Level 60 · Strength melee · Dungeons and crafting
Retribution Paladin Pre-Raid Gear
The best Retribution Paladin gear you can farm before your first raid in WoW Forever, slot by slot. Every item is still in the Forever client, uses its Forever stats, and has a known way to get it: a level 60 dungeon drop or a crafting recipe.
Last checked · Rankings are ours, from the stat weights listed below.
Dungeons to farm first
- Dire Maul North: Band of the Ogre King, Tarnished Elven Ring
- Stratholme (Undead): Cape of the Black Baron, Death Grips
- Blackrock Depths: Imperial Jewel
- Scholomance: Bloodmail Boots
- Stratholme (Live): Vambraces of the Sadist
- Upper Blackrock Spire: Lightforge Spaulders
Craft or buy
- blacksmithing: Lionheart Helm (300), Thick Obsidian Breastplate (300), Heavy Obsidian Belt (300), Titanic Leggings (300), Blackfury (300)
- enchanting: Molten Heart of the Mountain (265), Libram of Infusion (300)
Bind on equip pieces can be bought from crafters or the Auction House.
Gear by slot
| Slot | Best known-source item | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Lionheart HelmiLvl 61 · Plate · BoE +18 Strength, +20 Hit, +28 Critical StrikeCrafted: Blacksmithing 300, from a recipe item |
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| Neck |
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| Shoulder | Lightforge SpauldersiLvl 60 · Plate +5 Agility, +9 Strength, +10 Intellect, +15 Stamina, +9 HitDrops in Upper Blackrock Spire (Classic drop list) |
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| Back | Cape of the Black BaroniLvl 63 · Cloth +15 Agility, +20 Attack PowerDrops in Stratholme (Undead) (Classic drop list) |
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| Chest | Thick Obsidian BreastplateiLvl 72 · Plate · BoE +38 Strength, +16 StaminaEquip: When struck by a non-periodic damage spell you have a 30% chance of getting a 6 sec spell shield that absorbs 400 of that school of damage.Crafted: Blacksmithing 300, from a recipe item |
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| Wrist | Vambraces of the SadistiLvl 60 · Plate +7 Strength, +8 Stamina, +14 Critical StrikeDrops in Stratholme (Live) (Classic drop list) |
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| Hands | Death GripsiLvl 62 · Plate +22 Strength, +5 HitEquip: Immune to Disarm.Drops in Stratholme (Undead) (Classic drop list) |
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| Waist | Heavy Obsidian BeltiLvl 68 · Plate · BoE +25 Strength, +5 All ResistancesCrafted: Blacksmithing 300, from a recipe item |
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| Legs | Titanic LeggingsiLvl 60 · Plate · BoE +30 Strength, +20 Hit, +14 Critical StrikeCrafted: Blacksmithing 300, from a recipe item |
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| Feet | Bloodmail BootsiLvl 61 · Mail +8 Agility, +9 Strength, +10 Intellect, +10 Stamina, +10 HitDrops in Scholomance (Classic drop list) |
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| Rings | Tarnished Elven RingiLvl 61 +10 Agility, +10 Hit, +10 Arcane ResistanceDrops in Dire Maul North (Classic drop list) |
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| Trinkets | Molten Heart of the MountainiLvl 55 +7 Fire Resistance, +7 Nature Resistance, +7 Frost Resistance, +7 Shadow Resistance, +2 Weapon DamageUse: Increases Attack Power by 55 for 15 sec. This effect is doubled in Volcanic areas.Crafted: Enchanting 265, from a recipe item Trinket effects cannot be scored; these are the known-source trinkets whose effect suits the role. | — |
| Two-hand weapon | BlackfuryiLvl 66 · Polearm · BoE +35 Strength, +15 Stamina, +14 Critical Strike, +10 Fire Resistance · 62.6 dpsCrafted: Blacksmithing 300, from a recipe item |
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| Relic | Libram of InfusioniLvl 65 · BoE Equip: Increases the critical strike chance of your Holy Shock spell by 6%.Crafted: Enchanting 300, from a recipe item Relic effects cannot be scored; every relic with a known source is listed. | — |
Raid prep
Hyjal Summit, Barrow Deeps and Onyxia's Lair open on December 9, 2026. Have these ready for the first night, on top of the gear above:
Flask
- First choice: Flask of Natural Accuracy. Hit is the first stat a melee player is short of in new raid gear. Use: Increases your Stamina by 60. While in Mount Hyjal, Hyjal Summit, and the Barrow Deeps, you also gain 5% Hit Chance.Alchemy 300, from a recipe item · 1 Death Lotus, 12 Demonsage, 9 Golden Sansam, 1 Imbued Vial
- Second choice: Flask of Natural Precision. Fewer dodged attacks once your hit is covered. Use: Increases your Stamina by 60. While in Mount Hyjal, Hyjal Summit, and the Barrow Deeps, you also gain 5% reduced chance to be dodged or parried.Alchemy 300, from a recipe item · 1 Death Lotus, 12 Marefoil, 9 Dreamfoil, 1 Imbued Vial
- Onyxia's Lair: Flask of the Titans. The Natural flasks only work in Mount Hyjal, Hyjal Summit and Barrow Deeps; in Onyxia's Lair the Classic flask is the one that works.Alchemy 300, unchanged from Classic · 30 Gromsblood, 10 Stonescale Oil, 1 Black Lotus, 1 Crystal Vial
You can only have one flask at a time, and each lasts two hours. All recipes: alchemy recipes.
Onyxia: attunement and fire resistance
Every raid member needs the Drakefire Amulet from the faction attunement chain (steps for Alliance and Horde), and Blizzard's raid overview tells raids to stack fire resistance. The most fire resistance this spec can wear in each slot, from known-source gear:
- Dark Iron Helm (Plate): +35 Fire Resistance · Crafted: Blacksmithing 300, from a recipe item
- Dark Iron Leggings (Plate): +30 Fire Resistance · Crafted: Blacksmithing 300, from a recipe item
- Dark Iron Gauntlets (Plate): +28 Fire Resistance · Crafted: Blacksmithing 300, from a recipe item
- Fiery Chain Shoulders (Mail): +25 Fire Resistance · Crafted: Blacksmithing 300, from a recipe item
- Fiery Chain Girdle (Mail): +24 Fire Resistance · Crafted: Blacksmithing 270, from a recipe item
- Black Dragonscale Boots (Mail): +24 Fire Resistance · Crafted: Leatherworking 300, from a recipe item
- Dark Iron Plate (Plate): +19 Fire Resistance · Crafted: Blacksmithing 260, from a recipe item
- Dark Iron Bracers (Plate): +18 Fire Resistance · Crafted: Blacksmithing 270, from a recipe item
- Onyxia Scale Cloak (Cloth): +16 Fire Resistance · Crafted: Leatherworking 300, from a recipe item
- Frozen Heart of the Mountain (Trinket): +7 Fire Resistance · Crafted: Enchanting 265, from a recipe item
Barrow Deeps
The Brooch of the Wardens is a key: "Grants access to the Vord'anaar Prison within Barrow Deeps." How you get it is not in the client data yet. Raid pages: Hyjal Summit · Barrow Deeps · Onyxia's Lair.
Consumables, potions and the spec's rotation are in the Retribution Paladin PvE guide.
Professions for this spec
Our pick: blacksmithing and alchemy, from the crafted pieces in the table above.
Only if you craft them yourself (bind on pickup)
- enchanting: Molten Heart of the Mountain (265)
Buy from a crafter, or make your own (bind on equip)
- blacksmithing: Lionheart Helm, Thick Obsidian Breastplate, Heavy Obsidian Belt, Titanic Leggings, Blackfury
- enchanting: Libram of Infusion
Alchemy makes the raid flasks above; a gathering pair (Herbalism with Mining or Skinning) pays for them. Gold-making builds: Legacy for gold · gold guide · profession guides.
Stat weights we used
Each item's score is its Forever stats times these weights, plus weapon damage per second for the weapons this spec swings. One point of the stat on the left is worth this much next to one point of the top stat. They are rough and ours, adapted from Classic stat values; they decide the order on this page and nothing else.
Weapon Damage 3 · Strength 2 · Hit 1.8 · Critical Strike 1.5 · Expertise 1.5 · Haste 1.2 · Attack Power 1 · Agility 0.8 · Intellect 0.2 · Stamina 0.15
Items need required level 50 or higher and rare quality or better.
Other Paladin specs: Holy Paladin · Protection Paladin · all specs