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Macros for all your Paladin Needs, or at least a good start!

Macros are the little secret that used to be the territory of command line champions. Those scared of typing in code shied away from macros needlessly. Blizzard has created a simple interface for us to automate some of the routine (some may say monotonous) button clicking. This week we’re going to look into macros and how they can eliminate some of the button mashing we go through every fight. I should rephrase, sometimes macros are used because they not only remove some of the monotony, but a macro can sequence a series of button presses faster than a finger taps on a keyboard or set of mouse clicks.

The first issue to tackle is the creation of a macro. If you are unfamiliar with macros, then read the beginner’s guide that can be found on WoWWiki. Once you are familiar with the concept of macros and are ready to make some macros specific for you Paladin, and then continue reading!

Instead of breaking up the guide between the three different playstyles (healing, tanking, DPS), I’m going to group the macros by type. Macros come in many flavors, but this week we’re going to look at sequence macros, mouse-over macros and non-combat macros.
 
Sequence Macros – faster than a speeding clicker
Let’s face it, we are not as fast as machines. When we need to really put the hammer down on a series of clicks, programmed clicks will activate faster than we are able to press the buttons. Since this is the case, many macros use the machine speed to help out in combat. One of the first macros that I used was a trinket activation macro.

Trinket Macro:

The following macro will automatically trigger both trinket slots (if your trinkets have a ”Use” function) and then cast Crusader Strike:

  This macro does a number of things:

1. It triggers both trinkets (in this case a Retribution Spec Paladin may have two attack power trinkets)
2. It will also eliminate the error sound so you won’t be bugged if you hit the macro while the trinkets are on cooldown.
3. Upon the additional buffs from the trinkets, it casts a spell that can take advantage of the buffs, in this case Crusader Strike.
4. At the end it makes sure that you won’t miss any swings by starting autoattacks.

 
This type of macro is a bread and butter staple for most builds. A protection version for block trinkets or dodge trinkets might be
  As you can see, replacing the type of attack or spell after “cast” can modify the macro to be useful for all builds of Paladin.
The big heal macro is widely posted on various forums, as this macro will fire off trinkets and healing boosters prior to landing a big heal:

 
Remember that the mouse over works both in the party windows as well as the character avatars. With my moderate healing gear, the above macro has me landing tens of thousands of healing points in very short order. While the buffs are still rolling, drop in a Holy Shock and your jaw will drop.
 
Other sequence macros include a handy mana regen macro for those of us smart enough to play Blood Elf Paladins:

This will activate both Divine Plea and Arcane Torrent if available.
Using the series of casts and clicks, you can mix and match to make macros specifically suited for the sequence you need.
 
Mouse-Over Macros:
The second type of macro that is quite helpful is the mouse-over macro. During combat, the action can be fast and furious. Looking down at action bars to find the right spell and then trying to click on a player’s name while running can be tricky at best. Using a mouse-over macro, players can cast a spell as the cursor is pointing at the person in need. This is helpful in many ways. First, when you see an action on your screen it is easier to react to that action with your mouse pointing on the player in question, rather than figure out which player that is, then begin clicking on the spell and then finding the player’s name in the party window.
We’ll start with a basic mouse-over for Cleansing:
 
While it doesn’t look like much it allows the Paladin to keep his/her eyes on the playing field. If the macro icon is in slot #1 of the action bar, the Paladin can be pressing #1 while mousing over the player needing cleansing. Simple as that.
 
Mouse-over macros are useful for all Paladin play styles. Other healing spells can be placed in the macro to cast Holy Shock, Holy Light or Flash of Light on a mouse-over target.  The Holy Shock macro can be used against hostile or friendly targets as needed.
 
Tanking Paladins will typically have taunting mouse-over macros to save those squishy casters who pull agro. A Righteous Defense/Hand of Reckoning macro looks like the following:
 
 
The above macro will cast Righteous Defense on the mouse-over friendly target and if that is on cooldown the macro will cast Hand of Reckoning on the friendly target’s attacker.
 
Some of these macros take time for you to work them into your rotation, but you will be much better off in the long run as your character’s reactions will be much faster.
 
Non-combat Macros
 
Last but not least, some macros are best used out of combat. These are aids for determining values or setting up prior to combat. The first is raid targeting macro. Raid targeting usually falls on the tank as a responsibility so Protection Paladins will want to take note of this:
 

Each Raid icon has a corresponding number:
0 = no icon
1 = Yellow 4-point Star
2 = Orange Circle
3 = Purple Diamond
4 = Green Triangle
5 = White Crescent Moon
6 = Blue Square
7 = Red "X" Cross
8 = White Skull
 
So the macro to set the a White Skull on a mouse-over target would be:
   
If you prefer to target the enemy manually, just take out “mouseover” and replace it with “target.” Most raids use only 3 or 4 icons, so you probably won’t need 8 buttons mapped for the macros, but remember that you can also use the shift, alt and control keys in the key mapping options.
 
Another non-combat macro that is very useful for tanking Paladins is the Tankadin macro (thanks to Maintankadin):
   
The above essential macro will show the key stats for Paladin tanks and whether or not your current gear passes muster. More specifically it shows your ratings for being “unhittable” your avoidance and defense. Very essential for knowing your stats, like this (can you guess when Holy Shield is active?):

 
One last macro for some very special situations allows a player to set the maximum viewing distance much farther back than the default view. This macro is essential for fights like Malygos and many other 25-man raid situations where seeing more of the playing field is vital:
   
Depending on your monitor, the above macro can set you so far back your character will look smaller than the characters in Diablo. You may not always want it set there, but you can adjust the distance based on the last number in the sequence.
 
For those of you who are gluttons for gathering, the following macro will switch your tracking in the minimap between herbs and mining nodes:
   This will eliminate one additional button off your hotbar.
 
Hopefully these macros will help you in your everyday enjoyment of World of Warcraft. The chosen macros are provided to show the versatility available within the framework of the game itself. These are not hacks or cheats, they are ways to personalize the game interaction the way you want to have it. Many players don’t ever open the macro window, but armed with the basics above, you should be able to wade into combat with macros blaring.