PvE Retribution Paladin DPS

Retribution Paladins in Mists of Pandaria are a hybrid specialization with high versatility, featuring either strong burst sequences or consistent damage and a wide array of utility tools! Their gameplay revolves around Holy Power generation and expenditure, showcasing a dynamic playstyle with numerous procs and both offensive and defensive abilities.

In this guide, we’ll cover every aspect of a Retribution Paladin, ranging from playstyle to gearing to quick tips & tricks so you can tackle the end game and top of the Damage Meters!

A considerable number of changes happen to Retribution Paladins in Mists of Pandaria. The Holy Power system introduced in Cataclysm Classic makes a comeback, now featuring up to 5 x Holy Power slots due to the Boundless Conviction effect. This change allows them to plan better and execute their rotation but they can still only use up to 3 x Holy Power at once on their abilities. In addition their auras are now a thing of the past, with their Seals now taking the spot where they used to be displayed on the interface.

While their auras are gone, Retribution Paladins keep their famous utility tools such as Hand of Freedom, Hand of Sacrifice, Lay on Hands, Devotion Aura, Cleanse, and Hand of Protection. They also gain new Crowd Control tools such as Blinding Light or Fist of Justice. Most of their defensive and offensive abilities function the same, but thanks to the overhauled Talent System, their playstyle and gameplay can now be severely altered, offering plenty of customization.

Divine Purpose is now a choice they can opt for, providing consistent damage while Sanctified Wrath and Holy Avenger grant them powerful Execute/Burst sequences. They can also acquire new 1-minute cooldown abilities, providing them with either exceptional Single-Target or AoE DoT Damage.

Thanks to those changes, their dynamic playstyle has become even smoother, with procs and carefully constructed burst sequences making them viable and engaging in both dungeon and raid environments.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

• Good Damage Output
  Retribution Paladins display a good Damage Output at the beginning of the expansion, with their numbers being expected to grow as it progresses. Their burst damage is great for farming and easily clearing dungeons, while they manage to hold their own in raid environments.

• Smooth & Dynamic Playstyle
  The addition of Boundless Conviction significantly improves the rotation and serves as a notable quality-of-life enhancement to the specialization, making it more enjoyable overall. This, combined with the multiple procs they can acquire, makes Retribution Paladins a very engaging specialization.

• Great Utility & Defensive Cooldowns
  While auras are gone from their kit, Retribution Paladins still provide a plethora of effects to their groups, ranging from a wide variety of long-lasting and temporary buffs to dispel effects, and multiple damage-mitigation sources. Besides the defensive cooldowns they can share with the group for utility, their own provide them with a very high survivability rate when compared to other Melee specializations.

Weaknesses

• Not Beginner Friendly
  Perhaps regarded as one of the most faceroll specializations in the game, the reality is that Retribution Paladins in Mists of Pandaria can be very complicated. Their burst sequences require precise ability sequences. In contrast, their general gameplay during raids and raid progression often requires them to be more aware of an encounter than a normal DPS specialization due to their extensive utility kit, which they must use.

• Very Haste Dependent
  Due to the Sanctity of Battle passive, their gameplay can feel sluggish until they acquire a large amount of Haste, resulting in some weaker than most performance early on. As the expansion progresses and they acquire more Haste, their gameplay becomes smoother and better. This may be challenging for players who want to be strong from the start.

Best Races

While racial effects were extremely important in previous versions of WoW, their importance has been reduced overall in MoP Classic. The effects now act as slight bonuses instead of actual game-changing mechanics.

Horde

There is no specific best race in the Horde for Retribution Paladins since both available races have effects better suited for PvP. Taurens are somewhat better due to the enhanced survivability thanks to Endurance and War Stomp, while Blood Elves may find the Arcane Torrent helpful in some niche scenarios.

• Tauren: Endurance, Cultivation, Nature Resistance, War Stomp.
• Blood Elf: Arcane Torrent, Arcane Resistance, Arcane Affinity.

Alliance

In contrast, races in the Alliance have suitable PvE racials that focus on survivability and improving Hit Chance & Expertise. The best Alliance race for Retribution Paladin is Draenei, thanks to Heroic Presence & Gift of the Naaru, followed by Human with Sword Specialization, Mace Specialization & Will to Survive. Dwarf is generally better for Protection Paladins thanks to Stoneform, but they can be very viable for Retribution as well.

• Draenei: Gift of the Naaru, Heroic Presence, Shadow Resistance, Gemcutting.
• Human: Sword Specialization, Mace Specialization, Will to Survive, The Human Spirit, Diplomacy.
• Dwarf: Stoneform, Explorer, Mace Specialization, Crack Shot, Frost Resistance.