Shadow is the damage priest: DoTs, Mind Blast and a Mind Flay whose last tick hits hardest. In Forever every priest gets Devouring Plague from level 20, not just Undead, and Shadow Word: Death comes every 18 seconds but costs you 30% of your health if the target survives. Shadowform only arrives at 40. Shadow is rated B for raids and A for PvP.
Talents and builds
The links open the talent calculator with the finished build, including why the points go where they go.
- Leveling: Shadow leveling (points 16/3/32). Shadowform is a big step up in damage, survivability and mana, consider respeccing as soon as it is available. The calculator shows the point-by-point order below the tree.
- Raid: Shadow raid (points 15/3/33). Deep Shadow raid build.
- Dungeons: Shadow dungeons (points 13/0/38). Like the raid build, but adds Spirit Tap for extra mana when you multi-dot Shadow Word: Pain on several targets.
- PvP: Shadow PvP (points 16/3/32). Shadow for PvP with Silence and Shadowform, Discipline points for Power Word: Shield and mana.
Where it ranks
| Category | Tier | Range |
|---|---|---|
| PvE DPS (raid) | B | C–A |
| PvE dungeon DPS (level 30) | C | C–B |
| PvP (battleground/open world) | A | A–S |
| Leveling | B | C–B |
- PvE DPS (raid): Both simulations and most lists say B: two lists stay at A for Shadowform and good mana, two new ones only see C.
- PvP (battleground/open world): A 5-second Silence and Shadowform against physical damage. Two lists say S, the rest A.
- Leveling: B to C: Shadow Word: Pain, Mind Blast and Mind Flay kill safely, Power Word: Shield saves downtime. It is slow going until Shadowform at level 40.
The tiers combine several tier lists and level-60 simulations. Raid logs only exist from 9 December, so treat this as a snapshot. Every spec side by side: rankings.
Opener and rotation
Before the pull: Shadowform, Inner Fire, buffs, then Fade and pre-cast Mind Blast. Follow with Shadow Word: Pain, Devouring Plague, Shadow Word: Death, Vampiric Embrace, Mind Blast and a full Mind Flay. In combat:
- Shadow Word: Pain if it is missing.
- Devouring Plague if it is missing. 24-second duration, 24-second cooldown, and it heals you.
- Mind Blast.
- Shadow Word: Death on cooldown, not just in the execute phase. A miss causes no backlash.
- Vampiric Embrace if it is missing. It lasts 30 seconds on a 30-second cooldown, so you keep it up all the time.
- Mind Flay, and never clip it.
Only refresh DoTs once they have run out; refreshing early loses ticks. At 4/5 Improved Mind Blast its cooldown is 6 seconds, exactly two Mind Flays, so the fifth point does nothing in this rotation. Improved Mind Flay makes each tick 20% stronger than the last: 100, 120, 144%. Cut it short and you lose the best tick.
Multiple targets
Shadow Word: Pain on every target. Devouring Plague goes on the mob that dies first: with 2/2 Devouring Contagion it then spreads to two enemies within 10 yards and costs half the mana. Mind Blast, Shadow Word: Death and Mind Flay stay on the main target.
Stats and mana
- Hit rating to 17% against raid bosses. 5/5 Shadow Focus already gives 5%, leaving 12%, about 120 rating, from gear.
- Spell power.
- Crit rating. Shadowform raises the crit damage of your Shadow spells to 200%.
- Intellect, then Spirit.
Haste does little, because it speeds up neither DoTs nor Mind Flay. Mana is a non-issue at 60: Shadowform halves the cost of your Shadow spells, and Meditation keeps half your regeneration running. Ignore mana per 5 seconds.
What changed from Classic
Shadow Weaving adds up to 10% Shadow damage, but only for you, no longer for the raid's warlocks. Shadowform gives 10% more Shadow damage and cuts physical damage taken by 15%; healing spells except Power Word: Shield are locked while in it. Dark Inspiration gives your party 15% Spirit after Mind Blast or a full Mind Flay.
Common mistakes
- Clipping Mind Flay.
- Refreshing DoTs early.
- Shadow Word: Death at low health or just before a big hit.
- Pre-pull Mind Blast without Fade. It causes a lot of threat.
- Missing Devouring Plague for lack of hit and waiting 24 seconds.
Leveling
Mind Flay comes at 20 and Shadowform at 40. That is why many level as Discipline and respec at 40. If you go straight Shadow, take Wand Specialization, Spirit Tap, Mind Flay, Vampiric Embrace, Devouring Contagion and then Shadowform, which Wand Specialization pushes to level 42. Solo: Shield, Mind Blast, Shadow Word: Pain, Devouring Plague, Mind Flay, and finish with the wand. Mana is tight before 40.
In groups
Vampiric Embrace heals your party for 20% of your Shadow damage, and Dark Inspiration adds Spirit. On top come the priest buffs, Fear Ward, Dispel Magic, Abolish Disease and Silence as an interrupt.
Further reading
- Priest class guide: races, new abilities and every build of the class
- The other specs: Discipline Priest, Holy Priest
- Raid comp planner: put your raid together and see which buffs are still missing
- Priest talent calculator: plan your own build and share it as a link
