Now Hear This: Changes to Stat Priorities

With 3.0 came a few key changes to the way things work for retribution. Consider the following:

• Armor penetration became rating-based rather than flat reduction
• Divine Strength gained an extra 5% strength-booster
• Sheath of Light adds spell power based on attack power, and both stats affect Judgement damage
• Consecration now scales with attack power and spell power
• Exorcism now scales with attack power and spell power

SO

Even more than before (and you thought it wasn't possible!), your total AP is the main deciding factor in your damage. Every single ability you use scales with AP in some way, and those that scaled with spell power now get gains from both, AND you have a decent amount of spell power through Sheath of Light.

Before, in a raid setting, if you achieved enough armor reduction from gear with the right debuffs in place, ArPen was considered a golden stat to stack. Now, in light of the new-found AP scaling of all our DPS abilities, stack strength almost exclusively. Haste is great too. Don't worry so much about the crit and ArPen, go for hit to cap (~142 if you can get there since there's no more Precision), strength, and haste. Let everything else come naturally.

Over the next few weeks I'll be re-evaluating my Avenger's Path - Essential Posts and either making edits or re-writing as necessary to reflect these changes. Also, if I have time, I might wade back into the sea of posts at EJ and figure out if these educated assumptions are correct. (PS - if any of you follow the EJ ret thread(s) closely and can verify these assertions, please feel free to let me know. That thread has grown exponentially while I wasn't watching.)