World of Warcraft: Forever Paladin Deep Dive Details Seal Changes, New Tanking Tools, and Seal Twisting

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Blizzard has wrapped up its World of Warcraft: Forever class deep dive series with the Paladin, laying out a sizable beta rework for Holy, Protection, and Retribution ahead of the game’s worldwide launch on November 4.

The big picture: Paladins are still built around Seals and Judgements, but several long-running pain points are being adjusted. Judgement no longer consumes the active Seal, Consecration is becoming baseline at level 20, and Lay on Hands is dropping from a 1-hour cooldown to 20 minutes. Blizzard also notes that these changes are still part of beta and may shift before launch.

  • Holy Strike is a new level 6 ability that deals instant Holy damage based on weapon damage.
  • Seal of Fury is a new level 10 tanking Seal that adds Holy damage, creates an absorb shield, and lets Judgement taunt from 10 yards.
  • Consecration is no longer a Holy talent, but it’s being limited so it only deals moderate damage to the first four enemies that enter it.
  • Salvation is no longer a Blessing, meaning Paladins can use it alongside a normal Blessing. The raid version is being renamed Mass Salvation, though Blizzard says that change is coming in a future beta build.
  • Seal Twisting is no longer baseline. Retribution gets a new version through the 31-point talent Twist of Light.

Holy Paladins are getting more ways to support group healing without losing their single-target identity. Holy Shock is moving to the 21-point gold medal slot and its cooldown is being cut to 10 seconds. A new 31-point talent, Light’s Vigil, lets Holy Paladins set up extra Holy Shock effects on allies or enemies, including party-wide healing when used on friendly targets.

Protection is getting more dedicated tank tools. Templar’s Bulwark adds a major absorb cooldown tied to Forbearance, while Swift Judgement can instantly reset Judgement’s cooldown. Blizzard is also adding mana support through Seal of Fury and Shield Specialization, which should help with longer fights.

Retribution is aimed at more consistent damage and raid utility. Sacred Arbiter lets Holy Strike refresh Judgement effects on the target, including ones applied by other Paladins, while Twist of Light brings back a more controlled take on Seal Twisting. Repentance is also moving earlier in the tree as a 21-point gold medal talent.

Talents still start at level 10, with gold medal talents at 11, 16, 21, and 31 points. Players will need to visit a class trainer in a major city to respec, including Legacy talents, and Dual Specialization unlocks at level 40.

Further reading: Official Blizzard WoW: Forever Paladin deep dive