Getting top-tier DPS on your Retribution Paladin isn't just about having good gear—you've got to understand why certain pieces work better than others. I've seen plenty of players with near-perfect BiS lists who still parse gray because they don't grasp how stats interact with their rotation.
This guide breaks down everything: what gear to hunt, which stats actually matter (and which ones don't, despite what trade chat tells you), and how to squeeze every bit of damage from your character. Let's get into it.
Here's the thing about ret stat priority—it's not as simple as "stack this one stat forever." Your priorities shift as you improve your gear, and what works in pre-raid blues might not be optimal once you're swimming in heroic tokens.
Primary Stats and Their Impact
Strength wins. Period. Each point gives you attack power that boosts literally everything you cast. Your Templar's Verdict? Hits harder. Crusader Strike? More damage. Even your auto-attacks benefit. When you're comparing two pieces of gear, the one with more strength usually wins even if the secondary stats look worse.
Stamina keeps you alive when the raid takes a dirt nap, but you shouldn't pick a lower item level piece just for stamina. Dead DPS do zero damage, but so do overly-cautious paladins who gear like tanks.
Secondary Stat Weights and Breakpoints
You'll hear this hierarchy thrown around: Hit Rating (to cap) > Expertise (to cap) > Haste > Mastery > Critical Strik...