Holy Shield as active mitigation?

[Segus1992]

Holy Shield has been a part of the Protection Paladin toolkit for a long time, but was removed and later reintroduced as a passive talent.

I always found the ability to be fun to use even if it didn't do any direct damage. It seemed to go along perfectly with the idea of active mitigation, so I figured they'd eventually bring it back for that purpose.

What it could do could be very simple - increase block by (for example) 50%, reduce physical damage by 15% (similar to Druids' Savage Defense), and cause blocks to deal damage (probably a formula based on enemy attack speed or maybe damage blocked in some way?), and last for 3 seconds (like Shield of the Righteous does).

Shield of the Righteous could be kept in the game as a pure damage dealing ability, giving a similar choice between defense and damage as Heroic Strike does for Warriors.

What do you guys think about this?

[Deleted]

Holy Shield has been a part of the Protection Paladin toolkit for a long time, but was removed and later reintroduced as a passive talent.

I always found the ability to be fun to use even if it didn't do any direct damage. It seemed to go along perfectly with the idea of active mitigation, so I figured they'd eventually bring it back for that purpose.

What it could do could be very simple - increase block by (for example) 50%, reduce physical damage by 15% (similar to Druids' Savage Defense), and cause blocks to deal damage (probably a formula based on enemy attack speed or maybe damage blocked in some way?), and last for 3 seconds (like Shield of the Righteous does).

Shield of the Righteous could be kept in the game as a pure damage dealing ability, giving a similar choice between defense and damage as Heroic Strike does for Warriors.

What do you guys think about this?

There is literally no need to change Prot Paladin AM, especially not in the way you're suggesting.

[Deleted]

I'm not opposed to changing Holy Shield to be an active ability, but I'd much rather it be made into a copy-paste of warrior Shield Block oriented exclusively towards magical damage.

The damage:mitigation tradeoff isn't one that Blizzard wants to see exist in the first place (otherwise BoS wouldn't have been gutted and Harsh Word would still be in the game), and I think it's entirely more likely that Heroic Strike is pruned than it's likely that other tanks are given a similar dynamic.

[sexybeast]

If HS was to become an active talent it would need to need some sort of a uber magic block, maybe a magic AM, but not a trade off to sotr

[Segus1992]

If HS was to become an active talent it would need to need some sort of a uber magic block, maybe a magic AM, but not a trade off to sotr

Why would it need that? We used to have a passive that made the overhealing we did with WoG create an absorb, if we got that back we'd be great.

I'm not saying active HS needs to happen, I'm just saying it'd make Prot more interesting because Holy Shield is a more interesting ability than SotR - the only thing that'd need to happen would be that HS isn't as likely to do damage as SotR.

As for Blizzard not wanting damage vs mitigation choices - I'm not sure about that, seeing as Guardians have it (Heal/Savage Defense vs Maul), Protection Warriors have it (Execute/Heroic Strike vs Shield Block/Barrier), Brewmasters have it (not as much, but Blackout Kick/Breath of Fire vs Purifying Brew) - even Protection Paladins have it versus primarily magic damage (Heal vs SotR), though obviously not as much. DK is really the only class with no damage vs mitigation choice.

[Jellospally]

Why would it need that? We used to have a passive that made the overhealing we did with WoG create an absorb, if we got that back we'd be great.

In what Wrath or Cata? WoG never did that in MoP or WoD.

- - - Updated - - -

As for Blizzard not wanting damage vs mitigation choices - I'm not sure about that, seeing as Guardians have it (Heal/Savage Defense vs Maul), Protection Warriors have it (Execute/Heroic Strike vs Shield Block/Barrier), Brewmasters have it (not as much, but Blackout Kick/Breath of Fire vs Purifying Brew) - even Protection Paladins have it versus primarily magic damage (Heal vs SotR), though obviously not as much. DK is really the only class with no damage vs mitigation choice.

Maul is mitigation with TnC. Sure you can spam it outside that but its so small in terms of your dmg gain.

Brewmaster don't at all. If you count breath you are retarded it does less damage than Blackout. Purify vs Blackout is mitigation vs mitigation. Blackout is less than it once was though.

Prot Pally doesn't at all because its not mitigation vs damage.

Prot War has it if you are swimming in rage, but you really only use it on free crit procs anyway. Its sorta like bears in where it really doesn't add damage. Though they do have it sorta from Execute less than 20% of most fights.

DK has mitigation vs damage choice(on 2+ targets). BB vs DS though its completely different since they've had those choices since Blood was made the Tank spec.

Its obvious they don't want Glyphs(paladin) to be required to do something like that.

They don't know what to do with blood. They should have removed the glyph or made it 20rp not both. Granted blood still shit on every tank with breath atm anyway in its current state.

Don't worry tanks will have less buttons(mainly cds) from what ive heard so far next expac.

[sexybeast]

You been talking to someone with alpha jello... Go on, spill the fucking beans lol

[Tyze]

No thanks, one reason I like Paladin is because SoTR provides a buff. It feels good to know your main damage spell also improves your defense system, not as Warrior with Shield Block, I only get one thing out of Shield Block. Might sound weird but it feels better knowing you get two things from a spell

Oh and accoring Holy Shield as active, no man.. Vanilla is over, I love passive spells though.

[Pickwickman]

Don't worry tanks will have less buttons(mainly cds) from what ive heard so far next expac.

Fuck... no. Hold me.

What is there left outside of rotation + cooldown management.

[tuesday the paladin]

I could see it being an improved version of Shield of the Righteous, but not a new spell. Your idea sounds too much like Seraphim, as it gives you block (from mastery), damage reduction (from BA,versatility), and some extra damage from crit/multistrike. Now they could make it an improved Shield of the righteous talent, say reflect damage when you take any damage with Holy Shield active, a small bump in damage reduction (maybe in the neighborhood of 5% more damage mitigated), and Holy Shield would reduce all damage taken rather than just physical.

[Pickwickman]

I could see it being an improved version of Shield of the Righteous, but not a new spell. Your idea sounds too much like Seraphim, as it gives you block (from mastery), damage reduction (from BA,versatility), and some extra damage from crit/multistrike. Now they could make it an improved Shield of the righteous talent, say reflect damage when you take any damage with Holy Shield active, a small bump in damage reduction (maybe in the neighborhood of 5% more damage mitigated), and Holy Shield would reduce all damage taken rather than just physical.

Yeah, that could work. Just a Holy Shield of the Righteouss.

Would be even more boring than current Holy Shield though.

[Deleted]

Yeah, that could work. Just a Holy Shield of the Righteouss.

Would be even more boring than current Holy Shield though.

Doesn't matter if it's boring if it's incredibly functional. Good, useful design >>>>>>>>>>>>>> "fun factor" imho - way too much stupid shit has been allowed into the game in the names of "fun" and "flavour" and it needs to fucking stop.

Hell, for a fight like Xhul'horac I wouldn't even be opposed to a SotR-related talent that exclusively mitigated magical damage. It'd definitely have niche usages.