PvE Retribution Paladin DPS Talents, Builds, & Glyphs

Retribution Paladins in Mists of Pandaria utilize varied playstyles depending on the environment, and can specialize in either consistent damage, powerful execution phases, or strong burst sequences. This versatility is due to their second, third, fourth, and fifth talent rows, which considerably alter their gameplay, offering many viable choices.

Talent Build

Unlike other specializations, which have a much more defined build, Retribution Paladins have the option to utilize multiple talents to alter their playstyle. Of course, those separate talents & playstyles also fit differently depending on the said environment, with some talents being stronger in dungeon environments while others in raid environments. Depending on the content you are about to complete or progress, you will find that most talent rows offer many viable gameplay customization options.

Level 15 – Tier I

• Speed of Light✅
  One of the first viable choices, Speed of Light, acts as a powerful movement speed burst for 8 seconds. It is very useful for fights where you must quickly retreat and reposition. However, it is a niche choice when compared to the Pursuit of Justice, which is the general option for most encounters.
• Long Arm of the Law❌
  This talent choice can be viable in PvE since Haste is a big part of a Retribution Paladin’s setup, although it is primarily seen as a PvP talent. It offers a decently strong movement speed bonus for 3 seconds after landing a Judgment, meaning that the effect can be sustained to some degree. However, much like Speed of Light, it’s considered situational and niche when compared to Pursuit of Justice, which is always active.
• Pursuit of Justice✅
  This is by far the strongest choice in this talent row, offering you a great passive movement speed! The effect increases whenever you have Holy Power, reaching up to a maximum of 30% passive movement speed. In most scenarios, this option will be the best.

Level 30 – Tier II

• Fist of Justice✅
  Arguably the best option for most dungeon and raid encounters, Fist of Justice allows you to have a stun ready every 30 seconds instead of the classic HoJ 1-minute cooldown. While you can’t use it on raid bosses, you may use it on plenty of adds, making it a very valuable crowd control tool. It is also the default choice in encounters where the Incapacitate mechanic offered by Repentance is not viable.
• Repentance✅
  This is the other viable option from the second talent tier, and it’s great against targets that must be incapacitated and avoided. You will generally use this talent to create a CC-chain together with other players, and you will take it for niche encounters.
• Evil is a Point of View❌
  This is by far the worst option from this talent tier. The main issue with it is that it can create chain pulls, especially in dungeon environments, which may lead to wipe scenarios. The talent is only viable in extremely niche situations and open-world scenarios. It may be used to CC elites or an individual mob from a small group of dangerous mobs.

Level 45 – Tier III

• Selfless Healer✅
  This talent is the best self-healing tool that you can acquire from this row without dampening your DPS output, offering a potent instant-cast heal. Since you will be casting Judgment consistently, the Selfless Healer buff. While in theory, the talent is stronger as a utility tool since it’s empowered when used on other targets, the instant healing directly relieves the pressure off healers.
• Eternal Flame❌
  This is the strongest healing tool from this row, but it comes at the price of using valuable Holy Power, resulting in a considerable DPS loss. Due to this, this option is simply not viable and only useful in very niche progression fights where survivability is the top priority, rather than high Damage Output.
• Sacred Shield✅
  This talent is a suitable choice as a pre-mitigation tool, offering a decent damage absorption effect. While it is weaker than the rest in terms of damage mitigated/healed, the instant cast and low cooldown provide a valuable tool.

Level 60 – Tier IV

• Hand of Purity✅
  This option is viable in dungeon or raid environments where powerful DoT effects must be mitigated at all costs! While it is a situational ability that will only be used in some specific encounters, it is one of the most effective damage mitigation tools for DoT damage besides Divine Shield, which can nullify the damage entirely.
• Unbreakable Spirit✅
  This talent is considered the standard option for most PvE encounters due to how much value it provides. The 50% cooldown reduction to Lay on Hands, Divine Shield, and Divine Protection simply improves your survivability by a huge margin. You will take this talent in most progression runs, with a few exceptions where Hand of Purity is necessary.
• Clemency❌
  This talent choice is strictly PvP-oriented, having little to no real utility in PvE encounters. Since you won’t experience consistent hard CC in PvE, you will want to avoid this talent.

Level 75 – Tier V

• Holy Avenger✅
  This talent is the go-to if you want to enhance your burst sequences! It is a better option early in the expansion for raid encounters, but the benefit falls off later. Generally, you will want this talent for short encounters such as early dungeon bosses or rare elites. It synergizes perfectly with Avenging Wrath since it has a 2-minute cooldown. However, the ability requires you to perform a semi-complicated rotation to benefit from it fully.
• Sanctified Wrath✅
  In the original days, Sanctified Wrath was proven to be the strongest DPS output tool for long-lasting raid encounters when compared to Holy Avenger and Divine Purpose. However, this is more true towards the end of the expansion, with the beginning of the expansion favoring Divine Purpose more. You will want to take this talent for progression runs.
• Divine Purpose✅
  This talent is a strong contender with Sanctified Wrath, being stronger the more Haste you acquire! Since it directly synergizes with Sanctity of Battle, this talent scales as the expansion progresses, becoming stronger and stronger the more Haste you have.

Level 90 – Tier VI

• Holy Prism❌
  This talent is simply not viable for a Retribution Paladin, offering the worst option from the sixth tier due to its very low damage output. While the utility it provides can be helpful at the very start of the expansion, its effectiveness quickly falls off when compared to other options.
• Light’s Hammer✅
  This is the best option for AoE encounters, providing you with an ability that has no target limit, lasting up to 14 seconds. Light’s Hammer also provides a small amount of healing while active, adding some utility. The general idea is that you will want to swap to this talent for any AoE encounter and then swap back to Execution Sentence for any Single-Target scenario.
• Execution Sentence✅
  Hands down, the best talent from this row for any Single-Target fight since it provides the best damage output. There is not much else to detail about the ability other than the fact that you will always use it on cooldown, while also being able to use it as a HoT for increased survivability in case your healers struggle.

Glyphs

Major Glyphs

• Glyph of Double Jeopardy
  This glyph is amazing for Cleave encounters, being an absolute mandatory DPS boost that you should not miss. It amplifies the damage output of Judgment when you alternate the targets you use it on.
• Glyph of Mass Exorcism
  A glyph that is amazing for any AoE/Clear encounter, Glyph of Mass Exorcism transforms Exorcism into a melee-range ability that deals 25% of the damage dealt also to all other targets around the main target.
• Glyph of Templar’s Verdict
  This glyph is considered mandatory for any tough progression fight where survivability is key, as it provides you with a consistent 10% damage reduction buff that can be easily triggered with Templar’s Verdict and Exorcism.
• Glyph of Inquisition
  This glyph is amazing for dungeons or open-world farming, as it allows you to extend the duration of Inquisition by a considerable amount! However, this glyph is not viable in raid encounters where adds don’t consistently spawn.
• Glyph of Divine Storm
  This glyph is great as a small survivability boost for any AoE environment. It can be amazing for progression runs in Cleave encounters, but it is primarily better for open-world farming.
• Glyph of Divine Shield
  An amazing option for progression runs in encounters where debuffs must be removed, providing a considerable heal that can relieve stress from your healers.
• Glyph of Divine Protection
  A great choice for encounters where Physical Damage must be mitigated! Once again, this option is great for progression runs where you have to relieve stress from your healers.
• Glyph of Hand of Sacrifice
  One of the best glyphs for enhancing your overall utility, resulting in a direct damage reduction buff for your group!

Minor Glyphs

• Glyph of Righteous Retreat
  One of the two minor glyphs for Retribution Paladin provides actual gameplay changes. The glyph allows you to escape from dangerous situations or open-world ganks.
• Glyph of the Falling Avenger
  The second glyph that can enhance gameplay for Retribution Paladins! It turns your Avenging Wrath into a Slow Fall buff, allowing you to survive any fall that would otherwise be fatal safely.