Zan’s M+ Lightsmith & Templar - Midnight - (Updated Febuary)

Protection Paladin – GSE Sequence

Updated: Febuary 17, 2026

Quick Intro

I’m Zan - Paladin main since Wrath of the Lich King.
This is the GSE sequence I personally use for Mythic+, where I consistently hit 97–100 logs.

This sequence is built around personal preference, and how I like to play Protection Paladin.


Core Idea / Personal Preference

  • Rotation = Automated
  • Defensives & utility = Manual
  • Protection Paladin works best when you decide, not the macro

Manual Abilities

(Recommended regardless of Version 1, 2, or 3)

These abilities are best kept on separate keybinds, no matter which version of the sequence you use:

Defensives / Utility

  • Word of Glory
  • Lay on Hands
  • Holy Bulwark
  • Ardent Defender
  • Guardian of Ancient Kings
  • Divine Shield

Utility / Control

  • Hammer of Justice
  • Rebuke
  • Blinding Light
  • Divine Toll
  • Blessing of Freedom
  • Blessing of Sacrifice
  • Blessing of Protection
  • Blessing of Spellwarding
  • Divine Steed
  • Hand of Reckoning

Pulls / Interrupt Control

  • Avenger’s Shield
  • Judgment

(Even though Avenger’s Shield can be automated in one version, both of these are highly recommended on separate keys for pulls and interrupts, regardless of version.)


Talents / Builds

I strongly recommend using Murlok.io to stay up to date with what top Paladins are running.

Builds I Use:

Lightsmith (Pre-Patch)

CIEAVg1HmQqr1Dwlv86ljju8vuNjBzyYZMjZmZZbMzwsMLDDAwAAAAAAgmmZWmZMzwDws1GAGYAGsBAAQAGz22SbMWMDGAwMMGAMzAgZGA

Templar (Pre-Patch)

CIEAVg1HmQqr1Dwlv86ljju8vuNjBzyYZMjZmZZbMzwsMLDDAwAAAAAAgmmZWmZMzwDws1GAGYAGsBAAmRbzMmBIwmZwAAmhxAAYGgZGA

:check_mark: Works with Lightsmith & Templar
:check_mark: Blessed Hammer playstyle only


GSE Versions (Pick Your Style)

Version 1 – Full Manual Control

  • Manual: Ardent Defender, Holy Bulwark, Avenger’s Shield
  • Auto: Sacred Weapon

Version 2 – Semi-Automated

  • Auto: Ardent Defender, Holy Bulwark
  • Manual: Avenger’s Shield

Version 3 – Fully Automated

  • Auto: Ardent Defender, Holy Bulwark, Avenger’s Shield

:backhand_index_pointing_right: I personally use Version 2.


Behavior & Conditional Logic

  • Mouseover dead (in combat)Intercession
  • No mouseover + Hammer of Light procHammer of Light
  • No mouseover + no procShield of the Righteous
  • No target → Blessed Hammer
  • Enemy target → Avenger’s Shield (Version 3 only)

Important

This sequence uses macros embedded directly in the GSE import.

When importing the sequence, make sure macro(s) is ENABLED in GSE.


GSE Import

GSE → Import Sequence → paste:

!GSE3!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

Recommended key press: sub-100ms (I personally use ~20ms).
Test on dummies and adjust to what feels right.


Feedback is appreciated but not required :wink:

Enjoy!

3 Likes

Note:

This is mostly a re-post of my original TWW Prot Paladin post. Not much has changed going into Midnight rotation-wise, so the core sequence remains largely the same with only minor adjustments.

I’ll be actively testing this and updating it as needed. Expect daily/weekly tweaks where it makes sense.

for me works perfect, i will do some trys on mid high keys to see how works. I will write here my runs! Thanks for the work!

1 Like

Update:

I’ve now updated the GSE import for Templar, including Talents, in the main post of this thread.

Update:

I’ve updated the talent import after today’s patch.

I also did a short ~4 minute test to see where Templar stands, and it looks like Templar is slightly ahead overall.

Lightsmith sustains its DPS better in AoE without relying as much on cooldowns, so if you’re running fast keys where mobs die too quickly to get full value out of Divine Toll on every pull, then I think Lightsmith performs better in those situations.

For single target, though, Templar wins by a pretty significant amount.


AoE ~4 minute test:

Lightsmith:
Screenshot 2026-02-11 073813
Templar:
Screenshot 2026-02-11 074650


ST ~4 minute test:

Lightsmith:
Screenshot 2026-02-11 080640
Templar:
Screenshot 2026-02-11 081111

1 Like

Thank you so much for your excellent work! I used your sequence to go >3600 RIO so far in pre-patch without any trouble, it’s fantastic!

1 Like

Appreciate the feedback! Happy to hear it :blush:

Keep up the grind!

I ran a few dungeons with your sequence and honestly, it feels amazing. The flow is super smooth and everything lines up really well.

The only thing I noticed is that Consecration seems to fire quite often, roughly every 3–4 seconds. It might be a bit more than necessary and maybe those gcds could be spend with other things. That said, it still performs great and for 99% of gameplay it really doesn’t make a difference.

1 Like

Thanks for giving it a try! I’ve been using this myself for the entire War Within expansion and it really does feel smooth overall.

About Consecration - it’s honestly one of the harder spells to balance properly in a sequence.

I’ve tested a lot of different setups, and the more aggressive Consecration usage has consistently felt better for general play. You never really want to end up in a situation where you’re not standing in your Consecration, especially on big AoE pulls or during tank burst mechanics.

Even with the Midnight mastery changes, we still want strong uptime for talents like Solace + Sanctuary for sustained mitigation/healing. And moving into Midnight, we’ll likely also be using Searing Sunlight.

If we try to only cast it every ~8 seconds, it often ends up drifting into 10–12 seconds in real gameplay, especially with kiting, chain-pulling, or repositioning bosses. That’s when you suddenly lose Consecration uptime and the Sanctuary 5% DR, which will punish you on higher keys.

Even right now, during some pulls we run out of Blessed Hammer charges, and because Hammer is paired with Consecration in the sequence, you already see gaps where Consecration lasts closer to its full duration before being refreshed.

And looking ahead, we’ll probably drop from 40–45% haste down to ~25-30% in Midnight, so what feels like “every 3–4 seconds” today will naturally slow down closer to 6–8 seconds anyway.

So while I agree it can look a bit frequent, I think the current behavior is a good balance across both high and low haste setups, as well as how you move around in your keys.

Really appreciate you bringing it up though - always open to suggestions and feedback!

1 Like

Hi, how do i select between versions? Thanks.

Once it’s imported, open the sequence, go to the Configuration tab on the left-hand side, choose your default version, and click Save.

2 Likes

Update

New GSE import added in the top post.

  • Better support for the Templar build
  • Less likely to overcap Holy Power when Hammer of Light is available
  • Intercession is now forced more proactively on mouseover dead allies when at 3 Holy Power

The rotation remains just as smooth as before, but is now even more reliable, with Hammer of Light and Intercession being used more consistently whenever conditions are met.

Update

New GSE import added in the top post.

Made some changes in order for us to make better use of Hammer of Wrath while Wings is active, to benefit from both talents Sanctified Wrath & Zealot’s Paragon.

1 Like