As is Shadowform for priests.

gtfo, I don't want any of the shitty warrior playstyle on my paladin.

Its one fo the big differences that make paladins so enjoyable, people need to stop making hybrids feel bad.

As is stealth is for rogues... vaguely

Stances, shadow / animal forms, and stealth are all under the same mechanic which enhances or grants additional abilities at the expense of your effectiveness in other areas. It's just that the mechanic can play major or minor (or less obviouse) roles in how the class plays.

'Stances' play a very major role is classes / specs such as feral druids, increasing the effectiveness of your role while still maintaining the general flexibility of not being completely shut out of abilities such as fury, arms and protection (Yes, I know you can't use certain moves such as Whirlwind, Overpower, Charge and Intercept to name a few. On paper it's only a few abilities that barely effect PvE but can be tedious and sometimes frustrating in PvP), increasing the effectiveness of your role but completely shutting you out of other abilities such as shadowform, boomkin and treekin.

And stealth for rogues that just increases their effectiveness to poke more holes into you.

Oh and I guess you miss clicked the wrong reply button Elmouth? :p

And DKs "presences".

No. Death Knights presences are in that equation. Death Knights are just like us in the matter of "stances". I can still use Frost talents in Blood presence or Unholy talents in Frost presence. There's no restriction.

Whilst Frost presence is the generally accepted tanking presence, and Blood is for damage, you don't have skills restricted when in either of those presences like a Warrior does. And, quite frankly, I don't like the idea of stances because it just makes Paladins sound like a bastardized version of a Warrior (who can heal and bubble lol).

Something else is needed, but not stances. Stances bloody suck on my warrior as it is, lol.

Druid forms, rogue stealth and Priest Shadowform are all stances because they switch your actionbars when you use them. Paladin Auras and DK Presences are just like permanent buffs.

Back to my opinion: I see no reason to do this, I have no idea what the OP is talking about with the whole "they can do it all without limiting themselves, they can't do anything as well as other classes". That is ridiculous, my paladin is just as good as any other class and anyone who's ever played a paladin can tell you that trying to fill a role that you don't spec for goes downhill really quick.

As Ret I can occasionally save a 5-man wipe when the healer goes down, but honestly, I've got a grand total of 4 holy lights, max, before I go oom. Druids and Shamans can one up that by bringing the healer back to life. Emergency tanking, again only in 5-mans, only works when both I and the healer well outgear the instance. And no, don't even bother trying to dps as holy. Your entire article is based on faulty assumptions that could be easily remedied by actually playing a paladin, any spec, through one instance.