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Retribution Paladin Midnight Playstyle and Rotation Guide

Patch 12.0.1 Last Updated: 24th Mar, 2026
Seqq Author Avatar
Seqq
Playstyle
Cooldowns
Defensives

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.

However, there are a few rules to follow as a general guideline:

  1. 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.
  2. 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 with Execution Sentence Opener

  1. Blade Of Justice
  2. Judgement
  3. Avenging Wrath
  4. On-use items such as trinkets and your combat potion
  5. Execution Sentence
  6. Wake Of Ashes
  7. Hammer Of Light
  8. Divine Toll

Then continue following the priority list.

Templar Radiant Glory Opener

  1. Blade Of Justice
  2. Judgement
  3. On-use items such as trinkets and your combat potion
  4. Wake Of Ashes
  5. Hammer Of Light
  6. Divine Toll

The openers for Templar does not change from ST to AoE scenarios, so this is the only one you’ll be needing.

Templar Single Target Priority

  1. Avenging Wrath (Skip this step if you’re playing Radiant Glory)
  2. Execution Sentence (Skip this step if not talented)
  3. Hammer Of Light
  4. Final Verdict with 5 Holy Power or 4 if you’re about to auto attack with Crusading Strikes talented.
  5. Wake Of Ashes
  6. Divine Toll
  7. Blade Of Justice if your target doesn’t have Expurgation or with Art Of War proc
  8. Final Verdict with 4 Holy Power
  9. Blade Of Justice
  10. Judgment / Hammer Of Wrath
  11. Divine Storm if Empyrean Power proc
  12. Final Verdict at 3 Holy Power
  13. Templar Strike & Templar Slash if talented

Templar AoE Priority

This should be followed at 2+ Targets if you’re specced into ALL AoE talents, 3+ if you’re in any other build.

  1. Avenging Wrath (Skip this step if you’re playing Radiant Glory)
  2. Execution Sentence (Skip this step if not talented)
  3. Hammer Of Light
  4. Divine Storm with 5 Holy Power or 4 if you’re about to auto attack with Crusading Strikes talented.
  5. Wake Of Ashes
  6. Divine Toll
  7. Blade Of Justice if your target doesn’t have Expurgation or with Art Of War proc
  8. Divine Storm with 4 Holy Power
  9. Blade Of Justice
  10. Judgment / Hammer Of Wrath
  11. Divine Storm at 3 Holy Power
  12. Templar Strike & Templar Slash if talented

Herald of the Sun Opener

Your opener is as follows, first for a ST scenario:

  1. Blade Of Justice
  2. Avenging Wrath
  3. On-use items such as trinkets and your combat potion
  4. Execution Sentence
  5. Wake Of Ashes
  6. Final Verdict
  7. Final Verdict
  8. Divine Toll

Then continue by following the priority list.

Herald of the Sun Single Target Priority

  1. Avenging Wrath (Skip this step if you’re playing Radiant Glory)
  2. Execution Sentence (Skip this step if not talented)
  3. Final Verdict with 5 Holy Power or 4 if you’re about to auto attack with Crusading Strikes talented.
  4. Wake Of Ashes
  5. Divine Toll
  6. Hammer Of Wrath with Art Of War proc
  7. Blade Of Justice if your target doesn’t have Expurgation or with Art Of War proc
  8. Final Verdict with 4 Holy Power
  9. Blade Of Justice
  10. Judgment / Hammer Of Wrath
  11. Divine Storm if Empyrean Power proc
  12. Final Verdict at 3 Holy Power
  13. Templar Strikes & Templar Slash if talented

Herald of the Sun AoE Priority

This should be followed at 2+ Targets if you’re specced into ALL AoE talents, 3+ if you’re in any other build.

  1. Avenging Wrath (Skip this step if you’re playing Radiant Glory)
  2. Execution Sentence (Skip this step if not talented)
  3. Divine Storm with 5 Holy Power or 4 if you’re about to auto attack with Crusading Strikes talented.
  4. Wake Of Ashes
  5. Divine Toll
  6. Hammer Of Wrath with Art Of War proc
  7. Blade Of Justice if your target doesn’t have Expurgation or with Art Of War proc
  8. Divine Storm with 4 Holy Power
  9. Hammer Of Wrath
  10. Blade Of Justice
  11. Judgment
  12. Divine Storm at 3 Holy Power
  13. Templar Strikes & Templar Slash if talented

Cooldowns

Our main offensive Cooldown is Avenging Wrath, which increases damage, healing and crit chance by 20%. When paired with the Crusade talent, you’ll also gain % haste per Holy Power spent, up to a maximum of 20%. Avenging Wrath should always be paired with Execution Sentence if talented.

The goal is to spend as much Holy Power as possible during Avenging Wrath and Execution Sentence, to stack up Crusade as fast as possible as well as making the final tick of Execution Sentence much more powerful.

Defensives

Retribution Paladin has quite a unique defensive toolkit, with access to abilities like Divine Protection, Divine Shield and Blessing Of Protection, as well as Wake Of Ashes doubling as a defensive if you’re playing Templar through the talent Sacrosanct Crusade.

Furthermore, the Paladin Class Tree is riddled with passive defensive nodes such as Guided Prayer, Obduracy, Sanctified Plates and Blessing Of Dusk.

Faith's Armor and Empyreal Ward require you to cast Word Of Glory or Lay On Hands respectively, for some extra armor which might not seem like much, but they can both be extremely strong when combined with the passives above.

The Paladin Class Tree also has a ton of group defensives through Auras, Blessing Of Protection, Blessing Of Sacrifice, Blessing Of Freedom and Lay On Hands.

Blessing Of Freedom might seem like an odd addition to the list of group defensives, but if pre-cast before the application of some slowing abilities, will completely negate the initial damage and the slow. This is especially useful if Unbound Freedom is talented, essentially granting you and an ally full immunity to a mechanic.

Righteous Protection has a unique interaction, allowing your party member to immune the application of poison and diseases, completely mitigating the application damage.

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