With the update in Dragonflight 10.0.7, Retribution passive stat nodes like Teachings of the Light and Adjudication have been upgraded to include additional effects. This change brings an element of intrigue to these previously straightforward nodes.
A Comprehensive Analysis
Holy Blade: A Necessity?
Holy Blade has become somewhat of a talent point sink, appearing to exist merely to absorb a talent point. Given that Blade of Justice has historically generated 2 Holy Power, it seems unusual to require this as an initial talent point.
Upper Tier Talent Nodes:
In the upper third of the talent tree, the ratio of talent nodes to points to spend is quite close, with 9 nodes and 8 points. However, with 6 choice node talents, there’s still ample room for decision-making, albeit between two options rather than multiple talent paths.
Righteous Cause vs Art of War :
The choice between Righteous Cause and Art of War presents an innovative approach to determining the reset mechanic for Blade of Justice. To ensure balance in AoE situations, it’s suggested that Righteous Cause should reset on Divine Storm casts.
Judgment of Justice and Movement Speed :
Judgment of Justice offers a subdued version of Long Arm of the Law, providing a welcome return of this popular effect in a new form, albeit in a limited capacity.
Expurgation Redesign: A New Focus :
The redesign of Expurgation now triggers on every Blade of Justice cast, not just crits. There’s scope for a mechanic similar to Soulrend to avoid overwriting existing Expurgation debuffs and maximise its potential.
Empyrean Legacy:
Empyrean Legacy remains a favoured talent, despite its awkward interaction with Crusade and Final Reckoning. A reassessment of its role could lead to a more engaging gameplay experience.
Sanctify and Consecrated Blade:
The nerf to Sanctify and Consecrated Blade is understandable but raises questions about their continued presence in the talent tree, especially given the increase in Consecration’s cooldown.
Inquisitor’s Ire:
The reintroduction of Inquisitor’s Ire is a welcome sight, though its current setup may limit Divine Storm‘s potential at maximum stacks.
Highlord’s Judgment and Divine Resonance:
Highlord’s Judgment offers an interesting concept but risks overcapping buffs with Divine Resonance. A potential solution could be an increase in the stack cap or another mechanism to prevent value loss.
Execution Sentence and Final Reckoning:
Placing Execution Sentence and Final Reckoning on a choice node together makes sense in limiting damage buffing modifiers, but could the combination be less overwhelming without Seraphim?
Vanguard’s Momentum:
Vanguard’s Momentum currently provides its entire damage bonus with the first talent point, and only one extra charge of Hammer of Wrath with the second. A more balanced distribution of benefits between the two points could be beneficial.
Final Verdict vs Justicar’s Vengeance:
Continuing the discussion on the choice node between Final Verdict and Justicar’s Vengeance, it could be made more engaging by focusing on a “range versus heal” decision, rather than including factors like base damage or Hammer of Wrath reset effects.
Talents Requiring Tuning:
There are certain talents, such as Divine Hammer, Divine Auxiliary, and Seething Flames, which seem to be somewhat underpowered. As these are new abilities, future iterations and balancing should address these issues.
Compatibility Concerns:
Some talents are currently incompatible. For instance, Crusading Strikes and Seal of the Crusader do not interact as expected, and the same goes for Blessed Hammer with Improved Crusader Strike, Swift Justice, and Blades of Light. These interactions need to be addressed to ensure smooth gameplay.
Exploring Damage Specialization:
The introduction of talents that alter damage schools, like Blades of Light and Searing Light, opens up exciting opportunities for specialization. If developed fully, these could lead to diverse playstyles emphasizing Physical, Holy, or Fire damage.
Conclusion:
This update to the Retribution talent tree in Dragonflight 10.0.7 brings a plethora of changes, some more successful than others. As players continue to explore and developers fine-tune, the future of Retribution Paladins promises further evolution and refinement.