Retribution Paladin Dragonflight Leveling Guide From 1 to 70 (Dragonflight 10.1)

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.

Move the slider below to make the guide update to your level!

This is our recommended talent tree up to level 70.

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.

1. Cast Crusader Strike on cooldown as long as you have 4 or less Holy Power.
2. Cast Shield of the Righteous once you have 3 or more Holy Power generated.
3. Cast Judgment on cooldown.
4. 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:

1. Cast Avenging Wrath: Might off cooldown.
2. Cast Final Reckoning off cooldown.
3. Cast Shield of Vengeance when taking damage to reflect it around you once it explodes when it gets consumed or runs out.
4. 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.
5. 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.
7. Cast Divine Storm against 2 or more targets.
8. Cast Templar's Verdict against a single target.

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.

Here, you will find information on the best PvP talents for leveling and doing solo / small group PvE content.

1. 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.
2. > Vengeance Aura grants critical strike chance once you or get crowd controlled.
3. Luminescence grants 4% increased damage and healing for 6 seconds to allies who got healed while affected by your Aura.

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.

You should equip new quest rewards when their item level starts beating out your previous gear set.

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.

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 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.