Retribution Paladin Expertise Cap is current for Cataclysm, Patch 4.0, Patch 4.0.6 and Patch 4.1. The expertise cap for a Retribution Paladin at level 85 is 26, or 781 Expertise Rating. This stat is important because it removes mob and boss dodges from the table. We will often hear that it removes parry as well, but that’s not completely accurate, because it’s not entirely possible to remove all parries. However, bosses can only parry front attacks, not attacks made from behind…so stay behind the target!
To maximize DPS, each Ret Paladin should have their expertise capped. Reforging now provides a solid option for reaching the expertise cap, when gearing alone cannot bring us up to full potential. Seal of Vengeance glyph can also help bring us up to the expertise cap, much as it did in Wrath of the Lich King.
Enchanting and gemming for hit cap is not optimal DPS, unless there are no options for either Strength or Attack Power.
Ret Paladin Expertise Cap
- 26 Expertise
- 781 Expertise Rating to achieve 26 @ level 85
- Eliminates enemy chance to dodge attacks.
- Humans get an extra 3 Expertise by using either Maces, 2H Maces, Swords, or 2H Swords (from racials).
- Dwarves get an extra 5 Expertise by using Maces or 2H Maces (from racials).
- Maximizes DPS
hmm its hard to get capped at lower gear requirements but at one point i only had 18 and lower gear and i got to cap and it brough my dps up about 400 even though i subbed out two enchants and like 4 gems for expertise instead of str/attack power now if you are lucky enough to have tier 9/10 pants and the sword from onyxia 10/25 then you have pretty much capped yourself from jsut that not to mention there is the expertise glyph(which i always use) another decent thing is the trinket that anyone could easily grab off of ten man faction champs in trial of the crusader its got 90 expertise i belive and its not a bad trinket for keeping your dps up when you are having to run around or something.
Actually, with BiS Retribution gear and the Glyph of Seal of Vengeance you WILL be expertise capped when using Seal of Vengeance… and if you opt for Glorenzelg instead of Shadowmourne then you will be expertise capped without the Glyph.
Could you please inform how much expertise is necessary to reach 16 expertise? It’s pretty obvious our best glyth is the seal of truth glyth 10 expertise is an absurd dps gain. For that reason all reasonable rets should be looking for 16 expertise unbuffed!
thanks in advance for the information!
Just wondering, is it only helpful to have hit and expertise capped for PVE, I mean what about PVP what should we ret pallies be shooting for?
@Kellendros: I believe you need 391 expertise to be expertise capped once you have the Glyph of Seal of Truth. 391 expertise gives you 16 expertise.
For that matter 961 is the magic hit value to be hit capped.
I am currently playing Cataclysm 4.0.6. I am a Draenei Retribution Paladin. have an expertise rating of 492 (+16 Expertise) without Seal of Truth, 26 with it. Most of my mob stats show that there is a 0.0% chance of Dodging or Parrying. However, a lvl 88 Boss still has 7.50% chance of Parrying my attack. Is this correct or normal? The figure is really high and stands out amongst all the other 0.00% chance stats. I am reluctant to reforge stuff to try to get rid of it as I of course have 26 Expertise with Seal of Truth on. And of course – everything I report here is while Seal of Truth is active. I know that most of the time we are behind the Mob, but for instance with BH10 or 25, I need to face the boss half the time. Any ideas?
@ Cris Eik
Expertise @ 26 removes a boss/mobs chance to dodge attacks from the front or the back. However, they still maintain, unless you were to aim for the 54 Hard cap the ability to Parry attacks, but as Khor has mentioned elsewhere, this can only occur if you are attacking from the front, which should be never, or as little as the fight will allow. So yes, even though you see 7.5% change to be parried, unless you are attacking from the front, you won’t have to worry about that.
Probably the theories/tests people can have fun with is carrying added expertise food maybe gems and not so important gear reforged to as high as u can get without letting your other good stats such as critical strike and mastery to suffer. It’s fun testing it but the disappointment is too much to bare because of waaay too much dps loss. Maybe the expertise will be needed for patch 4.2 and it’s new raids hehe
the hardcap is 55 or 56 I believe – as when I had 54 expertise it still had a 0.5% chance to parry, while after I reforged and got 56 it was 0%. My question however is: is it better to reach the hardcap with reforging, or go for the soft one and put the stats into other areas?