TBC Classic Retribution Paladin Guide (Phase 3)

Retribution Paladin is a plate-wearing melee fighter and one of the most sought-after in a raid thanks to buffs no one else can provide. New talents have also increased its personal damage. The specialization brings the raid +3% critical strike chance against the target via Improved Seal of the Crusader, +2% to the damage the target takes via Improved Sanctity Aura, and every Crusader Strike refreshes all Judgement debuffs on the boss.

• Seal of the Crusader + Judgment — once at the start of the fight to apply Judgement of the Crusader; after that the debuff refreshes itself from Crusader Strike
• Seal of Blood — keep it up at all times; for the Alliance this is Seal of the Martyr
• Crusader Strike — on cooldown
• Hammer of Wrath — as soon as the target drops below 20% health
• Judgment — on cooldown; it is off the global cooldown, so cast the seal in the same macro with it
• Consecration — sparingly: only against multiple targets or against enemies immune to physical damage
• Exorcism — situationally against undead and demons; it does not scale with attack power and is never worth delaying Crusader Strike or Judgment for

Priority with Seal Twisting

Seal twisting is an advanced technique where a single swing gets the bonuses of two seals at once. It requires a weapon-speed tracker.

• Seal of the Crusader + Judgment — to apply the debuff
• Crusader Strike — on cooldown, preferably under an active Seal of Blood
• Seal of Command rank 1 — if the next swing is 1.6 seconds away or more
• Seal of Blood — 0.4 seconds before the swing
• Judgment — only under Seal of Blood, never under Seal of Command
• Consecration and Exorcism — in free windows, the lowest priority

• Avenging Wrath — +30% damage for 20 seconds, but it applies Forbearance and locks out Divine Shield, Divine Protection and Blessing of Protection on yourself
• Lay on Hands — heals for your entire health pool and grants the target 900 mana, but drains all of your mana
• Blessing of Protection — immunity to physical damage for 10 seconds, but the target cannot attack
• Blessing of Sacrifice — transfers part of an ally's damage to you
• Blessing of Freedom — removes slowing and immobilizing effects for 10 seconds

Seal of Command is always taken at rank 1 when twisting: you never judge it anyway, and the seal's effect is identical at all ranks.

Human

• The Human Spirit increases Spirit by 10%.
• Perception sharply increases stealth detection for 20 seconds. 3-minute cooldown.
• Diplomacy increases reputation gained by 10%.
• Sword Specialization increases expertise rating with one-handed and two-handed swords by 5.
• Mace Specialization increases expertise rating with one-handed and two-handed maces by 5.

Dwarf

• Stoneform removes and prevents bleeds, poisons and diseases for 8 seconds and increases armor by 10%. 3-minute cooldown.
• Find Treasure marks nearby chests on the minimap.
• Frost Resistance increases Frost resistance by 10.

Draenei

• Heroic Presence increases the hit chance of the whole party within 30 yards by 1%.
• Gift of the Naaru heals the target over 15 seconds.
• Shadow Resistance increases Shadow resistance by 10.
• Gemcutting increases Jewelcrafting skill by 5.

Blood Elf

• Mana Tap steals mana from the target and applies an effect that stacks up to 3 times.
• Arcane Torrent silences enemies within 8 yards and consumes Mana Tap stacks, restoring mana.
• Arcane Resistance increases all resistances by 5.
• Arcane Affinity increases Enchanting skill by 10.

Leatherworking

Provides Drums of Battle and Greater Drums of Battle — the most valuable raid contribution of any profession. You always need at least one leatherworker in the group.

Blacksmithing

Provides Lionheart Champion — a very strong weapon with accessible materials. Its 3.7-second swing speed pairs perfectly with Seal of Blood. You can switch the profession later once a better weapon drops.