Retribution Paladin DPS Spell Summary — Shadowlands 9.0.5

If you are new to Retribution, this is a great place to start to get an understanding of how the spec works. On this page we will discuss what abilities you have, what they are used for within the specialisation, how they interact with each other and also with important cooldowns. If you already have experience with Retribution and are comfortable with it in the current expansion, it is recommended you skip this section and move on to the rest of the guide.

Note that this page simply lists all the different abilities, assuming you are at max level. If you are leveling, check out our dedicated Paladin Leveling page, which has detailed information on when you unlock all of these abilities.

Retribution Paladins rely on Holy Power as their primary resource. You can have up to 5 Holy Power at one time, with several of your abilities generating Holy Power. Some abilities cost Holy Power to use (your Holy Power spenders), usually costing 3 Holy Power (with one costing 5). Holy Power does not decay during combat.

The general gameplay of Retribution Paladins revolves around generating and spending Holy Power efficiently. The Mastery: Hand of Light increases all Holy damage done by your abilities. Note that this does not affect Racial Traits and Trinket effects.

These are your core skills that are available regardless of talents, and form the core gameplay of the specialization.

Judgment deals Holy damage to the target and causes them to take 25% increased damage from your next Holy Power spender. Generates 1 Holy Power. The cooldown of Judgment is reduced by your Haste.

Hammer of Wrath deals Holy damage to the target and generates 1 Holy Power. The cooldown is reduced by your Haste. Useable against targets below 20% Health, or while your Avenging Wrath is active.

Wake of Ashes deals Holy damage to targets in a cone in front of you, slows them by 50%, and generates 3 Holy Power. Instead of slowing Demons and Undead, they get stunned for 5 seconds.

Crusader Strike deals Physical damage to the target and generates 1 Holy Power. This ability has 2 charges, and its recharge time is reduced by your Haste.

Blade of Justice deals Physical damage to the target and generates 2 Holy Power. The cooldown of Blade of Justice is reduced by your Haste.

Templar's Verdict is your main Holy Power spender. It deals Holy damage to the target, and costs 3 Holy Power to use.

Divine Storm deals Holy damage to up to 5 nearby enemies, and also costs 3 Holy Power.

Art of War is a passive, which causes your auto attacks to have a chance to reset the cooldown of Blade of Justice.

Retribution Aura is an aura, which grants you Avenging Wrath if a nearby ally dies.

Consecration consecrates the ground around you and does a tiny bit of damage over 12 seconds. Never use this if you can use the GCD it causes for something better.

Devotion Aura reduces all damage taken by 3% for all party and raid members within 40 yards.

Concentration Aura reduces the duration of interrupt and silence effects by 30% for for all party and raid members within 40 yards.

Crusader Aura increases mounted speed by 20% for all party and raid members within 40 yards.

Divine Shield makes you immune to all damage and loss of control effects for 8 seconds, and is an excellent way for you to survive dangerous mechanics.

Shield of Vengeance grants you a 15-second damage absorption shield (which absorbs up 30% of your maximum Health), which explodes when it is consumed by damage, or when it expires. It deals all absorbed damage as Holy damage divided between all enemies within 8 yards.

Lay on Hands heals a friendly target for an amount equal to your maximum Health. It has a 10-minute cooldown.

Blessing of Sacrifice lasts 12 seconds, transferring 30% of the damage taken by the target to you, and reducing this damage transferred by 25%. The effect is automatically cancelled if the transferred damage would cause you to fall below 20% health. This cooldown is excellent for reducing the damage taken by the tank, or other raid members.

Blessing of Protection protects the targeted ally from all Physical damage and loss of control effects for 10 seconds, and it has a 5-minute cooldown. It can be used to clear harmful Physical damage debuffs and bleeds from the target. Bosses will not attack targets affected by Blessing of Protection.

Blessing of Freedom removes movement-impairing effects from the targeted ally, also granting them immunity to such effects for 8 seconds.

Cleanse Toxins removes all Poison and Disease effects from a friendly target.

Turn Evil fears a target Undead, Aberration, or Demon by up to 40 seconds.

Sense Undead shows the location of all nearby undead on the minimap until cancled.

Avenging Wrath increases all damage, healing, and Critical Strike chance by 20% for 20 seconds, on a 2-minute cooldown.