Arms Warrior
vs
Retribution Paladin
Debating whether to play a Retribution Paladin or Arms Warrior? Knowing which currently performs better DPS in PvE might help make a decision.
This page analyzes multiple simulations for both Retribution Paladins and Arms Warriors using profiles and settings intended to achieve their maximum DPS. Multiple sim environments are used to test how they perform in various conditions. Is one the AoE king? Does one scale better with gear upgrades? Is one more bursty, and more reliant on big cooldowns? Below analyzes the data to find the strengths of each.
Simulation results were created with SimulationCraft
Using game data from Patch 10.0.5 • WoW Dragonflight •
- Arms Warrior
- Best boss DPS (in perfect settings)Arms Warrior achieved 10.93% more maximum boss DPS than Retribution Paladin when there was no movement or lag.
- Best boss DPS (in realistic settings)Arms Warrior achieved 10.38% more maximum boss DPS than Retribution Paladin when dealing with occasional movement, lag and crowd-control.
- Best gear scalingArms Warrior scaled better with increased item-levels, single-target DPS benefited 17.37% more from 372 ilvl to 422 compared to Retribution Paladins.
- Simplest GameplayArms Warrior has fewer damaging abilities which could indicate a simpler rotation.
- DPS less dependant on big cooldownsArms Warrior’s DPS is less bursty, meaning it had more consistent damage. With 47.72% less difference in lowest and peak DPS during a fight when compared to Retribution Paladins.
Retribution Paladin
- Best AoE DPS (in perfect settings)Retribution Paladin achieved 8.43% more AoE DPS than Arms Warrior when there was no movement or lag.
- Least affected by movement (single-target)Retribution Paladin’s single-target DPS was -20.87% less affected by increased movement compared to Arms Warriors.
While the above highlights the DPS advantages between Arms Warrior and Retribution Paladins, the DPS potential should not be the only factor in your decision. Ultimately, you should also consider the playstyle that you enjoy most while crushing it in Mythics+ and Raids!
Resources
Retribution Paladin
- DPS Rankings
- Retribution Paladin Class Guide
- Retribution Paladin Sim Details
More Spec Comparisons