WoW Forever Paladin Stat Priority
Wowhead has published a Forever Holy stat guide (written during the level 30 beta, so a projection [Unconfirmed]). Retribution has no published Forever stat guide yet (checked 30 Oct); that order is our read [Unconfirmed], built from the Forever changes listed under each one. We give no stat weights, because none are published. Tested level 60 data: Not yet published, updated at launch.
Retribution: our read [Unconfirmed]
| Step | Stat |
|---|---|
| 1 | Weapon damage (two-hander) |
| 2 | Spell Power |
| 3 | Hit, up to the melee hit cap (8% per Wowhead's Forever tank guides) |
| 4 | Strength / Attack Power |
| 5 | Intellect (once you have Champion of the Light) |
| 6 | Critical Strike |
Holy (Wowhead)
| Step | Stat |
|---|---|
| 1 | Healing Power |
| 2 | Intellect (15 mana per point; 60 Intellect = 1% spell crit) |
| 3 | Critical Strike |
| 4 | Spirit |
Heals can't miss, so Holy needs no hit. Wowhead notes a maxed hit talent covers your damage spells if you want to deal damage.
What moves it in Forever
- Ret is a spell-power melee spec. Seals, Judgement, Holy Strike and Consecration all scale with Spell Power, so spell power gear can compete with Strength gear (Wowhead).
- Weapon first: your two-hander adds more damage than any other slot, and Holy Strike and Seal of Command both scale with weapon damage (Wowhead).
- Champion of the Light now turns 12/24/36/48/60% of Intellect into spell damage and cuts Hammer of Wrath cast time by up to 1 sec (Blizzard, 2 Nov)).
- Retribution Aura now scales with the Paladin's spell power (Blizzard).
Protection: see the Protection Paladin stat priority.
Racials that touch stats (Wowhead Retribution guide)
| Race | Effect |
|---|---|
 Human |
Ruthless: +1% crit (was 2%). The Human Spirit: +10% Spirit (was 5%) (Blizzard, 2 Nov). |
 Dwarf |
Artisan's Precision: +1% hit with spells and attacks, replacing Earth Fury (Blizzard, 2 Nov). Big Game Hunter: +5% damage to Beasts. |
 Undead |
The only Horde paladin race. |
Blizzard's notes confirm Ruthless at +1% crit (Blizzard, 2 Nov).
FAQ
Does Holy need hit? No. Heals can't miss (Wowhead).
Why does Ret want Spell Power? Seals, Judgement, Holy Strike and Consecration all scale with it (Wowhead).
More on caps and conversions: Stats explained.
Talents change how much each stat is worth. Compare builds in the Paladin talent calculator.
See also: Paladin BiS · Paladin talents · Paladin rotation · Protection stat priority · Stats explained
Fan site. Beta (cap 30) until launch Thu 5 Nov 2026, 10:00 AEDT; numbers may change. [Unconfirmed] = not yet confirmed.
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Sources
- Wowhead — Holy Paladin Stat Priority (Forever)
- Wowhead — Holy Paladin overview (Forever)
- Wowhead — Retribution Paladin overview (Forever)
- Blizzard — WoW Forever Beta Development Notes (Updated October 26)