Retribution Paladin Raid Guide (2024)

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Retribution Paladin Raid Guide

Last Updated: August 20th 2024

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11.0.2 - The War Within

Welcome to the Retribution Paladin Raid guide for the World of Warcraft patch 11.0.2! This guide covers everything you need to know to understand your character! Are you starting out and leveling up from 70? Check out the leveling guide!

Overview

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

Retribution Paladin Raid Guide (1)Retribution Paladin Raid Guide (2)

Retribution PaladinRaid

Single-Target

Strong

AoE

Average

Utility

Average

Survivability

Excellent

Mobility

Subpar

Hero Talents

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

Templar is focused on Single target with stacked cleave from Shake the Heavens, while Herald of the Sun is focused on buffing your Divine Storm and a dealing damage via dots from Dawnlight.

Templar

Herald of the Sun

  • Casting Wake of Ashes Grants you Hammer of Light a 5 Holy Power spender that replaces Wake of Ashes until it’s used.
  • Over time you gain stacks of Light's Deliverance. At 60 Stacks, you gain a freeHammer of Light that you must cast before Wake of Ashes since they have the same key bind.

Shake the Heavens Interactions

  • After casting Hammer of Light you gain Shake the Heavens which casts an Empyrean Hammer on your target every 2 seconds for 8 seconds, which can be extended by Higher Calling
  • Shake the Heavens also grants you 12% haste for 6 seconds.

Empyrean Hammer Interactions

  • Casting any Holy Power spender triggers an Empyrean Hammer which activates Wrathful Descent if it crits. Shake the Heavens triggers an additional Empyrean Hammer.
    • After casting Hammer of Light you instantly trigger 2 Empyrean Hammers on your main target.
  • Sanctification
    • Trying to maintain a high stack is very important, casting Divine Toll grants you 1 stack per enemy hit.

Defensive Traits

  • Sacrosanct Crusade
    • Wake of Ashes grants you an absorb shield while Hammer of Light heals you upon use.

Dawnlight Interactions

  • Wake of Ashes causes your 2 next Holy Power spenders to apply Dawnlight to your target. This debuff radiates damage around the target for 8 seconds. Additionally , when you activate Avenging Wrath or Crusade you also apply Dawnlight on 4 nearby targets and start Sun's Avatar.
  • As long as there is any Dawnlight DoT active your Holy Power spenders gain 5% additional damage. On top of this every time you apply any Dawnlight you gain 2% Haste for 12 seconds which can overlap.
  • Wake of Ashes grants you Divine Purpose.

Divine Storm and Hammer of Wrath gain some new passives

  • Second Sunrise
    • They have a 15% chance to be casted again for 30% effectiveness.
  • Luminosity
    • They both gain 10% increased damage.
  • Sun Sear
    • When they critical strike any target they burn the target for some radiant damage for 4 seconds.
  • Blessing of An'she
    • Your overtime effects have a chance to buff your next Hammer of Wrath by 200% and make it usable on the target regardless of its health.

Defensive Traits

  • Eternal Flame
    • Replaces Word of Glory and also heals a small amount over 16 seconds, and its healing is increased by 25% when used on your self.
  • Illumine
    • When you have Dawnlight on a target its now slowed by 50%.

Talents

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

Single Target
Radiant Glory

Single Target
Avenging Wrath

ST / Cleave
Radiant Glory

Aoe
Radiant Glory

When to use this Spec

Use this spec for single-target raid encounters as it is your standard build for single-target damage. It leverages the combo of Radiant Glory and Crusade, but you also use Execution Sentence for single-target burst damage. For a detailed guide on playstyles and priority lists, check the deep dive section below to learn how to fully optimize this build!

Gameplay Altering Talents

Discover all talents that significantly alter your gameplay within the Spec and Class Talent trees. This section gives a concise overview of these talents and their applications but for a more detailed look check out the Rotation and Deep Dive sections below.

Spec Tree

  • Radiant Glory
    • Automatically activates Crusade when you cast Wake of Ashes.
  • Execution Sentence
    • A strong single-target burst cooldown.
    • Executioner's Will increases its duration by 4 seconds.
    • Every time Wake of Ashes is ready make sure to combo this.
  • Final Verdict
    • Your main single-target Holy Power spender.
  • Divine Arbiter
    • At 25 stacks your next Holy Power spender casts an additional attack dealing damage to enemies within 6 yards.
  • Boundless Judgment
    • Your Judgment generates an additional Holy Power.
      • Combining this with Swift Justice provides the most Holy Power.
  • Improved Blade of Justice
    • 2 charges of Blade of Justice instead of 1.
  • Crusading Strikes
    • Generates 1 Holy Power every 2nd auto attack, replaces your Crusader Strike.
    • Look below in Deep Dive to see how to play around this.
  • Empyrean Legacy
    • Every 20 seconds after you press Judgment it empowers your next Final Verdict also use Divine Storm.
  • Art of War
    • Your auto attacks have a 20% chance to reset Blade of Justice.
  • Vanguard's Momentum
    • Generates 2 Holy Power instead of 1 on enemies below 20%.
    • Has 2 charges now instead of 1.
  • Holy Flames
    • If a target has Expurgation you deal 3% increased holy damage to it, Divine Storm can spread it up to 4 targets.

Class Tree

  • Divine Toll
    • Casts Judgment on your target.
    • Mainly used for its Holy Power gain.
  • Avenging Wrath
    • Your main cooldown, it empowers everything you do.
  • Divine Steed
    • Move at 100% movement speed for 3 seconds.
      • Cavalier Grants you 2 charges instead of 1.
  • Lay on Hands
    • A strong single-target heal that can be used to save friendly targets.
  • Blessing of Protection
    • Great way to avoid aggro or prevent Physical damage.
  • Blessing of Sacrifice
    • Perfect to use on tanks or players dealing with certain spells during boss fights.
  • Rebuke
    • A kick to interrupt any spell.
  • Unbound Freedom
    • Allows you to use Blessing of Freedom on another member.

Hero Talents

For more info visit the Hero Talent section above.

  • Zealous Vindication
    • After you cast Hammer of Light you instantly trigger 2 Empyrean Hammers on your main target.
  • Sanctification
    • Casting Judgment grants Empyrean Hammer 10% increased damage for 10 seconds. This effect stacks so trying to maintain high stacks is very important.
    • Casting a Divine Toll grants you 1 stack per enemy hit by its Judgment.
  • Unrelenting Charger
    • Your Divine Steed lasts 2 seconds longer and grants you 130% movement speed for the first 3 seconds

When to use this Spec

Use this build when you need a longer burst than the 8 seconds gained from Radiant Glory. The full 23 seconds from the Avenging Wrath and Divine Wrath combo makes you powerful for a longer duration and could be handy on some fights.

Talent Adjustments

Listing all the changes within the Class and Spec tree compared to the default build.

Spec Tree

  • Added
    • Avenging Wrath
      • Empowers your 1 min cooldowns.
    • Divine Wrath
      • Adds 3 seconds to your Avenging Wrath.
  • Removed
    • Crusade
      • This was replaced by Avenging Wrath.
    • Radiant Glory
      • To make full use of your 23 seconds of Avenging Wrath, avoid using this as it prevents that.

When to use this Spec

Use this build when you need more cleave on your raid fights without losing the ability to single target. This build allows your generators to cleave and enables your Templar's Verdict to somtimes cleave from Judge, Jury and Executioner.

Talent Adjustments

Listing all the changes within the Class and Spec tree compared to the default build.

Spec Tree

  • Added
    • Judge, Jury and Executioner
      • Your holy power generators have a small chance to make your Templar's Verdict cleave up to 3 additional targets at 80% effectiveness.
    • Blessed Champion
      • Your Judgment and Crusader Strike now Cleaves to 4 additional targets.
    • Blade of Vengeance
      • Blade of Justice now Cleaves to 5 nearby enemies and additionally debuffs them with Expurgation.
  • Removed
    • Holy Flames
    • Zealot's Fervor
      • 2 points.

When to use this Spec

This is your main AoE build, ideal for fights with constantly spawning adds or when you're on add-clearing duty. It's also effective for fights with 2-3 bosses up at the same time. This build allows you to spam Divine Storm while your generators cleave everything around you. check the deep dive section below to learn how to fully optimize this build!

Talent Adjustments

Listing all the changes within the Class and Spec tree compared to the default build.

Spec Tree

  • Added
    • Blade of Vengeance
      • Blade of Justice now Cleaves to 5 nearby enemies and additionally debuffs them with Expurgation.
    • Blessed Champion
      • Your Judgment and Crusader Strike now Cleaves to 4 additional targets.
    • Tempest of the Lightbringer
      • When you cast Divine Storm it now hits an additional time for 20% of the base damage and hits anyone up to 20 yards away.
    • Burning Crusade
      • Your Divine Storm deals 5% increased damage.
    • Searing Light
      • Your spells have a small chance to call down a blast of AoE damage around you!
    • Empyrean Power
      • Crusading Strikes has a 5% to make your next Divine Storm free and deal 15% more damage.
  • Removed
    • Vanguard's Momentum
    • Rush of Light
    • Blades of Light
    • Divine Arbiter
    • Executioner's Will
    • Holy Flames

Class Tree

  • Added
    • Divine Purpose
      • Small chance to grant you a free Holy Power spender such as Divine Storm.
  • Removed
    • Vengeful Wrath
      • This talent is not as strong without Vanguard's Momentum.

Rotation

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

Tier Set

  • 2-Set: Blade of Justice Has its damage increased by 15%. Wake of Ashes Has its damage increased by 10%.
  • 4-Set: Casting Wake of Ashes increases your damage by 8% for 8 seconds.

Single-Target

Radiant Glory

Avenging Wrath

To read more about Radiant Glory head down to the Deep Dive section!

Opener

Your main goal in your opener should be to get to 3 Holy Power by using Blade of Justice followed up by Divine Toll before starting in your Execution Sentence window. There are also 2 different openers you can play with, if you see that Divine Toll is not ready for your burst window and it's a few seconds behind dont hold your Execution Sentence simply follow the 2nd version below.

The Crusading Strikes trait has an RNG factor that affects when you gain Holy Power. Specifically, Holy Power is gained on the 2nd auto attack, but this can vary due to the RNG factor. During your opener, be aware of this variability. If you don't gain Holy Power as expected, you may need to use a generator ability to fill in the gaps or skip 1 generator as Crusading Strikes as already gained you the Holy Power thats needed to cast Templar's Verdict in your Execution Sentence window.

Standard Opener

Delayed Divine Toll Opener

Priority List

This is a general priority you aim to maintain throughout the fight.

  1. Cast Templar's Verdict (When close to 5 Holy Power, to not mess up your burst windows with overcapped Holy Power).
  2. Cast Execution Sentence on cooldown.
  3. Cast Wake of Ashes on cooldown to proc Radiant Glory (with 2 Holy Power).
  4. Cast Hammer of Light to proc Shake the Heavens.
  5. Cast Blade of Justice (to keep up Expurgation and Holy Flames).
  6. Cast Divine Toll on cooldown.
  7. Cast Hammer of Wrath (During Avenging Wrath or on any target below 20%).
  8. Cast Judgment (if 3 Holy Power or below).
  9. Cast Blade of Justice (if 3 Holy Power or below).

To read more about Avenging Wrath head down to the Deep Dive section!

Opener

Your main goal in your opener should be to get to 3 Holy Power by using Blade of Justice followed up by Divine Toll before starting in your Execution Sentence window. There are also 2 different openers you can play with, if you see that Divine Toll is not ready for your burst window and it's a few seconds behind dont hold your Execution Sentence simply follow the 2nd version below.

The Crusading Strikes trait has an RNG factor that affects when you gain Holy Power. Specifically, Holy Power is gained on the 2nd auto attack, but this can vary due to the RNG factor. During your opener, be aware of this variability. If you don't gain Holy Power as expected, you may need to use a generator ability to fill in the gaps or skip 1 generator as Crusading Strikes as already gained you the Holy Power thats needed to cast Templar's Verdict in your Execution Sentence window.

Standard Opener

Delayed Divine Toll Opener

Priority List

This is a general priority you aim to maintain throughout the fight.

  1. Cast Templar's Verdict (When close to 5 Holy Power, to not mess up your burst windows with overcapped Holy Power).
  2. Cast Execution Sentence on cooldown.
  3. Cast Avenging Wrath on cooldown.
  4. Cast Wake of Ashes (on cooldown with 2 Holy Power).
  5. Cast Hammer of Light to proc Shake the Heavens.
  6. Cast Blade of Justice (to keep up Expurgation and Holy Flames).
  7. Cast Divine Toll on cooldown.
  8. Cast Hammer of Wrath (During Avenging Wrath or on any target below 20%).
  9. Cast Judgment (if 3 Holy Power or below).
  10. Cast Blade of Justice (if 3 Holy Power or below).

AoE

Radiant Glory

Avenging Wrath

To read more about Radiant Glory head down to the Deep Dive section!

Opener

If you are going to overcap on Holy Power by using Divine Toll early in the combo, you can delay it to after your Hammer of Light.

Multitarget / AoE Priority List

  1. Cast Divine Storm if you’re close to 5 Holy Power.
  2. Cast Final Reckoning on cooldown.
  3. Cast Wake of Ashes on cooldown to proc Radiant Glory if you are at <=2 Holy Power.
  4. Cast Hammer of Light to proc Shake the Heavens.
  5. Cast Blade of Justice to keep up Expurgation and Holy Flames.
  6. Cast Divine Toll on cooldown.
  7. Cast Judgment if you are low on Holy Power or to keep up Sanctification.
  8. Cast Divine Storm if you have 3 Holy Power.
  9. Cast Hammer of Wrath on any target below 20%.

To read more about Avenging Wrath head down to the Deep Dive section!

Opener

If you are going to overcap on Holy Power by using Divine Toll early in the combo, you can delay it to after your Hammer of Light.

Multitarget / AoE Priority List

  1. Cast Divine Storm if you’re close to 5 Holy Power.
  2. Cast Avenging Wrath on cooldown.
  3. Cast Final Reckoning on cooldown.
  4. Cast Wake of Ashes on cooldown if you are at 2 Holy Power.
  5. Cast Hammer of Light to proc Shake the Heavens.
  6. Cast Blade of Justice to keep up Expurgation and Holy Flames.
  7. Cast Divine Toll on cooldown.
  8. Cast Judgment if you are low on Holy Power or to keep up Sanctification.
  9. Cast Divine Storm if you have <= 3 Holy Power.
  10. Cast Hammer of Wrath on any target below 20%.

Deep Dive

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

Radiant Glory

Avenging Wrath

Crusade

  • When talented into Radiant Glory, you cannot use Avenging Wrath or Crusade directly. Instead, using Wake of Ashes triggers the cooldown you have chosen in your talents for a few seconds. Additionally, there is a small chance that any Holy Power spender can proc your chosen talent for an additional 5 seconds, this extends your Crusade or Avenging Wrath if it procs while the spell is active.
  • Never sit on Wake of Ashes since Final Reckoning has a 1-minute cooldown and Execution Sentence has a 30-second cooldown. Delaying Wake of Ashes also delays all of your other cooldowns.

Execution Sentence

  • When you have chosen Execution Sentence as your minor cooldown, it is optimal to use Wake of Ashes after Execution Sentence. This is because the gain from getting Avenging Wrath does not affect Execution Sentence, and you want the full uptime on wings during the Execution Sentence window. Try to have 3 Holy Power ready right before Execution Sentence goes off cooldown so you can use it instantly.

With Hero Talent Templar

With Hero Talent Herald of the Sun

Final Reckoning

  • The optimal Wake of Ashes usage, when you have chosen Final Reckoning, is to use Wake of Ashes after Final Reckoning. Try to have 3 Holy Power ready right before using Final Reckoning so you can instantly spend your Holy Power.

With Hero Talent Templar

With Hero Talent Herald of the Sun

  • Choose this talent when boss fights or dungeons allow you to never miss a cooldown window.
  • Never sit on Avenging Wrath for more than a few seconds, as most of your damage comes from combining it with other 1-minute cooldowns. As mentioned earlier, always use Avenging Wrath first unless you are using Execution Sentence, in which case follow the specific strategy explained below.
  • Delaying Avenging Wrath also delays your other minor cooldowns.
  • When using trinkets, do not hold your Avenging Wrath, as it does not significantly buff the overall damage of trinkets but it does increase their crit chance.
  • For trinkets with a 90-second cooldown, use them on cooldown unless you have a trinket that provides a massive mastery or strength buff. In that case, try to align it with Avenging Wrath.
  • The main reason to play this talent is if there is a boss where you can really utilize your strong 2-minute cooldown burst, or if you have heavy haste with Radiant Glory, which grants you a decent amount of proc wings.
  • Optimal usage is to make sure to instantly use Templar's Verdict to quickly build up your stacks. Aim to get to 7-10 stacks before using Execution Sentence or Final Reckoning for the most damage. However, be mindful of the fight or dungeon scenario. If holding these cooldowns for later in the Crusade window means losing a full usage overall, it is better to use them early to ensure you get an extra usage.

Below you can see an explanation of how to delay your Execution Sentence or Final Reckoning in your Crusade window.

Minor Cooldown

To reach your full potential, you must also know how to maximize your minor cooldowns.

Execution Sentence

Final Reckoning

  • Your plan during Execution Sentence is to fit as many spenders as possible within its duration. It's not strong outside of Avenging Wrath or Crusade due to its short burst window and lack of initial damage.
  • Always cast Execution Sentence before Avenging Wrath.
  • Use Execution Sentence on cooldown to ensure it aligns with other cooldowns.
  • If you are playing Radiant Glory, make sure to use Execution Sentence before Wake of Ashes.

With Hero Talent Templar

With Hero Talent Herald of the Sun

  • Your big AoE cooldown Final Reckoning, it's mainly used for AoE or in fights where getting good single target usage out of Execution Sentence is not possible.
  • It puts a 12-second debuff on the target, increasing your single-target Holy Power spenders by 30% and other spenders by 15%.
  • Optimal usage of Final Reckoning is to combo it with your other 1-minute cooldowns such as Avenging Wrath, since they share the same cooldown.
  • If playing Crusade, try to save Final Reckoning for when you are at 7-10 stacks before using it. This provides the most damage overall since Crusade lasts 30 seconds.
  • If playing Radiant Glory, refer to the opener/prioritization list above for usage instructions.

General Retribution Mechanics

If you don't respect the basics, you cannot master Retribution Paladin.

Crusading Strikes

  • This replaces your auto-attacks and your normal Crusader Strike spell, becoming its own auto-attack that generates 1 Holy Power every 2nd attack. Below there is a WeakAura for tracking this, so you know when it's close to proccing. Always keep an eye on it to avoid going above 5 Holy Power and wasting a full proc.
  • During your opener or any cooldowns during a fight, your Holy Power might vary. You could start with 4-5 Holy Power right before Execution Sentence, which means you need to press Templar's Verdict instantly before any other spell. This might make your opener look different, so it's important to understand the priority list to know what to press and when.

Mastery

  • Retribution Paladins Mastery: Highlord's Judgment has been reworked for the new expansion. It now makes Judgment not only buff your spenders but also have a chance to proc extra holy damage to your main target. As mastery has been a weak point for a long time, this change is significantly beneficial.

Understanding Mechanics

Rotational min-maxing is just one aspect of mastering a specialization, but there are numerous other key mechanics that influence your performance. Use the following guides to improve them.

  • Pandemic
  • Spell Queue Window
  • Stat Diminishing Returns

Nerub-ar Palace

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

The following tips are mainly applicable to Heroic Bosses. Mythic tips are released after our progression concludes.

← Scroll for more Bosses

Ulgrax

Bloodbound Horror

Sikran

Rasha'nan

Broodtwister

Nexus-Princess

Silken Court

Offensive Cooldown Usage

Boss Tips

  • You can immune Stalker Netting on Heroic difficulty if you use Blessing of Freedom or Divine Shield.
  • Brutal Crush Is a frontal Cleave so do NOT stand in front.
  • When it casts ‍Hulking Crash it’s going to teleport to the middle and knock everyone back so make sure to save Divine Protection for it.
    • You can also immune the knockback and the damage with Blessing of Protection.
  • Rotate defensive abilities on Carnivorous Contest when it is your turn to soak.
    • If there is a Demonic Gateway Close to the boss you can quickly escape when you are being pulled towards the boss during Carnivorous Contest.
  • Make sure to save Divine Steed for when you pick up Chunky Viscera.
    • On mythic you can use Blessing of Freedom on Bile-Soaked Viscera.
    • Additionally, a Demonic Gateway can be used during Ready to Feed to speed up the feeding process of the boss.

Offensive Cooldown Usage

  • Do note that the group you are assigned to changes your cooldowns slightly as you want to deal more to adds compared to the boss. Try to not miss any of your Execution Sentence burst windows, but be prepared that it has to be either delayed for a few seconds so it can be used on an add instead of the boss.

Defensive Cooldown Usage

Use Shield of Vengeance for damage mainly, so either use it before your burst windows or after.

If you're assigned to Group 1:

If you're assigned to Group 2:

Boss Tips

  • Save Divine Steed to easily keep up with Spewing Hemorrhage.
    • If you ever feel you are about to get caught by the geysers you can immune them with Divine Shield.
  • Use Divine Protection when Crimson Rain is being cast.
    • You could also use Divine Shield to immune it or use Lay on Hands to fully heal yourself up.

Offensive Cooldown Usage

Boss Tips

  • Use Divine Protection or Shield of Vengeance whenever you are targeted by Decimate or Decimates are about to hit Cosmic Simulacrums.
  • Run out during Shattering Sweep.
  • Make sure to have your Divine Steed ready in case you are targeted by Phase Blades.

Offensive Cooldown Usage

The boss is flying away at certain times, the first one is at 1:24 which may affect your Execution Sentence windows.

Boss Tips

  • Stun Infested Spawn with Hammer of Justice if one is getting away.
  • Move out with Spinneret's Strands.
    • Try to not use Divine Steed but instead Blessing of Freedom as it gives you 30% movement speed from Unbound Freedom, as you want to save your Divine Steed for other abilities.
  • Use Divine Steed to keep up with the boss.
    • When the boss flies away, look out for a Demonic Gateway to quickly help you move to the boss.
  • Use Shield of Vengeance if you are targeted by Rolling Acid as it gives you free damage and a small defensive.
    • You can always combo this with Divine Protection.

Offensive Cooldown Usage

If you decide that your raid needs more cleave or AoE on the adds you can change your Execution Sentence burst windows to allow your Wake of Ashes to hit the adds as well. This may mean you need to delay it on the pull which results in a tiny overall loss in single-target.

Defensive Cooldown Usage

Use Shield of Vengeance for damage mainly, so either use it before your burst windows or after.

Boss Tips

  • Use Rebuke to interrupt Poison Burst which is cast by Voracious Worms.
  • Make sure to instantly kill the Voracious Worm first then swap to the Colossal Spider if they spawn in the same pack, the Blood Parasites are going to simply be AoE'd down by other classes or yourself if you choose to go more of a cleave setup.
  • Try to save Divine Steed for when you get Experimental Dosage to quickly move to your assigned egg.
  • Rotate defensive abilities on Unstable Web.
  • Move out of the raid with Unstable Web to not cause a Web Eruption which roots anyone nearby.
    • You can use Blessing of Freedom to remove this.

Offensive Cooldown Usage

Defensive Cooldown Usage

Use Shield of Vengeance for damage mainly, so either use it before your burst windows or after.

Boss Tips

  • Rotate Defensive abilities on Nether Rift and Starless Night.
  • Use Divine Shield as an emergency button. For example, if you get hit by multiple Twilight Massacres.
  • Use Divine Steed if you are targeted by Twilight Massacre to correctly spawn it far away.
  • Multiple stacks of Queensbane can be quite dangerous. Consider using a defensive!
  • The main thing to keep an eye out for on this boss is the position of each Nether Rift. Their placement dictates how much you get pulled towards them. Try to position yourself in a way that each Nether Rift is at a similar distance to you.

Offensive Cooldown Usage

Defensive Cooldown Usage

Boss Tips

  • Use Shield of Vengeance to cover Venomous Rain as the dot damage quickly breaks it.
    • You can also immune off the stacks with Divine Shield.
  • Use Divine Steed to quickly run out after getting pulled in by Web Vortex to break the chain you have with another player.
    • Alternatively, use Demonic Gateway to negate the pull-in effect.
  • Stun Call of the Swarm with Hammer of Justice since they fixate the closest target.

Stat Priority

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

Understand your secondary stat priority and the tertiary stats needed for optimal performance during Raid boss fights as a Retribution Paladin. For more detailed information, visit the Stats and Attributes guide.

Higher Item level items are better in most scenarios. For an accurate representation of what item to equip you should use Simcraft! A static "Stat Priority" is just a starting point and can easily shift depending on your individual gear.

  • All secondary stats are affected by diminishing returns. Click here to learn more!

Tertiary

  • Avoidance - Great stat to reduce the damage intake of "Area of Effect" abilities.
  • Leech - Provides additional healing through damage dealing.
  • Speed - Niche tertiary that can be very useful and has been proven useful in the past. Makes playing certain mechanics a lot easier.

Gear

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

Best in Slot

Farmable Alternatives

SlotItemLocation
HeadEntombed Seraph's CasqueTier Slot
NeckSureki Zealot's InsigniaSikran
ShoulderEntombed Seraph's PlumesTier Slot
CloakWings of Shattered SorrowRasha'nan
ChestEntombed Seraph's BreastplateTier Slot
WristDevoted Offering's IronsQueen Ansurek
GlovesEntombed Seraph's CastigationTier Slot
BeltNether Bounty's GreatbeltNexus-Princess
LegsEntombed Seraph's GreavesTier Slot
BootsBoots of the Black BulwarkThe Bloodbound Horror
Ring 1Seal of the Poisoned PactQueen Ansurek
Ring 2Writhing RingwormBroodtwister
Trinket 1Skarmorak ShardThe Stonevault
Trinket 2Ara-Kara SacbroodAra-Kara, City of Echoes
WeaponAnub'arash's Colossal MandibleThe Silken Court

Below you are presented with a good list of farmable alternatives that are obtainable outside of WoW’s weekly lockout system. While replaced in time as you progress, these offer immediate character power.

SlotItemLocation
HeadEntombed Seraph's CasqueTier Slot
NeckTrailspinner PendantMists of Trina Scithe
ShoulderEntombed Seraph's PlumesTier Slot
CloakTroggstitched DrapeGrim batol
ChestEntombed Seraph's BreastplateTier Slot
WristBracers of Umbral MendingGrim batol
GlovesEntombed Seraph's CastigationTier Slot
BeltGirdle of Somber PloysThe Dawnbreaker
LegsEntombed Seraph's GreavesTier Slot
BootsBallast SinkersSiege of Boralus
Ring 1Seal of the City WatchSiege of Boralus
Ring 2Umbriss BandGrim batol
Trinket 1Skarmorak ShardThe Stonevault
Trinket 2Ara-Kara SacbroodAra-Kara, City of Echoes
WeaponWild HammerGrim batol

Trinkets

Below you can find active and passive alternatives to our recommended trinkets. Do note that some trinkets are better than others depending on the raid boss.

Active Trinket alternatives

  • Mark of Khardros
    • When used you gain a massive amount of mastery for 15 seconds with a 1 min 30 sec cooldown.
    • Great to combine with Radiant Glory since Wake of Ashes only has a 30-second cooldown which makes this line up alot.
  • Skarmorak Shard
    • Gain a large amount of Mastery when used for 15 seconds with 1 min 30 seconds cooldown, When killing adds you gain a small amount of Mastery for 15 sec stacking up to 5 times.
    • Great to combine with Radiant Glory since Wake of Ashes only has a 30-second cooldown which makes this line up alot.
  • Treacherous Transmitter
    • After completing a small task you gain a large amount of strength for 15 seconds with a 1 min 30seconds cooldown.
    • Great to combine with Radiant Glory since Wake of Ashes only has a 30-second cooldown which makes this line up alot.
  • Signet of the Priory
    • 2-minute cooldown trinket that when used you gain a large amount of your highest secondary stat for 20 seconds. Very powerful burst trinket when playing Crusade as it has the same cooldown.
  • Oppressive Orator's Larynx
    • Your attacks have a chance to proc a small amount of strength for 30 seconds, you can also use this trinket for a small amount of dot damage for 3 seconds with a 2-minute cooldown.
  • Ravenous Honey Buzzer
    • Leap forward dealing a large amount of fire damage to anyone hit by the leap, 1 min 30 seconds cooldown so don't delay any of your main cooldowns for it as it doesn’t change the damage from the trinket.

Passive Trinket alternatives

  • Ara-Kara Sacbrood
    • Your abilities have a chance to grant you a large amount of strength which can stack making this a very powerful passive trinket.
  • Void Pactstone
    • Your abilities have a chance to explode on nearby enemies for a small amount of shadow damage, when this procs you gain also a small amount of haste for 10 seconds.

Embellishments

It's recommended to hold your Spark of Omens craft and wait for further tuning.

  • 2x Elemental Focusing Lens
    • Your spells have a chance to deal bonus magic damage to your target as of currently this is around 1% of your damage.
    • The optimal slots to craft on are Wrists, Boots, Waist, or Cloak depending on your available gear.

or

  • 2x Dawnthread Lining
    • Gain a small amount of Critical Strike while above 80% Health.
    • It is a good choice if you have over 80% health most of the time and during your cooldowns.
    • The optimal slots to craft on are Wrists, Boots, Waist, or Cloak depending on your available gear.

Remaining Sparks

  • Crafted items are 636 item level and regular items are 639 on max item level, therefore, it's not beneficial to equip crafted items outside of your 2x embellishments unless you don't have access to other high item level gear on that slot.

Simcraft

To find the best combination of gear available to you or identify the best possible upgrades, visit our Simcraft guide to learn how to utilize Simcraft easily and effectively.

Consumables

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

  • Phials
    • Flask of Alchemical Chaos -- maximum DPS with an rng element.
    • Flask of Tempered Mastery -- More stable DPS.
  • Food
    • Feast of the Midnight Masquerade
  • Combat Potion
    • Tempered Potion
  • Health Potion
    • Algari Healing Potion -- a big burst of healing.
  • Weapon Oil
    • Ironclaw Whetstone -- If you have a bladed weapon; a Sword, an Axe or a Polearm.
    • Ironclaw Weightstone-- If you have a blunt weapon; a Mace, a Staff or a Fist Weapon.
  • Augment Rune
    • Crystallized Augment Rune
  • Sockets
    • Deadly Onyx
    • Culminating Blasphemite -- Unique, use one of each gem color to enhance your Culminating Blasphemite.
      • Masterful Emerald
      • Masterful Ruby
      • Masterful Sapphire

Enchantments

HeadNerubian Gemweaver
NeckMagnificent Jeweler's Setting 2x
CloakEnchant Cloak - Chant of Winged Grace
ChestEnchant Chest - Crystalline Radiance
WristEnchant Bracer - Chant of Armored Avoidance
Nerubian Gemweaver
WaistNerubian Gemweaver
LegsStormbound Armor Kit
BootsEnchant Boots - Scout's March
Ring 1Enchant Ring - Radiant Mastery
Magnificent Jeweler's Setting 2x
Ring 2Enchant Ring - Radiant Mastery
Magnificent Jeweler's Setting 2x
WeaponEnchant Weapon - Authority of Radiant Power

You buy Nerubian Gemweaver from the Great Vault Vendor to add sockets to your Helm, Wrists & Waist.

Races

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

For min-maxing a Retribution Paladin in Raid, different racial traits can provide a tremendous benefit to your character. If this is not your top goal, picking a race that fits your style or transmog works just as well since the DPS gain is not as massive as people make it out to be.

  • Stoneform -- Dwarf
    • Can dispel Magic and Bleed debuffs. Has been useful in the past on some bosses with Bleeds.
  • War Stomp -- Tauren
    • An AoE stun is beneficial since paladins currently lack one. Additionally, Endurance is very useful when doing high-level content.
  • Fireblood -- Dark Iron Dwarf
    • It can remove almost any debuff for a small damage buff.
  • Arcane Torrent -- Blood Elf
    • Removes 1 buff from a target around you.
  • Embrace of Pa'ku -- Zandalari Troll
    • Provides a small crit buff with an RNG proc rate. A great benefit of being Zandalari is that you can combo Regeneratin' and Divine Shield to heal yourself fully.
  • Will to Survive -- Human
    • Removes any stun effect on you, similar to a PvP trinket. The Human Spirit is the main reason to play as a human.
  • Gift of the Naaru -- Draenei
    • No particularly useful racial except for Heroic Presence.
  • Light's Judgment -- Lightforged Draenei
    • More of a just-for-fun racial, but don't forget Light's Reckoning – it explodes for a small amount of damage when you die!

Recommendation

In general, it's safe to say that if you care about min-maxing your DPS you should go with the highest DPS racial. That being said the story is a bit different if it's about pushing endgame Raid progression. Some help out massively to speed up the progression of certain bosses in dungeons or raids. Notably Dwarf with their Stoneform helped out on Tindral Sageswift & Fyrakk the Blazing in the latest Race to World First by having easy access to dispelling yourself at crucial points of the fights mentioned.

Macros

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

Discover recommended macros for Retribution Paladins during Raid encounters and watch a quick video guide on creating simple macros for your character.

Macro Import Guide Video

Cursor macro / Focus Marcos

Cast Final Reckoning on your cursor.

#showtooltip Final Reckoning/cast [@cursor] Final Reckoning

Cast Rebuke on your Focus without targeting it.

#showtooltip Rebuke/cast [@focus] Rebuke

Cast Hammer of Justice on your Focus without ever targeting it.

#showtooltip Hammer of Justice/cast [@focus] Hammer of Justice

Mouseover Macros

@Player Macros

Cooldown Marcos

Addons

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

Below, you see a screenshot of the author's User Interface for their Retribution Paladin, outlining which addons are used and how they are utilized in Raids to make your life easier.

Retribution Paladin Raid Guide (3)

Addons

WeakAuras

Changes this Patch

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

Patch 11.0.2

Patch 11.0

FAQ

Patch 11.0.2 - The War Within

Retribution Paladin

Q: Is it worth to Judgment on 4 holy power and go above 5?

Q: Mobs target me after Blessing of Protection - Divine Shield why?

Credits

Written By: Narcolies

Reviewed By: Xerwo, Nicememes

Retribution Paladin Raid Guide (2024)

FAQs

What is the best retribution Paladin profession? ›

Blacksmithing is one of your best professions to choose from as an Retribution Paladin in Cataclysm. Blacksmiths receive additional gem sockets, one on bracers and another on gloves.

What is the best two handed weapon for a retribution Paladin? ›

2H Axes are desirable for Retribution Paladins, as benefits from slow high DPS weapons. Protection Paladins may be interested in 1H Axes to pair with a shield for tanking. The notable debuff weapons Annihilator and Nightfall are also axes.

Is retribution Paladin any good? ›

Retribution Paladin Strengths and Weaknesses

Easy to learn playstyle that doesn't punish mistakes harshly. Many strong defensive tools, both passive abilities and active ones like Divine Shield and Divine Protection. Plenty of utility options that will usually find uses in any type of content.

What is the best covenant for a retribution Paladin? ›

Covenants for Retribution Paladin. Currently, the Kyrian Covenant dominates all PvE situations as a Retribution Paladin. Playing another Covenant wont hinder you in trivial content, but you will drag your team down in harder content.

Who is the best person to use in Paladins? ›

So without any further ado, these are Paladins' best champions.
  • Androxus. Androxus used to be a noble lawman of the Outer Tribunal circuit judges. ...
  • Cassie. Cassie has always wanted to journey around the world and fight against the magistrate. ...
  • Dredge. Dredge used to be an admiral and a fearsome pirate. ...
  • Drogoz. ...
  • Makoa.

What is the best embellishment for retribution Paladin? ›

Retribution Paladin Most Popular Embellishments

The most popular combo is Blue Silken Lining and Blue Silken Lining with 76.0% usage.

How to use fyr alath as ret Paladin? ›

The best way is to use Fyr'alath outside your wings and when you've applied a passive DoT from your axe. It all comes to use it in the very beginning of the fight and delay wings by ~3 sec or to use it after Avenging Wrath.

What is the best weapon type for a ret Paladin? ›

For Ret pallys 2-hnd swords and maces are the best. Once you reach endgame there are more ret pally specific maces than swords, but use whichever you want.

Can retribution Paladins tank? ›

Best Specialization for Paladin Tank

Retribution is nearly the opposite, preferring to sacrifice crit and crush immunity in order to maximize DPS through wielding 2h weapons. These are the dichotomies that dominate paladin tanking and both can be equally important.

Can retribution Paladin heal? ›

Retribution is the melee DPS spec of Paladin. It can use the wide array of utility options that Paladin is known for, including its sought-after Auras, along with some incredibly strong defensive and healing abilities.

What is the difference between protection and retribution Paladin leveling? ›

Protection will allow you to be nearly invincible when pulling enemies. It has competitive AoE damage but will suffer when fighting bosses or having to deal single-target damage. Retribution on the other hand will deal strong damage regardless of situation, but it lacks the survivability that Protection has.

What are the priority stats for retribution Paladin? ›

Stat Priorities
  • Strength > Mastery >=Haste >= Crit > Versatility.
  • Haste increases your auto attack pace, affects Global Cooldown and decreases cooldown on several Holy Power generators such as: Judgment, Blade of Justice, Hammer of Wrath and Crusader Strike.
Aug 9, 2024

What is the best oath for a Paladin? ›

This ranking takes a look at only the official paladin subclasses of DnD 5e.
  • 8 Oath Of The Crown.
  • 7 Oath Of Glory.
  • 6 Oath Of Conquest.
  • 5 Oath Of Devotion.
  • 4 Oath Of Redemption.
  • 3 Oath Of The Watchers.
  • 2 Oathbreaker.
  • 1 Oath Of Vengeance.
Jun 9, 2024

What is the best racial protection for a Paladin? ›

Alliance's best Protection Paladin races are Lightforged Draenei, Dark Iron Dwarf, Human, and Dwarf. The best Protection Paladin races for Horde are Zandalari Troll, Blood Elf, and Tauren.

What profession should I choose for Paladin? ›

For DPS, Jewelcrafting and Blacksmithing are the clear winners because they can give bonus strength, your best stat. The other crafting professions give bonus attack power or haste, which are not quite as good on a per-point basis. Skinning is marginal and the other gathering professions are worthless.

What is the best Paladin specialization? ›

Retribution is the best spec to level your paladin in Classic WoW. Retribution talents have a lot of synergy with each other, between Deflection, Conviction, Two-Handed Weapon Specialization, and Vengeance, simply auto attacking will get you through most of your leveling content.

What Professions are best for Paladin healer? ›

Engineering is the best secondary profession for a Paladin Healer. They have an additional Crafted Epic, . Additionally Advanced Target Dummy are essentially an AoE taunt and a great tool to help your group get some breathing room during big pulls.

What is the best profession for a Paladin tank? ›

In general, the preferred professions for Paladin tanks are Engineering and Enchanting.

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