Retribution Paladin DPS Easy Mode — Midnight Pre-Patch (12.0.1)

This build is focused on pure single-target, without any talents that would be used for cleave or AoE. You can use the "copy export string" button to import this build directly into the game.

This build maintains fairly strong priority damage while also taking some options to be able to perform better on AoE. You can use the "copy export string" button to import this build directly into the game.

Retribution Paladins do not have a fixed rotation of abilities. Instead, your goal is to make sure that high-priority Holy Power generators are used as often as possible while making sure that Holy Power spenders are used before Holy Power gets overcapped. Cooldowns are used as often as possible to maximize total uses.

1. Use your major cooldown abilities like Avenging Wrath, Execution Sentence, Wake of Ashes, Divine Toll, and Hammer of Light as often as possible. Make sure to use Avenging Wrath before other cooldowns, and Execution Sentence before Wake of Ashes.
2. Spend Holy Power with Final Verdict for a single target or Divine Storm against multiple targets. You can spend at 4-5 Holy Power, or at 3 if no generators are off cooldown.
3. Generate Holy Power with Blade of Justice, Judgment, and Hammer of Wrath. The specific order you use them in does not make a large difference to your overall damage, but ideally it is best to prioritize Hammer of Wrath during cooldowns and Blade of Justice outside of them.

For more detailed information about the priority system, including using all the other talents and alternative Hero Talents, check out our full rotation page below.

Retribution has many defensive options available. Here is a list of the main ones you will regularly use:

• Divine Shield - Prevents all damage and removes most harmful effects for 8 seconds. Also applies Forbearance.
• Divine Protection - Reduces all damage taken by 20% for 8 seconds. Also applies an absorb from Shield of Vengeance.
• Lay on Hands - Heals a target for an amount equivalent to your maximum health. Also applies Forbearance.
• Blessing of Protection - Prevents all physical damage and removes most harmful physical effects for 8 seconds. Also applies Forbearance.

See the spell glossary below for a full list of Retribution's spells and abilities.

There are two related systems in the game to help players in combat: Assisted Highlight and the Single-Button Assistant.

This system works by highlighting the next ability that Blizzard suggests for you to use on your action bar. If you struggle to remember rotational priorities in different situations, this might be a useful reminder for you. This tool does not always recommend the most optimal ability to use in every situation, but for Retribution following it exactly will result in a very minor damage difference compared to theoretically optimal play.

This allows you to perform the same recommended assisted rotation by instead just continually pressing a single button, at the cost of a considerably increased global cooldown. For Retribution, this is a large damage loss as Retribution is a specialization that highly values frequent ability casts, for example with effects that provide a significant amount of Haste like Crusade. We do not recommended this feature to be used outside of accessibility circumstances.