Playstyle & Rotation
The Ret paladin rotation is rather simple and straight forward. You’ll be following a priority list in your mind rather than a set rotation.
But before we get to that, there are a few rules to follow as a general guideline:
- Prioritize using generators over spenders, as long as you’re not going to overcap on Holy Power. Try to keep in mind that if you’re playing Crusading Strikes your auto attacks will generate 1 Holy Power, so do your best not to waste it.
- Try to maintain Expurgation and Judgement debuffs on your target, as it’ll massively increase your damage overall, especially your spenders.
Currently Templar is recommended for both Mythic+ and Raid.
Templar Opener
Your opener is as follows:
- Avenging Wrath (Skip if Radiant Glory is talented)
- On-use items such as trinkets and your Tempered Potion
- Divine Toll
- Execution Sentence
- Wake Of Ashes
- Hammer Of Light
Then continue following the priority list.
The opener for Templar does not change for ST or AoE scenarios, so this is the only one you’ll be needing.
Templar Single Target Priority
- Avenging Wrath (Skip this step if you’re playing Radiant Glory)
- Execution Sentence
- Hammer Of Light
- Final Verdict with 5 Holy Power or 4 if you’re about to auto attack with Crusading Strikes talented.
- Wake Of Ashes
- Divine Toll
- Blade Of Justice if your target doesn’t have Expurgation
- Hammer Of Wrath
- Judgment if you’re sitting on 2 charges.
- Final Verdict with 4 Holy Power
- Blade Of Justice
- Judgment
- Divine Storm if Empyrean Power proc
- Final Verdict at 3 Holy Power
- Templar Strikes & Templar Slash if talented
Templar AoE Priority
This should be followed at 2+ targets if you’re specced into AoE talents, 3+ targets if you’re in your ST raid talents.
- Avenging Wrath (Skip this step if you’re playing Radiant Glory)
- Execution Sentence
- Hammer Of Light (Skip this step if you’re playing Herald of the Sun)
- Divine Storm with 5 Holy Power or 4 if you’re about to auto attack with Crusading Strikes talented.
- Wake Of Ashes
- Divine Toll
- Blade Of Justice if your target doesn’t have Expurgation
- Hammer Of Wrath
- Judgment if you’re sitting on 2 charges.
- Divine Storm with 4 Holy Power
- Blade Of Justice
- Judgment
- Final Verdict with Empyrean Legacy
- Divine Storm at 3 Holy Power
- Templar Strikes & Templar Slash if talented
Herald of the Sun Opener
Your opener is as follows:
- Avenging Wrath (Skip if Radiant Glory is talented)
- On-use items such as trinkets and your Tempered Potion
- Hammer Of Wrath
- Execution Sentence
- Final Verdict
- Wake Of Ashes
- Final Verdict
- Divine Toll
Then continue following the priority list.
Herald of the Sun AoE Opener
- Avenging Wrath (Skip if Radiant Glory is talented)
- On-use items such as trinkets and your Tempered Potion
- Hammer Of Wrath
- Execution Sentence
- Divine Storm
- Wake Of Ashes
- Divine Storm
- Divine Toll
Then continue following the priority list.
Herald of the Sun Single Target Priority
- Avenging Wrath (Skip this step if you’re playing Radiant Glory)
- Execution Sentence
- Final Verdict with 5 Holy Power or 4 if you’re about to auto attack with Crusading Strikes talented.
- Wake Of Ashes
- Divine Toll
- Blade Of Justice if your target doesn’t have Expurgation
- Hammer Of Wrath
- Judgment if you’re sitting on 2 charges.
- Final Verdict with 4 Holy Power
- Blade Of Justice
- Judgment
- Divine Storm if Empyrean Power proc
- Final Verdict at 3 Holy Power
- Templar Strikes & Templar Slash if talented
Herald of the Sun AoE Priority
This should be followed at 2+ targets if you’re specced into AoE talents, 3+ targets if you’re in your ST raid talents.
- Avenging Wrath (Skip this step if you’re playing Radiant Glory)
- Execution Sentence
- Divine Storm with 5 Holy Power or 4 if you’re about to auto attack with Crusading Strikes talented.
- Wake Of Ashes
- Divine Toll
- Blade Of Justice if your target doesn’t have Expurgation
- Hammer Of Wrath
- Judgment if you’re sitting on 2 charges.
- Divine Storm with 4 Holy Power
- Blade Of Justice
- Judgment
- Final Verdict with Empyrean Legacy
- Divine Storm at 3 Holy Power
- Templar Strikes & Templar Slash if talented
Defensives
With the recent changes Shield Of Vengeance and Divine Protection have been combined. The Shield Of Vengeance talent now causes your Divine Protection to further reduce damage taken by 10% and automatically casts Shield Of Vengeance, resulting in us losing a defensive button.
However, we have received another new talent, Guided Prayer. This talent will automatically cast Word Of Glory on yourself at 60% effectiveness, when your health is brought below 25%. This effect has a 60 seconds cooldown.
Furthermore, in prepatch, we won’t have enough talent points available to get everything in the Templar tree, effectively losing another defensive, Sacrosanct Crusade. This issue will be fixed once Midnight comes out.
Until then, you’ll be left with Divine Protection, Divine Shield and Lay On Hands as your active defensive tools.
Luckily, we have a plethora of passive defensive talents, namely Sanctified Plates, Faith's Armor, Empyreal Ward, Holy Aegis and Obduracy. Most of which might seem like tiny defensive increases, but can be rather potent when used simultaneously.