Retribution - 4.0.1 PvE FAQ/Guide

[Thales494]

Disclaimer:
This is just a quick rundown, I'll deffinately come back and edit as I find out new information. This is to help me as much as others as it all makes more sense in written form.

Acronyms
HoW-Hammer of Wrath
CS-Crusader Strike
GCD-Global Cooldown
CD-Cooldown
SoT-Seal of Truth
GoSoT-Glyph of Seal of Truth
TV-Templar's Verdict
AW-Avenging Wrath
EJ-Elitist Jerks(theorycrafting forums)
iLvl- item level
Exo-Exorcism
J-Judgement
Exp.-Expertise(in this context)
Str-Stength
AP-Attack Power
Agi-Agility
HP-Holy Power
Filler-Abilities of lesser priority in comparison to TV/CS
HoL-Hand of Light
DP-Divine Plea(since 4.0.1, more commonly refering to Divine Purpose[the 40% to proc a HP talent])
GEAR
What piece should I equip?
Sadly, as long as the piece is not horrible and wierdly itemized, the highest ilvl(purely because of the Str value) is now the best option due to reforging, of course there are exceptions but that's a disappointing rule of thumb. Avoid Agi/AP pieces.

What do I gem?
Red - Strength
Yellow - Strength/Haste below haste cap, Strength/Crit above it. Assuming 4+ Strength socket bonus.
Blue - Nightmare's Tear in highest socket bonus, Strength/Hit if the hit is used it's safe to use and 'upgrade' to a Chaotic Skyflare. No more than 2 blue sockets... ever.
Meta - Relentless Earthsiege, Chaotic Skyflare if you can use the Hit from a Strength/Hit gem.

Haste cap?
The new 'haste cap' for ret is when your CS hits 3 seconds+twice your latency. For example, my haste brings my CS to a 3.57 cooldown, this is 'correct' for a 280ms player. For actual values EJ has a formula but this is a simple guide.

Stat Values
Stat Values depend more on your gear than anything else, basically Hit cap(8%)>Exp cap(22*)>Strength>Haste cap>Crit>Mastery
Being slightly below Expertise cap is much better than being slightly above. Hit you have alot of things you can do to get it exact(246) IMO, but being slightly over(rather than under) for hit is better due to it helping spell hit. *12(95 rating) before glyph, the new cap of 22(172 rating) has been thoroughly by myself and many others with 4k+ swing tests.

Reforging
Reforge can be seem exactly like gemming but you only get to choose Secondary Stats(not strength). Once reliable spreadsheets are up we can decide based on our own specific characters needs, until then, the same stat priority listed above is the best option. Prepare to spend some serious gold at this vendor to get the ideal setup.
Reforging can be trickier, I literally reforged hit and expertise back and forth on pieces that couldn't recieve a haste reforge and ended up on exactly 22 expertise** and 8% hit flat. **12 with glyph would be ideal.

The Rotation
I will attempt to keep this up to date. A filler is something of lesser priority than CS or TV, I would call TV a filler but you use it over CS at 3 HP, there is some discussion about CS>TV during a HoL proc with <3 HP. It seems HP from a DP proc is carried over with a HoL proc.
Example:

(2hp) -> CS(3hp) -> TV(1hp) -> TV(2hp) -> CS(3hp) -> TV
vs.
(2hp) -> TV(3hp) -> TV(1hp) -> CS(2hp) -> Fil

TV procing a holy power is assuming a DP proc.
How it works
CS>Filler repeated is fine but remember to prioritize TV over anything!
CS-Filler-CS-Filler
Ability Priority-FCFS
TV > CS > HoW > Exo > J > HW > Cons
Exorcism only ever during Art of War.
Cooldowns
Don't use Zealotry and Avenging wrath together, don't use Speed Pots during Bloodlust. Double pot, pot before combat and with a CD both times. Wings during Bloodlust if possible but don't delay it too much to achieve this. New info: Haste(pre-pots) decreases the time before Censure ticks for the entire fight. For example(Test data provided by Aenae on EJ forums.)

Pot before attacking
- Censure ticks every 2.09 seconds while the pot is active
- Censure ticks every 2.09 seconds after the haste is lost (for 2+ minutes, tooltip says it ticks for every 2.33s)

Pot after 1 application of Censure
- Censure ticks every 2.33 seconds while the pot is active (tooltip is wrong; saying it ticks every 2.09s)
- Censure ticks every 2.33 seconds after the haste is lost (for 2+ minutes)

Pot after 5 application of Censure
- Censure ticks every 2.33 seconds while the pot is active (tooltip wrong again; saying it ticks every 2.09s)
- Censure ticks every 2.33 seconds after the haste is lost (for 2+ minutes)

No pot at all
- Censure ticks every 2.33 seconds

Glyphs
TV, SoT and CS, assuming some of the expertise from SoT is used, reforging for this is a good idea.
If you're swimming in high strength expertise pieces as I am and cannot reforge to be much less than ~16 then it is safe to use a glyph of lower gain in place of SoT, such as Exorcism or Judgement

Spec
http://wowtal.com/#k=3km4ilL.a6d.paladin.RnzdLA
3-2-31 Fairly generic, Eye for an Eye IS a DPS increase in ICC on most bosses# and so is Rebuke as it can proc seal damage and is off the GCD(macro it up!), these are your two optional/self utility talents. The rest are mandatory, there is debate between this spec and 5-0-31.
# Procs on things like infest, pain and suffering, emp. shock vortex and gaseous blight.

Update log:
10/24/10 - Added update log, Removed Fillerx2 info, updated reforging, added a few words to the acronyms section.
10/25/10 - Updated info on CS>TV if HoL proc <3HP
Also if any information you feel is needed do let me know, or even if you have a question feel free to ask.

[Thales494]

Added more information on specs and glyphs, highlighted alot of the key information in yellow.

[Thales494]

Plenty of views no replies, if this has helped you let me know or I'll stop bothering.

[Willzy]

Not a lot of people know what all the acronyms are, a tip is to put a link to most of those so people don't have to search so much.

[minihansen12]

What is Filler? The spell u are using

[Andeby]

Fillers are everything but CS and TV.

And to comment on the CS->filler x2->CS. Not even if you were 85 with 80 gear would that be better, so never use that. Always CS->filler-CS. Other than that this guide seems fairly accurate and nicely made for a beginner. On the reforging part, until you hit your haste softcap, you can reforge even crit to haste.

[Thales494]

I've personally reforged crit to haste. After reviewing that section is a little vague... You reforge your least desired stat to haste and then if it can't get anymore haste(at cap or already has haste), that's a piece you can toy with expertise/hit with.

Removing Fillerx2 info, updating reforging section.

[Excesum]

Solid guide, made me want to go retri PvP on my paladin and use them honor points to get some gear! +Rep x4

[Thales494]

Thanks
Again, any questions, specific or otherwise feel free to post here or PM me.(do they have PM on mmowned? =p)