Classes & races
Paladin Auras: Which Aura to Use in Groups and Raids
Paladin auras are one of the key support tools in Vanilla 1.12.1: an active aura permanently empowers your whole party, costs no mana over time and never needs rebuffing. On the WoW x5 server the paladin is an Alliance-only class, and choosing the right aura for a group or raid is what separates an experienced paladin from a beginner.
Contents
◆How paladin auras work in 1.12.1
The basic rules are shared by every aura, and you should know them before reading the paladin guide:
- One aura per paladin. A paladin can keep only one aura active; a new aura replaces the old one.
- Identical auras do not stack. If two paladins in the same party both use Devotion Aura, only one of them works on a player. The second paladin should pick another aura.
- 30-yard radius. The aura affects allies within 30 yards of the paladin - a hunter or mage who runs too far loses the effect.
- Own party only. In Vanilla an aura affects only members of your party, not the whole raid. That is why the raid leader spreads paladins across different groups.
- No mana upkeep. Activating an aura is instant, and it lasts until it is switched off or the paladin dies.
Aura list and levels
| Aura | Level | Effect at max rank |
|---|---|---|
| Devotion Aura | 1 | +735 armor (rank 7, level 60) |
| Retribution Aura | 16 | 20 Holy damage to melee attackers (rank 5, level 56) |
| Concentration Aura | 22 | 35% chance to ignore spell interruption when damaged |
| Shadow Resistance Aura | 28 | +60 shadow resistance (level 52) |
| Frost Resistance Aura | 32 | +60 frost resistance (level 56) |
| Fire Resistance Aura | 36 | +60 fire resistance (level 60) |
| Sanctity Aura | talent | +10% Holy damage for the party |
Devotion Aura
The most universal aura: extra armor reduces physical damage taken by the entire party. Tanking paladins keep it up, and it is the default choice in dungeons when no other aura is needed. The Improved Devotion Aura talent in the Protection tree increases the armor bonus by 25%, making it standard for a protection paladin build.
Retribution Aura
Deals Holy damage to anyone who strikes a party member in melee. It shines while leveling solo and against packs of mobs, and the Improved Retribution Aura talent in the Retribution tree raises its damage by up to 50%. Read more in the paladin leveling guide.
Concentration Aura
Gives party casters a chance to keep their cast time when taking damage. It is the main aura for a group of healers and mages on bosses with heavy area damage. The Improved Concentration Aura talent in the Protection tree adds up to 15% more effect and a chance to resist silence and interrupt effects. Holy paladins benefit from it the most - see the holy paladin build.
Sanctity Aura
Sanctity Aura is a Retribution talent: +10% Holy damage done by party members. It boosts the paladin's own Seal of Righteousness and Judgement, so Retribution paladins keep it up - more in the retribution paladin build.
Resistance auras in raids
Resistance auras grant 60 points to one magic school at max rank. They do not replace a resistance gear set, but they make fights with single-school magic damage much easier. Since patch 1.4 a paladin can switch between resistance auras without turning off the current one first.
| Raid | Useful aura | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Molten Core | Fire Resistance | Almost all magic damage is fire |
| Onyxia's Lair | Fire Resistance | The dragon's fire breath |
| Blackwing Lair | Fire Resistance | Fire attacks of the dragons |
| Ahn'Qiraj (AQ40) | Devotion or Concentration | Paladins cannot give nature resistance |
| Naxxramas | Frost or Shadow Resistance | Fights with frost and shadow damage |
In Molten Core the Fire Resistance Aura is almost mandatory for at least the tank group. In Naxxramas the frost aura helps against frost damage at the end of the raid. In Ahn'Qiraj a paladin cannot provide nature resistance, so regular auras are used there and nature protection comes from gear - see the resistance gear guide.
A resistance aura does not stack with the matching priest buff: for example, Shadow Resistance Aura does not stack with Shadow Protection. Coordinate with your priests in advance.
How to assign auras in a raid
- Tank group - Devotion Aura (ideally with the improving talent).
- Healer and caster groups - Concentration Aura.
- Melee groups - Devotion or Retribution Aura; a Retribution paladin uses Sanctity Aura.
- On bosses with elemental damage - one or two paladins switch to the matching resistance aura.
The full list of class spells is on the paladin abilities page, and talent distribution is covered in paladin talent builds. Auras are complemented by blessings, which have their own guide.
◆Related guides
Want to test auras in a real raid? Register on WoW x5 and see how to connect to the server - x5 leveling will bring your paladin to Molten Core quickly.
FAQ
?How many auras can one paladin keep active?
Only one. Activating a new aura turns off the previous one. With two paladins in a group, each keeps his own aura, and they should be different.
?Do identical auras from two paladins stack?
No. Two identical auras from different paladins do not add up; only one works on a player. The second paladin should switch to another aura.
?Do paladin auras affect the whole raid?
No. In patch 1.12.1 an aura affects only members of your own party within 30 yards. That is why paladins are spread across raid groups.
?Which aura should I use in Molten Core?
Fire Resistance Aura: at level 60 it grants +60 fire resistance, noticeably reducing damage from the fire attacks of Molten Core bosses.
Related
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