Introduction
Optimizing talents for specific situations is highly recommended when building your Shadow Priest. However, the talent builds provided below are great starting points for various purposes. Keep in mind that these builds are general recommendations for different content types. For more specific recommendations for Raid and Mythic+ in Season 2, refer to the dedicated pages below.
Video Guide
If you prefer a video format, you can watch along as I discuss the intricacies of the Shadow Priest. The video version of this guide is readily available.
Understanding Talents
Before diving into the specific talent builds, it’s essential to have a comprehensive overview and breakdown of each talent. To familiarize yourself with all the talents, refer to the Spell Summary first. This summary will help you navigate your build choices effectively.
Several talents in the Shadow Priest tree actively affect your rotation, particularly in specific situations. To gain more insight into these talent rotations, refer to the section below.
Contextualizing Talent Choices
This section aims to provide more context for the talent choices in our talent tree. While this section won’t cover every talent, it will give you reasons and answers regarding how to make a build.
In our class tree, our primary goal is to maximize the damage output, which primarily resides on the right-hand side. As your starting point, the standard build includes:
- Shadow Word: Death and Shadowfiend (for free)
- Death and Madness, Mind Control or Dominate Mind (either version)
- Dispel Magic, Improved Flash Heal, and Angelic Feather (for movement ability)
From here, you have the flexibility to spend your remaining points. For most content, it is advisable to pick Purify Disease and From Darkness Comes Light for enhanced off-healing capabilities. Afterward, consider acquiring Leap of Faith, Shackle Undead, or Void Tendrils to unlock Power Infusion in the next section. Once the next section becomes available, invest points into it before circling back if necessary.
Assuming you have unlocked the following section appropriately, aim to prioritize the following talents to maximize your damage output:
- Power Infusion and Twins of the Sun Priestess
- Twist of Fate
- Throes of Pain (note: you will need to choose another talent path to reach this)
To complete this section, it is recommended to include Vampiric Embrace and San’layn, but alternative options are available. Additional movement can be obtained with Body and Soul, and for defensive measures, consider Tithe Evasion. This section provides plenty of freedom in talent selection, and if desired, you can return to the top section to acquire more off-healing. Usage of Mass Dispel could also be beneficial if you can utilize it effectively.
Note: If you plan on acquiring Angel’s Mercy, allocate 2 points in Unwavering Will.
Shadow Priest Spec Tree
Within the Shadow Priest spec tree, you will encounter various intriguing choices that ultimately impact your damage output. Our damage pattern remains almost identical in any situation, thanks to Psychic Link, where single target damage equals AoE damage.
This section of the tree focuses on utility and allows for easy acquisition of necessary damage talents. As your base build, start with:
- Devouring Plague (for free)
- Shadowy Apparitions, Misery, Thought Harvester, and Surge of Insanity
- Dispersion and Silence (standard utility)
- Psychic Link (when facing multiple targets)
- For pure single target, choose one of the following: Intangibility, Mental Fortitude, Last Word, or Psychic Horror (Mental Fortitude is the default choice in most cases)
To further define your kit, consider your endpoint in the tree to ensure compatible talent selections. Begin by deciding which cooldown to use: Void Eruption or Dark Ascension. Refer to the following section for guidance in making this choice.
Regardless of your cooldown preference, the following abilities are generally beneficial in any build and are highly recommended as starting points:
- Ancient Madness, Shadowy Insight, Mind Spike, and Mind Melt
- Choose between Mind’s Eye for more single target damage or Distorted Reality for sustained cleave
- In scenarios with more than 2 mobs, consider adding Shadow Crash for easier DoT management
- Allocate remaining points before reaching the final section, including Mental Decay, Phantasmal Pathogen, Dark Evangelism, Maddening Touch, and Mind Devourer based on your desired damage output mix
The main decision in this section revolves around which cooldown to select. Unfortunately, these cooldowns do not have clear-cut definitions. Ultimately, the choice boils down to numbers rather than a playstyle advantage for one over the other. That being said, Dark Ascension proves to be more useful in situations where Voidform does not make sense due to its 2-minute cadence. Meanwhile, Dark Ascension showcases synergies with Mindbender and Idol of Y’Shaarj builds, aligning cooldowns for increased effectiveness.
Final Talent Section and Idol Talents
In the final section of talents, you have the opportunity to decide your end goals. At level 70, you can comfortably obtain two or even three Idol talents to complete your build. Builds incorporating two or three Idol talents generally outperform those with zero or one. While numerous combinations of Idol talents exist, the more common ones are highlighted below:
Idol of Yogg-Saron + Idol of C’Thun
- Auspicious Spirits, Tormented Spirits, Idol of Yogg-Saron, Void Torrent, Insidious Ire, Malediction, Idol of C’Thun, and 1 point in Screams of the Void
- Strengths: Excellent all-around performance and outstanding single target damage
- This build serves as a solid foundation for almost all other builds, capable of handling various content types effectively.
Idol of Y’Shaarj + Idol of C’Thun
- Mindbender, Inescapable Torment, Idol of Y’Shaarj, Void Torrent, Insidious Ire, Malediction, Idol of C’Thun, and Mastermind
- Strengths: Superior single target damage
- While this build offers similar single target damage to the Idol of Yogg-Saron build, it provides additional damage between cooldowns with the 1-minute cooldowns.
Idol of N’Zoth + Idol of Yogg-Saron + Idol of C’Thun
- Auspicious Spirits, Tormented Spirits, Idol of Yogg-Saron, Void Torrent, Malediction, Idol of C’Thun, Screams of the Void, and Idol of N’Zoth
- Strengths: Excellent for multi-target and AoE situations
- Similar to the first build, this setup serves as a strong foundation for various builds, capable of handling different content types effectively.
War Mode in the Open World
In the open world, you have the option to enable “War Mode.” Activating War Mode grants several benefits:
- PvP talents are enabled in the outdoor world
- A 10%+ increase in World Quest rewards at maximum level
- 10%+ more experience gained while leveling
- The opportunity to earn Conquest Points, which can reward gear weekly
Considering the advantages of enabling War Mode for leveling and PvE content, it is recommended to activate this feature to maximize your leveling speed and rewards at maximum level. However, keep in mind that by doing so, you expose yourself to open-world PvP and the possibility of encountering hostile players while leveling or participating in World Quests.
PvP Talents for Leveling and PvE Content
This section ranks the PvP talents most suitable for leveling and engaging in solo/small group PvE content as a Shadow Priest. Here are the top choices:
- Catharsis: Provides a significant damage boost in the open world, especially during solo content or 1v1 encounters.
- Driven to Madness: Accelerates cooldown recovery, resulting in improved uptime.
- Psyfiend: Offers additional active ability, but if you prefer not to have it, Void Volley serves as a viable alternative.
Incorporating these talents into your build will enhance your leveling experience and optimize your performance in PvE content.
With these guidelines, you are well-equipped to create a powerful Shadow Priest build tailored to your desired playstyle and content preferences. Experiment with different combinations and find the perfect balance between damage output and utility.
