I feel that I have an understanding of all the other classes in the game, though not a great understanding. I feel like I can explain each classes strengths and weaknesses without getting too much of it wrong. However, when other people I know tell me that I don't know my own class, let alone other classes, I just get angry.

Why do people think that Dire Bear Form is the answer to a paladin's plate armor and shield? Are they even remotely similar besides the armor value? No, they are not, and the reason is because while druids have to stop healing when they're in bear form and enjoying paladin armor values, paladins just keep on healing. In essence, paladins are bear form healers.

The next argument thrown out there is that paladins don't have any HoTs like druids, and therefore, druids can keep healing in bear form. However, the problem becomes a battle of attrition: the druid is in bear form because he's being beat on, if he leaves bear form he loses the survivability the paladin has, and it costs ~200 mana to turn into a cheetah and run away, then another 660 to heal to full while the druid avoids the opposing dps class[es].

The paladin just sits there, LETS you beat on him, and FoLs himself for 180 mana on bad casts, 90 on good casts, immune to knockback on a 1.5 second cast, and spends a reduced amount of time school locked or silenced. Not to mention that a paladin has bubble if anything goes wrong to the point of not being able to get heals off in time, or hit points get dicey.

Sigh... at this point, most of the opposing arguers will realize they have no grounds for their claims, and start making insults and ridiculous claims like they invented the question mark, or accuse chestnuts of being lazy... the general melees that the insane lament and only the genius possess... okay, maybe that's a line from Austin Powers, but still. They'll usually bash on the ratings of any poster from that point on, and on the next page, ignore my post in its entirety and go back to their original claims as if a counter proof doesn't lay one page prior.

Conclusion (again) - Paladin's healing and survivability is MUCH greater than that of a resto druid's. It's only a question of how each class is played. The paladin is a tank healer, whereas the druid is an Olympic sprinter / healer. The difference is that druids CAN get away and drink a bit, whereas paladins don't have that option, and don't generally need it. The only way a druid+warrior team beats a paladin+warrior team is if the druid has 40 arena waters on hand, and runs to drink at every opportunity while his warrior eventually OoMs the paladin, and they win.