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TBC ANNIVERSARY - PHASE 3

PaladinProtectionTank

Protection Paladin Tank Guide - Mount Hyjal & Black Temple

A Sanctity Aura raid-tank guide for threat and survival, crush-table planning, Hyjal wave control, Illidan Shear and full encounter assignments.

GUIDE SCOPE

Built for repeatable Phase 3 raid execution

This searchable web edition is adapted from the original MCK Boost carrier handbook. It focuses on the included class, specialization and role only; it does not create placeholder coverage for missing specializations.

Build
0 / 40 / 21
Role
Tank
Raid tier
Phase 3
Source
20-page PDF

Sanctity Aura is the sustained boss-threat default. The Avenger's Shield swap is retained for ranged pickup and snap-control assignments.

View chapter index

01 - Raid plan

The raid-ready Protection Paladin

One PDF, one tank role, one default raid lane. Variants exist only where the assignment changes.

PDF page 2
What you are best at

Unmatched large-pack control through Consecration, Holy Shield and reflected Holy threat; powerful blessings, auras and cleanses; excellent spell-power threat scaling.

What kills you

A broken combat table, Holy Shield downtime, casting while a crush-capable boss swings, mana starvation, unplanned immunity use, or wearing a new item without recalculating the set.

LayerNon-negotiableOutput payoff
Survival
Crit immune; 102.4% normal boss table with Holy Shield; assignment-specific resistance.Healers and DPS can execute without random tank deaths.
Threat
Righteous Fury, Sanctity Aura, spell-power weapon, controlled Wings opener.Less throttling; safer Misdirection handoffs and phase resets.
Control
Marks, LoS, Consecration landing point, taunt macro, HoJ/FAP plan.Hyjal waves collapse into stable AoE windows.
Utility
Blessing/aura sheet, Cleanse ownership, BoP/Freedom targets, no surprise bubble.The Paladin slot creates raid value beyond TPS.

Avenger's Shield is an internal trash/pull swap, not a second handbook.

Carrier standard

02 - Raid plan

Race, professions, access

Race matters less than execution, but a min-max handbook still makes the choice explicit.

PDF page 3
FactionBest raceWhyVerdict
Alliance
HumanSword and Mace Specialization reduce boss dodge/parry with the weapons that matter; this is both threat and a small parry-haste reduction.Best raid-output choice.
Alliance alt
DwarfStoneform is a real emergency armor/bleed/poison/disease tool, but no useful tank weapon racial.Best defensive flavor.
Alliance alt
DraeneiHeroic Presence gives the physical-hit party aura; Gift of the Naaru is minor while actively tanking.Good roster utility.
Horde
Blood ElfOnly Horde Paladin race; Arcane Torrent adds an instant AoE silence and mana return.Automatic best/only choice.
Human weapon expertise

Best Alliance raid-output racial

  • Engineering: Super Sapper Charge gives immediate pack threat; bombs and utility solve awkward pulls.
  • Enchanting: two Ring - Spellpower enchants total +24 spell power.
  • Jewelcrafting is the practical alternative for unique stamina/defense/threat gems and trinkets.
  • Complete Hyjal attunement (Vials of Eternity) and Black Temple chain/Medallion requirements used by the live Anniversary rules.
  • Bring repaired armor, shield, librams, six saved gear states and spare consumes for at least two extra wipe cycles.
  • Preferred pair: Engineering + Enchanting.

Aldor or Scryer?

Phase 3 differences are small. Scryer's Knight inscription slightly wins for defensive coverage; Aldor's Discipline inscription is the cleaner threat option. Do not reroll an established character for this alone.

03 - Talents

Default raid build: Sanctity Aura

The sustained-threat boss lane; all key mitigation tools remain intact.

PDF page 4

0 / 40 / 21

Expertise, Precision, Pursuit of Justice, Crusade and Sanctity Aura.

Protection core

04 - Talents

Retribution engine + only relevant swap

Sanctity Aura wins sustained raid TPS; Avenger's Shield wins range and snap control.

PDF page 5
LaneUse whenDo not forget
Boss tanking, progression, threat-sensitive kills, any fight where a ranged pull is not the limiting problem.No Avenger's Shield. Kings must be assigned elsewhere unless you move a point.
Assignment swap: Avenger's Shield
Hyjal/trash leadership, awkward ranged pulls, caster grouping, or when another Paladin supplies Sanctity Aura.One-second cast suppresses dodge/parry/block. Never cast through a crush-capable boss swing.
Rejected default: Vengeance
Only farm content where healer/tank risk is explicitly accepted.Loses Improved Holy Shield charges and major Stamina talents; not a carrier/progression recommendation.
Why SA wins raids

Sanctity Aura contributes throughout the fight and is roughly twice the averaged TPS contribution of Avenger's Shield in the current Wowhead analysis.

Why AS still exists

A ranged, three-target opening can be the correct tool when the assignment is control rather than boss TPS. This is a respec decision, not a second character guide.

05 - Raid plan

Caps before cosmetics

A tank set is valid only when its exact equipped and raid-buffed state meets the assignment.

PDF page 6
CheckTargetHow to calculateFailure mode
Boss crit immunity
490 Defense skill versus level 73, or an exact defense+resilience solution.2.3654 Defense rating = 1 skill; resilience can remove crit but adds no avoidance.Random 200% physical crit.
Normal crush table
102.4% total coverage with Holy Shield active.Miss + dodge + parry + block. Use buffed values; never count Redoubt proc.Crushing blows return when Holy Shield falls or charges exhaust.
Illidan Shear table
101.8% dodge + parry + block while Holy Shield is active.Shear cannot miss, so do not include miss. Validate the Shear set separately.60% max-health reduction if Shear lands.
Spell hit
13% / 164 rating after 3/3 Precision versus bosses.12%/151 with a caster Draenei aura; 10%/126 with Totem of Wrath; 9%/114 with both.Judgement, Exorcism or Righteous Defense resists.
Melee hit
6% / about 95 rating after Precision.5% / about 79 with Heroic Presence.White hits and Seal delivery miss.
StatConversionInterpretation
Defense
2.3654 rating = 1 skillEach skill adds 0.04% miss, dodge, parry and block and reduces crit chance by 0.04%.
Dodge
18.9 rating = 1%Hard avoidance; still valuable beyond 102.4%.
Parry
23.6538 rating = 1%Hard avoidance plus parry-haste benefit.
Block
7.9 rating = 1%Cheapest table coverage, but no value above cap against a single swing table.
Expertise
3.9423 rating = 1 skillReduces dodge and parry by 0.25% per whole skill; secondary for spell-heavy Paladin threat.

Rating conversions at level 70

06 - Gear & items

Six saved sets, not one BiS costume

Phase 3 Paladin gearing is a state machine: survival, threat, adds, Shear, fire and shadow.

PDF page 7
Saved setRequired checksWhere it goes
BOSS
Crit immune; 102.4% with Holy Shield; high effective health.Default crush-capable boss set; Archimonde calibration target.
THREAT
Keep mandatory survival; add spell power/hit only after checks pass.Teron, Shade burn, stable farm bosses, clean phase resets.
ADDS
Block value, spell power, mana, 4pc T6; cap rules based on enemy level.Hyjal waves, Shade adds, BT trash.
SHEAR
101.8% dodge+parry+block with Holy Shield; crit immune; eight charges tracked.Illidan phases 1/3/5 only.
FIRE
Raid-assigned fire resistance target, crit immunity if melee-tanked, sufficient HP/threat.Flames of Azzinoth or Giant Infernals if assigned.
SHADOW
Raid-assigned shadow resistance, HP and role-specific table.Mother Shahraz soak/tank plan and selected shadow-heavy work.
  • Write the unbuffed and raid-buffed table beside every set.
  • Keep older avoidance pieces; a nominal upgrade can create a coverage hole.
  • Use Libram of Repentance for boss/Shear coverage;

Tome of the Lightbringer for large-pack mitigation.

  • Swap only out of combat and verify shield/libram after every set change.
  • Build around Archimonde for the general BOSS set;

current Phase 3 guidance calls him the fastest/hardest hitter outside Illidan.

  • Resistance targets are raid-plan inputs, not universal item lists.

07 - Gear & items

Black Temple + Hyjal gear map

A flexible endpoint with explicit mitigation/threat alternatives; keep 4-piece Lightbringer for elite AoE value.

PDF page 8
SlotPrimary endpointPurpose / alternative
Head
Faceplate of the ImpenetrableMitigation; Lightbringer Faceguard is the threat/tier route.
Shoulders
Lightbringer ShoulderguardsClear Phase 3 best; Tier 6.
Back
Pepe's Shroud of PacificationBalanced; Ruby Drape single-target threat; Royal Cloak multi-target threat.
Chest
Lightbringer ChestguardTier 6 core; Glory of the Defender is mitigation alternative.
Wrist
The Seeker's WristguardsBalanced spell-power tanking; Eternium Shell for mitigation.
Hands
Lightbringer HandguardsStat-dense Tier 6; long-term anchor.
Waist
Girdle of Mighty ResolveBalanced; Girdle of Stability for block-heavy Hyjal waves.
Legs
Lightbringer LegguardsBalanced Tier 6; Praetorian's Legguards for heaviest physical hits.
Feet
Tide-Stomper's GreavesAvoidance plus spell power.
Neck
Pendant of TitansBest overall; Darkener's Grasp is high-avoidance and flexible.
Rings
Ring of Sundered Souls + Ashyen's GiftMitigation plus threat; keep extra spell-hit rings.
Trinkets
Shadowmoon Insignia + pull-specific slotDMC: Vengeance for stamina; Icon of Silver Crescent for threat.
Weapon
Tempest of ChaosBest threat but caster-contested; Hammer of Judgement is excellent.
Shield
Bulwark of AzzinothBest overall; Antonidas' Aegis for threat; Kaz'rogal's Heart mitigation.
Libram
Libram of RepentanceBoss/Shear avoidance; Tome of the Lightbringer for pack mitigation.

08 - Gear & items

Gems, enchants, and set repair

Socket for the role state; a single gem policy cannot optimize all six sets.

PDF page 9
Socket / metaDefaultWhen to change
Meta
Powerful Earthstorm Diamond+18 Stamina; progression default. Chaotic Skyfire only for safe threat sets.
Blue
Solid Star of EluneDefault stamina filler; meet the meta naturally.
Red
Brilliant Living RubySpell-power threat when survival checks already pass; Timeless Nightseye for hybrid.
Yellow
Veiled NightseyeSpell hit + spell power; Regal Talasite when Defense/coverage needs repair.
SlotProgression / balancedThreat swap
Head
Arcanum of the DefenderArcanum of Power once caps are stable
Shoulder
Knight/Warding; Fortitude of the Scourge if ownedDiscipline/Orb
Back
DodgeKeep Dodge unless coverage surplus is proven
Chest
+150 Health+6 All Stats
Bracer
+12 StaminaSpellpower
Gloves
+2% ThreatMajor Spellpower only if threat enchant value is modeled
Legs
Nethercleft Leg ArmorRunic Spellthread
Boots
FortitudeBoar's Speed only without Pursuit of Justice
Weapon
Major SpellpowerSame: mandatory threat enchant
Shield
+18 StaminaParry/coverage repair as needed
Rings
Ring - Spellpower x2 (Enchanter)Same

09 - Consumables

Pull-ready bag and buff plan

Elixir pairing is stronger than a flask; the potion slot changes by encounter.

PDF page 10
SituationPackageReason
Progression boss
Greater Arcane Elixir + Gift of Arthas; stamina food; Ironshield; Seed + Healthstone.Threat without giving up the survival emergency layer.
Threat farm
Same elixirs; Basilisk; mana/destruction only when damage intake is safe.Turn surplus survival into TPS deliberately.
Hyjal waves
Sapper, FAP, Wizard Oil, water, spare mana potions.Snap the pack, remain block-capable, drinkwalk between waves.
Flask fallback
Blinding Light for threat or Fortification for survival.Convenience/persistence, but weaker than optimal elixir pairing.

10 - Encounter

Boss opener and priority

Protection Paladin uses a priority, not a fixed dance; crush risk changes the order.

PDF page 11
TimingActionRule
-10 to -4
Seal of Righteousness; confirm Righteous Fury, aura, blessing, Holy Shield charges.Do not begin a boss pull with a missing persistent buff.
-3
Avenging Wrath + on-use threat trinket if the encounter permits.Never Wings into a scripted threat wipe without a second plan.
Pull
Exorcism for Demon/Undead and/or Judgement while closing; AS only if talented and safe.Misdirection should land into your first GCD window.
Contact
Holy Shield before the first swing; pre-place Consecration if the boss runs to you.Coverage first, then threat.
Loop
Holy Shield → Consecration → Exorcism → Judgement → seal maintenance.On crush bosses, Holy Shield can never wait behind Judgement.
Execute
Hammer of Wrath only in a cast-safe window.Casting suppresses dodge/parry/block.
4. Judgement

Do not GCD-lock Holy Shield

11 - Encounter

Hyjal wave operating procedure

The Paladin is the center of the kill zone, but Abomination stuns and casters require a team plan.

PDF page 12
Holy Wrath

Undead/Demon AoE stun; cast only when safe

Turn Evil

Emergency Demon/Undead control; avoid bad fear paths

Wave stepPaladin actionRaid contract
Stage
Mark kill/CC, choose LoS corner, preselect Abomination and caster owners.Nobody tags before Consecration/Misdirection.
Catch
Consecration at landing point; Sapper after bodies stack; tab Seal/Judgement.Hunters redirect side spawns; ranged waits for visible pack compression.
Compress
LoS Necromancers/Banshees; HoJ dangerous casts; keep front arc controlled.Interrupt/CC Necromancers; physical DPS kills Banshee through Anti-Magic Shell.
Survive
FAP before Abomination contact if stun danger is high; never rely on block while stunned.Off-tanks peel Abominations; roots/slows create safe kiting space.
Reset
Drinkwalk immediately; refresh Righteous Fury/aura; confirm next wave timer.No late loot, no uncontrolled NPC chase.

12 - Abilities

Blessings, immunities, and macros

Every support button is powerful enough to save a pull-or wipe it when used without an assignment.

PDF page 13
Cleanse

Poison, disease, magic ownership

Divine Shield

Immunity drops boss interest; only planned cancel use

Macro
#showtooltip Righteous Defense
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][@targettarget,help,nodead][@ta
rget,help,nodead] Righteous Defense
Macro
#showtooltip Blessing of Protection
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][@target,help,nodead] Blessing
of Protection
Macro
#showtooltip Cleanse
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][@target,help,nodead][@player]
Cleanse
Macro
#showtooltip Divine Shield
/cancelaura Divine Shield
/cast Divine Shield
AuraDefault useOverride
Sanctity
Default SA build threat aura.Devotion when physical survival is the limiter.
Retribution
Large low-risk packs for reflected threat.Do not give up required resistance.
Fire Resistance
Flames of Azzinoth / Giant Infernal assignment.Coordinate with resistance gear and buffs.
Shadow Resistance
Mother, Teron raid damage, Kaz'rogal/Azgalor plan.Priest Shadow Protection may cover the buff; confirm stacking rules.

13 - Encounter

Rage, Anetheron, Kaz'rogal

Three bosses that test movement, add pickup and mana discipline after repeated wave sets.

PDF page 14
EncounterBest Paladin assignmentExecution
Rage Winterchill
Main tank or stable boss tank after wave 8.Face away; move cleanly out of Death and Decay; Cleanse Frost Nova roots. Do not bubble Icebolt while holding the boss unless the raid explicitly plans the threat drop.
Anetheron
Main tank or Towering Infernal off-tank.Infernal is taunt immune: establish spawn ownership, accept Misdirection, pull it away from Anetheron's Vampiric Aura and toward the planned NPC/kill zone. Fire aura if assigned.
Kaz'rogal
Main tank with a mana survival plan.Face cleave away; stabilize after War Stomp; use Shadow Resistance Aura when assigned. Mark pressure accelerates-Super Mana Potion/Dark Rune plan and short kill matter more than greed.
  • Refresh Righteous Fury, seals, assigned aura and blessings; call mana before the NPC engages the boss.
  • Move leftover mobs/NPCs out of the boss path; never enter the boss with Holy Shield on cooldown from careless cleanup.
  • Confirm who owns Infernal/Doomguard pickups and which hunter supplies the first Misdirection.

14 - Encounter

Azgalor and Archimonde

Fear control and add ownership are the difference between a stable pull and a chain wipe.

PDF page 15
EncounterAssignmentPaladin playbook
Azgalor
Main tank or Lesser Doomguard off-tank.Face cleave away; step out of Rain of Fire without rotating the boss. Shadow aura can help Howl resistance. Doomguard pickup begins when Doom resolves; Consecration the planned death area and secure it immediately.
Archimonde
Validated BOSS-set main tank when roster assigns it.Never leave melee range (Finger of Death protection). Keep Holy Shield/table active; avoid Doomfire paths. Paladin cannot stance-dance Fear: preassign Fear Ward, Tremor and PvP-trinket coverage.
Archimonde pull

Position so Doomfire has room; use Wings only after the boss is fixed; maintain melee contact through every movement; never chase a minor positional gain across a Doomfire lane.

Fear schedule

Track the roughly 40-second cadence. Tank survival coverage must continue through every Fear: Fear Ward/Tremor/PvP trinket and healer trinket rotation are assigned before pull.

FailureQuestionFix
Tank moved too far
Did melee range ever break?Use smaller lateral steps; keep boss contact to avoid Finger of Death.
Fear into Doomfire
Was the tank fear removal scheduled?Assign the next Fear to a named source; do not rely on reaction.
Crush spike
Was Holy Shield late or were charges exhausted?Review aura/charge timeline and table state, not only healer casts.
Threat loss
Did Wings/opener align with Misdirection?Precast seal, call MD, secure two GCDs before full burn.

Archimonde failure review

15 - Encounter

Naj'entus through Teron Gorefiend

Early BT alternates between pure boss stability and the Paladin's strongest add-control assignment.

PDF page 16
BossAssignmentExecution focus
High Warlord Naj'entus
Main tank.Stable position; save emergency health for shield-break raid burst overlap. Keep the boss fixed so spine and shield timings remain clean.
Supremus
Main tank or Hateful Strike soak.Use high-EHP BOSS set. Move out of Molten Flame without rotating into melee; threat resets after kite phase, so call Misdirection and rebuild before DPS resumes.
Shade of Akama
Primary add tank-one of your best assignments.Consecration the doorway/merge, own Defenders or the mixed add lane per marks, stun/CC Spiritbinders/Rogues/Elementalists, then swap to threat gear for the 60-second burn.
Teron Gorefiend
Main tank.Front-load threat and remain still; Shadow Resistance Aura can reduce raid Shadow Bolt damage. Never use an immunity to avoid Shadow of Death while holding the boss unless the raid planned the threat consequence.

Transition discipline

Holy Shield, Misdirection, Consecration/Judgement, then DPS release.

16 - Encounter

Bloodboil, Reliquary, Mother, Council

These fights punish weak taunt reliability, resistance shortcuts and unclear multi-tank ownership.

PDF page 17
BossPaladin assignmentExecution focus
Gurtogg Bloodboil
Tank rotation in Phase 1.Swap after Bewildering Strike according to the raid order. Righteous Defense uses spell hit and can resist-pair taunt with immediate Judgement/Consecration and a backup call. Fel Rage target tanks Phase 2.
Reliquary of Souls
Assigned tank segment; utility in Phase 1.Phase 1 has no normal healing: follow the tank alternation, avoid greed, and use Blessing of Sacrifice only as assigned. Phase 3 face Essence of Anger away and respect Seethe threat.
Mother Shahraz
One of three Saber Lash tanks.Equip the raid's shadow-resistance target without losing the physical survival required for Lash. Stack precisely with the other tanks; Shadow aura/Protection assignment must be explicit.
Illidari Council
Gathios main tank or Malande/Veras off-tank.Gathios is the DPS target; move him out of Consecration. Keep bosses separated, accept Misdirection, and coordinate Malande interrupts through physical/spell immunities.
Taunt reliability

Spell hit reduces Righteous Defense resists. A resisted tank swap is an announced event: backup taunt, Blessing of Protection, Misdirection, and burst Holy threat are the recovery stack.

Resistance discipline

Do not chase a resistance number by silently breaking crit immunity or table coverage. Mother and Illidan flame sets are separate validated loadouts with named buff assumptions.

17 - Raid plan

Shear tank or Flame tank

Illidan has two different Paladin tank jobs; validate the set and movement for the one you actually receive.

PDF page 18
PhaseMain-tank jobFlame-tank job / transition
P1 to 65%
Face Illidan away for Draw Soul; avoid Flame Crash; never miss Holy Shield before Shear.Stand ready in fire set with aura/buffs confirmed.
P2 Flames
No Illidan melee tanking.Pick one Flame of Azzinoth, face Flame Blast away, stay close enough to its glaive to avoid Uncaged Wrath, and lay Blaze in a controlled path. Common plans aim for resistance cap; use the raid's exact buffed target.
P3 ground
Threat resets: receive Misdirection, re-establish position/table, handle Shear, spread for Agonizing Flames.Exit fire set only if reassigned; be ready for adds/backup.
P4 Demon
Warlock shadow-resistance tank owns Illidan; stay clear of Aura of Dread.Help with Shadow Demons/utility; prepare the next ground reset.
P5 <30%
Same Shear table plus Frenzy; use planned cooldowns and trap movement without dropping the boss across the raid.Backup ownership and clean transition; never improvise a taunt during Frenzy.
Holy Shield

Shear protection is charge- and uptime-dependent

DPS resumed before the ground-phase threat reset was rebuilt.

18 - Raid plan

Fourteen-day carrier conversion

Turn a newly prepared Paladin into a predictable raid tank through exact checkpoints.

PDF page 19
DaysWorkExit criterion
1-2
Level 70 spell ranks, 0/40/21, Human/Blood Elf racial plan, Engineering/Enchanting path, attunements.All spell ranks trained; calculator link and roster blessing dependency confirmed.
3-4
Build BOSS and ADDS sets; enchant/gem; create table worksheet.490 Defense or exact resilience solution; 102.4% buffed with Holy Shield.
5-6
Create THREAT, SHEAR, FIRE and SHADOW sets.Each set has written assumptions and passes its own role formula.
7-8
Dummy threat opener; heroic/raid-trash LoS, Sapper, RD and stun practice.No missed RF; marked pack reaches the kill zone together.
9-10
Consumable bag, aura/blessing sheet, macros, nameplates, Holy Shield charge/timer WeakAura.Pull checklist can be completed in under 15 seconds.
11-12
Hyjal wave rehearsal and boss handoff calls with tanks/hunters.Every pickup and Misdirection has a name and backup.
13-14
Review logs: death, opener, Holy Shield, taunt, mana and threat resets.One measurable correction is chosen for the next raid.
QuestionEvidenceCorrection
Was Holy Shield truly 100%?
Buff uptime, charge exhaustion, cast timeline before crushing spike/Shear.Move the alert; reduce competing GCDs; fix pull timing.
Was threat limiting?
DPS throttles, phase-reset deaths, Judgement/Exorcism misses.Add hit/spell power only after survival state passes.
Did Righteous Defense resist?
Cast/result and target history.Raise spell hit, call backup taunt, bind mouseover.
Did mana control output?
Potion/rune use, Spiritual Attunement income, downtime drinking.Downrank/skip excess casts; drinkwalk; assign Wisdom.
Did a saved set break rules?
Exact equipped items at death.Repair the set; never evaluate the item in isolation.

Log review dashboard

19 - Raid plan

Current research and clickable references

Class guidance and Phase 3 recommendations were checked against live 2026 TBC updates and encounter references.

PDF page 20

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ORIGINAL MCK BOOST HANDBOOK

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Keep the original designed handbook for offline reference. It includes the full layout, linked identification references and printable preparation cards.

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