Being one of the oldest classes in Azeroth, WoW Retribution Paladin, an exceptional melee DPS specialization in World of Warcraft, still enjoys popularity among players due to its strength and versatility. In this WoW Retribution Paladin Guide, we’ll touch upon the essential principles of playing Retribution Paladin in The War Within: skills, talents, gear, tips for enhancements, and more. Don’t forget to prepare for The War Within Mythic+ with our guide!
4.9Retribution Paladin Overview
Armed with a two-handed weapon and equipped in plate armor, WoW The War Within Retribution Paladin generates its primary resource, Holy Power, from basic abilities like Crusader Strike and Judgment and uses mana resources to provide one devastating attack after another. This spec is suitable for both single-target encounters and AoE situations. It offers a balanced playstyle that adapts to various combat scenarios.
While Holy Power is generated in combat, Paladins’ mana is replenished through the use of consumables or by accumulating it gradually over time. It is used for various spells, including defensive abilities like Divine Protection or healing spells such as Flash of Light.
Retribution Paladins rely on a flexible talent tree, which allows them to adjust their abilities to personal preferences and reach optimized damage output. The Retribution specialization proves its effectiveness in raids and Mythic+ dungeons.
Retribution Paladin Strengths and Weaknesses
Just like any other character, Retribution Paladins have their stronger and weaker sides, which may affect your choice of spec to play.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| ✅ Massive damage at lower levels of progression. | ⛔️ Damage noticeably decreases at the maximum level, which results in lower DPS in higher M+. |
| ✅ A strong defense is provided by a range of skills. | ⛔️ It’s challenging to balance effective damage against solo targets and AoE. |
| ✅ Powerful auras provide buffs and group protection. | ⛔️ Not the most mobile class. |
| ✅ A resilient class that can cast a single target’s ability to heal itself or an ally. | ⛔️ Some basic abilities may remain useless depending on your weapon choice. |
| ✅ Good potential for Raiding and M+ parties. | — |
Retribution Paladin Season 3 Changes
World of Warcraft The War Within Patch 11.2 shifts Retribution’s damage profile by lowering Divine Hammer uptime while buffing core abilities to keep overall output competitive.
To sum up, the gameplay flow for Retribution Paladin remains mostly the same, though Divine Hammer now feels more like a standard cooldown than a constant buff. The update brings minimal change to rotation, but less reliance on constant Divine Hammer uptime.
Retribution Paladin Season 2 Changes
In WoW TWW Season 2 Patch 11.1 Retribution Paladin received some changes to its talents and abilities. Additionally, with the release of the new raid, the Paladin gained a new tier set Oath of the Aureate Sentry that will significantly enhance their performance in PvE content. Let’s take a detailed look at all the changes that Retribution Paladin received in Patch 11.1.
Retribution Specialization Ability Changes
Retribution Paladin did not receive any changes to abilities in TWW Patch 11.1.
Retribution Paladin Talent Changes
However, in Patch 11.1, Retribution Paladin received talent changes and a redesign of one of its most iconic abilities.
- Divine Hammer — Divine Hammers spin around you, striking enemies nearby for Holy damage every 2 seconds for 8 seconds. While active, each Holy Power spent increases the duration of Divine Hammer by 0.5 seconds. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets. Costs 3 Holy Power and has a 1 minute cooldown.
- Healing Hands — Now only functions to increase Word of Glory’s healing on the Paladin themselves (was increased healing on allies).
- Divine Toll — will now cast Judgments at units near your main target, even if you’re not in combat with them.
Retribution Paladin Hero Talent Changes
Additionally, in TWW Season 2 Retribution Paladin received a few minor changes to Hero Talents. Let’s take a look at the key ones:
Herald of the Sun:
- Dawnlight — now prefers player targets over creatures and summons.
Templar:
- Light’s Guidance — this skill has increased damage.
Retribution Paladin Changes In The War Within
In The War Within expansion, Retribution Paladin received its fair share of changes to the spec and class talents. Among them, the addition of the new Hero Talent Tree is the brightest. In this comprehensive guide, we will share our knowledge of the most important changes for this spec.
Retribution Paladin Hero Talents
WoW The War Within Retribution Paladin talents can now be enhanced with the passive buffs from Hero Trees. For Ret Palas, two new Hero Talent Trees are available:
- Herald of the Sun: this tree can be considered AoE-oriented;
- Templar: a majorly single-target-oriented tree, which is good for Boss fights.
In Templar Hero Talents for Retribution Paladin, you can find the core talents, like Hammer of Light, which activates after using Wake of Ashes, replacing it on your action bar, and dealing significant damage. Also, Empyrean Hammer is passively cast from various effects in the Templar tree, adding to your damage output.
Herald of the Sun Hero Talents Tree for Retribution Paladin is also impressive. For example, Dawnlight automatically applies a DoT to nearby targets when using Wake of Ashes or Avenging Wrath. While most of the talents found in the trees are passive abilities, their passive effect on the gameplay is really nice.
Changes to The Existing Abilities And Talents
WoW Retribution Paladin talent tree has received several changes, including a buff to Mastery: Highlord’s Judgment, enhancing Judgment single-target damage.
Among other notable changes, we can mention Radiant Glory, which ties Avenging Wrath to Wake of Ashes, and the removal of Vanguard of Justice. Additionally, Retribution players can now choose between the Templar and Herald of the Sun Hero Talent Trees, with further analysis to follow.
And of course do not forget about the new Warband feature, which will be a great help in leveling up your Retribution Paladin. Our team is ready to help you unlock the Warband Bank so you don’t waste your time.
Basics of Retribution Paladin Gameplay
Retribution Paladin gameplay is focused on melee range combat expertise and the ability to gain and spend Holy Power points in battle. It is also tied to a rotation, which is essential when it comes to dealing with a decent amount of damage. Knowing your abilities and cooldowns will be beneficial for the smooth usage of damage abilities without intermissions in a battle.
Retribution Paladin Rotation
A general tip for WoW Retribution Paladin rotation: always mind the priority system and spend your primary resources wisely.
- When generating Holy Power through abilities, use every chance to profit from it. It’s beneficial to have a reserve of resources to unleash additional damage during a fight, especially from your major spenders.
- Use Holy Power spenders before it gets overcapped. Utilize cooldowns strategically when defense effectiveness is crucial.
Below you can find rotation options and priority lists for WoW TWW Retribution Paladin that are focused on your most powerful abilities and utilize single target talents to optimize your ST rotation and best talents for high AoE damage.
| Retribution Paladin Opener | Single Target Rotation | Multi-Target Rotation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blade of Justice | Avenging Wrath | Avenging Wrath |
| 2 | Judgment | Execution Sentence | Final Reckoning (with as much Holy Power pooled as possible) |
| 3 | Avenging Wrath | Templar’s Verdict (5 Holy Power) | Divine Storm (5 Holy Power) |
| 4 | Hammer of Wrath | Wake of Ashes (2 or less Holy Power) | Wake of Ashes (2 or less Holy Power) |
| 5 | Templar’s Verdict | Divine Toll | Divine Toll (0 or 1 Holy Power) |
| 6 | Wake of Ashes | Hammer of Wrath (If a target is above 20% or if you have 3 or less Holy Power) | Blade of Justice |
| 7 | Hammer of Wrath | Judgment (3 or less Holy Power) | Judgment (3 or less Holy Power and no Judgment debuff) |
| 8 | Templar’s Verdict | Blade of Justice | Divine Storm (3-4 Holy Power) |
| 9 | Divine Toll | Templar’s Verdict (4 Holy Power) | Hammer of Wrath |
Offensive Cooldowns
| Spell | Cooldown | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Judgment | 12 sec | Judges the target, dealing Holy damage. |
| Crusader Strike | 6 sec | Strike the target with a large amount of damage. |
| Templar’s Verdict | — | Unleashes a powerful weapon strike that deals massive damage to an enemy target. |
| Consecration | 9 sec | Consecrates the land beneath you, causing damage over 12 sec to enemies who enter the area. |
Defensive Cooldowns
| Spell | Cooldown | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Protection | 1 min | Reduces all damage you take by 20% for 8 sec. Usable while stunned. |
| Divine Shield | 5 min | Grants immunity to all damage, harmful effects, knockbacks and forced movement effects for 8 sec. |
Retribution Paladin Build
There are multiple talent choices for WoW Retribution Paladin build WoW available, each of them targeted at achieving maximum damage output in Mythic+ Dungeons. All of them provide substantial cleave damage, essential for effectively clearing large groups of enemies.
Retribution Paladin Single Target Raid Build
Retribution Paladin Cleave Raid Build
Retribution Paladin Mythic+ Build
Make sure to copy a loadout below. Just click it and then paste it into the game and save it to be able to change the build between encounters.
Single Target Raid Build
CYEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwAAMttssNzstsNGbjZW2GbAAAAAAYMlZmZzAzgxsMGmZYWmlZYYMGMGLLsNAAAEEAAAACleave Raid Build
CYEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwAAMttssNzstsNGbzDMzyyYDAAAAAAjpMzMbGYGMmlxwMDzysYsNMGDGjlF2AAAQQAAAAMythic+ Build
CYEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwAAMtNLbzMbLbzM2mZssM2GAAAAAAGTjmZ2mBmZY8ALjhZGYWmx2wgBjxyCbAAAIzMtNbz2MAgNAHowever, if you want to complete the Heroic Raid, a good build is not enough. Therefore, to avoid difficulties, turn to our professional players for help.
Retribution Paladin Stats
Gearing Retribution Paladin is inconceivable without considering WoW Retribution Paladin stat priority. Determining primary and secondary stats influences the game for your character. Whether you seek more damage, prefer shorter cooldowns, or want to increase your attack speed, pay attention to which stat takes precedence for your priorities. Here is an overview of Retribution Paladin stats:
- Haste: Reduces the Global Cooldown and the Cooldown of the core rotation abilities like Crusader Strike, Judgment, Blade of Justice, and Hammer of Wrath. Influences the amount of damage you can apply, but not significantly.
- Critical Strike: Grants you the chance to deal a relatively huge amount of extra damage and healing. Works perfectly with Adjudication and Heart of the Crusader.
- Mastery: Paladins get a useful boost to Holy Damage done by Mastery: Hand of Light and thus it increases all of Retribution’s natural damage.
- Versatility: A valuable stat due to its incoming damage reduction and outcoming damage increase.
- Strength: Considered your primary stat, Strength increases damage across all your class spells, abilities, and auto attacks.
Experienced Retribution Paladin players generally adhere to two main stats distribution strategies:
- Option 1: Strength > Haste > Versatility / Critical Strike > Mastery.
- Option 2: Strength > Versatility > Critical Strike / Haste > Mastery.
The first strategy relies on lower cooldowns and higher damage reduction with Crusading Strikes talent or base Crusader Strike as your main abilities.
The second one is based on the higher chances of withstanding incoming damage while applying critical damage to your enemies via increased Versatility and Critical Strike. Works perfectly with Templar Strikes talent.
Retribution Paladin Leveling
Leveling in The War Within doesn’t require any special knowledge or proficiency, and is grounded in clearing packs of mobs. Retribution Paladin is pretty viable during leveling due to its defensive abilities so you won’t bother to respec.
And, as for any other class and spec, there are two leveling options: dungeons and questing. By leveling in dungeons, you save up a significant amount of time just queuing back-to-back. Questing is a bit longer, but it’s also a good choice. The best timelines to level up are Draenor and Legion, as they have a high density of quests in any location.
But you can also skip the tedious leveling process and get a fully upgraded character ready for end-game content by asking for our Power Leveling service.
Retribution Paladin Leveling Tips for The War Within
You may concentrate on the provided list of abilities for smooth leveling:
- Judgment: To pull enemies from a 30-yard range.
- Final Reckoning: To deal Holy damage to all pulled enemies.
- Wake of Ashes: To deal Radiant damage to all nearby enemies.
- Word of Glory: To heal you after the fight.
- Cavalier: To gain mobility and use 2 charges of Divine Steed.
- Hand of Reckoning: To taunt additional enemies if you run out of ranged abilities.
- Light’s Celerity: To allow more efficient healing.
- Divine Shield or Lay on Hands: To avoid too much damage from overpulling.’
These abilities are helpful in any type of encounter, whether it’s just a pack of mobs in the open world or low-level dungeons.
And do not forget to visit a vendor (or Auction house in your capital city) to obtain some helpful consumables:
- Gunshoes;
- Light-Step Hoofplates;
- Comfortable Rider’s Barding;
- Bear Tartare;
- Drums of Deathly Ferocity;
- Potion of Phantom Fire;
- Cosmic Healing Potion;
- Potion of Spectral Agility;
- Spectral Flask of Power.
While they do not offer any magic effects, it’s just convenient to have some buffs at hand and use full potential of your low-lvl character.
How to Gear Up Retribution Paladin
A well-thought gear setup is a must for a successful and enjoyable gaming experience as a Retribution Paladin. Acquiring BiS gear in The War Within may seem to be a challenging task, but it is totally achievable. The primary challenge, apart from acquiring items, is the limited nature of resources available for upgrades. In our convenient guide, we’ve compiled all the Best in Slot Retribution Paladin gear recommendations to save you time and valuable Crests and Flightstones.
Best Gear for Retribution Paladin
After leveling up and beginning to gather gear, items with the highest item level will be your priority until you obtain BiS equipment. The preferred methods for acquiring the best gear for your character are Raids and Mythic+ Dungeons. While you can concentrate on one of these activities for faster gearing, consider consulting the Overall Retribution Paladin BiS list and item sources to allocate attention to the most suitable method.
| Slot | Item | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Head |  Lightmane of the Lucent Battalion | Catalyst / |
| Neck |  Salhadaar’s Folly | Nexus-King Salhadaar |
| Shoulders |  Chargers of the Lucent Battalion | Catalyst / |
| Cloak |  Reshii Wraps | Patch 11.2 Questline |
| Chest |  Cuirass of the Lucent Battalion | Catalyst / |
| Wrist |  Everforged Vambraces | Crafting |
| Gloves |  Protectors of the Lucent Battalion | Catalyst / |
| Belt |  Everforged Greatbelt | Crafting |
| Legs |  Cuisses of the Lucent Battalion | Catalyst / |
| Boots |  Interloper’s Plated Sabatons | Manaforge Omega |
| Ring |  Logic Gate: Omega | Forgeweaver Araz |
| Ring |  Logic Gate: Alpha | Plexus Sentinel |
| Trinket |  Screams of a Forgotten Sky | Dimensius |
| Trinket |  Astral Antenna | Loom’ithar |
| Weapon |  Photon Sabre Prime | Forgeweaver Araz |
If the prospect of raiding for several hours per week thrills you, a significant portion of desirable items are obtainable in Season 3 Raid. You can even assemble the entire gear set for future adventures in the raid.
However, the availability of gear per each slot from raids is limited, usually up to 2-3 items for each slot, and the WoW Retribution Paladin stats may also vary. Gear farming in raids can be lengthy, so if you want to get fell raid set, seek help from the Overgear professionals to save your time. For instance, our Heroic Battle Pass is the ultimate solution to have your raid completed and items obtained.
Best Retribution Paladin Trinkets
In the current season of The War Within, Retribution Paladins will find trinkets that contribute to dealing additional damage in both single-target and AoE situations, particularly relevant. Depending on your playstyle, you can obtain any of the trinkets listed below or just use our Dungeon Trinkets service:
Tier Set Bonuses for Retribution Paladin
Retribution Paladin Season 3 Tier Set Elite
Retribution Paladin Season 3 Tier Set Gladiator
Retribution Paladin Season 3 Tier Set Heroic
Retribution Paladin Season 3 Tier Set Mythic
Retribution Paladin Season 3 Tier Set Normal
Retribution Paladin Season 3 Tier Set Raid Finder
WoW TWW Season 3 brings a new tier set for Retribution Paladin —Vows of the Lucent Battalion.
Retribution Paladin Herald of the Sun Tier Set Bonuses:
| 2-piece | Dawnlight’s healing and damage is increased by 30% and you gain Solar Wrath after Avenging Wrath fades causing Sun’s Avatar’s effect to linger for an additional [Avenging Crusader: 5] [Crusade: 20] [ Holy: 10 / [10]10 sec. |
|---|---|
| 4-piece | Solar Wrath increases the effectiveness of your Holy Power spenders by 15% and grants you [Avenging Crusader: 1] [Crusade: 4] [ Holy: 2 / [2]2 Dawnlight. |
Retribution Paladin Templar Tier Set Bonuses:
| 2-piece | Your Empyrean Hammer deals 20% increased critical strike damage and its critical strikes have 50% chance to grant an additional stack of Light’s Deliverance. |
|---|---|
| 4-piece | Hammer of Light deals 35% increased damage to its primary target, strikes 3 additional secondary targets, and can now be cast 1 more time after Wake of Ashes. |
Retribution Paladin Season 2 Tier Set Bonuses
PvP 2 Tier Set
PvP 1 Tier Set
Mythic Tier Set
Heroic Tier Set
Normal Tier Set
LFG Tier Set
In Season 2 of WoW TWW Retribution Paladin will receive a new tier set Oath of the Aureate Sentry. It can be obtained from the new raid, the Great Vault, or crafted using the Catalyst.
| 2-piece | Your spells and abilities have a chance to activate a Winning Streak! increasing the damage of your Templar’s Verdict and Divine Storm by 2% stacking up to 10 times. Spending Holy Power on damaging abilities has a 12% chance to remove Winning Streak! |
|---|---|
| 4-piece | When you lose your Winning Streak! you get the last Holy Power spent back, and for 4.0 you cannot lose Holy Power and the damage of your Holy Power abilities are increased by 10%. |
Retribution Paladin Season 1 Tier Set Bonuses
Paladin Retribution Normal Set
Retribution Paladin Heroic Set
Retribution Paladin Mythic Set
Retribution Paladin PvP 1 Set
Retribution Paladin PvP 2 Set
Retribution Paladin Raid Finder Set
Entombed Seraph’s Radiance is the Retribution Paladin Tier Set for Season 1 in the War Within.
| 2-piece | Blade of Justice damage increased by 15% and Wake of Ashes damage increased by 10%. |
|---|---|
| 4-piece | Wake of Ashes increases your damage done by 10% for 8 sec. |
Best Crafted Gear for Retribution Paladin
- Any Crafted Items with Embellishments;
Everforged Greataxe or another Weapon;- Any Low Lvl Slots with
Spark of Omens.
Best Consumables for Retribution Paladin
Choosing a talent build, mastering the rotation, and assembling a set or the most powerful gear is not enough to showcase yourself in the best way in a combat situation. Many novice players often forget or do not know about the benefits of consumables in Raids, Mythic+, and common PvE activities.
Below we gathered information about the best consumables, food, and gems for Retribution Paladin in World of Warcraft The War Within Season 3.
| Type | Best | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Flask |  Flask of Alchemical Chaos |  Flask of Tempered Mastery |
| Combat Potion |  Tempered Potion |  Potion of Unwavering Focus |
| Health Potion |  Invigorating Healing Potion | — |
| Weapon Buff |  Algari Mana Oil |  Ironclaw Whetstone |
| Augment Rune |  Crystallized Augment Rune | — |
| Food |  The Sushi Special |  Jester’s Board |
| Diamond |  Culminating Blasphemite | — |
| Other Gems |  Quick Onyx |  Masterful Emerald Masterful Ruby Masterful Sapphire |
Best Retribution Paladin Enchants
| Slot | Best Enchant | Alternative Options |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon |  Enchant Weapon – Stonebound Artistry | Enchant Weapon – Council’s Guile |
| Cloak | Enchant Cloak – Chant of Winged Grace | — |
| Chest | Enchant Chest – Crystalline Radiance | — |
| Bracers | Enchant Bracer – Chant of Armored Avoidance | Enchant Bracer – Chant of Armored Speed |
| Legs |  Stormbound Armor Kit | — |
| Boots | Enchant Boots – Scout’s March | — |
| Ring | Enchant Ring – Radiant Mastery | Enchant Ring – Radiant Critical Strike |
Retribution Paladin End-Game
Endgame content in The War Within is a vast field of opportunities for showing off your skill. There are 3 main areas for you to focus on: Raiding, Mythic+ Dungeons and PvP.
Aside from these main branches, you can always lay eyes on World Quests, especially now, when Great Vault grants rewards for completing them. WoW Retribution Paladin transmog runs or Profession training are also useful. Each of them offers exceptional experience, yet requires special skills.
Get ready to start exploring The War Within with our handy guides:
Also, there are even more handy guides on our platform for you to choose from. Do not hesitate to explore other classes, and learn about Tier Sets. The best tips provided in them will help you perfect your existing skills or master new ones in the best way possible.
Best Profession for Retribution Paladin
The choice of a profession for a Retribution Paladin in The War Within is mostly based on personal preferences since, unlike other classes (e.g. Evokers) there are no available racial abilities or bonuses that assist in crafting or gathering resources. Nevertheless, the most beneficial profession for Paladins would be Blacksmithing. It allows you to craft armor and weapons suitable for your class, which is already a significant advantage. In addition to the profession, consider learning Mining to acquire resources and save costs (and with efficient farming, you might even make a profit by selling surplus materials).
Whatever profession you choose, you will need to level it up. To do this, you can use our Council of Dornogal Renown to increase your profession knowledge.
Best Races for Retribution Paladins
Races that can play as a Paladin are limited, yet you will surely find one that suits your preferences best. Below you will find suggestions of the best race for Retribution Paladin WoW The War Within options for both Alliance and Horde.
Alliance
When playing for the Alliance, give preference to races such as Human for his Will to Survive and The Human Spirit racial abilities, or Dark Iron Dwar, they also offer cool ability Stoneform. Their racials are the best for Paladin’s needs. There is also the option to choose Dwarf, Draenei, or Lightforged Draenei, but this is not a top option.
Horde
If you want to play as a Horde, choose Zandalari Troll for Berserking and Da Voodoo Shuffle, or Tauren with their War Stomp and Endurance. Each of them can be considered WoW best race for Retribution Paladin due to their racial abilities.
Improving as Retribution Paladin
Improving your skill in playing a Retribution Paladin, as well as diversifying your gameplay and achieving better or desired results, can be aided by following general tips. Surely, you can just install damage meters, but also:
- Provide Resource Management. Keep a close eye on your Holy Power, generated by Crusading Strikes and other generating abilities. Use the Spender talents like Final Verdict and Divine Storm on cooldown to maximize the number of casts.
- Track your Global Cooldowns. Increase your damage rate by casting more spells during a fight. Minimize delays between casts to gain and spend more Holy Power efficiently, essential for reaching peak DPS.
- Spam your Cooldown. Use your cooldowns as soon as they become available. Most of your spells have a cooldown of 30 seconds or 1 minute, which allows you to use them consecutively.
Retribution Paladin Macros
Using Macros is another way to improve your gameplay and learn how to conveniently use your spells. Retribution Paladin can benefit from the macros, that we have gathered in our guide.
Retribution Paladin Macros
- Intercession Mouseover Macro: Casts Intercession on your mouseover target if they are dead.
#showtooltip
/cast [@mouseover, dead, exists] [] Intercession - Lay on Hands Mouseover Macro: Stops casting and uses Lay on Hands on your mouseover target if they are friendly and alive.
#showtooltip
/stopcasting
/cast [@mouseover, noharm, exists] [] Lay on Hands - Cleanse Toxins Mouseover Macro: Casts Cleanse Toxins on your mouseover target if they are friendly and alive.
#showtooltip
/cast [@mouseover, noharm, exists] [] Cleanse Toxins - Rebuke Focus Macro: Casts Rebuke on your focus target if they are an enemy and alive, otherwise casts on your current target.
#showtooltip
/cast [@focus, harm, nodead] [] Rebuke - Final Reckoning Macros: Casts Final Reckoning at your cursor position or at your character position.
- #showtooltip
/cast [@cursor] Final Reckoning - #showtooltip
/cast [@player] Final Reckoning
- #showtooltip
4.9Playing as a Retribution Paladin in WoW is exciting and challenging. Whether you’re a fan of Raids, Mythic+ Dungeons, or other endgame activities, understanding your strengths, prioritizing the right stats, and mastering your Retribution Paladin rotation WoW will provide a good bonus to your game experience. Our Retribution Paladin DPS guide was aimed at providing the most useful insights for both newbies and experienced players.
