Shadow Priest DPS Vault of the Incarnates Raid Guide — Season 4

Below, you can find class and spec-specific advice for every fight in Vault of the Incarnates. If you are looking for a general overview of the Raid that is not spec-specific, check out our dedicated Vault of the Incarnates guides.

On this page, you will find Shadow Priest specific information to deal with each boss in the Vault of the Incarnates raid. These are not complete encounter guides but specific tips for doing the bosses as a Shadow Priest.

This page assumes that you already understand most of the mechanics of each encounter. These can be found on the full raid guide, so what is contained here are details specifically tailored toward Shadow Priest and how you can deal with each fight as best as possible.

All recommendations are progression-based tips and will not necessarily be the best for an overall DPS ranking.

Shadow Priest has several defensive spells that you should plan to use and rotate throughout mechanics. You should opt to use the smaller cooldown spells often as needed with incoming mechanics and save bigger cooldowns like Dispersion for large incoming damage.

• Flash Heal with Protective Light talented.
• Power Word: Shield for a small absorb.
• Fade with Translucent Image talented.
• Desperate Prayer
• Dispersion

As a Shadow Priest, you want to generally sync up your cooldown together. The typical sequence for cooldowns is the following:

1. Use Nymue's Unraveling Spindle if equipped.
2. Shadowfiend or Mindbender
3. Use damage-only trinkets like Belor'relos, the Suncaller if equipped.
4. Void Eruption or Dark Ascension
5. Power Infusion
6. Other on-use trinkets like Spoils of Neltharus

Note that with Shadowfiend, it does not sync nicely with certain cooldowns, but you should still plan to use this on cooldown. For more information, check out the rotation page.

In addition to the general rotation, you want to keep in mind that your goal is to use your cooldowns as often as possible during an encounter. With that in mind, your secondary goal is to use them at the correct time.

I highly suggest using some Addon or WeakAura to track the estimated time to die of your target/boss target. Method Raid Tools has this as an option if you are already using this addon. By tracking time to die, if you know that you can only fit one more cycle of your cooldowns in before the boss dies, you can choose to hold these cooldowns to better line up with Twist of Fate, Bloodlust, or any other mechanic that would make burning cooldowns better.

• For this boss, we suggest the single target with Shadow Crash build.
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• No specific defensive usage to mention.

• Shadow Crash should line up for every add set. With good timing, you can cast this just before the adds actually spawn but still get the timing right to hit them all before they start moving.

• The boss will frequently require you to move short distances when casting Molten Spikes. If you know this is coming soon, try to save up instant cast spells.
• You can use Mass Dispel on the Leaping Flames DoT effect from the Flamescale Captain on Mythic difficulty.

1. Umbrelskul's Fractured Heart
2. Neltharion's Call to Suffering
3. Ominous Chromatic Essence (All Allies)
4. Spoils of Neltharus
5. Whispering Incarnate Icon (At least a Healer or Tank)

For more information, please refer to our Eranog guide.

• For this boss, we suggest the single target build.
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• Be sure to use Fade and/or Flash of Light (with Protective Light) before soaking Rock Blast.

• No specific cooldown timings to mention.

• Leap of Faith can help position members quickly for Awakened Earth. Careful doing this in Mythic to not remove Infused Fallout stacks without realizing it.

1. Nymue's Unraveling Spindle
2. Neltharion's Call to Suffering
3. Ominous Chromatic Essence (All Allies)
4. Whispering Incarnate Icon (At least a Healer or Tank)
5. Umbrelskul's Fractured Heart

For more information, please refer to our Terros guide.

• For this boss, we suggest the multi-target AoE build.
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• If you are being put into the kick rotation, you might consider swapping out Mental Fortitude or Mind Devourer for Silence. Only do this if this is required for you to make the kick order timings as this is either a defensive or offensive loss.

• While you can soak both circles of Meteor Axes with Dispersion I would suggest holding, if possible, and just soaking one.

• No specific cooldown timings to mention.

• Be sure to spread Devouring Plague across targets as you get enough Insanity. Always be targeting something that actively has it ticking.

1. Tome of Unstable Power
2. Ominous Chromatic Essence (All Allies)
3. Neltharion's Call to Suffering
4. Whispering Incarnate Icon (At least a Healer or Tank)
5. Spoils of Neltharus

For more information, please refer to our The Primal Council guide.

• For this boss, we suggest the single target with Shadow Crash build.
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• No specific defensive usage to mention.

• The big spider add is going to be the biggest priority. Make sure to focus on this as soon as it spawns. Consider holding spell cooldowns like Void Torrent to get this down quickly.
• Hold Shadow Crash if little spiders will be spawning soon, do not delay this more than a few seconds, though.

• Use Fade with Phantasm to help mitigate the various slow effects if needed.
• If your positioning is compromised during Gossamer Burst, you can use Dispersion or other movement abilities to try and fight this off.
• Avoid rushing up the stairs during intermissions. You can save up procs or other instant casts to move at your own pace. If done correctly, you will retain boss uptime.
• Ideally, you should be sending your casts of Shadow Crash casts for the little spiders and then ignoring them. If you do not have Shadow Crash available make sure you tag at least one spider with something to trigger Twist of Fate.

1. Umbrelskul's Fractured Heart
2. Neltharion's Call to Suffering
3. Ominous Chromatic Essence (All Allies)
4. Spoils of Neltharus
5. Whispering Incarnate Icon (At least a Healer or Tank)

Note: Tome of Unstable Power could proc on adds and do a lot of damage, but typically this is not relevant for progression.

For more information, please refer to our Sennarth guide.

• For this boss, you should use a different build if you are planning on going to a platform, otherwise stick with the basic single target setup.
• Single Target: BIQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgAJBAAAAAAAAAAAAIkiDQSSLtIJJRkUgUIJJRaRAiQKSLkEUQC
• Platform Team: BIQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSAAAAAAAAAAAAACaQSSJNSSSSSSBShkkEpFBICpItQSQBSA

• No specific defensive usage to mention.

• Save Vampiric Embrace for the intermission. With healers being split, this is where it will be the most useful. If on Mythic, saving for a platform might make more sense for your group, though.

• No specific mechanical tips to mention.

1. Umbrelskul's Fractured Heart
2. Neltharion's Call to Suffering
3. Ominous Chromatic Essence (All Allies)
4. Spoils of Neltharus
5. Whispering Incarnate Icon (At least a Healer or Tank)

For more information, please refer to our Dathea guide.

• For this boss, we suggest the single target build. If you are struggling to deal enough add damage consider using the add damage build with Void Eruption.
• Boss damage focused: BIQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgAJBAAAAAAAAAAAAIkiDQSSLtIJJRkUgUIJJRaRAiQKSLkEUQC
• Add damage focused: BIQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgAJBAAAAAAAAAAAAIkmDQSSLtIJJRkIIFSSSkWEgIki0CJBFkA

• No specific defensive usage to mention.

• No specific cooldown timings to mention.

• If your group is struggling with getting hit by too many Frigid Torrent or you are just starting progression, consider talenting into Mass Dispel to help out the healers.
• During the intermission, the boss is immune, but you can continue to generate Insanity from things like Auspicious Spirits. Typically this makes it worth it to maintain your DoTs on him even during this phase. Still, re-dotting should be a low priority and something other than something to do while cooldowns are active.

1. Neltharion's Call to Suffering
2. Ominous Chromatic Essence (All Allies)
3. Spoils of Neltharus
4. Whispering Incarnate Icon (At least a Healer or Tank)
5. Tome of Unstable Power (Good for add damage)

For more information, please refer to our Kurog Grimtotem guide.

• For this boss, we suggest the single target with Shadow Crash build for most setups. If you are full-time on the adds in Phase 1 you can consider going the add damage variant, but this is a loss in the last phase which is all single target and arguably the challenging part of the fight.
• More Boss Damage: BIQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJJJBAAAAAAAAAAAAIoBJJl0IJJJJJF4AFSSSkGBiIki0CJBFIB
• More Add Damage: BIQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAESISAAAAAAAAAAAAACpJkk0SjkkkEJF4AFSSSkGBiIki0CJBFkA

• No specific defensive usage to mention.

• No specific cooldown timings to mention.

• While the boss needs to be 50 yards away from the adds, it is possible to hit the boss and the adds simultaneously with good tank positioning. Focus your damage on one or the other based on your group's needs. Simply throwing a Shadow Crash at an add pack to get Twist of Fate procs will substantially help out your priority damage on the boss.
• You can use Fade with Phantasm to break either Icy Shroud or Frozen Shroud.
• Cast Dispel Magic to dispel the Cauterizing Flashflames HoT from the Dragonspawn Flamebender. You can also use Mass Dispel for Icy Shroud and Frozen Shroud.

1. Umbrelskul's Fractured Heart
2. Neltharion's Call to Suffering
3. Ominous Chromatic Essence (All Allies)
4. Spoils of Neltharus
5. Whispering Incarnate Icon (At least a Healer or Tank)

Note: Tome of Unstable Power could proc on adds and do a lot of damage if you are looking for Phase 1 damage, but outside of that will not be very helpful on the boss itself.

For more information, please refer to our Broodkeeper Diurna guide.

• For this boss, we suggest the single target with Shadow Crash build.
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• If you need Silence for the orbs you can drop either Mental Fortitude or Mind Devourer, but most groups should have this covered.

• No specific defensive usage to mention.

• Consider saving cooldowns to line up with the shield phases after the add platform.

• You can use Mass Dispel to help quickly dispatch sparks.

1. Umbrelskul's Fractured Heart
2. Neltharion's Call to Suffering
3. Ominous Chromatic Essence (All Allies)
4. Spoils of Neltharus
5. Whispering Incarnate Icon (At least a Healer or Tank)

On Mythic, you need to use abilities to counter the various casts of Hurricane Wing that pushes you back. Most groups will get 4 sets of this mechanic with current gearing, and as a Shadow Priest, we only have a few tools to combat this. Use the below as a rough guide:

1. Power Word: Shield (with Body and Soul) and Angelic Feather
2. Warlock Gateway
3. Power Word: Shield (with Body and Soul) and Angelic Feather
4. NEED SOMETHING SPECIAL (see below)
5. Warlock Gateway (usually skipped)

Alternatively, you can choose to change the order to Gateway on sets 1 and 4 if you know you will not get the 5th set. Doing this means you do not need help from a racial or external, but it does mean for the 2nd set, you will need to get back to the group quickly for the sparks that happen directly after, or plan to deal with yours on your own.

For soaks where you are not using Warlock Gateway, you typically will have Stampeding Roar or Wind Rush Totem and can delay your Power Word: Shield or Angelic Feather until after that effect goes away since they do not stack. Any sets where you are relying on this are very easy to mess up; you need to make sure you are very close to the boss before the cast to make it, especially after the first set.

For any set after 3, if you are not using the Gateway, you need help from outside our kit. This can be done with any of the following in no particular order:

• An Evoker's Rescue
• Goblin's Rocket Jump
• Void Elf's Spatial Rift

For more information, please refer to our Raszageth guide.