At a Glance
Retribution Paladin is a two-handed melee DPS that combines a Holy Power resource with large burst windows. Most of the rotation is spent generating Holy Power, then dumping it into a roughly 2-minute burst alignment that pours out single-target and AoE damage at once. How cleanly you manage that burst window matters more in real-world DPS than almost any other variable, which is why Ret BIS choices generally converge on options that make the burst window stronger.
Why This Stat Priority
Because Ret is built around resource generation and cooldown alignment, Haste and Mastery usually sit at the top of the priority. Haste shortens builder casts and the global cooldown, increasing the number of GCDs you can fit inside a burst window, while Mastery scales the Holy damage portion of your key spenders directly. Crit and Versatility come next, but the exact order can shift based on your build and tier bonuses, so it's worth cross-checking the meta gear page distributions before committing.
Tier Set Notes
Paladin tier sets typically grant a small passive buff at the 2-piece and a larger rotation-affecting bonus at the 4-piece that empowers a key burst-window ability. As a result, 'non-set' BIS slots can look stronger before you complete the 4-piece, but the BIS list usually realigns toward set pieces the moment your 4-piece is online. Until then, prioritize collecting set pieces over filling the non-set BIS slots.
Trinket Selection
Ret trinkets generally split into two groups. On-use actives that line up with your burst window tend to win in single-target raid environments, while AoE-triggered passives and procs perform better on average in Mythic+ keys. The same trinket can land in different BIS tiers depending on whether your typical content is single-target or AoE-heavy, so check the raid vs Mythic+ distributions on the meta gear page before locking in a choice.
Farming Path
Ret's biggest single upgrades are your two-handed weapon and your 4-piece set. In your first week, prioritize bosses that drop two-handers at any difficulty, and run Mythic+ in parallel to fill missing tier slots. Once the 4-piece is complete, shift focus to closing the item-level gap on trinkets and non-set slots. If you have enough crafting knowledge, a crafted weapon or embellished slot is often the highest average upgrade per Spark.
When to Break BIS
Break the BIS list when (1) your two-handed weapon item level gap is large — a higher-ilvl weapon almost always wins regardless of the BIS pick, (2) your 4-piece is incomplete — leave non-set BIS slots empty if needed and equip set pieces first, (3) the content you actually play differs from the BIS list's assumption — adjust toward AoE-friendly trinkets and enchants if you live in Mythic+, or single-target options if you mostly raid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Retribution stronger in raids or in Mythic+?
It varies patch to patch, but Ret's strong burst window keeps it reliably high on single-target raid fights. In Mythic+ the AoE toolkit is solid, but defensive cooldowns and mobility are slightly tighter than some other melee, so the spec gets harder to play as keys scale up. Compare the raid vs Mythic+ distributions on the BISPath meta gear page to pick the option that fits your environment.
Gems and enchants aren't on the BIS page — how do I pick them?
You can find the actual top-ranked player picks for gems and enchants on the meta gear page. As a general rule, Ret slots all gems into your top stat (Haste or Mastery in most builds), and enchants prioritize weapon → chest → legs → boots in the most expensive options first. If your top stat is Haste, use Haste gems; if it's Mastery, use Mastery gems.