Welcome back PvPers!
This is a returning guide for any Protection Paladin looking to push rating in WoW 3v3 Arena. Throughout the guide I will detail your potential partners, talent choices, Azerite traits, cc rotation, ability priority, counters and favored matchups to pull off a ‘Triple DPS’ team at high rating in patch 8.1.
Potential Partners
‘Nerd Cleave’ consists of a Protection Paladin and 2 bursty single target specs. I have tested this comp in BFA as Prot/UH DK/Arms, Prot/UH DK/Ret and Prot/Ret/Ret (Gimp Strat Triple Blinding Light?) although other classes could easily work their way in such as Enh Sham, Fury War or Hunter.
Talents
Here i will breakdown each row of ‘PVE’ Talents and the differences in ‘PVP’ talents between matchups…
| PVE Talents | PVP Talents | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Shield | Redoubt | Blessed Hammer | Steed of Glory | Luminescence |
| First Avenger | Crusader’s Judgment | Bastion of Light | Guardian of the Forgotten Queen | Judgments of the Pure |
| Fist of Justice | Repentance | Blinding Light | Shield of Virtue | Guarded by the Light |
| Retribution Aura | Cavalier | Spellwarding | Inquisition | Hallowed Ground |
| Unbreakable Spirit | Final Stand | Hand of the Protector | Cleansing Light | |
| Judgment of Light | Consecrated Ground | Aegis of Light | Warrior of Light | |
| Last Defender | Righteous Protector | Seraphim | Sacred Duty |
- Holy Shield is by far the best ability on row 1.
- Crusader’s Judgment / Fist of Justice for reduced HOJ cooldown
- Cavalier for Melee teams and Spellwarding for Magic/Purge Teams
- Consecrated ground to kite and keep your enemies permanently slowed.
- Seraphim is perfect for ‘all in’ games where you expect to win in the opener or on the second HOJ rotation. Righteous Protector is good for longer games (Holy Paladin healer) where you may need to live for a few minutes to find a kill.
- Guardian of the Forgotten Queen and Shield of Virtue are necessary talents, Inquisition/Steed of Glory depending on how easy it is to stick to your target.
Azerite Traits
| Main | Secondary | Inner |
|---|---|---|
| Righteous Conviction | Woundbinder | Gallant Steed |
| Indomitable Justice | Gutripper | Resounding Protection |
| Battlefield Precision | Blessed Portents | Impassive Visage |
CC Rotation
Getting a solid opener with nerd cleave is very important. The CC chain varies depending on your comp and the team you are facing making it difficult to give a complete breakdown of each situation.
Healer Kill Target (No Trinket)
Hammer of Justice -> DK Asphx/Stormbolt - > Shield of Virtue
Healer Kill Target (Trinket)
Hammer of Justice ->Trinket->Shield of Virtue
DPS Kill Target
Hammer of Justice (Healer) -> Shield of Virtue (Healer) -> Warrior Fear/Kick(Healer)
Ability Priority
While opening with nerd cleave you essentially want to ‘ramp up’ before you connect to the target, this allows you and your teammates to start doing immediate pressure when the cc rotation is started.
Opening
(Steed of Glory) -> Avenging Wrath -> Seraphim -> (Inquisition) -> Hammer of Justice -> Judgment -> Consecrate? -> Judgment
Mid Game
Trade Guardian of the Forgotten Queen / Spellwarding / Protection for enemy cooldowns to survive until next all in on the target. Look to flash of light and avoid incoming damage with your team if you are over pressured.
Helpful Tips
Land a Blessing of Sacrifice to break CC early.
Using Divine Shield for up time on your Avenging Wrath/Seraphim is usually worth it.
Save Blessing of Freedom for your less mobile partners
Match ups
| Favored Match ups | Map Dependent Match ups | Unfavorable Match ups |
|---|---|---|
| Disc Priest | Mistweaver Monk | All Shadow Priests |
| Resto Druid | Resto Shaman | All Warlocks |
| Holy Priest | Holy Paladin |
Armory
If you have any suggestions, feedback or want to add to the guide let me know below.