WoW Forever: Retribution Paladin
About the Class
A Retribution Paladin deals damage with a two-handed weapon and Holy magic. 
Judgement, 
Holy Strike and Seals work alongside your auto-attacks. This build uses 
Unsealed Wrath and Seal swapping; it is not a healing tree and not a hybrid with 
Holy Shock.
Paladins use mana and can support the group with Blessings, auras and healing. Pick your role in advance: gear and ability order for tanking, healing and damage differ significantly. In Forever, Seals are not consumed by Judgement, and Blessings last longer than in Classic.
Strengths
- A mix of physical damage and Holy magic.
- Blessings, auras and emergency support for the group.
- Can heal yourself between fights.
Weaknesses
- Relies on your weapon and steady contact with the target.
- You have to manage mana and Seals.
- Lost auto-attacks reduce the value of the core talent.
Stat Priority
- 1Weapon Damage
- 2Hit
- 3Expertise
- 4Strength
- 5Spell Power
Hit for special attacks and Expertise reduce the damage you lose to misses and dodges. Factor in talent bonuses, including Precision. A slow two-handed weapon fits this setup well, and Spell Power boosts the Holy portion of your damage.
Talents
Rotation (Ability Priority)
The opener is a set sequence of abilities you use as you engage an enemy. Memorising it helps initiate your rotation in the most optimal way possible.
- 1
Seal of the Crusader - 2Judgement
- 3
Seal of Righteousness - 4Holy Strike
- Judgement — after setting up a Seal, then on cooldown
- Seal of Righteousness — keep it active on yourself
- Holy Strike — your main extra strike
Exorcism — against Undead and demons
Important Abilities
Ability | Use |
|---|---|
 Blessing of Freedom | Free an ally from a slow or root |
 Blessing of Protection | Protect against physical damage; the target temporarily cannot make physical attacks |
 Divine Shield | Survive a dangerous situation; a tank needs to account for losing the enemy's attention |
 Lay on Hands | Restore Health in an emergency, keeping your remaining mana in mind |
| Exorcism | Deal extra damage to Undead or demons |
Coordinate Blessings with other Paladins. Do not hand out Blessing of Protection carelessly to the active tank or to a fighter who needs to keep making physical attacks right now.
Best in Slot (BiS)
Best in Slot (BiS)Enchants, Gems, Consumables
Enchants and Enhancements
ConsumablesBest Race
Ruthless grants extra critical strike. It is useful for both damage and healing; your weapon choice and personal comfort matter more than the small differences between races.
Stoneform grants extra protection and removes certain harmful effects. For a tank, one more way to survive a dangerous window is especially valuable.
This is the Horde race available to Paladins. 
Will of the Forsaken helps against the matching crowd control effects. Your faction choice determines your race here, so also consider your group's composition.
Best Professions
Blacksmithing lets you craft weapons and armor, and 
Mining provides ore. This pair is especially handy for a tank or a weapon-based damage dealer. Healers also need the right stats: plate armor alone does not make an item the best choice for healing.
Alchemy together with 
Herbalism supplies consumable buffs and mana recovery. 
Engineering gives you extra gadgets, and 
Enchanting lets you enhance your gear.
FAQ
Can I start the game with this specialization?
Yes. Retribution works well for questing thanks to its weapon attacks, self-healing and defensive tools.
Do I need to reapply the seal after every Judgement?
No. In Forever, Judgement keeps your Seal. Refresh it when it expires, or swap it for the effect your chosen tree needs.
What weapon types can a paladin use?
One-handed and two-handed swords, axes and maces, as well as polearms. Missing weapon skills are learned from weapon masters. A tank also needs a shield.
Where to get gear before raids?
From dungeons, quests and professions. The upgraded dungeon sets require a quest chain. The selection above is a guideline; the final decision depends on your role and the stats you have already collected.
What matters most to keep track of in combat?
Contact with the target, your Seals and your mana pool. Do not spend all your resource on extra AoE damage if you will not be able to continue your main cycle afterward.
Author
Fouren
Fouren has been playing World of Warcraft for over 15 years. He is an active player with 12 Cutting Edge achievements under his belt, and has reached the top 1% and 0.1% multiple times on various classes. His main classes are healers, particularly Holy Paladin.
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