Ret Paladin Gems: Best Stats & Budget Options

For Retribution Paladins, expertise mitigation remains a critical attribute for maximizing damage output in PvE encounters. The precise configuration of ret paladin gems significantly influences a Paladin’s combat effectiveness, often necessitating careful consideration of available stat budgets. Resources like the popular addon Pawn, by enabling customized stat weights, assist players in determining the most impactful gem choices for their specific gear setup. Blizzard Entertainment, the developer of World of Warcraft, introduces periodic content patches that can shift the relative value of particular stats, therefore impacting optimal gemming strategies.

Ret Paladin Gems: Optimizing Your Stats on a Budget

Choosing the right gems for your Retribution Paladin can significantly impact your damage output and overall performance. This guide breaks down the optimal stats to prioritize and provides budget-friendly gemming options to maximize your potential without breaking the bank.

Understanding Stat Priorities for Retribution Paladins

Before diving into specific gem recommendations, it’s crucial to understand the stat hierarchy that will determine your gem choices. Ret Paladins benefit from a combination of stats, each contributing to different aspects of damage dealing. Your stat priorities will shift slightly depending on your gear level and raid buffs, but the following generally holds true:

1. Strength: This is your primary stat, directly increasing your attack power, which in turn increases damage dealt with all your abilities. It’s usually the stat you’ll stack as much as possible.

2. Hit Rating (Until Cap): Reaching the hit cap ensures your attacks land, preventing wasted resources and lost damage. The hit cap for melee characters against level 83 bosses (raid bosses) is 8%. For Alliance races, you can reduce this requirement to 7% if you are in a party with a Draenei providing the Heroic Presence racial.

3. Expertise (Until Cap): Expertise reduces the chance of your attacks being dodged or parried. The expertise cap is 26 expertise rating, which equals 6.5% dodge/parry chance reduction.

4. Critical Strike Chance: After hitting the hit and expertise caps, critical strike chance increases the chance your attacks will deal double damage, increasing your overall DPS.

5. Haste: Haste reduces the global cooldown (GCD) and increases attack speed, allowing you to execute your rotation faster and generate more holy power.

6. Armor Penetration: Armor penetration reduces the target’s armor, increasing the physical damage you deal.

Optimal Gem Choices: Focusing on Strength and Caps

Considering these priorities, your gem choices will revolve around maximizing Strength while reaching the Hit and Expertise caps. Strength, being your primary stat, is typically the best choice for pure damage output.

• Red Sockets: Primarily use gems that provide +Strength.
• Yellow Sockets: These sockets are more flexible, and you will typically gem for stats to help you reach the Hit and Expertise caps. Once capped, gem for Crit.
• Blue Sockets: These sockets can be tricky, and you often want to ignore the socket bonus unless it provides a significant Strength boost. If you need to gem for Hit, consider gems that provide Hit and another useful stat.

Budget Gemming Options: Effective and Affordable

While the best gems are often expensive, several budget-friendly options still offer a significant DPS boost:

• For Strength:

  • [Bold Scarlet Ruby]: The best in slot, and usually more expensive.
  • [Bold Bloodstone]: A cheaper alternative for strength, still providing a decent damage increase.

• For Hit Rating:

  • [Accurate Scarlet Ruby]: This gem provides a combination of Strength and Hit Rating, ideal for hybrid sockets.
  • [Precise Bloodstone]: A cheaper option that still provides hit rating.

• For Expertise:

  • [Etched Scarlet Ruby]: Strength and expertise.
  • [Etched Bloodstone]: Cheaper expertise option.

• For Critical Strike:

  • [Delicate Scarlet Ruby]: Strength and Critical Strike.
  • [Delicate Bloodstone]: Cheaper crit option.

• Meta Gem:

  • [Relentless Earthsiege Diamond]: Generally the best meta gem for ret paladins, this provides attack power and reduces the chance of being stunned.

Gemming Strategies for Different Scenarios:

The following table summarizes how to approach your gemming based on your needs:

Scenario	Red Sockets	Yellow Sockets	Blue Sockets (If Worth It)
Need Hit/Expertise Cap	Strength	Hit/Expertise	Strength/Hit or Strength/Expertise
Hit/Expertise Capped	Strength	Crit	Strength
Socket Bonus Worth It	Optimize for Bonus	Use gems needed for Hit/Expertise/Crit/Haste	Gem for socket bonus if valuable (e.g., Strength)

Important Considerations:

• Gear Optimization: Before spending a lot on gems, prioritize obtaining better gear. Upgrading a piece of gear might provide more significant stat gains than fully gemming a lower-tier item.

• Enchantments: Remember that enchantments also contribute to your stats. Coordinate your gems and enchantments to optimize your character build.

• Simulation Tools: Using simulation tools like Raidbots can help you fine-tune your gem choices based on your specific gear and raid composition. These tools provide personalized recommendations for maximizing your DPS.

So, there you have it – a solid rundown of the best ret paladin gems and some budget-friendly alternatives to keep your damage soaring. Experiment a bit, see what feels best for your playstyle, and may the Light guide your crit rating!