Retribution Paladin Stats is current Cataclysm, Patch 4.0, Patch 4.0.1, and Patch4.0.3a. There are many changes for Retribution Paladins and their stats in Cataclysm, so pay close attention to stat priorities when obtaining gear, gemming, and enchanting.
Retribution Paladins rely on strength as their main stat, and it has been that way for a very long time. This list is what is considered optimal, but keep in mind that every person has different gear, so you may need to make some small adjustments based on what gear you are wearing.
As a side note, I am still tossing around haste versus crit in terms of priority, since the latency fix is in place and haste cap has now sky rocketed. Will keep you informed…
So as a quick refresher, here are the stats you should be aiming for as a retribution paladin:
- Strength
- Hit Rating
- Expertise
- Critical Strike
- Haste
- Mastery
1. Strength
Strength is what gives us attack power and increases our damage. This will be a titan for determining DPS and damage output, so this will be our main stat throughout Cataclysm. Remember, 1 strength = 2 Attack Power. I am placing this above hit and everything else because it is the only major stat on this list. Everything below is a secondary stat that can be capped and Reforged.
2. Hit Rating
Hit affects your hit %, or ability to hit mobs and bosses. At level 80 and 85, Paladins need a total of 8% hit to be capped at 100%, meaning they never miss. Normal melee swings, including Crusader’s Strike, Templar’s Verdict, Judgement, and Divine Storm are all affected by this. Reaching the hit cap should be your number one priority. It is largest DPS increase you will get from secondary stats.
3. Expertise
Capping expertise removes a mob’s/boss’s ability to dodge our attacks. To cap this, you need 26 expertise, or 6.5%. It is recommended to maximize DPS, you have both hit and expertise capped.
4. Critical Strike
Critical Strike comes very close to Haste in terms of importance. It’s DPS weight just barely beats out haste, so it is a good idea to try and stack both stats equally, as best as you can.
5. Haste
Haste has changed from Wrath to Cataclysm, and right up until launch, we could reach the soft cap of Haste by stacking enough to get Crusader Strike to a 3 second cooldown. At level 85 and equivalent gear, this is no longer possible. Haste is a heavier stat now, falls barely under crit in terms of importance. The best idea right now is to try and stack crit and haste equally, at least a best as you can. You can read my write-up on Ret Paladins and Haste Rating HERE.
6. Mastery
Mastery is the new Cataclysm stat, and as of this posting, it is currently very low on our priority list. In fact, it hits rock bottom. Basically, a Ret Paladin’s Mastery allows for the activation of Hand of Light, which makes our next Holy Power attack cost no Holy Power, but cast as if 3 Holy power were applied. For Rets, that is where we get those back to back Templar’s Verdicts. Seems good enough, but stacking massive Mastery Rating ends up costing us major DPS as we sacrifice more beneficial secondary stats.
NOTE: Remember, this is the ideal rank of stat importance. it varies greatly based on your current gear and talents. A Ret Paladin that is hit and expertise capped will have Haste or Crit as their top priority.
I have 13.44 mastery or so and I’ve had good luck with hand of light proc’s with that mastery rating but of course I could always go a bit lower and get back some haste and critical strike rating. What is a good idea number for mastery rating.
25.26% crit
14% haste or so
13.42 mastery
hit and exp capped
I get somewhere between 6.5k-6.8k on a big training dummy.
Other question is I’ve seen people swear by the fact that crit is now completely useless for a pally any word on that as of 4.01 or is crit still a good stat to stack.
Hi Khor, excellent help for people like me that are still having problems dealing with pre-cata changes…
Let me ask (an idiot?) question… I have read about the cap concept on skills 2 thru 6 that you describe in the post, but what about STRENGHT? Does it cap??
Thanks a lot and keep with the good work!
Has this been updated post cata? I just went to the Haste like and it said to ignore that and Crit was more important.
Hasn’t been updated just yet. I am leaning on Crit replacing Haste, just need a few more confirmations before I pull the trigger…
it might be just me but mastery seems to give a more dps, although it can be random, most my dps burst comes from it, i got nearly best blues b4 raid and with all those crit and haste my combat ratings r still terrible like 10% crit and 6-8% haste, anyone know b4 getting maybe full epics if mastery is better? i cant see anyone in full heroic blues having more then 15% crit jsut seems not worth it? alot easier to get high mastery at low gear aka heroics?
Great site. Made me realize how little thought I’ve put into the game and how, if you want, you can really enjoy the game at another level. Anyway, is there a place on the site that lists average Stats at 85? I mean, what “might” you want for Strength, I know to Cap Hit and Expertise, but I’m wondering what a “good” number for Strength would be. Thanks again for all the time and effort you’ve put into this website.
Just wondering how the feeling is toward other ret paladins. I tank our raids but when I’m not needed, they have me go ret. One comment a guildie had was that they don’t see the need for a ret paladin in a raid, vs. other melee dps classes. Ret is not “good dps” in their opinion. I can see their point. I did over 12k on Magmaw but rogues and DKs are still on top, so what’s the point? Maybe that will change if they buff our mastery, but I guess it’s hard to balance PvE and also have PvP be fair.
This order stats applies to PvP Ret Paladin as well!?
Hey Khor,
First off you have a GREAT site! I give it 10/10 and i only discovered it today
.
I made a retribution paladin the day after the first major cataclysm patch, 4.0 i believe. Right when they did the talent tree changes, And I’m loving them! Paladins have always been my favourite class but i never had time to make one, Was mastering my rogue
Fun but old now. I have a few questions on some information i could not find in the forums:
1) What stats should i be looking to reforge into hit and mastery? I currently am getting working on full PVP
gear set, I have the bloodthirsty 5/5 and boots/Rings.
2) For PVP spec i have the 7/2/32 With the 1 point in “Act of Sacrifice” instead of Divine Storm, is Divine Storm needed for PVP at all or was i correct at not putting it in my PVP Off Spec. (I’m more of the 1v1 type, Mainly in PVP i like to down the players that are capping a base or carrying the flag so i dont have much use for AOE).
*Included with above post*
I dont think i got my message across the way i intended for Question 1 >.<
What i meant to get across is what spec a i reforging into, I have been told to reforge my crit into hit till i capped then move onto reforging it into haste. But i never had any knowledge on expertise reforging, Do you have Any suggestions into how to reforge for maximum DPS?
Hi guys……as from patch 4.6 , wont mastery become more important then haste and crit due to the dmg increases? For me its still debatable whether mastery should be before crit.
1 Strength
2 Hit Rating
3 Expertise
4 Mastery
5 Critical Strike
6 Haste
i mean 4.0.6
Hi Khor!
First, I would like to thank you for this amazing site!
Now, to my question. I wondered if there is anything that I could change in my current gear that would increase my DPS. I’m hit and expertise caped with SoC so that is not a problem. Just wanted a few tips if something is “wrong” with the gear, or glyphs, talents, etc. Thanks in advance for helping!
Here is a link to my pally:
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/hellfire/humanaggro/simple
Thanks to this site i transformed my ret pally from meh to always top of the charts
Thanks!
Been working on healing set in arena but for Bg’s this is my pally to date
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/character/trollbane/kratõs/simple
What really helped was the reforging guides and stats priorities
i know once i get my ret geared gemmed and chanted that i will be a monster 