Shadow Priest PvP Guide (Shadowlands 9.2)
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to play in a PvP environment. The guide will cover everything from talent choices, PvP talents, gameplay and rotation, and useful racial bonuses. It is most applicable to Arena content, but most talents and racial bonuses will work in Rated Battlegrounds and skirmishes.
If you were looking for WoW Classic content, please refer to our Classic Priest PvP guide.
Shadow Priests in the Current Meta
Shadow Priests are a force to be reckoned with. What Shadow Priests lack in
defensives, they make up for in damage. If left unchecked, a Shadow Priest can
melt an entire team in seconds. Not only do they have strong single target
damage, they have utility. Spells like Mass Dispel and
Power Word: Shield make Shadow Priests a very versatile caster.
Strengths of Shadow Priests
- Strong spread damage
Dispel Magic and
Mass Dispel are crucial
- High consistent damage
Weaknesses of Shadow Priests
- No mobility
- Struggle to cast against melee teams
- Very few defensive cooldowns
Changes in Patch 9.2
- The Rattling Mage that is summoned from
Unholy Nova has had its damage reduced.
- Access to a second Legendary power
- Tier Sets and bonuses have returned
- Five new PvP trinkets have been added:
- New PvP Trinket set bonus that grants Intellect and Stamina instead of Versatility
Content of the Guide
This guide ended up being very long, so we decided to split it in different pages.
- On the Shadow Priest PvP Talents page, you will find an analysis of each PvE talent row to help you decide which talent to pick on each row, as well as an overview of the PvP talents, which advice on which ones to take and under which conditions.
- On the Shadow Priest PvP Rotation and Playstyle page, you will learn how to use your spells, depending on the situation (damage dealing, surviving, controlling enemy players, etc.), and what is generally expected of your class and spec in PvP.
- On the Shadow Priest PvP Covenants and Legendary Powers page, you will find advice on choosing the best Covenant, Soulbind, and Conduits as well as the best PvP Legendary Powers.
- On the Shadow Priest PvP Stat Priority and Gear page, you will find the stat priority to follow in PvP, as well as advice for choosing your gear, particularly trinkets.
- On the Shadow Priest PvP Best Races page, you will find lists of the Alliance and Horde races, ranked by how good they are for Shadow Priests in PvP, as well as explanations regarding why and how their racials benefit you.
- On the Shadow Priest PvP Useful Macros page, you will find a collection of useful macros for PvP for Shadow Priests.
- On the Shadow Priest Arena Composition page, you will find the list of the most powerful Arena compositions featuring Shadow Priests, in both 2v2 and 3v3 modes.
Changelog
- 28 Feb. 2022: Updated for Patch 9.2.
- Added Notable Changes section.
- 21 Nov. 2021: Reviewed for Patch 9.1.5.
- 16 Jul. 2021: Reviewed for Patch 9.1.
- 08 Mar. 2021: Reviewed for Patch 9.0.5.
- 29 Nov. 2020: Updated for Shadowlands release.
- 15 Oct. 2020: Updated for Shadowlands pre-patch (9.0.1)
Other PvP Guides
This guide has been written by Mysticall, a seasoned PvP player who has repeatedly achieved Arena Master and 2500 rating. You can watch his stream on Twitch, and you can also check out his YouTube channel.
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