Priest specialization

Shadow Priest in WoW Forever

Shadow spells and lingering damage.

  • Your role: Ranged spell damage
  • Advice for every level to 60
  • Class notes checked

Your character

Show advice for
Updating…

Choose the level you are playing now. The playbook and gear rankings update to match.

Level 30 · Soloing

How to solo at level 30

Your combat loop

Press the first one that is ready.

Shadow’s own loop, from level 20. Before that every Priest plays the same loop.

Own loop from: Holy level 15Shadow level 20Discipline level 31

Use Mind Flay. It does 18% more than Smite.

Keep up:
  1. Shadow Word: Pain Rank 4 Keep on target · 24 sec

    Keep it on the target; it lasts 24 sec.

    18% of your damage
  2. Devouring Plague Rank 2 Every 24 sec

    Use it whenever it is ready, every 24 sec.

    13% of your damage
  3. Mind Blast Rank 4 Every 7.5 sec

    Use it whenever it is ready, every 7.5 sec.

    26% of your damage
  4. Mind Flay Rank 2 Filler

    Cast it whenever nothing above is ready.

    43% of your damage

The first 30 seconds

When to press each one from the pull. The blue line under a press is the global cooldown (1.5 sec) or cast it holds: nothing else on the global cooldown can go until it ends, so of two that are ready together the higher one goes first.

In the gaps
Mind Flay

How MaxDPS works this out

Talents at level 30

21 points at level 30: the first at level 10, then one every level.

The MaxDPS build at this level, in the game’s talent frame. Click a talent to learn it and right click to unlearn it, as in the game.

Talents
Unspent Talents
Point order: when each point goes in
  1. Spirit Tap 5/5 · levels 10–14 +10.9% damage
  2. Improved Shadow Word: Pain 2/2 · levels 15–16 +2.7% damage
  3. Shadow Focus 5/5 · levels 17–19 and 23–24 +4.2% damage
  4. Mind Flay 1/1 · level 20 +20.2% damage
  5. Improved Mind Flay 2/2 · levels 21–22 +7.7% damage
  6. Shadow Weaving 3/3 · levels 25–27 no damage
  7. Vampiric Embrace 1/1 · level 28 no damage
  8. Improved Mind Blast 1/5 · level 29 no damage
  9. Devouring Contagion 1/2 · level 30 +1.5% damage

Every Priest talent

Preliminary item rankings · Soloing

Shadow Priest gear rankings

Shadow damage · Level 30 · Calculated defaults

Hunt list
Show gear for

Head 40 items · Updating…

Where it comes from

Key stats show the stats behind the three largest score contributions, as the game tooltip states them; open an item’s details for every value and source.

Head items with imported stats, weighted scores and acquisition sources.
Rank Item Score (pts) Where to get it Actions
1 in this filtered list
Filigreed Shadow Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted Key stats: 14 Shadow spell power12 Stamina38 Armor
17.94
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Shadow spell power: 14 × 0.9787 = 13.70 pts
  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3337 = 4.00 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.0062 = 0.24 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
2 in this filtered list
Embalmed Shroud Cloth · iLvl 35 · Req. 30 · Dungeon drop Key stats: 8 Spell damage12 Spirit7 Stamina
16.32

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 8 × 0.9787 = 7.83 pts
  • Spirit: 12 × 0.4912 = 5.89 pts
  • Stamina: 7 × 0.3337 = 2.34 pts
  • Armor: 42 × 0.0062 = 0.26 pts

Rare

Source

3 in this filtered list
Shadow Circlet Cloth · iLvl 25 · Req. 20 · Crafted Key stats: 11 Shadow spell power10 Stamina35 Armor
14.32
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Shadow spell power: 11 × 0.9787 = 10.77 pts
  • Stamina: 10 × 0.3337 = 3.34 pts
  • Armor: 35 × 0.0062 = 0.22 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
4 in this filtered list
Holy Shroud Cloth · iLvl 32 · Req. 27 · Other drop Key stats: 11 Spell damage6 Spirit40 Armor
13.96
Large Solid ChestObject loot · 0.1%

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 11 × 0.9787 = 10.77 pts
  • Spirit: 6 × 0.4912 = 2.95 pts
  • Armor: 40 × 0.0062 = 0.25 pts

Rare

35 sources

Large Solid ChestObject loot · 0.1%
Solid ChestObject loot · <0.1%
Forsaken InfiltratorNPC drop · <0.1% · Ashenvale
Xavian FelswornNPC drop · <0.1% · Ashenvale
Silithid SearcherNPC drop · <0.1% · Thousand Needles
Nightbane Dark RunnerNPC drop · <0.1% · Duskwood
Kolkar DestroyerNPC drop · <0.1% · Desolace
Scarlet ScryerNPC drop · <0.1% · Scarlet Monastery
All 35 sources
5 in this filtered list
Filigreed Pristine Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted Key stats: 8 Spell damage12 Stamina38 Armor
12.07
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 8 × 0.9787 = 7.83 pts
  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3337 = 4.00 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.0062 = 0.24 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
6 in this filtered list
Sorrow's Shroud Cloth · iLvl 29 · Req. 24 · Other drop Key stats: 5 Spell damage11 Stamina3 Mana per 5 sec
11.80

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 5 × 0.9787 = 4.89 pts
  • Stamina: 11 × 0.3337 = 3.67 pts
  • Mana per 5 sec: 3 × 1 = 3.00 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.0062 = 0.24 pts

Rare

Source

7 in this filtered list
Silk Headband Cloth · iLvl 32 · Req. 27 · Crafted Key stats: 9 Spell power8 Stamina36 Armor
11.70
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 9 × 0.9787 = 8.81 pts
  • Stamina: 8 × 0.3337 = 2.67 pts
  • Armor: 36 × 0.0062 = 0.22 pts

Uncommon

Source

TailoringCrafted
8 in this filtered list
Pristine Circlet Cloth · iLvl 25 · Req. 20 · Crafted Key stats: 6 Spell damage10 Stamina35 Armor
9.43
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 6 × 0.9787 = 5.87 pts
  • Stamina: 10 × 0.3337 = 3.34 pts
  • Armor: 35 × 0.0062 = 0.22 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
9 in this filtered list
Shadow Hood Cloth · iLvl 34 · Req. 29 · Crafted Key stats: 7 Shadow spell power11 Intellect37 Armor
7.85
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Shadow spell power: 7 × 0.9787 = 6.85 pts
  • Intellect: 11 × 0.0704 = 0.77 pts
  • Armor: 37 × 0.0062 = 0.23 pts

Uncommon

Source

TailoringCrafted
10 in this filtered list
Bright-Eye Goggles Cloth · iLvl 35 · Req. 30* · Crafted · Profession required Key stats: 9 Spirit9 Stamina38 Armor
7.66
EngineeringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spirit: 9 × 0.4912 = 4.42 pts
  • Stamina: 9 × 0.3337 = 3.00 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.0062 = 0.24 pts

Uncommon · Profession required — check item requirements

Source

EngineeringCrafted
11 in this filtered list
Enchanter's Cowl Cloth · iLvl 33 · Req. 28 · Crafted Key stats: 6 Spell power10 Intellect37 Armor
6.81
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 6 × 0.9787 = 5.87 pts
  • Intellect: 10 × 0.0704 = 0.70 pts
  • Armor: 37 × 0.0062 = 0.23 pts

Uncommon

Source

TailoringCrafted
12 in this filtered list
Green Tinted Goggles Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25* · Crafted · Profession required Key stats: 7 Spirit8 Stamina35 Armor
6.33
EngineeringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spirit: 7 × 0.4912 = 3.44 pts
  • Stamina: 8 × 0.3337 = 2.67 pts
  • Armor: 35 × 0.0062 = 0.22 pts

Uncommon · Profession required — check item requirements

Source

EngineeringCrafted
13 in this filtered list
Filigreed Silky Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted Key stats: 12 Stamina38 Armor
4.24
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3337 = 4.00 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.0062 = 0.24 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
14 in this filtered list
Filigreed Flame Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted Key stats: 12 Stamina38 Armor
4.24
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3337 = 4.00 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.0062 = 0.24 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
15 in this filtered list
Filigreed Pearly Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted Key stats: 12 Stamina38 Armor
4.24
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3337 = 4.00 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.0062 = 0.24 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
16 in this filtered list
Filigreed Shining Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted Key stats: 12 Stamina38 Armor
4.24
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3337 = 4.00 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.0062 = 0.24 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
17 in this filtered list
Cloudy Stormsewn Cowl Cloth · iLvl 35 · Req. 30 · Crafted Key stats: 9 Stamina9 Intellect38 Armor
3.87
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 9 × 0.3337 = 3.00 pts
  • Intellect: 9 × 0.0704 = 0.63 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.0062 = 0.24 pts

Uncommon

Source

TailoringCrafted
18 in this filtered list
Azure Stormsewn Cowl Cloth · iLvl 35 · Req. 30 · Crafted Key stats: 9 Stamina9 Intellect38 Armor
3.87
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 9 × 0.3337 = 3.00 pts
  • Intellect: 9 × 0.0704 = 0.63 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.0062 = 0.24 pts

Uncommon

Source

TailoringCrafted
19 in this filtered list
Silky Circlet Cloth · iLvl 25 · Req. 20 · Crafted Key stats: 10 Stamina35 Armor
3.55
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 10 × 0.3337 = 3.34 pts
  • Armor: 35 × 0.0062 = 0.22 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
20 in this filtered list
Flame Circlet Cloth · iLvl 25 · Req. 20 · Crafted Key stats: 10 Stamina35 Armor
3.55
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 10 × 0.3337 = 3.34 pts
  • Armor: 35 × 0.0062 = 0.22 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted

Item stats from the WoW Forever game files; sources from data collected from the live game.

View list