Retribution's two arguments: the seal-swapping capstone and a missing AoE button

Two arguments about Retribution Paladins keep circling each other, and neither asks for the spec to top a damage meter. They're about what you do with your hands.

The capstone

"Every other class gets an ability in capstone talent and we get swing timer watch duty?" exosion asked on r/wowforever on 29 October. Their complaint is with Twist of Light, and with building a talent on what they call an unintended, clunky mechanic. They offer alternatives including some version of Seal of Command, two seals at once (perhaps at reduced effect), or Wake of Ashes.

Blizzard's position is on the record. Its 15 October class preview says seal twisting no longer exists baseline, and that Twist of Light "retains the engaging gameplay of swapping between multiple Seals while making it more intuitive and less stringent on timing windows". Holy Shock, it adds, is placed as an alternative for players who want to opt out.

The replies don't line up neatly. AbbreviationsActual1 enjoyed TBC seal twisting and calls Twist of Light a lesser version, so they'd also like something else. What they miss is "the timing mini game which was my favorite part". RedditsDeadlySin disagrees with the premise: applying two seals on a strike is "cool and in the flavor of the class", and they don't want another damaging ability such as Wake of Ashes on top of Holy Strike.

The AoE button

The newer thread started on 1 November. Årlo's US forum post says Retribution AoE is going to be "absolutely abysmal gameplay". Consecration, they say, is the spec's only AoE ability, "visually and mechanically underwhelming to press". They're explicit that they aren't asking to beat Warriors, but want something effective, scaled appropriately and enjoyable. They'd accept something new: remove Consecration if necessary and design something other than Divine Storm or Consecration.

Greìl answered in two sentences. "Welcome to a Classic based version of WoW, not every class excels in every damage profile." Ret will likely do better on a single target than Warriors, they predict, and Warriors will overtake them whenever two or more targets are present.

Blizzard's preview has its own line on this. Consecration, redesigned so it isn't too strong a tanking tool, deals moderate damage to the first four enemies to enter it and very low damage to the rest, a limit it calls "critical to maintaining the combat feel of Classic Era".

What's actually being asked

Årlo also cites mana and talent changes and a Blizzard reason for dropping Divine Storm that we haven't verified, and Greìl's performance forecast is only a forecast. The preview is dated, and says abilities and talents may keep changing. What we can say is that both complaints ask for something similar in different places: an ability that feels worth pressing. Blizzard's published position, which predates both threads, is that the capstone retains engaging seal swapping, and that limiting Consecration is deliberate.