and you'll get through it.

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]]>41-50guidesleveling-guidepaladinthe-light-and-how-to-swing-itChris JahoskyTue, 05 Feb 2008 16:45:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: The paladin's guide to engineeringhttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/29/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-the-paladins-guide-to-engineerin/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/29/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-the-paladins-guide-to-engineerin/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/29/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-the-paladins-guide-to-engineerin/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article suggesting that blacksmithing may be the best profession choice for paladins. However, a metric load of engineers wrote in to inform me that a) I am dumb and b) engineering offers some great options for paladins. I disagree with option a on principle, but after doing some research, I've come to agree more and more with b.

Engineering is indeed a viable (if still largely unprofitable) profession. While I might have soured on engineering after a torturous pre-BC time on my warlock, the new, revamped engineering has some wonderful tricks, toys, and ways to fill in the gaps in the paladin playstyle.

The basics

Dynamite and Bombs: They come in many forms, from these ultra-cheap versions to sophisticated gadgets. But no matter what type you make, they fulfill two important functions: they're wonderful ways to level engineering, and they provide a ranged attack/pull for a class that is otherwise lacking one. (Unless you grab Avenger's Shield or Holy Shock, but those are only available at later levels.)

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]]>blacksmithingengineeringpaladinprofessionthe light and how to swing itTheLightAndHowToSwingItElizabeth WachowskiTue, 29 Jan 2008 22:30:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Levels 21-40http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-21-40/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-21-40/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-levels-21-40/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Over here at The Light and How to Swing It, we've gotten behind on our class guide. If you missed the first installment and have just rolled a Paladin, check out Elizabeth's guide on levels 1-20. As Elizabeth said in her article, until you hit 40 or so, Retribution is probably the best talent tree for solo leveling unless you're doing a lot of instances where you are healing or tanking. Even so, Prot and Holy specs get far more effective at 40, so my advice is also to stay Ret until then, as it really will speed things up.

Be prepared -- going from 20 to 40 will take you a lot longer than going from 1-20. If you're on a PvP server you'll have to level in a contested area (this means you are automatically flagged for PvP), and that means you are likely to be ganked by opposing players who will often be a much higher level than you. If you're on a PvE server there is no threat of ganking unless you flag for PvP or wander into an area held by the opposing faction, but the difficulty level also ramps up here as well. Mobs have more health and do more damage, and you will probably find quests are harder to complete. Generally, you won't need to group up for quests (your bubble and your ability to heal yourself is invaluable), but in many zones it's not a bad idea. Since Blizzard increased the amount of experience gained from quests in this level range, it may be advantageous to group up and finish a quest quickly, rather than do it solo.

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]]>21-40guidesleveling-guidepaladinthe-light-and-how-to-swing-itChris JahoskyWed, 23 Jan 2008 16:00:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Blacksmithing for the rest of ushttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/15/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-blacksmithing-for-the-rest-of-us/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/15/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-blacksmithing-for-the-rest-of-us/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/15/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-blacksmithing-for-the-rest-of-us/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's tough to figure out what crafting professions to take as a paladin. Jewelcrafting is fun, but the market is flooded. Engineering is great if you PvP, but otherwise it's not very useful. (Edited to add: I am wrong and forgot about the goggles. Please don't turn me into a chicken.) Tailoring and leatherworking are totally out. Alchemy is easy to level, but doesn't provide much of a return. And enchanting ... is a huge pain in the rear to get to max level.

That leaves blacksmithing. Unfortunately, most blacksmithing items seem tailored for warriors or retadins. There's not a lot of craftable healing or tanking stuff out there, and blacksmithing is tough to level. So today we answer the question: What can blacksmithing do for holy and prot paladins in endgame? (Sorry, retadins, your stuff was covered in Chris's wonderful ret gear series.)

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]]>blacksmithingpaladinthe light and how to swing itTheLightAndHowToSwingItElizabeth WachowskiTue, 15 Jan 2008 13:30:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Year in Reviewhttp://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/08/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-year-in-review/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/08/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-year-in-review/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/08/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-year-in-review/#commentsFiled under:


Wow. I don't know about you, but 2007 just flew by for me. It seems like only yesterday I was standing in line at midnight to grab my copy of Burning Crusade, and now it's almost a year later. While the new year has already started, it's not too late to look back on some of the changes the Paladin class has seen in '07.

So this week on The Light and How to Swing It, I'm doing just that -- going through this past year and reminiscing about the good (and the bad) changes that paladins have experienced. If you've got any left over champagne feel free to break it out and join me as we toast this past year, and look forward to the year ahead!

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]]>2007-year-in-reviewholypaladinprotectionretributionChris JahoskyTue, 08 Jan 2008 19:30:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Your epic mount quest -- for the Horde!http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/01/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-your-epic-mount-quest-for-the/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/01/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-your-epic-mount-quest-for-the/http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/01/01/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-your-epic-mount-quest-for-the/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Happy New Year, healers, tankers and facesmashers! And what better way to ring in the new year than by ringing out your epic mount quest? Two weeks ago, we showed our Alliance brethren the way to their epic charger. Now it's time to help those anorexic Blood Knights get their own horse.

WARNING TO ALLIANCE PALADINS: If you value your sanity, do not read any farther. The ease of the Horde epic mount quest, as compared to the Alliance one, will make you cry tears of blood, smash your face into the keyboard, and run wild in the streets with your hatred. Admittedly, smashing your face into the keyboard will help prevent you from being labeled AFK in AV, but do you really want to explain to your boss why you got "Blood Knights Are Pansies" tattooed across your lower back?

Okay? Let's do this!

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]]>paladinpaladin-epic-mountqueststhe light and how to swing itTheLightAndHowToSwingItElizabeth WachowskiTue, 01 Jan 2008 10:30:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Ret gear, part 2http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/12/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-ret-gear-part-2/http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/12/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-ret-gear-part-2/http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/12/25/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-ret-gear-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Two weeks ago, I presented the first part of a list of gear for aspiring retribution paladins. This week, I'm going to finish up that list and go over everything from gloves to librams to weapons. Again, this list is meant to help your up and coming or aspiring retribution Paladin get geared up correctly. Just as before, I'm going to skip over PvP gear (because that really doesn't require a list) as well as heroic / raid gear, which isn't really immediately accessible to you if you're just starting out. It was commented on last time, but just as a precaution, there is a lot of so called "Warrior" gear on this list and very little that has spell damage or intellect. As you improve your retribution set, you'll likely pick up gear that has more of those stats on it, but for now I suggest going for gear which increases strength / attack power and melee crit above almost anything else. Alright, let's get to it!

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]]>geargear-listpaladinretributionthe-light-and-how-to-swing-itChris JahoskyTue, 25 Dec 2007 16:00:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: The paladin epic mount quest for Alliancehttp://www.wowinsider.com/2007/12/18/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-the-paladin-epic-mount-quest-for/http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/12/18/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-the-paladin-epic-mount-quest-for/http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/12/18/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-the-paladin-epic-mount-quest-for/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Dinging level 60 isn't nearly as fun as it used to be. You're probably already in Outlands, smashing faces with Tier 2-equivalent gear and looking forward to your flying mount. But wait! You've still got one thing left to do in Azeroth. Yep, it's time to head back through the Dark Portal and get your epic charger.

The Alliance and the Horde have vastly different questlines for their epic chargers, and I've got to say, the Horde one is tons easier. The Alliance one is so time-consuming that it might just be easier to shell out the gold for a regular horse/ram/elephantything. But for those who really want the status symbol, The Light and How to Swing It Presents:

Getting your epic charger (Alliance)

First off: if, as you're approaching 60, you can get your hands on Runecloth, Arthas's Tears, Arcanite (actually, start transmuting your own Arcanite a week before doing the quest if you're an alchemist), Stratholme Holy Water, an Azerothian Diamond or a Pristine Black Diamond, hang onto it. You'll need it later.

Your local paladin trainer will tell you that it's time to go see Lord Grayson Shadowbreaker in the Stormwind Cathedral District. Shadowbreaker will give you two quests: Emphasis on Sacrifice is supposed to prove your loyalty to the Light, and The Work of Grimand Elmore will help you get your horse's "barding", whatever that is. Emphasis on Sacrifice is easier, so let's go do that one first.

For Emphasis on Sacrifice, you must bring 150g to High Priest Rohan, a priest trainer in the Mystic Ward of Ironforge. In return, he'll give you his Exorcism Censer, which you can take back to Shadowbreaker. Shadowbreaker will then give you the quest Exorcising Terrordale. Head to Terrordale, the city just west of Plaguewood in Eastern Plaguelands. You need to use the Exorcism Censer on green circles that you'll find on the ground. Be prepared to face 1-3 spirits every time you use the Censer. After 25 spirits, you can return to Shadowbreaker and start work on Grimand Elmore.

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]]>chargerfeaturedfeaturespaladinpaladin mount questPaladinMountQuestthe light and how to swing itTheLightAndHowToSwingItElizabeth WachowskiTue, 18 Dec 2007 12:30:00 EST