Overview
The Paladin is the main tank of the Human race and one of the most reliable defensive classes in the game. You survive where others fall, hold boss aggro and cover your party with auras. Of all the tanks in the game the Paladin is the sturdiest — pick it when you need a wall that is hard to break.
The base class is Human Knight; after the 1st class transfer your development path leans into defense, control and group auras. The Paladin isn't about fast solo farming — it's about team play: the more you run in groups, raids and sieges, the more the class comes online. Similar tanks are the Temple Knight for Elves and the Shillien Knight for Dark Elves.
Key Skills
| Skill | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Hate | Single-target taunt | Provokes the target, pulling the mob's aggro onto you. The core tanking tool — without it you can't hold a boss. |
| Aggression | AoE taunt | Mass provoke: pulls several targets onto you at once so the party can farm or burn down a Raid Boss in peace. |
| Shield Stun | Control | Stuns the enemy with your shield. In PvP it interrupts enemy caster spells; in PvE it gives crowd control over mob packs. |
| Holy Blessing & group auras | Support | Reduce damage taken by your party and boost ally defense. The tighter the formation, the stronger the effect. |
Build & Gear
The Paladin wears heavy armor, a sword and a shield — the shield is mandatory: it determines your block, powers Shield Stun and your chance to parry an Epic Boss hit. Stat priorities:
| Stat | Priority | Why |
|---|---|---|
| P.Def | ★★★ | Lets you stand in the eye of the fight as long as possible. |
| M.Def | ★★★ | Survives mage burst and debuffs in mass PvP. |
| HP | ★★★ | More effective health means longer aggro holding. |
| Shield rate | ★★ | Drives block, Shield Stun and boss evasion. |
For enchanting, prioritize the heavy armor set and the shield first; the weapon is secondary, since your job is holding aggro and surviving, not dealing damage. Sets and bonuses are plentiful — pick a set for your level and enchant your defensive slots before anything else. See the enchanting guide for the basics.
PvP & PvE
In PvE the Paladin is the party's anchor: Hate and Aggression pull the mobs, your P.Def holds them, and the DDs work freely. In a party with a healer you are practically immortal while farming.
In one-on-one PvP your damage is low, and here the Paladin loses to attacking classes. But in mass PvP and on castle sieges it shines: Shield Stun interrupts enemy casts, auras keep allies alive, and you hold the front line and barely die. On the Olympiad the Paladin is niche — it's picked for specific matchups.
Pros & Cons
Strengths: the highest survivability of any tank, reliable aggro holding, useful group auras, and demand in any party or raid.
Weaknesses: low damage and slow solo leveling, weakness in duel PvP, and reliance on a group to fully come online. The Paladin is a team class, and solo its potential is limited.
Raids
On Epic Bosses you'll be drafted first. High P.Def and reliable aggro holding are exactly what a raid needs. The Paladin is just as good in sieges: auras protect allies while you hold the front line. If you want a more aggressive tank variant with a combat pet, take a look at the Dark Avenger.