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wow paladin icon 3.2 PTR Patch Notes Updated 7/29/09

Posted by Khor | 7/29/2009

3.2 PTR Paladin Patch Notes

Looks like the SoVeangeance nerf has been cemented. I'm expecting furtehr tweaking after the patch goes live (presumably next week).

wow paladin icon Patch 3.2 NOT Today, and SoV Nerf

Posted by Khor | 7/28/2009

Nerfed again...for now

From the WoW Forums: [Source]

"Here is a cut/paste of the latest patch notes which can be found as a sticky at the top of the PTR forums.

•Seal of Vengeance and Seal of Corruption: These seals have been redesigned to deal substantially more damage. Now, once a paladin has 5 copies of the debuff from these seals on his or her target, on each swing the paladin will deal 33% weapon damage as Holy, with critical strikes dealing double damage. In addition, the damage-over-time effect is now considered a melee attack instead of a spell attack and the effects from these seals can only be triggered by auto-attacks and Hammer of the Righteous.

please note, I am not crying DOOM!! but this change is a big deal, please post opinions in the thread linked below

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=18600878857&sid=1

edit to add thread link and GC response

GC's response in the Damage Dealing forums:

Only white attacks can stack the Sea of Vengeance / Corruption dot. However special abilities should still trigger the bonus weapon damage. I'm not sure the current PTR build you have reflects that last bit.

The goal was not to nerf Ret for PvE. We do want the ramp up time to be significant for PvE or it won't solve the PvP problem we're trying to fix. However, once you get the stack up, your damage should be pretty decent. On very short kills (say trash or something like Thorim arena) you won't be able to get the full benefit from the dot, but any class with a finishing move typically loses that damage as well. Balance is important for both short and long fights, but it's normal to use different rotations or abilities for those two extremes. (In other words, we're okay with a long ramp up time for this ability.)

We will continue to monitor Ret numbers coming out of the PTR and even once the patch goes live and make changes if necessary
"

So, that's a pretty big nerf. The reasoning I am taking from this is that the SoV was adding the stacks to CC'd mobs via Divine Storm, thus breaking the CC. This was happening in both PvE and PvP.

The whole point of the damage revamp in 3.2 was to improve the quality of play for paladins and reduce the FCFS rotation as much as possible, as well as to increase our single target dps.

Well, the first objective is almost complete, though not quite as intricate as it probably could have been. They had the second objective right on, but we're hitting a nerf now with the scaling back of the SoV. Early reports that I've read from the PTR are showing a lower DPS than currently is live. That's not good.

I'll be keeping an eye on the situation, but I have a feeling Blizzard will be tweaking us well after the patch goes live.

Patch 3.2 NOT today

I was really surprised patch 3.2 didn't come out today. I'm betting Blizzard wants this patch live before Blizzcon, so maybe we'll see it next week.

Khor

wow paladin icon Paladin Heirloom Gear / Items

Posted by Khor | 7/25/2009

So you want to get leveled quickly and easily? Well, the new Bind on Account items allow just that. These items can be mailed to any character on your account (on the same server). When patch 3.2 hits, I will be starting a brand new level 1 paladin decked out in heirloom gear to see how fast it takes me to get to 60, 70, and 80.

With patch 3.2 adding an heirloom chest piece, leveling just got that much better!

Here are the pieces Paladins should use for leveling:

Polished Spaulders of Valor - Shoulder
Polished Breastplate of Valor - Chest (Patch 3.2)
Together +20% experience gain for completing quests and killing monsters, or +10% each

Swift Hand of Justice - Trinket

Bloodied Arcanite Reaper - 2h Weapon

Here are the heirloom items if you choose to PvP:

Pristine Lightforge Spaulders
+10% experience gain for completing quests and killing monsters

Inherited Insignia of the Alliance - Trinket

Reforged Truesilver Champion - 2h Weapon

wow paladin icon WoW Background Downloader Patch 3.2

Posted by Khor | 7/25/2009

Another big chunk hit the background downloader tonight. The total I downloaded was 379 MB. Looks like we have a nice sized patch headed our way. Make sure and download it this weekend, because even though I doubt it'll hit this week, you never know...

If, for any reason, you have trouble locating your Downloader, or have it deactivated in some way, you can find it in your World of Warcraft folder. It is called BackgroundDownloader.exe. Clever, huh? Just run this and you will be underway!

Khor

wow paladin icon Talent Page Updated

Posted by Khor | 7/23/2009

I have further updated the talents page. Hopefully the information is a bit more comprehensive.

Khor

wow paladin icon RCC Raiding 7/22/09

Posted by Khor | 7/22/2009

Actually fielding 25 people for a 25-man Ulduar last night shocked me. Of course we didn't hit our 25 until around XT, but we managed to 22 and 23-man FL, Razorscale, and Ignis. Guess who got some ret pally loot?!?! Not me. Again.

Ignis dropped Worldcarver. I was ecstatic. Surely my dice would not let me down. Only 2 of us were rolling, myself and another ret pally. His roll - 24. Hell yeah! I can surely beat a 24. My roll - 12. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with my rolls...I need someone to loan me their dice because mine suck on a very consistent basis.

Ignis also dropped Girdle of Embers, but I had just recently made Belt of the Titans, thus not an upgrade.

After XT, we skipped Council and went straight to Kologarn. Our raids are strictly 3 hours, so we were trying to burn through to the tier bosses, to maximize our attempts onThursday's upcoming raid. Kologarn dropped Wrathstone, but I passed since all the Rogues and Hunters wanted it too. I know it was an upgrade over my Mirror of Truth, but seeing so many others wanting it, I decided to pass.

Auriaya went down in one try as well, though we were sloppy and there were only about 8 of us left standing when she fell. Four of the five Paladins in the raid were alive. Woot to Paladins! The healing plate boots dropped for the umpteenth time, so no gear there.

The last boss we took down was Hodir, cruising in at around 5 minutes to kill (after 1 wipe), so still quite a ways a way from hard mode (3 minute kill). Two tier chest pieces dropped. Yet again, no Pally tier gear. Figures. However, I did get Plans: Treads of Destiny. Doubt we'll ever craft one, but hey, nice to know I have it.

With time running out we made two attempts on Thorim. First attempt the tunnel group was annihilated. Second attempt we got Thorim to 25% or so, but too many people were dead, and eventually the tanks fell. Just wasn't meant to be.

So all in all it was a good raid. 7 bosses down, 8 emblems of conquest, and I finally hit 58 emblems to turn in for my tier 8.5 head piece, Conqueror's Aegis Helm!

In conclusion, I have to admit I pulled a very noob-ish stunt during Ignis and Razorscale. See, it looked like we might be short on healers last night, so I was in heal mode to start the raid out. Halfway through Ignis trash, I was told I could go DPS since the final healer showed up, and I switched in very erratic fashion. My DPS numbers were hideous for Ignis and Razorscale, at which point I realized I had Seal of Light still buffed (and thus was judging it as well), and not Seal ofthe Martyr. Noob move...and it pissed me off too, because I know better than that.

Ah well. Prior engagements won't let me continue on Thursday's raid, but here's to hoping for reaching Yoggs! Good luck guys!

Khor

wow paladin icon Paladin Epic Mount

Posted by Khor | 7/21/2009

*Note: Patch 3.2 will be changing the whole riding system, so save your gold until 3.2 goes live!

The Paladin epic mount quest is no longer the only way to get the Charger mount. I, for one, am relieved, because that quest line takes a good chunk out of your time to complete it. Not to mention having to find a person (Level 70+) or group to help you. Now it can be simply bought from the Paladin trainers, with the additional purchase of Journeyman riding from a riding trainer.

3.2 Mount Changes

*Faction discounts now apply to all riding training.

Apprentice Riding (Skill 75)

60% land mount speed
Requires level 20
Cost: 4 gold
Mount cost: 1 gold

Journeyman Riding (Skill 150)

100% land mount speed
Requires level 40
Cost: 50 gold
Mount cost: 10 gold

Expert Riding (Skill 225)

150% flying mount speed; 60% land mount speed
Requires level 60
Cost: 600 gold
Mount Cost: 50 gold

Artisan Riding (Skill 300)

280% flying mount speed; 100% land mount speed
Requires level 70
Cost: 5,000 gold
Mount Cost: 100 gold

Purchasing Your Charger (Pre-Patch 3.2)

The Charger spell is available to Paladins at level 61. It's cost is 20g. However, you must have the Journeyman riding skill, which costs 600g without any faction discounts. With faction discounts, the cost drops to:

  • Friendly - 570g
  • Honored - 540g
  • Revered - 510g
  • Exalted - 480g
Most players should have no problem being at exalted with their home city if they stick to leveling by questing.

That's it, simple as that!

Questing For Your Charger

The quest lines and charger mount rewards are still intact, and can be completed at level 60. This is now considered the alternative method now, as the ease of dropping 500g or so is an instant acquisition. Nonetheless, here are the quest chains for both Alliance and Horde:

Alliance (Begins in Stormwind)

  1. Emphasis on Sacrifice - Cost 150g
  2. To Show Due Judgement
  3. Exorcising Terrordale
  4. The Work of Grimand Elmore
  5. Collection of Goods - Cost 150g, Strathholme Holy Waters x5, Arthas' Tears x10, Runecloth x40, Arcanite Bars x6
  6. Mana-Enriched Horse Feed - Cost 50g, Enriched Mana Biscuits x20
  7. Ancient Equine Spirit
  8. Blessed Arcanite Barding
  9. The Divination Scryer
  10. Judgement and Redemption - Final quest to kill Death Knight Darkreaver
Total gold/mats needed:

  • ~355g
  • Strat Holy Water x5
  • Arthas'' Tears x10
  • Runecloth x40
  • Arcanite Bars x6
  • Enriched Mana Biscuits x20
  • Azerothian Diamond x1
  • Pristine Black Diamond x1
Places Involved

  • Stormwind
  • Ironforge
  • Dire Maul
  • Stratholme (Undead side)
  • Scholomance
  • Eastern Plaguelands
  • Southshore
For detailed information on the quests, please see Wowwiki's quest info.

Horde (Begins in Silvermoon)

  1. A Summons From Lord Solonar
  2. The Master's Path
  3. A Gesture of Committment- Cost 150g, Sungrass x10, Dark Rune x5, Arcanite Bar x6, Runecloth x40
  4. A Demonstration of Loyalty
  5. True Masters of Light PartI
  6. True Masters of Light Part II - Cost 200g for Arcane Catalyst x1 and Crepuscular Powder x1
  7. True Masters of Light Part III - Must kill Aurius in Stratholme, and his 5 Paladins.
Total Gold/Mats Needed:

  • 350g (Includes gold spent on Arcane Catalyst x1 and Crepuscular Powder x1)
  • Runecloth x40
  • Sungrass x10
  • Dark Rune x5
  • Arcanite Bar x6
  • Azerothian Diamond x1
  • Pristine BlackDiamond x1
Places Involved

  • Silvermoon
  • Stratholme
  • Eastern Plaguelands
For detailed information on the quests, please see Wowwiki's quest info.


wow paladin icon About Khor

Posted by Khor | 7/21/2009

Me

First, let me thank you for stopping by my site! I've been playing World of Warcraft for 4 years now, and still have a passion for the game. I am a 28-year old married, stay-at-home dad who works full-time. Trust me, it's a delicate balancing act.

I work in a neonatal intensive care unit, taking care of sick and premature babies. In addition to WoW, I workout and will take any excuse to do something outdoors.

So why am I telling you all this? I want this site to be genuine. Everything I put up here is with the intention of helping people out in WoW. Not just Paladins, but anyone who enjoys the game.

While the content is specific to Ret Paladins more often than not, many of the strategies and guides can be applied to other classes as well.

I do this site on my own time, so what you see is coming straight from me. Of course, I will cite sources should I pull any WoW-related news from other sites. If you have found my site, my goal is to keep you here and keep you coming back with consistent new content.

Any comments, questions, and feedback are welcome. I can be reached at retpallykhor@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting retribution-paladins.blogspot.com, and I hope you enjoy the site!

wow paladin icon Patch 3.2 Ret Changes

Posted by Khor | 7/20/2009

I've had several people looking for 3.2 paladin changes on this site, and I thought I would take a moment to discuss the subject. With WoW giving us a very large patch, we can expect ot see quite a few changes for our class. Both PvE and PvP will see some noticeable changes.

However, since the PTRs are still live, everything is still up in the air. I have been watching several forums and threads closely, with Elitist Jerks giving the most solid information. Up until the patch goes live, everything is subject to change, so I will wait until then to make my updates here. Rest assured, though, I WILL make those updates when they are more concrete.

We do know a little bit about what we can expect to see. First, Seal of Vengeance/Corruption is going to be our raid seal of choice, while Seal of Command is more than likely going to be PvP. Seal of Blood has been removed, and SoV has been restructured so that we are able to achieve higher single target DPS.

The stat list will also see some changes, with haste more than likely dropping to the bottom of the chart. Strength seems to have reclaimed the top spot, with hit and expertise second and third respectively, followed yet again by critical strike.

We also can expect to be equipping some new glyphs this time around, though I'm not sure where each one will rank. I've seen arguments for Glyph of Consecration go back and forth, and I'm curious to see where it lies when the dust settles.

You can follow the 3.2 Ret Paladin PTR thread on Elitist Jerks, but be warned, there's some pretty heavy math and logic clinging to those posts (as is the EJ norm).

Until then, I will continue to update this site to keep information current, as well as continuing to add new content for all aspects of World of Warcraft gameplay.

Thanks to all those who have stopped by this past month!

wow paladin icon Entry Paladin Level 80 Gear - BoE

Posted by Khor | 7/19/2009

The sweat and blood is spent. The days of played time are over and you are now level 80! So what's the first thing on people's mind as they stand at the plateau of 80-hood? Gear. How can I gear up as quickly as possible?

I have created my list of options, with my preferences

Well, first, be warned this list might not be for those with empty pockets. It costs gold to grab those coveted BoE items, and on certain items, lots of it. However, if you can obtain a few of these pieces, you are all set to jump right into raiding, or whatever conent you wish to tackle.

*Costs are estimated from my server up to July 2009.

Head

[Spiked Titansteel Helm] - One of the best values in the game. Crafted by blacksmithing, this helm doesn't meet it's upgraded match until Ulduar.
Cost: 500-600g
[Iron Riveted War Helm] - Only slightly better than the Spiked Titansteel Helm by a teeny, tiny few DPS. Plus it costs about 4500g more.
Cost: 4500-5000g
[Skullcage of Eternal Terror] - The thrifty options now. This helm isn't helf bad, but the Spiked Titansteel Helm is what you should be aiming for.
Cost: 50-100g
[Helm of Command] - Not unless you have no other options.
Cost: 25-75g

Neck

[Titanium Impact Choker] - Not having an option with strength at this slot hurts, but this is still your best BoE neck.
Cost: 500-600g
[Draconic Choker of Ferocity] - Only if you have no gold. Stats are not all that bad,though.
Cost: 25-50g

Shoulders

[Savage Saronite Pauldrons] - Not many choices for shoulders. This is your only option. It looks pretty, but target this for an upgrade soon. Sons of Hodir shoulders are a nice option. Plus, it's a PvP piece.
Cost: 50-75g

Cloak

[Cloak of Bloodied Waters] - A knockout for a BoE cloak. The strength pushes this past almost all Heroic dungeon cloaks, only to be upgraded far into Naxx. My best choice by far.
Cost: 150-300g
[Shawl of the Shattered Giant] - From Ulduar, nice stats except for the attack power, which we value highest on this piece. Not worth the gold spent in my opinion, but it's still second best on my list.
Cost: 2500-3000g
[Ice Striker's Cloak] - Not a bad deal for a smidge of crit and AP, but Cloak of Bloodied Waters is more DPS hands down, and it's cheaper too.
Cost: 300-500g

Chest

[Savage Saronite Hauberk] - Another PvP piece due to lack of options. This piece should be a priority to upgrade.
Cost: 35-75g

Wrist

[Wristbands of the Sentinel Huntress] - Great deal that sits on the AH for around 1500-2000g. Ignore these and scan the trade channel for people selling Emblem of Valor Bracers for 1000g-1200g. There's your ticket. Well worth the investment.
Cost: 1000-1200g
[Cast Iron Shackles] - Not a bad piece of gear, especially since it has hit. One of the more expensive rare pieces, however.
Cost: 125-175g

Hands

[Zeliek's Gauntlets] - Another outstanding bargain on the auction house. It should be awhile before you find an upgrade here. Ulduar and up most likely.
Cost: 1000-1500g
[Savage Saronite Gauntlets] - Your cheap PvP option.
Cost: 25-50g

Belt

[Belt of the Titans] - Slam dunk winner of a belt that is second BiS for Paladins on many lists. It's pricey, but worth it if you can't find the upgrades (like myself) while raiding. Purchasing the materials yourself might end up being the cheapest route.
Cost: 5000-7000g / Purchasing Mats: 4000-6000g
[Savage Saronite Waistguard] - Another PvP blah-blah item. If you can't drop 5000-7000g on the Titans belt, you might be stuck with this.
Cost: 25-50g

Legs

[Savage Saronite Legplates] - Why or why can we not get away from the resilience gear. Buy these, spit on em, then move along. Your only true BoE option. Don't waste the money on leather legs.
Cost: 35-75g

Feet

[Footpads of Silence] - Best in Slot for non-hard mode gear. But it's pricey.
Cost: 5000-7000g / Mats cost: 4000-6000g
[Battlelord's Plate Boots] - Pretty much the same as above. A little bit less DPS, but costly nonetheless.
Cost: 5000-7000g / Mats cost: 4000-6000g
[Iron-Spring Jumpers] - A solid option with hit. A little pricey, but not too bad. This would be my first choice.
Cost: 1000-1500g
[Spiked Titansteel Treads] - Your cheapest epic option. Nothing wrong at all here, just not the best DPS-wise.
Cost: 400-500g
[Beserker's Sabatons] - Not unless you're broke. Aim for the Spiked Titansteel Treads if you cannot get the 3 others.
Cost: 75-100g

Ring

[Inscribed Ring of the Kirin Tor] - Not BoE, but can be vendor-bought. 7000g for the first ring, then 1000g more to upgrade to this baby. Not too shabby since it includes a hearth to Dalaran as well.
Cost: 8000g total
[Surge Needle Ring] - Great ring, hard to find. Pricey too, but it's one fothe best you can get until Ulduar.
Cost: 4500-5000g
[Ring of the Kirin Tor] - Not BoE, must be vendor purchased for gold. A solid ring that is your only epic option with strength.
Cost: 7000g
[Titansteel Assault Band] - A solid ring that can last you a long time. Should definitely be one of your two rings if the above 3 are out of your price range.
Cost: 400-600g
[Ring of Scarlet Shadows] - The only rare option I am throwing in here. Good stats, even though the gem socket is empty. Personally I'd throw a sovereign twilight gem in there, but that's just me.
Cost: 50-100g

Trinket

[Darkmoon Card: Greatness] - Only BoE trinket we can get through the Darkmoon Fair. Make sure it's the one with strength.
Cost: 4000-5000g for the deck / 5000-6000g for the card itself

Weapon

[Titansteel Destroyer] - I'm not giving any other options here. This is your best choice, and should be your first upgrade. Period.
Cost: 800-1200g

So, all that said...make decisions wisely. Upgrades can come fast and furious at times, so don't drop a thousand gold or two if you know your reputation upgrades are around the corner, or if you're due for a heavy raiding week with many potential upgrades.

Most of all, have fun...after all, 1-80 is a long haul...time to enjoy all that hard work!

Khor


Down, down, down. The real world economy and the WoW economy seem to be taking the same plunge this month. Of all the methods I employ to bring in gold, only one is still bringing in what it normally does. All the others are continuing to plummet.

This happens just about every year around this time, so I more or less expected it, but it's gotten bad enough that I have temporarily stopped several gold making processes. There are several contributing factors to my server's dip, and I assume servers across the board are seeing similar situations.

School is out, so that always brings in a huge influx to the WoW economy, causing mass undercutting from May until August. But the worst time during this stretch is the end of July and beginning of August, because most people are all back from their vacations, so we respectively see the higher server populations.

Also, with 3.2 coming out, many of the item enhancement and raw material sales have gone way down. Many people used to making x amount of gold are instead finding themselves in a constant undercutting war with their competitiors. Infinite Dust alone is down almost 1g/per, making a full stack about 20g less than it was a month ago. Gems are down across the board too, as are leg armor/threads, and item enchants.

See my gold making methods / posts on Jewelcrafting, Tailoring, Disenchanting, and Herbalism.

Patch 3.2 will bring a surge to the need for all these items, but for now, people are dumping them at very low prices.

One tricky item that has baffled me continues to fluctuate up and down in price. Runed Orbs are selling for much less with 3.2 on the horizon. Where they were 1000g maybe a month ago, I've seen them as low as 600-700g now. However, once all those get bought up, I see them rise right back up to 1000g again. Very strange. As I have posted previously, I had to buy several orbs myself. Had I waited, based on what I've seen, I could have saved about 2000g.

One item that I would consider a bargain is the Darkmoon Nobles Deck (Darkmoon Card: Greatness trinket), which has been selling on my server for 4200g or less. Snatch these up at the lowest price, especially you ret paladins, as that trinket is still BiS for many of us. Piecing together a deck from individual cards may be even cheaper than that.

Herbs are aslo selling for much, much lower. While Icethorn is about 6g less/stack, Lichbloom has taken a 10g/stack dive, with the bottom dropping out on Frost Lotus at a loss of 10-15g/per. These will pick back up with 3.2, but for now, keep aclose eye on the market. Glyph makers might take advantage of these low prices, but even glyphs are becoming increasingly frustrating to sell at normal prices.

The only area still making me decent gold is bag making. For some reason, people are gobbling up the bags I'm continuing to make. Last Tuesday, I sold 62 Netherweave Bags and 9 Imbued Netherweave Bags. That was in three batches throughout the day. Everytime I logged on all my bags had sold, and netherweave was selling all day at low prices.

So, with school out and people cramming in as much playtime as they can, as well as the lull while waiting for 3.2, the economy has taken a little bit of a nose dive. I'm sitting on my hands for now, and I'm sure many others are as well. We'll see what next month brings (assumingly with 3.2), but until then, I think it's best to just watch the AH closely.

Khor

wow paladin icon Retribution Paladins - Addons

Posted by Khor | 7/18/2009

WoW add-ons are not exactly my favorite thing. Sometimes I feel like they are just too much to keep up with. However, some are vital to gameplay, and even I will admit that. As I play retribution paladins most of the time, my add-ons and mods are very similar. I have compiled a list below, but notice I have no major UI add-ons. I use the vanilla UI. Call me old school, but it's the best for me.

As a Ret Paladin, there are certain World of Warcraft addons you should absolutely have. Here is my core 4 list:

  • Pally Power - An absolute must. An easy to use interface that allows a Paladin to manage his/her blessings, as well as that of others in a party or raid, if they are the raid leader or raid assist.
  • Deadly Boss Mods - This is an all-inclusive warning/alert add-on for all raid bosses. If you don't have this addon, your survivability will plummet. Another must-have.
  • Omen - Omen is a threat meter. This add-on warns you when you are about to pull threat off the current tank. The way paladin DPS is in its current state, I have to have this, not only for bosses, but for trash mobs as well. Paladin burst AoE DPS is so heavy that I often have that flashing red screen warning me I'm about to pull threat.
  • Grid - Even though Retribution Paladins are not main role healers, it's still a good idea to have this interface add-on for quick resurrections, salvations, or last second heals.
  • RatingBuster - A great addon that allows you to compare stats on your current gear with any other item you are viewing. Very helpful in determining upgrades.

I understand many people use different UI's, but I stick with the vanilla WoW UI. So I won't throw out any recommendations, as they would be solely based on hearsay. I would much rather recommend something I am actually using.

That said, here are a couple other addons I use to help out with other aspects of gameplay:

  • Bagnon - A great addon to combine all your bags into one. Highly customizable with the ability to view not only your current toon's bags, but your alts' as well. Also displays your total gold server-wide, as well as how much each toon has regardless of which character is logged on.
  • Postal - Enhanced mailbox support. Many features including a recall list of who was recently mailed, as well as your alt toon list. My favorite is the easy emptying 'open all' option, that displays gold earned via AH sells, as well as any items obtained. Check it out.

wow paladin icon Retribution Paladin - Solo Chillmaw

Posted by Khor | 7/17/2009

How many of you out there are already just about numbed to the bone from sheer boredom thanks to the Argent Tournament daily quests? This retribution paladin is raising his hand. But, to get those Champion's Seals, they must be done. The jousting quest on the tourny grounds is easy, as is the killing 15 scourge. Where the 'difficulty' lies, however, is in Chillmaw and the Citadel quests.

I think we would all agree getting a group for these is the fastest, easiest way to go. But what if you can't get a group going? I, for one, will gladly admit I have no patience to sit and wait for a group for these quests. I'll solo them and move right along. Soloing the citadel jousting is easy, it just takes a bit more time than in a group. Chillmaw, on the other hand, is a tad bit trickier, but it still can be done quite without any great effort.

Here is how I solo Chillmaw as a ret pally:

  1. Buff up with Seal of Light, Blessing of Might, and Retribution Aura. Sacred Shield can be used as well if needed.
  2. When Chillmaw makes his pass over the western ledge of the plateau (he spawns here, too), hit him with Exorcism to pull, then punch Avenging Wrath.
  3. At this point begin your normal FCFS rotation, with Holy Wrath included (undead dragon).
  4. While keeping up with FCFS, kite Chillmaw backwards, slowly. The reason for doing this is so that, when the bombers drop and engage you, the bombs they lay on the ground will not damage you.
  5. Use your Flash of Light when Art of War procs often to keep heals up. Only use Holy Light if you are bubbled.
  6. About 3 out of 4 times I will have to tap Lay on Hands when Chillmaw hits 25% or so. Use Lay on Hands before Divine Shield.
  7. If your health gets too low again, use Divine Shield to heal back up.
  8. Concentrate all DPS on Chillmaw until he is dead.
  9. With the remaining three bombers, continue to kite them backwards, avoiding those pesky bombs. When they are killed, quest complete!
Avoiding those pesky bombs

NOTE: Some non-partied players may try and help you by helping damage Chillmaw and the bombers. While a nice gesture, this can tamper with your quest because they can very easily pull one of the bombers by damaging them before you can, thus making the bomber their target, not yours. So, you may end up with 2 out of 3 bombers killed for your quest. Make sure to keep Consecrate and Divine Storm up to ensure you are tagging your targets.

Complete!

This really isn't too hard, but it does take some practice. There's no reason for a retribution paladin to sit around and wait for a group when they are perfectly capable of a Chillmaw beat-down themselves.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Khor

wow paladin icon Retribution Paladin Talents

Posted by Khor | 7/17/2009

Here is the most current talent tree for ret pallies as of 3.2:

5/11/55

Divine Sacrifice proved to be immensely valuable in Ulduar, so we are still aiming for this in 3.2. We're now dipping into the holy tree with 5 points for the Seal of Vengeance buff.

Talents

From Arikah posted at Elitist Jerks: [Source]

---------------

The following scale off of both AP and Spellpower -

  • Seal of Command:
    36% weapon damage
  • Judgement of Command:
    19% weapon damage + 9% AP + 13% spell power
  • Seal of Vengeance: (see below for full details)
    33% weapon damage + 2.5% AP + 1.3% spell power per tick
  • Judgement of Vengeance:
    (1 + (.14 * AP) + (.22 * Spellpower)) * (1 + (0.1 * Stack Size))
  • Seal of Light:
    15% AP + 15% spell power (healing proc)
  • Judgement of Light:
    16% AP + 25% spell power (damage)
    2% of maximum hp (healing proc)
  • Seal of Wisdom:
    4% of maximum mana (mana proc)
  • Judgement of Wisdom:
    16% AP + 25% spell power (damage)
    2% of base mana (mana proc)
  • Judgement of Justice:
    16% AP + 25% spell power (damage)
  • Consecration:
    4% AP + 4% spell power per tick
    (Final rank has 113 base damage per tick)
  • Exorcism:
    15% AP + 15% spell power
    (Final rank has 1028 base damage)
  • Hammer of Wrath:
    15% AP + 15% spell power
    (Final rank has 1139 base damage)
  • Holy Wrath:
    7% AP + 7% spell power
    (Final rank has 1050 base damage)
  • Sacred Shield:
    75% spellpower
Our healing spells scale strictly off of Spellpower.

In addition to seals scaling from both AP and SP, ALL seals can now be triggered from our instant melee attacks, DS and CS. I'll cover the specific seals a bit further down.

Judgements

Blizzard finally came out and "settled" what we already knew for 3.2. All Judgements are considered melee attacks that cannot be dodged, parried or blocked. They cannot be used while silenced and can still miss if you are not hitcapped. If this is confusing for you, just think of them as ranged physical attacks that are capable of triggering melee events (beserking, AoW ect). Judgements do not stack, and the last/most recent person to judge will be credited with the effects (yes, non-divinity JoL's will overwrite divinity'd JoL's).

Judgement of Wisdom
This is a strong choice for your judgement to use due to equalized JoL and the removal of blood recoil. You want to keep JoW up or you and your mana using dps (hunters in particular) can run into mana troubles. JoW's mana return effect is limited to 15 PPM for spells and physical; because paladins use both, we can see a few more procs than other classes.

Judgement of Light
This was our primary judgement for 3.1, however it has been equalized among all paladin specs to return 2% max hp (it used to scale based on AP/SP). If there are 2 paladins in your raid, you want the prot or holy paladin to use this judgement, so you can keep JoW up. If there is heavy raid damage and you are the only paladin, JoL is a good choice. If you are specced into Divinity, JoL still does benefit from it.

Judgement of Justice
This is your judgement in pvp situations, as all the debuff does is limit movement speed to 100%. This is not considered a movement impairing effect, so freedom or druid shifting will not break it, it can only be pvp trinketed or dispelled. This effect only lasts 10 seconds in pvp, not 20 as the tooltip implies.

Seals

Seals scale off AP and Spellpower. Judging a seal no longer consumes the seal, seals have a 30 minute duration. Seals are NOT considered weapon imbues, and can no longer be dispelled. Seals trigger off instant attacks (CS, DS).

Seal of Vengeance/Seal of Corruption
SoV replaces blood (which has been removed from the game) as our primary dps seal. SoV is the biggest reason that STR is our best dps stat, because it is one of the few skills in the game that triple dip on a stat (once for AP, once for SP, once for AP affecting weapon damage). In case the wording on the skill is unclear, SoV has 2 parts to it - the DoT, and the proc. The proc is basically a weaker, modified Seal of Blood proc but without the recoil. The talent SotP increases the damage from the DoT and the proc (which results in a total dps increase of about 6.5%). It takes ~12 seconds in a raid buffed setting to get a 5 stack active. SoV has some odd functionality detailed below:

The seal procs will begin triggering from auto-attacks once you have 5 DoT stacks, however strikes will always trigger a seal proc (but not a DoT application). The table below shows the damage of the proc per DoT application:

Stack Number% of Weapon Damage% with SotP
16.6%7.6%
213.2%15.2%
319.8%22.8%
426.4%30.4%
533%38%

When an auto-attack lands (does not dodge/parry/miss) that can proc a seal the of the following things happen independently of each other (see 2 roll system).

1) A "hidden strike" which uses melee combat mechanics occurs. If it lands it refreshes/stacks SoV DoT. Only white swings can trigger a refresh or stack.
2) A weapon damage based proc will occur if you used a special (CS/DS/judge) or if you have a 5 stack (from auto attacks). This attack can not be avoided.

Remember #2 happens regardless of #1 landing, it just requires the initial attack (autos, cs, etc) to land.

DoT functions and mechanics:
DoT application is melee hit/exp based. (Cannot be resisted like a spell, but can be dodged or parried)
DoT will still be applied even if your white swing is fully absorbed (in a PvP situation).
DoT is only applied via auto-attacks (whites).
DoT ticks always hit.
DoT ticks are reduced by partial resist on skull mobs, but not by players (it is holy damage).
DoT gains from CoE (and equivalents).

Seal Proc functions and mechanics:
Proc (after 5 stack/triggered from specials) can NOT be dodged or parried, it occurs as long as your initial white/strike lands.
Proc suffers from partial resists (it's holy damage).
Proc gains from CoE (and equivalents).
Proc can crit. (like SoB did)

One last note, which is it's odd interaction with other paladins' SoV stacks. If you do not have a DoT of your own on a target, but another ret or protection paladin does, your SoV proc's damage is based on their DoT stack (this will usually only occur with DS since it can hit non-targeted enemies). However, if you have even one DoT application on a target, your proc damage will then be based on your DoT stack. This simply means that protection paladins play very nicely with retribution paladins, as Hammer of the Righteous applies DoT stacks quickly to multiple targets, and then DS will hit up to 4 targets with fully charged SoV procs.

Seal of Righteousness
We haven't used this seal since we were leveling up, and it sickens me to say that it is now an option to use. This seal cannot crit, but also cannot miss or be dodged/parried (unless your white swing or special misses). While this seal doesn't benefit from 2H spec or weapon damage increases, it does benefit from SotP, which is in all our primary pve talent builds. With 5/5 SotP, SoR averages about 100 dps higher than SoC until you are in Ilvl 250+ gear. Judging SoR triggers an SoR proc.

Seal of Command
This is a weak option for a pvp seal. SoC has been retooled again; it is no longer ppm based, rather it triggers on every attack (like blood used to) and has no ICD. Judging is no longer a guaranteed crit vs stunned targets. SoC procs are still capable of criticals and follow all the standard melee attack rules. SoC pulls ahead of SoR only when fighting 3+ mobs that only live for 12s each. Judging SoC also triggers an SoC proc.

Strikes and DPS skills

These spells are used in the retribution skill rotation.

Consecration
Widely viewed as a necessary part of the retribution rotation, as our DPS is not very competitive without it. Should be used against both single and multiple targets. Consecration has some odd behavior on skull level mobs; the first tick can be fully resisted (miss) and subsequent ticks can also be partially resisted (due to mob level difference). You cannot work around the partial resists at all, but they are often small enough to not matter:
Originally Posted by http://elitistjerks.com/1052225-post672.html
I tested this situation while wearing a massive amount of + hit (22% spell hit or so) and things didn't change noticeably. There simply were only 4 combat log entries most of the time, something like:

Boss is afflicted by your Consecration
Boss takes 20 Damage from your Consecration (60 resisted)
Boss takes 30 Damage from your Consecration (50 resisted)
Consecration fades from Boss

Sometimes I got 4 ticks, sometimes 1, but against a +13 level mob I never got anywhere near 8. There simply weren't entries in the log for those other ticks. I won't claim to know the precise mechanics of this, but it does seem evident that mobs can totally resist Consecration ticks if they are high enough level in addition to the debuff application that we are all so familiar with. I don't actually have a paladin that can test this anymore since I did it just after 3.0 launched against the level 83 dummy and my level 80 paladin has no way to fight a level 93 mob.
Hammer of Wrath
With the release of 3.0, this skill was buffed a substantial amount, to the point where it is used on cooldown vs targets under 20% health (due to deep ret talents that give this skill a 50% base crit chance, in addition to gear). It is now an instant ranged execute, but retains its' fixed mana cost. Using this skill does not reset your swing timer.

Exorcism
Chnaged again in 3.2. This is now usable on all mob types, can crit (based on your spell crit), and has 100% crit chance vs undead and demon mobs. It uses the spell hit table so you can still miss with this even if melee hitcapped. It has a base cast time of 1.5s which means you will never ever use this without an AoW proc available - when used with AoW it becomes instant and does not reset the swing timer. Note that because it is not a base instant cast it does not benefit from Benediction.

Holy Wrath
Also uses the spell hit tables, can crit. Has no target limit so it is very useful on certain fights with many undead/demon adds. Changed from a 60s cooldown/20yd range (BC) to a 30s cooldown/10yd range, and it now stuns all targets that it hits for 2s.

Divine Plea
You will need to use this to keep your mana up in both PvE and PvP. It scales off your total mana pool, and is dispellable. DP is usually responsible for 10% of our total mana income on bosses.

And of course, our talented instant attacks:

Divine Storm
Our 51 pt talent, it is basically the same as a warrior's whirlwind ability except that DS heals for negligible amounts. Despite it seeming like an underwhelming talent it is critical to our DPS as it can and will trigger seals and RV. This skill is normalized to 3.3 weapon speed.

Crusader Strike
Our still bland 41 pt talent, yet still crucial to our DPS as it also triggers seals and RV. CS no longer refreshes your or any other paladins' judgements. This skill is also normalized (to 3.3).

Special Talents

and their ..."specialness"
This is just to cover some talents that have odd quirks or interesting functionality.

Art of War
AoW seems like it becomes more important in pve, but realistically nothing has changed. Exorcism still has a 15 second cooldown, and the chances that you will not see a crit on the pull (7.5 seconds in) while raid buffed are 1.6%, while the chances you won't see a crit in 15 seconds is 0.2% - therefore there is no reason to stack crit or worry about not being able to use it every 15s. AoW has been changed to proc on all melee crits, which means whites, strikes and judgements, but not seal procs.

Righteous Vengeance
Once again stealing from the warriors! The RV dot does indeed "roll" like the warrior version, meaning critical judgements and DS's in succession will refresh the dot duration, not overwrite it. The RV dot is a magic effect and thus dispellable, can be partially resisted by bosses, but is not mitigated by armor.
How RV rolls courtesy Redcape:
It adds the new critical damage onto any remaining damage in the dot and then resets the duration with the new damage total. There is absolutely no need to maintain the stack in any fashion, the stack falling off does not cause you to lose dps.
Sheath of Light
One of our most exciting talents for wrath. This talent helps to increase our damage because of the way we double-dip in AP and SP, gives retribution paladins heals actually worth casting/using, and makes STR that much more important. Sacred Shield finally also scales from spellpower granted by this talent. The healing portion of this talent acts the same way as RV; getting a crit heal while still having a sheath hot active "rolls" (see above). This effect stacks with the SS hot, meaning using a FoL on yourself (with SS active) and getting a crit results in a 130% strength HoT.

Sacred Shield
Since this spell now works properly as retribution you can expect to be using it a lot, it is fairly potent when combined with Divine Guardian. Using this does not reset the swing timer. Sacred Shield also has a 6s ICD even when talented, so it is capable of refreshing itself every 6 seconds, even if the 'old' shield has not been fully used up. With 3.2, having SS active on a target and using FoL results in a hot; it does not require that the shield be triggered, only the SS buff. Note that any paladin can get the hot from any other paladin's SS (example: a holy paladin uses FoL on the tank, and the tank has used SS on himself, resulting in a hot).

Divinity
This has an odd double dipping interaction with your own heals (JoL, DS heals) which causes it to multiply twice, like so: (original heal number) * 1.05 *1.05. It is taken in pve builds only when you are trying to get to DSac. If you pick up this talent, you may want to use JoL and have other paladins use JoW.

Divine Sacrifice
A powerful raid cooldown, when used in combination with the bubble you effectively give your entire raid 30% damage reduction for 10s (as damage "immune'd" by the bubble does not count towards the break limit**). Divine guardian increases the damage redirected to you from 30% to 40%.

**After many months of testing, logging and data combing, it appears that the damage "immune'd" by the bubble actually does count towards the 150% limit. However, DSac very often absorbs much much more while under the bubble. This is because of latency; often times we use DSac while the raid is taking enormous amounts of damage (for example, a Freya3 ground tremor) and the game simply cannot sync the damage taken with the limit in the 1 second window that it occurs in. In other words, to get the maximum possible benefit out of DSac, you need to use it at the last possible second before the raid takes damage, to ensure that the limit threshold is not eaten by you absorbing your tank's steady damage, but rather the entire raid's in that split second moment of pain.

wow paladin icon Retribution Paladin Glyphs

Posted by Khor | 7/17/2009

Glyphs in World of Warcraft have become an important part of the game. The major glyphs are considered the essential ones, especially in raiding and PvP. You can have up to 3 major glyphs equipped.

Minor glyphs are what I like to consider the cosmetic glyphs, in the sense that most of them are based on user preference, not actual need. Some minor glyphs have major functions, but others are trivial and minor, and have no affect on PvP or raiding gameplay.

Here are the main glyphs you should have as a retribution paladin (updated for patch 3.2):

  1. [Glyph of Judgement] This glyph is a must have, hands down. Judgments are vital to our dps, so don't leave this one out.
  2. [Glyph of Consecration] Now your second best glyph, helping conserve mana and normalizing the FCFS rotation.
  3. [Glyph of Seal of Vengeance] Since Seal of Blood/Martyr is gone, this is what takes its place. This gives a nice expertise boost at 10 expertise (82 rating, 2.5%). If lready expertise capped, move right along to Glyph of Exorcism.
  4. [Glyph of Exorcism] A solid boost to DPS, even though Exorcism is at the end of our FCFS rotation.

Here are the minor glyphs, although they do not serve near the tremendous impact that the main glyphs do.

  1. [Glyph of Sense Undead] Ulduar has no undead, but the extra 1% has PvE written all over it.
  2. [Glyph of Lay on Hands] The only othe semi-useful PvE minor glyph.


Everyone wants the best possible enchants for their characters, so I have the best in slot (BiS) enchant list for each gear slot. One thing to notice is that i do no have the rings listed, which is available to enchanters only.

I will try to keep this list updated as frequently as possible, but luckily for us, the best enchants are usually cemented in stone, unless a very high level enchant is released in a patch as a raid drop.

The best in slot (BiS) enchants for retribution paladins are in blue text, with their lesser counterparts in red. Still the same in 3.2.

Personally, I feel that the hit cap is so easily reached through gear once you start raiding, that most people opt for the Greater Assault on boots rather than Icewalker.


From World of Raids:

There are several things that really concerned me about this email:

1) The email address is almost entirely indistinguishable from that of blizzard's own. In fact, hotmail picked up on this saying "you are subscribed to this person's mailing list" or something.

2) The scammers have gone to the care of mocking up a fairly convincing logo for this "expansion". Only a gamer with a good knowledge of current blizz goings on would a) realise that cataclysm is a misty subject for blizz at the moment and b) that the art is reused from strathlome (I think...)

3) The wording in the email is near perfect. I haven't spent a long time reading it but it seems absolutely unforced and similar to Blizzard's expression.

How you can tell it's a fake:

1) Random people who are not related to Blizzard do not get Alpha invites :P So don't think you're that lucky!

2) All of the links go to a site that is NOT BLIZZARD OR WOW RELATED. You can see this if you hover over the links. On going to the link, you are prompted to download a .rar file called "Cataclysm Updater". DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS FILE WHATEVER YOU DO, AND CERTAINLY DO NOT, NEVER, EVER EVER EVER BY JOVE, EXECUTE IT OR UNPACK IT. It is certainly a malignant piece of software, either a virus or a keylogger or something equally nasty.

3) The "Alpha" email links are in fact old beta email links.

4) There is no information concerning cataclysm, especially the content which this email alludes to (hero classes, maelstrom continent, etc).

So PLEASE PLEASE everyone keep an eye out! If you get this email please DO NOT DO ANYTHING BUT DELETE IT. Alert Blizzard if you fear the safety of your account at all, they are lovely people and will be happy to help I'm sure (especially if you phone them up -great support there).

Hope this helped you out,


Blizzard has a brilliant strategy for keeping us hooked. Simple, but brilliant. As I trounce through Ulduar for the umpteenth time, I wonder to myself, why is this place not old yet? As I skim the snowy surface of Storm Peaks, searching for the abundant Icethorn and Lichbloom, I am curious as to why I am not bored out of my mind from flying repetitive circles over the same, ice covered mountains. And as I level my 15th toon, I realize I know exactly when and where I am going, how long it will take, and what upgrades await my triumphant victories. Why the hell am I not going crazy!

Because Blizzard knows what they are doing. They created a game so rich in content, with so many possibilities and roads to take, that the game will never end. Not even when we cut down Arthas will we be through.

Slowly but surely, Blizzard is releasing new instances, new raids, new gear, and new battlegrounds on a regular basis via patches. And the expansions delve much deeper than that, bringing new aspects of gameplay every two years. By making us want more, they are keeping us hooked, and keeping our wallets open.

Here's what impresses me. Blizzard, on top of all the monthly subscription fees we pay, has managed to scrap together additional services that we pay for. Let's count them:

  • Name Changes
  • ServerTransfers
  • Character Customization
  • and now Faction Changes

What I find brilliant is that they are periodically releasing these services when we all start to lull and drag, complaining of doing the same old crap, time and time again. All these new options bring droves of players willing to shell out cash to change their names, sex, and now factions. You know what's next? Sometime next year I bet we see the (paid) ability to change races within our faction. Just one more thing we've all been wanting, planned perfectly to be implemented just as all the other services have been in the past.

They're keeping us reeled in, all the while reeling in that cash too! Boasting over 10 million subscribers, you can bet they won't be letting go of this cash cow any time soon.

The next expansion, which I am assuming will be announced at Blizzcon coming up soon, will probably announce a new race or two, causing an onslaught of people rushing to crash through content with their new virtual toys. It happened with the Draenei and Blood Elves, and again with the Death Knights. A renewed interest and passion for the game, with new levels, and a hundred new roads to take. Who knows what they'll come up with to keep us drawn to Azeroth.

Take a look at all the paths we have now. We can level additional toons (with heirloom items I might add, another brilliant lure to put a hook in our mouths), PvP, PvE, raid, farm for gold, grind for reputation, level twinks for PvP, collect achievements, collect mounts, collect small pets, and every other small aspect of the game, should you get bored with any of the others.

Right now, I am burned out on PvP...been that way for almost a year now. Before that I was burned out on raiding, and before that, leveling. But now I'm leveling, raiding, and farming for gold. It's a viscious circle. A circle that has me handing Blizz $15 a month still.

You know what, before I close, I want to address how smart heirloom items were, and Bind on Account items for that matter. Heirloom items, especially those with experience gain increases, have caused thousands of players to create new toons, leveling from 1-80. By doing so, a whole new experience to the game is opened up, creating that much more of an addiction (yeah, I said the 'A' word) to continue on not just one, but two, three, four, five or who knows how many additional toons. All creating their own black holes of time consumption, we never even blink to conitnue down our Azerothian path.

Now don't get me wrong, I still love the game, but when I sit back and look at this nearly montstrous monopoly Blizzard has going over the mmorpg genre, I can't help but wonder what new strategies will they bring to the table to keep us immersed in their ever expanding world.

Khor

wow paladin icon Paladins - Stat List

Posted by Khor | 7/14/2009

Updated for patch 3.2 Nothing has really changed. Most gear will get you hit capped very quickly, so you want strength, strength, and more strength.

Retribution Paladins rely on strength as their main stat, and it has been that way for a very ong time. This list is what is considered optimal, but keep in mind that every person has different gear, so you may need to make some small adjustments based on what gear you are wearing.

So as a quick refresher, here are the stats you should be gemming for as a retribution paladin:

1. Hit
2. Strength
3. Expertise
4. Critical Strike
5. Agility
6. Haste
7. Armor Penetration
8. Attack Power

1. Hit - Hit affects your hit %, or ability to hit mobs and bosses. At level 80, Paladins need a total of 8% hit to be capped at 100%, meaning they never miss. Normal melee swings, Crusader's Strike, Judgements, and Divine Storm are all affected by this. Reaching the hit cap should be your number one priority.

2. Strength - Strength is what gives us attack power and increases our damage. After hit is capped, this is what we start stacking. Remember, 1 strength = 2 AP...with the blessing of might buff in the talent tree, it ups to 1 str = 2.3 AP.

3. Expertise - Capping expertise removes a mob's/boss's ability to dodge our attacks. To cap this, you need 26 expertise, or 6.5%. It is recommended to maximize DPS, you have both hit and expertise capped.

4. Critical Strike - From this point on, stats at crit and below are not worth aiming for. They simply do not pack the punch that strength does. Strength should be the stat that ret paladins are stacking hands down when hit and exp are capped. However, crit wins over agility because crit also affects spell crit, whereas agility does not.

5. Agility - Inferior to critical strike, as it takes a whopping 52 agility to get 1% melee critical strike. However, crit does not stack with buffs, like Blessing of Kings, whereas agility does.

6. Haste - While haste seems like a great stat, it currently does not give us a gigantic boost like we'd hope it would. Haste lowers weapon speed, but does not decrease cooldowns on our spells and abilities.

7. Armor Penetration - This ability benefits warriors far more than it does paladins. It affects only our melee white hits, Crusader Strike, and Divine Storm. It does not affect seal or spell damage.

8. Attack Power - Since we hardly see AP on plate items, this isn't really a stat we have to worry about. Plus, 1 strength = 2.3 AP with talents is far superior than gearing up just straight AP. Go for strength instead. The only time a retribution paladin would have to worry about this is if he or she decides to dip into some leather or mail gear.

Remember, this is the ideal rank of stat importance. it varies greatly based on your current gear and talents.

For instance, at this very moment, my rank would be: 1) strength 2) critical strike 3) haste 4) armor pen 5) hit 6) exp because I am hit and exp capped. So, hypothetically, let's say I have 2 chest pieces with equal strength...the first has crit and expertise, while the second has slightly lower crit and armor pen. Since I am expertise capped, I'd choose the second piece, since the first's exp stat is wasted on me. Even though the crit is lower on the second piece, I still would gain more benefit from the additional armor pen.

wow paladin icon Intro to Paladin Leveling Guide

Posted by Khor | 7/14/2009

In World of Warcraft, you are given the option to start the game by selecting the race and class of the character you would like to play with. My first toon I ever created was a Paladin, and my last toon was a Paladin as well. They are one of the easiest classes to play and level with. For anyone searching how to powerlevel their character in WoW, here is a start. This simple leveling guide is free, easy, and assumes you have the basic knowledge of the game.

Making Your Character

One of the easiest and hardest parts of the game. I chose to make a Human Paladin, named Khorado. Why do I say hardest? Because choosing the right name can be so difficult at times! Choose your name wisely before playing, because once underway, that's it...you and that name are stuck together forever unless you want to shell out some real-life cash to get it changed.

The reason I am choosing a Human Paladin is because a) I know the Alliance leveling areas backwards and forwards, and b) I can easily show you how to make the most of your time, leveling as quickly as possible.

As a notation, this is not an in-depth look at each quest. There are many of those resources online for free, such as Jame's Alliance Guide, if you are looking for specific quest info. This guide will go more into how to level quickly, with my tips that I've used to level characters to 60 and 70, even 80 as fast as those powerleveling advertisers charging for their services.

Alright, let's continue...

Khor's Tips

Follow these tips to quickly level your toon starting at level 1.

  • Do not loot mobs unless you need to for a quest. For the first 6 levels in the starting zone, there's really no need to loot any enemies you kill, except for mobs that drop quest items. This brings no wealth, and very small upgrades gear-wise. Kill one mob, move on to the next. Rinse and Repeat. This is a huge time saver.
  • When looting is required, equip any and all gear upgrades. Mail is your top priority, but do not be afraid to equip leather, or even cloth if it is an upgrade for that particular gear slot.
  • Do not repair. This is pointless, as the leveling goes so fast that repairing is never necessary.
  • When traveling from one objective to the next, kill everything in your path. This drastically increases your leveling time. Just doing the quests alone may be quicker, but you are much liklier to leave the starting zone at level 4 or 5. We are going for level 6, which is quite easy to do
  • For levels 1-3, try taking on 3 mobs at a time. This is about the maximum I would recommend. Heal if necessary.
  • For levels 4-6, 4 mobs or even 5 can be taken on at a time. Heal if necessary.
  • Once at level 4, stop killing level 1 mobs. At level 5, stop killing level 2 mobs.
  • Practice quest stacking. Do not turn in any quests until all are completed. This is a huge time saver as well, as you are not running back and forth to turn single quests in. This is a common leveling flaw you should try to avoid.
Northshire Valley

1) Alright, we are in the game, so let's get started. Grab the first quest to kill 10 Kobolds, and the quest to kill the wolves as well for their Tough Wolf Meat. First, start killing wolves for their drops. Killing 3 wolves at a time, I easily leveled to level 2 in 3 minutes 34 seconds.

Killing wolves 3 at a time and Level 2 dingage!
2) Move along to the Kobolds, and kill the 10 you need as well. Kill any Kobold Workers in the immediate area, as they are level 3 and will rapidly up your experience gain with each kill. Once the quests are completed, continue killing the lvl 3 Kobold workers until you reachlevel 3. Turn the quests in. Time to level 3 for Khorado: 8 minutes 24 seconds.

Killing the Vermin!
3) Level your skills at your class trainer. You should now have Devotion Aura.

4) Pick up the quests to kill 10 Kobold Workers and to loot 12 Red Bandanas from the Defias across the river. Well, it's more like a creek, but whatever.

5) Up around the mine entrance to the north, kill your 10 workers, and then some. Kill as many Workers or even Laborers (lvl 3-4) until you ding level 4. Here is where I break my quest stacking rule. Run back to turn the Kobold quest in, then quickly go to your class trainer and pick up Blessing of Might and Judgement of Light. The judgement spell is huge, as your dps time to kill mobs just dropped by half. Khorado level 4 in 17 minutes total time played.

Level 4 and Judgement of Light! Easy damage now!
6) Pick up the quest to kill 12 Kobold Laborers. Nowthat you have Judgement of Light, cast this spell as soon as you are within range to use it (it's instant cast) and bludgeon the mob's remaining health down. Not only does it add damage, but it keeps you from having to heal, as it does that on it's own on random procs when you hit your target. Your time to kill a mob should have dropped by half. Now, run back to the mine and kill the laborers. Once done there, exit the mine and kill all the kobold workers in the area in front of the mine entrance. I hit level 5 from these mobs at 24 minutes 52 seconds.

Into the mine to kill Laborers and hitting level 5
7) Run to the Defias encampment and kill enough Defias to loot the 12 bandanas needed. Run back and turn in. If your bags are full, never hesitate to quickly stop by the vendor to sell all your trash.

How many Defias does it take to bring down a Paladin?
8) Pick up the quests to kill Garrick Padfoot and to talk to Milly Osworth. Milly will have you get 8 buckets of her grapes, and you must bring back Garrick's head. Venture back to the Defias encampment and into the vineyard to loot your grapes. Kill anything in your path. This is where I hit level 6, with a total time of 35 minutes 17 seconds. Objective reached! However, I still needed to kill Garrick Padfoot, so I made my way to his shack, took his head, and ran back to turn these final quests in.

Grape picking and Level 6!
9) At level 6, make sure to talk to your trainer again, who will teach Holy Light rank 2 and Divine Protection, a semi-spell shield of sorts.

10) Feel free to make your way to Goldshire now! Don't forget to get the 2 quests in Northshire that require you to talk to individuals in Goldshire.

So, it took me 35 minutes to get to level 6. That's not too bad. It's not record breaking, but it's pretty quick. Had I not been worried about taking a slew of screeshots, I probably could have knocked 5 minutes off that time. So, 30 minutes is what I would say is a good time to get to level 6.

Level 6 !
What's next?

As I continue to level these small toons I will post other guides. Next up would be Goldshire and Elwynn Forest, followed by Dun Morogh. Yeah I said it! Dun Morogh may seem like backtracking, but it actualll helps increase the pace of leveling.

How? Because you gain an extra 2 or 3 levels in that zone, so when returning to Westfall, you are 1-2 levels above the mobs and quests for that area. This allows you to keep a pace where you are constantly having an easier time with mobs and quests in the zone,allowing for faster completetion, thus resulting in quicker leveling.

So stay tuned!

wow paladin icon Ulduar Yields No Ret Plate!

Posted by Khor | 7/12/2009

Grrrrrrr! How many times can I run Ulduar with no plate dps gear? Seriously! It's been almost been a month and a half in there and all my plate gear is Naxx or lower. I have a lvl 226 ring and cloak, but that's it. So, out of my pure frustration, I caved and dropped almost 7000g on two items:

Footpads of Silence

Belt of the Titans

Whugh! I was able to pull 4 Runed Orbs from the guild bank, but that left me 8 more to buy at around 800g each. Yeah, I know that they'll be cheaper when 3.2 hits, but I couldn't wait any longer. Too many people are passing me in DPS now.

I have already earned back about 1600g from that total. But I still have a long way to go. Luckily, I had a little stockpile from my most recent Jewelcrafting Experiment that allowed me to get some of the gold back fairly quickly.

I haven't raided with the new set-up yet, but I am eager to see if it makes a difference. I am still expertise and hit capped, so the extra crit and strength should add the boost I am looking for. I am also 7 Emblems of Conquest away from adding my T8.5 helm, which will help as well.

Anyone else finding it hard to scavenge DPS plate gear in Ulduar? I have a very healthy stockpile of spell power plate gear. Maybe I should just heal...nah.

Khor