2026-04-12 · Combat & progression

Paladin abilities and build examples

The Paladin showcase covers several active abilities and talent interactions across offensive, defensive, and support-oriented builds. Many of the abilities shown are still under iteration, with balance, visuals, and even class fit still being evaluated.

Offensive abilities

Vindicator Strike and Holy Vindicator Strike

Vindicator Strike is presented as the Paladin's basic three-hit combo for the offensive route. It is the primary spammable melee attack. A talent can convert it into Holy Vindicator Strike, increasing its damage by 30% and changing its school to holy.

Changing the spell school is significant because it allows the attack to benefit from holy-damage itemization and from other effects that specifically interact with holy spells, such as healing, buffs, or other talent-based synergies.

Blazing Sweep and Sanctified Fire

Blazing Sweep is described as a cleaving attack that applies Sanctified Fire, the Paladin's main fire damage-over-time effect for the Inquisitor-style route. Other talents and abilities are intended to interact with this effect, including consuming it or gaining bonuses against targets already affected by it.

Avatar of Sanctification / Avatar of Justice

The Avatar ability is a major offensive cooldown that increases the Paladin's power. The version discussed grants bonuses such as weapon damage and critical hit chance, with the possibility of further improvements through talents such as increased duration, reduced mana cost, reduced cooldown, or stronger offensive bonuses.

The design concern raised around Avatar is that it should feel impactful without making the class feel weak whenever the cooldown is inactive.

Cavalcade of Light

Cavalcade of Light summons holy cavalry to repeatedly strike an area. The showcased version pulls or knocks targets toward the center, though that control effect is still under discussion. Alternatives such as stun, slow, or root are considered if the current pull behavior proves unsuitable.

The spell is treated as an ultimate-style ability and is expected to have a strong visual and gameplay impact.

Blessed Hammer

Blessed Hammer is described as a ranged stun tool used to interrupt, control enemies, or help close distance. Its visuals and icon are not final.

Castigation

Castigation is an area effect that applies Sanctified Fire and then stuns enemies after a delay. The delay is intended as counterplay, since an immediate area stun is considered too strong. The spell is described as powerful and still subject to tuning.

Defensive and tank abilities

Aegis and blocking

Aegis is the Paladin's active shield stance. It remains active only while the input is held. While blocking, the Paladin can negate incoming projectiles from the front.

A talent called Restorative Aegis adds health regeneration while the shield is held. Another planned interaction uses an on-block event so that successfully blocking a projectile empowers the next Shield Smite.

Shield Smite

Shield Smite is a follow-up shield attack that deals damage with the equipped shield. After a successful block state, it can become stronger and apply silence. This interaction is presented as a core part of the tank Paladin's gameplay rhythm: time the block correctly, then convert that defense into empowered offense or control.

Decisive Strike

Decisive Strike is the one-handed basic attack associated with the tank archetype. Its third attack can trigger self-healing over time through talents, reinforcing the Paladin's self-sustaining frontline style.

Bulwark Crash

Bulwark Crash is described as a tank-oriented capstone or ultimate-style shield slam that deals heavy area damage around the Paladin. Additional interactions are planned, especially in connection with successful blocking.

Taunt and threat

The Paladin is shown using a taunt ability as part of its tank toolkit. Threat in PvE is generated by damage and by explicit threat values assigned to abilities. Taunt works by taking the highest current threat value on a target and adding a large amount on top, ensuring the Paladin becomes the current focus.

This system is described as PvE-only. Using taunt-like target forcing in PvP is rejected because it would function too much like a stun or forced retarget effect.

Support and ally protection abilities

Healing Hand

Healing Hand is the Paladin's main healing spell, but it is not intended to make the class a full dedicated healer. It is described as a sustain tool that can be cast on the Paladin or on allies.

A planned talent interaction allows Vindicator Strike to reduce Healing Hand's cooldown, creating a play pattern where continued melee combat enables more frequent healing.

Final Verdict: Absolution

Final Verdict: Absolution grants nearby allies an absorb shield for a short time. Positioning matters because the Paladin must catch as many allies as possible within the effect. It is explicitly described as absorb shielding rather than full immunity.

Oath of Sanctuary

Oath of Sanctuary is a channeled ally-protection spell that makes a targeted ally immune while the Paladin channels. The Paladin cannot cast it on itself and becomes vulnerable while channeling, so the protected ally may need to defend the caster. The effect can also be interrupted, and a debuff is planned to prevent repeated chain application by multiple Paladins.

Radiant Banner

Radiant Banner is a targeted support ability that places a banner in an area and grants armor to allies standing within it. It is intended for choke points, group positioning, and boss encounters where multiple party members can benefit from the defensive aura. In PvP, the banner can be destroyed by enemies.

Mobility discussion

Heavenly Dive

Heavenly Dive is a leap ability that deals damage and slows targets. Its place in the Paladin kit is openly questioned. The ability was added to address the class's limited mobility, but it is also described as feeling closer to a Warrior ability than a Paladin one.

A charge-style movement skill is considered more appropriate for the Paladin fantasy, and Heavenly Dive may be removed or replaced later.

Action bar and active-skill density

The current action bar limit is stated as 20 abilities. The class design leans toward augmenting existing spells through talents rather than endlessly adding new active buttons. Players who prefer many active skills can pursue that style, but doing so comes with trade-offs compared to investing in passive empowerment nodes.

Source

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