TBC Classic Shadow Priest Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities

If you have not already, please read the spells summary page. Knowing how each of your spells and abilities works in detail will greatly increase your understanding of your different priorities and rotations.

You will want to keep these buffs up for the full duration of the fight.

1. Improved Power Word: Fortitude
2. Shadow Protection — Keep this up if your group will be taking Shadow damage.
3. Shadowform — This is a huge damage increase, but only allows you to cast Shadow spells while active.

1. Vampiric Embrace — Put this up on targets that will live for at least 1 minute, such as bosses.
2. Vampiric Touch — Make sure to keep this up full time as it enables you to return Mana to your party.
3. Shadow Word: Pain — This is your highest damage spell per cast time; never let this fall off.
4. Mind Blast — Keep this ability on cooldown as it deals very high damage.
5. Shadow Word: Death — This spell is instant-cast, high damage. Be aware of your health and any possible incoming raid-wide damage as the backlash damage you take can easily kill you if you are not full health.
6. Mind Flay — This is your filler spell. It has a shorter range than the rest of your abilities. Make sure to not put yourself in a dangerous position while using this. If either your Mind Blast or Shadow Word: Death come off cooldown while you are channeling Mind Flay, cancel it to cast Shadow Word: Death.

In TBC Classic, Shadow Priests have no AoE spells. Pulls with multiple mobs are where Shadow Priests struggle the most. For the most part, you will follow the single-target rotation, making sure to keep up your DoTs on as many mobs as possible.