Paladin Talent Tree Updates on Dragonflight Alpha - Blue Post and Datamined Changes

Dragonflight Posted 2022/08/17 at 3:14 PM by Squishei

To learn about the best PvE talent builds in Dragonflight for this class, and export these builds into the game, please check out our Holy, Protection, and Retribution Paladin class guides:
Holy Paladin Talent BuildsProtection Paladin Talent BuildsRetribution Paladin Talent BuildsBlizzard Post

From today’s Alpha update notes:

Retribution

Divine Protection has been added as a choice node with Shield of Vengeance. Cooldown increased to 2 minutes.
Justicar’s Vengeance now costs 3 Holy Power and deals 7% less damage.
The talent locations of Ashes to Ashes and Divine Toll have been swapped.

Datamined Changes

Class Tools

Holy

Talents

Protection

Talents

Retribution

Talents

Imbue a friendly target with a Barrier of Faith, healing them for (65% of Spell power). For the next 18 sec, Barrier of Faith accumulates 20% of effective healing from your Flash of Light or Holy Light spells. Every 6 sec, the accumulated healing becomes an absorb shield.
Effect #1 NEW Effect #3 Apply Aura: Dummy Modifies Damage/Healing Done
Value: 0

Templar's Verdict extends the duration of your active Execution Sentence on the target by 1 sec.
The remainingCannot extend the duration of an active Execution Sentence cannot exceed 8 sec.more than 8 sec.

Blasts the target with Holy Light, causing (100% of Attack power) Holy damage and burns the target for an additional (23% of Attack power) Holy Damage every 2 sec for 12 sec.
Applies the damage over time effect to nearby enemies if the target is standing within your Consecration and stuns Demon and Undead targets for 5 sec.
Effect #1 REMOVED Effect #2 Dummy
Value: 5

Updated Talent TreesRetribution

Dragonflight Alpha

Features

Tuskarr Soup Event

Class Changes

Monk Talent Calculator

Blueposts

Comment by Fooysariso, does this mean that we arent going to easily be able to take divine toll now, and will have to choose between that and virtuous command+final reckoning?Comment by EonDracheLooks like its the exact same? Did someone not put the updated tree?Comment by FooysariLooks like its the exact same? Did someone not put the updated tree?Comment by DrumsticksDid I get it right that they’re nerfing divine protection and making ret choose between that and shield of vengeance?

Seriously, a 2 minute cooldown for 20% DR? Astral shift is twice that and on a 90second cooldown. Why?Comment by pawpurrAh Ret. So I see it's still a choice of 1 ST capstone and 3 AOE capstones. I can't wait to be told which AOE capstone is best and ignore the other 2.

I also love how if I wanted to specialize to an ability I literally cannot, because the talents buffing certain abilities are zigzagged all over the tree (judgment, TV, DS, Consecration talents are all disconnected and randomly placed - Compare to BoJ and WoA where they all connect)

I can't even tell half of these abilities apart anymore, they are all the same. "Press any button, do holy damage in AOE", with pretty much the same radius and target caps. IMO there's no imagination, no creativity, no spark to these paladin changes. They are uninspired and they don't excite me.

At least they finally did something to JV, but it's still a junk spell that nobody has used for 5+ years, and I don't think these updates will change that. Even on a stunned target it will do 225% AP damage (the same as Final Verdict). What's the point? And to critique the name and flavour - What exactly is "vengeance" about beating up a stunned target? Seems more like Justicar's punching down, to me.

Divine protection on a 2min CD/trading with SoV is honestly insulting. Now it's a DPS loss to take Divine Protection, great :)

Can anyone point me to the raid utility that will guarantee Ret a raid slot? Because i'm not seeing it, But I see it for other DPS specs, and other Paladin specs, which means they will bring it and Ret won't have a raid slot.

Wake me when the Shaman dev comes to clean this upComment by sipuliWhy theres still Justicar Vengeance no1 using it and 2min divine protection need choose with SoV is Lazy desing some devs really hates rets.Comment by BenmarchDid I get it right that they’re nerfing divine protection and making ret choose between that and shield of vengeance?

Seriously, a 2 minute cooldown for 20% DR? Astral shift is twice that and on a 90second cooldown. Why?Ah Ret. So I see it's still a choice of 1 ST capstone and 3 AOE capstones. I can't wait to be told which AOE capstone is best and ignore the other 2.Comment by TyanisThis talent tree is complete Garbage! I recall when I originally first played WoW some 12 years or so past that Ret pallies did some reckoning! Now its like we are an after thought. Not only do we wear plate and carry big weapons we get out dps'ed by a rogue? Really? That would not happen in any actual D&D game I ever played in nor fantasy. Our whole spec and talents need to be overhauled to be truly in the mindset of 1) what it means to be a Paladin and 2) Retribution! Come On developers time to get your heads out from some crack in between some cheeks of yours and do some work! What on earth do you get paid for. Oh and our class writer Bolas... what is he on?Comment by roboscorcherJV could be good now at 3 points. Obviously not for pure damage, but for healing in pvp and solo pulls.

It would be better if the talent just added a minor healing component to TV, so it would better synergize with a single-target build.Comment by havtorDid I get it right that they’re nerfing divine protection and making ret choose between that and shield of vengeance?

Seriously, a 2 minute cooldown for 20% DR? Astral shift is twice that and on a 90second cooldown. Why?Comment by mercus121This talent tree is complete Garbage! I recall when I originally first played WoW some 12 years or so past that Ret pallies did some reckoning! Now its like we are an after thought. Not only do we wear plate and carry big weapons we get out dps'ed by a rogue? Really? That would not happen in any actual D&D game I ever played in nor fantasy. Our whole spec and talents need to be overhauled to be truly in the mindset of 1) what it means to be a Paladin and 2) Retribution! Come On developers time to get your heads out from some crack in between some cheeks of yours and do some work! What on earth do you get paid for. Oh and our class writer Bolas... what is he on?Comment by ottoflopIt's horrible overall so far. I hope there are MANY changes on the way