Overview
Retcleave is the melee-cleave archetype built around the Ret Paladin's toolkit. The Warrior and Ret apply instant, un-setup-able melee pressure with Mortal Strike wounds and Judgement/Crusader Strike, while the Resto Shaman keeps Earth Shield rolling and Grounds the incoming CC. Unlike TSG, you don't just train and hope — you use Repentance and Hammer of Justice to take the enemy healer out of the equation, then dump everything.
The payoff is one of the scariest burst windows in 3s: Repentance the healer, swap both melee to the kill target, and stack Avenging Wrath + Seal of Command procs under a Windfury Totem and Bloodlust. The catch is range — caster-control comps kite you, LoS your melee, and CC the shaman off the team. Into other cleaves and pressure comps your Freedom uptime and healer CC dominate.
Win condition
Land a full Repentance on the enemy healer (or Hammer of Justice if Repentance is dispelled), swap both melee onto the kill target, and stack a Mortal Strike wound with Avenging Wrath, Windfury Totem, and Bloodlust so the burst outruns any heal that leaks through the CC.
Strengths
- +Repentance on the healer plus a stacked Avenging Wrath / Windfury / Bloodlust window kills through most defensives
- +Two Mortal Strike-style wounds (warrior MS + ret pressure) gut enemy healing before the burst even lands
- +Blessing of Freedom and Hand of Protection make the melee near-impossible to kite or peel
Weaknesses
- −Caster-control comps (RMP, MLD, LSD) kite and chain-CC the melee out of every kill window
- −The Resto Shaman has weak hard peels — once he's isolated and CC'd, the whole comp folds
Cooldown timeline
Set the totems (Windfury + Grounding) and open with pressure to force cooldowns. Repentance the healer to start the kill → Warrior Intercept + Mortal Strike + Hamstring on the target, Ret pops Avenging Wrath, both trinket in. Shaman drops Bloodlust as the burst lands. Blessing of Freedom pre-emptively on the Warrior so a snare can't pull him off. If the kill fails, reset with Hand of Protection/Sacrifice, re-position, and rebuild for the next Repentance.
Positioning
Melee stick to the kill target but never lose sight of the shaman — the Warrior peels casters with Intercept/Hamstring/Spell Reflect and the Ret peels with Hammer of Justice and Freedom. Play the shaman near a pillar so he can LoS Polymorph/Fear and drop totems safely; the moment a caster team collapses on him, the melee must break off and peel rather than tunnel. Force enemies to fight around your Grounding/Tremor totem coverage.
Vs. the meta
RMP kites and chain-CCs your melee while sheeping the shaman. Split pressure — send the Warrior on the priest and the Ret on the mage — Spell Reflect the key Polymorph/Fear, and use Repentance on the priest instead of chasing the rogue. Freedom and Tremor Totem are your outs against their snares and Fear; peel the shaman first, kill second.
The mage/druid/lock combo peels you with roots, Cyclone, and Fear and out-ranges your burst. Hard-swap onto the druid during a Repentance on nothing (bait CC first), keep Freedom rolling to beat roots, and Grounding/Tremor the Fears. Purge Ice Barrier and hots relentlessly — if you can pin the druid you win the tempo, but never let the shaman get chained.
Gear requirements
- ▸Warrior and Ret: weapon damage + resilience first — Mortal Strike/Crusader Strike burst scales off the weapon
- ▸Shaman: resilience, mp5, and Earth Shield uptime; enough survivability to eat a full caster swap
Tips
- •Repentance is your kill-enabler, not a panic button — save it for the healer at the start of your swap, and land it before the melee commits.
- •Freedom the Warrior pre-emptively so snares and roots can't kite him off the kill target.
- •Purge on the shaman is real offense — strip Ice Barrier, PW:Shield, and hots before the burst lands.
- •Against caster comps, peel for your shaman first; a living shaman wins the attrition, a dead one loses the game instantly.
Gear & talents for this comp
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