How to Swing The Light

Dec 24, 2008

We'llstillbekitedtohell,withnomeanstoclosethegaplikeanInterceptorSprint.We'retheonemeleeclasswithoutarealsnare,andwe'retheoneswithnorangedabilities.ToughnessandPursuitofJusticearenotthesolutions,either.InWrathoftheLichKing,DeathKnightswillbepullingthingsleftandrightwhilewewillbepantingacrosstheArenafloortryingtocatchupwithourtargets.IthappenedinArenasduringTheBurningCrusade,andit'llhappenagaininWrath.

Lastly,IwishBlizzardwouldtakealookatHolyDPS.Ifthey'rewonderingwhyeverybodyandhisuncleisnowaRetributionPaladin,itisn'tbecauseplayershatehealing.It'sbecauseHolyisextremelyunsatisfyingtoplayoffensively.WiththenerftoSealsacrosstheboard,thisfrustrationwillgrowevenfurther.ProtectionPaladinsaredeliriouswiththeirdamagenow,itshouldn'tbeasurprisetothemthatHolyPaladinssometimeswanttokillthings,too.

Thetruthis,something'swrongwithRetribution.There,Isaidit.I'membarrassedtosayitbecauseI'msupposedtobecelebratingit.I'vewaitedforRetributiontobeviableforsolongthatwhenthetimefinallyarrives,I'mdisgustedatmyselffornotbeinghappyaboutit.Well,I'mreallyhappy.ButnothappyaboutthefactthatverynearlyeveryPaladinisnowspeccedRetribution.I'mcertainlynothappyaboutthefactthatevenundergearedRetributionPaladinsareblowingthingsupintheBattlegroundsleftandright.WhenaRetributionPaladininbluescanburstdownaplayerwithover400ResiliencewithsomeRNG-andI'veseenthishappen-there'ssomethingterriblywrong.
TheproblemIhatetobreakittoyouRetributionPaladinswhosuddenlyfindthemselvesdominatingtheBattlegroundsandgettingDamageControlwithinthefirstfiveminutes-youdidn'tjustbecomegoodatPvPovernight.Really.WhenyoucrushthatSeason4WarriorwithyourSeason2mace,it'snot(necessarily)becauseyou'reawesome.Ifyousuddenlyfindthatotherplayers-well,otherplayerswhoaren'tRetadins,thatis-turnandrunatthesightofyou,trustmewhenIsayit'snotbecauseofyourCrusader'sScaledShoulders,andcertainlyisn'tyourOathkeeper.

DivineStormbeingnerfedtodealPhysicaldamageisaband-aidsolutiontoabiggerissue.I'dpreferthatitbeHolydamage,butrightnowRetributionburstisbeingtuneddownforPvP.AtleastBattlegroundPvP.InArenas,aRetributionPaladinisstillgoingtogetkitedbecauseit'sacoordinatedPvPenvironment.AndPaladinsarestillanincrediblykite-susceptibleclass.IntheBattlegrounds,wherechaosistheorderoftheday,aRetadincanwreakhavocbecauseofunmitigated,imbalancedburst.I'mupsetbecauseitfeelslikeitdoesn'ttakeanyskilltoplayanymore.

Nowadays,whenaRetadintopstheBattlegroundchartforKillingBlowsorDamageDone,it'snolongersomethingremarkable.Infact,it'skindofexpectedandboring.WhenIfilescreenshotsofgoodgamesnow,Ihavetoputitinafolderwiththeasterisk*postPatch3.0.2justtoremindmethatitmightnotbebecauseIplayedwellbutbecausethespecissimplytoogoodatLevel70.That'sthething-everythingistunedforLevel80rightnow.Allthe51-pointabilities,inparticular,areenvisionedforaLevel80environment.

Thesamegoesformydamageinraids.BeforeEchoesofDoom,wheneverI'dgetintotheTop5itwasbecauseIknewIwaspayingattentiontomyrotations.TheonlywayIwoulddowellwaswithalotofhardwork.IwouldthrowSealofBloodupexactlybetweenmymeleeswingtimer.ItookmyHastePotionsexactlywhenAvengingWrathandBloodlustBroochwerebothup.ItfeltgoodbecauseIknewIwasworkinghardandmakingapoint.Now,I'mnotsosure.Iworkjustashard,butIdon'tknowifI'mdoingwellorit'sthespec.

It'slikewhenMichaelSchumacherusedtowininFormula1,criticsusedtoaccusehimofdrivingthebestcar.OrMotoGP'sValentinoRossiwhenheusedtoraceandwinonHonda,promptinghimtoswitchtotheunprovenYamahajusttoshuthisdetractorsup.Iknowmotorsportsprobablyaren'tthebestanalogyforthis,butyouknowwhatImean.Ijustdon'twantpeopletothinkwe'redominatingBattlegroundsandtoppingRecountjustbecauseourspecisgodly.AsBlizzardsays-bringtheplayernottheclass,orinthiscase,spec.
Theproblematicsolution
Ofcourse,Blizzardwillbringoutthenerfbat.Iknowitfeelslikeakneejerkreaction,speciallywhenplayersruntotheforumscryingwiththeirtailsbetweentheirlegs.Andmanyofthemdon'tbothertomentionthattheygotwtfpwnedwhilewearingscrubgear.ItrustinBlizzardtochecktheirnumbers,buttheresponsefrightensme.InBetabuild9138,Paladinsgotnerfedtotheground.AndwhenIsay%26#8216;totheground',Imeaninsanely,ridiculously,soul-crushinglynerfed.Thesadthingis,I'mnotsureitactuallysolvestheproblem.

Foronething,thenerfsareappliedacrosstheboard,reducingthedamagedonebyallSeals,notjustSealofCommandorBlood/oftheMartyr.ThismeansthatallPaladinsofeveryspecwillbeaffectedbythechange.HolyPaladinsarealreadyhurtingonthedamageend,andthisnerfreducestheirdamageoutputevenmore.BlizzardhasbeentuningSealdamagedownwardsforseveralBetabuildsnow,andHolyPaladinskeephurtingbecauseofit.TheHolyspechasbeencryingoutforabonetobethrownitswaywithrespecttothis.

AnotherproblemaboutreducingRetributionburstisthatitdoesn'taddressouroldissuesinPvP.TheonlywayRetributionkillshealersthesedaysisbecauseofsuddenburst.InArenas,thisdoesn'tworkaswellbecausethere'scoordinatedmitigationandhealing.ReducingRetributionDPSbringsdamageoutputtomanageablelevelsbutwillbringkitabilityandspellinterruptionbackintoquestion.HandofFreedomhasn'tbeenun-nerfedeversincethekneejerkreactionfromSeason1.Idon'tcarewhatBlizzardsaysaboutthisone.ThenerftoBlessingofFreedomwasaskneejerkastheycome,withPaladinrepresentationinArenasdecliningsharplyinthefollowingthreeSeasons.

Paladinsstilldon'thaveareliableinterruptonanacceptablecooldown.Withdamagescaledbackdown,PaladinswillagainbeunabletokillhealersjustlikeinTheBurningCrusade.WhileIdon'tbelievethattheabilitytoinstagibhealerswasthesolution,nerfingRetributiondamageonlyrevealsthatBlizzardstillhasn'taddressedcoreissuesoftheclassorspec.We'reextremelykitableandwithoutanyoffensivedispels,wehaveproblemswithspellinterrupts.Thebestsolutionistotake18pointsinProtectionforImprovedHammerofJusticeandthe4-piecebonusfromPvPsets.Andthat'sjustaband-aid.

JudgementsoftheWisewasnerfedtoa15%returnofbasemanafrom33%.Thegoodnewsis,Judgementscostonly5%ofbasemana.ThismeansthatRetributionPaladinswillrunoutofmanaatsomepoint,butjudicious(pardonthepun)useofJudgementswillallowustostretchourresources.InPvE,thiswillworkoutjustfine,combinedwithReplenishmentandtheoccasionalpotion.InPvP,itbecomesaproblemagainstdrainmechanics-anotherkeyweaknessofthespecthatwillrearitsuglyheadoncemore.We'llsee.IhavetoseeitatworkinArenas(whereitusedtobeaproblem)beforeIcanactuallysaywhetherornotthisbreaksthetalentforPvP.

TheonlychangeIreallylikeisthechangetoRighteousVengeance,whichwillapplyperiodicdamagewitheveryJudgementorDivineStormcritinsteadofbiggerdamageupfront.TheeffectiveDPSisthesame,justnolongerasbursty.IlikeitbecausewegetaDoTwithoutbeingforcedtouseSealofVengance/Corruption.ThiswillbemoreusefultousinPvPthantheburst.

Bustupburst,butaddresstherest
IactuallysupportBlizzardintheirefforttoscaledowntheclass.Idon'tbelieveit'ssomeconspiracytheorytomakeRetadinsthelaughingstocksofthegameonceagain.Atthispoint,Ijustwanttheissuesthathavealwaysplaguedthespec-particularlyinPvP,whichBlizzardseemstowanttofix-eventuallyaddressed,aswell.Withnohealingdebufforspellinterrupt,aDruid'sHoTtickingforcrazyamountswillrenderRetributionDPSnegligible.

Tags:wrathoftheLichKing