Shadow Priest
Our leveling pick · RecommendationRanged DPS
Levels with Spirit Tap, Mind Flay, Vampiric Embrace self-healing, Shadowform at 40 (requires Vampiric Embrace). The 1 Oct fixes (Shadow Weaving always applies, Devouring Plague can crit) addressed most of the early beta bug reports; 697 on the 11 Oct sim run (11th of 20 damage results). Full leveling route plus a level-60 PvE reference tree.
What the tier lists say
One ratingA on 1 list
| Rating | List | Page date | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | damage dealers | page 3 Oct · read 6 Oct | 6 Oct |
Ratings of the whole class are on the overview.
Talent build
Hover a talent for its text. Click or tap to pin it, with each source's numbers.Tap a talent for its text and each source's numbers.
Improved Mind Flay (requires Mind Flay), Shadow Reach, Vampiric Embrace at 25 for self-healing, Shadow Weaving (can no longer fail to apply since 1 Oct), Improved Mind Blast.
21 / 0 / 0 of 21 points
Open in the calculatorShadow Leveling build at level 30 for a Priest: Shadow 21, Discipline 0, Holy 0.
Shadow
21 pointsRotation at level 30
RecommendationSingle target
Open with Vampiric Embrace, Shadow Word: Pain, Mind Blast.
- Vampiric Embrace (talent, L25)
- Shadow Word: Pain
- Mind Blast on cooldown
- Mind Flay filler
- Psychic Scream if it goes wrong
Groups
Nothing stored yet.
Tip
Shadow Weaving can no longer fail to apply (1 Oct).
Stat priority
- Shadow Spell Power
- Hit
- Spell Crit
- Intellect
- Spirit (Spirit Tap)
- Stamina
Spell Power, Intellect, Spirit for damage throughput and mana economy; no ranked priority
Recommendation
Level 20: best and second best per slot
| Slot | Best | Second best |
|---|---|---|
| Neck | Ephemeral Choker Hall of Thanes - Faldrim Anvilmar | — |
| Shoulders | Talbar Mantle quest The Glowing Shard (Wailing Caverns) | Slime-encrusted Pads Wailing Caverns - Mutanus the Devourer |
| Back | Satyrskin Cloak Ragefire Chasm - Bazzalan | Feyscale Cloak Wailing Caverns - Deviate Faerie Dragon |
| Chest | Robes of the Disgraced Thane Hall of Thanes - Durgen Dirgehammer | Robe of Evocation Ragefire Chasm - Jergosh the Invoker |
| Wrist | Aetherwisp Bracers Hall of Thanes - Faldrim Anvilmar | Crystalline Cuffs Ragefire Chasm - Taragaman the Hungerer |
| Hands | Tomb Robber's Gloves quest Important Heirlooms (Hall of Thanes) | Blight Gloves quest The New Plague (Ruins of Lordaeron) |
| Waist | Tuskwrap Belt Ruins of Lordaeron - Bjork | Slither Cord Wailing Caverns - Lord Pythas |
| Legs | Rotmender's Leggings Ruins of Lordaeron - The Abandoned | Ghastly Trousers quest The Power to Destroy (Ragefire Chasm) |
| Feet | Rotmender's Treads Ruins of Lordaeron - Rath'mael | Spidersilk Boots Crafted: Tailoring |
| Ring | Deep Fathom Ring Wailing Caverns - Mutanus the Devourer | Lavishly Jeweled Ring Deadmines - Gilnid |
| Trinket | Snake Eye Kaleidoscope Wailing Caverns - Lady Anacondra | — |
| Main Hand | Searing Dagger Ragefire Chasm - Bazzalan | Fang of Magmatus Hall of Thanes - Magmatus |
| Off Hand / Shield | Dwarven Tome quest Important Heirlooms (Hall of Thanes) | — |
| Two-Hand | Golemheart Stave Hall of Thanes - Plunder | Coldspire Staff Ruins of Lordaeron - Rath'mael |
| Ranged / Relic | Cookie's Stirring Rod Deadmines - Cookie | Sable Wand quest Underground Assault (Deadmines) |
Sourced: Guide · 27 Sep
Level 60: where gear will come from
- Pre-raid: Alcaz Prison, Shaper's Terrace, the Drowned City, Krol'dok Stronghold and Hyjal quests; hit and crit are merged, so 'spell hit' and 'spell crit' items are the same stat budget as melee ones.
- Crafted: Tailoring school-specific sets ('Flame', 'Shadow', 'Pearly' at L20 — expect the same lines at 60), Enchanting ring Spell Power, Alchemy trinket.
- Wands lost spell-damage scaling on 24 Sep — treat the ranged slot as stats only.
- Raids open 9 December; no level-60 BiS exists yet.
Theory
One point per level from 10. Every point is checked against row gates and prerequisites. ◆ marks the step that crosses level 20 or 30, where the builds above stop.
| Level | Talent | Tree | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10–14 | Spirit Tap | Shadow | +5 |
| 15–16 | Improved Shadow Word: Pain | Shadow | +2 |
| 17–19 | Shadow Focus | Shadow | +3 |
| 20 ◆ | Mind Flay | Shadow | +1 |
| 21–22 | Improved Mind Flay | Shadow | +2 |
| 23–24 | Shadow Reach | Shadow | +2 |
| 25 | Vampiric Embrace | Shadow | +1 |
| 26–28 | Shadow Weaving | Shadow | +3 |
| 29–30 ◆ | Improved Mind Blast | Shadow | +2 |
| 31–32 | Devouring Contagion | Shadow | +2 |
| 33–34 | Shadow Focus | Shadow | +2 |
| 35–39 | Darkness | Shadow | +5 |
| 40 | Shadowform | Shadow | +1 |
| 41–42 | Wand Specialization | Discipline | +2 |
| 43–47 | Twin Disciplines | Discipline | +5 |
| 48–50 | Holy Precision | Discipline | +3 |
| 51–53 | Meditation | Discipline | +3 |
| 54 | Inner Focus | Discipline | +1 |
| 55–57 | Mental Agility | Discipline | +3 |
| 58–60 | Mental Strength | Discipline | +3 |