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Paladin or Shaman: Which Should You Play in WoW Forever?
Pick the Shaman if you want faster leveling, good gold farming and a mix of melee, caster and healing specs. Pick the Paladin if you want a plate class that can tank and heal, and rarely dies while solo.
Paladin vs Shaman verdict
2 Paladin 2 Shaman 2 even
For most players the Shaman is the better choice. It levels faster as Enhancement, farms gold more easily, and totems help every group you join.
The Paladin wins solo play and dungeons. Plate and Divine Shield keep you alive, and you can tank as Protection, which a Shaman cannot. Raids and PvP are even.
Paladin vs Shaman: head-to-head comparison
| Category | Paladin | Shaman |
|---|---|---|
| Leveling speed | Retribution is steady and safe but slow; the pace is the class's known weak spot. | Winner Enhancement's slow two-hander grind kills steadily with almost no downtime. |
| Solo play | Winner Rarely dies; plate, bubbles and blessings solve nearly any bad pull. | Totems make most fights easier, but the shaman is squishier when caught. |
| Dungeons | Winner Plate tank plus plate healer in one body; groups always make room. | Totems and flexible healing plus real DPS specs; also highly wanted. |
| Raiding | Even Blessings, auras and an unkillable Holy healer; harder to replace. | Even Windfury, Strength of Earth and Mana Spring totems; raids usually bring two. |
| PvP | Even Weaker in PvP; defensive to a fault and short on finishing power. | Even Weaker in PvP too; burst exists but the kit is built for groups. |
| Gold farming | Retribution grinds slowly; the class lacks efficient farming tools. | Winner Enhancement grinds steadier and faster than Retribution; the less-bad farmer. |
Playing Paladin in this matchup
Retribution levels slowly but safely, with plate, heals, Divine Shield and Lay on Hands.
At 60 Holy heals tanks with Holy Light, Holy Shock and Oath of Light, Protection tanks with Holy Shield, Templar's Bulwark and Shieldsworn, and Retribution ends in Unsealed Wrath.
Where the Paladin falls short
Leveling and gold farming are slow, and Retribution is not a top raid damage spec.
Playing Shaman in this matchup
Enhancement levels with a two-handed weapon, Windfury, Stormstrike and Maelstrom Weapon, and Healing Wave keeps you going.
At 60 Restoration heals with Chain Heal, Riptide and Mana Tide Totem, Elemental uses Lightning Mastery and Lightning Overload, and totems buff the whole party.
Where the Shaman falls short
Mail armor and no Divine Shield make you easier to kill, and you cannot tank.
How WoW Forever's talent changes shift this matchup
Paladins were rebuilt on 30 October: Blessing of Light and Salvation are gone, and Oath of Light, Boundless Light, Shieldsworn, Stoicism, Turn Evil and Unsealed Wrath are new.
Shamans changed on 2 November: Lava Burst was removed, Lightning Mastery and Call of Thunder drive Elemental, Stormstrike hits harder, Riptide is a heal over time only, and Totemic Call brings your totems to you.
Which should you pick: Paladin or Shaman?
- Tanking is anywhere in your plans; Protection is complete and the shaman has none.
- You want to be unkillable; plate, blessings and Templar's Bulwark make death rare.
- The Undead Paladin playstyle calls; it is new in WoW Forever, starting in Tirisfal Glades.
- Dungeon groups are the goal; a tank who can also heal never waits for an invite.
- Single-target healing is your raid job; Light's Vigil gives Holy a burst window shamans lack.
- You want the faster leveler; Enhancement's steady grind beats Retribution's slow kills.
- Group damage is the goal; Enhancement and Elemental are real DPS with modern toolkits.
- Totems excite you; free party-wide stats and utility is a unique kind of power.
- Guaranteed raid invites matter to you; raids usually run two Shaman, the best job security in WoW Forever.
- The Alliance playstyle tempts you; the Dwarf Shaman is new and finally crosses the old faction wall.
Paladin and Shaman race options
Paladin has 3 race choices and Shaman has 5. Races marked new could not play the class in Classic Era. See the racials guide for what each race brings.
| Faction | Paladin | Shaman |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | Human, Dwarf | DwarfNew |
| Horde | UndeadNew | Orc, Tauren, Troll, Skyborne WindshaperNew |
Plan your Paladin or Shaman build
Plan your points before paying for a respec. Open the Paladin talent calculator or the Shaman 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 Shaman: common questions
I play Horde. Does that decide it for me?
No. Both classes are on both factions: Undead Paladins on the Horde, and Dwarf Shamans on the Alliance.
Blessings or totems: Which buffs the raid more?
They do different jobs. Blessings last longer and need less upkeep. Totems give more varied buffs but must be placed every fight.
Which one tanks?
The Paladin, as Protection. Shamans have no tanking spec.
Which is better for leveling from 1 to 60?
The Shaman. Enhancement kills faster than Retribution and heals itself between fights.
Which races can play Paladin and Shaman in WoW Forever?
Paladin: Human and Dwarf on the Alliance; Undead on the Horde. Shaman: Dwarf on the Alliance; Orc, Tauren, Troll and Skyborne Windshaper on the Horde.
What is the best leveling spec for Paladin and Shaman in WoW Forever?
For leveling from 1 to 60, play Retribution Paladin or Enhancement Shaman. Both are A tier on our leveling tier list. Each class leveling guide has a talent path from level 10 to 60.