In this article, we present you with the best gems and enchants that you can get for a Retribution Paladin in WoW MoP 5.2, including profession-specific perks. We also list the best consumables: food, flasks, and potions.

Make sure to check our Gear Optimisation Guide, which serves as a support guide for this article. The other articles of our Retribution Paladin guide can be accessed from the table of content on the right.

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Anafielle (@Anafielle), one of the authors of Sacred Duty and an accomplished raider on her own, and Morgeine, one of the best Retribution Paladins in the world, who raids in Envy.

1. Gems↑top

1.1. Strength Gemming

Sockets	Gems
	Reverberating Primal Diamond or Capacitive Primal Diamond (better)
	Having issues reaching the expertise cap? → Precise Primordial Ruby/ Perfect Precise Pandarian Garnet or Precise Serpent's Eye (JC) Otherwise → Bold Primordial Ruby/ Perfect Bold Pandarian Garnet or Bold Serpent's Eye (JC)
	Fierce Vermilion Onyx/ Perfect Fierce Tiger Opal
	Etched Imperial Amethyst/ Perfect Etched Roguestone

1.2. Haste Gemming

Sockets	Gems
	Reverberating Primal Diamond or Capacitive Primal Diamond (better)
	Having issues reaching the expertise cap? → Precise Primordial Ruby/ Perfect Precise Pandarian Garnet or Precise Serpent's Eye (JC) Otherwise → Fierce Vermilion Onyx/ Perfect Fierce Tiger Opal
	Quick Sun's Radiance/ Perfect Quick Sunstone or Bold Serpent's Eye (JC)
	Lightning Wild Jade/ Perfect Lightning Alexandrite

If you are still unsure what the optimal gemming strategy is for your character, you can Ask Mr. Robot for a personalised optimisation of your character's gear, by filling the form below.

2. Enchants↑top

Slot	Main Enchantments	Extra Enchantments
Shoulders	Greater Tiger Fang Inscription Tiger Fang Inscription (cheaper) Secret Tiger Fang Inscription (Inscription)
Back	Enchant Cloak - Accuracy (if you cannot get hit capped through reforging) Enchant Cloak - Superior Critical Strike (if you are hit capped through reforging) Swordguard Embroidery (Tailoring)
Chest	Enchant Chest - Glorious Stats
Wrists	Enchant Bracer - Exceptional Strength Enchant Bracer - Mastery (cheaper) Fur Lining - Strength (Leatherworking)	Socket Bracer (Blacksmithing)
Hands	Enchant Gloves - Super Strength	Synapse Springs (Engineering) Socket Gloves (Blacksmithing)
Waist		Living Steel Belt Buckle
Legs	Angerhide Leg Armor Draconic Leg Reinforcements (Leatherworking)
Feet	Enchant Boots - Pandaren's Step Enchant Boots - Greater Haste (cheaper) Enchant Boots - Greater Precision (for hit cap)
Weapon	Enchant Weapon - Dancing Steel Enchant Weapon - Windsong (cheaper)

Note that Extra Enchantments can be applied to an item in addition to a Main Enchantment.

3. Consumables↑top

3.1. Food

You should always eat food that gives you Strength. You will be granted:

• 300 Strength by Black Pepper Ribs and Shrimp;
• 275 Strength by Eternal Blossom Fish, Banquet of the Grill, or Great Banquet of the Grill;
• 250 Strength by Charbroiled Tiger Steak or any of other banquets.

3.2. Flask

Your flask should be a Flask of Winter's Bite.

3.3. Potion

During the encounter, your best choice for a potion will be Potion of Mogu Power.

4. Summing-up Profession Perks↑top

Choosing a profession for your Retribution Paladin can impact your raid performance. As a rule, you should shy away from gathering professions (with the exception of Herbalism), which leaves the following viable professions for raiding:

Profession	Perks
Tailoring	Provides +1000 Attack Power in average through Swordguard Embroidery, instead of +180 Critical Strike from Enchant Cloak - Superior Critical Strike and +180 Hit from Enchant Cloak - Accuracy.
Blacksmithing	Provides a 320 Strength gain through two extra sockets, Socket Bracer and Socket Gloves, in which you can fit 2 Bold Primordial Ruby.
Jewelcrafting	Provides a 320 Strength gain through the ability of using 2 Bold Serpent's Eye.
Alchemy	Provides an 320 Strength gain to your flask through Mixology.
Enchanting	Provides a 320 Strength gain through Enchant Ring - Greater Strength.
Engineering	Provides +1,920 Strength for 10 seconds every minute through Synapse Springs (the overall gain is +320 Strength). Engineering also provides a belt addon called Frag Belt, which you can use every minute (off the global cooldown) for additional damage.
Inscription	Provides a 320 Strength gain through Secret Tiger Fang Inscription.
Leatherworking	Provides an 320 Strength gain through Fur Lining - Strength. Also provides Draconic Leg Reinforcements, a much cheaper equivalent to Angerhide Leg Armor, the traditional leg enchant.
Herbalism	Provides a 480 Haste Rating gain in average through Lifeblood.

Tailoring and Engineering is currently the best profession combination for Retribution Paladins. Tailoring is good because it provides an attack power bonus that is greater than that from other professions, and the proc lines up nicely with other trinket procs.

Engineering should be your second profession, as it provides you with Frag Belt and Synapse Springs, which you can line up with Execution Sentence, and with other cooldowns.

Blacksmithing is a viable alternative to Tailoring. It provides a Haste Rating increase higher than that offered by any other profession.

5. Changelog↑top

• 26 Apr. 2013: Changed Blacksmithing for Tailoring as part of the best profession combination.
• 24 Apr. 2013: Added legendary meta-gem.
• 23 Apr. 2013: Added different gemming methods depending on whether you prefer Strength or Haste Rating. Removed Enchant Weapon - Elemental Force since it is sub-optimal.
• 02 Apr. 2013: Removed green-quality gems.
• 02 Apr. 2013: Improved advice for choosing your profession.