WoW Shadowlands – Update 9.0.1 Paladin Class Changes

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands pre-expansion Update 9.0.1 brings with it a bevy of various class changes, and the Paladin was no exception. Many classes will find some of their more popular abilities that were removed many expansions ago returned, and their skill acquisition adjusted due to the massive level squish introduced in this same update.

Not every class received massive adjustments, but Paladin certainly saw a healthy amount of class changes (RIP Hammer of Reckoning). Below is the full list of class changes to Paladin in Shadowlands pre-expansion Update 9.0.1. For the full patch notes, be sure to check out the link here, where additional class changes are listed.

Paladin – Shadowlands Update 9.0.1 Class Changes

GENERAL

• The Aura bar has returned, containing Crusader Aura, Devotion Aura, and Retribution Aura. All auras have a 40 yard range, and one can be active at a time.
• Avenging Wrath and Holy Avenger no longer have a global cooldown.
• All Paladins can now use the following abilities:
  • New Ability: Turn Evil – The power of the Light compels an Undead, Aberration, or Demon target to flee for up to 40 seconds. Damage may break the effect. Only one target can be turned at a time.
  • Crusader Aura – Increases mounted speed by 20% for all party and raid members with 40 yards.
  • Devotion Aura – Party and raid members within 40 yards are bolstered by their devotion, reducing damage taken by 3%.
  • Retribution Aura – When any party or raid member within 40 yards dies, you gain Avenging Wrath for 8 seconds.
  • Word of Glory – Calls down the Light to heal a friendly target. Costs 3 Holy Power.
  • Shield of the Righteous – Slams enemies in front of you with your shield, causing Holy damage and increasing your Armor for 4.5 seconds. No longer limited by charges, costs 3 Holy Power.
  • Crusader Strike – Strike the target for Physical damage. Generates 1 Holy Power and costs 14% of base mana.
  • Hammer of Wrath – Hurls a divine hammer that strikes an enemy for Holy damage. Only usable on enemies that have less than 20% health or during Avenging Wrath. Now generates 1 Holy Power.
  • Consecration – Consecrates the land beneath you, causing Holy damage over 12 seconds to enemies who enter the area. Limit 1.
  • Blessing of Sacrifice – Blesses a party or raid member, reducing their damage taken by 30%, but you suffer 75% of damage prevented. Last 12 seconds, or until transferred damage would cause you to fall below 20% health.

HOLY

• Holy Paladins now use Holy Power as a resource.
• Holy Shock now generates 1 Holy Power and its cooldown has been reduced to 7.5 seconds (was 9 seconds).
• Beacon of Light no longer refunds mana; casting Flash of Light or Holy Light on your Beacon of Light grants 1 Holy Power. Additionally, the Beacon of Light will be healed for 50% of the amount healed (was 40%).
• Light of Dawn now costs 3 Holy Power and has no cooldown.
• Avenging Crusader (Talent) no longer has a global cooldown.
• Infusion of Light now reduces the cost of Flash of Light by 30% or increases healing of Holy Light by 30%.
• Aura Mastery now empowers your chosen aura for 8 seconds:
  • Devotion Aura: Reduced damage taken increased from 3% to 15%.
  • Crusader Aura: Mounted speed increased from 20% to 60%.
  • Retribution Aura: Duration increased by 50%.
• The following Talents have been adjusted:
  • New Talent: Saved by the Light – When an ally with your Beacon of Light is damaged below 30% health, they gain an absorb shield. You cannot shield the same person this way twice within 1 minute.
  • New Talent: Seraphim – The Light magnifies your power for 15 seconds, granting 8% Haste, Critical Strike, and Versatility, and Mastery increased by 12%.
  • New Talent: Glimmer of Light – Holy Shock leaves a Glimmer of Light on the target for 30 seconds. When you Holy Shock, all targets with Glimmer of Light are damaged or healed. You may have Glimmer of Light on up to 8 targets.
  • Holy Avenger has been redesigned – Your Holy Power generation is tripled for 20 seconds.
  • Divine Purpose has been redesigned – Holy Power abilities have a 15% chance to make your next Holy Power ability free and deal 20% increased damage and healing.
  • Fist of Justice has been redesigned – Each Holy Power spent reduces the remaining cooldown on Hammer of Justice by 2 seconds.
  • Awakening now also procs from Word of Glory.
  • Bestow Faith now generates 1 Holy Power.
  • Sanctified Wrath reduces Holy Shock’s cooldown by 40% (was 50%).

PROTECTION

• Protection Paladins now use Holy Power as a resource.
• New Passive: Shining Light – Every 5 Shield of the Righteous make your next Word of Glory cost 0 Holy Power.
• Avenger’s Shield no longer increases the effects of your next Shield of the Righteous and now generates 1 Holy Power.
• Judgment now causes the target to take 25% increased damage from your next Holy Power ability and generates 1 Holy Power.
• Hammer of the Righteous now generates 1 Holy Power.
• Consecration reduces the Protection Paladins’ damage taken by 5% while they stand inside their Consecration, in addition to any bonus added by Mastery.
• Light of the Protector has been removed.
• Word of Glory now has an additional effect: When you cast Word of Glory on yourself, it is increased by up to 150% based on your missing health.
• The following Talents have been adjusted:
  • New Talent: Divine Purpose – Holy Power abilities have a 15% chance to make your next Holy Power ability free and deal 20% increased damage and healing.
  • New Talent: Holy Avenger – Your Holy Power generation is tripled for 20 seconds.
  • New Talent: Sanctified Wrath (replaces Last Defender) – Avenging Wrath lasts 25% longer and causes Judgment to generate 2 Holy Power.
  • New Talent: Moment of Glory (replaces Bastion of Light) – Reset the cooldown of Avenger’s Shield. Your next 3 Avenger’s Shields have no cooldown and deal 20% additional damage.
  • Fist of Justice has been redesigned – Each Holy Power spent reduces the remaining cooldown on Hammer of Justice by 2 seconds.
  • Redoubt has been redesigned – Shield of the Righteous increases your Strength and Stamina by 2% for 10 seconds, stacking up to 3.
  • Blessed Hammer now has a 6 second recharge (was 4.5 seconds), generates 1 Holy Power, and reduces the enemies next damage they deal to you.
  • First Avenger has been redesigned – Avenger’s Shield hits 2 additional targets, and grants you an absorb shield for 100% of all damage it deals.
  • Hand of the Protector now increases Word of Glory’s healing by the target’s missing health, on any target.
  • Final Stand is now an area trigger that taunts all targets for 8 seconds, instead of a one-time taunt.
  • Righteous Protector now reduces the remaining cooldown of Avenging Wrath and Guardian of the Kings by 1 second with each Holy Power spent.

RETRIBUTION

• Wake of Ashes is no longer a Talent and is learned by all Retribution Paladins at level 34. Wake of Ashes damage increased 50%, now deals reduced damage on secondary targets, and generates 3 Holy Power (was 5).
• Blade of Justice cooldown is now 12 seconds (was 10.5 seconds).
• Crusade (Talent) no longer has a global cooldown.
• Greater Blessing of Kings and Greater Blessing of Wisdom have been removed.
• Divine Storm now capped at 5 targets.
• The following Talents have been adjusted:
  • New Talent: Empyrean Power (replaces Hammer of Wrath) – Crusader Strike has a 15% chance to make your next Divine Storm free and deal 25% additional damage.
  • New Talent: Healing Hands (replaces Word of Glory) – The cooldown of Lay on Hands is reduced up to 60%, based on the target’s missing health. Word of Glory’s healing is increased by up to 100%, based on the target’s missing health.
  • New Talent: Seraphim (replaces Wake of Ashes) – The Light magnifies your power for 15 seconds, granting 8% Haste, Critical Strike, and Versatility, and Mastery increased by 13%.
  • New Talent: Holy Avenger (replaces Consecration) – Your Holy Power generation is tripled for 20 seconds.
  • New Talent: Sanctified Wrath – Avenging Wrath lasts 25% longer. During Avenging Wrath, each Holy Power spent causes you to explode with Holy light damage to nearby enemies.
  • New Talent: Final Reckoning (replaces Inquisition) – Call down a blast of heavenly energy, dealing Holy damage to all targets in the target area and causing them to take 50% increased damage from your Holy Power abilities for 8 seconds. Passive: While off cooldown, your attacks have a high chance to call down a bolt that deals Holy damage and causes the target to take 10% increased damage from your next Holy Power ability.
  • Execution Sentence has been redesigned – A hammer slowly falls from the sky upon the target. After 8 seconds, they suffer Holy damage, plus 20% of damage taken from your abilities in that time.
  • Divine Judgment has been removed.
• PvP Talent changes:
  • New PvP Talent: Aura of Reckoning – When you or allies within your Aura are critically struck, you gain Reckoning. At 50 stacks of Reckoning, your next weapon swing deals 200% increased damage. In addition, it activates Avenging Wrath for 6 seconds.
  • Vengeance Aura now functions on crowd control that strikes all allies within 20 yards, rather than allies within 40 yards that have your Greater Blessings.
  • Hammer of Reckoning has been removed.