Smite & Ignite: Comprehensive PvE Guide on Retribution Paladin for Patch 11.1.5

So, the Light calls to you? Thinking about strapping on those golden wings as a Retribution Paladin, or maybe looking to sharpen your divine judgment? Excellent choice, champion! This guide is your holy scripture for crushing Mythic+, dominating raids, and generally looking radiant while doing it in Patch 11.1.5 of the War Within (Season 2). Let’s dive into the sanctified details!

What is a Retribution Paladin? The Holy Warrior Fantasy

Let’s get this straight: Retribution Paladin is the classic holy warrior archetype, dialed up to eleven with a vengeance streak. If wielding righteous light like a two-handed weapon and blinding foes with sheer golden glory sounds like your jam, then Ret is whispering (or maybe shouting) your name.

You’re not just another DPS clicking buttons. Oh no. You’re a melee powerhouse, building up sacred energy – Holy Power – and then unleashing it in devastating bursts of holy fire and steel. Big crits? Flashy finishers? Divine judgment raining down? That’s the Ret life.

But here’s the kicker that sets Ret apart: you’re practically a Swiss Army Knife of divine utility wrapped in plate armor. While pumping out serious damage, you’re simultaneously a blessing factory, a walking Divine Shield bubble machine, and a crucial team player with one of the best support kits available to any DPS spec. Think raid-wide damage reduction (Devotion Aura), clutch saves (Blessings, Lay on Hands), emergency healing, and damage amps for your buddies. You’re the utility belt Batman wishes he had, but with more glowing wings.

Why Wield the Light? Retribution Paladin Strengths & Weaknesses

Every champion has their shining moments and their… slightly less shining ones.

Strengths (Why Ret Rocks):

• Big Burst, Fast Cooldowns: Retribution’s major damage windows, primarily centered around Avenging Wrath (Wings), come back frequently (typically every minute with standard builds). This means you can consistently pop off, melt priority targets, and contribute massive burst damage reliably. It’s satisfying, impactful, and easy to plan around major fight mechanics.
• Tough as Holy Nails: Paladins are notoriously durable. With Divine Shield (Bubble), Shield of Vengeance, Divine Protection, and other defensive abilities, plus self-healing options, you can survive mechanics that would flatten lesser DPS specs. You make healers’ lives easier by simply not dying as much.
• Group Utility Galore: Blessings and Devotion Aura offer strong utility options, making Retribution Paladins group favorites. Devotion Aura passively reduces raid damage. Blessings (like Blessing of Protection for physical immunity or Blessing of Freedom for movement impairment removal) provide powerful, targeted saves. Unlike some other DPS specs, Retribution Paladin brings group-saving utility while maintaining strong output. You’re often the unsung hero keeping the group stable and alive. You’re the friend bringing divine snacks to the raid!

Weaknesses (Where the Light Dims Slightly):

• Mobility is… Okay: You’ve got Divine Steed (your holy pony), but compared to hyper-mobile specs like Demon Hunters or Monks, you won’t be winning many foot races. Positioning requires forethought.
• Approachable Ceiling: Ret has a reputation for being relatively easy to pick up, which is great for beginners! However, for hardcore min-maxers, the perceived low skill ceiling might feel slightly less engaging compared to specs with incredibly complex rotations or resource management. Mastering Ret is about perfect cooldown usage and positioning more than intricate button sequences.
• Situational Utility Power: While incredibly strong, some utility like Blessings truly shines only in specific scenarios where their unique effect is needed. You might not always get frequent opportunities to make flashy Blessing plays in every single fight.

Overall, Retribution Paladin delivers a fantastic blend of potent damage, holy avenger aesthetics, and invaluable group support. It’s a consistently strong and rewarding spec for PvE content.

Patch 11.1.5 Tune-Ups: What’s New for Ret? (TWW Season 2 Updates & New Talents)

Before diving into builds, let’s address the key changes impacting Retribution in Patch 11.1.5:

Damage Adjustments:

• Divine Hammer: The new talent change for Divine Hammer now makes it persist with Holy Power spenders instead of needing awkward re-casts, offering smoother damage uptime. It now costs 3 Holy Power to activate initially, but once active, it persists and is extended simply by using your Holy Power spenders. No more awkward re-casting! Additionally, the associated Hammerfall effect (if talented) triggers much faster (0.1s internal cooldown), leading to smoother damage.
• Nerf Alert: Imperion Power (a talent proc) had its damage reduced by 30%.
• Buff Alert: To compensate, all Retribution Paladin damage abilities received a flat 5% buff. This shifts power slightly away from reliance on one specific proc and into the core kit.

Healing Changes (The Off-Heal Squeeze):

• Seal of the Crusader and Lightforged Blessing healing effects were significantly reduced (50% nerf).
• Word of Glory now costs 50% more mana and no longer benefits from the Healing Hands talent, making it a less spammable clutch heal.
• Silver Lining: Flash of Light’s healing was buffed by 35%, providing a slightly stronger direct heal option when needed.
• Overall Impact: The changes reduce Ret’s potent off-healing capabilities, pushing the spec more towards its primary role as a damage dealer while retaining some emergency healing utility. Smart damage output is now even more crucial. These changes shouldn’t hinder skilled play.

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Stat Weights: Gearing Your Holy Warrior

Alright, let’s talk stats! What fuels your divine might? While the golden rule is ALWAYS SIM YOUR OWN CHARACTER (using tools like Raidbots is non-negotiable for true optimization, as weights change based on your specific gear), don’t overlook racial traits, like Lightforged Draenei’s Holy Resistance, for slight edge in survivability. Acquiring the full Retribution Paladin tier set should be a top priority for maximizing performance. Here’s the general stat priority for Retribution Paladin in Patch 11.1.5:

1. Strength: Your primary stat. More Strength = everything hits harder. Item level is almost always king because it grants the most Strength.
2. Mastery (Mastery: Hand of Light): Your go-to secondary stat right now. Mastery directly increases all your Holy damage, and guess what? A huge portion of your damaging abilities deal Holy damage (Judgment, Templar’s Verdict, Divine Storm, Wake of Ashes, etc.). Stack it wherever you reasonably can without sacrificing too much item level. There’s no magic “cap” to aim for; just get as much as feels good and sims well. (Technically, it has 100% effectiveness around 89%, but achieving that is unrealistic).
3. Haste & Critical Strike (Roughly Equal): These two often dance around each other in value depending on build and content:
   • Haste: Speeds up your auto-attacks and reduces the cooldown of your Holy Power generators (like Crusader Strike, Blade of Justice) and the Global Cooldown (GCD). This leads to a faster, smoother rotation and more Holy Power generation overall. Note: If using the Crusading Strikes talent (which replaces Crusader Strike with an auto-attack proc), Haste’s value diminishes slightly as it doesn’t speed up that specific proc’s internal cooldown.
   • Critical Strike: Makes your abilities hit for double damage sometimes! Crit becomes increasingly valuable in AoE builds, especially when combined with talents like Wrathful Sanction that interact with critical strikes. Several talents also boost crit damage or provide benefits upon critting. Never underestimate big holy crits!
4. Versatility: The reliable workhorse. Versatility increases how much you heal and deal damage, making it a useful defensive and offensive stat. It’s never a bad stat, and it buffs things like trinkets and passive effects nicely. However, for pure damage output, it usually falls behind Mastery, Haste, and Crit point-for-point. It becomes more valuable defensively or once other stats start hitting diminishing returns.

The Simming Imperative:

Seriously, use Raidbots! Stat weights are dynamic. The value of Haste vs. Crit can flip based on your current gear level, trinket procs, and specific talent choices (especially AoE vs. Single Target builds). Simming different gear pieces, enchants, and gems is the only way to know for sure what gives your specific Paladin the biggest damage boost. Don’t guess, sim!

Talent Blueprints: Mythic+ Mayhem Build

Now for the fun part: picking talents! We’ll look at two primary builds. First up, a standard Mythic+ / AoE focused build. Remember, these are templates; minor points can often be shifted based on dungeon needs or personal preference. In Mythic+ dungeons, consider the following talents to optimize AoE performance.

Paladin Class Tree (Left Side – The Foundation)

This tree provides core Paladin utility and defensives shared across all specs. A common Mythic+ setup includes:

• Row 1: Lay on Hands (Ultimate emergency heal), Aura of Retribution (passive damage), Hammer of Wrath (Execute ability).
• Row 2: Cleanse Toxins (Dispel), Fist of Justice (Single target stun), Blinding Light (AoE disorient).
• Row 3: Healing Hands (Buffs off-healing), Divine Steed (Mobility), Greater Judgment (Judgment debuff improvement).
• Row 4: Cavalier (Second Steed charge), Blessing of Freedom (Root/Snare break), Rebuke (Interrupt – Mandatory!).
• Row 5: Obduracy (CC reduction), Divine Toll (Powerful AoE/Single Target burst – key ability!), Unbound Freedom (Freedom utility), Sanctified Plates (Armor/Stamina), Punishment (Interrupt utility).
• Row 6: Blessing of Sacrifice (Damage redirect utility), Divine Resonance (Echoes Divine Toll), Blessing of Protection (Physical immunity utility), Consecrated Ground (Minor AoE).
• Row 7: Holy Aegis (Defensive), Divine Purpose (Chance for free spender), Unbreakable Spirit (Defensive CD reduction).
• Row 8: Lightforged Blessing (Minor healing), Incandescence (Holy damage buff), Fading Light (Defensive proc).
• Row 9: Seal of Might (Strength buff), Vengeful Wrath (Wings extension/Crit buff).
• Row 10: Of Dusk and Dawn (Passive generation/damage cycle), Lightforged Blessing (further healing).

Key Class Tree Takeaways for M+:

• Mobility: Divine Steed + Cavalier is essential for keeping up and dodging mechanics.
• Utility MVPs: Blessing of Protection (BoP), Blessing of Sacrifice (Sac), and Blessing of Freedom are game-changing tools. Learn when to use them to save yourself or allies. BoP makes someone immune to physical damage, Sac redirects damage from an ally to you (use with bubble!), Freedom breaks roots/snares.
• Interrupt: Rebuke is non-negotiable. Interrupt crucial casts!
• Dispel: Cleanse Toxins is incredibly valuable in dungeons with heavy Poison/Disease effects.
• Divine Toll: A massive AoE burst cooldown. Fires Judgments onto multiple targets, generating Holy Power and dealing significant damage. Divine Resonance will automatically cast Judgment at regular intervals after Divine Toll, boosting your Holy Power flow.
• Of Dusk and Dawn: Provides consistent passive benefits throughout an encounter, cycling between damage/generation and defensive/cooldown reduction buffs. Manageable complexity for good reward.

Retribution Tree (Right Side – The Smitey Stuff)

This is where the core Ret damage rotation and flavor comes from. A typical M+ AoE build leans into Divine Storm and related talents:

• Row 1: Blade of Justice (Core Generator).
• Row 2: Unleash a wave of holy flames with Divine Storm, engulfing enemies around you (Your primary AoE Holy Power spender).
• Row 3: Swift Justice (BoJ CDR), Expurgation (BoJ DoT), Holy Blade (BoJ range/damage), often taken as part of specific talent builds.
• Row 4: Final Verdict (Single Target Spender – still useful!), Guided Prayer (Off-healing), Art of War (Crit reset chance for BoJ).
• Row 5: Tempest of the Lightbringer (Divine Storm buff), Crusade (Major damage CD replacing Wings), Zealot’s Fervor (Haste/Crit buff).
• Row 6: Boundless Judgment (Judgment bounces), Crusading Strikes (Replaces Crusader Strike w/ auto-attack proc), Divine Hammer (AoE damage aura), Consecrated Blade (BoJ cleave in Consecration). Note: Crusading Strikes vs. Divine Hammer is a major choice node depending on build preference/sims. This build assumes Divine Hammer.
• Row 7: Righteous Verdict (FV/DS damage buff), Wake of Ashes (AoE burst generator/slow), Blessed Champion (DS/FV cleave), Imperion Power (Free DS proc).
• Row 8: Adjudication (Crit damage buff), Shield of Vengeance (Absorb/Damage shield), Penitent Blades (BoJ DoT spread).
• Row 9: Blades of Light (Mastery buff), Execution Sentence (Single Target burst cooldown), Searing Light (Consecration damage), Burning Crusade (Crusade extension).
• Row 10: Radiant Glory (Spender damage buff), Vanguard of Justice (Buffs next spender after 5 HP spent), Judge, Jury, Executioner (Judgment debuff amps Execute Sentence).

Key Ret Tree Takeaways for M+:

• Divine Storm Focus: Talents like Tempest of the Lightbringer, Blessed Champion, and Imperion Power significantly boost your AoE spender.
• Wake of Ashes: Huge AoE burst, generates 3 Holy Power, and slows enemies. A cornerstone ability.
• Divine Hammer: Provides sustained AoE damage while active. Manage its uptime by spending Holy Power.
• Execution Sentence: While primarily single target, it’s still a powerful cooldown for bursting down priority adds or bosses within the dungeon. Synergizes well with Judgment debuffs.
• Crusade: Often taken in M+ over Avenging Wrath for its stacking Haste/Damage buff, which ramps up nicely on trash packs.

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Talent Blueprints: Raiding Refinements (Single Target Focus)

While the Mythic+ build excels at handling multiple targets, dedicated raid encounters often demand a more focused Single Target approach. Luckily, the transition isn’t drastic, involving just a few key talent swaps to maximize boss damage.

Here are the typical adjustments from the M+ build when focusing purely on single target raiding:

Class Tree Changes (Left Side):

• Often swap out Cleanse Toxins (less critical if raid debuffs are handled) for Imperial Ward (passive magic damage reduction).
• May swap out talents enhancing Divine Toll’s AoE (like Divine Resonance) for more single-target throughput or utility if needed, such as points in Seal of the Crusader (if viable after tuning) or potentially more defensive options depending on the fight. Simming specific fight types is key here.
• Consider swapping Lightforged Blessing for Of Dusk and Dawn management talents like Fading Light if survivability or burst timing is more critical than passive healing.

Retribution Tree Changes (Right Side):

• Swap AoE enhancers like Boundless Judgment (bouncing Judgment) for single target damage increases like Jurisdiction (increased Judgment range/damage).
• Consider swapping AoE-focused generator talents (like Consecrated Blade) for options like Vanguard’s Momentum (Hammer of Wrath interaction) or Rush of Light (Flash of Light utility/synergy).
• In the final rows, swap AoE talents like Radiant Glory (Spender cleave) or Searing Light (Consecration damage) for powerful single-target nukes like Divine Arbiter (chance for massive Judgment hit) and Executioner’s Will (significantly buffs Execution Sentence damage based on Holy Power spent during its debuff).

These subtle shifts refocus your power onto melting a single, high-priority target.

Maximizing Might: Gems, Enchants & Consumables

Got the gear? Now let’s polish it! Don’t skimp on these final touches.

Gems:

• Primal Gem: One socket should always contain the best available Primal Gem, typically the one granting your highest secondary stat (which should be Mastery for Ret – e.g., Fierce Illimited Diamond or its TWW equivalent).
• Secondary Gems: Fill remaining sockets primarily with gems granting Mastery (e.g., Radiant Malygite) or potentially Haste/Crit gems (like Quick Onyx variants) if sims show they provide more value based on your current stat distribution. Feed the Mastery!

Enchants (Quick Reference):

• Weapon: Enchant Weapon – Sophic Devotion (or Wafting/Burning Devotion based on sims/preference)
• Cloak: Enchant Cloak – Graceful Avoidance (or Homebound Speed for utility)
• Chest: Enchant Chest – Waking Stats
• Bracers: Enchant Bracers – Devotion of Avoidance
• Legs: Fierce Armor Kit
• Boots: Enchant Boots – Watcher’s Loam (or Plainsrunner’s Breeze for speed)
• Rings: Enchant Ring – Devotion of Mastery (or Haste/Crit if simmed higher)

Consumables:

• Flask: Phial of Tepid Versatility (best all-around defensive/offensive) or Iced Phial of Corrupting Rage (higher risk/reward if comfortable).
• Combat Potion: Elemental Potion of Ultimate Power (best generic choice) or Potion of Furious Aftermath (if focused purely on secondary stats during burst).
• Health Potion: Dreamwalker’s Healing Potion (standard).
• Food: Grand Banquet of the Kalu’ak (Feast) or individual Mastery food (e.g., Feisty Fish Sticks or TWW equivalent).
• Weapon Rune: Buzzing Rune (generally best) or Howling Rune.
• (Optional) Augment Rune: Draconic Augment Rune / Crystallized Augment Rune for that tiny extra Strength boost if pushing limits.

Executing Judgment: Rotation & Priority Deep Dive

Alright, gear is polished, talents are set. Time to bring the hammer down! Retribution Paladin rotation isn’t a fixed sequence but a priority-based system. Your goal is to generate Holy Power efficiently and spend it on the most impactful ability available, all while keeping key buffs/debuffs rolling. Think dynamically: “What’s the best button to press right now?”

The Opener: Setting the Stage for Smiting

Starting a fight correctly sets up your burst window. The goal is to generate some initial Holy Power before popping major cooldowns so you don’t waste their duration building resources.

Clean Opener Flow:

1. (Pre-Pull/Charge In)
2. Blade of Justice: Apply Expurgation DoT & generate HP.
3. Divine Toll: Instant burst of Judgments & HP generation.
4. Judgment: Apply debuff & generate HP.
5. Divine Hammer: Activate AoE aura (if talented M+ build).
6. Execution Sentence: Start the timer on your big nuke!
7. Wake of Ashes: Generate 3 HP & AoE burst.
8. (Pop Wings/Crusade Here!)
9. Final Verdict / Divine Storm: Before spending your last Holy Power point, ensure you’re maximizing your strongest available finisher.

Execution Sentence Timing: If not running Radiant Glory (which makes spenders stronger after Wings), cast Execution Sentence before popping Wings/Crusade. ES damage is calculated when it lands, not when cast, so it benefits fully from the cooldown buff without consuming a precious GCD during your burst window.

Single Target Priority List (The Core Loop):

Always ask: What’s the most important thing to do now?

1. Maintain Divine Hammer (if talented): Keep the aura active by spending Holy Power. Free passive damage.
2. Use Execution Sentence on Cooldown: Your biggest hit potential. Line it up with buffs if possible.
3. Spend 5 Holy Power on Final Verdict: Don’t overcap! Use your big single-target finisher.
4. Use Wake of Ashes: Generates 3 HP, good damage to the main target and nearby enemies. Use when available and needing HP.
5. Use Blade of Justice: Core HP generator. Keep Expurgation ticking (don’t refresh too early).
6. Use Hammer of Wrath (Execute Range <20% or during Wings): Powerful finisher/generator.
7. Use Judgment: Applies debuff, generates HP. Use on cooldown.
8. Use Divine Toll (if < 3 Holy Power): Great HP generation burst, but don’t use at 4-5 HP.
9. Spend 3-4 Holy Power on Final Verdict: If nothing higher is available and you risk capping HP, spend it.
10. Use Crusader Strike (if not Crusading Strikes talent) / Auto-Attacks: Base generator / passive generation.

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AoE / Cleave Priority List (2+ Targets):

The mindset is similar: build and spend smartly, prioritizing AoE abilities.

1. Maintain Divine Hammer (if talented): Still valuable passive AoE.
2. Use Execution Sentence on Priority Target: Still a strong hit, even in AoE.
3. Spend 5 Holy Power on Divine Storm: Your primary AoE spender. Big payoff on large packs.
4. Use Wake of Ashes: Excellent AoE burst and 3 HP generation. It deals heavy burst damage to the primary enemy and secondary targets alike.
5. Use Divine Toll (if < 3 Holy Power): Massive AoE Judgment spam and HP generation.
6. Use Hammer of Wrath (on priority target / low health adds): Still good damage and HP generation.
7. Use Judgment: Bounces with talent, applies debuff.
8. Use Imperion Power Divine Storm Proc: Use the free AoE spender immediately, even if low HP! It’s free damage!
9. Use Blade of Justice: Core generator.
10. Spend 3-4 Holy Power on Divine Storm: Avoid capping HP.
11. Final Verdict (Situational): Can still be used if talents like Divine Arbiter proc for AoE damage, or to dump HP if DS is not needed/available.

Mastering the Flow: Key Rotational Tips

• Never Cap Holy Power: This is the biggest rule. Using a generator at 5 Holy Power wastes resources and damage. Always look to spend before you generate if you’re full or nearly full.
• Look Ahead: Think one GCD ahead. “If I press Blade of Justice now, will I cap HP before I can spend it?” This prevents waste.
• Passive Generation Awareness: Talents like Crusading Strikes and Divine Resonance generate Holy Power passively. Be mindful of these incoming resources so you don’t accidentally overcap when they proc.
• Spend THEN Build: Unlike some past iterations, the modern Ret flow generally prioritizes spending Holy Power as soon as you have enough for your desired spender (usually 3+ for FV/DS), then using generators to build back up. Keep the energy flowing smoothly.

Final Musings on the Path of the Retribution Paladin

This covers the core mechanics, talents, gear considerations, and rotations for the Retribution Paladin in Patch 11.1, relevant for the current War Within season, focusing on both M+ (Divine Storm) and Raiding (Execution Sentence) scenarios using the powerful Herald of the Sun Hero Talents (assuming this is the intended path, adjust descriptions if Templar). Remember, the Retribution Paladin Strengths lie in powerful, frequent burst cooldowns, devastating Execute phases, and invaluable group utility, making them adaptable damage dealers.

The World of Warcraft and Azeroth are ever-changing. Always sim your character using Raidbots, experiment with talent flex points based on raid encounters or dungeon affixes, and consult up-to-date Retribution Paladin Guide resources and top player logs. Mastering the Retribution Paladin is a journey of divine judgment, precise cooldown usage, and unleashing righteous fury upon your foes. Go forth and let the Light guide your blade!