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Priest specialization

Shadow Priest in WoW Forever

Shadow spells and lingering damage.

  • Your role: Ranged spell damage
  • Class guides to level 30
  • Class notes checked

Your character

I’m playing
Updating…

Choose the level you are playing now. The playbook and gear rankings update to match.

Level 30 · Combat priorities

How to play at level 30

Your combat loop

Press the first one that is ready.

Use Mind Flay. It does 17% more than Smite.

Keep up:
  1. Shadow Word: Pain Keep on target · 24 sec

    Keep it on the target; it lasts 24 sec.

    18% of your damage
  2. Devouring Plague Every 24 sec

    Use it whenever it is ready, every 24 sec.

    13% of your damage
  3. Mind Blast Every 7.5 sec

    Use it whenever it is ready, every 7.5 sec.

    26% of your damage
  4. Mind Flay Filler

    Cast it whenever nothing above is ready.

    43% of your damage

The first 30 seconds

When to press each one from the pull. The blue line under a press is the global cooldown (1.5 sec) or cast it holds: nothing else on the global cooldown can go until it ends, so of two that are ready together the higher one goes first.

In the gaps
Mind Flay

How MaxDPS works this out

Talents at level 30

The MaxDPS build at this level, in the game’s talent frame. Click a talent to learn it and right click to unlearn it, as in the game.

· of 21 points spent

Unspent Talents
Point order: when each point goes in
  1. Spirit Tap 5/5 · levels 10–14 +10.7% damage
  2. Improved Shadow Word: Pain 2/2 · levels 15–16 +2.7% damage
  3. Shadow Focus 5/5 · levels 17–19 and 23–24 +4.2% damage
  4. Mind Flay 1/1 · level 20 +18.5% damage
  5. Improved Mind Flay 2/2 · levels 21–22 +7.7% damage
  6. Shadow Weaving 3/3 · levels 25–27 no damage
  7. Vampiric Embrace 1/1 · level 28 no damage
  8. Improved Mind Blast 1/5 · level 29 +0.1% damage
  9. Devouring Contagion 1/2 · level 30 +1.6% damage

Every Priest talent

Preliminary item rankings

Shadow Priest gear rankings

Shadow damage · Level 30 · Solo & quests · Calculated defaults

Head

40 items matching this build · Updating…

Key stats show the stats behind the three largest score contributions, as the game tooltip states them; open an item’s details for every value and source.

Head items with imported stats, weighted scores and acquisition sources.
Rank Item Key stats Score (pts) Where to get it Actions
1 in this filtered list
Filigreed Shadow Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted
  • 14 Shadow spell power
  • 12 Stamina
  • 38 Armor
18.12
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Shadow spell power: 14 × 0.9947 = 13.93 pts
  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3306 = 3.97 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.006 = 0.23 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
2 in this filtered list
Embalmed Shroud Cloth · iLvl 35 · Req. 30 · Dungeon drop · Provisional stats
  • 8 Spell damage
  • 12 Spirit
  • 7 Stamina
16.54

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 8 × 0.9947 = 7.96 pts
  • Spirit: 12 × 0.5015 = 6.02 pts
  • Stamina: 7 × 0.3306 = 2.31 pts
  • Armor: 42 × 0.006 = 0.25 pts

Rare

Source

3 in this filtered list
Shadow Circlet Cloth · iLvl 25 · Req. 20 · Crafted
  • 11 Shadow spell power
  • 10 Stamina
  • 35 Armor
14.46
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Shadow spell power: 11 × 0.9947 = 10.94 pts
  • Stamina: 10 × 0.3306 = 3.31 pts
  • Armor: 35 × 0.006 = 0.21 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
4 in this filtered list
Holy Shroud Cloth · iLvl 32 · Req. 27 · Other drop
  • 11 Spell damage
  • 6 Spirit
  • 40 Armor
14.19
Hatefury RogueNPC drop · 0.6% · Desolace

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 11 × 0.9947 = 10.94 pts
  • Spirit: 6 × 0.5015 = 3.01 pts
  • Armor: 40 × 0.006 = 0.24 pts

Rare

39 sources

Hatefury RogueNPC drop · 0.6% · Desolace
Scorpid ReaverNPC drop · 0.2% · Thousand Needles
Large Solid ChestObject loot · 0.2%
Ferocious YetiNPC drop · 0.1%
Solid ChestObject loot · 0.1%
Forsaken InfiltratorNPC drop · <0.1% · Ashenvale
All 39 sources
5 in this filtered list
Filigreed Pristine Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted
  • 8 Spell damage
  • 12 Stamina
  • 38 Armor
12.15
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 8 × 0.9947 = 7.96 pts
  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3306 = 3.97 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.006 = 0.23 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
6 in this filtered list
Silk Headband Cloth · iLvl 32 · Req. 27 · Crafted
  • 9 Spell power
  • 8 Stamina
  • 36 Armor
11.81
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 9 × 0.9947 = 8.95 pts
  • Stamina: 8 × 0.3306 = 2.64 pts
  • Armor: 36 × 0.006 = 0.22 pts

Uncommon

Source

TailoringCrafted
7 in this filtered list
Pristine Circlet Cloth · iLvl 25 · Req. 20 · Crafted
  • 6 Spell damage
  • 10 Stamina
  • 35 Armor
9.48
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 6 × 0.9947 = 5.97 pts
  • Stamina: 10 × 0.3306 = 3.31 pts
  • Armor: 35 × 0.006 = 0.21 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
8 in this filtered list
Shadow Hood Cloth · iLvl 34 · Req. 29 · Crafted
  • 7 Shadow spell power
  • 11 Intellect
  • 37 Armor
7.94
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Shadow spell power: 7 × 0.9947 = 6.96 pts
  • Intellect: 11 × 0.0682 = 0.75 pts
  • Armor: 37 × 0.006 = 0.22 pts

Uncommon

Source

TailoringCrafted
9 in this filtered list
Bright-Eye Goggles Cloth · iLvl 35 · Req. 30* · Crafted · Profession required
  • 9 Spirit
  • 9 Stamina
  • 38 Armor
7.72
EngineeringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spirit: 9 × 0.5015 = 4.51 pts
  • Stamina: 9 × 0.3306 = 2.98 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.006 = 0.23 pts

Uncommon · Profession required — check item requirements

Source

EngineeringCrafted
10 in this filtered list
Enchanter's Cowl Cloth · iLvl 33 · Req. 28 · Crafted
  • 6 Spell power
  • 10 Intellect
  • 37 Armor
6.87
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spell power: 6 × 0.9947 = 5.97 pts
  • Intellect: 10 × 0.0682 = 0.68 pts
  • Armor: 37 × 0.006 = 0.22 pts

Uncommon

Source

TailoringCrafted
11 in this filtered list
Green Tinted Goggles Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25* · Crafted · Profession required
  • 7 Spirit
  • 8 Stamina
  • 35 Armor
6.37
EngineeringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spirit: 7 × 0.5015 = 3.51 pts
  • Stamina: 8 × 0.3306 = 2.64 pts
  • Armor: 35 × 0.006 = 0.21 pts

Uncommon · Profession required — check item requirements

Source

EngineeringCrafted
12 in this filtered list
Filigreed Silky Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted
  • 12 Stamina
  • 38 Armor
4.20
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3306 = 3.97 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.006 = 0.23 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
13 in this filtered list
Filigreed Flame Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted
  • 12 Stamina
  • 38 Armor
4.20
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3306 = 3.97 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.006 = 0.23 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
14 in this filtered list
Filigreed Pearly Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted
  • 12 Stamina
  • 38 Armor
4.20
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3306 = 3.97 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.006 = 0.23 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
15 in this filtered list
Filigreed Shining Circlet Cloth · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted
  • 12 Stamina
  • 38 Armor
4.20
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 12 × 0.3306 = 3.97 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.006 = 0.23 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted
16 in this filtered list
Cloudy Stormsewn Cowl Cloth · iLvl 35 · Req. 30 · Crafted
  • 9 Stamina
  • 9 Intellect
  • 38 Armor
3.82
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 9 × 0.3306 = 2.98 pts
  • Intellect: 9 × 0.0682 = 0.61 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.006 = 0.23 pts

Uncommon

Source

TailoringCrafted
17 in this filtered list
Azure Stormsewn Cowl Cloth · iLvl 35 · Req. 30 · Crafted
  • 9 Stamina
  • 9 Intellect
  • 38 Armor
3.82
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 9 × 0.3306 = 2.98 pts
  • Intellect: 9 × 0.0682 = 0.61 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.006 = 0.23 pts

Uncommon

Source

TailoringCrafted
18 in this filtered list
Nightsky Cowl Cloth · iLvl 35 · Req. 30 · Other drop
  • 5 Spirit
  • 12 Intellect
  • 38 Armor
3.55
AlinaNPC drop · 8.3% · Alterac Mountains

Score breakdown

  • Spirit: 5 × 0.5015 = 2.51 pts
  • Intellect: 12 × 0.0682 = 0.82 pts
  • Armor: 38 × 0.006 = 0.23 pts

Uncommon

115 sources

AlinaNPC drop · 8.3% · Alterac Mountains
Large Solid ChestObject loot · 2%
Large Iron Bound ChestObject loot · 1%
Forsaken BodyguardNPC drop · 0.8%
Iron LockboxContainer loot · 0.6%
Crowd Pummeler 9-60NPC drop · 0.3% · Gnomeregan
Scarlet MonkNPC drop · 0.2% · Scarlet Monastery
All 115 sources
19 in this filtered list
Shadow Goggles Cloth · iLvl 24 · Req. 19* · Crafted · Profession required
  • 6 Spirit
  • 5 Intellect
  • 31 Armor
3.54
EngineeringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Spirit: 6 × 0.5015 = 3.01 pts
  • Intellect: 5 × 0.0682 = 0.34 pts
  • Armor: 31 × 0.006 = 0.19 pts

Uncommon · Profession required — check item requirements

Source

EngineeringCrafted
20 in this filtered list
Silky Circlet Cloth · iLvl 25 · Req. 20 · Crafted
  • 10 Stamina
  • 35 Armor
3.52
TailoringCrafted

Score breakdown

  • Stamina: 10 × 0.3306 = 3.31 pts
  • Armor: 35 × 0.006 = 0.21 pts

Rare

Source

TailoringCrafted

Item stats from the WoW Forever game files; sources from Wowhead.