MASTERING THE RETRIBUTION PALADIN: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE

In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, a Retribution Paladin brings powerful offensive capabilities combined with utility and support functions to any raid group. Specializing in dealing substantial Holy damage through abilities like Templar’s Verdict and Divine Storm, they excel in both single-target and AoE scenarios. Retribution Paladins also enhance raid survivability with their array of auras and buffs such as Aura Mastery and their ability to provide emergency healing and cleanse debuffs. With cooldowns like Avenging Wrath and Zealotry, they significantly boost their damage output during critical phases. Mastery of a Retribution Paladin involves optimizing the use of Holy Power and managing cooldowns effectively to sustain high damage levels while supporting the raid with defensive spells like Hand of Protection and Hand of Sacrifice. Their blend of robust damage and versatile utility makes them a valuable addition to any raid team.

RACE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RET PALADIN

In the Cataclysm expansion of World of Warcraft, the Retribution Paladin is a key figure on the battlefield, blending the might of the Light with martial prowess. This guide reviews all races available to Paladins in Cataclysm, highlighting those that provide the most significant DPS boost for Retribution Paladins in PvE, indicated with a fire emoji 🔥

Alliance:

    Human🔥

With “The Human Spirit” for minor mana regeneration and increased reputation gains, Humans excel in PvE for their versatility and easier gear acquisition, making them an optimal choice for Retribution Paladins.

Dwarf

Dwarves offer “Stoneform,” granting damage reduction and ailment cleansing, which can be pivotal in certain PvE encounters for survivability.

   Draenei🔥

“Gift of the Naaru” provides a healing boost, and “Heroic Presence” increases hit rating, crucial for DPS accuracy, placing Draenei among the top picks for Retribution Paladins in PvE.

Night Elf

Night Elves have “Quickness” for a slight dodge increase and “Shadowmeld” for tactical positioning, though these benefits are more subtle for Retribution Paladins focused on DPS.

Horde:

    Blood Elf🔥

“Arcane Torrent” for mana restoration and its utility in PvE, combined with a bonus to enchanting, makes Blood Elves a solid choice for maximizing DPS effectiveness.

   Tauren🔥

With “War Stomp” for an AoE stun and “Endurance” providing an increase in base health, Tauren Paladins benefit from enhanced survivability and utility, contributing positively to their role in PvE content.

 

 A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO STAT PRIORITY

In the hallowed ranks of Azeroth’s champions, the Retribution Paladin stands as a paragon of righteous wrath, blending martial prowess with divine fury to smite the wicked and uphold the just.

Primary Focus: Strength

Strength stands paramount, serving as the cornerstone of a Retribution Paladin’s arsenal. It directly enhances Attack Power, making it indispensable for increasing overall damage. Prioritize strength above all in gear selections and enhancements.

Hit and Expertise Caps

Securing accuracy in combat is vital. Achieving an 8% chance to hit eliminates the possibility of attacks missing against raid bosses. For Draenei, this translates to 841 Hit Rating, thanks to their racial trait, while other races need 961 Hit Rating. Similarly, reaching the expertise threshold of 26 ensures your attacks are not dodged or parried, solidifying your damage consistency.

Beyond Basics: Mastery, Crit, and Haste

Mastery Rating: Post hitting the precision caps, Mastery emerges as the superior secondary stat. It amplifies Holy damage from key abilities, significantly boosting damage output.

Critical Strike Rating: Enhances the likelihood of landing critical hits, offering a substantial damage increase across all spells and abilities.

Haste Rating: Although it accelerates attack speed and reduces the cooldown of Crusader Strike and Divine Storm, its value pales compared to Mastery and Crit. Haste’s impact is less pronounced due to the Sanctity of Battle talent’s influence.

Optimization Strategy

Reaching the hit and expertise caps is your initial goal, ensuring resource utilization is maximized by guaranteeing attacks land. Once achieved, shift focus towards Mastery for its Holy damage enhancement, followed by Crit for increased damage potential. Haste, while beneficial, ranks lowest in priority due to its limited effect on overall performance.

MASTERING YOUR TALENTS

RETRIBUTION GEMMING STRATEGY

Epic gems are not available in phase one

For Retribution Paladins, optimizing gem slots is crucial for maximizing damage output. Here’s a strategic approach to gemming:

Meta Socket

Use the Reverberating Shadowspirit Diamond to boost your critical damage, a key factor in enhancing your overall DPS.

Red Sockets

Prefer Bold Queen’s Garnet or Bold Inferno Ruby, focusing on increasing your strength for a direct boost to attack power. Jewelcrafters can utilize Bold Chimera’s Eye for an even greater advantage.

Yellow Sockets

If the socket bonus does not offer at least +15 Strength or +30 to another beneficial statistic, stick to Bold Queen’s Garnet or Bold Inferno Ruby to continue prioritizing strength. Otherwise, consider using Skillful Lava Coral or Skillful Ember Topaz to gain both Strength and Mastery, balancing between raw power and enhanced Holy damage effects.

Blue Sockets

Similar to yellow sockets, opt for strength-enhancing gems like Bold Queen’s Garnet or Bold Inferno Ruby unless the socket bonus is particularly significant (+15 Strength or +30 of another stat). If aiming to meet the socket bonus, Etched Shadow Spinel or Etched Demonseye can provide a mix of Strength and Hit, ensuring your attacks land more consistently.

CATACLYSM PROFESSIONS

In the quest for divine justice, Retribution Paladins must skillfully choose their professions.

Blacksmithing

Empowers with two additional gem slots, offering a potential +80 Strength or crucial secondary stats. This makes Blacksmithing a prime choice for enhancing damage output.

Jewelcrafting

Access to Chimera’s Eye gems provides a +81 Strength boost, reinforcing Jewelcrafting’s role in combat efficiency enhancement.

Engineering

Features gadgets like Synapse Springs, offering a temporary +480 Strength boost, perfect for burst damage scenarios.

Alchemy

Mixology enhances flask effects, like Flask of Titanic Strength, adding +80 Strength. Alchemy ensures a Paladin’s sustained performance in battle.

Enchanting

Enables ring enchantments such as Enchant Ring – Greater Strength, providing +80 Strength. Enchanting offers direct combat strength enhancements.

Leatherworking

Exclusive Draconic Embossment – Strength adds +130 Strength to bracers, making Leatherworking unparalleled for damage capability amplification.

Inscription

The exclusive Lionsmane Inscription gives +130 Strength, making Inscription vital for empowering Paladins in their divine mission.

Tailoring

Swordguard Embroidery occasionally boosts attack power by 1000, providing an unconventional but powerful means to enhance damage output.

ENHANCING YOUR GEAR WITH ENCHANTMENTS

 Selecting the right enchantments is essential for maximizing the holy wrath of a Retribution Paladin. Below are the recommended enchantments for optimizing combat effectiveness:

HEAD ENCHANTMENTS

Alliance: Arcanum of the Wildhammer – Grants +60 Strength and +35 Mastery, bolstering your divine might and the effectiveness of your holy damage.

Horde: Arcanum of the Dragonmaw – Provides +60 Strength and +35 Mastery, enhancing both your physical and holy prowess in battle.

SHOULDER ENCHANTMENTS

Greater Inscription of Jagged Stone – Increases Strength by +50 and Critical Strike by +25, sharpening the edge of your blade with every strike.

Lionsmane Inscription (Inscription) – Offers a remarkable +130 Strength boost, a paramount choice for scribes seeking to maximize their damage output.

BACK ENCHANTMENTS

Enchant Cloak – Greater Critical Strike – Boosts Critical Strike by +65, increasing the likelihood of landing devastating blows upon your foes.

Swordguard Embroidery (Tailoring) – Occasionally increases Attack Power by +1000, a dynamic boon for tailors engaging in holy combat.

CHEST ENCHANTMENTS

Enchant Chest – Peerless Stats – Enhances all stats by +20, solidifying your divine resilience and combat efficacy.

WRISTS ENCHANTMENTS

Enchant Bracer – Major Strength – Raises Strength by +50, empowering your crusade with increased holy and physical damage.

Draconic Embossment – Strength (Leatherworking) – Elevates Strength by +130, an essential enchantment for leatherworkers dedicated to the Paladin’s cause.

Socket Bracer (Blacksmithing) – Adds an additional gem slot, offering flexibility and further stat customization.

HANDS ENCHANTMENTS

Enchant Gloves – Mighty Strength – Provides +50 Strength, fortifying your divine strikes with even greater force.

Synapse Springs (Engineering) – Temporarily boosts Strength by +480, a significant surge for engineers in the heat of battle.

WAIST ENCHANTMENTS

Ebonsteel Belt Buckle – Introduces a prismatic gem slot, allowing for an extra boost in your chosen stat to augment your holy mission.

LEGS ENCHANTMENTS

Dragonscale Leg Armor – Delivers +190 Attack Power and +55 Critical Strike, sharpening your zeal with every movement.

FEET ENCHANTMENTS

Enchant Boots – Mastery – Increases Mastery by +35, improving the impact of your holy damage and utility spells.

WEAPON ENCHANTMENTS

Enchant Weapon – Landslide – Occasionally boosts Attack Power by +1000, significantly enhancing your burst capabilities in the relentless pursuit of justice.

 

ESSENTIAL CONSUMABLES FOR RET PALADINS

To ascend in battle, the judicious selection of consumables is paramount for Retribution Paladins.

FOOD CONSUMABLES

Beer-Basted Crocolisk or Fortune Cookie: Each serving invokes a well-fed buff, augmenting your Strength by +90 for a full hour. This enhancement is pivotal in augmenting your holy and physical damage, sharpening your retribution against the foes of the Light.

Seafood Magnifique Feast: Partaking in this communal offering bestows a well-fed buff, similarly elevating your Strength by +90 for one hour. It’s a testament to camaraderie and strength in numbers, bolstering your crusade’s impact on the battlefield.

FLASK

Flask of Titanic Strength: Imbibe this potent concoction to gain a formidable +300 Strength for 1 hour. This flask is the cornerstone of your preparation, providing the might needed to wield the Light’s power with unfaltering conviction.

POTION

Golemblood Potion: In the throes of combat, consume this potion to momentarily surge your Strength by +1200 for 25 seconds. It is the beacon in the darkest hour, a decisive force multiplier when the tide of battle hangs in the balance.

MASTERING PALADIN AURAS

In PvE raids, paladins must adeptly manage their auras to bolster the group’s performance. In almost all general situations you will be in your Retribution Aura. This causes holy damage to any enemies that strike a party or raid member within 40 yards. Devotion Aura is pivotal for reducing physical damage to the raid, while Resistance Aura mitigates magical damage, essential in encounters with heavy elemental or magical attacks. Understanding which aura to deploy and when can mean the difference between victory and defeat, highlighting the importance of auras in enhancing raid durability and success.

THE RETRIBUTION ROTATION

Generating Holy Power

Crusader Strike: Your primary tool for building Holy Power. Its regular use is essential.

Judgement: A consistent part of your rotation, contributing to damage and Holy Power accumulation.

Utilizing Holy Power

Templar’s Verdict: A potent Holy Power spender, pivotal in your rotation. Prioritize its use once you’ve amassed 3 Holy Power, unless you have a Divine Purpose proc, allowing for a free cast.

Inquisition: A buff that enhances your Holy damage. Refreshing Inquisition at 3 Holy Power is key to maintaining high DPS.

Procs and Special Conditions

Exorcism, triggered by The Art of War, is a high-priority ability when available. It’s especially critical when facing Demons/Undead due to guaranteed critical hits.

Hammer of Wrath gains prominence when the target is below 20% health or during Avenging Wrath, thanks to the Sanctified Wrath talent enhancing its accessibility.

Advanced Rotation Considerations

Under 3 Holy Power

Your focus here is on building Holy Power efficiently. Crusader Strike is your go-to, with Exorcism and Hammer of Wrath serving as excellent gap fillers. Utilize Judgement and Holy Wrath for additional damage when primary abilities are on cooldown.

At Full Holy Power

Refresh Inquisition first to boost your Holy damage. Use Templar’s Verdict for significant damage, especially following a Divine Purpose proc that allows a cost-free cast. Exorcism remains a valuable filler, primarily when The Art of War procs.

AoE Situations

Shift your approach in multi-target scenarios by prioritizing Divine Storm over Templar’s Verdict for Holy Power spending. Consecration moves up in priority, providing sustained AoE damage.

Cooldown Optimization

Avenging Wrath – What it does: Boosts all damage and healing by 20% for 20 seconds. Ideal for burst phases or when the boss is vulnerable to increased damage. Its synergy with Hammer of Wrath, especially under the effect of Sanctified Wrath, allows for more frequent use of this powerful ability. Timing Avenging Wrath to coincide with other damage-increasing effects, such as raid-wide buffs or the boss’s vulnerability phases, can significantly amplify its impact.

Zealotry – What it does: Crusader Strike generates 3 Holy Power per use for 20 seconds. The triple Holy Power generation from Crusader Strike under Zealotry dramatically increases your capacity to deal damage through Holy Power spenders. The key is to synchronize Zealotry with Avenging Wrath to create a window of dramatically increased damage output. This combination allows for rapid casting of Templar’s Verdict or Divine Storm, significantly enhancing your burst potential. Remember, the goal during Zealotry is to maintain a steady flow of Crusader Strikes and Holy Power spenders, ensuring no Holy Power is wasted.

Guardian of Ancient Kings – What it does: Summons a guardian that attacks your target and increases your Strength by up to 20% based on the guardian’s attacks. Deploying Guardian of Ancient Kings roughly 10 seconds after initiating Avenging Wrath allows you to benefit from the guardian’s full strength buff while still under the effects of Avenging Wrath. This staggering maximizes your strength increase and the corresponding damage output. Additionally, activating the Guardian when multiple targets are present maximizes its damage potential, spreading the strength buff more effectively.

Mastery and Coordination

Mastering cooldown optimization isn’t just about knowing when to activate these abilities; it’s about understanding their interplay and coordinating them to maximize your damage output. The overlapping of Avenging Wrath and Zealotry, timed correctly with the Guardian of Ancient Kings, creates a potent burst phase that can significantly impact your DPS.

Mastering Defensive Cooldowns for Retribution Paladins

Make no mistake, you are in your raid as much for your defensive prowess as you are for your DPS. Understanding and using these abilities are the difference between a good ret paladin and an elite one

Divine Shield: This is your ultimate “get out of jail free” card, rendering you immune to all damage and harmful effects for 8 seconds. The key to Divine Shield is timing; use it to negate massive incoming damage that can’t be avoided or to cleanse yourself of lethal debuffs. Be mindful of its lengthy cooldown and the forbearance debuff it applies, which temporarily prevents the use of other key defensive spells.

Divine Protection: Offering a 20% reduction to all damage for 10 seconds, Divine Protection is a versatile cooldown with a relatively short recharge time. Ideal for mitigating burst damage phases or when you’re the focus of high damage output. Smart use involves anticipating damage spikes rather than reacting, ensuring its benefits are fully realized.

Ardent Defender: A life-saving ability that reduces all damage taken by 20% for 8 seconds and can potentially prevent fatal damage by healing you for 15% of your maximum health if an attack would have killed you. Best used in dire situations where death is imminent, or strategically during phases of predictable, lethal damage to ensure survival.

Guardian of Ancient Kings (Defensive Aspect): While primarily seen as an offensive cooldown, Guardian of Ancient Kings can be utilized defensively by reducing incoming damage. Activate it during prolonged periods of high incoming damage to lessen the strain on healers and maintain your presence in the fight.

Lay on Hands: An instant, massive heal that can be a game-changer in critical moments. Reserve Lay on Hands for emergency self-healing when your health drops perilously low or to save allies in critical roles from death. Remember, it applies Forbearance, so coordinate its use with other abilities that do the same.

Hand of Protection: Grants immunity to physical attacks for 10 seconds, which can be pivotal for avoiding melee or physical ranged attacks. Use it judiciously to protect yourself or allies, particularly those at risk of immediate death. Be aware of its Forbearance implication and potential to drop aggro, making it unsuitable for tanks.