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The latest patch 5.4 newsThe Light and How to Swing It: The Retribution solution
by Zach Yonzon 
May 21st 2009 at 4:00PM
Despite the statement that there'll be fewer changes to classes in the foreseeable future, Ghostcrawler did say "there will be some (changes)" in addition to "tweak(ing) numbers up and down as needed". So don't despair, Fury Warriors, you'll be swinging those two-handers once again in glory one of these days. I'm also dead certain that Paladin tweaks aren't quite done. For one thing, we know that Crusader Strike is in line for some coolification. Another is that Exorcism was quickly hotfixed not to work on player targets as precursor to what Ghostcrawler calls "a little more tweaking" to the class. So while I asked the community to share their thoughts on how to improve Retribution, it's taken me much, much longer to ruminate. Humor me for today as I go share my own thoughts on the matter.
First of all, I don't think the spec needs major changes. It has improved vastly since 3.0 and was fine tuned in 3.1. It plays nicely -- if a bit too simply -- and can dish out competitive damage in raids and in PvP. Its shortcomings, if any, as far as DPS output is concerned can easily be "tweaked" through numbers, and that's not what I'm interested in. Through my first weeks in Ulduar, I haven't put out enough consistent numbers for anything conclusive -- sometimes I'm right on top, and sometimes I drop down as far as 10th in a 25-man raid. More thoughts on Retribution in Ulduar in another column, but for now we'll take a look at what I think are the most glaring deficiencies of the spec.
Seal of Command
The Problem
Since the launch of Wrath of the Lich King, Seal of Command has been something of a lame duck talent. Subject to repeated nerfs, the Seal was neutered to the point of being inferior to Seal of Blood in every respect including PvP. This isn't just a matter of numbers anymore but a question of mechanic. Seal of Blood provides the most consistent source of damage and crits for a considerable amount. Despite the potential for huge burst, Seal of Casino reintroduces the concept of RNG into PvP. Blizzard has methodically been weeding out RNG stuns from the game, and RNG burst damage isn't too different.
The bottom line is that Seal of Command is a talent that has outlived its usefulness. Aside from the numbers being significantly lower compared to Seal of Blood, its PPM-based proc is actually bad for the game. As much as PvP is about burst damage, it's about controlled burst and the bonus of an automatic crit on stunned targets isn't quite enough when everything else about the Seal is RNG. Right now, it's a waste of a talent point and not even PvP players -- whom the talent seems to be designed for -- pick it up. In fact, the only time it makes sense to pick up Seal of Command is while you're leveling as Ret... then you respec at Level 80 to put that talent point somewhere else.
The Crazy Idea
Seal of Blood/Seal of the Martyr is pretty much the only Seal a Retribution Paladin needs, so do the proper thing: remove Seal of Command from the game and make Seal of Blood trainable at Level 20. Making it trainable should solve the problem of Retribution leveling. It also teaches players to use the proper Seal considering Seal of Command isn't optimal for dungeons and raids, anyway. It makes absolutely no sense for players to level using one Seal and then adapt to the use of another Seal for the endgame.
Of course, this leaves us with a vacuum at the fabled 11-point spot.
Vindictive Command
Requires 10 points in Retribution
Instant, 2 minute cooldown
Seal of Blood has an additional 20% chance to critically strike against stunned or incapacitated targets. Unleashing Seal of Blood's energy will judge an opponent, and has a 100% chance to critically strike against stunned or incapacitated targets. Lasts 10 seconds.
This eliminates the complexity of having two different Seals for PvP and PvE. It provides a window of controlled burst for PvP while being a relative DPS boost in PvE. Stuns and incapacitate effects don't work on bosses, so it's still more of a PvP-oriented talent (as Seal of Command was) while providing raiders with an additional activated ability to make things interesting -- it actually encourages the use of Hammer of Justice or Repentance in PvE. The Seal bonus crit numbers may need some more fine tuning, but you get the idea. Let's take a look at a few more perceived holes next.
Filed under: Paladin, Analysis / Opinion, Classes, (Paladin) The Light and How to Swing It
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 4)
jbodar May 21st 2009 7:49PM
I'm still honestly confused as to why allowing Ret pallies to have a ranged instant spell (aside from HoW) is crazy OP when other melee classes have a ranged attack or gap-closer. Is it a case of the straw that "burst" the camel's back? I really just want to understand here.
Naix May 21st 2009 4:59PM
"It deals respectable, if somewhat inconsistent DPS right now."
Respectable?!? More like OP damage right now. As a pvper I have faced many paladins. After patch 3.0 the only spell I cast is self fear and run for my life.
I am going to re-roll a paladin soon.
turkeyspit May 21st 2009 5:11PM
Please do. And when you fail as a Paladin, you will be on the forums begging for buffs, which the rest of us will appreciate.
If you are constantly getting pwned by a Paladin, trust me, it's you and not the spec.
Golhan May 21st 2009 11:02PM
I'm with turkeyspit on this one.
People who are complaining about paladins are employing the wrong tactics. A dumb PvPer will look at a Ret pally and do one of two things: 1) panic and think he's boned or 2) naively take the pally one-on-one.
Here's an idea: if paladins are hard to fight, then why not play the battlegrounds like they're meant to be played and take the paladin down in a group. I can't tell you how many times I get smashed in BGs because I target a single player and end up getting mowed down by a large mob of alliance players. Just because all of a paladin's "tricks" involve survivability and the word "burst" applies to their damage like it does to an adolescent boy's libido, it doesn't mean that they're gods of PvP. It just means that they're easy to play. But after a paladin pops his bubble and Lay on Hands, then he's essentially screwed. Two AoE attacks (one of which is easily-avoidable) and plate aren't going to save you from a flood of bloodthirsty players.
And to all the QQers who are going to whine "Why do I have to take a paladin down in a group? That clearly means they're overpowered" my answer is: no, it really doesn't. It just means that certain classes require different tactics. I can pose two similar questions: why do casters get crowd control? Why do healers even play BGs? It's because BGs are meant to be played with a raid-worthy number of players. I have no sympathy for people who can't kill a pally because they think WoW PvP is a lone-wolf game. If you have this mindset, then stop playing multiplayer games (notice the multi part). Don't bring that nonsense to a BG where Blizzard continuously tries to inject team mentality--much at the chagrin of people who fail to understand this. The day you get such people get their wish is the day a Holy Priest can waltz into Wintergrasp Fortress and conquer it singlehandedly.
Marveen May 22nd 2009 5:22AM
Hehe, I disagree with your article but this made me laugh so you get a thumbs-up:
"I cast self-fear and run for my life"
^^
hcksey May 21st 2009 5:14PM
RET IS OP
according to arena junkies the most gladiators are paladins.
Any class that can wear plate, heal, make themselves invincible PLUS do burst damage is OP.
DPS classes have been screwed over ever since BC. Since every spec has to be viable, every class except DPS classes can do 2 or 3 things.
turkeyspit May 21st 2009 5:24PM
Inside your skull is this thing called a Brain. I recommend using it for more then deciding which porn sites to visit.
Did it occur to you that all those Gladiator PALADINS might not have been specced Ret?
Why don't you actually look up those Gladiators, and about 80% or so of them will be Holy, and I'm being generous to Ret here.
You don't mean to tell me that you're dumb enough to not know that Holy Paladins were ruling in S5? Surely someone who thinks they know enough about WoW PvP to comment has done their research?
Charneldeath May 21st 2009 5:24PM
Paladins aren't all Ret. Don't be retarded. I bet most are holy. Check your facts, wear more then 300 resil and come back to troll.
Clbull May 21st 2009 5:44PM
Holy is a good spec right now in PvP, not burst wise, but perhaps survivability and healing wise. As for Retribution, it is extremely hard to defeat a Ret Paladin, unless you're in a group. This is a Hunter saying this.
They're unkiteable, meaning that any sort of slow we even try doing can be negated by Hand of Freedom or with Divine Shield, All it then takes is Repentence, a Judgement (Judgement of Command really comes into play as a pvp ability here due to the fact that it can crit on a stun), and maybe a few other instants to quickly wipe out the health bar.
Sure you could try outrunning and kiting, but once they're close enough to stun or incapacitate you and get into melee, they win.
GnomesScareMe May 21st 2009 7:06PM
Unkiteable? ret is the most kiteable spec in the game
Hal May 21st 2009 5:14PM
A few thoughts:
1) If Blizzard is trying to take the RNG out of PVP, then why did they make a PVP talent for the Prot tree for Seal of Justice?
2) Don't take away Exorcism from Prot! It's a major source of threat in PVE, very valuable as a "taunt" when you're trying to taunt multiple adds (i.e. When you're stuck on add duty in Obsidian Sanctum).
3) For that matter, can Prot have some love for PVP? I was so excited to be viable in PVP in the run-up to 3.1, and now that it's here . . . I'm underwhelmed. The best thing we have going for us is the silence on Avenger's Shield. Most everything else is not terribly helpful, and we run out of mana too fast for "survivability" to really be any sort of boon. And would it kill them to put a PVP shield into the game?
Kvothe May 21st 2009 5:22PM
I agree that Prot shouldn't lose Exorcism, but why does Zack's idea have to be mutually exclusive from letting Prot have it? Instead of doing what Zack suggests and make it only usable on a target with a debuff, allow it to be used without the debuff, but for less damage/lack of the secondary effect he suggests. That way, Rets would still want to save it for after they've gotten their debuff up, but Prot could still use it exactly the way they have been.
Holmel May 21st 2009 5:19PM
Paladins are the top pvp class 1 on 1, you don't deserve more damage, more heals, or better tanking abilities. Enjoy what you have been given when you rolled and stop trying to take over everyone's tiny niche, because many people want you nerfed.
turkeyspit May 21st 2009 5:21PM
Clearly WoW PvP is balanced around 1v1....
...oh wait. No, it's not. In fact, it's not even balanced around 2v2.
The amount of morons like you who play (and cry about) this game really diminishes my hope for the future of the human race.
Ollal May 21st 2009 5:54PM
turkeyspit,
Basic literacy which includes reading comprehension should be your first goal in life, delay your concern for the future of humanity until you can get out of your high chair. I never said wow balanced itself around 1 on 1 pvp. But 1 on 1 domination is what Paladins were blessed with, if you want something else reroll.
turkeyspit May 21st 2009 5:19PM
Saying that a Retributions DPS rotation is mind-numbingly easy is an oversimplification.
Yes, to do Damage we only have a few buttons to push, but in a Raiding environment I am regularly using:
Judgement (damage)
Crusader Strike (damage)
Divine Storm (damage)
Exorcism (damage)
Consecration (damage)
Hammer of Wrath (damage)
Avenging Wrath (damage multiplier)
Sacred Shield
Divine Plea
Flash of Light (off AoW Procs)
That's 10 abilities right there.
On certain fights, I get to toss in
Divine Sacrifice / Hand of Sacrifice + Divine Shield
Hand of Freedom
Cleanse
Which brings us to 13 buttons.
Feral Kitty DPS which is the hardest DPS Rotation in the game (according to Blizz) pushes how many buttons?
6? 7?
So yeah, just arbitrarily saying "Ret DPS is too simple, moar hard plz" is stupid. We do far more then just DPS. I do agree that some improvements need to be made, but just trying to make Ret Rotations harder to yield the same result will accomplish nothing but kill off some of our utility.
Kvothe May 21st 2009 7:46PM
They don't call it simple because it has too few buttons to push; they call it simple because there is no real trick to it. No debuffs to maintain on the target, no procs to watch for, etc. The problem that they feel is that Rets "push buttons and damage happens". There is no interaction between abilities.
That being said, this is only Blizzard's opinion on the matter. I'm fine with the rotation exactly how it is.
Clbull May 21st 2009 5:54PM
Its not just about how many buttons are pressed. Its also about when you press them and how you time your abilities. Thats one thing that can make Feral DPS harder.
Sure, Paladins may have at least 10 abilities that are needed to DPS... but many of them are instants on short/moderate cooldowns.
Judgement - 10 second CD (8 when talented)
Crusader Strike - 6 second CD
Divine Storm - 10 second CD
Consecration - 8 second CD
Exorcism - 15 second CD
But I do agree with you, Making rotations harder or more complicated to yield the same or a lesser result isn't going to fix things as well.
Lemons May 21st 2009 6:22PM
Wtf cares how many buttons you have to press? You could have 100 buttons to press and it wouldn't matter. If none of your attacks rely on another you could simply bind them all to a different key on your keyboard and faceroll (Which I'm assuming is what you already do with your 13 buttons).
If I tried that shit as a Rogue I'd end up dropping my SnD, I'd be doing 1 or 2 cp finishers, and basically my dps would be shit. That is the difference between a complex rotation and a simple rotation...not the number of buttons.
QQinsider May 22nd 2009 12:32AM
Finally you show what kind of an idiot you really are by comparing the complexity of a feral cat dps rotation with ret paladin based on number of buttons pushed. You really don't have a clue do you?