Skill Mastery: Divine Storm
by Zach Yonzon 
Sep 10th 2008 at 10:00PM
Divine Storm
Requires 50 points in Retribution
An instant weapon attack that causes Holy damage to up to 4 enemies within 8 yards. The Divine Storm heals up to 3 party or raid members totaling 20% of the damage caused.
First of all, understand that Paladins are a glorified auto-attack class. Unlike other melee classes with a plethora of strikes (sorry, Enhancement Shamans, I know you're in the same boat), Paladins rely on the swing timer and insert the occasional, short-ranged Judgement in between. Retribution Paladins have one additional button to press, the 41-point Crusader Strike, but otherwise it's an auto-attack affair. This new spell, the 51-point granddaddy in the Retribution tree, hits numerous birds with one stone -- it's another activated strike, raising DPS; it can hit multiple targets; and it provides minor raid utility with AoE healing.
More than anything, Divine Storm results in a significant DPS increase. It procs Seal effects, resulting in huge potential gains in mana or health through Seal of Wisdom or Seal of Light when used against multiple mobs and a phenomenal jump in damage when using damage Seals. This is a new design as Blizzard revealed that "(Seal) effects can be triggered from all weapon based special abilities." It can also crit on each hit. Wrap your mind around that for a while. Need to change your pants yet?
The only downside is that it costs 20% of base mana, which can quickly deplete a Retadin's paltry mana pool when used every time its up without a proper mana regeneration mechanic (although Judgements of the Wise has been reportedly hotfixed...). It's also notable that it can be cast even without a target as it is considered an AoE spell.
Divine Storm is Whirlwind Plus. The healing is a really just a bonus, scaling with the number of opponents and inversely with the number of party or raid members. For best results, use on multiple mobs while solo. The spell is a godsend for Retribution Paladins, providing a massive -- if not necessarily sustainable -- DPS boost. Coupled with the new and improved dual-scaling Consecration, it delivers an AoE viability Retribution always lacked.
Unlike Crusader Strike, Divine Storm also deals pure Holy damage, ignoring armor mitigation. Against a single target, it's generally inferior but is otherwise the better spell in all other respects. It can also be directly improved by the talent Righteous Vengeance. While Crusader Strike remains the cornerstone of the Retribution DPS cycle, Divine Storm is a solid addition to a Paladin's ret-pertoire. I know, I make bad puns. It's really hard to concentrate while squealing with schoolgirlish glee.
Filed under: Paladin, Analysis / Opinion, Talents, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Phillipian Sep 10th 2008 10:29PM
Yay! Maybe now ret pallies won't be so ostracized by the masses.
On another note, Ive always wondered why priests dont get any flak for speccing DPS, when ret pallies get so much for speccing for dps. Both have lower DPS compared to their caster/melee counterparts. Both seem like a waste of a raid slot when you could have a contributing healer/dps mage or a prot pally/rogue. Shadow priests should be teased just as much.
Methinks the nublets need to stop hating on a class/spec they know little about.
RET FTW!
Heilig Sep 10th 2008 10:53PM
Um, because until recently ret pallies couldn't function as a mana battery like shadow priests can?
Just taking a shot in the dark here.
Jack Spicer Sep 10th 2008 11:30PM
There are two reasons why ret pallies would get flak:
1) They can be a tank. They can be a healer. Both roles are in high demand for groups.
2) Ret pallies used to do pretty laughable damage compared to other dps classes. This isn't true anymore, but the stigma still remains.
Joolz Sep 11th 2008 12:29AM
I don't know if you were around before TBC but shadow priests dpsing were laughed at almost as much as (if not more than) ret pallies.
Matt Sep 10th 2008 10:32PM
My alt is a pally so I do love we get another skill for our rotation. I dislike that it looks like there trying to make them a fury warriors plus bursts of raid heals.
Zep Sep 10th 2008 10:37PM
Well when priests spec for DPS they become giant mana generators... unless you're talking Smite DPS. But who specs Smite for raids?
Eternalpayn Sep 10th 2008 10:52PM
People who get gkicked, that's who.
GreatLich Sep 10th 2008 10:54PM
It's somewhat funny to me how the same can be said for Paladins, except they do it raidwide and not just their group...
Saelorn Sep 10th 2008 10:38PM
It bothers me that you call shamans an auto-attack class. While their auto-attack does indeed do a significant amount of their damage, and they only have the one stormstrike as an instant weapon attack, they also have shocks on an even shorter cooldown.
Compare that to an arms warrior, who really only has the one Mortal Strike (aside from a couple situation things like Overpower).
Heilig Sep 10th 2008 10:55PM
Whirlwind. Which is what we got now.
Crusader strike = Mortal Strike lite
Divine Storm = Whirlwind on steroids
KPT Sep 10th 2008 10:43PM
Before i allow myself to wet my pants over this spell i need to know one thing does it scale with atk power or spell power. If it scale with attack power (excuse as i go to the bathroom to clean myself up) then this will be a awesome spell since with the new itemization we'll be sporting some nice size atk power but if it scales with spell power then i'm not so sure since we'll be losing int with the new itemization even with the talent sheath of light. Another concern is that aside from healing plate how else are retadins suppose to get intel for mana since this spell is going to cost 20% of our base mana and form the looks of it we'll have less of it than we do now.
Zach Sep 10th 2008 10:46PM
It deals normalized weapon damage, so it scales with Attack Power.
Let me give you some time to change your pants.
Back yet?
Alright, don't worry about mana because even though we will have ridiculously low mana pools, Judgements of the Wise is supposed to return significant mana. Reports have it at 20% of total mana per Judgement, which isn't quite the old 60% of damage done, but it's a world away from the anemic Replenishment. I can't test it right now since Beta is down, but that's the way it SHOULD work...
Ugkul Sep 10th 2008 11:27PM
Sounds like some of the abilities from Disciple of Khaine, from Warhammer. I venture that the Pally will turn into the dps+heal class for WotLK.
Anaughtybear Sep 10th 2008 11:25PM
Thanks for admitting that paladins are tard-easy, and that they rival shaman for being tedious and unrewarding to play. Also that they are the default choice of kids who don't have any skill. At least, I think that's what you said...
cactusham Sep 10th 2008 11:39PM
you play a rogue don't you. Yeah. SO much more fun. 2. 2. 2. 2. 3.
cactusham Sep 10th 2008 11:41PM
ah, meant my post to be a biting reply to anaughtybear =p I fail
kev0476 Sep 11th 2008 12:13AM
its only 12% base mana now.
Suicidal Zebra Sep 11th 2008 12:20AM
A few things worth noting in the latest build [8926]:
1) Mana cost reduced to 12% of base (from 20%). Benediction also reduces its cost by up-to 10% (down to 10.8% of base).
2) On crits it hits hard. Very hard. New talents boost critical strike damage to 245% of normal when fully talented (if I am reading them right, it's possible that it's increased to 270% depending on how the multipliers work).
Zeus Sep 11th 2008 12:21AM
"Compare that to an arms warrior, who really only has the one Mortal Strike (aside from a couple situation things like Overpower)."
I strongly advice you to play another class before give comment
Arm warrior DPS rotation = Mortal Strike -> Whirlwind -> timing Slam so that you dont waste your white swing
Just timing the Slam alone is require so much attention so that you dont waste your white swing since Slam resest white swing
Not to mention other extra abilities like Victory Rush, Overpower, Hamstring, Thunderclap, Demo, etc which everyone expect you to perform
Saelorn Sep 11th 2008 12:33PM
I did play a warrior, from 1-60 before the expansion, and again from 1-70 after it. I tanked some entry level raids (mostly off-tanked as an arms/prot hybrid, back when arms was useful for the mortal strike debuff).
Mostly, though, I just played solo. I take most comments in the context of solo play, since solo covers 69 levels of content and raiding/PvP only covers the one level.
While levelling myself, I can count on one hand the number of times I used whirlwind. Basically, it comes down to whirlwind being only usable in berserker stance, where charge and overpower are more useful to an arms warrior unless you're fighting a group.
Slam is probably more usable now that being hit doesn't cause spell pushback, so that and mortal strike make two useful attack maneuvers that warriors have; compare that to a paladin's crusader strike and judgment, or a shaman's stormstrike and shocks.