PvE Retribution Paladin Guide

Retribution Paladins get a LOT of improvements in TBC. As a result, they are actually a highly-coveted DPS spec, offering great utility while also being competitive with other classes and specs on the DPS meters. Some of these changes include: the addition of Crusader Strike & Seal of Blood, an improved talent tree, better itemization choices and help with mana issues.

Besides the great DPS, some of the main benefits of bringing a Retribution Paladin to a raid include:

• An additional, highly valuable Blessing, such as Greater Blessing of Salvation, Greater Blessing of Might and Greater Blessing of Kings. Most raid groups will want to have 3 Blessings in total, and typically the most efficient way to have that will be by bringing a paladin of each spec, Retribution included.
• Crusader Strike refreshing various Judgement effects, but mainly Judgement of Wisdom, which is highly sought after as it grants many specs in the game a very significant amount of mana regeneration, necessary to keep them “pumping” damage for the entire fight.
• 3% increased critical chance for your entire raid , through Improved Seal of the Crusader. This applies to your entire raid, physical & caster DPS alike, making it one of the highest DPS boosting effects in the game.
• 2% increased damage dealt for your entire party, through Improved Sanctity Aura. This makes the Retribution Paladin a great addition to the melee DPS group.
• Countless other less significant benefits, such as Blessing of Freedom, Blessing of Protection, Cleanse, Lay on Hands, etc.

The amount of utility that Retribution Paladins offer simply cannot be understated, and what’s more, unlike many other hybrid DPS classes with high utility, they still deal very good damage — typically only being slightly behind BM Hunters, Fury Warriors, Destruction Warlocks and Arcane Mages. From a raid DPS standpoint, Retribution Paladins are in fact among the strongest specs in the game, along with Enhancement Shamans, Survival Hunters and Shadow Priests.

On the downside, similar to most other hybrid specs, the utility that Retribution Paladins bring does not stack — meaning there is very little point in bringing more than 1 Retribution Paladin to a raid. Furthermore, the Seal Twisting rotation that Retribution Paladins employ in TBC is among the most complicated in the game, making the spec very beginner-unfriendly overall.