Retribution Paladin Dragonflight Leveling Guide From 1 to 70 (Dragonflight 10.1)
On this page, we will go over everything you need to know to Level up your Retribution Paladin to get ready for Dragonflight end game content. If you are looking for more generic leveling guide you can refer to our Paladin leveling guide.
Gear Options
In most cases, you will want to prioritize item level while going through the leveling process. This means selecting whatever has the highest item level. There is one exception to this rule: when you have a ring or neck with only 1 secondary stat instead of having 2. In these rare cases, selecting the item with the lower item level is acceptable.
Level by Level Rotation and Talents
Move the slider below to make the guide update to your level!
Talents to Level Up as an Retribution Paladin
This is our recommended talent tree up to level 70.
Rotation to Level Up as a Retribution Paladin
When creating your Paladin, you
only have one ability: Crusader Strike. It is your
first Holy Power generator. At level 2, you will unlock
Shield of the Righteous, your first Holy Power spender. At level 3, you gain
Judgment.
Consecration is unlocked at level 6. At Level 9, you
learn the class ability
Hand of Reckoning, a 30-yard range taunt
on an 8-second cooldown. Use this long-range taunt to pull more
mobs when you no longer have long-range damage abilities. At level
10; you can officially spec into Retribution and gain access to
Templar's Verdict. From now you need to switch to a Two-Handed weapon. Otherwise, you will not be able to use your new abilities. Say goodbye to
Shield of the Righteous, because you will never waste Holy Power on it again.
- Cast
Crusader Strike on cooldown as long as you have 4 or less Holy Power.
- Cast
Shield of the Righteous once you have 3 or more Holy Power generated.
- Cast
Judgment on cooldown.
- Cast
Consecration.
Starting at Level 10, you can queue for dungeons with the in-game group finder. Always queue as DPS, so you have the proper training environment to practice your Retribution kit at your given level in a dungeon situation. To understand in-depth how to use this Retribution kit, especially when reaching higher levels, check out our rotation page, but we have added a short version below:
- Cast
Avenging Wrath: Might off cooldown.
- Cast
Final Reckoning off cooldown.
- Cast
Shield of Vengeance when taking damage to reflect it around you once it explodes when it gets consumed or runs out.
- Follow the priority list below until you have
3 or more Holy Power.
- Cast
Wake of Ashes off cooldown (With 2 Holy Power or less).
- Cast
Divine Toll with 1 free Holy Power per nearby enemy.
- Cast
Hammer of Wrath (With 3-4 Holy Power or less).
- Cast
Blade of Justice (With 3 Holy Power or less).
- Cast
Templar Strikes /
Templar Slash
- Cast
Judgment (With 3 Holy Power or less).
- Cast
Crusader Strike on cooldown as long as you have 4 or fewer Holy Power.
- Cast
Consecration.
- Cast
- Once you reached 3 or more Holy Power, you want to switch to the second priority list below, which is used to spend Holy Power and use cooldowns that buff your Holy Power spenders.
- Cast
Divine Storm against 2 or more targets.
- Cast
Templar's Verdict against a single target.
Summary of Unlocked Abilities for Retribution Paladin
To prevent cluttering the guide with a lot of the same information, we recommend you take a look at our dedicated spell page, which will provide you with more in-depth information on Retribution Paladin spells.
Retribution Paladin War Mode Talents for Leveling
Here, you will find information on the best PvP talents for leveling and doing solo / small group PvE content.
Retribution Paladin PvP Talents for Leveling
Lawbringer to apply Lawbringer to initial targets hit for 1 minute. Casting
Judgment causes all enemies with your Lawbringer effect suffer up to 4% of their maximum Health in Holy damage.
- >
Vengeance Aura grants critical strike chance once you or get crowd controlled.
Luminescence grants 4% increased damage and healing for 6 seconds to allies who got healed while affected by your Aura.
Best Heirloom Items for Retribution Paladin Leveling
When deciding which heirlooms to purchase or use, you will want to target items that offer the most Strength. Choosing item pieces with Haste can help you kill enemies fast and more consistently. The overall time until you gain enough Holy Power to use your Spender, which usually acts as your finishing move, is reduced with more Haste.
Quest Rewards
You should equip new quest rewards when their item level starts beating out your previous gear set.
Consumables
Several consumable items can be purchased to help you with your leveling speed.
Gunshoes are a mandatory item for leveling. They provide a huge movement speed increase. It is a bonus comparable to what you get when flying. It is highly recommended you stock up on these shoes when leveling in Dragonflight.
Goblin Glider Kit can be a lifesaver when jumping off large cliffs or when you want to cover a long distance.
Gunshoes Macro
The Gunshoes will not let you stop moving as long as they are active. This macro twice will click the buff off and allow you to stop.
- #showtooltip
- /use Gunshoes
- /cancelaura Gunshoes
Congratulations!
Congratulations on reaching Level 70! Now that you have hit Level 70 we recommend looking at our Easy mode page and Talents section to learn how to play at max level.
Changelog
- 01 May 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 21 Mar. 2023: Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 24 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 11 Dec. 2022: Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 24 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
This guide has been written by Urthearso, theorycrafter for Retribution Paladins. If you have any questions about the spec you can reach him on the official Paladin Discord, on Twitter, and during his streams on Twitch.
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