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Protection Paladin Mythic+ PvE Guide for Midnight Pre-Season

Welcome to Murlok’s Protection Paladin PvE guide for Mythic+ Dungeons in World of Warcraft: Midnight Pre-Season.

Built using real‑time data from the top 50 Protection Paladin Tanks across the US, EU, KR, and TW regions, this guide highlights the optimal stats, talents, gear, embellishments, enchantments, gems, and races used in Patch 12.0 competitive M+.

Data is refreshed every 8 hours via Blizzard’s Battle.net API to ensure accuracy and up-to-date insights.

Top Mythic+ Protection Paladins

  1. Selectx's icon
    1
    Selectx
    Azshara (KR)
    Dwarf | Lightsmith | 235 ilvl
    4360
  2. Softnip's icon
    2
    Softnip
    Silvermoon (EU)
    Tauren | Templar | 243 ilvl
    4277
  3. Стоуфилд's icon
    3
    Стоуфилд
    Gordunni (EU)
    Human | Lightsmith | 242 ilvl
    4256
  4. Диминишир's icon
    4
    Диминишир
    Gordunni (EU)
    Dwarf | Lightsmith | 240 ilvl
    4222
  5. Эгоистпал's icon
    5
    Эгоистпал
    Gordunni (EU)
    Lightforged Draenei | Lightsmith | 237 ilvl
    4213

Stat Priority

Stats directly affect a Protection Paladin's Tank performance, appearing on gear, consumables, enchantments, and gems.

They have diminishing returns after reaching +20% from gear, so proper balance ensures the best results.

Optimal Secondary Stats

  • 19% Critical Strike +464
  • 16% Haste +472
  • 21% Mastery +421
  • 5% Versatility +246

Stat priority

  1. Haste
  2. Critical Strike
  3. Mastery
  4. Versatility

Additional Minor Stats

  • 0% Avoidance +15
  • 0% Leech +32
  • 1% Speed +0

Stat priority

  1. Leech
  2. Avoidance
  3. Speed

Talent Build

Talents play a major role in Mythic+ Dungeons. The heatmaps below show how frequently each talent is selected among the top Protection Paladins.

  1. Most used talents, strongly recommended!
  2. Frequently used talents, offer flexibility or suit personal preference.
  3. Rarely used talents, usually chosen to unlock deeper rows in the tree.

Best-in-Slot Gear for Mythic+

Gear provides core stat bonuses and typically comes from the Great Vault, crafted items, raids, dungeons, Delves, or PvP vendors.

These items are most frequently used by top-ranked Protection Paladins in Mythic+ Dungeons.

Head

  1. Silvermoon Suncrest

    • 38
    Silvermoon Suncrest icon

  2. Greathelm of Temptation

    • 4
    Greathelm of Temptation icon

  3. Fletcher's Faded Faceplate

    • 2
    Fletcher's Faded Faceplate icon

  4. Steelbark Casque

    • 2
    Steelbark Casque icon

  5. Tarnished Dawnlit Commander's Helmet

    • 2
    Tarnished Dawnlit Commander's Helmet icon

Neck

  1. Amani Heartstring Pendant

    • 36
    Amani Heartstring Pendant icon

  2. Pendant of Malefic Fury

    • 4
    Pendant of Malefic Fury icon

  3. Yoke of the Charging Bear

    • 4
    Yoke of the Charging Bear icon

  4. Pendant of Aching Grief

    • 3
    Pendant of Aching Grief icon

  5. Graft of the Domanaar

    • 2
    Graft of the Domanaar icon

Shoulders

  1. Amalgamation's Harness

    • 12
    Amalgamation's Harness icon

  2. Cinderfury Shoulderguards

    • 10
    Cinderfury Shoulderguards icon

  3. Searing Spaulders

    • 9
    Searing Spaulders icon

  4. Steelbark Shoulderguards

    • 9
    Steelbark Shoulderguards icon

  5. Blood-Tempered Pauldrons

    • 4
    Blood-Tempered Pauldrons icon

Back

  1. Defiant Defender's Drape

    • 10
    Defiant Defender's Drape icon

  2. Bloodthorn Burnous

    • 8
    Bloodthorn Burnous icon

  3. Deepvine Shroud

    • 7
    Deepvine Shroud icon

  4. Fluxweave Cloak

    • 5
    Fluxweave Cloak icon

  5. Soulhunter's Mask

    • 5
    Soulhunter's Mask icon

Chest

  1. Arcane Guardian's Shell

    • 13
    Arcane Guardian's Shell icon

  2. Sentinel Challenger's Prize

    • 9
    Sentinel Challenger's Prize icon

  3. Steelbark Chestguard

    • 9
    Steelbark Chestguard icon

  4. Taproot Ribs

    • 9
    Taproot Ribs icon

  5. Tarnished Dawnlit Commander's Breastplate

    • 3
    Tarnished Dawnlit Commander's Breastplate icon

Wrist

  1. Trollhunter's Bands

    • 21
    Trollhunter's Bands icon

  2. Steelbark Vambraces

    • 9
    Steelbark Vambraces icon

  3. Kasreth's Bindings

    • 7
    Kasreth's Bindings icon

  4. Overseer's Vambraces

    • 6
    Overseer's Vambraces icon

  5. Tarnished Dawnlit Commander's Armplates

    • 2
    Tarnished Dawnlit Commander's Armplates icon

Hands

  1. Embergrove Grasps

    • 17
    Embergrove Grasps icon

  2. Despondent's Gauntlets

    • 8
    Despondent's Gauntlets icon

  3. Steelbark Gauntlets

    • 7
    Steelbark Gauntlets icon

  4. Thornspike Gauntlets

    • 7
    Thornspike Gauntlets icon

  5. Bonds of the Hash'ura

    • 3
    Bonds of the Hash'ura icon

Waist

  1. Hara'ti Defender's Greatbelt

    • 29
    Hara'ti Defender's Greatbelt icon

  2. Riphook Defender

    • 13
    Riphook Defender icon

  3. Shadowsplit Girdle

    • 4
    Shadowsplit Girdle icon

  4. Autumn's Boon Belt

    • 1
    Autumn's Boon Belt icon

  5. Blood-Tempered Greatbelt

    • 1
    Blood-Tempered Greatbelt icon

Legs

  1. Bedrock Breeches

    • 15
    Bedrock Breeches icon

  2. Legplates of Lingering Dusk

    • 15
    Legplates of Lingering Dusk icon

  3. Lightscarred Cuisses

    • 7
    Lightscarred Cuisses icon

  4. Preyseeker's Polished Tassets

    • 4
    Preyseeker's Polished Tassets icon

  5. Steelbark Greaves

    • 3
    Steelbark Greaves icon

Feet

  1. Oathsworn Stompers

    • 11
    Oathsworn Stompers icon

  2. Sabatons of Furious Revenge

    • 11
    Sabatons of Furious Revenge icon

  3. Steelbark Sabatons

    • 11
    Steelbark Sabatons icon

  4. Footwraps of Ill-Fate

    • 9
    Footwraps of Ill-Fate icon

  5. Galactic Warmonger's Sabatons

    • Set
    • 4
    Galactic Warmonger's Sabatons icon

Rings

  1. Occlusion of Void

    • Set
    • 12
    Occlusion of Void icon

  2. Sickening Signet of Atroxus

    • 12
    Sickening Signet of Atroxus icon

  3. Omission of Light

    • Set
    • 11
    Omission of Light icon

  4. Pilfered Precious Band

    • 9
    Pilfered Precious Band icon

  5. Bifurcation Band

    • 8
    Bifurcation Band icon

Trinkets

  1. Crucible of Erratic Energies

    • 37
    Crucible of Erratic Energies icon

  2. Heart of Wind

    • 10
    Heart of Wind icon

  3. Permafrost Essence

    • 7
    Permafrost Essence icon

  4. Vessel of Tortured Souls

    • 7
    Vessel of Tortured Souls icon

  5. Drum of Renewed Bonds

    • 5
    Drum of Renewed Bonds icon

Main Hand

  1. Malfeasance Mallet

    • 10
    Malfeasance Mallet icon

  2. Taz'Rah's Cosmic Edge

    • 8
    Taz'Rah's Cosmic Edge icon

  3. Viridescent Crusher

    • 5
    Viridescent Crusher icon

  4. Preyseeker's Hammer

    • 4
    Preyseeker's Hammer icon

  5. Spellbreaker's Blade

    • Craft
    • 4
    Spellbreaker's Blade icon

Off Hand

  1. Ironvine Bulwark

    • 9
    Ironvine Bulwark icon

  2. Preyseeker's Tower Shield

    • 9
    Preyseeker's Tower Shield icon

  3. Tempest's Shelter

    • 7
    Tempest's Shelter icon

  4. Reflux Reflector

    • 5
    Reflux Reflector icon

  5. Ward of the Spellbreaker

    • 4
    Ward of the Spellbreaker icon

Embellishments

Embellishments add special effects to crafted gear. Only two can be equipped, so selection is important.

The following embellishments are the most commonly used by high-rated Protection Paladins.

  1. Devouring Banding

    • 5
    Spellbreaker's Blade icon

  2. Dawnthread Lining

    • 1
    Everforged Vambraces icon

Enchantments

Enchantments enhance gear with additional stats or special procs. Most are crafted by Enchanters, leg enchants come from Leatherworkers, and some slot-specific options appear through seasonal content.

These are the top enchantments for Protection Paladin gear in Mythic+ Dungeons during Midnight Pre-Season.

Head

  1. Enchant Helm - Hex of Leeching

    • 5
    Enchant Helm - Hex of Leeching icon

  2. Enchant Helm - Hex of Leeching

    • 2
    Enchant Helm - Hex of Leeching icon

  3. Enchant Helm - Rune of Avoidance

    • 2
    Enchant Helm - Rune of Avoidance icon

Shoulders

  1. Enchant Shoulders - Thalassian Recovery

    • 4
    Enchant Shoulders - Thalassian Recovery icon

  2. Enchant Shoulders - Thalassian Recovery

    • 3
    Enchant Shoulders - Thalassian Recovery icon

  3. Enchant Shoulders - Nature's Grace

    • 2
    Enchant Shoulders - Nature's Grace icon

Back

  1. Chant of Leeching Fangs

    • 2
    Chant of Leeching Fangs icon

Chest

  1. Crystalline Radiance

    • 1
    Crystalline Radiance icon

  2. Enchant Chest - Mark of Nalorakk

    • 1
    Enchant Chest - Mark of Nalorakk icon

  3. Enchant Chest - Mark of the Worldsoul

    • 1
    Enchant Chest - Mark of the Worldsoul icon

Wrist

  1. +43 Leech

    • 1
    +43 Leech icon

Legs

  1. Forest Hunter's Armor Kit

    • 2
    Forest Hunter's Armor Kit icon

  2. Defender's Armor Kit

    • 1
    Defender's Armor Kit icon

  3. Forest Hunter's Armor Kit

    • 1
    Forest Hunter's Armor Kit icon

Rings

  1. Enchant Ring - Thalassian Haste

    • 14
    Enchant Ring - Thalassian Haste icon

  2. Enchant Ring - Nature's Wrath

    • 3
    Enchant Ring - Nature's Wrath icon

  3. Enchant Ring - Eyes of the Eagle

    • 2
    Enchant Ring - Eyes of the Eagle icon

Main Hand

  1. Enchant Weapon - Worldsoul Aegis

    • 3
    Enchant Weapon - Worldsoul Aegis icon

  2. Enchant Weapon - Berserker's Rage

    • 2
    Enchant Weapon - Berserker's Rage icon

  3. Enchant Weapon - Acuity of the Ren'dorei

    • 1
    Enchant Weapon - Acuity of the Ren'dorei icon

Gems

Gems provide focused secondary stat bonuses to help fine‑tune builds. They are crafted by Jewelcrafters and socketed into gear.

Sockets can be added to Necklaces and Rings with the Magnificent Jeweler's Setting , or to other gear through seasonal vendor items.

These are the most popular gems among top‑rated Protection Paladins in Mythic+ Dungeons.

Algari Diamond

  1. Culminating Blasphemite

    • 1
    Culminating Blasphemite icon

  2. Elusive Blasphemite

    • 1
    Elusive Blasphemite icon

Fiber

  1. Pure Chronomantic Fiber

    • 1
    Pure Chronomantic Fiber icon

  2. Pure Precise Fiber

    • 1
    Pure Precise Fiber icon

Prismatic

    • 116

  2. Versatile Peridot

    • 9
    Versatile Peridot icon

  3. Quick Emerald

    • 5
    Quick Emerald icon

  4. Flawless Versatile Peridot

    • 3
    Flawless Versatile Peridot icon

  5. Masterful Emerald

    • 3
    Masterful Emerald icon

Most Played Races for Protection Paladin M+

Racial traits can provide noticeable advantages in PvE, giving a competitive edge in Mythic+ Dungeons.

These are the most commonly chosen races among top‑rated Protection Paladin Tank players in Midnight Pre-Season.

  1. Dwarf

    • 22
    Dwarf icon

  2. Blood Elf

    • 13
    Blood Elf icon

  3. Human

    • 5
    Human icon

  4. Lightforged Draenei

    • 4
    Lightforged Draenei icon

  5. Tauren

    • 4
    Tauren icon

Protection Paladin Guide FAQ

Here are answers to common questions about how this guide is built and how to interpret the data.

How is this Mythic+ PvE guide created?

This guide compiles live data from the top Protection Paladins in Mythic+ Dungeons using Blizzard’s Battle.net API .

How often is the information updated?

Data updates every 8 hours.

Why is this guide valuable?

The guide provides real-time build insights, showing exactly what high-ranking players are currently using, helping you make informed decisions for your character.

Is this guide current?

Yes. The guide always reflects the latest information for Midnight Pre-Season and Patch 12.0.

Is this guide suitable for beginners?

Yes. Beginners can easily identify current trends and optimal setups. However, it does not provide gameplay tutorials.

Why isn’t my character listed in the top rankings?

Reasons may include inactivity, falling below the minimum rating threshold, frequent spec changes, or gear not optimized for PvE.