- Author: Nevermore
- Date: February 9, 2025
- Updated: February 10, 2025
- Expansion: WoW Classic
Retribution Paladins share a similar stat priority to most melee DPS specializations, favoring stats such as Strength, Critical Strike Chance, and Agility. However, unlike other Melee DPS specializations, Retribution Paladins also make use of an unexpected stat, Spell Power!
Stat Priority
- Hit Chance
- Strength
- Critical Strike Chance
- Agility
- Attack Power
- Stamina
- Intellect
- Spell Power (Holy Damage)
- MP5
Hit Chance is a stat that increases your chance of landing attacks against enemies, being especially needed against higher-level targets such as raid bosses. The cap for Hit Chance is 9% in WoW Classic, however, Retribution Paladins have an easier time reaching it thanks to the Precision talent they have access to which grants them 3%. In the earlier phases, you won’t be able to reach the cap, but in the later stages, you may reach the cap even without Precision.
Strength is the main stat through which Retribution Paladins gain Attack Power, increasing the overall damage of their attacks! This stat is crucial for your overall Damage Output, meaning that you will want to stack as much as possible without dampening your other stats such as Hit Chance or Critical Strike Chance. You will naturally have Strength on almost all of your gear pieces, meaning that the extra amounts of Strength will usually come from Enchants and Consumables. 1 Strength is equal to 2 Attack Power!
Critical Strike Chance is a stat that is fundamental to Retribution Paladins, being tied to a few core mechanics of the specialization. The stat grants your attacks a chance to deal increased damage (Critical Strikes) but also pairs directly into the Vengeance talent, which results in a 15% increased Physical and Holy Damage dealt by the Paladin for a few seconds after landing a Critical Strike. Luckily, Retribution Paladins have access to Conviction, which gives them a 5% baseline Critical Strike Chance besides the one gained from Gear/Enchants/Consumables.
Agility is a stat that increases your Armor, Dodge Chance, Critical Strike Chance, and Ranged Attack Power. You will mainly want this stat as a Retribution Paladin for the Critical Strike Chance it offers since it synergizes with the Vengeance talent.
Attack Power, as mentioned before, is a stat that increases the overall Damage Output of your attacks! You will find items that directly offer this stat, yet you will only want to prioritize them if you can’t find a better Strength item or if the overall value of Attack Power is higher than the Strength offered by a possible counterpart. Keep in mind that 2 Attack Power is equal to 1 Strength.
Stamina is a stat that increases your overall Health Pool. Most items from Dungeons and Raids will feature Stamina on your best items as a Retribution Paladin, meaning that you won’t have to get out of your way to acquire Stamina. You will want a considerable amount of Stamina to ensure that you don’t die to instant-death raid/dungeon mechanics.
Intellect is a stat that increases your overall Mana Pool and Spell Critical Strike Chance. You will want to stack a considerable amount of Intellect, especially if you use the “Seal Twisting” mechanic, as it can get very mana-intensive. You may also boost this stat through the Divine Intellect mechanic, although it isn’t really necessary.
Spell Power is a stat that doesn’t typically work with Melee DPS specializations since it boosts the damage of Spells, however, Retribution Paladins benefit from this stat as most of their attacks involve Holy Damage! Most paladin sets feature some form of Spell Power, meaning that you won’t have to get out of your way to acquire the stat. However, you may choose to use specific consumables that boost your Spell Power (Holy Damage) to maximize your Damage Output.
MP5 is a stat that allows you to continue regenerating Mana in combat, even while casting! The mana regeneration ticks occur every 2 seconds, despite the MP5 name, playing a decent role in your overall Mana Management. As a Retribution Paladin, you will naturally have some MP5 on your sets, just like with Spell Power, meaning that it automatically helps you. You should avoid getting MP5 items besides your set items!
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