Shadow Priest PvP Stat Priority, Gear, and Trinkets — The War Within (11.2.5)

The stat priority for Shadow Priests in PvP is as follows:

1. Intellect;
2. Versatility;
3. Haste;
4. Critical Strike;
5. Mastery.

Intellect is the best stat in all situations. Versatility is the strongest secondary stat at all times because it increases your overall damage dealt and reduces damage you take. Haste is your next best secondary stat. This will help with reducing the Global Cooldown on abilities and increasing the tick rate of your DoTs.

In general, Shadow Priests do not have a specific cooldown that you need trinkets to line up with. As a result, your trinkets can have a passive or on-use effect. The stat you want to be increasing is Intellect. You want to increase Intellect because it drastically increases your overall damage output. Here is the best gear we recommend you using as a Shadow Priest.

• Head: Dying Star's Veil
• Neck: Algari Competitor's Amulet - Crafted with Versatility & Haste
• Shoulders: Dying Star's Pyrelights
• Cloak: Reshii Wraps - With Versatility
• Chest: Dying Star's Cassock
• Wrists: Astral Gladiator's Silk Armbands
• Hands: Dying Star's Caress
• Waist: Astral Gladiator's Silk Cord
• Legs: Astral Gladiator's Silk Leggings
• Feet: Astral Warmonger's Slippers
• Ring 1: Algari Competitor's Signet - Crafted with Versatility & Haste
• Ring 2: Algari Competitor's Signet - Crafted with Versatility & Haste
• Trinket 1: Astral Gladiator's Medallion
• Trinket 2: Astral Gladiator's Insignia of Alacrity
• 2H Staff: Astral Gladiator's Staff

Note: It is essential to be wearing two PvP trinkets. This will give you a Stamina and stat boost that will increase your survivability.

As noted above, acquiring both your 2-set and 4-set bonus is crucial. It is important to note that ALL tier sets are nerfed to 33% effectiveness in PvP. Although this nerf is significant, tier sets are still important to acquire to maximize your chances of winning. In Patch 11.2, there are different tier sets for each different hero talent for each specialization. Below are the different tier sets for Shadow Priest.

• 2-set: Void Blast damage is increased by 30% and Void Blast's cast time is reduced by 20%. Void Blast's cooldown is reduced by 50%.
• 4-set: Void Blast now also causes Entropic Rift to grow, Collapsing Void increases Entropic Rift's damage by an additional 10%, and the damage of your next Void Torrent is increased by up to 60% based on the size of Entropic Rift when it collapses.

Although the increased damage from the Archon tier set is decent, the overall best choice is the Voidweaver tier set and should be used in arena at all times.

• 2-set: Halos generate an additional 10 Insanity over 5 sec and Resonant Energy additionally increases the damage of your Devouring Plague by 5%.
• 4-set: While Power Surge is active, every 2 casts of Devouring Plague adds another Halo to the effect at 100% effectiveness, up to 2 times.

For an in-depth guide to the best Shadow Priest talent builds, read here:

Embellishments are bonuses that can be put on crafted gear. These affects can have a drastic impact on the game. You are only allowed to have two Embellishments equipped at the same time. Here are the recommended Embellishments for Shadow Priest:

• Elemental Focusing Lens. This Embellishment causes your damaging spells and abilities to have a chance to deal damage to your target. This is a flat increase to your overall damage output.
• Ascendance/ Writhing Armor Banding. While in combat, Ascendance grants 89 of a random secondary stat, stacking up to 10 times. Writhing Armor Banding doubles this affect. Overall, this is a good embellishment, but not the best.

Here are the best enchants and gems for a Shadow Priest:

• Cloak: Enchant Cloak - Chant of Leeching Fangs
• Chest: Enchant Chest - Crystalline Radiance
• Bracers: Enchant Bracer - Chant of Armored Speed
• Legs: Sunset Spellthread
• Boots: Enchant Boots - Scout's March
• Rings: Enchant Ring - Glimmering Haste
• Weapon: Enchant Weapon - Authority of Radiant Power

Versatile Emerald is the best gem you can use. You also get access to a single Meta Gem. You should use Cognitive Bloodstone for the meta slot.