Retribution Paladin
Big two-hander. Holy damage on every swing.
The melee paladin: a slow two-handed weapon, Seal of Command, Judgement on cooldown, and from level 40, seal twisting with Unsealed Wrath.
Three things to remember
Slow two-hander
Seal of Righteousness and Seal of Command both hit harder with a slow weapon.
Judge on cooldown
Judgement keeps your seal in WoW Forever, so press it every time it is ready.
Twist from 40
Unsealed Wrath: three hits on Command, switch to Righteousness for one hit, then back.
What changed for you
Judgement keeps your seal
Judgement does not use up your seal in WoW Forever. Keep a seal up and Judge every time it is ready.
Holy Strike at level 6
An instant strike for half your weapon damage plus Holy damage. Every paladin uses it, and talents change it for each spec.
Unsealed Wrath (31 points)
Your hits store Echoes of your seal (up to 3, for 15 sec). Hit with a different seal and they all go off. This is Forever's seal twisting.
Sacred Arbiter
Holy Strike does 20% more damage and refreshes all your Judgements on the target.
Low-level tips and what to press as you level
- Keep Seal of Righteousness up and Judge on cooldown (Judgement at level 4).
- Use Holy Strike from level 6 whenever Judgement is on cooldown.
- Use the slowest two-handed weapon you can find, even a green one.
- Eat and drink between pulls; Retribution levels fast but runs out of mana.
- Put points into Retribution: Benediction (cheaper abilities) and Improved Judgement.
- Lay on Hands (level 10) is your "I am about to die" button.
- Keep Retribution Aura on while levelling: free damage on every mob that hits you.
- Take Seal of Command and swap to it as your main seal.
- Exorcism (20) is a free extra nuke against Undead and Demons.
- Pick up Sanctified Judgement for mana and Conviction for crits.
- Pull two mobs at a time with Consecration when your mana allows it.
- Spend your 31st point on Unsealed Wrath and start twisting.
- Hammer of Wrath (44) finishes targets under 20% health.
- Twist on elites and in dungeons; on easy mobs one seal is enough and saves mana.
What to press at level 60
The order the WoW Forever simulator uses for Retribution with Unsealed Wrath. Go down the list and press the first one that is ready.
- Judgement whenever it is ready. It keeps your seal.
- Hammer of Wrath when the target is at 20% health or less.
- Holy Strike when Judgement is on cooldown. With Sacred Arbiter it also refreshes your Judgements.
- Seal of Command when you have at least 1 Echo of Righteousness stored, or no seal is up.
- Seal of Righteousness when you have 3 Echoes of Command stored.
- Consecration and Exorcism with spare mana, when nothing above is ready. Exorcism only works on Undead and Demons.
Talents that matter
| Talent | Tree | Why take it |
|---|---|---|
| Benediction | Retribution | Cheaper instant abilities. You cast a lot of them. |
| Improved Judgement | Retribution | Judgement 2 sec sooner, and Judgement is your best button. |
| Conviction | Retribution | +6% crit with spells and attacks. |
| Sanctified Judgement | Retribution | Judgement refunds part of the seal's mana cost: your mana engine. |
| Seal of Command | Retribution | Your main damage seal from level 20. |
| Vengeance | Retribution | Up to +15% Physical and Holy damage after crits. |
| Sacred Arbiter | Retribution | Stronger Holy Strike that keeps your Judgements up. |
| Champion of the Light | Retribution | Spell damage from Intellect and a faster Hammer of Wrath. |
| Unsealed Wrath | Retribution (31) | Seal twisting with Echoes. |
| Improved Seals | Holy | +15% damage from seals and Judgements. |
Best race for this spec
Artisan's Precision gives +1% hit, so fewer misses on every attack. Stoneform also strips poisons and bleeds.
The only Horde paladin. Touch of the Grave adds a little damage and healing.
| Race | Side | Racials |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Alliance | Ruthless: +1% crit. The Human Spirit: +10% Spirit. Will to Survive: break out of a stun. Perception: spot stealthed players. |
| Dwarf | Alliance | Artisan's Precision: +1% hit with attacks and spells. Stoneform: removes bleeds, poisons and diseases and cuts physical damage taken by 10% for 8 sec. Big Game Hunter: +5% damage to Beasts. |
| Undead | Horde | Touch of the Grave: your hits can drain health from the target (30% chance for casters, 20% for Paladins, Rogues and Warriors; once every 15 sec). Will of the Forsaken: break fear, charm and sleep. Cannibalize: eat a corpse to heal. |
These are small edges, about 1 to 2 percent. Play the race you enjoy and the side your friends are on. Skyborne needs the paid Skyborne Heroic Pack.
Play it better
Count three hits
Compass+ can't see your Echo stacks during a fight yet. Count three hits on Command, then switch.
Do not want to twist?
The Holy Shock build is the other Retribution option: one seal, plus Holy Shock and Consecration.
Mana is your limit
Judge Wisdom when no one else is, and twist less on trash. Save full twisting for bosses.
Use your aura
Retribution Aura while levelling, or whatever your raid leader assigns in groups.
When something seems off
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| My Echoes never go off | They fire only on a hit with a different seal, and misses, dodges and parries do not count. |
| No Echo on my buff bar | You need level 40 and Unsealed Wrath, and the hit has to land. |
| Out of mana every pull | Take Sanctified Judgement, Judge Wisdom, and do not twist on easy mobs. |
| Compass+ never asks me to Judge | Update Compass+ to 1.4.8 or newer. It follows your seal from your casts. |
Let Bonkr Compass+ call your buttons
Compass+ shows the next button, follows your seal from your casts, and has a levelling list for paladins. Type /cplus why to see why it picked a spell.