Paladin Guide for WoW Forever: How Holy, Protection and Retribution Play

The WoW Forever paladin is the Classic paladin with the seams sewn up: it hits with its own attack from level 6, its seals are no longer spent when you cast Judgement, and it has a seal built for tanking. It has three trees: Holy (healing), Protection (shield tank) and Retribution (melee damage with a two-handed weapon). Here is how each one plays, what you learn along the way, a level 30 talent spread for each tree, which stats to look for and how to level.

Everything comes from the beta client (build 1.60.1.70205, with the cap at level 30) and from what Blizzard has said. Blizzard has not yet published a written explanation of the paladin, as it did for other classes, so some things may change before November 4.

In short:

• Holy: a mana-based casting healer; it lives on Flash of Light and Holy Light, and its talents give mana back with every crit.
• Protection: a shield tank that builds threat with Righteous Fury, protects itself with the absorb shield from Seal of Fury and holds groups with Consecration.
• Retribution: two-handed damage; an active seal, Judgement and Holy Strike on a loop, with plenty of crit.

What changes from Classic

What you will notice most, taken from the client and from Blizzard's notes:

What does not change: the paladin still has no interrupt and no slows. Blizzard said so in its presentation and the spellbook confirms it.

What you learn from 1 to 40

Only what changes how you play, with the level of the first rank (from the client's spellbook):

New ranks of Holy Light, Seal of Righteousness and Holy Strike arrive every few levels: visit the trainer often.

Holy: how it plays

This is the paladin's healer. It heals with casts (Flash of Light and Holy Light), has no group heals at this level, and its big problem is mana: almost all its talents exist to spend less or recover it. It shines in dungeons healing the tank and holds up well solo thanks to plate and Divine Shield, but it kills slowly. Move little: every cast leaves you standing still.

Level 30 talents, in order

You start with Divine Intellect (5 points): more intellect means more mana and more spell crit. Then Healing Light (3), which raises what Holy Light and Flash of Light heal by 12%, and Spiritual Focus (2), so enemy hits do not delay your cast: in dungeons you get hit more than it seems.

In the third row, Reverence (3): 30% of your mana regeneration keeps going while you cast. It is the gateway to Illumination. Purifying Power (2) makes Purify cheaper and cuts the cooldown of Exorcism and Holy Wrath by 33%.

With 15 points spent you reach Illumination (5): every crit from your heals gives you back half the base cost. It is the talent that makes your mana last. Point 21 goes into Holy Shock: an instant heal or damage, perfect for saving the tank while on the move.

With the 5 points from Talented: Divine Favor (a guaranteed crit on your next heal, and with Illumination that is mana back), Infusion of Light (2: crits from Holy Shock and Flash of Light shorten your next Holy Light), Voice of Truth (1: immunity to silences and interrupts for 6 s) and the first point of Holy Power.

Load these 21 points in the calculator

With the 5 points from Talented (Legacy), up to 26:

Load all 26 points in the calculator

Priority against one target

Here the "target" is the teammate you are healing:

1. Blessing of Wisdom (14) on yourself before you start: mana every 5 s for an hour.
2. Flash of Light (20) for steady damage: cheap and fast. It is what you will press most.
3. Holy Light (1) when the tank really drops or when Infusion of Light has made your next cast shorter.
4. Holy Shock (talent) for emergencies or while you move.
5. Divine Favor before an important Holy Light: a guaranteed crit and mana back with Illumination.
6. Purify (8) as soon as someone has a disease or a poison.
7. Lay on Hands (10) as a last resort: a full heal, but it leaves you without mana.

Against several enemies

Holy has no group heal at this level. Against several enemies, what changes is the order: the tank first, then whoever has loose threat. Blessing of Salvation (26) on the damage dealers reduces their threat spikes, and Divine Protection or Divine Shield save you if the enemies come for you. Consecration helps get enemies off you, but it costs a lot of mana for a healer.

Stats

With the weights the site uses for a healer: mana per 5 s first, then healing and spell power, then intellect and crit (which Illumination turns into mana), spirit and, last, stamina. More mana and more regeneration are worth more than healing a bit more.

Gear worth looking for

See this role's full BiS

Protection: how it plays

This is the paladin's tank: shield, one-handed weapon and Righteous Fury always on. Its strength is holding several enemies at once with Consecration and the absorb shield from Seal of Fury; its weak point is that it cannot interrupt and depends on mana. It also works well solo: it heals itself a little at a time with its shields and almost never dies, although it kills more slowly than Retribution.

Level 30 talents, in order

You open with Redoubt (5): more block chance after taking hits. Since October 1 it gives 4 to 20% (more before), but it is still the gateway to Shield Specialization. Anticipation (5) adds 20 defense, which is what leaves you taking the fewest critical hits.

In the third row, Improved Righteous Fury (3): 6% less damage taken while Righteous Fury is active, that is, whenever you tank. Shield Specialization (3) raises what your shield absorbs by 30% and makes your blocks give you mana back: with this, mana stops being a problem while tanking. Sacred Duty (2) adds stamina and takes a minute off the cooldown of Divine Shield, Divine Protection and Templar's Bulwark.

One-Handed Weapon Specialization (2) raises your damage, which on a paladin is also threat. Point 21 goes into Templar's Bulwark: an absorb shield equal to your full health for 8 s, your panic button. It shares Forbearance with Divine Shield and Divine Protection: you cannot chain them.

With the 5 points from Talented: the third point of One-Handed Weapon Specialization, 3 in Reckoning (extra attacks after blocking or taking a crit) and Iron Creed, which raises the threat of Holy Strike by 25% and, with Righteous Fury, takes 10% off the damage you take for 6 s.

Load these 21 points in the calculator

With the 5 points from Talented (Legacy), up to 26:

Load all 26 points in the calculator

Priority against one target

1. Righteous Fury (16) up before you pull the enemy. Without it there is no threat.
2. Seal of Fury (10) active the whole fight, with a shield equipped so it gives absorb.
3. Judgement (4) as soon as it is ready: it is your way to taunt with Seal of Fury and it does not spend the seal.
4. Holy Strike (6) every 10 s: damage, threat and, with Iron Creed, less damage taken.
5. Consecration (20) even against a single enemy if you have mana to spare.
6. Templar's Bulwark (talent) or Divine Protection (6) when your health drops suddenly.

Against several enemies

This is where Protection shines. Get the enemies on top of you and drop Consecration (20): the first 4 that step on it take the extra damage and threat. Spread Judgement and Holy Strike among the ones that wander off. Retribution Aura (16) punishes everything that hits you. At level 40 Hammer of the Righteous arrives and hits several at once. If an enemy goes for the healer, Hammer of Justice (8) stops it for 3 s.

Stats

With the site's weights for the tank: defense first, then dodge and parry, then stamina; further down agility and block chance, strength and hit, and last block value and bonus armor. Weapon DPS counts too: your damage is your threat.

Gear worth looking for

See this role's full BiS

Retribution: how it plays

This is the damage paladin: a two-handed weapon, a seal always active, and Judgement and Holy Strike every time they are ready. It kills fast for a plate-wearing melee class, heals between fights and takes a lot of punishment, so it is a comfortable tree for leveling solo. What it struggles with: mana in long fights, the lack of an interrupt and of slows, and that against fleeing enemies it has no way to stop them except Hammer of Justice.

Level 30 talents, in order

Benediction (5) first: 10% less cost on everything instant, which in Retribution is almost everything. Conviction (5) adds 5% melee crit, which feeds Vengeance further down.

In the third row, Sanctified Judgement (3): each Judgement gives you back 60% of the seal's cost. With it your mana stops running dry, and it is a requirement for Vengeance. Seal of Command (1) is your damage seal: a chance to hit for an extra 70% of weapon damage as Holy damage. Pursuit of Justice (1) gives movement speed, also while mounted, and you notice it all day while leveling.

Sacred Arbiter (1) raises Holy Strike damage by 20% and makes it refresh all Judgement effects on the target. Improved Judgement (2) lowers the Judgement cooldown from 10 to 8 s. Vindication (2) weakens the enemy's attack power and raises yours. Point 21 is the first of Vengeance: after a direct crit, 3% more physical and Holy damage for 30 s.

With the 5 points from Talented: the other 2 of Vengeance (it stacks 3 times) and 3 in Two-Handed Weapon Specialization (6% more damage with your weapon).

Load these 21 points in the calculator

With the 5 points from Talented (Legacy), up to 26:

Load all 26 points in the calculator

Priority against one target

1. Seal of Command (talent) active; before you have it, Seal of Righteousness (1).
2. Blessing of Might (4) on yourself out of combat.
3. Judgement (4) every time it is ready: it does not spend the seal and, with Sanctified Judgement, gives you mana back.
4. Holy Strike (6) every 10 s: with Sacred Arbiter it refreshes what Judgement left behind.
5. Exorcism (20) when the enemy is undead or a demon.
6. Seal of Light (30) in long fights or if you are low on health: each hit can heal you.

Later Hammer of Wrath (44) comes in to finish off enemies below 20% health.

Against several enemies

Consecration (20) under your feet, and Holy Strike and Judgement on the one with the most health. Retribution Aura (16) adds damage to every hit you take. With Seal of Command, every swing of the two-handed weapon already spreads extra Holy damage. Watch your mana: Consecration costs a lot.

Stats

With the site's weights for strength damage and two-handers: weapon DPS weighs more than any stat, so a better weapon rules. Then hit, then strength and crit on a par, agility and attack power, and last stamina.

Gear worth looking for

See this role's full BiS

Interrupting, controlling and surviving

The paladin has no interrupt. It makes up for it with stuns and immunities:

In Holy, Voice of Truth gives 6 s of immunity to silences and interrupts, and Unyielding Faith shortens fears and disorients.

How to level

The fundamentals are the same as for any class. Fight enemies at your level or one above. Whenever the trainer has a new rank of Holy Strike, Seal of Righteousness or Holy Light, go back to the capital: those are the ones you notice most. Swap weapons as soon as you find a better one, especially in Retribution, where the weapon is almost all your damage. Eat well between fights: Forever food gives 5% more experience per kill while you are well fed, and the cozy sleeping bag builds rested experience when you camp.

For going solo, Retribution is the most comfortable tree: it kills fast, heals itself with Seal of Light and Flash of Light and withstands almost anything in plate. Protection also works if you like pulling several enemies at once and letting Consecration and the Seal of Fury shield do the work. Holy is slower solo, but in dungeons you will always find a group: healers are scarce.

The route by zones and levels is in the 1-60 leveling guide, and what to do at each level is in What should I do at my level?. The ranks and costs of every spell are in the paladin spellbook.

Professions that fit

• Mining and Blacksmithing: Blacksmithing makes mail, plate and weapons, exactly what the paladin wears, and Mining supplies the material.
• First Aid: bandages to heal yourself without spending mana, useful in all three trees.
• Cooking: food with the experience bonus and with stats.
• Alchemy: mana and healing potions, which the paladin burns through more than most.

All the recipes, with the shopping list, are in professions.

Races that fit

Alliance:

• Human: Sword Specialization adds 2% crit with one- or two-handed swords, and in Retribution that means Vengeance more often. The Human Spirit helps mana in Holy. Will to Survive removes stuns.
• Dwarf: Stoneform clears bleeds, poisons and diseases and takes 10% off physical damage for 8 s, very useful for tanking. Mace Specialization adds 1% crit with maces, spells included: it serves the mace-wielding Holy paladin as well as the Retribution one.

Horde:

• Undead: the new combination in Forever, with its own quest chain in Bandarion Keep, in Tirisfal Glades. Will of the Forsaken frees you from charms, fears and sleep, very useful in PvP. Cannibalize recovers health and mana between fights, and Touch of the Grave drains health with your hits and spells.

None is mandatory: pick the one you like. The race guide has the racials with all their numbers.

Consumables

• Food: whichever leaves you well fed, for the stat and for the 5% experience per kill.
• First Aid bandages: they heal you without touching mana; in Retribution and Protection they are the cheapest heal between fights.
• Healing and mana potions: the paladin runs out of mana before it runs out of health. Always carry a mana potion for the long fights in dungeons.
• Water: drink between fights; Blessing of Wisdom helps, but it does not replace drinking.

Useful macros

A macro packs several commands into one button. These use the official spell names and the current game's syntax, which works in the beta. To create one: type /macro, click "New", paste the text and drag the icon to your bar. All of them, with a copy button, are on the paladin page; what each piece means is in the macro guide.

Stances, forms and aspects

Damage mode: two-hander, no Righteous Fury (Advanced · from level 1). Put your two-hander on button 10 of the right bar. It equips it, removes Righteous Fury so you don't steal threat from the tank, and puts up Seal of Righteousness.

#showtooltip Seal of Righteousness
/click MultiBarRightButton10
/cancelaura Righteous Fury
/cast Seal of Righteousness

Judgement, Shift puts up your seal (Intermediate · from level 4). No modifier attacks and casts Judgement; Shift renews Seal of Righteousness. In Forever Judgement no longer consumes the seal, so you only refresh it every 30 sec.

#showtooltip
/startattack
/cast [mod:shift] Seal of Righteousness; Judgement

Seal of Fury and Judgement (tank) (Intermediate · from level 10). For Protection: Shift puts up Seal of Fury; no modifier casts Judgement, which with that seal is your taunt according to Blizzard.

#showtooltip
/startattack
/cast [mod:shift] Seal of Fury; Judgement

Tank mode: shield, Righteous Fury and Seal of Fury (Advanced · from level 10). Put your one-hand weapon on button 11 and your shield on button 12 of the right bar. It equips them; the first press casts Righteous Fury and the next ones Seal of Fury (it starts over when you leave combat).

#showtooltip Seal of Fury
/click MultiBarRightButton11
/click MultiBarRightButton12
/castsequence reset=combat Righteous Fury, Seal of Fury

Righteous Fury: on or off (Intermediate · from level 16). No modifier puts up Righteous Fury to tank; Alt removes it, for when you heal or deal damage and don't want to pull aggro off the tank.

#showtooltip Righteous Fury
/cancelaura [mod:alt] Righteous Fury
/cast [nomod:alt] Righteous Fury

Seal of Justice on the fly (Intermediate · from level 22). Shift puts up Seal of Justice (hits that can stun); no modifier casts Judgement. Handy against enemies that run away.

#showtooltip
/startattack
/cast [mod:shift] Seal of Justice; Judgement

Auras on one button (Intermediate · from level 22). No modifier is Devotion Aura; Shift is Concentration Aura (to heal without being interrupted); Ctrl is Retribution Aura.

#showtooltip
/cast [mod:shift] Concentration Aura; [mod:ctrl] Retribution Aura; Devotion Aura

Resistance auras on one button (Intermediate · from level 36). No modifier is Shadow resistance; Shift is Fire; Ctrl is Frost. For bosses that hit with one school of magic.

#showtooltip
/cast [mod:shift] Fire Resistance Aura; [mod:ctrl] Frost Resistance Aura; Shadow Resistance Aura

Seal of Light or Seal of Wisdom (Intermediate · from level 38). One button for the sustain seals: no modifier is Seal of Light (hits can heal you); Shift is Seal of Wisdom (hits can restore mana).

#showtooltip
/cast [mod:shift] Seal of Wisdom; Seal of Light

Attacking

Judgement that waits for your shield (Advanced · from level 4). For tanks who swap weapons: without a shield it stops and equips the one on button 12 of the right bar; with a shield it attacks and casts Judgement.

#showtooltip Judgement
/click [noworn:Shields] MultiBarRightButton12
/stopmacro [noworn:Shields]
/startattack [harm,nodead]
/cast Judgement

Judgement on your focus's target (Advanced · from level 4). Focus the tank: the macro takes their target, attacks and casts Judgement. You always hit what they hit without looking for it.

#showtooltip Judgement
/assist [@focus,exists]
/startattack [harm,nodead]
/cast [harm,nodead] Judgement

Holy Strike and attack (Basic · from level 6). Starts your auto-attack and casts Holy Strike, the paladin's own attack from level 6 in Forever.

#showtooltip Holy Strike
/startattack
/cast Holy Strike

Trinkets and Holy Strike (Advanced · from level 6). Uses both trinkets (slots 13 and 14) together with Holy Strike to stack their effect on the hit. If a trinket isn't usable or is on cooldown, nothing breaks.

#showtooltip Holy Strike
/startattack [harm,nodead]
/use 13
/use 14
/cast Holy Strike

Holy Strike that finds a target (Advanced · from level 6). If your target is dead it drops it and picks the nearest enemy; then attacks and casts Holy Strike. Saves clicks when clearing packs.

#showtooltip Holy Strike
/cleartarget [dead]
/targetenemy [noexists]
/startattack [harm,nodead]
/cast [harm,nodead] Holy Strike

Exorcism on mouseover or target (Basic · from level 20). Hits the enemy under your mouse or your target with Exorcism. Only undead and demons, unless you have the Exorcist talent.

#showtooltip Exorcism
/cast [@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Exorcism
/startattack

Consecration and attack (Basic · from level 20). Drops Consecration under you without stopping your swings. For packs of enemies, especially when tanking.

#showtooltip Consecration
/startattack
/cast Consecration

Hammer of Wrath to finish off (Basic · from level 44). For enemies under 20% health: throws it at your mouseover or target, and keeps attacking.

#showtooltip Hammer of Wrath
/cast [@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Hammer of Wrath
/startattack

Interrupts

Hammer of Justice on your focus (Intermediate · from level 8). Paladins have no interrupt: a stun is how you stop a cast. Stops your own cast and stuns your focus, your mouseover or your target.

#showtooltip Hammer of Justice
/stopcasting
/cast [@focus,harm,nodead][@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Hammer of Justice

Crowd control

Turn Undead on focus or mouseover (Basic · from level 1). Makes an undead you aren't targeting flee. Only one at a time, and damage breaks it.

#showtooltip Turn Undead
/cast [@focus,harm,nodead][@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Turn Undead

Repentance on focus or mouseover (Basic · from level 20). Incapacitates a humanoid without switching targets. Needs the Repentance talent (Retribution).

#showtooltip Repentance
/cast [@focus,harm,nodead][@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Repentance

Defense and survival

Divine Protection: on and off (Intermediate · from level 6). 8 sec of immunity from level 6; Shift cancels it so you can attack again once the danger is over.

#showtooltip Divine Protection
/cancelaura [mod:shift] Divine Protection
/stopcasting [nomod]
/cast [nomod] Divine Protection

Lay on Hands: mouseover, Shift on you (Basic · from level 10). Your emergency heal: on your mouseover or target; with Shift, on yourself without dropping your target.

#showtooltip Lay on Hands
/cast [mod:shift,@player][@mouseover,help,nodead][] Lay on Hands

Blessing of Protection on mouseover (Basic · from level 10). Saves your mouseover ally from physical hits; with Shift, yourself. Careful: they can't attack while it lasts.

#showtooltip Blessing of Protection
/cast [mod:shift,@player][@mouseover,help,nodead][] Blessing of Protection

Lay on Hands on whoever is taking the hits (Advanced · from level 10). With an enemy targeted, it heals whoever that enemy is attacking (your target's target); otherwise your mouseover or yourself. To save the tank without looking for them.

#showtooltip Lay on Hands
/stopcasting
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][@targettarget,help,nodead][@player] Lay on Hands

Blessing of Protection on whoever is attacked (Advanced · from level 10). On your focus or mouseover; otherwise on whoever your target is attacking; right-click puts it on you. Don't use it on the tank: they won't be able to attack.

#showtooltip Blessing of Protection
/cast [btn:2,@player][@focus,help,nodead][@mouseover,help,nodead][@targettarget,help,nodead] Blessing of Protection

Blessing of Freedom on mouseover or you (Basic · from level 18). Frees your mouseover ally from roots and slows; if there's nobody, yourself.

#showtooltip Blessing of Freedom
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][@player] Blessing of Freedom

Divine Shield: on and off (Intermediate · from level 34). Stops your cast and puts up Divine Shield; Shift cancels it early, because it halves your damage.

#showtooltip Divine Shield
/cancelaura [mod:shift] Divine Shield
/stopcasting [nomod]
/cast [nomod] Divine Shield

Blessing of Sacrifice on mouseover (Basic · from level 46). Takes part of the damage your mouseover ally or target receives.

#showtooltip Blessing of Sacrifice
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][] Blessing of Sacrifice

Healing and support

Holy Light on mouseover, Shift on you (Basic · from level 1). Heals whoever is under your mouse without switching targets; with Shift, yourself.

#showtooltip Holy Light
/cast [mod:shift,@player][@mouseover,help,nodead][] Holy Light

Purify on mouseover (Basic · from level 8). Removes poisons and diseases from whoever is under your mouse.

#showtooltip Purify
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][] Purify

Flash of Light on mouseover, Shift on you (Basic · from level 20). The quick heal, the same way: on whoever you point at or, with Shift, yourself.

#showtooltip Flash of Light
/cast [mod:shift,@player][@mouseover,help,nodead][] Flash of Light

Blessings on one button (Intermediate · from level 20). On your mouseover or yourself: no modifier is Blessing of Might; Shift is Wisdom; Ctrl is Kings.

#showtooltip
/cast [mod:shift,@mouseover,help,nodead][mod:shift,@player] Blessing of Wisdom; [mod:ctrl,@mouseover,help,nodead][mod:ctrl,@player] Blessing of Kings; [@mouseover,help,nodead][@player] Blessing of Might

Flash of Light on the party with modifiers (Advanced · from level 20). No modifier: your mouseover or target; Shift: party member 1; Ctrl: 2; Alt: 3; Shift+Ctrl: 4. Heal without clicking party frames.

#showtooltip Flash of Light
/cast [mod:shift,mod:ctrl,@party4][mod:shift,@party1][mod:ctrl,@party2][mod:alt,@party3][@mouseover,help,nodead][] Flash of Light

Blessing of Salvation on mouseover (Basic · from level 26). Lowers the threat of your mouseover ally or target. Don't put it on the tank.

#showtooltip Blessing of Salvation
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][] Blessing of Salvation

Cleanse on mouseover (Basic · from level 42). From level 42 it also removes magic, as well as poisons and diseases, from whoever is under your mouse.

#showtooltip Cleanse
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][] Cleanse

Cleanse: right-click on you (Advanced · from level 42). Left-click: your mouseover or target; right-click: yourself, without dropping the enemy. With Shift it uses Purify, which costs less mana.

#showtooltip
/cast [mod:shift,btn:2,@player][mod:shift,@mouseover,help,nodead][mod:shift] Purify; [btn:2,@player][@mouseover,help,nodead][] Cleanse

Greater blessings on one button (Intermediate · from level 60). Blesses the whole class of your mouseover or target: no modifier is Kings; Shift is Wisdom; Ctrl is Might.

#showtooltip
/cast [mod:shift,@mouseover,help][mod:shift] Greater Blessing of Wisdom; [mod:ctrl,@mouseover,help][mod:ctrl] Greater Blessing of Might; [@mouseover,help][] Greater Blessing of Kings

Utility

Redemption on mouseover (Basic · from level 1). Resurrects the dead ally under your mouse (on the party frame, for example) or your target. Out of combat only.

#showtooltip Redemption
/cast [@mouseover,help,dead][] Redemption

Paladin mount (Intermediate · from level 1). Summons your warhorse; with Shift, the charger if you have it. If you're mounted, you dismount.

#showtooltip
/dismount [mounted]
/cast [nomounted,mod:shift] Summon Charger; [nomounted] Summon Warhorse

Divine Intervention on mouseover (Basic · from level 30). Saves an ally from a wipe (a healer, for example, so they can resurrect the group) without switching targets. You sacrifice yourself.

#showtooltip Divine Intervention
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][] Divine Intervention

What we do not know yet

• The beta is at level 30. Everything you learn from 32 onward (Divine Shield, Seal of Wisdom, Hammer of the Righteous, Blessing of Light, Cleanse) is in the client but has not been playable yet.
• Blizzard has not published the written explanation of the paladin, as it did for the warrior, priest, hunter and druid. What we know comes from its presentation, the patch notes and the client.
• The text of Hammer of the Righteous does not yet say how many targets it hits.
• The text of Hammer of the Righteous mentions an attack, Crusader Strike, that the client does not carry as a paladin spell.
• The Protection numbers have already been touched twice in two weeks (Redoubt went down and Holy Shield went up on October 1). They may keep changing.
• Champion of the Light gives 20 to 60% of your intellect as spell damage. Blizzard clarified that it never increased healing: it was a tooltip error.

Frequently asked questions

Can the paladin tank in WoW Forever?

Yes, and better prepared than in Classic. It has a seal built for tanking, Seal of Fury, whose Judgement works as a taunt according to Blizzard, and Consecration is trained at 20 to hold several enemies. What it still lacks is an interrupt.

Which paladin tree is the most comfortable for leveling solo?

Retribution: it kills fast, heals between fights and takes a lot of punishment in plate. Protection also levels well if you like pulling several enemies at once. Holy is slower solo, but it finds a group right away.

What is Holy Strike?

A new Forever attack trained at level 6: an instant weapon strike plus Holy damage, with a 10 s cooldown. All three trees use it, and several talents improve it: Sacred Arbiter in Retribution, Iron Creed in Protection and Holy Power in Holy.

Can an Undead be a paladin?

Yes. It is one of Forever's new combinations and the only paladin option for the Horde. It has its own quest chain in Tirisfal Glades and, according to Blizzard, an epic mount at level 60.

Does Judgement spend the seal?

No. In Forever, Judgement unleashes the seal's energy on the enemy and the seal stays active. In Retribution, Sanctified Judgement also gives you back part of its cost.