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Paladin or Priest: Which Should You Play in WoW Forever?
Pick the Priest if you want the more complete healer, faster leveling as Shadow and stronger PvP. Pick the Paladin if you want a plate healer who can also tank and rarely dies while solo.
Paladin vs Priest verdict
2 Paladin 4 Priest
The verdict is split. The Priest levels faster as Shadow, brings more healing tools to raids, is stronger in PvP and farms gold more easily.
The Paladin is better solo and in dungeons. Plate, Divine Shield and strong single-target heals make it very hard to kill, and Protection gives you a tank option the Priest does not have.
Paladin vs Priest: head-to-head comparison
| Category | Paladin | Priest |
|---|---|---|
| Leveling speed | Retribution is slow but safe; the pace is the class's known weak spot. | Winner Shadow kills faster than Retribution and barely drinks; wand early, then Mind Flay. |
| Solo play | Winner Rarely dies; bubbles and blessings solve bad pulls, just slowly. | Shadow is strong but fragile; cloth armor and mana punish careless pulls. |
| Dungeons | Winner Plate tank plus plate healer in one body; groups always make room. | A superb healer, but one of several; nothing guarantees the priest a slot. |
| Raiding | Holy is a single-target and raid-damage specialist who refuses to die. | Winner The raid healer every group leans on; big direct heals own the heavy moments. |
| PvP | Weaker in PvP; defensive to a fault and short on finishing power. | Winner Strong in PvP, and the Shadow side is dangerous. |
| Gold farming | Retribution grinds slowly; the class lacks efficient farming tools. | Winner Shadow farms with Mind Flay and low downtime; modestly better, still no farmer. |
Playing Paladin in this matchup
Paladins level as Retribution. It is slower than Shadow, but plate, Lay on Hands and Divine Shield mean you almost never die.
At 60 Holy keeps tanks alive with Holy Light, Flash of Light, Holy Shock and Oath of Light. Protection tanks with Holy Shield, Templar's Bulwark and Shieldsworn.
Where the Paladin falls short
Solo damage is low, and as a healer you have fewer group-healing tools than a Priest.
Playing Priest in this matchup
Priests level as Shadow with damage over time spells, Mind Blast and Mind Flay, and Power Word: Shield to absorb damage.
At 60 Holy and Discipline give you a wide healing kit: Penance, Divine Aegis, Prayer of Mending, Holy Binding and Prayer of Healing. Shadow brings Psychic Scream, Silence and strong PvP burst.
Where the Priest falls short
Cloth armor makes leveling riskier, and you have no way to tank.
How WoW Forever's talent changes shift this matchup
The Paladin changed far more. All three trees were rebuilt on 30 October with Oath of Light, Boundless Light, Shieldsworn, Stoicism, Turn Evil and Unsealed Wrath, and Righteous Fury comes at level 10.
Priests changed little: Binding Heal left the Holy tree but is still trainable, Holy Binding took its slot, and Shadow Word: Death backlash rose to 30% of your health.
Which should you pick: Paladin or Priest?
- Your group ever needs a tank; Protection is real and the priest has no answer.
- You hate dying; plate, blessings and Templar's Bulwark make death rare.
- The Undead Paladin playstyle appeals; it is new in WoW Forever, starting in Tirisfal Glades.
- Dungeon queues matter; a tank who can also heal never waits.
- Raid-wide utility appeals; auras and blessings lift the whole party passively.
- Healing is the job; Holy's big direct heals own the moments that decide boss kills.
- You want the faster leveling; Shadow kills faster than Retribution and barely drinks.
- PvP interests you; the Shadow side is dangerous and the paladin has no equivalent.
- You like preventing damage; Discipline's shields, Penance and Divine Aegis are unique.
- Raid healing is your endgame; Prayer of Mending and Binding Heal are built for heavy damage.
Paladin and Priest race options
Paladin has 3 race choices and Priest has 6. Races marked new could not play the class in Classic Era. See the racials guide for what each race brings.
| Faction | Paladin | Priest |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | Human, Dwarf | Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, GnomeNew |
| Horde | UndeadNew | Undead, Troll |
Plan your Paladin or Priest build
Plan your points before paying for a respec. Open the Paladin talent calculator or the Priest talent calculator, or try a starter build for your preferred role. The class picking guide compares all nine classes if you are still undecided.
Paladin vs Priest: common questions
Which healer is better for keeping the main tank alive?
Both are excellent. A Paladin's Holy Light and Oath of Light are strong on one tank. A Priest has more tools for the whole group.
Can I level as Holy paladin or Holy priest, or is that a trap?
Both level slowly as healers. Most players level as Retribution or Shadow and heal dungeons along the way.
My friends sometimes need a tank. Does that settle it?
Yes, the Paladin can tank as Protection. A Priest cannot tank at all.
Does the new Undead Paladin change the faction math?
Yes. Undead Paladins give the Horde a Paladin option, and Human and Dwarf Paladins remain on the Alliance side.
Which races can play Paladin and Priest in WoW Forever?
Paladin: Human and Dwarf on the Alliance; Undead on the Horde. Priest: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf and Gnome on the Alliance; Undead and Troll on the Horde.
What is the best leveling spec for Paladin and Priest in WoW Forever?
For leveling from 1 to 60, play Retribution Paladin or Shadow Priest. Both are A tier on our leveling tier list. Each class leveling guide has a talent path from level 10 to 60.