Has the ret rework improved the spec at all?

[paxen]

I've played prot pala (and devoker) this patch, tried getting to grips with old ret a few times but never felt more than meh. After the rework I think it flows a lot better, somehow Templar Strike/Slash feels a lot more satisfying than just plain crusader strike. Also, when I tinkered with it before patch I felt like I never pressed Blade of Justice because I was always at 4HP somehow (or so it felt like). 4HP->Verdict->Judge->random proc and now it's 4HP again and BoJ just keeps slipping away. Now it often falls into a decent rythm of Blade/Judge, Strike, Slash, Verdict (or DS), repeat, and then every minute we can go boom with AW, Final Reck, Divine Toll and Wake all lining up.

At some point I'd like to try a Crusading Strikes build as well. Maybe that means free gcds to use Divine Hammer (and so also pressing Cons again), not that I'm not very happy to not press Consecration all the time.

[MrLachyG]

I got to 61 as ret prior to the patch, didn’t like it much at all to the point where I was going to run prot instead. After playing it a bit in a couple of dungeons it definitely feels a lot better

[uncl55]

Best thing on this rework is our survivability, its amaizing how i stopped dying in m+. Seriously now i can survive almost everything but obvious fuckups.

[Kalisandra]

Best thing on this rework is our survivability, its amaizing how i stopped dying in m+. Seriously now i can survive almost everything but obvious fuckups.

Being able to equal our Warrior's DPS and not die whilst trying in the process is certainly nice.

[Gloriandus]

I was hoping for more build variation but really we're back to one ST build and one AOE/Cleave build. Crusading Strikes falls WAY behind Templar Strikes (for me), and the damage increase using Vanguard is too good to give up, despite it costing 4 HP and totally jacking with my muscle memory. I plan on testing out a CS and non-Vanguard build in raid this week to see if it's as much of a loss in practice as the sims show.

I will, however, use Divine Hammer as much as possible; it was my favorite talent from Legion.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Crusading Strikes, along with Vanguard of Justice and Consecrated Blade are a godsend for me as they reduce how often I have to push buttons and how many different CDs I have to manage. I want to spend my time looking at the characters and what's going onscreen, and maybe look at my allies and throw out heals and blessings on them, rather than spending all of my time staring at my cooldowns and procs on my hotbar. Still wish I could get rid of procs entirely.

[Joveon Lightbringer]

As someone who plays Ret off-spec, they've made it much more user-friendly. I used to get frustrated trying to put together burst windows while also doing raid mechanics. Now the damage just flows, even if I'm having to run out and in occasionally. I've gone from #6 DPS on our raid team to #2! All while still considering myself Prot main and mostly playing to tank M+.

[ZazuuPriest]

Rets AoE is insanely strong rn. I did 105k overall in a 16 AA last night at ilv400. Prot is really strong as well. Rets single target is really strong but not completely busted like its AOE

[Cynical Asshole]

Crusading Strikes, along with Vanguard of Justice and Consecrated Blade are a godsend for me as they reduce how often I have to push buttons and how many different CDs I have to manage. I want to spend my time looking at the characters and what's going onscreen, and maybe look at my allies and throw out heals and blessings on them, rather than spending all of my time staring at my cooldowns and procs on my hotbar. Still wish I could get rid of procs entirely.

I appreciate having as fewer buttons as possible in order to concentrate on what is going on on the screen, BUT in M+ Templar Strikes is just way too good to replace with Crusading Strikes. Like...you will notice the drop in aoe damage if you don't take Templar Strikes.

[Kalisandra]

Crusading Strikes, along with Vanguard of Justice and Consecrated Blade are a godsend for me as they reduce how often I have to push buttons and how many different CDs I have to manage. I want to spend my time looking at the characters and what's going onscreen, and maybe look at my allies and throw out heals and blessings on them, rather than spending all of my time staring at my cooldowns and procs on my hotbar. Still wish I could get rid of procs entirely.

It's funny, I found the way Ret's rotation had semi-random gaps and enforced downtime in it in BfA, SL, and 10.0 really annoying. The standard build at the moment has more down time, but it doesn't bother me as much, because it's a choice, and because it's more predictable. Also, there's much less 'boom and bust' - previously you had downtime, and then you had times when you were frantically trying to pack everything into a short window. Now it's more even, and I find that so much better.

That we do more damage, especially outside of burst windows, now is nice, too.

[Nymrohd]

I have to say, I tried ret and it seems so busy to play. I'm usually prot. The numbers seemed great, especially for AoE, even with mediocre gear.

[Kalisandra]

Well, it was good while it lasted. Nerfs to Damage and survivability incoming.

[Schmilblick]

Gameplay wise, it's one of the best rework these last years, the spec is definitely fun to play.

[uncl55]

I have to say, I tried ret and it seems so busy to play. I'm usually prot. The numbers seemed great, especially for AoE, even with mediocre gear.

I knew this was comming to us, just hopped it wont... first of the nerfbats os already on with many more incoming. Stupid meta clases crying everywhere...

[Cynical Asshole]

I very much enjoy ret pvp now. If serious nerfs roll in, I'll quit, and just in time for the games coming out this year.

[Thundering]

not really its a mediocre spec. with terrible mobility.