DistillNote
SimSign in

Beta, level cap 30 · data read 13 Oct

PriestClass page

Shadow Priest guide

Ranged DPS · our guide of 13 Oct 2026 Recommendation

Talent trees, every tier list's rating and the sim: the Shadow tab.

In short

  • A ranged caster with damage over time and Mind Flay, who heals the group with Vampiric Embrace.
  • Number 11 of 20 damage specs in our newest sim run, at 697 DPS. Sourced: Sim · 11 Oct run
  • Shadowform at the bottom of the tree: Shadow damage +10%, Shadow spells cost 50% less mana, their crit damage bonus is 100% higher, and you take 15% less Physical damage. Sourced: Talent database
  • Weak spot while leveling: wands no longer gain from spell damage since 24 Sep, so finishing with the wand is weaker. Sourced: Dev notes · 24 Sep

How it plays

Up to level 30. Shadow Word: Pain, Mind Blast, then Mind Flay as the filler, and your wand to finish; Power Word: Shield before the pull. Spirit Tap and Shadow Focus come first: at 5 of 5, Spirit Tap doubles your Spirit for 15 sec after a kill. Mind Flay sits in row 3, so it's your 11th point, at 20: Shadow damage over 3 sec, and the target moves 50% slower. Vampiric Embrace follows at 25: for 30 sec, your party is healed for 20% of the Shadow damage you deal. Since 1 Oct, Shadow Weaving can no longer fail to apply.

Sourced: Dev notes · 1 Oct, Talent database

At level 60. Theory Shadowform, Vampiric Embrace, Devouring Plague and Shadow Word: Pain, then Mind Blast on cooldown and Mind Flay as the filler; Shadow Word: Death when the target is low. Devouring Plague can crit since 1 Oct, and Devouring Contagion makes it cost 50% less mana and jump to a nearby enemy when its target dies. Shadow Weaving stacks +2% Shadow damage for 15 sec, up to 5 times, and Darkness adds 10% Shadow damage.

Sourced: Talent database, Dev notes · 1 Oct

Talents at a glance

  • Level 20: Spirit Tap 5, Improved Shadow Word: Pain 2, Shadow Focus 3, Mind Flay 1

    Spirit Tap first; Improved Shadow Word: Pain; Shadow Focus; Mind Flay with the 11th point at 20. Wand Specialization moves to the end because wands lost spell-damage scaling on 24 Sep.

    Recommendation · See the trees · Open in the calculator

  • Level 30: Spirit Tap 5, Improved Shadow Word: Pain 2, Shadow Focus 3, Mind Flay 1, Improved Mind Flay 2, Shadow Reach 2, Vampiric Embrace 1, Shadow Weaving 3, Improved Mind Blast 2

    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.

    Recommendation · See the trees · Open in the calculator

  • Level 60: Spirit Tap 5, Improved Shadow Word: Pain 2, Shadow Focus 5, Mind Flay 1, Improved Mind Flay 2, Shadow Reach 2, Vampiric Embrace 1, Shadow Weaving 3, Improved Mind Blast 2, Devouring Contagion 2, Darkness 5, Shadowform 1, Wand Specialization 2, Twin Disciplines 5, Holy Precision 3, Meditation 3, Inner Focus 1, Mental Agility 3, Mental Strength 3

    Devouring Contagion, Shadow Focus to 5, Darkness 5/5, Shadowform at 40 (requires Vampiric Embrace). Discipline 20: Wand Spec, Twin Disciplines, Holy Precision, Meditation, Inner Focus, Mental Agility, Mental Strength. Level Shadow solo (much faster); with dual spec at 40 run Shadow plus Holy or Discipline.

    Theory · See the trees · Open in the calculator

Rotation at level 30

Recommendation

Single target

Open with Vampiric Embrace, Shadow Word: Pain, Mind Blast.

  1. Vampiric Embrace (talent, L25)
  2. Shadow Word: Pain
  3. Mind Blast on cooldown
  4. Mind Flay filler
  5. Psychic Scream if it goes wrong

Groups

Nothing stored yet.

Tip

Shadow Weaving can no longer fail to apply (1 Oct).

Stats

Each guide's stat order as it gives it, the sim's stat weights, then ours. Guides dated before the last big tuning are shown but not counted.

Guides agreeSame order on 2 guides for the stats they all name.

WhereStat order
Guide · 3 Oct PvE, level 30 · read 12 OctSpell power › Crit › Hit › Intellect › Stamina › Mana per 5 sec
Guide · 1 Oct PvE, level 20 · read 12 OctSpell power › Crit › Hit › Intellect › Stamina
Guide · 24 Sep leveling, level 30 · read 12 Oct · dated before 1 Oct, not countedNot ranked
Sim · stat weights level 60 · run 12 Oct, 5,000 iterations

Per 1%: Spell crit 6.25 › Spell hit 4.48 › Spell casting speed 2.07

Per point: Spell damage 0.439 tied with Shadow spell damage 0.439 › Intellect 0.111

No DPS change in this run: Holy spell damage, Mana, Mana every 5 sec, Spirit.

The DPS each stat adds, for a level-60 character on the engine's preset gear in a 2-minute fight on a beta engine: a direction, not a verdict. = marks a tie: stats within each other's margin. Not counted toward "Guides agree".

Where they differ: ours puts Hit before Spell crit, which the sim weighs higher per 1%; the sim measured no DPS change from Spirit.

Ours RecommendationShadow spell power › Hit › Spell crit › Intellect › Spirit › Stamina

Ours adds Spirit, which neither guide lists.

Where ours differs: ours puts Hit before Spell crit, which both guides rank higher.

Race

Each guide's race picks for Shadow, then our pick for the Priest.

Alliance

Guides agreeNight Elf on 2 guides.

  • Guide · 3 Oct PvE, level 30 · read 12 OctNight Elf
  • Guide · 1 Oct PvE, level 20 · read 12 OctNight Elf
  • Guide · 24 Sep leveling, level 30 · read 12 Oct · dated before 1 Oct, not countedGnome
  • Ours, for the Priest RecommendationHuman S

Horde

Guides agreeUndead on 2 guides.

  • Guide · 3 Oct PvE, level 30 · read 12 OctUndead
  • Guide · 1 Oct PvE, level 20 · read 12 OctUndead
  • Guide · 24 Sep leveling, level 30 · read 12 Oct · dated before 1 Oct, not countedTroll
  • Ours, for the Priest RecommendationUndead S

Professions

Guides agreeThe same professions on 2 guides.

  • Guide · 3 Oct PvE, level 30 · read 12 OctTailoring, Enchanting, Herbalism, Alchemy
  • Guide · 1 Oct PvE, level 20 · read 12 OctTailoring, Enchanting, Herbalism, Alchemy
  • Guide · 24 Sep leveling, level 30 · read 12 Oct · dated before 1 Oct, not countedNot given
  • Ours, for the Priest RecommendationTailoring + Enchanting; or Herbalism + Alchemy

What changed for Shadow

  • 8 Oct: Smite ranks 1–4, Lesser Heal ranks 1–3 and Heal ranks 1–2 retuned so each new rank is an upgrade.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 8 Oct

  • 1 Oct: Devouring Plague can crit; Shadow Weaving can no longer fail to apply; Shadow Word: Death respects Early Demise; Discipline's Inner Focus no longer gives its crit to periodic effects.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 1 Oct

  • Wands no longer gain damage from spell damage (global) — slows the wand-leveling route.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 24 Sep

  • Power Word: Shield can always overwrite an existing PW:S on a target without Weakened Soul; Renew can crit.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 24 Sep

  • Gnome: Contingency Plan can crit; Confounding Flash got a Holy cast visual; Eureka! cost discount cut to 10%.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 24 Sep

  • Night Elf: Starshards gets Twilight Focus pushback resistance.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 24 Sep

In the news