The content below was written for previous expansions and is likely outdated for the current expansion content. The content below are saved purely for archiving purposes.
You can view current content information at the main PLD Resources page.
By making use of its 30 second duration, the 400 potency Requiescat oGCD can be used midway through FoF to catch party buffs. This has a side effect of also potentially gaining a Requiescat usage at an unknown kill time, as this may be repeated in every standard FoF window in full uptime. Note that spells are not used until FoF ends under normal circumstances.
Paladin has never had strict skill speed requirements to maintain a standard rotation. Generally, any speed which allows you to reliably fit 11 GCDs in Fight or Flight windows with correct late weave timing is acceptable, and up to personal preference. Specific speeds may be optimal by a small margin in specific encounters and with specific rotation considerations, but these will typically be outlined in the discord server - you can use commands to find skill speed requirements for specific GCD tiers.
Because the Valor DoT does not stack with the Goring DoT, a Requiescat-first opener must delay FoF significantly in order to have strong FoF windows (with two Goring Blades). Prepull FoF openers still exist but are situational. Standard opener or -3s prepull FoF will be preferred in the general case.
Fitting both Goring Blades into each standard FoF window is a high priority, but sacrificing a buffed GCD on a regular basis to make this easier is not a good practice outside of progression, and is only necessary if encounter mechanics force a major disengagement during Fight or Flight. 10 GCD FoF windows are weaker and can also restrict the usage of tinctures (and oGCDs, later in the fight). Instead, ensure your FoF timing is precise (always in the second half of the GCD cycle, not immediately after the previous GCD) and you aren’t double-weaving during FoF with high latency (>100 ms). As long as you keep the GCD rolling, fitting 11 GCDs into FoF with proper timing is possible at GCD recast speeds as slow as 2.45 - 2.48, depending on latency and player consistency.
Following the opener, every physical oGCD will naturally line up with Fight or Flight if kept on cooldown (but Intervene should usually be stacked and used twice in each FoF window). If downtime misaligns an oGCD with FoF, consider whether delaying the oGCD will cost a usage before the end of the phase. Maximizing oGCD usages is almost always more important than fitting them into buffs. For optimization, line up Circle of Scorn and Expiacion with multi-target opportunities whenever possible, and prioritize keeping uptime with Intervene during movement-heavy mechanics.
During Fight or Flight windows in full uptime, all 3 Atonements should be used. However, only 2 out of 3 unbuffed Atonements need to be used per standard loop to line up FoF properly. The third unbuffed Sword Oath stack may be dropped without loss in many cases. Dropping an unbuffed Atonement is recommended when unfamiliar with encounter timings, or for an unknown kill time, to minimize long term rotational drift. Refer to the discord for more information.
(Note that a fourth Atonement should NOT be held for FoF in full uptime at level 90, due to potency and DoT timing changes compared to level 80.)
Paladin’s rotation is deceptively easy to recover. As a general rule, the rotation can be fully reset by each Requiescat window as long as Fight or Flight and Requiescat don’t drift apart (even if they must be used sub-optimally). Losses cannot be reversed, but ensuring personal buff windows do not desync from each other will prevent problems from compounding for the rest of the encounter.
For unexpected single-GCD losses, the solution is simple: drop an Atonement so FoF and Requiescat don’t get delayed. If the loss occurs during the FoF window, dropping an Atonement will also ensure that the next Goring Blade is still buffed by FoF. This Atonement can even be replaced with an instant cast Holy Spirit if Requiescat is active during FoF, as with a standard loop, but this will force the loop to be ~61 seconds long unless the Atonement is still used after FoF.
For multiple-GCD losses (broken combos or long disengagements), the solution is to drop a Goring Blade combo at some point before the next Requiescat, because 3 Atonement/Holy Spirit usages are worth more than a full Goring Blade combo, if 3 GCDs must be sacrificed to prevent buff delays. Alternatively, dropping multiple Atonements with standard Goring Blade timing still works, but is less efficient.
As of 6.05, the two best options are Pumpkin Potage and Pumpkin Ratatouille. For best-in-slot gearsets, food is included as part of the set. Otherwise, use the Tank Gear Calculator to see what is best for your situation. Nobody knows off the top of their head what is best for every combination of gear.