Retribution Paladin PvP Stat Priority, Gear, and Trinkets (Shadowlands / 9.1)

The stat priority for Retribution Paladin in PvP is as follows:

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

Strength is the best stat in all situations. Haste is the strongest secondary stat at all times due to it reducing the Global Cooldown on abilities and increasing your attack speed. Versatility is the next best stat to have. This will increase the damage/healing you do while reducing the damage you take.

In general, Retribution Paladins want to get trinkets that line up well with Avenging Wrath. These trinkets can have a passive or on-use effect. The stats you want to be increasing are either Strength or Versatility. The reason you want to increase Versatility is because it increases both your damage and healing. Strength is great for increasing your consistent damage output. Here is the best gear we recommend you using as a Retribution Paladin.

• Head: Darkfrost Helmet
• Neck: Unchained Gladiator's Necklace
• Shoulders: Unchained Gladiator's Plate Pauldrons
• Cloak: Unchained Gladiator's Drape
• Chest: Unchained Gladiator's Plate Chestplate
• Wrists: Vambraces of the Depraved Warden
• Hands: Fleshfused Crushers
• Waist: Girdle of the Soulflayer
• Legs: Unchained Gladiator's Plate Legguards
• Feet: Unchained Gladiator's Plate Warboots
• Ring 1: Unchained Gladiator's Ring
• Ring 2: Stitchflesh's Misplaced Signet
• Weapon: Unchained Gladiator's Greataxe

Note: It is important to be wearing 2 PvP trinkets. This will give you a Versatility boost that will increase your damage and healing.

Unchained Gladiator's Medallion is a mandatory trinket to have equipped at all times. This allows you to remove any crowd control on yourself. You will normally use this when you are stuck in crowd control and a teammate is at low health. Note, if you play a Human and are playing against a team with only stuns, Unchained Gladiator's Relentless Brooch is a better option.

Unchained Gladiator's Badge of Ferocity gives you Haste and has a 1-minute cooldown that increases your primary stat. This is great to use right before you activate a powerful cooldown.

Unchained Gladiator's Emblem increases your maximum health when used. This gives you an additional defensive when you think a team will be focusing you.

Unchained Gladiator's Insignia of Alacrity increases your Haste and has a chance to proc your primary stat. This is an overall strong trinket, as the stat will proc often throughout an arena match.

Some pieces of gear from the Sanctum of Domination raid have a Domination Gem socket. The Shards that can only go into these slots have various passive effects. To get more information on this gear and its sockets, read more here:

Something to note is that these Shards are nerfed by 50% in PvP. Although they do have powerful affects, they are not mandatory to be successful in PvP. With that said, if you do get the chance to use Shards of Domination, here are the best ones for Retribution Paladin:

Best Frost Shard: Shard of Cor

Best Blood Shard: Shard of Jas

Best Unholy Shard: Shard of Dyz

Here are the best enchants and gems for a Retribution Paladin:

• Gloves: Enchant Gloves - Eternal Strength
• Cloak: Enchant Cloak - Soul Vitality
• Chest: Enchant Chest - Eternal Stats
• Rings: Enchant Ring - Tenet of Versatility
• Weapon Enchant: Enchant Weapon - Celestial Guidance

Gem all of your gear with Versatile Jewel Cluster.