Learned

2026-09-17: Blizzard Ships a Swing Timer as the Beta Opens at Level 20

The beta opened Thursday evening after a Q&A that gave paladins nothing except one line: a swing timer is coming to the base UI, and it was already in the client that night. Ret testers found Holy Strike is an instant strike at 25 to 40% weapon damage that does not trigger seals, and Blizzard’s own beta notes admit its rank-ups feel bad. Seal of Righteousness crits for double, Seal of Fury scales at 10% of spell power, and the Judgement of Fury tooltip says it taunts for 4 seconds. The talent trees are the demo’s, unchanged, so the capstones stay out of reach.

⚔️ Retribution: Holy Strike Lands Soft and Seal of Righteousness Crits for Double

• Holy Strike in the beta is an instant attack like Crusader Strike, learned at level 6. Rank 1 is 25% weapon damage plus about 13 holy, the top rank on the level 10 trainer is 40%, and it does not proc seals. Testers using Judgement of the Crusader put its spell power coefficient near 42.5%, the standard instant number; the Ret rotation section has the reads. Confirmed
• Blizzard’s beta notes, screenshotted in the channel, say Holy Strike “doesn’t feel great to rank up”, which everyone reads as a buff on the way, and that VengeanceVengeanceRetribution · Max rank 3 · Changed from ClassicIncreases your Physical and Holy damage dealt by 1% for 30 sec after landing a critical strike. Stacks up to 5 times.Requires 20 points in Retribution · Requires 3 points in Sanctified JudgementMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. “can activate off of periodic critical strikes”, fixed in the next build. Both are on the beta tracker. Blizzard said
• Seal of Righteousness crits now, and it crits for double damage as a melee attack rather than the 150% spells do. One tester’s Judgement of the Crusader test reads its spell power scaling at 20 to 25% per hit on a one-hander, not the 10% everyone assumed from the demo; the two-hander read came out flat. One test at level 10, so treat it as a first read on the beta tracker. Confirmed
• The base UI swing timer split the channel within minutes: “the gates are open, demand proper twisting” versus “at most a 0% chance”, with the middle ground being that the timer “increased our chance to get seal twisting by 0.67%”. The Q&A itself was announced here; nobody posted a VOD timestamp. The state of the argument is in what Ret is arguing about. Consensus
• Two 21/0/30 Shock Ret links arrived, the first posted versions of the split the panel pointed at: one keeps Seal of Command and Vindication, the other takes Two-Handed Weapon Specialization and its own author calls it “more Ret than Shock, you just get one more button”. One person
• The datamine reads Consecration at 9.5% of spell power per tick, 76% in total, on the first four targets, with a base near a quarter of vanilla’s; one person’s math has it beating the Classic version past about 670 spell power. Seal of Fury reads at 10%. Both are in the Ret talent notes, with the caveats people raised about the tooltip. One person

🛡️ Protection: Judgement of Fury Reads as a Real Taunt and Spell Power Wins

• The beta tooltip: “Unleashing this Seal’s energy causes 22 to 24 Holy damage to an enemy and taunts the target to attack you for 4 sec. Increases the damage of your Holy Strike ability by 10% and causes it to refresh all Judgement effects on the target.” The channel reads that as a real taunt that takes threat, unlike Mocking Blow, and points out that taunt diminishing returns were a TBC addition Classic never had. The tanking loop has the argument. Confirmed
• Seal of Fury scales at about 10% of spell power and the damage is flat per hit: one combat log showed rank 1 doing 6 base plus 4 from a rank 2 Judgement of the Crusader and 5 spell power boots. The tester’s advice is a fast one-hander, for more hits and more absorb uptime. Details in Prot gearing. Confirmed
• Every crafted tank piece in the datamined blacksmithing plans is defense, Stamina and spell power, and none carries Intellect. “No way we are attack power” settled the stat question, and the Champion of the LightChampion of the LightRetribution · Max rank 3 · New in ForeverIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.Requires 25 points in RetributionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. tank builds lost ground the same hour. One person
• No Holy ShieldHoly ShieldProtection · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic150 Mana | Instant | 10 sec cooldownIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires 30 points in Protection · Requires 1 point in Templar's Bulwark · Requires ShieldsAll ranks read from demo footage. rank tooltip in the beta files lists charges. The channel’s own caveat is “good odds it’s just a tooltip error”, but “if Holy ShieldHoly ShieldProtection · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic150 Mana | Instant | 10 sec cooldownIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires 30 points in Protection · Requires 1 point in Templar's Bulwark · Requires ShieldsAll ranks read from demo footage. has no charges, Prot is in a good place”. The Wowhead set bonus datamine also gave the Protection tier a Forbearance reduction and a faster Turn Undead, which nobody believes are final. One person
• Strength still gives block value at 20 to 1, the character sheet now tells you the crit cap, and crushing blows are listed in the attack table. Seal of Righteousness and Consecration both crit for tanks too. All on the beta tracker. Confirmed
• A 32/19/0 Light’s Vigil tank was posted as “what if we want even MORE snap threat”, with an opener of Vigil, Divine FavorDivine FavorHoly · Max rank 1 · Moved37 Mana | Instant | 2 min cooldownWhen activated, gives your next Flash of Light, Holy Light, or Holy Shock spell a 100% critical effect chance.Requires 15 points in HolyAll ranks read from demo footage., two Holy Shocks, Judgement, Swift JudgementSwift JudgementProtection · Max rank 1 · New in ForeverInstant | 1 min cooldownFinishes the remaining cooldown on your Judgement ability and reduces the Mana cost of your next Judgement by 100%.Requires 15 points in Protection · Requires 1 point in Improved Seal of FuryAll ranks read from demo footage., Holy Strike and Consecration. The reply was “gonna snap my neck if I played a build like that”. One person

✨ Holy: Light’s Vigil Costs 1,340 Mana on the Beta Tooltip

• The Light’s Vigil tooltip pulled from the beta files reads 1,340 mana, against 730 on the demo screenshot, and the 75% refund is only for the enemy version. “There’s no way that’s worth 1,300 mana” was the reaction; the Vigil section has the mana argument that followed. Confirmed
• A new question about the Vigil heal: “causes friendly targets to heal their party” may credit the heal to the target, the way Prayer of Mending does, in which case IlluminationIlluminationHoly · Max rank 5 · Changed from ClassicAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 40% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires 15 points in Holy · Requires 3 points in ReverenceMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 2 text. would never refund on it. The counter is that IlluminationIlluminationHoly · Max rank 5 · Changed from ClassicAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 40% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires 15 points in Holy · Requires 3 points in ReverenceMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 2 text.’s own tooltip names Light’s Vigil. Nobody can test it at 30; the Vigil section lays out both sides. One person
• Downranking survives: rank 1 and rank 2 of the same heal cost different mana in the beta, and Holy Light is 40 yards. A cooldown manager is an option in the default UI. See how healing plays. Confirmed
• The datamined Holy tier bonuses are 10 Spirit, 30 seconds off Blessing of Protection, 26 healing and a second off Holy ShockHoly ShockHoly · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic160 Mana | Instant | Enemy: 20 yd range | Friendly: 40 yd range | 10 sec cooldownBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.Requires 20 points in HolyAll ranks read from demo footage., per the Wowhead datamine. “The set bonuses don’t really do much”, which half the channel calls sad and half calls freedom to wear anything. One person
• A hit-capped 23/0/28 Shockadin came with the math: 9% melee hit and 18% spell hit are the caps, Divine PrecisionDivine PrecisionHoly · Max rank 3 · New in ForeverIncreases your chance to hit with Holy spells by 6%.Requires 20 points in Holy · Requires 1 point in Holy ShockMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. 2/3 gives 12%, gear and weapon skill do the rest, and a third point “is bad”. One person
• One person stacked Intellect and spell damage on Era gear in a vanilla sim and got 742 spell power, 354 Intellect and 161 from Judgement of the Crusader, or 1,257 holy damage; another expects rank 7 Holy Light to hit a little under 2,000 fully buffed with Champion of the LightChampion of the LightRetribution · Max rank 3 · New in ForeverIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.Requires 25 points in RetributionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text.. Both are napkin math in the healing section. One person

📜 Blizzard and Other: The Q&A Brings No GDKP, Reals, and a Swing Timer

• What the channels took from the September 17 Q&A: a swing timer is coming to the base UI, GDKP raids are not allowed, the Reals currency from Season of Discovery returns, Oceanic servers will be in Australia, real-money trading is a permanent ban, and some Season of Discovery class quests return with some expanded. Every channel called it light on class content. Blizzard said
• At level 10 the paladin talent trees match the demo and the trainer has nothing beyond the demo’s spells, so Avenging Wrath, Seal of Blood and Hammer of the Righteous are not in the game. Hammer of the Righteous sits in the client files with Season of Discovery wording, and datamine sites that list it were judged AI-generated. The beta tracker has the status. Confirmed
• Beta client facts from the first night: Blessing of Kings and Consecration are trainer spells at 20, greater and single blessings both last an hour, spells miss instead of resisting, Holy Wrath’s tooltip shows a stun at 20 yards, and Touch of the Grave procs off every attack and spell including Polymorph, which everyone assumes is a bug. All on the beta tracker. Confirmed
• An achievement seen at the playtest names Hyjal Summit as the 20-player raid with 13 encounters. Read from demo
• Wowhead datamined every way to earn Legacy points; none is reachable in the level 20 beta, and the Prot channel’s guess is that an average player has about 5 by 60. Characters carry two names, and only the combination is unique. One person
• Datamined items people liked: a crafted epic Steadfast Libram that needs 310 Enchanting, a libram with 6% Holy ShockHoly ShockHoly · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic160 Mana | Instant | Enemy: 20 yd range | Friendly: 40 yd range | 10 sec cooldownBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.Requires 20 points in HolyAll ranks read from demo footage. crit, a Crowd Pummeler with spell power, and Return to Sender, which reflects a spell when you drop below 25% health. One person

🏹 PvP: Holy Reckoning Returns With Precision

• A revised Holy Reckoning at 25/26/0 swaps the spell hit talent for PrecisionPrecisionProtection · Max rank 3 · Changed from ClassicIncreases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%.Requires 5 points in ProtectionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text., Templar’s Bulwark and Improved Hammer of JusticeImproved Hammer of JusticeProtection · Max rank 3 · Same as ClassicDecreases the cooldown of your Hammer of Justice spell by 15 sec.Requires 15 points in ProtectionAll ranks read from demo footage.: “play like a healer, but now you have Holy ShockHoly ShockHoly · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic160 Mana | Instant | Enemy: 20 yd range | Friendly: 40 yd range | 10 sec cooldownBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.Requires 20 points in HolyAll ranks read from demo footage. and a double judge on top of the ReckoningReckoningProtection · Max rank 5 · Changed from ClassicGives you a 8% chance to gain an extra attack after Blocking a melee attack and a 20% chance to gain an extra attack after being the victim of a non-periodic critical strike.Requires 20 points in ProtectionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. stack”. Replies: RedoubtRedoubtProtection · Max rank 5 · Changed from ClassicDamaging melee attacks against you have a 10% chance to increase your chance to block by 6%. Lasts 10 sec or 5 blocks.Max rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. is dead weight with a two-hander, and IlluminationIlluminationHoly · Max rank 5 · Changed from ClassicAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 40% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires 15 points in Holy · Requires 3 points in ReverenceMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 2 text. is worth less in PvP than Improved SealsImproved SealsHoly · Max rank 3 · Changed from ClassicIncreases the damage done by your Seals and Judgements by 5%.Requires 5 points in HolyMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text.. One person
• Holy Strike’s combat log damage is Holy, so it ignores armor, and the Ret channel called that “big for PvP”. VindicationVindicationRetribution · Max rank 3 · Changed from ClassicGives your damaging melee attacks a chance to reduce the target's Attack Power by 42, and increase your Attack Power by 1% for 30 sec.Requires 10 points in RetributionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text.’s level 60 tooltip reads about a 200 attack power debuff, strong against melee, though it scaled per level in Season of Discovery. The PvP playstyle section has both. One person
• The PvP realm is faction locked: a Horde character there blocks Alliance ones. Rank progression is honor every three months with vanity rewards at the top, per the channel’s read of Blizzard’s PvP talk. See the PvP page. Confirmed

A quiet stretch after the beta-opening rush. Two Protection testers confirmed the Seal of Fury absorb does not stack, closing an open question the tracker had carried since launch night. Retribution players turned up an old Seal of Martyrdom quest still sitting in the client, though finishing it hands over nothing anymore.

🛡️ Protection: Seal of Fury’s Absorb Overwrites Instead of Stacking

• Two testers independently confirmed that landing a second Seal of Fury hit while the absorb shield is still up replaces the shield rather than adding to it. That settles the question the Protection page had carried open since the beta started. Confirmed

📜 Blizzard and Other: An Old Seal of Martyrdom Quest Survives, but Gives Nothing

• A tester found the quest that used to reward Seal of Martyrdom is still completable in the beta client, but finishing it no longer grants the seal or anything else paladin-specific. It reads as a leftover from an earlier build, not a sign the seal is returning. The Retribution page has the note alongside the other seals still sitting in the files. Read from demo

2026-09-16: Prot Picks a Tank Build, Holy Ends the Vigil Debate

Busy day for tanks. The Prot channel posted eleven builds in one afternoon and mostly agreed on an 8/34/9 split. Holy finally stopped arguing about Light’s Vigil and landed on two ways to use it, and most healers now assume Champion of the LightChampion of the LightRetribution · Max rank 3 · New in ForeverIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.Requires 25 points in RetributionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. will lose its healing half before launch. Blizzard confirmed there won’t be Shaman or Warlock tanks, a raid test realm, or flex raid sizes. Blizzard’s live WoW Forever Q&A streams tomorrow at 10am Pacific, and you can still submit a question.

🛡️ Protection: Tanks Rally Around an 8/34/9 Build

• After eleven builds went up in a day, the channel mostly settled on 8/34/9, which the builds page calls Solid Prot. The interesting outliers are tanks that take Holy ShockHoly ShockHoly · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic160 Mana | Instant | Enemy: 20 yd range | Friendly: 40 yd range | 10 sec cooldownBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.Requires 20 points in HolyAll ranks read from demo footage., and a couple of deep-Ret tanks that skip Holy ShieldHoly ShieldProtection · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic150 Mana | Instant | 10 sec cooldownIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires 30 points in Protection · Requires 1 point in Templar's Bulwark · Requires ShieldsAll ranks read from demo footage. entirely. Consensus
• Someone posted a plate piece with both defense and spell power on it, and that settled a long argument. Spell power is the tank stat. The reasoning is in the Prot gearing section. Read from demo
• The new worry is off-tank mana, since a tank who isn’t getting hit isn’t getting Shield SpecializationShield SpecializationProtection · Max rank 3 · Changed from ClassicIncreases the amount of damage absorbed by your shield by 10%, and gives your blocks a 33% chance to restore 6% of your maximum Mana. May only occur once every 3 sec.Requires 10 points in Protection · Requires 5 points in RedoubtMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. returns. The usual answer is dual spec. See what Prot is arguing about. Consensus
• One person watched a stream closely and estimates Seal of Fury at about 10% of spell power per swing, Holy Strike near 20%, and Consecration close to TBC’s 96% on the first four targets. Nobody has confirmed those numbers, and they are on the beta tracker to test. One person

✨ Holy: The Vigil Debate Ends and Champion of the Light Looks Doomed

• The IlluminationIlluminationHoly · Max rank 5 · Changed from ClassicAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 40% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires 15 points in Holy · Requires 3 points in ReverenceMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 2 text. tooltip lists Light’s Vigil, the Vigil heal can crit, and casting Vigil on an enemy refunds 75% of a Holy ShockHoly ShockHoly · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic160 Mana | Instant | Enemy: 20 yd range | Friendly: 40 yd range | 10 sec cooldownBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.Requires 20 points in HolyAll ranks read from demo footage.. The Vigil section of the Holy page has the full read. Read from demo
• The week-long argument about precasting Vigil ended with two accepted uses. Put it up before a damage window you know is coming, or drop it on one group after they take damage. Consensus
• Most of the channel now expects Champion of the LightChampion of the LightRetribution · Max rank 3 · New in ForeverIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.Requires 25 points in RetributionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. to be cut to damage only, on the theory that Blizzard won’t let Intellect double as healing power. Blizzard’s own explanation of the talent is at 1:11:46 in the deep dive. Consensus
• Holy ShockHoly ShockHoly · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic160 Mana | Instant | Enemy: 20 yd range | Friendly: 40 yd range | 10 sec cooldownBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.Requires 20 points in HolyAll ranks read from demo footage. is a 10-second cooldown with 20 yards of range. ReverenceReverenceHoly · Max rank 3 · New in ForeverAllows 30% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.Requires 10 points in HolyThis rank read from footage; other ranks estimated. is the talent people most want deleted; the official paladin feedback thread has the case against it. Read from demo

⚔️ Retribution: Blizzard Says Ret Damage Will Match Everyone Else

• At 49:35 in the deep dive, Blizzard says paladins “will be doing as much damage as everyone else”, with a closing slide that lists Ret among the competitive DPS specs. That is the clearest statement on Ret damage so far. Blizzard said
• Tooltip reads on Twist of LightTwist of LightRetribution · Max rank 1 · New in ForeverWhen you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.Requires 30 points in Retribution · Requires Level 40All ranks read from demo footage., the capstone: the echo fires on white hits only, you can’t double judge, and downrank twisting doesn’t work. Holy ShockHoly ShockHoly · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic160 Mana | Instant | Enemy: 20 yd range | Friendly: 40 yd range | 10 sec cooldownBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.Requires 20 points in HolyAll ranks read from demo footage. has no crit reset. The Ret rotation section explains how the echo works. Read from demo
• More tooltip reads. Seal of Righteousness crits with spell crit, Holy Strike is 42% weapon damage plus 17 to 21 holy, and VindicationVindicationRetribution · Max rank 3 · Changed from ClassicGives your damaging melee attacks a chance to reduce the target's Attack Power by 42, and increase your Attack Power by 1% for 30 sec.Requires 10 points in RetributionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. gives 3% attack power plus a 142 debuff. Read from demo
• One theorycrafter projects 1,000 to 1,200 spell power with the Crusader enchant at 60. Nobody else has backed that yet. A Shock Ret build with a two-hander (22/0/29) also showed up; it is row 47 on the builds page. One person

🏹 PvP: Seals Can Be Dispelled

• A demo screenshot shows a seal being dispelled, which changes how twisting plays against priests and shamans. Dishonorable Kills are gone. The PvP page has the screenshot read. Read from demo
• People who played Shockadin in Season of Discovery say it was strong in duels, but the Forever version plays differently. Consensus

📜 Blizzard and Other: No Shaman or Warlock Tanks, Q&A Tomorrow

• No Shaman or Warlock tanks at launch, from Aggrend’s GameSpot interview via Reddit. Kotaku adds no raid test realm, hidden item stats, and no flex raid sizes. Blizzard said
• The live Q&A is September 17 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific. The question thread is open now, and the Ret channel submitted one about bringing back a form of seal twisting. Blizzard said
• Launch raids are 10-man with 8 bosses and 20-man with 13, plus a 40-man Onyxia. Tier pieces are split across raids, and the first raid gets a revamp next summer. Details are in the Kotaku piece. Blizzard said
• Someone relayed that you can earn at least 10 Legacy points by leveling every class to 5. Wowhead’s Legacy system explainer covers how the points work. One person
• Items spotted so far: a new proc shield, three librams, a Spellblasting enchant, and a 96-slot bank. Warcraft Tavern has the enchanting formulas and librams from the demo vendors. Read from demo

2026-09-15: Champion of the Light Is the Question That Decides Holy

This was the first full read of every channel, so it is longer than a normal day. The one thing every Holy paladin should know is that Champion of the LightChampion of the LightRetribution · Max rank 3 · New in ForeverIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.Requires 25 points in RetributionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text.’s rank 1 tooltip says “up to 33% of Intellect”, and nobody knows whether rank 3 is 33% or 100%. That single number decides whether you gear for Intellect or for healing. Ret has a new capstone that stores a seal as an echo, and the rotation people have worked out is to reseal every swing. Prot tanks in Seal of Righteousness and taunts with Judgement of Fury. The beta caps at 20, then 30, and launch is November 4.

✨ Holy: Nobody Knows What Champion of the Light Does at Rank 3

• Champion of the LightChampion of the LightRetribution · Max rank 3 · New in ForeverIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.Requires 25 points in RetributionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text.’s rank 1 tooltip says “up to 33% of Intellect”. If rank 3 is 100%, Intellect plate is healing gear. If it is 33%, the talent is a nice bonus and nothing more. Blizzard explains the talent at 1:11:46 in the deep dive; the Holy page shows how the two cases change the build. Read from demo
• Blizzard’s line on Holy from the deep dive recap: best single-target healer, longest mana, and limited party healing on purpose. The “just a bit of group healing” line is at 31:11 in the What’s Next panel. Blizzard said
• The channel’s raid split is 23/0/28, with deep Holy kept for 5-mans. A new argument started about whether Champion of the LightChampion of the LightRetribution · Max rank 3 · New in ForeverIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.Requires 25 points in RetributionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. should be cut to spell damage only. Consensus

⚔️ Retribution: The New Rotation Is Reseal Every Swing

• Twist of LightTwist of LightRetribution · Max rank 1 · New in ForeverWhen you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.Requires 30 points in Retribution · Requires Level 40All ranks read from demo footage., the 31-point capstone, stores your previous seal as an echo that fires on the next auto attack. Classic-style twisting was tested and does not work without it. The Ret rotation section walks through it. Read from demo
• The working rotation is to alternate rank 1 Seal of CommandSeal of CommandRetribution · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic65 Mana | InstantGives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.Requires 10 points in RetributionAll ranks read from demo footage. and Seal of Righteousness every swing, judge on cooldown, Holy Strike every 10 seconds, and Hammer of Wrath in execute. Consensus
• Sanctified JudgementSanctified JudgementRetribution · Max rank 3 · New in ForeverGives your Judgement ability a 100% chance to return 60% of the Mana cost of the judged seal.Requires 10 points in RetributionThis rank read from footage; other ranks estimated. refunds 60% of the seal’s cost, which is what makes resealing affordable. Seal of CommandSeal of CommandRetribution · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic65 Mana | InstantGives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.Requires 10 points in RetributionAll ranks read from demo footage. is 70% weapon plus 20% spell damage. Seal of Righteousness scales with spell power at about 10% and can crit. Read from demo
• Holy Strike reads as 25% weapon damage at rank 1 and 40% on the deep-dive slide, plus flat holy damage, on a 12-second cooldown. One tester confirmed it does not trigger seals. Savix’s level 38 dungeon VOD is the footage people cite. Read from demo
• Blizzard says Ret is designed around 26 Ret points, that ideal gear is “Strength and damage”, and that they cut Ret threat because Ret’s damage now matches everyone else’s. The “no more seal busywork” line is at 42:25 in the no-commentary upload. Blizzard said
• One mana budget puts Ret at about 34% of the pool per minute, or 39 to 41% with Hammer of Wrath. Consecration is the spell that empties the bar. The numbers are in the Ret gearing section. One person

🛡️ Protection: Tank in Righteousness, Taunt With Fury

• Tanks sit in Seal of Righteousness, judge on cooldown, and swap to Seal of Fury only to taunt. Judgement of Fury is the taunt. The Prot page has the full loop. Consensus
• Consecration is baseline now and does full damage to 4 targets only. Blizzard’s reason, “our tanks can only do threat on 3 or 4 targets”, is at 30:50 in the deep dive. Holy ShieldHoly ShieldProtection · Max rank 1 · Changed from Classic150 Mana | Instant | 10 sec cooldownIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires 30 points in Protection · Requires 1 point in Templar's Bulwark · Requires ShieldsAll ranks read from demo footage. reads as +20% block with 4 charges. Templar’s Bulwark absorbs 100% of your max health on a 5-minute cooldown. Read from demo
• Shield SpecializationShield SpecializationProtection · Max rank 3 · Changed from ClassicIncreases the amount of damage absorbed by your shield by 10%, and gives your blocks a 33% chance to restore 6% of your maximum Mana. May only occur once every 3 sec.Requires 10 points in Protection · Requires 5 points in RedoubtMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. returns 6% of max mana per block with a short internal cooldown, so nobody expects tank mana to be a problem. Read from demo
• RedoubtRedoubtProtection · Max rank 5 · Changed from ClassicDamaging melee attacks against you have a 10% chance to increase your chance to block by 6%. Lasts 10 sec or 5 blocks.Max rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. is a 10% chance on being hit to gain +30% block for 5 blocks. ReckoningReckoningProtection · Max rank 5 · Changed from ClassicGives you a 8% chance to gain an extra attack after Blocking a melee attack and a 20% chance to gain an extra attack after being the victim of a non-periodic critical strike.Requires 20 points in ProtectionMax rank not read from footage; showing rank 1 text. is about a 40% chance on block to swing once more. Righteous Fury is +90% threat baseline. All three are on the beta tracker because the reads conflicted. Read from demo
• Blizzard on tanking, from the deep dive recap: dungeons where crowd control and threat matter again, AoE cut on purpose, tanks should not get crit, and all gear is being redone. Blizzard said

🏹 PvP: One Mega Realm, Honor Ranks to 14

• There is one PvP mega realm with no war mode, honor-only ranks up to 14, and seasons that reset with each new raid. Savix’s vendor segment shows the honor sets. Read from demo
• Most people prefer Ret/Holy over Ret/Prot for PvP because of the silence immunity, the fear reduction and the self-heals. The PvP builds are compared on the site. Consensus
• One person blames the change to 0.1-second spell batching for killing Classic twisting. One person
• The “Premier” honor vendor gear looked weaker than the vanilla equivalents in screenshots. Healing pieces are named “Lamellar”. Read from demo

📜 Blizzard and Other: Beta Caps at 20, Launch Is November 4

• The beta level cap is 20 at the start and rises to 30 after about two weeks. Launch is November 4, with Onyxia and Hyjal on December 9. The beta opt-in is free with no guarantee. Blizzard said
• World buffs do not work in raids, per a Savix clip that some in the channel doubt. Blessings last an hour and resistance auras are raid-wide. Read from demo
• Kotaku reports retail-style addon restrictions, which could break threat meters. The Ion and Holly interview on Warcraft Tavern has their stance on addons and swing timers. Blizzard said
• Spell power appears on items from level 10, and weapon skill is reduced per item, both from the deep dive recap. Blizzard said