Retribution

Introduction

Retribution paladin is a really good support melee in this expansion, until ToC and ICC content serves mostly as a must-have support but not as a real damage dealer on the high-end. On the contrary, since ToC and ICC with the great set bonuses, trinkets and of course the legendary axe, Shadowmourne ret paladins are top3 after mages and warriors overall.

Talent

- This is the basic talent tree with the all the essentials, we are left with 2 talent points which can be put into:

- Vindication: Reduces your targets attack power, good when you don't have another paladin with this or a warrior who can use demoralizing shout.

- Pursuit of Justice: Extra mobility is never bad and can increase your damage on moving fights like Professor Putricide, Lich King. It is the better talent which you should use in general.

Glyphs

1. Major Glyphs:

-Glyph of Seal of Vengeance: Your Seal of Vengeance or Seal of Corruption also grants 10 expertise while active.

- Glyph of Judgement: Your Judgements deal 10% more damage.

- Glyph of Consecration: Increases the duration and cooldown of Consecration by 2 sec.

2. Minor Glyphs:

- Glyph of Sense Undead: Damage against Undead increased by 1% while your Sense Undead ability is active.

Enchants

Head - Arcanum of Torment +50 attack power / + 20 crit

Shoulders - Greater Inscription of the Axe +40 attack power / +15 crit

Cloak - Greater Speed +23 haste > Major Agility +22 agility

Chest - Powerful Stats +10 all stats

Bracers - Greater Assault +50 attack power

Weapon - Berserking +400 attack power procs (+135 attack power worth overtime)

Gloves - Crusher +44 attack power

Belt - Eternal Belt Buckle +1 belt socket

Legs - Icescale Leg Armor +75 attack power +22 crit

Boots - Greater Assault +32 attack power

Stat priorities

1. Hit Cap : 263 hit rating = 8% (7% with draenei)

2. Expertise Cap : 26 expertise in total, you get 10expertise from Glyph of Seal of Vengeance (Alliance) or Seal of Corruption (Horde)

3. Strength

4. Crit

5. Agility : Retribution gets a lot of crit from agility

6. Haste

7. Armor Penetration

Agility offparts such as leather bracer, belt, cloak, rings are providing you more single target dps, so in the Best in Slot retribution gear you will see a lot of those items, this is because the fact that an agility bracer from RS25HC gives the best stats [Umbrage Armbands], it gives 1. attack power 2. crit 3. haste 4. agility which is crit also, so it provides 4 stats actually versus the strenght opponent of this bracer [Polar Bear Claw Bracers] or [Taiga Bindings] which provides only 3 stats in total since strenght is actually attack power.

Gems

Meta: Relentless Earthsiege Diamond +21 Agility +3% increased critical damage

Red: Bold Cardinal Ruby +20 Strength

Yellow: If the socket bonus more than +4 Strength then : Inscribed Ametrine (+10 Strenght +10 Crit), if it is anything else but not atleast +4 Strength then Bold Cardinal Ruby

Blue: Never match a blue socket! Only 1x Nightmare Tear (+10 All stats), in the best socket bonus items, best in T10 chest, other blue sockets: Bold Cardinal Ruby +20 Strength

Professions

1. Jewelcrafting: + 3big gems, +42 Strength

2. Blacksmithing: +2 gem sockets, +40 Strength

3. Tailoring: Cloak enchant, procs +400 attack power , but you lose the cloak enchant

4. Engineering: Gloves +340 haste/ min use, +23 agility on cloak, nitro boots

4. Enchanting/Inscription/Leatherworking: Gives extra attack power

5. Skinning: +40 crit

Best in Slot Gear

4/5 , hands is the offpart

1. Head - Sanctified Lightsworn Faceguard

2. Neck - Penumbra Pendant

3. Shoulders - Sanctified Lightsworn Shoulderplates

4. Cloak - Shadowvault Slayer's Cloak

5. Chest - Sanctified Lightsworn Battleplate

6. Bracer - Umbrage Armbands

7. Gloves - Fleshrending Gauntlets

8. Belt - Astrylian's Sutured Cinch

9. Legs - Sanctified Lightsworn Legplates

10. Boots - Apocalypse's Advance

11. Ring 1 - Ashen Band of Endless Vengeance YES! The agility reputation ring and not the strength one.

12. Ring 2 Signet of Twilight

13. Trinket 1 - Tiny Abomination in a Jar ( top best trinket you can have ! )

14. Trinket 2 - Sharpened Twilight Scale

15. Libram - Libram of Three Truths

16. Weapon -  Shadowmourne

Trinkets

Tiny Abomination in a Jar(Heroic)>Tiny Abomination in a Jar>Sharpened Twilight Scale (heroic)>Death's Choice (heroic)>Whispering Fanged Skull (heroic)>Death's Choice>Sharpened Twilight Scale>Whispering Fanged Skull>Herkuml War Token>Deathbringer's Will(heroic)>Deathbringer's Will>DMC:Greatness (Strength)

Weapons

Shadowmourne > Oathbinder, Charge of the Ranger-General(HC) > Glorenzelg, High-Blade of the Silver Hand(HC) > Bloodfall(HC) > Bryntroll, the Bone Arbiter(HC) > Warmace of Menethil(HC) > Cryptmaker(HC) > Oathbinder, Charge of the Ranger-General > Glorenzelg, High-Blade of the Silver Hand > Shadow's Edge > Wrathful Gladiator's Claymore(T2) > Oxheart(HC) > Ramaladni's Blade of Culling(HC) > Bloodfall > Hersir's Greatspear(HC) > Bryntroll, the Bone Arbiter 

Rotation

It depends heavily on the content, your tier sets.

When ever you start the fight don't use Avenging Wrath instantly, stack up Seal of Vengeance to 4-5 then use wings and judgement, your judgement won't do much damage without SoV stacks.

If the fight is not longer than 45sec it is not worth to use Seal of Vengeance, you should use Seal of Command in that case (ICC 2nd boss, Lady Deathwhisperer)

1. BIS gear 4xT10: Judgement>Divine Storm>-Crusader Strik>Consecration>Exorcism>Hammer of Wrath

2. 2xT10 : Judgement > Divine Storm > Hammer of Wrath > Crusader Strike > Consecration > Exorcism

3. No 2xT10: Judgement > Hammer of Wrath > Crusader Strike > Divine Storm > Consecration > Exorcism

With different sets you should you different roations, but generally if you don't have T10 the third option is optimal (except T8 set bonus).

Support

Retribution is a great support class, you give raid supports like
- Replenishment (+1% mana/5sec for 15sec)
- Heart of the Crusader In addition to the normal effect, your Judgement spells will also increase the critical strike chance of all attacks made against that target by an additional 3%.
- Vindication Gives the Paladin's damaging attacks a chance to reduce the target's attack power by 46 for 10 sec.
- Sanctified Retribution Increases the damage caused by Retribution Aura by 50% and all damage caused by friendly targets affected by any of your Auras is increased by 3%.
- Swift Retribution Your auras also increase casting, ranged and melee attack speeds by 3%. 

And you have many utility abilities such as Hand of Freedom, Hand of Protection, Lay on Hands, Cleanse, Off-heals, Hand of Sacrifice, Hand of Salvation.

CCs like Hammer of Justice, Repentance, Turn Evil, Holy Wrath.