Blizzard have gone in-depth on today’s changes to Retribution on the PTR, detailing all the improvements, from total number of buttons to stacking modifiers, utility and more.
Retribution (Source)
With today’s PTR update, we’re moving toward providing Retribution Paladins with options to invest in certain abilities, damage profile and damage types, while also increasing their survivability and trying to put them on a fairer playing field regarding movement.
Buttons
We’ve reduced the number of total buttons that you’ll be able to acquire as a specialization at one time. We’ve accomplished this through a variety of means: some abilities have been removed, some that felt redundant are choice nodes opposite one another, a number of abilities can now be talented to override existing abilities, and in a few cases we replaced abilities are granted for free as a secondary function of another.
Stacking Modifiers
We’ve made significant changes to reduce the amount of stacking modifiers available. To accomplish this, we’ve removed abilities that felt like they were doubling up in purpose, such as Seraphim and have also removed several small maintenance buffs and debuffs that we feel were not providing rewarding gameplay. The lost damage from this will be rerouted to core abilities, cooldowns and new talents as part of our future tuning.
Survivability
The Paladin class tree has seen a substantial update alongside our Retribution rework, through this and updates to the Retribution tree itself there should now be a number of options to help Paladins survive more while participating in various types of content.
Maneuverability
We aren’t done with maneuverability yet; we have a few ideas we’re currently exploring internally and will have more to share here in the future. Additionally, we’ve removed Divine Steed from the GCD, since Retribution Paladins rely on this as their major movement ability. Retribution Paladins now receive Blessing of Freedom for free as a part of their Specialization and can talent into a new talent “Unbound Freedom” which provides increased movement speed.
Utility
As previously detailed, Retribution Aura has been redesigned to benefit your group or raid. In addition to this and as a result of the updates to the Paladin class tree, it should now be easier to acquire talents that will provide a benefit to your group or raid.
In the 10.0.7 PTR, we currently have some
Known Issues
Tuning is in progress and several talents / abilities are likely undertuned and overtuned.
Divine Hammer does not benefit from some Consecration talents.
Improved Crusader Strike is not granting an extra charge to Blessed Hammer.
Blessed Champion and Commanding Judgement do not receive the correct damage reductions.
Executioner’s Will is not correctly functioning with Final Reckoning
Physical Presence and Searing Light will have more functionality / purpose.
Penitence and spells that benefit from it are not currently functioning.
Punishment is not correctly functioning.
Lightforged Blessing is not currently affecting allies.
Consecrated Blade and Divine Hammer are not correctly replacing consecration.
Jurisdiction and Unbound Freedom PVP talents will be removed as their effects are now built into the talent tree.
Consecrated Blade and Divine Hammers incorrectly require 20 talent points to be spent.
We look forward to hearing your feedback on the individual talents 34, layout, pathing and how fun you feel the builds you can create are.
