The Light and How to Swing It: Snappy answers to stupid paladin questions
Like any other class, paladins are often bombarded with questions, comments, cheap shots, snipes, and advice from misinformed players of other classes. It's hard to know how to respond to some of these comments without violating all of Blizzard's code of conduct or ripping out your own hair. So in the great tradition of MAD Magazine, TLaHtSI (man, that acronym sucks a lot more than KYL or BRK) has provided some snappy answers to stupid paladin questions.
"All paladins can do is heal!"
People who think that paladins are only capable of healing probably also think that iPhones are only capable of making phone calls. Admittedly, we're currently BEST at healing, but that doesn't mean we can't also do other things. And even if we heal during raids, we may want to put on our fancy pants later that night and do some tanking in an instance or face smashing in world PVP. Having heal spells on our bar does not make us your heal bitch in battlegrounds, especially if you've never said a word to us other than "HAEL ME."
"Paladin healing is easy because all you do is press two buttons."
This would make some sense coming from a druid or a priest, both of whom have more healing options than paladins. But I keep hearing it from rogues, mages and hunters. I've played a raiding rogue for years, and if anyone has lost the right to complain about "pressing two buttons", it's DPS. And if you guys mess up and press something else instead of Sinister Strike or Shadowbolt, all you get is a minor loss of DPS. If healers mess up and press the wrong button, people die -- and if you're healing the tank, you are suddenly faced with 24 angry people waiting for you at the spirit healer.
"Why did you give me Salv? That doesn't help my damage!"
Because you're an undead rogue named Stabbity, a gnome mage named Pyromaniac, or a DPS warrior named ... anything. You are automatically presumed to pull aggro unless you can prove otherwise.
"Why do paladins expect to be able to heal, tank and DPS depending on their spec? No one else can do that!"
Druids.
"Healing and bubbling is cheap in a duel!"
Well, would it be okay with you if I just laid down and died?
"If you're tired of healing all the time, roll a DPS class."
Yeah, that's just what WoW needs -- more DPSers mindlessly wandering around Orgrimmar and Ironforge, checking the auction house as they wait in vain for a tank or healer to join the LFG interface. No thanks, been there and done that. I'd rather be able to help my guild by filling whatever role they need.
"Why didn't you rebless me? I told you my blessing had run out."
Because we just finished the trash pull and Greater Blessings last only 15 minutes. By the time the warlock gets back from putting his kid to bed, the rogue rolls his joint, the tank finishes getting a drink, the priest explains the strategy, and the three Canadians who mysteriously disconnected log back on, your blessing would have two minutes left. I'll bless as soon as everyone clicks ready.
"Quick! The group is about to wipe! DI yourself!"
Okay. Zombie paladin incoming! BRAAAAAAAINS ....
"Ha ha, why did you roll a blood elf pally? You look gay!"
Well, damn, I tried to roll an undead pally but I think there was a bug at the character selection screen. The same thing happened when I tried to make an orc druid. Maybe I need to reinstall. Also, as I'm a female playing a female paladin, I fail to see how I can look "gay" unless I'm stripped down to my swimsuit, splashing water on other blood elves in the forbidden pools of Nagrand.
"Why do all the paladins on the forums talk about swinging big two-handers?"
To restore our sense of masculinity that has been devastated by our forum-provided frilly pink armor.
"Why does everyone fight in the paladin forums?"
See above.
"How can I get those angel wings you have?"
Go to the spirit healer, rip hers off, and glue them to your back. Don't worry, she's cool with it. To make sure they work, jump off of a very high building.
"Paladins can't tank!"
Oh, wow! I didn't know that! I guess I'll just stop trying then, Mr. Mage, and we can wait until a Real Tank comes and saves us from this instance that I've already tanked before. Ooooh, sorry about you getting squashed by those orcs. I guess you'll have to wait for a Real Tank to keep them off you.
"They should make our anti-undead spells work on undead players."
Okay, this is more of a stupid question by paladins, but trust me: you don't want undead players to be classified as undead. Sure, Alliance priests and pallies would have fun, but while you're cavorting around Undercity, every now-immune-to-almost-everything undead player would be ransacking Stormwind and making off with your women. Of course undead would make off with your human women! They're delicious with A-1 sauce.
Filed under: Paladin, Humor, (Paladin) The Light and How to Swing It






Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
andregalan Aug 14th 2007 11:49AM
I take back everything bad I ever said about this column.
Elizabeth, you have earned your Paladin status. I'm... I'm so proud.
Angael Aug 14th 2007 1:22PM
"Crap, my rezz is on cooldown now. Looks like you'll have to run back, sorry"
andregalan Aug 14th 2007 11:58AM
In addition to the above, as a Paladin, the Druid comparison is the most relevant that can and should be made in favor of improving Paladin.
I, for one, believe Priests should have their Holy tree substantially buffed.
Paladins are the most efficient healers in the game, but we're single target healers. We can keep the main tank going quite strong, but we don't exactly have much depth to what we can do aside from that. Paladins are perfectly equipped to main-heal, and their blessings (Salv, especially) enable them to overcome their lack of HoT and AOE heals.
In tanking, Paladins have some distinct problems, the most prevalent is itemization. As a Prot pally myself, I can say that we either need a way to become uncrushable easier via talents, or far less reliance on spell damage. Since we rely exclusively on holy damage for our aggro, we can get it and hold it very fast, however the sheer number of stats we must balance to become uncrushable, and still able to hold aggro, is staggering.
Druids can currently do everything in the game. Magical DPS, Physical DPS, Tanking, and Healing. They can do it all quite well. Their drawback is they can't do it all at once, due to the necessity of forms. I'm fine with that. I'm also fine with paladin DPS being weak when compared to a rogue or a mage, but I do feel Ret Paladins should have the ability to go into raids and play some part. Either that, or make Ret the PvP/Arena tree more than it is now, perhaps giving a ranged holy damage spell akin to Holy Shock, but without the capacity to heal.
Rkingsley Aug 14th 2007 12:01PM
My two favorites (both heard last night in a 25 man raid):
rogue1: I dont want Kings, I want salvation.
/cast salv
rogue2: What happened to my Kings? We need HP for this fight.
/cast hearth...
AND
Warrior: I didnt get Kings.
Me: Every other warrior got it but I will do it again.
20 minutes go by...
Warrior: I didnt get Kings.
Me: Why do you keep missing it?
Warrior: I left to repair (and didnt tell anyone).
Random annoying hunter: It's your job. Just bless him.
Guess what annoying hunter isnt getting heals (ever)?
Gabby Aug 14th 2007 12:01PM
You know, I've read a lot of articles by you and you're very opinionated about your class's status as a healer. It's great you think you're the best at healing and all, but reality is you're only the best when it comes to direct healing. You've got zero strength in HoT, little to call on in emergency recovery, and zero to call on in group heals.
You just come off as pompous when you constantly recant how amazing Paladins do at healing. How about spreading the love and seeing that each healing class has it's strengths and weaknesses and other classes can do things you can't.
Dongyrn Aug 14th 2007 11:59AM
Major props Elizabeth!!!
Scruffy Aug 14th 2007 12:06PM
I don't know what everyone is complaining about.
Pally wants to heal? That suits this shadow priest just fine....
Pally wants to smack me with a salvation blessing? That's 30% more damage I can do before stealing aggro....
:D
Wulfhere Aug 14th 2007 12:10PM
Gabby - I find that reading for comprehension can help with a lot of these issues.
PyroAmos Aug 14th 2007 12:16PM
lol always has to be someone complaining.
for a good time, wait 'til you see a ret pally lfg and type
/4 lol ret
taht will set off a storm, its great.
Erica Olson Aug 14th 2007 12:19PM
I have a lvl 70 Pally, and gasp.... a ret Pally to boot, and I get sick of everyone demanding that I should just shut up, re-spec and be come a Healadin.
I speced the way I did to complement my partner's toon. We leveled together and wanted to make sure that we had the best chance at survival and the ability to do most of the quests with just us because of the difficulty of finding PUGs and all.
I like being a true hybrid and what the class was originally designed/intended to be. I like being able to off-tank and off-heal. I like being a Jack-of-all-trades. Makes it difficult to get into end-game content though.
I find myself shaking my head when I'm in an instance and another Pally comes along as main healer. Let me get my healing gear on, says he, and whips out the cloth healing gear. Now that's going to keep him alive for a long time when he draws aggro - not. If you want to wear cloth then roll a priest, mage or warlock. Better yet, if Blizz wants Plate wearers to main heal then they'd better start putting +heal stats on plate gear (besides the gems one can socket, that is.)
Incendo Aug 14th 2007 12:27PM
"Paladin healing is easy because all you do is press two buttons."
If anything I think that makes life harder for Holy Pallys and Resto Shamans. Sure you have less to manage but you also have less options, and in a pinch you have less things you can do to try and pull your butt out of the fire. It goes the same way with all their specs though.
"If you're tired of healing all the time, roll a DPS class."
Amen. Now the rest of you start appreciating the people that make your piddly existence as rogues and hunters possible.
"Quick! The group is about to wipe! DI yourself!"
Love it. Now to macro that.
"Paladins can't tank!"
Am I a bad person for not taunting off someone when they repeatedly do the same dumb thing? Seriously though, WTB some respect.
Mystrana Aug 14th 2007 12:30PM
I do love paladin tanks. Good paladin tanks.
Most of the time, if I see a paladin tank, I know it is a dedicated tank, because it's not like you can just decide overnight to try that tanking thing.
My favorite question that our paladin tank always has to deal with is this scenario:
We fill out a group, with me as healer, him as tank and a mage, lock and mage for aoe purposes. The last mage enters the group and asks "Who's tanking?"
He then proceeds to reply: "The priest" while at the same time I tell them that we're trying a priest tank tonight.
Good times, good times.
Tuberon Aug 14th 2007 12:30PM
@5 We are the most awesome healers. If we're only healing one person. Every other healing class has us beat if there is more than one person needing healing.
Anyway, to the article...
Guildie asks if anyone knows someone to tank BRD. I tanked BRD back when it was my level to be there, good xp at the time. I was bored, small hope of getting the extra attack trinket from emp.
"Meh, I'm bored. I'll do it." (Note, I'm level 64 at the time of writing this)
"Alright, let me tell the group."
*minute goes by...*
"... I guess they don't think that paladins can tank. Sorry."
"Just tell them that I tank ramps and stuff regularly, and can go find a PuG for that with me tanking..."
*5...4...3...2...1...* *You have been invited to join the group*
Heck, even the 7 couldn't beat us when one of the dps left. We just kept going. Did wipe, though, because at one point, I was facing 4 of them with no healers or dps at all. Still took me ~3-4 minutes to die.
"... wow. I left to get popcorn for this movie!"
crushingbelial Aug 14th 2007 12:33PM
And I thought Shaman were the biggest whiners.
Citra Aug 14th 2007 12:33PM
@9 - There is plenty of +healing plate. Probably just as much as there is +healing leather. BC added lots of new items for paladin healing, lots of healing shields and the like. But admittedly, alot of this is later game. Clothadins always amuse me.
Painhealer Aug 14th 2007 12:40PM
@6, as a fellow shadow priest, I completely agree that if the pally wants to heal, let them. In fact, I'm leveling my own holy pally to complement my shadow priest, so I can bring along the correct toon for the job instead of having to keep respecing just to get an invite.
And yes, I did roll my shadow priest specifically to melt peoples faces off.
Freehugz Aug 14th 2007 12:36PM
Raid Leader: "Shut up about pally buffs already! Or else next time we're only bringing one pally and everyone gets kings!"
Gabby Aug 14th 2007 12:38PM
Tuberon, that's exactly my point, constantly in these articles I see a blanket statement simply declaring Pallys the best healers, hands down, it's just not true and it comes off in a somewhat agitating manner.
Ortai Aug 14th 2007 12:42PM
Salv is constantly underrated by newb dpsers. As a Mage, I love it, just as I loved the still air totem when I raided. New/unexperienced/stupid DPSers need to realize threat reduction = More damage, espcially in boss fights.
Laukidh Aug 14th 2007 12:44PM
Gabby, lrn2read.