Retribution is the paladin almost everyone levels with, and the rankings rate it A for raids. The new Unsealed Wrath capstone turns seal swapping into a rotation: you build stacks with one seal and cash them in with the other. The paladin has no offensive cooldown, Crusader Strike or Avenging Wrath in Forever; Holy Strike fills the strike slot.
Talents and builds
The links open the talent calculator with the finished build, including why the points go where they go.
- Leveling: Retribution leveling (points 12/8/31). Classic two-hander Retribution for questing: Deflection, Conviction and Improved Judgement first, Seal of Command at 22, Vengeance at 30, Champion of the Light from 35 and Unsealed Wrath at 40. The calculator shows the point-by-point order below the tree.
- Raid: Retribution raid (Unsealed Wrath) (points 12/8/31). Seal-twisting build around the Unsealed Wrath capstone with a slow two-hander: Seal of Command, Vengeance, Champion of the Light and Two-Handed Weapon Specialization in Retribution, Precision and Divine Intellect from Protection, Divine Strength and Improved Seals from Holy.
- Dungeons: Retribution dungeon (Unsealed Wrath) (points 14/6/31).
- PvP: Retribution PvP (points 12/6/33). Retribution for PvP with Repentance and Unsealed Wrath; fewer Holy points than the raid build, more in Retribution.
Where it ranks
| Category | Tier | Range |
|---|---|---|
| PvE DPS (raid) | A | C–S |
| PvE dungeon DPS (level 30) | B | B–A |
| PvP (battleground/open world) | B | B–S |
| Leveling | A | B–A |
- PvE DPS (raid): Stays A: since 11 November Judgement counts as a ranged attack, and Unsealed Wrath no longer echoes Windfury Totem attacks. The newest simulation loses just under 3% from that and moves from S to A; the other sources range from C to S.
- PvP (battleground/open world): Mostly B: Repentance gives control, and Judgement has counted as a ranged attack since 11 November. One list rates Retribution S.
- Leveling: Two lists say A, one B: little downtime thanks to self-healing and Seals, but slower damage in the early levels.
The tiers combine several tier lists and level-60 simulations. Raid logs only exist from 9 December, so treat this as a snapshot. Every spec side by side: rankings.
How Unsealed Wrath works
Every melee hit stores a copy of your active seal as a stack, up to three, for 15 seconds. A hit under a different seal consumes all stacks at once, and each one gets the stored seal's normal proc chance. You play it with Seal of Command and Seal of Righteousness.
With a slow two-hander: build three stacks under Seal of Command, switch to Seal of Righteousness, and once one stack of that is up, go back to Seal of Command. Seal of Command procs about seven times a minute regardless of speed, so it likes slow weapons. Seal of Righteousness scales flat with spell power, so it likes fast ones. A swing timer helps with the timing.
Rotation
On the pull, judge Seal of the Crusader or whatever seal your raid assigns, then start with Seal of Command. After that:
- Twist seals as above.
- Hammer of Wrath below 20% health. With 5/5 Champion of the Light it is instant.
- Consecration while your mana holds.
- Judgement on cooldown. It is off the global cooldown and doesn't consume your seal.
- Holy Strike on cooldown.
- Exorcism against Undead and Demons.
If the target is stunned, hold your Judgement under Seal of Command: it deals double damage to stunned or incapacitated targets.
The alternative is the Shockadin with Holy Shock, Seal of Righteousness, a fast weapon and lots of spell power. It sits a few percent behind, which is why the twisting build is linked here.
Stats and mana
Weapon damage first, then hit up to 8% for melee against raid bosses, expertise, Strength and spell power. Since 11 November Judgement counts as a ranged attack and uses your ranged hit chance; it no longer triggers melee procs. 3/3 Precision is part of every build of this kind. Champion of the Light at 5/5 turns 60% of your Intellect into spell damage, so Intellect counts too. Consecration is what eats your mana. Sanctified Judgement refunds 60% of the judged seal's cost and Reverence keeps 30% of your regeneration running while you cast. When mana runs low, switch to Seal of Wisdom for a bit.
Common mistakes
- Pressing Consecration so often that your mana runs out early.
- Leaving melee range and letting your stacks expire.
- Judging Seal of the Crusader on several targets in a pack.
- Blessing of Protection on the tank.
Leveling
Retribution is the recommended leveling spec: efficient, sturdy, with self-heals and immunities. Its weaknesses are no interrupt, no slow and few ways to close the gap. The linked build starts with Deflection, Conviction and Improved Judgement and reaches Unsealed Wrath at 40. In groups, swap Deflection for Benediction.
While questing: keep a seal up, and under Seal of Command open with Hammer of Justice, because stunned mobs can't dodge and your Judgement hits for double. Then Judgement and Holy Strike, Consecration only against three or more mobs, Exorcism on Undead and Demons, Hammer of Wrath from 44. Spend leftover mana on Holy Light instead of eating. Holy Strike comes at 6, Consecration and Blessing of Kings at 20, plate at 40.
In raids
Besides your damage you bring blessings, an aura and Cleanse. Judging Seal of the Crusader raises Holy damage on the target, which helps Retribution, Protection and priests using Smite.
Further reading
- Paladin class guide: races, new abilities and every build of the class
- The other specs: Holy Paladin, Protection Paladin
- Raid comp planner: put your raid together and see which buffs are still missing
- Paladin talent calculator: plan your own build and share it as a link
