New 80 Paladin, What to Spend Emblems on First?

So you’re a brand new level 80 Paladin, and are earning Emblems of Frost and Emblems of Triumph at a rapid rate.  You eagerly want to start smashing heads in Icecrown Citadel, but lack the gear to do so.  Deciding what to spend your hard emblems on can be a daunting task, but ask any veteran Retribution Paladin, and the choices are no-brainers.

There are many gear options out there to spend your Triumph and Frost emblems on, but for the first part of gearing, you really should aim for your Tier 9 and Tier 10 2-piece bonuses.  This will single-handedly give you the greatest DPS boost, and set you up for an increased chance of success.

Don’t forget that reaching your 8% hit cap will be a priority as well, and the Tier pieces will help you towards that goal.  But in regards to spending your emblems, focus on the Tier 9 and Tier 10 pieces, not the +hit.

My recommendations would be:

• Tier 9 Chest – [Turalyon’s Battleplate of Conquest] – 50x Emblem of Triumph
• Tier 9 Legs – [Turalyon’s Legplates of Conquest] – 50x Emblem of Triumph
• Tier 10 Shoulders – [Lightsworn Shoulderplates] – 60x Emblem of Frost
• Tier 10 Gloves – [Lightsworn Gauntlets] – 60x Emblem of Frost

The reason you would take the item level 232 T9 chest and legs over the cheaper shoulders and gloves is because, well, those are also the cheapest T10 pieces.  Emblems of Triumph are much easier to come by, therefore the 50 emblem cost per T9 is a much more rapid acquisition.

When you have your 2 piece T9 bonus, then you can shift your attention to grabbing the item level 245 Emblem of Triumph Helm.  If the armor pen stat is not high on your priority list, then the T9 helm can suffice as well.  Also, the 245 trinket is a good boost to hit rating if you are just starting out.   There will be much better DPS trinkets available as you progress in gear, and +hit will be available on much of the gear you acquire, but getting hit capped is the number one way to boost DPS in the long run, so don’t completely ignore it when first starting out. 

• [Helm of Thunderous Rampage] – 75x Emblem of Triumph
• [Turalyon’s Helm of Conquest] – 50x Emblem of Triumph
• [Mark of Supremecy] – 50x Emblem of Triumph

After you get those core pieces down, then you can start looking at other gear to buy.  For Frost Emblem purchases, your decision will vary greatly upon your current gear.  What stats you lack and what you have surplus of can also sway your decision making.

Regardless, aim for 2-piece T9 and 2-piece T10 first.  That is your priority.