Why this build
How the build works
This Holy Paladin build takes the reworked tree as it stands after the 30 Oct hotfix. Holy Shock now sits in row 5, so it needs 20 points in Holy before you can take it. That forces all 21 points into one tree.
Mana is the first problem for a leveling healer, and two talents solve most of it. Reverence lets 30% of your mana regeneration continue while casting. Illumination refunds 50% of a heal’s base mana cost every time Flash of Light, Holy Light or Holy Shock crits. Healing Light adds 12% to those three heals.
Infusion of Light ties crits to throughput: a Holy Shock or Flash of Light crit cuts 1.0 sec off your next Holy Light cast. Divine Favor guarantees one crit, and Oath of Light boosts your heals on one ally, normally the tank. Spiritual Focus 5/5 gives a 70% chance to avoid pushback while you are being hit.
Holy Shock, the 21st point, is an instant heal (110 to 118) or Holy damage (129 to 139) at level 30.
Leveling tips
Holy is a dungeon spec at this level, not a questing one. Most guides suggest Retribution points for the first 20 to 30 levels, even for future healers, and a respec once you heal groups. If you want to heal from level 10, take the order above: Spiritual Focus first, then Healing Light and Reverence, and Illumination by 20.
For solo play as Holy, the Shockadin variant swaps Spiritual Focus for Divine Strength and adds damage through Improved Seals. You pull with Holy Shock once you have it and finish with Consecration and Holy Strike.
Changes in WoW Forever
The 30 Oct hotfix rebuilt all three Paladin trees, and these Paladin talents look quite different from the September guides. Oath of Light and Boundless Light are new. Holy Power now raises crit healing. Divine Precision dropped to 2 ranks, Reverence to 2, and Spiritual Focus and Improved Seals grew to 5. Divine Intellect left Holy for Protection, and Holy Conduit moved in from Retribution. Light’s Vigil is friendly-only and sits in row 7.
Blizzard has not published notes for this hotfix yet. The tree here follows the game’s hotfix data.
Toward level 60
Provisional, and less certain than usual: every complete level 60 Holy build was written before the rework. The direction still looks sound: Holy Power, Light’s Vigil and Divine Precision in Holy, with the rest in Retribution for mana and utility. Expect the guides to change once players test the new tree.