Retribution Paladin DPS Stat Priority — Dragonflight 10.2.5

Last updated on Jan 15, 2024 at 15:00 by Bolas 56 comments
General Information

On this page, you will find out the optimal stat priority for your Retribution Paladin. We first present the stat priority, before delving into more complex explanations. Our content is updated for World of Warcraft — Dragonflight 10.2.5.

If you were looking for WotLK Classic content, please refer to our WotLK Classic Retribution Paladin stat priority.

1.

The Basics of Stats for Retribution Paladin

Unlike many other specs, Retribution tends not to favour a specific secondary stat above all others regardless of the situation. The talent build you choose, as well as the amount of each secondary stat you already have, will have a large impact on the value of secondaries. In general, the best gearing strategy will be to use Raidbots to compare different gearsets. Our Raidbots guide has all the information you need to start using it.

For Crusading Strikes Icon Crusading Strikes or base Crusader Strike Icon Crusader Strike, your general stat priority will be:

  1. Strength;
  2. Haste;
  3. Versatility / Critical Strike;
  4. Mastery.

For Templar Strikes Icon Templar Strikes, your general stat priority will be:

  1. Strength;
  2. Versatility;
  3. Haste / Critical Strike;
  4. Mastery.

There are no stat breakpoints that you should aim for specifically for any stat or any build.

As mentioned above, these priorities should only be considered a general guide. There could be many gearing situations where stats ranked lower here end up being more valuable than ones ranked highly. Using simulations to help determine your gear will always be a better method since the relative value of stats can change significantly as you change your gear.

For the best gems, enchants, and consumables to use, see the dedicated guide for them:

2.

Retribution Paladin Stats Explained

Strength increases the damage of all your abilities and will always be a higher priority stat above any secondary stat. As a result, item level will usually trump any other stat-specific comparisons since Strength increases significantly with item level on all non-jewelry slots.

Haste is valuable due to the resource generation it provides via Crusading Strikes Icon Crusading Strikes as well as reducing the cooldowns of all of your major Holy Power generators. However, with Templar Strikes Icon Templar Strikes it loses some value, as Templar Strikes Icon Templar Strikes itself has a flat 1-second GCD that is not reduced by Haste.

Versatility increases all damage done, and reduces damage taken. It does not have any innate synergies with other stats but ends up becoming more valuable as other secondary stats have their values reduced by various effects. Notably, Versatility also increases the damage done of trinkets and other damage effects from items, which can make it more valuable when these effects make up a larger portion of your total damage.

Critical Strike does gain some value from talents like Adjudication Icon Adjudication and Heart of the Crusader Icon Heart of the Crusader, which increase the amount of damage that critical hits deal. Other effects like Vengeful Wrath Icon Vengeful Wrath actually end up reducing its value since abilities that will be a guaranteed critically hit do not end up benefitting from any increased critical strike chance.

Mastery increases the damage of all of your abilities that deal Holy damage. This includes abilities that deal Holystrike or Radiant damage, as they also count as Holy for the purposes of Mastery: Hand of Light Icon Mastery: Hand of Light.

3.

Changelog

  • 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 06 Nov. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.
  • 04 Sep. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 10 Aug. 2023: Updated stat recommendations and explanations.
  • 10 Jul. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 01 May 2023: Updated for Patch 10.1.
  • 21 Mar. 2023: Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 24 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 17 Jan. 2023: Updated Stat priority.
  • 11 Dec. 2022: Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 24 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
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