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Paladin or Warrior: Which Should You Play in WoW Forever?
Pick the Paladin if you want an easier plate class to level and solo, with healing as a backup. Pick the Warrior if you want to be a main tank or top melee damage dealer in raids and PvP.
Paladin vs Warrior verdict
3 Paladin 3 Warrior
For most players focused on tanking or melee damage, the Warrior wins. It is the main raid tank, a top melee damage dealer once geared, and very strong in PvP with Mortal Strike.
The Paladin is easier to level, solos better and farms gold more easily, because it heals itself. If you want a forgiving plate class, pick the Paladin.
Paladin vs Warrior: head-to-head comparison
| Category | Paladin | Warrior |
|---|---|---|
| Leveling speed | Winner Retribution kills steadily and almost never dies, slower than pure DPS classes. | Rough early levels, almost no self-healing; gear-dependent and downtime-heavy until Arms comes online. |
| Solo play | Winner Bubbles, blessings and heals make the paladin brutally hard to kill alone. | Almost no self-healing, rough start; not a solo class. |
| Dungeons | Excellent healer and capable tank; groups always make room for one. | Winner The toughest tank and top melee DPS; instant invites if you tank. |
| Raiding | Holy is a premier healer; Retribution lags pure DPS. | Winner Main-tank material; Fury tops the melee meters once hit gear arrives. |
| PvP | Weaker in PvP; durable but outclassed by burst classes. | Winner Arms with Mortal Strike is the classic duelist; Orc stun resistance is huge. |
| Gold farming | Winner Self-sufficient and durable; grinds steadily with no support. | Downtime between pulls caps gold per hour. |
Playing Paladin in this matchup
Retribution levels slowly but steadily. You heal yourself between fights, and Divine Shield and Lay on Hands save bad pulls.
At 60 Holy heals, Protection tanks with Holy Shield, Templar's Bulwark and Shieldsworn, and Retribution ends in Unsealed Wrath. Righteous Fury at level 10 lets you tank dungeons early.
Where the Paladin falls short
Retribution deals less damage than a geared Warrior, and Protection has fewer emergency cooldowns.
Playing Warrior in this matchup
Warriors level slowly at first: Rage comes from fighting, you eat after most pulls and your weapon matters a lot. Victory Rush heals you after kills.
At 60 Protection tanks with 80% Defensive Stance threat, Shield Wall and Vanguard, Fury dual-wields with Bloodthirst and Reckless Swings, and Arms uses Mortal Strike.
Where the Warrior falls short
Leveling is the slowest of any class, and you depend on gear and healers.
How WoW Forever's talent changes shift this matchup
Both classes changed late. Paladin trees were rebuilt on 30 October with Oath of Light, Shieldsworn, Unsealed Wrath and more, and Righteous Fury moved to level 10.
Warriors changed on 2 November: Defensive Stance threat rose to 80%, Slam's cooldown fell to 15 seconds, Revenge scales with Attack Power, and Reckless Swings and Improved Whirlwind replaced Raging Blows.
Which should you pick: Paladin or Warrior?
- You want to level without ever fearing a corpse run.
- You plan to heal dungeons, since paladin healers get invited everywhere.
- The Undead paladin playstyle appeals to you; it is brand new in WoW Forever.
- You prefer mana's reliability to rage's feast-or-famine.
- You want plate and real self-heals on the same character.
- You would rather be the safe pick than the top meter.
- You want to be the main tank; Protection holds dungeons like nothing else.
- You are chasing the highest melee damage ceiling.
- PvP duels built on Mortal Strike pressure sound like home.
- Weapon freedom appeals to you: axes, swords and maces are all viable now.
- You accept a rough start for a bigger endgame payoff.
- Orc stun resistance for PvP is your kind of racial.
Paladin and Warrior race options
Paladin has 3 race choices and Warrior has 10. Races marked new could not play the class in Classic Era. See the racials guide for what each race brings.
| Faction | Paladin | Warrior |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | Human, Dwarf | Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome, Skyborne High OrderNew |
| Horde | UndeadNew | Orc, Undead, Tauren, Troll, Skyborne WindshaperNew |
Plan your Paladin or Warrior build
Plan your points before paying for a respec. Open the Paladin talent calculator or the Warrior 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 Warrior: common questions
Is Retribution actually playable in WoW Forever, or is it still a meme spec?
Yes, for leveling and casual content. Unsealed Wrath and Champion of the Light make it stronger than in Classic, but it is still behind the top damage specs.
Which one should I pick to tank dungeons while leveling?
The Paladin is easier while leveling, because Righteous Fury comes at level 10 and you heal yourself. A Warrior is the stronger tank once geared.
I have never played either class. Which is friendlier?
The Paladin. Plate, heals and Divine Shield make it very forgiving. A Warrior needs good gear and careful pulls.
What is the deal with the Undead paladin?
Undead Paladins are new in WoW Forever and give the Horde a Paladin option. Will of the Forsaken also helps against fear in PvP.
Which races can play Paladin and Warrior in WoW Forever?
Paladin: Human and Dwarf on the Alliance; Undead on the Horde. Warrior: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome and Skyborne High Order on the Alliance; Orc, Undead, Tauren, Troll and Skyborne Windshaper on the Horde.
What is the best leveling spec for Paladin and Warrior in WoW Forever?
For leveling from 1 to 60, play Retribution Paladin or Arms Warrior. On our leveling tier list, Paladin is A tier and Warrior is B tier. Each class leveling guide has a talent path from level 10 to 60.