One of the most exciting Hero Talent/Sub-Spec announcements was Templar Paladin, which will debut in the upcoming expansion “The War Within”.
I can’t put into words how excited this makes me. Easily my favorite of all the Hero Specs listed!
Hopefully, this thread can be used as a very early design concept blueprint for us players. Blizzard is looking for feedback in this area more than any other system for The War Within. Let’s get it going early so we can go live with the best outcome possible!
I will layout everything I have found so far in the lore of WoW surrounding Templars.
Up to this point, we do not know exactly if Templar Paladins will be the bridge between Retribution and Protection or Retribution and Holy. If we were betting, it is very likely the bridge will be between Retribution and Protection. However, it is important to note, Templars in WoW lore are known to share concepts from Priests and on occasion, a few healers.
So grounded in World of Warcraft, what exactly does it mean to be a Templar Paladin?
According to Wowpedia, Templars are a type of Paladin and Priest combatant. They are the most skilled in battle, but also the most righteous in their demeanor. Strength of arms and purity of mind are strict requirements.
Already from this introduction, Templars sound spot on for everything I have ever wanted from playing my Retribution Paladin! This definition gives me some Crusader vibes. Someone who has the battlefield potency and skill of an Arms Warrior, the righteousness of great Paladins/Priests and also the purity of mind that likely comes close to rivaling Monks.
This next up following info, is taken from the Warcraft RPG and is also known to be considered “non-cannon”. Nevertheless, it is important to mention!
Argent Dawn Templars, or simply Templars, are devoted students of the Holy Light. They have chosen to cast away traditions of the past to find the best ways possible to fight the growing forces of darkness in the world. Templars are similar to Paladins in that they primarily oppose demons and undead, but Templars go a step further and learn to use the Holy Light to combat other forms of evil with equal potency.
Templars study all forms of combat, and they find powerful/unique uses for the Holy Light. Most interestingly here, the more a Templar studies and delves deeper into the Holy Light, they abandon old teachings and connections to the world. They sacrifice much of their wealth and may even cast off their plate armor.
Among the eldest and most devoted Templars, rumors exist that these Knights are powerful enough to shield themselves from any form of harm and can banish a servant of the Burning Legion from Azeroth in a single strike.
An Argent Dawn Templar gains the ability to change divine spell energy into holy lightning that manifests as a silvery light. In addition, Templars may gain distinguishing marks such as runic tattoos, glowing eyes of a metallic color and even the loss of all hair on the body.
Lastly, the majority of Argent Dawn Templars are Paladins. Although some healers also take up this mantle. Argent Dawn Templars see themselves as a small silver light shinning in the darkness in the world around them. Templars see corruption in their homes and many organizations. While Templars and Paladins are indeed close allies, Templars feel that the Silver Hand overemphasizes tradition and order over general goodness and other values of the Holy Light.
So what could all this mean for the Templar Hero Spec coming to World of Warcraft?
We already know that choosing this Hero Spec, will grant us a total of 10 new talents. As we level, we eventually will gain access to all these new additions. Similar to Legion Artifacts. The only choices, will be between a few choice-node talent options. Really love this system by the way!
Whatever our first talent point is, our last talent point will likely tie back into it. If I am understanding correctly, one of the aims to this new system is to not add more abilities onto our bars. Instead, this Sub-Spec is attempting to narrow down and hyper focus on certain aspects of what is means to be a Paladin, specifically, a Templar Paladin. Whatever talent options are open to us, they are going to augment our existing toolkits.
What would I like to see from a Templar Paladin in WoW?
Most importantly, I want to feel that choosing the Hero-Spec of Templar gives me the feelings of a more dedicated, proficient, righteous and devoted Paladin. I am someone who has gone above what it means to be a Paladin.
I want to feel more “Warrior-Like” in the sense that I am tougher on the battlefield, more disciplined, skilled and focused. In real-life history, Templars were also known to break-up enemy front lines. Indeed a powerful juggernaut.
I would love to see our physical damage and sturdiness enhanced.
If we are going all in, I would primarily prefer to see options to forgo Divine Steed and instead, charge or leap on the battlefield! If options such as those are not on the table, some combat improvements to Divine Steed would still suffice. A talent, for example, that would completely alter the way Divine Steed functions. Instead of using Divine Steed as a “Sprint” type of mobility cooldown, let us summon our Divine Steed to charge directly to an enemy target. Remember those Unyielding Knights from Hellfire Peninsula? Just like that!
Another interesting concept, especially if Templar shares its connection to Retribution and Protection, would be the ability to use a shield and weapon to deal damage. This could be a one hander or even a two hander! This is a way to bolster the defensiveness of a Templar while also showing some love to the idea that Templars have mastered many forms of combat.
What I would not like to see…
Absolutely no focus on Consecration as it exists now. My fear is that Templar will share a connection to Retribution and Protection, and that Blizzard will start trying to incorporate the benefits Protection gains from Consecration into Retribution.
Please do not go down this route. Consecration is boring and makes us more stationary. Especially in PvP environments, this is deeply frustrating.
What ideas do you have?
What would you like to see for Templar Paladins?
animation to it
