Retribution Paladin DPS Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities — Battle for Azeroth (BfA) 8.1.5

1. Single Target Rotation for Retribution Paladins

The single target rotation consists of alternating Holy Power generation and Holy Power expenditure.

We begin with the priority of Holy Power generation, which you should utilize until you are either at 5 Holy Power, or until the next generator you use would put you over 5 Holy Power (thus wasting the excess).

1. Cast Wake of Ashes.
2. Cast Blade of Justice.
3. Cast Judgment.
4. Cast Hammer of Wrath.
5. Cast Consecration.
6. Cast Crusader Strike at 2 charges.
7. Cast Crusader Strike at 1 charge.
8. Cast Arcane Torrent (if Blood Elf).

To spend your Holy Power, use the following priority.

1. Cast Inquisition with at least 2 Holy Power.
2. Cast Execution Sentence.
3. Cast Templar's Verdict.
4. Cast Divine Storm ( Empyrean Power).

It is important to note that, when generating Holy Power, if you have only 1 Crusader Strike charge available, you should immediately stop generating Holy Power and go to the Holy Power-spending priority. Stop immediately if you have 2 Crusader Strike charges available and you are using the Hammer of Wrath talent, and one of the following two conditions is true:

• Avenging Wrath is active;
• Your target has less than 20% Health.

Always cast Avenging Wrath on cooldown.

1.1. Additional Notes

Spend Holy Power once you are either at the 5 Holy Power cap or when there are only Holy Power generators left that would over-cap your Holy Power. The exception is that you should spend Holy Power before using Crusader Strike at 1 charge. If you also have Hammer of Wrath talented, you spend Holy Power before using Crusader Strike at 2 charges during Avenging Wrath, and while your target has less than 20% Health.

2. Multiple Target Rotation for Retribution Paladins

When facing multiple enemies, you will be using mostly the same rotation as above, except that you should replace Templar's Verdict with Divine Storm against 2 or more enemies.

When using the talent Righteous Verdict, then use Divine Storm against 3 or more enemies.

3. Cooldown Usage for Retribution Paladins

As a Retribution Paladin, you only have one DPS cooldown by default, Avenging Wrath. It should be used as many times as possible during the encounter.

It is also worth attempting to time it so that it is up during key points of the fight (when you require burst damage) such as on the pull, when the boss is taking increased damage, or when adds are spawning. You should also attempt to stack Avenging Wrath with Heroism/ Bloodlust/ Time Warp.

Your talents can provide you with a few other important abilities. We cover them in a subsequent section.

In addition to this, you have an ability called Shield of Vengeance. This grants you a 15-second damage absorption shield (which absorbs up to 30% of your maximum Health), which explodes when it expires or is consumed by damage. This explosion deals Holy damage divided between all enemies within 8 yards. You can use this ability both defensively (to protect yourself from damage) and offensively (to reflect damage taken on to your enemies, even by sometimes standing in harmful effects to proc the shield).

4. Optional Read: Mastering Your Retribution Paladin

In this section, we will give you more details about how to execute your rotation based on the priorities mentioned above.

4.1. Greater Blessings

Greater Blessing of Kings should be placed either on a tank or on yourself, while Greater Blessing of Wisdom should be placed on a healer. It makes no real difference which healer you place Greater Blessing of Wisdom on, although you could check with your raid to see who needs the Mana regeneration most.

5. Opening Rotations for Retribution Paladins

These are the lists of sequences of abilities you should use at the start of the encounter. This depends on which talents you are using.

Note that, if you enter combat with a Raid encounter, it will set your Holy Power to 1. If you engage as the very first player with Blade of Justice, it will only generate 1 Holy Power, because it was not cast during combat. To avoid this issue, use Judgment as your first ability instead.

5.1. Inquisition

5.1.1. With Divine Judgment

1. Prepot;
2. Blade of Justice;
3. Judgment;
4. Crusader Strike;
5. Inquisition;
6. Avenging Wrath;
7. Hammer of Wrath or Crusader Strike;
8. Crusader Strike;
9. Execution Sentence or Templar's Verdict;
10. Continue your normal rotation.

5.1.2. With Consecration

1. Prepot;
2. Blade of Justice;
3. Judgment;
4. Consecration;
5. Crusader Strike;
6. Inquisition;
7. Avenging Wrath;
8. Hammer of Wrath or Crusader Strike;
9. Execution Sentence or Templar's Verdict;
10. Continue your normal rotation.

5.1.3. With Wake of Ashes

1. Prepot;
2. Blade of Justice;
3. Judgment;
4. Inquisition;
5. Avenging Wrath;
6. Wake of Ashes;
7. Execution Sentence or Templar's Verdict;
8. Hammer of Wrath or Crusader Strike;
9. Templar's Verdict;
10. Continue your normal rotation.

5.2. Crusade

5.2.1. With Divine Judgment

1. Prepot;
2. Blade of Justice;
3. Judgment;
4. Crusader Strike;
5. Crusade;
6. Hammer of Wrath;
7. Execution Sentence or Templar's Verdict;
8. Continue your normal rotation.

5.2.2. With Consecration

1. Prepot;
2. Blade of Justice;
3. Judgment;
4. Consecration;
5. Crusade;
6. Hammer of Wrath
7. Execution Sentence or Templar's Verdict;
8. Continue your normal rotation.

5.2.3. With Wake of Ashes

1. Prepot;
2. Blade of Justice;
3. Judgment;
4. Crusade;
5. Execution Sentence or Templar's Verdict.
6. Wake of Ashes;
7. Templar's Verdict;
8. Hammer of Wrath or Crusader Strike;
9. Templar's Verdict.

5.3. Divine Purpose

5.3.1. With Divine Judgment

1. Prepot;
2. Avenging Wrath;
3. Blade of Justice;
4. Judgment;
5. Hammer of Wrath;
6. Execution Sentence or Templar's Verdict;
7. Continue your normal rotation.

5.3.2. With Consecration

1. Prepot;
2. Avenging Wrath;
3. Blade of Justice;
4. Judgment;
5. Hammer of Wrath;
6. Consecration;
7. Execution Sentence or Templar's Verdict;
8. Continue your normal rotation.

5.3.3. With Wake of Ashes

1. Prepot;
2. Avenging Wrath;
3. Blade of Justice;
4. Judgment;
5. Execution Sentence or Templar's Verdict;
6. Wake of Ashes;
7. Templar's Verdict;
8. Hammer of Wrath or Crusader Strike;
9. Templar's Verdict;
10. Continue your normal rotation.

5.4. Abilities and Cooldowns from Talents

5.4.1. Level 15 Talents

If you have taken Execution Sentence, then you should use this ability as often as possible throughout the fight. If you do never delay it, every 4. Execution Sentence will align with Avenging Wrath.

5.4.2. Level 30 Talents

If you have taken Hammer of Wrath, then you should use this ability to generate Holy Power during Avenging Wrath or Crusade, and while your target has less than 20% Health. You can use Hammer of Wrath on enemies up to 30 yards away from you that have less than 20% Health to build additional Holy Power while fighting somewhere else.

5.4.3. Level 60 Talents

If you have taken Consecration, then use this ability as often as possible throughout the fight. You can delay it if you know there will be adds spawning soon. Make sure you use it when enemies are standing in one place for 6 seconds.

If you have taken Wake of Ashes, then use this ability as often as possible throughout the fight. You can delay it if you know there will be adds spawning soon.

5.4.4. Level 100 Talents

If you have taken Crusade, then you should use this ability as often as possible throughout the fight.

If you have taken Inquisition, then you have to make sure that the buff is up for another 20 seconds before using Avenging Wrath. To refresh Inquisition, you want to use at least 2 Holy Power at 13 or less seconds left.

6. Changelog