Proctection paladins are actually very simple to level you just manage your skills, correctly...with my Lv. 70 AOE Paladin (sample of the basic build) I run players through Stratholme all day long, usually have a Lv. 70 Ice mage with me to help out on mobbing though I don't have much trouble since I usually have about 8 to 12 mobs on me at a time.
This is the build I started off with.
Aside from mages, Paladins have the highest potential for AoE grinding, combining their incredible survivability against melee attacks with talent procs that occur when they are the victim of enemy attacks. This build is mainly viable against mainly melee targets only, preferably those that don't disarm (weapon chain is useful), crowd-control, run, or use magic/non-physical ranged attacks. To make this spec viable, Holy Shield and its talent improvement must be obtained. A shield spike, and any other item that causes damage when stuck, or extra weapon swings, is very useful as well. Paladins specced this way can singlehandedly take out 5-6 mobs or 2-3 elites of equal level, and often with full health and mana, due to seal/judgement of light/wisdom.
[url="http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=sZVhbIL0dgMo"]AOE 0/33/0[/url]
Anyway onto the class information for the new player.
Death Knight -
Not AvalibleThe death knight combines martial prowess with dark, necromantic energies. It will be the first hero class in World of Warcraft; once certain criteria are met (not yet finalized), the player will have the ability to create a new death knight character, which will begin play at a high experience level (possibly somewhere between 55 and 70) with multiple spells and abilities ready to use. They are a hybrid class, being able to be tanks or deal damage. They are a melee class with casting abilities like the Paladin, and can raise Undead minions. Although they will have minions, they will not be a pet class, but have some of their mechanics. They are the only class to use the Rune resource system. It is also notable that the death knights will have their own talent trees like any other current class.
DruidDruids are versatile hybrids with various shapeshift forms in which they can tank like a warrior (Bear Form), stealth and fight in melee like a rogue (Cat Form), heal like a priest (normal or Tree Form), and cast spells like a mage (normal form or Moonkin Form). As such they are the only class that can fill all 4 main roles. However, unlike other hybrids, druids do not perform several roles at once but instead shift between roles. With talent specialization, Druids can excel at any of their playable roles in a group and/or raid.
HunterHunters are the only class that can effectively use ranged weapons (e.g. bows, guns, or crossbows) as a primary source of damage. Very adept at kiting, they have plenty of tools to allow them to avoid melee combat, where they are fairly weak. Hunters may tame many varieties of beasts to serve as combat pets, which along with an array of scouting, tracking, and survival abilities make them excellent solo characters.The three talent specializations for hunters are Marksmanship, Beast Mastery, and Survival.
MageMages are ranged magic damage dealers with very powerful direct and area effect damage spells, but weak armor and health. They also feature a variety of utility spells, including crowd control, teleportation and group portals to capital cities, and conjuration of food and water. Mages are reliant on mana for almost all of their abilities.
PaladinPaladins are Holy Warriors and are a hybrid class. They can tank, heal, and do melee damage. The damage they deal is partly melee damage and partly spell damage. Paladins also have very strong group support and buff abilities. They can wear heavy plate armor and carry shields like a warrior, but are also efficient healers, which combine to produce their renowned durability in combat. With talent specialization and equipment selection, paladins can fill the role of tank, offtank, or healer, and excel when called upon to spot-fill all these roles in a group setting. They can even sacrifice themselves to provide wipe recovery when needed. With the release of the Burning Crusade, Paladins are no longer exclusive to the Alliance. Blood elves (Horde) can now play as Paladins.
PriestPriests are the quintessential healer, and easily the most versatile class in that role, though they may also specialize to become powerful offensive casters. Priests have a wide variety of healing utility spells, along with a few tricks, helpful and otherwise, such as Power Word: Fortitude, Mind Control and the extremely useful Dispel Magic and Cure Disease. Other priests choose to pursue Shadowy arts, gaining the ability to assume Shadowform, increasing their damage output, and at higher levels regenerating mana quickly for their entire party, while sacrificing most of their powerful healing abilities.
RogueRogues excel at dealing melee damage and incapacitating their foes, particularly low health and low armor targets such as casters. Stealth gives them a tactical advantage and allows them to start a fight on their own terms. Other important abilities include lockpicking and the creation and handling of poisons. Also, a huge power is the Rogue's ability to stun and incapacitate for a large period of time. This, paired with the rogue's high Damage gives him a huge edge over his opponent. Rogues do not use mana for their combat abilities. Instead they use energy and generate combo points which are used to execute finishing moves.
ShamanShamans are one of the most versatile classes in the game as they can switch seamlessly from offensive caster to healer to melee DPS as needed, though at later levels they often specialize in one of these roles. Shamans can make good support characters, with the ability to step in and fill any role that may be lacking at the moment. Their high burst damage and healing also make them quite good at PvP. They are able to drop stationary totems on the ground which provide a variety of effects, many of which are useful to their entire party. They are unique in that they can provide complete wipe recovery by self-resurrecting and then resurrecting the rest of the party. With the release of the Burning Crusade, Shamans are no longer exclusive to the Horde. Draenei (Alliance) can now play as Shamans.
WarlockWarlocks enslave demons and call upon dark magic and curses to dominate and destroy their foes. Like hunters, warlocks employ combat pets, but these are summoned demons rather than tamed beasts. They are primarily ranged magic damage dealers with a focus on damage over time in addition to nukes and AoE, but lack the extreme burst damage capabilities of a mage. Demon pets and fear spells give them a variety of tactical options, and they have several utility spells and abilities, including summoning party members and creating healthstones and soulstones.
WarriorWarriors are close-combat fighters and usually fill the role of primary tank or offtank, as they are able to both withstand and inflict fierce physical punishment and have the most versatile means of generating threat and keeping aggro off other characters. They can also contribute very strong melee DPS when needed. Warrior abilities use rage, which is generated by dealing and taking damage, but decays over time while not in combat. Warriors are highly dependent on their gear, as their ability to deal and take damage is controlled directly by the quality and effects of their weapons and armor.
