The following compares the current state of Frost Mages to Retribution Paladins using the latest SimulationCraft data for end-game PvE in World of Warcraft The War Within patch 11.0.2.
Comparison
Category
Winner
Frost Mage
+10.82%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Frost Mages averaged 10.82% more DPS than Retribution Paladins (+164K DPS).
Frost Mage
+1.3%
When simulating AoE DPS, Frost Mages averaged 1.3% more DPS than Retribution Paladins (+13K DPS).
Retribution Paladin
+55.22%
Retribution Paladins have higher spike damage potential, achieving +3.4M more DPS than Frost Mages.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Frost Mage
+1.68%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Frost Mage DPS improved the most, +1.68% more than Retribution Paladin. In total, Frost Mages DPS increased by 67.41% and Retribution Paladins by 65.73%.
Retribution Paladin
+12.1%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 3.18% for Retribution Paladins.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 15.28% for Frost Mages.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Retribution Paladins performed better, as Frost Mages suffered a +12.1% DPS loss.
Frost Mage
When evaluating abilities used during boss encounters, Frost Mages had fewer damaging abilities in total, indicating a potentially less complex rotation.
The comparisons above highlight some of the key differences between Frost Mage and Retribution Paladin in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Frost Mage
Retribution Paladin