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 10.1.7 • WoW Dragonflight •
- Arms Warrior
- Best AoE DPS (in perfect settings)Arms Warrior achieved 6.2% more AoE DPS than Retribution Paladin when there was no movement or lag.
- Best gear scalingArms Warrior scaled better with increased item-levels, single-target DPS benefited 0.1% more from 422 ilvl to 446 compared to Retribution Paladins.
- DPS less dependant on big cooldownsArms Warrior’s DPS is less bursty, meaning it had more consistent damage. With 4.8% less difference in lowest and peak DPS during a fight when compared to Retribution Paladins.
Retribution Paladin
- Best boss DPS (in perfect settings)Retribution Paladin achieved 0.27% more maximum boss DPS than Arms Warrior when there was no movement or lag.
- Best boss DPS (in realistic settings)Retribution Paladin achieved 1.81% more maximum boss DPS than Arms Warrior when dealing with occasional movement, lag and crowd-control.
- Least affected by movement (single-target)Retribution Paladin’s single-target DPS was -31.25% less affected by increased movement compared to Arms Warriors.
- Simplest GameplayRetribution Paladin has fewer damaging abilities which could indicate a simpler rotation.
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