Shadow Priest DPS Guide — Dragonflight 10.0.7
Welcome to our Shadow Priest guide for World of Warcraft — Dragonflight 10.0.7. Here, you will learn how to play as a Shadow Priest in both raids and Mythic+ dungeons: from the very beginning to maximizing your DPS.
If you were looking for WotLK Classic content, please refer to our WotLK Classic Shadow Priest guide.
Shadow Priest Overview
In Dragonflight, Shadow Priest is going to feel quite
different
than what you might be used to. The Dragonflight talent tree reworks are in full
swing and
this will be a good time to get into Shadow Priest. The talent tree has started
an experimental
build-your-own Shadow Priest, where you can choose between two different core
cooldowns
( Void Eruption or
Dark Ascension) and capping it off with
thematic Idol spells.
The spec has lots of options and playstyle can vary widely depending on talents
so there is a lot to talk about!
Highlight of Shadow Priest Dragonflight Changes
Dragonflight Changes for Priests
We are maintaining a list of changes for Priests, so you can see what changes with every patch of Dragonflight.
Below we have also summarized a short list of changes to the spec:
- Can choose between a 2-minute
Void Eruption cooldown or a 1-minute
Dark Ascension cooldown
- Option to use
Mind Spike as an upgraded filler to
Mind Flay
- Access to thematic new Idol talents:
Idol of Y'Shaarj,
Idol of C'Thun,
Idol of Yogg-Saron, and
Idol of N'Zoth
- Searing Nightmare has been removed in favour of reworked talent options:
Mind Sear,
Dark Void, and
Shadow Crash.
- Dark Thoughts has been removed in favour of
Shadowy Insight
Mindgames is the only Covenant ability from Shadowlands to return in the Class Talent Tree
Important Changes for Patch 10.0.7
The following changes have arrived with Patch 10.0.7 for Shadow Priest.
- Fixed an issue causing the
Idol of N'Zoth debuff to be exclusive to one Priest.
Important Bugs still active in 10.0.7
This section goes over bugs that change our gameplay due to their interactions. The guide is updated to account for all of these when giving suggestions.
Idol of Y'Shaarj soothe effect does not always work.
Mind Sear consumes Insanity without ticking if cancelled early enough.
Screams of the Void does not function properly when channeling
Mind Flay for
Shadow Word: Pain.
- If you queue a
Mind Spike with
Surge of Darkness you will not get a stack of
Mind Melt.
Idol of Yogg-Saron does not scale with our Mastery.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Flexibility with cooldown style choice.
Incredible cleave damage for council-type encounters and Mythic+.
Amazing self-healing through
Vampiric Touch and
Devouring Plague, scaling well with additional targets.
Access to the best single player external DPS cooldown,
Power Infusion. Can now be given away easily with
Twins of the Sun Priestess.
DoT management requires a lot of focus and can take away a lot of globals when facing multiple targets.
Lots of spells and abilities, which could be overwhelming depending on talents.
Need to plan out movement specifically, cannot just stop casting whenever you want.
Mythic+ playstyle will be rough to pull off and require a lot of work but can produce good results.
The video version of this guide is also available if you would like to listen to me explain the below pages!
Leveling a Shadow Priest
If the new changes to Shadow Priest sound interesting and you would like to level a fresh Priest, check out the leveling guide below to get you to max level with ease!
After getting to max level, or once you feel more comfortable with the spec, you should check out the suggested Addons page to get you started on mastering your Shadow Priest.
Basics of Shadow Priest Gameplay
Shadow Priest gameplay combines the basic builder-spender idea used
in other
specs, while twisting in being an active DoT class with lots of cooldowns to
use. The basics of the rotation involve getting as much uptime as possible on
your cooldowns while making sure to keep up all 3 of your DoTs on as many
active targets as possible, especially Devouring Plague.
If you are new to Shadow Priest, or maybe just want a quickstart guide to the spec, we suggest first looking through the Spell Summary first, as well as the Easy Mode page linked below. This will get you up and running on your Shadow Priest in no time!
If this is not your first time playing Shadow Priest you can jump right into the Talents and Rotation sections of the guide to start mastering the ins and outs of playing your Shadow Priest in a PvE environment.
How to Gear Up as a Shadow Priest
While gearing these days can seem overwhelming or challenging, there are a few things to keep in mind that will make this process a bit less painful. Check out the gearing page to decide what pieces to aim for from various forms of content.
With any gearing setup if you are looking to optimize your character you should always make sure you are using the correct consumables, gems, enchants, and more on your Shadow Priest. All the little things can add up to a noticeable difference in damage! The stats page goes over each stat in-depth and why we like (or do not like) each secondary enhancement.
End-Game as a Shadow Priest
Once you have your character prepared you are ready to dive into various forms of end-game content. We have dedicated pages for Raiding, Mythic+, and PvP depending on what you are interested in. Each one will go over various talent and build changes best for that form of content. Our Raiding, Mythic+, and PvP guides can help you maximize your character for each of these environments, regardless of your focus in end-game content.
Improving as a Shadow Priest
If you are struggling to perform on your Shadow Priest we have compiled a list of mistakes and how to overcome them on your Shadow Priest as well as general questions answered on the FAQ page. You can also try simulating your character to make sure you are using the optimal build for your character.
Changelog
- 23 Mar. 2023 (gear page): Update Onyx Annulet suggestions from recent hotfixes.
- 23 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Update Onyx Annulet suggestions from recent hotfixes.
- 22 Mar. 2023 (gear page): Update Onyx Annulet suggestions from recent info on Prophetic Twilight Stone interactions.
- 22 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Update Onyx Annulet suggestions from recent info on Prophetic Twilight Stone interactions.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (Legendaries): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (gear page): Update for Patch 10.0.7 with new section on the Onyx Annulet.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7 and add info about the Onyx Annulet ring.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (talents page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7 and added section for known bugs.
- 05 Mar. 2023 (gear page): Small tweak to Dungeon trinket suggestions.
- 26 Feb. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Update Raszageth talents to default to Dark Ascension and add more options to winds guide.
- 26 Feb. 2023 (mythic+ page): Correct error in Mindgames target cap.
- 25 Feb. 2023 (rotation page): Clarify Void Torrent use in opener.
- 23 Feb. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Add basic guide for Mythic Raszageth winds.
- 23 Feb. 2023 (rotation page): Fix issue with Void Torrent in single target, should only cast with all 3 DoTs active.
- 22 Feb. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Update Dathea suggestions.
- 22 Feb. 2023 (mythic+ page): Add caveat for using Mind Sear in Mythic+.
- 17 Feb. 2023 (mythic+ page): Add more detail to the example opener.
- 15 Feb. 2023 (enchants page): Clarify gem usage.
- 04 Feb. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Update builds for fights to use Void Eruption more for cleave fights.
- 04 Feb. 2023 (mythic+ page): Adjust single target differences for common builds.
- 04 Feb. 2023 (talents page): Update 2-target build and add a note about VF on single target.
- 03 Feb. 2023 (addons page): Fix issue with Mind Control macro.
- 03 Feb. 2023 (rotation page): Adjust high priority Mind Flay: Insanity action to only use when Void Torrent is not available.
- 02 Feb. 2023 (mythic+ page): Add more uses for Dispel and Mass Dispel.
- 31 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Correct high priority Mind Flay: Insanity line with Cthun when not taking Mindbender. Condense AoE rotation down to be easier to read.
- 26 Jan. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Small adjustment to Kurog non-Mythic build.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (FAQ page): Add new question for 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (simulations page): Add updated method for Dungeon sims for 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (gear page): Update gear suggestions for 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (addons page): Add a macro for Mind Control and clean up a few others.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (enchants page): Added mention of Haste/Mastery combo gem.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Update talent builds from 10.0.5 changes.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (mythic+ page): Update talent builds and suggestions for 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Update rotation guide for 10.0.5 with Void Torrent usage.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (talents page): Update talent builds for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (spells page): Add new talents for 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (easy mode page): Update talents for 10.0.5 builds.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (this page): Reviewed and updated for Patch 10.0.5.
- 13 Jan. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Correct Void Torrent suggestion for Sennarth.
- 12 Jan. 2023 (mythic+ page): Add Void Tendrils suggestion for Spiteful affix.
- 12 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Remove Mind Sear usage on single target.
- 11 Jan. 2023 (mythic+ page): Add new talent builds from the recent buffs.
- 11 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Rotational updates for 10.0.5, mostly formatting changes with some small clarity updates.
- 11 Jan. 2023 (talents page): Update Mythic+ talent builds from the recent changes.
- 05 Jan. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Remove incorrect suggestion for Mass Dispel on Sennarth.
- 04 Jan. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Simplify talent builds.
- 04 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Small clarification on Devouring Plague refresh notes and add some Trinket notes.
- 03 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Update openers with more detail. Split them out by cooldown to be easier to maintain.
- 01 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Lower priority on Shadow Word: Death with Inescapable Torment.
- 29 Dec. 2022 (rotation page): Add new logic for Mind Flay: Insanity and change default checkboxes.
- 24 Dec. 2022 (gear page): Add Desperate Invokers Codex trinket.
- 23 Dec. 2022 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Update talent builds from Screams of the Void bug.
- 23 Dec. 2022 (mythic+ page): Add more detail to picking between the two talent builds in Mythic+.
- 23 Dec. 2022 (talents page): Update talent builds to account for Screams of the Void bug.
- 21 Dec. 2022 (gear page): Add some more detail to crafted gear sections.
- 21 Dec. 2022 (enchants page): Add extra clarification on when to use Vers phial.
- 21 Dec. 2022 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Update most talent suggestions after week 1 of raid.
- 21 Dec. 2022 (easy mode page): Update talent suggestions to be simpler to start with.
- 13 Dec. 2022 (gear page): Add video guide for crafted gear and remove note about having different elements in Elemental Lariat.
- 13 Dec. 2022 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Add alternative single target build for a few encounters that has more burst.
- 13 Dec. 2022 (talents page): Add alternate ST build that offers more burst.
- 12 Dec. 2022 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Swap to Idol of Y'Shaarj instead of Yogg-Saron for Eranog.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (simulations page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Season 1 launch.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (addons page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (enchants page): Add note about more Phials that I would not suggest using.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (stats page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Page added.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (mythic+ page): Add some start of season 1 tips.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (rotation page): Added section discussing Tier 29 set bonus rotational changes.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (spells page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (this page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (how to improve page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (simulations page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (addons page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 09 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Added extra note about Mind Spike vs. Mind Flay with Mind Melt and Idol of C'Thun.
- 08 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Moved racials out of the rotation into their own section. Fixed opener to be easier to read.
- 07 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Made some parts of the rotation around Mind Blast easier to read.
- 07 Nov. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated Marileth soulbind calc to remove Dissonant Echoes conduit.
- 05 Nov. 2022 (mythic+ page): Add a section on the Mythic+ opener and easy version of the priority list.
- 05 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Cleaned up Devouring Plague lines to be more clear.
- 03 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Updated the rotations filler sections to be clearer. Added a new section on how to use Mind Sear.
- 03 Nov. 2022 (spells page): Included acronyms and commonly used references to spells.
- 02 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Made it clearer when to use your filler spells with the bottom section.
- 31 Oct. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated talent builds to no longer suggest Psychic Link and removed Idol-less build.
- 31 Oct. 2022 (talents page): Updatedd talent builds to no longer suggest Psychic Link and changed default Mythic+ build to Yogg-Saron.
- 31 Oct. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated talent builds to no longer suggest Psychic Link.
- 30 Oct. 2022 (addons page): Added extra movement macro.
- 27 Oct. 2022 (addons page): Updated PI macro and added a new one for talent choice nodes.
- 26 Oct. 2022 (Castle Nathria page): Updated suggested build to use Idol of Y'Shaarj and Talbadar's Stratagem Legendary.
- 26 Oct. 2022 (Sanctum of Domination page): Updated suggested build to use Idol of Y'Shaarj and Talbadar's Stratagem Legendary.
- 26 Oct. 2022 (Sepulcher of the First Ones page): Updated suggested build to use Idol of Y'Shaarj and Talbadar's Stratagem Legendary.
- 26 Oct. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated builds to pickup Translucent Image.
- 26 Oct. 2022 (rotation page): Added more rotation switches to make things easier to look at.
- 26 Oct. 2022 (talents page): Updated talent builds from recent bug finding for Screams of the Void.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Legendaries): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Torghast): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Covenants and Soulbinds): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (how to improve page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (simulations page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (addons page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Castle Nathria page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Sanctum of Domination page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Sepulcher of the First Ones page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (rotation page): Adjusted priority of Shadow Word: Death, Mind Flay, and Mind Spike.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 29 Jul. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Added changes for 9.2.5 and Season 4.
- 22 Feb. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Updated changelog from Pallid Command nerfs.
- 15 Jan. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Added Patch 9.2 changes and initial thoughts.
- 01 Nov. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Added Patch 9.1.5 changes.
- 13 Jul. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Added new hotfixes and remove PTR blurb.
- 06 Jul. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Removed Anima Power section.
- 29 Jun. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Added all changes with up to date commentary.
- 02 May 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): More PTR changes from the latest build affecting base spells, Legendaries, and Conduits.
- 22 Apr. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Added initial content.
- 26 Oct. 2020 (Ny'alotha page): Updated suggestions for Mindbender and Ancient Madness post pre-patch tuning.
- 12 Oct. 2020 (Ny'alotha page): Page updated for the Shadowlands pre-patch.
- 13 Jan. 2020 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.3 and no changes are necessary.
- 13 Jan. 2020 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.3 and no changes are necessary.
- 13 Jan. 2020 (Crucible of Storms page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.3 and no changes are necessary.
- 13 Jan. 2020 (The Eternal Palace page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.3 and no changes are necessary.
- 06 Oct. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added more tips to a few bosses.
- 05 Oct. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added more tips.
- 09 Jul. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Guide added.
- 25 Jun. 2019 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 25 Jun. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 25 Jun. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 11 May 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Updated talent suggestions and added tips for Uu'nat.
- 14 Apr. 2019 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed and no changes are necessary for the release of the Crucible of Storms raid.
- 14 Apr. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed and no changes are necessary for the release of the Crucible of Storms raid.
- 14 Apr. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Guide added.
- 26 Feb. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Updated several talent suggestions and playstyle tips.
- 29 Jan. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Added the remaining talent advice and boss tips.
- 24 Jan. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Filled in most of the talent advice and boss tips.
- 22 Jan. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Added boss tips for Shadow Priest in Battle of Dazar'alor.
- 12 Dec. 2018 (Uldir page): Updated some of the talent recommendations and fight tips.
- 10 Dec. 2018 (Uldir page): Updated for Patch 8.1 changes.
- 04 Oct. 2018 (Uldir page): Updated now that proper conclusions can be drawn based on data.
- 11 Sep. 2018 (Uldir page): Updated after seeing data from the first week of Uldir.
- 05 Sep. 2018 (Uldir page): Restructured playstyle advice and updated talent suggestions.
- 04 Sep. 2018 (Uldir page): Preliminary updated for Uldir launch.
- 09 Aug. 2018 (Uldir page): Removed Legion info and added a placeholder for Uldir.
More Priest Guides
Guides from Other Classes
This guide has been written by Publik, Shadow Priest theorycrafter and SimC dev at Warcraft Priests. He currently raids in The Exiled on Arthas-US.
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- Dragonflight 10.1, Season 2 New and Removed Mythic+ Affixes
- Dragonflight Patch 10.1 PTR Development Notes, March 28th: Old Mythic+ Affixes Removed, New Ones Added
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