WotLK Classic Retribution Paladin Guide

Paladins are capable of filling all three roles in Wrath and are competitive at each, melee DPS healer, and tank. Each specialization will allow you to fill a specific niche because of the plentiful buffs that no other class can offer.

In PvP, Retribution Paladins are an extremely burst-dependent class that can oftentimes end fights extremely quickly. Paladins are very versatile in that they have a button to respond to most any situation but these abilities usually have lengthy cooldowns and they are very susceptible to crowd controlling effects. Ret Paladins have powerful healing capabilities but are largely limited by a small Mana pool. Paladins are also one of the few classes that is able to Dispel Magic which is extremely useful in getting party members out of various forms of CC.

If you would like to see where Retribution Paladins fall in the overall rankings among DPS specs for both PvE and PvP in Wrath Classic, we have created pages dedicated to explaining what classes and specializations are the best of the best through multiple factors. However, ultimately, you should not let these lists dissuade you from playing what you enjoy.

Strengths

• Strong on-demand burst cooldown with Avenging Wrath.
• Multiple CC options in Hammer of Justice and Repentance.
• Strong buffs and utility such as Blessings, Auras, and wipe protection in Divine Intervention.
• Capable of off-healing in emergency situations.
• Spells are more potent against Undead/Demon mob types, which are very common in Wrath of the Lich King.

Weaknesses

• Limited mobility makes closing gaps difficult.
• Major defensive CDs cannot be used in conjunction with Avenging Wrath.
• Extremely vulnerable to incoming spell damage.

In WotLK Classic, Paladins are able to be both Alliance and Horde. Blood Elf is the only Horde race that can be Paladin, while the Alliance can choose between Draenei, Human, or Dwarf.

Blood Elf and Human are the strongest races for Retribution Paladin PvE on each respective faction, with Blood Elves being due to the fact that they are the only choice as Horde. As Alliance the decision is much harder to make and all races have considerable strengths, but the overall most balanced of the races would be Human thanks to their weapon bonuses and the usefulness of Will to Survive.

Blood Elf is the default choice if you are playing Horde, as they are the only race that is able to be Paladin. Their racials are still quite good as Paladins are quite dependent on Mana, which Arcane Torrent helps with, as well as granting you additional magic resistances to bolster Paladin's weakness against spellcasters.

Dwarf is in a unique spot, as Stoneform can be a powerful defensive cooldown in a situation where you are unable to cast Cleanse or have a nasty bleed on you and are taking a lot of Physical damage. Unfortunately, Find Treasure and Gun Specialization are both completely useless for Paladins in any kind of combat situation.

Draenei offer a very situationally useful heal in Gift of the Naaru that, in an emergency, can save you or a party member. Heroic Presence is the most powerful racial though, as it allows you and people in your party to itemize completely differently because of the added Hit rating.

Perception is an extremely strong against any stealth class and can net you a massive advantage in PvP. The Human Spirit is not particularly useful in any combat situation. Both Mace and Sword Specialization are quite strong early on in lower gear levels and, even later on, might alter your gear choices while maintaining Expertise.

Engineering is extremely important for Paladin both for the personal HPS increases added from the Cloak and Glove enchants, but especially the insane amount of mobility that Nitro Boosts affixed to your boots will allow you. Engineering ends up being a slightly lower gain in stats than other crafting professions but the overall utility that the Profession has to offer makes it a must-have for almost every class, especially ones that struggle with mobility like Paladin.

Jewelcrafting is the single largest increase of stats of any of the crafting professions especially before the addition of Epic gems to the game. Strength is the single strongest stat for a Retribution Paladin and this is the largest possible gain of it.

Engineering and Jewelcrafting are both chosen based on their endgame benefits and do not offer any particularly beneficial gold farms.