#1 - June 23, 2016, 5:56 p.m.
My Background with Retribution:
I have never been a top tier player however I have played Retribution for a long time. Created in classic and became my main in Burning Crusade. I was able to achieve a 2k Rating in TBC and a Duelist title. Many of my arena games in this time consisted of me spamming cleanse and off healing while auto attacking in hopes of big RNG burst to follow up with a lucky crusader strike crit. It wasn't the most compelling DPS gameplay but I wasn't a warrior. I was a support damage dealer. I kept my team from being CC'ed and helped out with damage and CC (With Hammer of Justice and Repentance) when I could.
My spec gained actual damage in Wrath. We had become absolute monsters and Retribution became the first of many to come FotM specs. We had great damage, burst, support.
I stopped PvPing as often halfway through Wrath however continued watching the class change until now. Abilities changed as did Blizzards philosophies over the years and I played my Paladin casually in arena and BGs. However something has always remained constant: We could break our friends out of CCs and we weren't susceptible to roots and snares.
TL;DR: I have played a lot of Retribution and I have a Pretty Good understanding of the class.
However in Legion we have lost this. We have Freedom, however it doesn't work against some skills (Like Mind Flay) and is easily dispelled.
Now, I know Mages should counter me at every turn. They always have. But for the first time as a Retribution Paladin I have been stuck in a frost nova and couldn't do anything about it. With my Freedom spell stolen and nothing to remove snares/roots I feel like a Warrior with prettier effects.
I have always accepted Retribution as the Support Damage Dealer. Instead now its abilities now very selfishly revolve around getting buffs while his allies are hurt and dying.
TL;DR: Retribution's fundamental role of Support Damage Dealer has changed and isn't the same spec that is has ever been historically. Will be finding a new main after ~9 - 10 years of playing Paladin. RIP.
