Retribution Paladin guide

Rotation and opener

Apply your assigned aura and blessing. Establish Judgement of the Crusader when assigned, then prepare the Command and Righteousness seal cycle.

Combat priority

1. 
   Seal of Command

   Maintain the damage Seal for the melee build. Judgement no longer consumes it in Forever, so do not waste casts automatically reapplying it after each Judgement.

2. 
   Seal of the Crusader

   Apply its Judgement when useful for sustained Holy damage. Sacred Arbiter supports keeping Judgements active through Holy Strike.

3. 
   Holy Strike

   Use the baseline weapon strike during sustained melee. It is available early and remains part of the specialization's damage routine.

4. 
   Judgement

   Use with the intended damage Seal and enough Mana for the rest of your routine. Confirm your Seal before spending the cooldown.

5. 
   Hammer of Wrath

   Use on eligible low-health enemies once the spell is available. Do not assume the full execute toolkit exists in the level-30 build.

6. 
   Exorcism

   Use against Undead and Demons. Against other targets, keep your melee and Holy Strike cycle instead of trying an ineligible spell.

7. 
   Consecration

   Spend for multiple targets and spare Mana. On one nearly dead enemy, conserve the Mana for the next pull.

Multiple targets and dungeon pulls

Place Consecration when enemies will remain in it, then continue attacking the dangerous target. Casting into a moving pack wastes damage and Mana.

The Shockadin alternative uses Holy Shock and Holy-damage support instead of the same deep Retribution capstone. Use the abilities actually selected in that build rather than combining both plans.

Resources and cooldowns

Seal timing follows the weapon swing rather than a fixed button mash. Watch mana and refresh a seal deliberately. Keep a global cooldown available for a blessing, cleanse or emergency heal when the group needs it.

• Use offensive racial and on-use effects when you can remain in melee range. A movement phase is a poor time to spend a short burst window.
• Hammer of Justice is a control tool for a dangerous enemy. Coordinate with an interrupting teammate rather than treating your stun as a guaranteed answer to every boss cast.
• Lay on Hands and Blessing of Protection can save a teammate; damage stops mattering if the tank or healer dies. Understand the Mana and threat consequences before using them.

Specialization mechanics and group play

A slow, hard-hitting two-handed weapon suits the melee plan. Holy Strike uses weapon damage, so replacing a weak weapon can matter more than a small secondary-stat increase.

Champion of the Light converts Intellect into Spell Damage, making caster-related stats relevant to a melee Paladin. Evaluate mixed gear rather than copying an all-Strength TBC priority.

Twist of Light is a deep-build interaction which supports alternating Seals around melee swings. Without that talent, keep the chosen Seal active instead of spending Mana on unnecessary swaps.

Retribution still brings support: Freedom for a rooted ally, Purify for an eligible debuff, and a useful Blessing. Do these jobs at the right moment rather than trying to turn every global into damage.

PvE talent choices

Standard Build 51 points · 9 / 8 / 34

Holy

0/2Improved Holy Strike0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Holy Strike ability by 1 sec.5/5Divine Strength5/5 · PassiveIncreases your Strength by 10%.1/5Divine Intellect1/5 · PassiveIncreases your total Intellect by 2%.0/3Healing Light0/3 · Passive0/2Spiritual Focus0/2 · Passive3/3Improved Seals3/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage done by your Seals and Judgements by 5%.0/2Unyielding Faith0/2 · PassiveReduces the duration of Fear and Disorient effects on you by 15%.0/1Voice of Truth0/1 · ActiveGrants you immunity to Silence and Interrupt effects. Lasts 6 sec.0/3Reverence0/3 · Passive0/2Purifying Power0/2 · Passive0/2Infusion of Light0/2 · Passive0/5Illumination0/5 · PassiveAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 20% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires Reverence0/1Divine Favor0/1 · ActiveWhen activated, gives your next Flash of Light, Holy Light, or Holy Shock spell a 100% critical effect chance.0/3Divine Precision0/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with Holy spells by 6%.Requires Holy Shock0/1Holy Shock0/1 · ActiveBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.0/2Consecrated Ground0/2 · PassiveGives your Holy spells 5% increased damage against the first 4 enemies that enter your Consecration.0/5Holy Power0/5 · PassiveIncreases the critical strike chance of your Holy Shock spell by 3%, and all other spells by 1%.0/1Light's Vigil0/1 · ActiveApplies Light's Vigil to the target for 30 sec. Your next Holy Shock cast on them triggers no cooldown and causes friendly targets to heal their party for 315 to 333, or enemy targets to suffer 175 to 189 Holy damage and refund 75% of Light's Vigil's Mana cost. You may only have 1 Light's Vigil active per Paladin, per party.Requires Holy Shock

Divine Strength 5/5Divine Intellect 1/5Improved Seals 3/3

Protection

5/5Toughness5/5 · PassiveIncreases your armor value from items by 10%.0/5Redoubt0/5 · PassiveDamaging melee attacks against you have a 10% chance to increase your chance to block by 6%. Lasts 10 sec or 5 blocks.3/3Precision3/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%.0/2Guardian's Favor0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Blessing of Protection by 1 min and increases the duration of your Blessing of Freedom by 3 sec.0/5Anticipation0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Defense Skill by 4.0/1Improved Seal of Fury0/1 · PassiveWhen Seal of Fury's shield is fully absorbed, restore 38 Mana, increased by 15% per level the attacker is above you, up to 45%.0/3Improved Righteous Fury0/3 · PassiveWhile Righteous Fury is active, all damage taken is reduced by 2%.0/3Shield Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the amount of damage absorbed by your shield by 10%, and gives your blocks a 33% chance to restore 6% of your maximum Mana. May only occur once every 3 sec.Requires Redoubt0/2Sacred Duty0/2 · PassiveIncreases your total Stamina by 2% and reduces the cooldown of your Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Templar's Bulwark spells by 30 sec.0/1Swift Judgement0/1 · ActiveFinishes the remaining cooldown on your Judgement ability and reduces the Mana cost of your next Judgement by 100%.Requires Improved Seal of Fury0/3One-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with one-handed melee weapons by 3%.0/3Improved Hammer of Justice0/3 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Hammer of Justice spell by 5 sec.0/1Templar's Bulwark0/1 · ActiveWhen activated, this ability grants you an absorb shield equal to 100% of your maximum health for 8 sec. Applies Forbearance for 1 min. Cannot be cast while Forbearance is active.0/5Reckoning0/5 · PassiveGives you a 8% chance to gain an extra attack after Blocking a melee attack and a 20% chance to gain an extra attack after being the victim of a non-periodic critical strike.0/5Iron Creed0/5 · PassiveIncreases the threat generated by your Holy Strike ability 5%. While Righteous Fury is active, Holy Strike also reduces your damage taken by 2% for 6 sec.0/1Holy Shield0/1 · ActiveIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires Templar's Bulwark

Toughness 5/5Precision 3/3

Retribution

0/5Deflection0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Parry chance by 1%.5/5Benediction5/5 · PassiveReduces the Mana cost of all instant cast spells and abilities by 10%.2/2Improved Judgement2/2 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Judgement ability by 2 sec.0/2Holy Conduit0/2 · PassiveReduces the mana cost of your Consecration, Holy Wrath, Exorcism, and Hammer of Wrath spells by 20%.5/5Conviction5/5 · PassiveIncreases your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 1%.3/3Vindication3/3 · PassiveGives your damaging melee attacks a chance to reduce the target's Attack Power by 42, and increase your Attack Power by 1% for 30 sec.3/3Sanctified Judgement3/3 · PassiveGives your Judgement ability a 100% chance to return 60% of the Mana cost of the judged seal.1/1Seal of Command1/1 · ActiveGives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.2/2Pursuit of Justice2/2 · PassiveIncreases movement speed and mounted movement speed by 8%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.0/2Eye for an Eye0/2 · PassiveAll critical strikes against you cause 5% of the damage taken to the attacker as well. The damage caused by Eye for an Eye will not exceed 50% of the Paladin's total health.1/1Sacred Arbiter1/1 · PassiveIncreases the damage of your Holy Strike ability by 10% and causes it to refresh all Judgement effects on the target.0/2Crusade0/2 · PassiveIncreases all damage dealt by 1%. Increased by an additional 1% against Demon and Undead targets.3/3Two-Handed Weapon Specialization3/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 3%.3/3Vengeance3/3 · PassiveIncreases your Physical and Holy damage dealt by 1% for 30 sec after landing a critical strike. Stacks up to 5 times.Requires Sanctified Judgement0/1Repentance0/1 · ActivePuts the enemy target in a state of meditation, incapacitating them for up to 6 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids.3/3Champion of the Light3/3 · PassiveIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.2/2Instrument of Law2/2 · PassiveReduces the cast time of your Hammer of Wrath by 1.0 sec, and reduces all threat you generate by 20% while Righteous Fury is not active.1/1Twist of Light1/1 · PassiveWhen you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.

Benediction 5/5Improved Judgement 2/2Conviction 5/5Vindication 3/3Sanctified Judgement 3/3Seal of Command 1/1Pursuit of Justice 2/2Sacred Arbiter 1/1Two-Handed Weapon Specialization 3/3Vengeance 3/3Champion of the Light 3/3Instrument of Law 2/2Twist of Light 1/1

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Build reference · Level-60 allocations are beta plans, not final launch performance rankings.

Level 30 (Beta) 21 points · 0 / 0 / 21

Holy

0/2Improved Holy Strike0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Holy Strike ability by 1 sec.0/5Divine Strength0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Strength by 2%.0/5Divine Intellect0/5 · PassiveIncreases your total Intellect by 2%.0/3Healing Light0/3 · Passive0/2Spiritual Focus0/2 · Passive0/3Improved Seals0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage done by your Seals and Judgements by 5%.0/2Unyielding Faith0/2 · PassiveReduces the duration of Fear and Disorient effects on you by 15%.0/1Voice of Truth0/1 · ActiveGrants you immunity to Silence and Interrupt effects. Lasts 6 sec.0/3Reverence0/3 · Passive0/2Purifying Power0/2 · Passive0/2Infusion of Light0/2 · Passive0/5Illumination0/5 · PassiveAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 20% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires Reverence0/1Divine Favor0/1 · ActiveWhen activated, gives your next Flash of Light, Holy Light, or Holy Shock spell a 100% critical effect chance.0/3Divine Precision0/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with Holy spells by 6%.Requires Holy Shock0/1Holy Shock0/1 · ActiveBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.0/2Consecrated Ground0/2 · PassiveGives your Holy spells 5% increased damage against the first 4 enemies that enter your Consecration.0/5Holy Power0/5 · PassiveIncreases the critical strike chance of your Holy Shock spell by 3%, and all other spells by 1%.0/1Light's Vigil0/1 · ActiveApplies Light's Vigil to the target for 30 sec. Your next Holy Shock cast on them triggers no cooldown and causes friendly targets to heal their party for 315 to 333, or enemy targets to suffer 175 to 189 Holy damage and refund 75% of Light's Vigil's Mana cost. You may only have 1 Light's Vigil active per Paladin, per party.Requires Holy Shock

Protection

0/5Toughness0/5 · PassiveIncreases your armor value from items by 2%.0/5Redoubt0/5 · PassiveDamaging melee attacks against you have a 10% chance to increase your chance to block by 6%. Lasts 10 sec or 5 blocks.0/3Precision0/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%.0/2Guardian's Favor0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Blessing of Protection by 1 min and increases the duration of your Blessing of Freedom by 3 sec.0/5Anticipation0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Defense Skill by 4.0/1Improved Seal of Fury0/1 · PassiveWhen Seal of Fury's shield is fully absorbed, restore 38 Mana, increased by 15% per level the attacker is above you, up to 45%.0/3Improved Righteous Fury0/3 · PassiveWhile Righteous Fury is active, all damage taken is reduced by 2%.0/3Shield Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the amount of damage absorbed by your shield by 10%, and gives your blocks a 33% chance to restore 6% of your maximum Mana. May only occur once every 3 sec.Requires Redoubt0/2Sacred Duty0/2 · PassiveIncreases your total Stamina by 2% and reduces the cooldown of your Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Templar's Bulwark spells by 30 sec.0/1Swift Judgement0/1 · ActiveFinishes the remaining cooldown on your Judgement ability and reduces the Mana cost of your next Judgement by 100%.Requires Improved Seal of Fury0/3One-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with one-handed melee weapons by 3%.0/3Improved Hammer of Justice0/3 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Hammer of Justice spell by 5 sec.0/1Templar's Bulwark0/1 · ActiveWhen activated, this ability grants you an absorb shield equal to 100% of your maximum health for 8 sec. Applies Forbearance for 1 min. Cannot be cast while Forbearance is active.0/5Reckoning0/5 · PassiveGives you a 8% chance to gain an extra attack after Blocking a melee attack and a 20% chance to gain an extra attack after being the victim of a non-periodic critical strike.0/5Iron Creed0/5 · PassiveIncreases the threat generated by your Holy Strike ability 5%. While Righteous Fury is active, Holy Strike also reduces your damage taken by 2% for 6 sec.0/1Holy Shield0/1 · ActiveIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires Templar's Bulwark

Retribution

0/5Deflection0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Parry chance by 1%.5/5Benediction5/5 · PassiveReduces the Mana cost of all instant cast spells and abilities by 10%.2/2Improved Judgement2/2 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Judgement ability by 2 sec.0/2Holy Conduit0/2 · PassiveReduces the mana cost of your Consecration, Holy Wrath, Exorcism, and Hammer of Wrath spells by 20%.5/5Conviction5/5 · PassiveIncreases your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 1%.1/3Vindication1/3 · PassiveGives your damaging melee attacks a chance to reduce the target's Attack Power by 42, and increase your Attack Power by 1% for 30 sec.3/3Sanctified Judgement3/3 · PassiveGives your Judgement ability a 100% chance to return 60% of the Mana cost of the judged seal.1/1Seal of Command1/1 · ActiveGives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.2/2Pursuit of Justice2/2 · PassiveIncreases movement speed and mounted movement speed by 8%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.0/2Eye for an Eye0/2 · PassiveAll critical strikes against you cause 5% of the damage taken to the attacker as well. The damage caused by Eye for an Eye will not exceed 50% of the Paladin's total health.1/1Sacred Arbiter1/1 · PassiveIncreases the damage of your Holy Strike ability by 10% and causes it to refresh all Judgement effects on the target.0/2Crusade0/2 · PassiveIncreases all damage dealt by 1%. Increased by an additional 1% against Demon and Undead targets.0/3Two-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 3%.1/3Vengeance1/3 · PassiveIncreases your Physical and Holy damage dealt by 1% for 30 sec after landing a critical strike. Stacks up to 5 times.Requires Sanctified Judgement0/1Repentance0/1 · ActivePuts the enemy target in a state of meditation, incapacitating them for up to 6 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids.0/3Champion of the Light0/3 · PassiveIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.0/2Instrument of Law0/2 · PassiveReduces the cast time of your Hammer of Wrath by 0.5 sec, and reduces all threat you generate by 10% while Righteous Fury is not active.0/1Twist of Light0/1 · PassiveWhen you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.

Benediction 5/5Improved Judgement 2/2Conviction 5/5Vindication 1/3Sanctified Judgement 3/3Seal of Command 1/1Pursuit of Justice 2/2Sacred Arbiter 1/1Vengeance 1/3

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Build reference · Level-60 allocations are beta plans, not final launch performance rankings.

Shockadin 51 points · 23 / 0 / 28

Holy

0/2Improved Holy Strike0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Holy Strike ability by 1 sec.5/5Divine Strength5/5 · PassiveIncreases your Strength by 10%.5/5Divine Intellect5/5 · PassiveIncreases your total Intellect by 10%.0/3Healing Light0/3 · Passive0/2Spiritual Focus0/2 · Passive3/3Improved Seals3/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage done by your Seals and Judgements by 5%.1/2Unyielding Faith1/2 · PassiveReduces the duration of Fear and Disorient effects on you by 15%.0/1Voice of Truth0/1 · ActiveGrants you immunity to Silence and Interrupt effects. Lasts 6 sec.3/3Reverence3/3 · PassiveAllows 30% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.2/2Purifying Power2/2 · PassiveReduces the mana cost of your Cleanse and Purify spells by 20% and reduces the cooldown of your Exorcism and Holy Wrath spells by 33%.0/2Infusion of Light0/2 · Passive0/5Illumination0/5 · PassiveAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 20% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires Reverence1/1Divine Favor1/1 · ActiveWhen activated, gives your next Flash of Light, Holy Light, or Holy Shock spell a 100% critical effect chance.0/3Divine Precision0/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with Holy spells by 6%.Requires Holy Shock1/1Holy Shock1/1 · ActiveBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.2/2Consecrated Ground2/2 · PassiveGives your Holy spells 5% increased damage against the first 4 enemies that enter your Consecration.0/5Holy Power0/5 · PassiveIncreases the critical strike chance of your Holy Shock spell by 3%, and all other spells by 1%.0/1Light's Vigil0/1 · ActiveApplies Light's Vigil to the target for 30 sec. Your next Holy Shock cast on them triggers no cooldown and causes friendly targets to heal their party for 315 to 333, or enemy targets to suffer 175 to 189 Holy damage and refund 75% of Light's Vigil's Mana cost. You may only have 1 Light's Vigil active per Paladin, per party.Requires Holy Shock

Divine Strength 5/5Divine Intellect 5/5Improved Seals 3/3Unyielding Faith 1/2Reverence 3/3Purifying Power 2/2Divine Favor 1/1Holy Shock 1/1Consecrated Ground 2/2

Protection

0/5Toughness0/5 · PassiveIncreases your armor value from items by 2%.0/5Redoubt0/5 · PassiveDamaging melee attacks against you have a 10% chance to increase your chance to block by 6%. Lasts 10 sec or 5 blocks.0/3Precision0/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%.0/2Guardian's Favor0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Blessing of Protection by 1 min and increases the duration of your Blessing of Freedom by 3 sec.0/5Anticipation0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Defense Skill by 4.0/1Improved Seal of Fury0/1 · PassiveWhen Seal of Fury's shield is fully absorbed, restore 38 Mana, increased by 15% per level the attacker is above you, up to 45%.0/3Improved Righteous Fury0/3 · PassiveWhile Righteous Fury is active, all damage taken is reduced by 2%.0/3Shield Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the amount of damage absorbed by your shield by 10%, and gives your blocks a 33% chance to restore 6% of your maximum Mana. May only occur once every 3 sec.Requires Redoubt0/2Sacred Duty0/2 · PassiveIncreases your total Stamina by 2% and reduces the cooldown of your Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Templar's Bulwark spells by 30 sec.0/1Swift Judgement0/1 · ActiveFinishes the remaining cooldown on your Judgement ability and reduces the Mana cost of your next Judgement by 100%.Requires Improved Seal of Fury0/3One-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with one-handed melee weapons by 3%.0/3Improved Hammer of Justice0/3 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Hammer of Justice spell by 5 sec.0/1Templar's Bulwark0/1 · ActiveWhen activated, this ability grants you an absorb shield equal to 100% of your maximum health for 8 sec. Applies Forbearance for 1 min. Cannot be cast while Forbearance is active.0/5Reckoning0/5 · PassiveGives you a 8% chance to gain an extra attack after Blocking a melee attack and a 20% chance to gain an extra attack after being the victim of a non-periodic critical strike.0/5Iron Creed0/5 · PassiveIncreases the threat generated by your Holy Strike ability 5%. While Righteous Fury is active, Holy Strike also reduces your damage taken by 2% for 6 sec.0/1Holy Shield0/1 · ActiveIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires Templar's Bulwark

Retribution

0/5Deflection0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Parry chance by 1%.5/5Benediction5/5 · PassiveReduces the Mana cost of all instant cast spells and abilities by 10%.2/2Improved Judgement2/2 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Judgement ability by 2 sec.2/2Holy Conduit2/2 · PassiveReduces the mana cost of your Consecration, Holy Wrath, Exorcism, and Hammer of Wrath spells by 20%.5/5Conviction5/5 · PassiveIncreases your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 1%.0/3Vindication0/3 · PassiveGives your damaging melee attacks a chance to reduce the target's Attack Power by 42, and increase your Attack Power by 1% for 30 sec.3/3Sanctified Judgement3/3 · PassiveGives your Judgement ability a 100% chance to return 60% of the Mana cost of the judged seal.0/1Seal of Command0/1 · ActiveGives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.2/2Pursuit of Justice2/2 · PassiveIncreases movement speed and mounted movement speed by 8%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.0/2Eye for an Eye0/2 · PassiveAll critical strikes against you cause 5% of the damage taken to the attacker as well. The damage caused by Eye for an Eye will not exceed 50% of the Paladin's total health.1/1Sacred Arbiter1/1 · PassiveIncreases the damage of your Holy Strike ability by 10% and causes it to refresh all Judgement effects on the target.0/2Crusade0/2 · PassiveIncreases all damage dealt by 1%. Increased by an additional 1% against Demon and Undead targets.2/3Two-Handed Weapon Specialization2/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 3%.3/3Vengeance3/3 · PassiveIncreases your Physical and Holy damage dealt by 1% for 30 sec after landing a critical strike. Stacks up to 5 times.Requires Sanctified Judgement0/1Repentance0/1 · ActivePuts the enemy target in a state of meditation, incapacitating them for up to 6 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids.3/3Champion of the Light3/3 · PassiveIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.0/2Instrument of Law0/2 · PassiveReduces the cast time of your Hammer of Wrath by 0.5 sec, and reduces all threat you generate by 10% while Righteous Fury is not active.0/1Twist of Light0/1 · PassiveWhen you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.

Benediction 5/5Improved Judgement 2/2Holy Conduit 2/2Conviction 5/5Sanctified Judgement 3/3Pursuit of Justice 2/2Sacred Arbiter 1/1Two-Handed Weapon Specialization 2/3Vengeance 3/3Champion of the Light 3/3

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Build reference · Level-60 allocations are beta plans, not final launch performance rankings.

Leveling 1-60 51 points · 15 / 0 / 36

Holy

0/2Improved Holy Strike0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Holy Strike ability by 1 sec.5/5Divine Strength5/5 · PassiveIncreases your Strength by 10%.5/5Divine Intellect5/5 · PassiveIncreases your total Intellect by 10%.0/3Healing Light0/3 · Passive0/2Spiritual Focus0/2 · Passive3/3Improved Seals3/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage done by your Seals and Judgements by 5%.0/2Unyielding Faith0/2 · PassiveReduces the duration of Fear and Disorient effects on you by 15%.0/1Voice of Truth0/1 · ActiveGrants you immunity to Silence and Interrupt effects. Lasts 6 sec.2/3Reverence2/3 · Passive0/2Purifying Power0/2 · Passive0/2Infusion of Light0/2 · Passive0/5Illumination0/5 · PassiveAfter getting a critical effect from your Flash of Light, Holy Light, Light's Vigil, or Holy Shock heal spell you have a 20% chance to gain Mana equal to 50% of the base cost of the spell.Requires Reverence0/1Divine Favor0/1 · ActiveWhen activated, gives your next Flash of Light, Holy Light, or Holy Shock spell a 100% critical effect chance.0/3Divine Precision0/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with Holy spells by 6%.Requires Holy Shock0/1Holy Shock0/1 · ActiveBlasts the target with Holy energy, causing 129 to 139 Holy damage to an enemy, or 110 to 118 healing to an ally.0/2Consecrated Ground0/2 · PassiveGives your Holy spells 5% increased damage against the first 4 enemies that enter your Consecration.0/5Holy Power0/5 · PassiveIncreases the critical strike chance of your Holy Shock spell by 3%, and all other spells by 1%.0/1Light's Vigil0/1 · ActiveApplies Light's Vigil to the target for 30 sec. Your next Holy Shock cast on them triggers no cooldown and causes friendly targets to heal their party for 315 to 333, or enemy targets to suffer 175 to 189 Holy damage and refund 75% of Light's Vigil's Mana cost. You may only have 1 Light's Vigil active per Paladin, per party.Requires Holy Shock

Divine Strength 5/5Divine Intellect 5/5Improved Seals 3/3Reverence 2/3

Protection

0/5Toughness0/5 · PassiveIncreases your armor value from items by 2%.0/5Redoubt0/5 · PassiveDamaging melee attacks against you have a 10% chance to increase your chance to block by 6%. Lasts 10 sec or 5 blocks.0/3Precision0/3 · PassiveIncreases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%.0/2Guardian's Favor0/2 · PassiveReduces the cooldown of your Blessing of Protection by 1 min and increases the duration of your Blessing of Freedom by 3 sec.0/5Anticipation0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Defense Skill by 4.0/1Improved Seal of Fury0/1 · PassiveWhen Seal of Fury's shield is fully absorbed, restore 38 Mana, increased by 15% per level the attacker is above you, up to 45%.0/3Improved Righteous Fury0/3 · PassiveWhile Righteous Fury is active, all damage taken is reduced by 2%.0/3Shield Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the amount of damage absorbed by your shield by 10%, and gives your blocks a 33% chance to restore 6% of your maximum Mana. May only occur once every 3 sec.Requires Redoubt0/2Sacred Duty0/2 · PassiveIncreases your total Stamina by 2% and reduces the cooldown of your Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Templar's Bulwark spells by 30 sec.0/1Swift Judgement0/1 · ActiveFinishes the remaining cooldown on your Judgement ability and reduces the Mana cost of your next Judgement by 100%.Requires Improved Seal of Fury0/3One-Handed Weapon Specialization0/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with one-handed melee weapons by 3%.0/3Improved Hammer of Justice0/3 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Hammer of Justice spell by 5 sec.0/1Templar's Bulwark0/1 · ActiveWhen activated, this ability grants you an absorb shield equal to 100% of your maximum health for 8 sec. Applies Forbearance for 1 min. Cannot be cast while Forbearance is active.0/5Reckoning0/5 · PassiveGives you a 8% chance to gain an extra attack after Blocking a melee attack and a 20% chance to gain an extra attack after being the victim of a non-periodic critical strike.0/5Iron Creed0/5 · PassiveIncreases the threat generated by your Holy Strike ability 5%. While Righteous Fury is active, Holy Strike also reduces your damage taken by 2% for 6 sec.0/1Holy Shield0/1 · ActiveIncreases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.Requires Templar's Bulwark

Retribution

0/5Deflection0/5 · PassiveIncreases your Parry chance by 1%.5/5Benediction5/5 · PassiveReduces the Mana cost of all instant cast spells and abilities by 10%.2/2Improved Judgement2/2 · PassiveDecreases the cooldown of your Judgement ability by 2 sec.2/2Holy Conduit2/2 · PassiveReduces the mana cost of your Consecration, Holy Wrath, Exorcism, and Hammer of Wrath spells by 20%.5/5Conviction5/5 · PassiveIncreases your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 1%.3/3Vindication3/3 · PassiveGives your damaging melee attacks a chance to reduce the target's Attack Power by 42, and increase your Attack Power by 1% for 30 sec.3/3Sanctified Judgement3/3 · PassiveGives your Judgement ability a 100% chance to return 60% of the Mana cost of the judged seal.1/1Seal of Command1/1 · ActiveGives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.2/2Pursuit of Justice2/2 · PassiveIncreases movement speed and mounted movement speed by 8%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.0/2Eye for an Eye0/2 · PassiveAll critical strikes against you cause 5% of the damage taken to the attacker as well. The damage caused by Eye for an Eye will not exceed 50% of the Paladin's total health.1/1Sacred Arbiter1/1 · PassiveIncreases the damage of your Holy Strike ability by 10% and causes it to refresh all Judgement effects on the target.0/2Crusade0/2 · PassiveIncreases all damage dealt by 1%. Increased by an additional 1% against Demon and Undead targets.3/3Two-Handed Weapon Specialization3/3 · PassiveIncreases the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 3%.3/3Vengeance3/3 · PassiveIncreases your Physical and Holy damage dealt by 1% for 30 sec after landing a critical strike. Stacks up to 5 times.Requires Sanctified Judgement0/1Repentance0/1 · ActivePuts the enemy target in a state of meditation, incapacitating them for up to 6 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids.3/3Champion of the Light3/3 · PassiveIncreases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.2/2Instrument of Law2/2 · PassiveReduces the cast time of your Hammer of Wrath by 1.0 sec, and reduces all threat you generate by 20% while Righteous Fury is not active.1/1Twist of Light1/1 · PassiveWhen you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.

Benediction 5/5Improved Judgement 2/2Holy Conduit 2/2Conviction 5/5Vindication 3/3Sanctified Judgement 3/3Seal of Command 1/1Pursuit of Justice 2/2Sacred Arbiter 1/1Two-Handed Weapon Specialization 3/3Vengeance 3/3Champion of the Light 3/3Instrument of Law 2/2Twist of Light 1/1

Open this exact build in the calculator

Build reference · Level-60 allocations are beta plans, not final launch performance rankings.

Important talent effects

Conviction

Increases your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 1%.

5 ranks

Seal of Command

Gives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.

1 rank

Sacred Arbiter

Increases the damage of your Holy Strike ability by 10% and causes it to refresh all Judgement effects on the target.

1 rank

Vengeance

Increases your Physical and Holy damage dealt by 1% for 30 sec after landing a critical strike. Stacks up to 5 times.

3 ranks · Requires Sanctified Judgement

Champion of the Light

Increases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.

3 ranks

Twist of Light

When you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.

1 rank

PvP talent choices and play

Repentance and Pursuit of Justice support setting up or maintaining contact. Mortal pressure comes from useful attack windows; use your control before a target escapes and retain mana for defensive support.

Recommended gear & upgrades

Forever beta equipment options. Compare level requirements and sources; these are not final launch rankings.

Head

Source / location

Azure Skyforged Helmmail · Level 30

BlacksmithingCrafted

Barbaric Iron Helmmail · Level 30

BlacksmithingCrafted

Cloudy Gustwoven Hoodleather · Level 30

LeatherworkingCrafted

Cloudy Skyforged Helmmail · Level 30

BlacksmithingCrafted

Crusader's Chain Helmmail · Level 25

BlacksmithingCrafted

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Chest

Source / location

Avenger's Armormail · Level 26

Trash dropRazorfen Kraul

Barbaric Iron Breastplatemail · Level 27

BlacksmithingCrafted

Brawler's Leather Tunicleather · Level 22

LeatherworkingCrafted

Hard Gold Cuirassmail · Level 29

BlacksmithingCrafted

Kolkar Marauder Chainmail · Level 35

Khan HrathaQuest

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Main Hand

Source / location

Bladewindsword

Corpsemakeraxe · Level 29

Overlord RamtuskRazorfen Kraul

Dark Hearted Hammermace

Colonel KurzenQuest (Alliance)

Jameson's Backup Swordsword

Morbid Dawnsword · Level 30

Fallen ChampionScarlet Monastery

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View equipment for every slot

Stats and equipment decisions

Enchanting equipment

For inexpensive leveling preparation, Enchant Bracer - Inferior Stamina and Enchant Chest - Inferior Stamina add survival to equipment you expect to keep. Prioritize an important weapon or role-specific item upgrade before spending heavily on temporary armor.

Consumables and preparation

Lesser Mana Potion

Mana recovery during a long pull. Drink between fights as well; a potion is a backup rather than a reason to begin every pull nearly empty.

Elixir of Wisdom

An Intellect buff for a larger casting budget while leveling and running dungeons.

Minor Arcane Elixir

A spell-damage preparation option for Holy-damage attacks. It is not a healing elixir and should not replace healing gear.

Greater Healing Potion

An emergency health button for tanking or solo play, especially when stopping to cast a heal would be dangerous.

Wool Bandage

Restore health between fights without consuming the Mana needed for the next pull.

Roasted Boar Meat

An inexpensive cooked food option while leveling. Keep food and drink together so recovery does not leave one resource empty.

Useful profession pairings

Mining and Blacksmithing suit the weapon-and-armor leveling route. Prioritize a useful weapon recipe when your current weapon is falling behind.

Herbalism and Alchemy offer reliable potions and elixirs without depending on a gear craft. This helps when Holy damage and emergency healing compete for Mana.

Cooking and First Aid reduce recovery costs between enemies. Bandage when safe to conserve Mana for another kill or emergency heal.

Mining · Blacksmithing · Herbalism · Alchemy · Recipe database · Camping buffs

Races and racial abilities

Alliance: Human and Dwarf are the Paladin choices. Human Sword Specialization and Dwarf Mace Specialization have revised critical-strike effects; choose around the weapon and role rather than old weapon-skill assumptions.

Horde: Undead can play Paladin in Forever. Will of the Forsaken provides an answer to fear, sleep and charm; Cannibalize supports recovery outside combat.

Stoneform is useful for removing harmful physical-related debuffs, while Human Will to Survive provides a stun response. Survival and keeping control of your character matter alongside raw damage.

Leveling and solo play

1. Begin with Seal of Righteousness, Holy Strike and Judgement. Use a two-handed weapon for melee damage and heal between fights rather than repeatedly casting expensive heals under attack.
2. At level 20, Consecration adds a multi-target option. Use it on controlled groups with a recovery plan; spending your whole Mana bar on every single enemy slows the route.
3. The level-30 Retribution build reaches Sacred Arbiter and a point in Vengeance. Later progression reaches Champion of the Light and Twist of Light; their benefits do not belong to your earliest pulls.
4. Carry a healing set for an emergency dungeon role, but do not expect a damage-focused gear set to perform like a dedicated Holy healer. Agree on the role before the run begins.

Leveling routes and preparation · Dungeon entrances and level ranges

Useful macros

#showtooltip Blessing of Freedom
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][help,nodead][@player] Blessing of Freedom

Strengths and weaknesses

Common mistakes

• Changing seals without watching weapon swings
• Ignoring support duties for another attack
• Using Consecration until there is no mana left for core spells

Full Retribution talent reference

Exact rank text and prerequisites from the calculator’s existing talent data. Use the interactive tooltip for additional ranks.

View every Retribution talent

Deflection

Passive · Tier 1 · 5 ranks

Increases your Parry chance by 1%.

Benediction

Passive · Tier 1 · 5 ranks

Reduces the Mana cost of all instant cast spells and abilities by 2%.

Improved Judgement

Passive · Tier 2 · 2 ranks

Decreases the cooldown of your Judgement ability by 1 sec.

Holy Conduit

Passive · Tier 2 · 2 ranks

Reduces the mana cost of your Consecration, Holy Wrath, Exorcism, and Hammer of Wrath spells by 20%.

Conviction

Passive · Tier 2 · 5 ranks

Increases your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 1%.

Vindication

Passive · Tier 3 · 3 ranks

Gives your damaging melee attacks a chance to reduce the target's Attack Power by 42, and increase your Attack Power by 1% for 30 sec.

Sanctified Judgement

Passive · Tier 3 · 3 ranks

Gives your Judgement ability a 33% chance to return 20% of the Mana cost of the judged seal.

Seal of Command

Active · Tier 3 · 1 ranks

65 Mana | Instant

Gives the Paladin a chance to deal additional Holy damage equal to 70% of normal weapon damage. Only one Seal can be active on the Paladin at any one time. Lasts 30 sec. Unleashing this Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 68 to 73 Holy damage, 137 to 146 if the target is stunned or incapacitated.

Pursuit of Justice

Passive · Tier 3 · 2 ranks

Increases movement speed and mounted movement speed by 8%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.

Eye for an Eye

Passive · Tier 4 · 2 ranks

All critical strikes against you cause 5% of the damage taken to the attacker as well. The damage caused by Eye for an Eye will not exceed 50% of the Paladin's total health.

Sacred Arbiter

Passive · Tier 4 · 1 ranks

Increases the damage of your Holy Strike ability by 10% and causes it to refresh all Judgement effects on the target.

Crusade

Passive · Tier 4 · 2 ranks

Increases all damage dealt by 1%. Increased by an additional 1% against Demon and Undead targets.

Two-Handed Weapon Specialization

Passive · Tier 5 · 3 ranks

Increases the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 3%.

Vengeance

Passive · Tier 5 · 3 ranks

Increases your Physical and Holy damage dealt by 1% for 30 sec after landing a critical strike. Stacks up to 5 times.

Requires Sanctified Judgement

Repentance

Active · Tier 5 · 1 ranks

60 Mana | Instant | 20 yd range | 1 min cooldown

Puts the enemy target in a state of meditation, incapacitating them for up to 6 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids.

Champion of the Light

Passive · Tier 6 · 3 ranks

Increases your spell damage and healing by up to 33% of your Intellect.

Instrument of Law

Passive · Tier 6 · 2 ranks

Reduces the cast time of your Hammer of Wrath by 0.5 sec, and reduces all threat you generate by 10% while Righteous Fury is not active.

Twist of Light

Passive · Tier 7 · 1 ranks

When you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.

Changes from Classic