A Guide to Shadow Priest Playstyle and Rotation

Introduction

In this guide, we will explore the playstyle and rotation of a Shadow Priest. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the class, understanding the mechanics and strategies of a Shadow Priest is crucial for maximizing your potential in both single-target and multi-target scenarios. Let’s dive in!

General Rotation

The rotation of a Shadow Priest is more of a priority list that can change depending on talents and the number of targets. Here are the key steps to follow:

• Ensure Vampiric Touch and Shadow Word: Pain are applied to your target(s).
• Cast Mindbender or Shadowfiend whenever it is off cooldown.
• Utilize Dark Ascension or Void Eruption based on your current situation.
• Coordinate your Power Infusion and Trinkets with either Dark Ascension or Void Eruption.
• Use Devouring Plague when you have 100 insanity or if there isn’t an active Devouring Plague on the target.
• If you have the Inescapable Torment talent and your Mindbender is active, cast Mind Blast Death.
• If you have the Void Eruption talent, cast Void Bolt.
• Use Mind Blast when you have two charges or when the Shadowy Insight buff is active.
• Maximize your Mastery uptime by casting Devouring Plague.
• If all DoTs are active on your target, cast Void Torrent (make sure to use all Mind Blast charges before casting Void Torrent to avoid capping on charges).
• When you have the Surge of Insanity buff, use Mind Spike or Mind Flay.
• Cast Mind Blast to continue generating Insanity.
• Cast Mindgames if all DoTs are active on your target, but consider delaying its use if Dark Ascension is about to come off cooldown.
• When the target is below 20% health and you have the Inescapable Torment talent, or if you have a Deathspeaker proc, cast Shadow Word: Death.
• Finish with Mind Spike or Mind Flay.
• While moving, use Shadow Crash, Shadow Word: Death, Divine Star, or Shadow Word: Pain.

Opener

The opener for a Shadow Priest depends on whether you are using Dark Ascension or Void Eruption. Let’s explore both scenarios:

Opener for Dark Ascension on Single Target

If you have enough insanity to cast Devouring Plague immediately after Dark Ascension, you can enter your cooldowns earlier. Here’s an example opener:

1. Pre-Cast Vampiric Touch.
2. Cast Mindbender or Shadowfiend.
3. Use Dark Ascension.
4. Activate Power Infusion.
5. Cast Devouring Plague.
6. Continue with the priority list.

Opener for Void Eruption (Voidform)

Use the following rotation if you’re using Void Eruption:

1. Pre-Cast Shadow Crash if it will hit or Vampiric Touch as an alternative.
2. Cast Devouring Plague to spend Insanity and apply full Mastery.
3. Use Mindbender.
4. Cast Shadow Word: Death if you have the Inescapable Torment talent.
5. Cast Mind Blast.
6. Activate Void Eruption.
7. Use Power Infusion and any on-use Trinkets.
8. Cast Void Bolt.
9. Continue with the priority list.

Multi-Target Approach

With the removal of Mind Sear and the simplifications made to the rotation, the multi-target priority is now the same as the single-target priority. The main difference lies in maintaining Vampiric Touch and Shadow Word: Pain on all targets. You can also use Divine Star or Halo on cooldown.

Each spell in the rotation now cleaves from Psychic Link, offering equal cleave damage. The key is to manage Vampiric Touch and ensure that most targets have it before using your high-damage abilities.

If you play with Distorted Reality in AoE situations, consider spreading your Devouring Plagues across different targets to maximize Phantasmal Patogen and Mastery value. This strategy isn’t recommended if using Mind’s Eye, as the duration of Devouring Plague is too short for it to be effective.

Playstyle

The playstyle of a Shadow Priest in Shadowlands follows a builder/spender pattern. Here’s a simplified explanation:

1. Keep your Damage over Time abilities (DoTs) active on your target(s).
2. Use builder spells (Mind Blast, Void Bolt, Mind Spike, Mind Flay) to generate Insanity.
3. Spend your Insanity on Devouring Plague or Mind Sear.

While this may sound straightforward, the complexity of the Shadow Priest class lies in knowing which spells to use in different situations. With a wide array of available spells, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, wanting to use them all. However, experience will reveal a natural flow to the rotation.

Here are some tips to enhance your playstyle:

Global Cooldowns

All spell cooldowns can be converted into global cooldowns. For example:

• Hard-cast spells (Mind Blast, Vampiric Touch, Mind Spike) take 1 global.
• Channeling spells can be divided into 2 ticks for every 1 global.

Understanding these conversions helps you optimize your rotation and ensure proper timing between spells.

Damage Over Time (DoTs)

Applying DoTs in multi-target situations can be challenging. Follow these rules to simplify the process:

1. Apply DoTs before entering cooldown windows. Doing so prevents wasted globals inside cooldowns and allows Void Bolt to extend their duration.
2. Treat the reapplication of DoTs as your filler spell between Mind Blast casts. This prevents you from losing casts of more important spells and avoids the stress of reapplying all DoTs simultaneously.

Remember to reapply your DoTs within the pandemic window whenever possible. This reduces the frequency of reapplication during encounters. The pandemic window is when less than 30% of the total duration remains for Vampiric Touch and Shadow Word: Pain.

Movement

Movement is a common challenge for many players. While it’s difficult to address every situation, consider the following tips:

• Practice stutter-stepping, which involves using instant-cast spells to move short distances in advance rather than moving the entire distance at once. This technique ensures you don’t lose any casts and helps you adapt to mechanics more efficiently.
• Use spell casts like Devouring Plague, Void Bolt, Shadow Word: Death, Shadow Word: Pain, Divine Star, Shadow Crash, and Power Word: Shield to move during encounters.

Survivability / Defensives

Shadow Priests possess strong survivability capabilities. Leverage these tools to withstand constant damage:

• Exploit your self-healing abilities, such as Vampiric Touch, Devouring Plague, Mental Fortitude, Power Word: Shield, Flash Heal, and Vampiric Embrace.
• Use Fade and Desperate Prayer for smaller instances of instant damage. Fade has a short cooldown if talented, so utilize it frequently.
• Reserve Dispersion for intense incoming damage or when you’re on the brink of death.

With these tips in mind, you’ll be better equipped to master the playstyle of a Shadow Priest and optimize your performance in any situation.

Conclusion

Being a Shadow Priest grants a unique and exciting playstyle. By understanding the rotation, mastering movement, and utilizing defensive abilities effectively, you can harness the full potential of this class. Practice, experience, and a fluid understanding of the various spells and priorities will allow you to excel as a Shadow Priest in Shadowlands. Good luck on your adventures!