Paladin • Retribution • PVE
Retribution Paladin (PVE)
A two-handed melee DPS that uses seal twisting and powerful buffs to deliver competitive damage when supported by the right group composition.
Overview
Retribution Paladins are one of the most sought-after melee DPS specializations in The Burning Crusade thanks to their unmatched raid utility and competitive damage output. While Paladins are capable of filling all three roles, Retribution stands out by providing powerful raid-wide buffs such as increased critical strike chance, increased party damage, and reliable Judgement uptime, all while remaining a strong single-target damage dealer. As a result, most 25-man raid compositions strongly prefer bringing exactly one Retribution Paladin.
Strengths
Powerful Raid-Wide Buffs
Improved Seal of the Crusader provides a 3% increased critical strike chance against the target for the entire raid, making Retribution Paladins close to mandatory in 25-man content.
Party Damage Amplification
Improved Sanctity Aura increases Holy damage by 10%, translating to a 2% damage increase for the entire party and making Retribution Paladins ideal for melee groups.
Competitive Single-Target DPS
Thanks to Seal of Blood, Crusader Strike, and improved itemization, Retribution Paladins deal strong single-target damage while maintaining high utility.
Exceptional Utility Toolkit
Brings Blessings, Judgements, Cleanse, Blessing of Freedom, Blessing of Protection, Lay on Hands, and Divine Intervention, providing answers to a wide range of encounter mechanics.
Strong Burst Windows
Avenging Wrath provides powerful on-demand burst damage, allowing Retribution Paladins to excel during burn phases and priority targets.
Weaknesses
Seal Twisting Complexity
Optimal DPS relies on Seal Twisting, one of the most mechanically demanding rotations in TBC, requiring precise timing and constant attention.
Melee Uptime Issues
As a melee DPS, Retribution Paladins are heavily affected by movement, cleaves, and boss mechanics that reduce uptime.
Limited Raid Slots
Utility does not stack, meaning there is little benefit to bringing more than one Retribution Paladin to a raid.
Cooldown Restrictions
Major defensive cooldowns cannot be used while Avenging Wrath is active, increasing risk during high-damage moments.
Self-Damage from Seal of Blood
Using Seal of Blood for maximum DPS causes self-inflicted damage, increasing healer strain and personal risk.
Races
Alliance
Human
BiSSword and Mace Specialization provide valuable Expertise, a stat that is extremely difficult to cap until very late in the expansion.
Horde
Blood Elf
Arcane Torrent provides an AoE silence and instant Mana return, covering key weaknesses in the Paladin toolkit.
Human — Best Alliance PvE Choice
Sword and Mace Specialization grant 5 Expertise, reducing dodges and parries and significantly improving DPS consistency. This stat is nearly impossible to cap until late expansion, making Human the strongest overall choice. Best for: Maximum personal DPS, raid consistency
Draenei
Heroic Presence provides 1% melee hit to the party, easing early gearing constraints and improving group reliability. Gift of the Naaru adds minor healing utility. Best for: Party utility, early gearing
Dwarf
Stoneform removes bleeds, poisons, and diseases while increasing armor. While it provides no direct DPS gain, it offers strong defensive utility in specific encounters. Best for: Survivability, bleed-heavy fights
Blood Elf — Only Horde Option
Arcane Torrent provides a free AoE silence and instant Mana return, offering valuable control and sustain. While it does not increase DPS directly, it fills critical gaps in the Paladin kit. Best for: Utility, dungeon and caster control