Welcome to our PVE Ret Paladin DPS guide for WoW TBC. This guide will show you what you need to know to play a Ret Paladin in dungeons and raids. This guide covers everything from talents to consumables. 

Talents

This is the standard Ret Paladin build for Dungeons and Raids. Once you reach high tier raids, you may want to adjust this build to match your gear and raid composition.

We only have 1/2 Improved Judgement, if you are a new player though 2/2 Improved Judgement will make your rotation much easier.

Having two talent points in Pursuit of Justice allows you to use the Formula: Enchant Boots – Dexterity enchant on your boots. Otherwise you should use the Enchant Boots – Cat’s Swiftness enchant.

Most of the time your raid will have a holy paladin who has Improved Blessing of Might. You may want to take this talent for dungeons where you are the only paladin though.

Blessing of Kings isn’t exactly from your tree but it is a welcome addition to any party. Blessing of Might requires 5 talent points and doesn’t do the spell casters any good.

I recommend using this standard build and once you get more experience playing a Paladin you can adjust it and make your own.

Gems

Gems can change based on your build, equipment and caps. You may need to adjust your gems to account for your gear.

• Meta: Relentless Earthstorm Diamond 
• Red:  Bold Crimson Spinel or Bold Living Ruby
• Blue: Sovereign Shadowsong Amethyst or Sovereign Nightseye
• Yellow:  Etched Fire Opal or Inscribed Pyrestone, Enscribed Fire Opal or Inscribed Noble Topaz 

As far as yellow gems go, Etched Fire Opal is used to get your required hit rating. Inscribed Pyrestone, Enscribed Fire Opal or Inscribed Noble Topaz are used to complete any socket bonuses that seem worth getting. Outside of those, you should fill all yellow sockets with red gems.

We only use blue sockets to activate our meta gem. You should only use as many blue gems as required for your meta gem and fill the rest with red gems.

Enchants

You may need to adjust your enchants to your gear. 

• Head: Glyph of Ferocity
• Shoulder: Greater Inscription of the Blade or Greater Inscription of Vengeance 
• Back: Enchant Cloak – Greater Agility 
• Chest: Enchant Chest – Exceptional Stats 
• Bracers: Enchant Bracer – Brawn 
• Gloves: Enchant Gloves – Major Strength
• Legs: Nethercobra Leg Armor 
• Boots: Enchant Boots – Dexterity or Enchant Boots – Cat’s Swiftness 
• Weapon: Enchant Weapon – Mongoose or possibly Enchant Weapon – Executioner

If you have enchanting, Enchant Ring – Stats is really good to have on both rings.

BiS gear list

• Head: Coif of Alleria
• Shoulder: Demontooth Shoulderpads
• Cloak: Cloak of Unforgivable Sin
• Chest: Bladed Chaos Tunic
• Bracers: Lightbringer Bands
• Gloves: Thalassian Ranger Gauntlets
• Waist: Lightbringer Girdle
• Legs: Leggings of the Immortal Night
• Boots: Lightbringer Boots
• Weapon: Apolyon, the Soul-Render
• Libram: Libram of Avengement for Horde, Alliance should swap to Libram of Divine Judgement
• Neck: Hard Khorium Choker
• Ring: Band of Ruinous Delight
• Ring: Hard Khorium Band
• Trinket: Blackened Naaru Sliver
• Trinket – Shard of Contempt

If you are interested in a Pre-Raid Bis gear list for your Ret Paladin, check out our guide here.

Stat Priority

• Hit (9%, 3% from Precision talent)
• weapon speed of 3.5 or higher

If you are a part of the Alliance you will be using Seal of Command. Your stat priority will be:

1. Strength
2. Armor Penetration
3. Haste

If you are a part of the Horde you will be using Seal of Blood. Your stat priority will be:

1. Strength
2. Haste
3. Armor Penetration

The priority is different because Seal of Blood benefits more from haste while Seal of Command benefits more from Armor Pen.

Rotation

Maintain  Seal of Blood / Seal of Command to keep them up all the time.

Spam Crusader Strike and Judgement on cooldown.

If you have the excess mana and time you can use Consecration. This skill is not very useful on boss fights but can be helpful on the trash before bosses.

During a fight you should use Sanctity Aura although sometimes you will be required to use Devotion Aura.

Professions

• Leatherworking – Allows you to craft Nethercobra Leg Armor which are great leg enchants. You can also further increase your raid utility by crafting Drums of Battle.
• Enchanting – Allows you to Enchant Ring – Stats on each ring for a total of 8 extra stats.
• Alchemy – Assassin’s Alchemist Stone is useful at first but will replaced soon enough. You will also be able to make Flask of Relentless Assault, Elixir of Demonslaying, or Haste Potion which can be very useful.

Welcome to our PVE Protection Paladin guide for WoW TBC. This guide will show you what you need to know to Tank as a Prot Paladin in dungeons and raids. This guide covers everything from talents to consumables. 

Talents

This is the standard Protection Paladin build for TBC.

There isn’t a lot that can be swapped around but one thing you could trade would be Improved Judgement and Blessing of Kings for Pursuit of Justice. Holy paladins usually have Blessing of Kings, so you won’t need it in a raid setting but it can be helpful in dungeons.

Gems

Gems can change based on your build, equipment and caps. You may need to adjust your gems to account for your gear.

• Meta: Eternal Earthstorm Diamond or Powerful Earthstorm Diamond
• Red: Shifting Shadowsong Amethyst (only for socket bonus)
• Blue: Solid Empyrean Sapphire 
• Yellow: Enduring Seaspray Emerald or Rigid Lionseye 

Blue gems are only worth it to activate your meta gem. After your meta gem requirement has been met fill blue sockets with red gems.

Enchants

You may need to adjust your enchants to your gear. 

• Head: Glyph of the Defender
• Shoulder: Greater Inscription of Warding or Greater Inscription of the Knight 
• Back: Dodge
• Chest: Exceptional Health
• Bracers: Major Defense or Fortitude 
• Gloves: Threat or Heavy Knothide Armor Kit 
• Legs: Nethercleft Leg Armor 
• Boots: Boar’s Speed or Fortitude 
• Weapon: Major Spellpower 
• Shield: Shield Block or Major Stamina 

If you pick up enchanting you can benefit from Enchant Ring – Spellpower on both rings. Spell power is crucial for Prot Paladin threat generation.

Stat Priority

• Defense (490 raid cap)
• Stamina
• Spell Damage
• Block Value

Defense cap is 490 and can be increased through Block Rating, Dodge Rating and Parry Rating.

Hit and Spell hit are also useful stats that help your threat generation.

Rotation

First Keep Righteous Fury up and use the appropriate Auras.

You would use Retribution Aura against physical encounters and Resistance auras against magic damage encounters.

Your rotation is as follows:

• Pull with Seal of the crusader
• Holy Shield
• Avenging Wrath
• Avenger’s Shield 
• Judgement

Apply Seal of Vengeance or Seal of Righteousness based on your faction.

Keep Holy Shield and Consecration up at all times.

Follow every Judgement with a Seal due to this not triggering a global cool down.

Consumables

Below is a list of consumables which help in any raid.

• Potion: Super Mana Potion, Super Healing Potion 
• Flask: Flask of Fortification or Flask of Blinding Light
• Elixir: Elixir of Major Defense and Elixir of Major Agility or Elixir of Mastery 
• Oil: Superior Wizard Oil 
• Food: Spicy Crawdad or Fisherman’s Feast 
• Drums: Drums of Battle, Drums of Restoration

Professions

• Enchanting – Enchanting both of your rings with Spellpower will give you 24 extra spell power! You can also save money by enchanting your own gear.
• Jewelcrafting – Great gold making choice and you can make your own gems early on. It can also provide starter trinkets, rings neck’s and epic gems.
• Alchemy – Alchemy is great because you can create your own consumables. This can bring their cost down while giving you a boost over tanks that don’t use them.
• Blacksmithing – While this sounds good on paper and will provide you with some starter gear.. It’s very expensive to level and your end game gear will mostly come from drops due to being a paladin instead of a warrior.