[EN] Ret Paladin 5.4.8 PvP In depth guide.

[Wafty]

Greetings!You probably will wonder why I am making a Ret Paladin PvP Guide?
Well the reason is nowadays it's uncommon to see Ret Paladin in PvP,
simply because people think it's not reliable and can't survive that much long.
Well thats why I am making this guide,to prove to you guys that Ret Pala can be viable,
if played correctly.

Of course there still might me some English mistakes or incorrect information,which you
can always mention it in the topic so I can fix it as soon as possible.


Paladin's Arsenal
Inquisition - Your most important damage buff.Always try to keep it up.It gives you Critical Chance and bonus damage to your abilities.
Execution Sentence - Can be used either for healing or doing damage,depending on the situation.You should always try to use with trinket procs.
Hand of Sacrifice - Also a very important ability that you shouldn't forget to use.It can be used to reduce damage on your partner,
if he is getting tunneled or it can be used to remove Magic CC(Fears,Traps,Blind,Polymorph etc.)
Divine Protection - This is your wall ability - Reduces Magic damage by 40% if unglyphed,and 20% Magic damage and 20% Physical damage if glyphed(can be used in stun).
Blinding Light - A CC ability that can be broken by attacks.It does not share DR with most of your partner's CC(Polymorph,Trap,Hex),but it shares DR with Fears.
Fist of Justice - Your most important CC ability.You will be using it a lot.It is dispellable and it's recommended to be used on healers.
Cleanse - Pretty much only useful for dispelling DoTs and Wyvern Sting.
Hand of Freedom - Removes all of your movement imparing effects for 6sec.Can be dispelled and purged.Don't forget to use it on your partner as well.
Hand of Protection - Stops all physical damage.It can also be used to remove certain CC like:Scatter,Warrior's Stuns,Warrior's Fears,Rogue's Blind,Sap and most importantly Touch of Karma.
Devotion Aura - Reduces 20% of Magical Damage and you become immune to silences and interrupts.Definitely use it if your partner needs to free cast.You can use it as well while you are silenced.
Guardian of Ancient Kings - An important burst ability.Best used 10sec before your burst,because it stacks up strength.You should be careful while having it up,because most of the times it can break CC.



1.Talents


:Level 15:

Speed of Light :
Increases your movement speed by 70% for 8 sec.

It's not very useful in arenas,expect if you are not facing Range dps which you can't reach with Judgment.


Long Arm of the Law :
Increases your movement speed by 45% for 3 sec after successful Judgment

Probably the most useful talent on this level so far,because the judgment cooldown is around 5secs
and you gonna use it more often.

Pursuit of Justice :
You gain 15% movement speed as passive and increases by 5% by the current charge of Holy power,which allows up to 3.

You can't rely on it,because you are going to put your Holy Power into Templar's Verdict or Word of Glory most of the time.


:Level 30:

Fist of Justice :
Stuns the target for 6secs.

The best talent on this level,because it has 30sec cooldown and the range is 20yd.

Repentance :
Its incapacitating the enemy for 8sec,and can be broken by damaging the target.

Back in cata was good,but now with that 1.5sec cast time just forget about it.


Evil is a Point of View :
With this talent your Turn Evil can fear a target for 7sec.

Basically acts like Priest's fear with 1.2sec cast time,and can be "broken" by damaging the target.


:Level 45:

Selfless Healers :
A successful judgment reduces the cast time and mana cost for the next Flash of Light by 35%,which stacks up to 3 times.

Really good talent,you should definitely use all the time.Why is it good?Well simply because with 3 Judgments your Flash of Light
becames instant,which means you can cast it while you are moving.Really useful when you are kiting,which you gonna do most of the time.

Eternal Flame :
Acts like Word of Glory but it also puts HoT which heals around 2,000 every 2sec for 30sec.

Used with Divine Purpose (Level 75 Talent) it can give you the best survivability.

Sacred Shield :
Absorbs around 20,000 damage every 5sec for 30sec

Probably the worst talent here,since it can be broken really fast.


:Level 60:

Hand of Purity :
Reduces damage taken on target by 10% and damage from DoTs by additional 80%

You can find good use from it vs classes such as:Affliction Warlocks,Elemental Shamans etc.

Unbreakable Spirit :
Reduces the cooldown of Divine Shield and Divine Protection by 50%(I don't mention Lay of Hands here,since it can't be used in arenas)

It's good if you are fighting double caster or Death Knights.Combined with [Glyph of Divine Shield] your bubble basically acts like Lay of Hands.

Clemency :
Basically all your Hand spells(Hand of Freedom,Hand of Protection etc.)can be used twice in a row.

You get the idea of that.You are more harder to be rooted,slowed etc.And you can HoP your part twice if he is dying.


:Level 75:

Holy Avenger :
Your abilities that generates Holy Power,will deal 30% extra damage and healing and it will also generate 3 charged of Holy Power.

The best talent for burst.Very offensive gameplay,if stacked with Wings,Trinket proc etc.

Sanctified Wrath :
Avenging Wrath lasts 50% longer and reduces the cooldown of Hammer of Wrath by 50%

Not the best talent on this level,but you can make use from it if you are being kited a lot,and need extra healing.

Divine Purpose :
Your abilities has 25% chance to cause your next Holy Power ability not to consume Holy Power.

As I said on Level 45,combined with Eternal Flame it can give you the best survivability.


:Level 90:

Holy Prism :
Sends a beam towards enemy dealing around 40,000 damage and also heals 5 nearby allies within 15 yard.
If its used on ally,the effect is reversed healing 40,000 and dealing damage to 5 nearby enemys within 15 yards.

It's good if you are playing with Mage on 2v2s,since you can heal and deal damage to nearby enemys.

Light's Hammer :
Deals AoE damage and also heals allies standing next to it.

No need to comment.The worst talent on this Level.

Execution Sentence :
Deals around 100,000 damage over 10sec on the enemy.Acts like a DoT,and if its dispelled it will instantly deal 100,000.
If it's used on Ally it will heal them for 100,000 over 10sec,and if its dispelled it will instantly heal 100,000

The best talent here,since you can provide offensive and deffensive gameplay with it.Combined with your guardian and trinket procs,
it can provide even greater damage/healing,because it snapshots your Strength.



2.Glyphs
:Prime Glyphs:
[Glyph of Divine Shield] - Basically acts like Lay of Hands,because it heals you 10% of your HP for every DoT that you have.
Strongly recommended to use it all the time.
[Glyph of Divine Protection] - Reduces the Magical Damage Reduction by 20%,but it also provides 20% Physical Damage Reduction.
You should definitely use it when you are facing Melee class.

[Glyph of Templar's Verdict] - You take 10% less damage for 6sec,everytime you use Templar's Verdict or Exorcism.
Pretty much pointless,
since it's duration is only 6sec,and if you are kiting(which you gonna do most of the time) you must hit something to get the effect.
[Glyph of Burden of Guilt] - Every time you use Judgment,it also reduces your enemy's movement speed by 50% for 2sec.
You should use it
when you don't have slow on your team.
[Glyph of Word of Glory] - Increases your damage by 3% per Holy Power spent after you cast WoG or Eternal Flame for 6sec.
Very good glyph,
providing you with extra damage while you are bursting or kiting to heal yourself.If it's used with Eternal Flame and Divine Purpose you can get probably
the best offensive and survival gameplay.
[Glyph of Double Jeopardy] - Increases damage dealt on your Judgement by 20% if it's used twice and the second time is on other target.
You should use
it when you are playing Vanguards, because you are going to switch targets a lot.
:Major Glyphs:
Just choose whatever you want,doesn't matter here.


3.Stats
There are two different playstyles,depending on which you feel more comfortably.(Haste and Mastery)
- Haste Build:
3%Hit>Strength>Haste>Crit>Mastery>Everything else
This is most preferable playstyle,because it can provide you more frequent use on Flash of Light,and it also reduces the CD on some of your main spells.

- Mastery Build:

3%Hit>Strength>Mastery>Crit>Haste>Everything else
Good only when you are bursting,since it can provide you with extra Holy Damage from your Main spells(Crusade Strike,Templar's Verdict etc.)
Again,I don't recommend it since you can get 3,000(10%) Mastery from Blessing of Might.


4.Reforging
It all depends from your playstyle you choose,but anyway I'll give an example with the Haste build(You can replace haste reforges to Mastery)
If an item has:
-Mastery and Expertise - Reforge from Expertise to Haste
-Crit and Expertise - Reforge from Expertise to Haste
-Haste and Expertise - Reforge from Expertise to Crit
-Haste and Crit - Leave it
-Haste and Mastery - Reforge Mastery to Crit
-Mastery and Critical - Reforge Mastery to Haste
-Hit and Critical - Reforge Hit to Haste (if you are Hit Capped already)
-Hit and Mastery - Reforge Hit to Haste (if you are Hit Capped already)


5.Enchanting
Shoulders - 200 Strength and 100 Critical Strike
Back - 180 Critical Strike or 180 Hit (if not hit capped)
Chest - Glorious Stats
Bracer - 180 Strength
Gloves - 170 Strength
Belt - Living Steel Belt Buckle
Legs - 285 Strength and 165 Critical Strike
Boots - 175 Haste
Weapon - Glorious Tyranny


6.Gems
Meta: 665 PvP Power and 775 PvP Resilience
Red: 160 Strength
Orange: 80 Strength and 160 Haste / 160 Mastery (Depends on your playstyle)
Yellow: 320 Haste (If you really need that much haste)
Purple: 80 Strength and 80 PvP Power .


7.Gear
Neck - Chocker of Accuracy
Back - Cloak of Alacrity
Bracer - Armplates of Alacrity
Belt - Girdle of Prowess
Boots - Warboots of Alacrity
Trinkets - Insignia of Victory and Badge of Victory
Can you use PvE trinkets?The answer is No.Remember that you get Bonus PvP Power from having the PvP trinkets,although the PvE ones can give you 2x or 3x more Strength.


8.Macros
- Burst
/cast Avenging Wrath
/cast Holy Avenger

- Execution Sentence on yourself
/cast [target=Player] Execution Sentence

- Divine Shield on/off
/cancelaura Divine Shield
/cast Divine Shield

- Focus Fist of Justice
/cast [target=Focus] Fist of Justice

- Focus Rebuke
#showtooltip Rebuke
/cast [target=Focus] Rebuke

Macros to Help your teammates:

- Hand of Freedom for your Part
#showtooltip Hand of Freedom
/cast [target=Party1] Hand of Freedom


- Hand of Protection for your Part
#showtooltip Hand of Protection
/cast [target=Party1] Hand of Protection

- Hand of Sacrifice for your Part
#showtooltip Hand of Sacrifice
/cast [target=Party1] Hand of Sacrifice

- WoG or Eternal Flame for your Part
#showtooltip Word of Glory
/cast [target=Party1] Word of Glory

- Flash of Light for your Part
/cast [target=Party1] Flash of Light

- Execution Sentence for your Part
/cast [target=Party1] Execution Sentence


9.Rotations
Like you always hear that there is not basic rotation for PvP.Yes it might be true,but since MoP came out,it's only about bursting in arenas.Having said that,you will need some kind of rotation:
-Rotation for offensive start.
Guardian of Ancient Kings-Judgment(to gain speed if the target is far away)-Exorcism-Crusade Strike-Inquisition-Use your Trinket(Badge of Victory)-Execution Sentence
Why Guardian from start?Because you will need to get your stacks from it as soon as possible,and then use your trinket to the max potential from Execution Sentence which will deal around 100,000 damage,
even if you are not attacking the target.
P.S Keep in mind that Execution Sentence and Badge of Victory has the same cooldown of 1min,which means you can do really unpredictable damage.


10.Viable Comps for 2v2s
Paladin with Mage
The best comp so far.Good CC,incredible peeling and lots of unexpected damage.

Paladin with Hunter
Decent amount of CC,very strong vs Heal/Dps comp.Also very weak vs DKs.

Paladin with Feral Druid
Good vs Heal/Dps comp.Lots of healing and kiting.The best comp for survivability,but doesn't have that much CC.



Hope you liked the guide,if have any questions feel free to ask me in the topic.Thanks for reading.