Shadow Priest Guide Introduction: Your Initiation Rite
So, you’ve decided to dabble in the delightful darkness of the Shadow Priest in World of Warcraft: The War Within? Excellent choice! Maybe you’re dusting off ancient shadowy robes or perhaps you’re a fresh acolyte drawn to the purple whispers. Whatever your origin story, this here is your crash course, your eldritch welcome packet, on how to sling shadows and manage your precarious mental state in these wild WoW times during the War Within season (circa 2025).
Shadow Priest Overview: Brain Juice, Bad Touches, and Big Numbers
Getting good at being a spooky Shadow Priest boils down to juggling three things: your rapidly dwindling sanity (the resource!), sticky debuffs that make enemies regret everything, and how those debuffs make all your other spooky spells hit harder thanks to Mastery.
Insanity: Think of this as your primary spooky brain juice, your purple rage meter. You build it up by doing shadowy things, and then you SPEND it, mainly on the delightfully nasty Devouring Plague. The trick? Don’t let the crazy spill over! Capping at 100 Insanity is like letting potent void energy leak out your ears β wasteful! Manage it, spend it, keep the flow going.
Core DoTs (Your Sticky Fingerprints): Youβve got three main ways to make things miserable over time. Keeping these active is Job #1 (and #2, and #3):
- Vampiric Touch: The gift that keeps on giving… life force… to you.
- Shadow Word: Pain: Classic agony. Never goes out of style. (Side note: While you’ll mostly refresh this manually, be aware that sometimes weird talents pop up that care if Shadow Word: Pain expires on its own. Keep an eye out for that ancient voodoo.)
- Devouring Plague: The Big Spender. This is where that Insanity goes to party hard on your enemy’s health bar.
Mastery: Shadow Weaving (The Misery Multiplier): This fancy stat basically says: the harder other spells you cast hit β including big nukes like Mind Blast, Mind Spike: Insanity, and Void Torrent. Each active DoT provides a damage bonus determined by the Mastery stat value for all targets affected. Maximum damage output relies on keeping all three DoTs active as much as possible. Slap all three on, crank the volume to max, and enjoy the sweet symphony of shadow damage. It buffs most spells, making that DoT upkeep absolutely vital.
Shadow Priest Strengths & Role: Why Be Spooky?
Priest Strengths: More Than Just Shadows
Beyond the voidy goodness, dipping into the Priest class tree grants access to neat party tricks. But as a Shadow Priest, your particular brand of awesome includes:
Strong Sustained DoT Damage: You’re the master of the slow burn, letting those DoTs simmer and provide excellent sustained potency. Patience is rewarded with persistent pain!
Powerful Execute Phase: Got ’em low? Shadow Word: Death is your finishing move, the void’s final, emphatic punctuation mark.
Mastery Scaling: The more misery you spread, the stronger you get. It’s beautifully synergistic!
Funnel/Cleave Damage: That fancy Psychic Link talent means smacking your main target magically splashes onto their nearby buddies (all targets affected by your Vampiric Touch get hit); taking talents like Phantom Reach can sometimes extend the range of this effect or your DoT applications. Great damage without needing to frantically tab-target everything.
Burst Potential: When it’s time to go hard, cooldowns like Dark Ascension let you temporarily crank the shadow-dial way up.
Utility (Party Tricks!): Priests also offer crucial utility like Mass Dispel, which can remove harmful effects from your whole groupβessential in dungeons and raid mechanics that stack debuffs. You bring gifts! Power Infusion makes a nearby ally go SUPER FAST (and you get it too, thanks talents!). Got crowd control? Psychic Scream makes mobs flee in terror. Need a quick patch-up? A cheeky Flash Heal can save your skin (or an ally’s) in emergencies.
Defensive options like Power Word: Shield, possibly enhanced by talents like Mental Fortitude for extra toughness, can provide crucial breathing room. For extra slippery escapes, Translucent Image gives Fade a damage reduction component, letting you soak mechanics or survive burst phases more comfortably. You can also spec into Angelβs Mercy, which reduces the cooldown of Desperate Prayer when you take damage β perfect for fights with consistent ticking damage. AoE control/damage talents like Void Tendrils from the class tree can hold mobs down, while passive effects like Void Leech might offer some self-healing, and Cauterizing Shadows (verify talent name) could provide unique defensive utility depending on your talent choices.
Donβt forget Vampiric Embrace β a toggled ability that turns a portion of your damage into healing for your party. Extremely valuable for high AoE pulls or when your healer is struggling. Even your choice of race, like the Night Elf with Shadowmeld, can offer situational tactical advantages. If you’re looking for even more chaos, Dominate Mind replaces Mind Control in PvP or niche scenarios β letting you take full control of an enemy player for a brief time. Utility spells like Leap of Faith or Mind Soothe may not see frequent use, but shine in niche scenarios like stealth group coordination or tank repositioning. (Remember, this guide is for dungeon/raid pew-pew; we’re not diving into the weird world of PvP talent choices here).
Compared to the other specs of Priest β Holy and Discipline β Shadow is all about damage and utility, not healing or shielding.
Core Gameplay Principles for Shadow Priest: The Shadowy Commandments
Follow these rules, and the Void might just reward you (or at least not consume you entirely):
- Maximize Devouring Plague Uptime (The #1 Rule!): Keep that Devouring Plague glued to your main target like void-infused superglue. Aim for 80-90% uptime or more! It fuels your Mastery and it’s where your hard-earned Insanity goes. Remember: Insanity at 100 is wasted potential. Spend it before it overflows! Talents like Distorted Reality make this even more critical.
- Efficient Cooldown Usage (Use Your Buttons!): Don’t sit on your cooldowns like a grumpy dragon hoarding irrelevant trinkets. Use the shorter ones (hello, Mind Blast!) when they’re ready. Don’t wait forever trying to line everything up perfectly with Dark Ascensionunless youβre doing energy compression for a burst window β stacking cooldowns intentionally for momentary massive damage, especially useful in Mythic+ or boss phases.
- Reacting to Procs (Brain Flashes!): Your shadowy brain sometimes gives you gifts. Don’t ignore them:
- Surge of Insanity: Every two Devouring Plagues, your brain goes “BONUS!” Your next Mind Spike becomes Mind Spike: Insanity β it hits harder, deals damage of the shadow variety significantly more intensely, and gives you triple the Insanity. You can hold onto four of these bonus spikes, but use ’em before you cast DP again, or they vanish into the ether. Poof! Wasted potential!
- Shadowy Insight: Sometimes Mind Blast just… resets. And becomes instant! Like a voidy happy accident. SMASH that button immediately! Don’t delay your regular cooldown by ignoring this freebie.
Hero Talents: Voidweaver vs. Archon – Picking Your Poison
Shadow Priest War Within: Hero Talents
In The War Within expansion, Priests gain access to Hero Talents. For Shadow Priest in the War Within, the two main choices are typically Voidweaver and Archon. Knowing the vibe helps:
Voidweaver: Think of this as the comfy, reliable void-slippers option. It weaves into your existing rotation nicely, making things like Void Torrent and your DoTs feel even better. It often plays with effects like Collapsing Void (name subject to change!) and has its own set of companion talents. Plus, the data nerds say it’s super popular (~86% usage in Heroic raids!), so it’s clearly doing something right and is generally easier to pick up.
Archon: This is more like the high-wire act. Potentially massive burst damage, especially in coordinated groups, especially in coordinated groups that need big burst windows (think high Mythic+ or specific raid strats). Archons usually prefer channeling Mind Flay instead of spiking, have their own Super Saiyan transformation button, and might even turn Mind Blast into Void Blast (again, names might shift!) while powered up. Requires more finesse.
Some builds may still incorporate Void Eruption, a powerful AoE burst spell that initiates Voidform, providing temporary bonuses and synergy with talents like Ancient Madness or Void Bolt from the tier set. When taken, it plays a role similar to Dark Ascension, and even guarantees a Jackpot when used thanks to your 2-piece set bonus.Archon builds also benefit from classic Shadow talents like Ancient Madness, granting a burst of critical strike chance when entering Voidform or activating major cooldownsβsynergizing with their burst window playstyle.
Clarifying Your Choice:
Both work! But for this beginner’s rodeo, we’re focusing on Voidweaver. It’s friendlier, popular, and gets the job done reliably. If you get comfy and wanna try the Archon fireworks later, go for it! Just know the talents (like grabbing Mind Flay nodes) and rotation change quite a bit.
This guide primarily assumes the use of the Voidweaver Hero Talent tree. If you go Archon, some specifics here won’t apply directly.
Talent Builds & Key Choices: Decorating Your Spooky Tree
(Obligatory Disclaimer: Talents change faster than void entities change their minds! Always do your research on why certain talents are picked.)
Playing a Voidweaver Shadow Priest in the War Within means certain talents become your best buds. Sprinkling even a few points wisely makes a big difference:
Core Rotation Talents: Surge of Insanity, Shadowy Insight, Mind Spike (your go-to poke for Voidweaver).
DoT/Mastery Interaction: Distorted Reality (makes DP feel extra important).
AoE/Cleave: Shadow Crash (your purple paint splatter for VT), Psychic Link (the magic funnel!), Death and Madness (SW:D resets for execute chains), Idol of N’Zoth / Shadowy Apparitions (your passive spooky ghost army dealing shadow damage). Talents like Collapsing Void might add bursty AoE, while Phantom Reach could give your abilities longer arms.
Cooldowns/Utility: Dark Ascension, Shadowfiend, Void Torrent, Death Speaker, Twins of the Sun Priestess (so the ally near you gets PI too!). Remember these come from both the Shadow tree and the general Priest class tree.
Recommended Voidweaver Synergies: With Void Torrent hitting harder now, these related talents are extra spicy for Voidweavers:
- Dark Energy: Lets you channel that big spooky laser (Void Torrent) while jogging. Huge for bosses who refuse to stand still! It gives you more mobility during key damage phases β no more being locked out of damage just because the boss wants to kite around.
- Darkening Horizon: Makes your Entropic Rift (a Voidweaver thing) last longer. More uptime on your damage buff window? Yes, please!
Talent Choice Note: The recurring theme: Voidweavers generally like Mind Spike. Archons generally like Mind Flay. If youβre building for a specific encounter or dungeon route, youβll likely identify 2-3 flex points in your build that you can shift around for utility or AoE burst without compromising your core rotation. Pick accordingly!
Priest Changes & The War Within Context
Priest in the War: Notable Adjustments – What’s New in Spookytown?
The void is ever-shifting, and so is your Shadow Priest! Key priest changes to be aware of (around Patch 11.1.0 / Season 2 time):
- Void Torrent Buff (BIG DEAL!): This channeled beam got a 30% damage boost. War Within also introduces a new talent branch in the Hero Talent system, offering further specialization and playstyle personalization through Voidweaver or Archon paths.It went from “pretty good” to “oh wow, hit this button!” Its value, especially with Voidweaver talents like Dark Energy and other associated talents, is way up. Use it well!
- Shadow Crash Targeting Option: Shadow Crash Targeting Option: Tired of mobs dancing out of your purple goo puddle? There’s a new choice node in the tree that lets you select between the traditional ground-targeted version or a smart-targeted one that locks onto an enemy. Much better for mobile fights!
- Hero Talents: Duh! The biggest change. Voidweaver/Archon add whole new ways to play and optimize.
Keep these tweaks in mind; they definitely affect how hard your spooky spells hit!
Tier Set Bonuses (Season 2): Your Fancy New Outfit’s Perks
That shiny new season tier set isnβt just for looks β it packs serious punch:
| 2-Piece Bonus | Damaging spells chance to Jackpot (200% Void Bolt). DA/VE guarantees Jackpot. | Adds passive damage, rewards proactive cooldown use. |
| 4-Piece Bonus | Jackpot grants 5s Power Infusion. Mind Blast & Void Bolt deal +15% dmg during PI. | Creates mini-burst windows. Prioritize MB/VB during proc. Synergizes with 2pc. |
Playing around the tier set β triggering Jackpots and then unloading during the short PI window β is key to looking good on the meters.
Rotation & Priority: Single Target – How to Poke One Thing Real Good
Single Target Gameplay: The Focused Void
Before combat starts, aka pre pull, make sure to precast Vampiric Touch or toss a Shadow Crash if your group is doing a countdown. Getting your DoTs up instantly gives you an early Insanity lead. Hereβs the general pecking order for melting a single boss face as a Voidweaver Shadow Priest in a pure single target fight:
- Shadow Crash (Opener): Splat down Vampiric Touch. Use that fancy new targeted option if the boss likes to jitterbug, otherwise, ground target is fine if they’re lazy. Manual cast if they’re really erratic.
- Shadowfiend: Unleash your shadowy pet on cooldown. Let it gnaw and generate Insanity.
- Dark Ascension: Hit the big red button for burst! (Guarantees a Jackpot, remember?)
- Power Infusion: Slap this on your bestest Haste-loving buddy (or a designated ally). Thanks to talents, you get the zoomies too! (Also watch for the short 4pc PI procs).
- Devouring Plague (PRIORITY #1!): Got Insanity? Spend it before 100! Keep this nasty DoT ticking constantly. Seriously, this is huge.
- Mind Blast (High Priority): Two charges ready? Blast away! Extra important during that 4pc PI proc! (Archon Note: Might be Void Blast here.)
- Void Torrent: Channel the big beam! It hits hard now (30% buff!). Make sure DP won’t fall off mid-channel (~2.5s left needed). Dark Energy talent makes this usable on the move. Also good during the 4pc PI if MB is cooling down.
- Mind Blast (Standard Use): Don’t let charges sit! Use those free Shadowy Insight procs ASAP! Also extra important during 4pc PI. (Archon Note: Might be Void Blast here.)
- Mind Spike: Insanity: Got charges from Surge of Insanity? Use ’em! Just make sure DP is still up when the spike lands. Don’t waste ’em by capping at 4!
- Shadow Word: Death: Got the Death Speaker buff? Use it! Target below 20% health? Use it! It’s the execute button!
- Mind Spike (Filler): Nothing else ready? No bonus Insanity spike charges? Okay, fine, poke ’em with a regular Mind Spike.
- Instant Casts (Movement Filler / Jogging Jabs): Boss making you dance? Don’t just stand there!
- Divine Star: Toss out a star; it hits things (deals shadow damage) and heals folks (like a nearby ally).
- Shadow Word: Pain: Refresh it or just cast it for some damage while moving.
- Shadow Word: Death: Can use it above 20% just for an instant hit while moving (watch the backlash!).
- Psychic Scream: Need space? Make ’em run!
- Power Word: Shield: Got Body and Soul from the class tree? Shield yourself for a little speed boost.
- Flash Heal: Desperate times? A quick heal costs mana/DPS time but beats dying!
AoE Gameplay & Priority: Spreading the Misery
Shadow Priest AoE is mostly about setting up your DoTs smartly, then letting your single-target abilities splash onto everything else:
Applying Vampiric Touch (Painting the Town Purple):
- β€ 8 Targets: Just Shadow Crash the pack (use targeted aim if helpful). Then start your single target rotation on the beefiest mob. Easy! Talents like Phantom Reach can help if the pack is spread out.
- > 8 Targets: Okay, now it takes a tiny bit more effort. Manually dot 1-4 extra targets quickly, THEN Shadow Crash the middle to get the rest. Don’t waste ages dotting every single trash mob individually!
Focus Fire (Funnel Time!): Once VT is out, pick the meanest-looking mob (usually highest HP) and laser-focus your single target rotation onto it.
Leverage Cleave/AoE Talents (Let the Magic Happen): Psychic Link turns your single-target nukes into spread cleave, damaging every target with Vampiric Touch on them, which is the core of Shadowβs AoE toolkit. Death and Madness lets you SW:D snipe low mobs for Insanity. Shadowy Apparitions / Idol of N’Zoth send out spooky ghosts to do passive shadow damage. Maybe Void Tendrils or Collapsing Void adds some extra AoE spice if talented.
Core AoE Principle: Get VT on targets efficiently -> Do your normal ST rotation on one guy -> Watch everything else melt from splash damage. Easy peasy!
Key Takeaways & Summary: The Void Cheatsheet
Feeling overwhelmed by the whispers? Just remember this stuff:
- Devouring Plague is KING: Keep it up! Spend Insanity! This is your main source of sustained potency.
- Void Torrent Value: It hits like a truck now. Use it smartly (consider Dark Energy for movement!).
- Cooldown Efficiency: Hit Mind Blast! Abuse those 4pc PI procs.
- AoE Setup: Spread Vampiric Touch efficiently, then funnel single target damage.
- Tier Set Play: Make Jackpots happen (Dark Ascension helps!), then blast hard during the short PI buff (Mind Blast / Void Bolt).
- Power Infusion: Share the love (often preferring damage dealers) with a buddy!
Stick to these fundamentals, keep an eye on priest changes, and you’ll be slinging shadows like a pro (or at least a very competent amateur void-user) in World of Warcraft: The War Within! Now go forth and spread the darkness!
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Can you explain the role of Insanity for Shadow Priests?
Insanity is the primary combat resource unique to Shadow Priests. It’s generated through the use of various core abilities, including Mind Blast, Mind Spike (especially Mind Spike: Insanity), Shadow Word: Death (with certain talents), Shadowfiend attacks, and Void Torrent. The primary function of Insanity is to fuel your most potent single-target damage-over-time ability, Devouring Plague. Efficient gameplay revolves around maximizing Insanity generation through consistent ability usage and spending it proactively on Devouring Plague before reaching the 100-point cap to prevent resource waste. Managing this generation-spending cycle is fundamental to the Shadow Priest’s damage output.
Why is maintaining Damage-over-Time effects (DoTs) so crucial for Shadow Priests?
Maintaining high uptime on your core DoTs β Vampiric Touch, Shadow Word: Pain, and Devouring Plague β is absolutely critical for several interconnected reasons. Primarily, these abilities constitute a significant portion of your sustained damage profile. Secondly, your Mastery, Shadow Weaving, directly increases all damage you deal based on how many of these three specific DoTs are simultaneously active on your target. Maximum Mastery benefit, and thus maximum overall damage output from your entire toolkit (including direct damage spells), is only achieved when all three DoTs are active. Therefore, consistent application and refreshing of these DoTs is non-negotiable for optimal performance.
Which DoT should be prioritized above others?
Devouring Plague holds the highest priority among your core DoTs. It functions as both a potent damage source and your primary Insanity spender. Maintaining near-constant uptime (ideally 80-90% or higher) on your main target is paramount because it directly translates Insanity generation into damage and ensures you are consistently benefiting from the three-DoT bonus provided by your Mastery: Shadow Weaving. Failing to spend Insanity on Devouring Plague leads to resource capping and significant damage loss.
What’s a standard opening sequence for a single-target encounter?
A typical single-target opener aims to apply DoTs and activate cooldowns rapidly. It generally looks something like this: Optionally pre-cast Vampiric Touch just before the pull. Use Shadow Crash immediately (targeted or ground, depending on talents/encounter) to apply Vampiric Touch. Summon Shadowfiend on cooldown. Activate Dark Ascension, followed immediately by casting Power Infusion on an optimal target (while benefiting yourself via Twins of the Sun Priestess). Begin spending generated Insanity on Devouring Plague. Then, weave in Mind Blast charges and channel Void Torrent (ensuring DP won’t expire). From there, you transition into the standard priority rotation detailed in the guide.
How does Mind Spike: Insanity differ from the regular Mind Spike?
Mind Spike: Insanity is an enhanced version of Mind Spike, triggered by the Surge of Insanity talent after every two casts of Devouring Plague. Compared to the base Mind Spike, Mind Spike: Insanity deals significantly increased Shadow damage and, importantly, generates three times the amount of Insanity. This makes it a high-priority ability to use when charged, both for its burst damage contribution and its substantial resource generation. You can store up to four charges, but should aim to consume them before generating more to avoid waste.
What does it mean when the Mind Blast icon lights up or procs?
That indicates a proc of the Shadowy Insight talent. This passive talent gives your DoT ticks (primarily Vampiric Touch and Devouring Plague) a chance to reset the cooldown of your Mind Blast and make the next cast instant. When this occurs, the Mind Blast icon typically highlights. You should prioritize using this instant, free Mind Blast immediately to avoid “munching” the proc (i.e., having the regular cooldown come up before using the free one) and to maximize Mind Blast casts, which are a key source of damage and Insanity generation.
Could you clarify the main differences between the Voidweaver and Archon Hero Talents?
Hero Talents offer distinct playstyle modifications.
- Voidweaver: Generally focuses on enhancing and synergizing with the existing core Shadow Priest toolkit. It often improves abilities like Void Torrent (e.g., allowing movement during channel via Dark Energy) and DoT interactions, potentially adding effects like Collapsing Void. It tends to favor Mind Spike as a filler and is currently observed to be more popular and often considered more straightforward to manage, making it a strong default choice.
- Archon: Introduces a powerful transformation cooldown, often compared conceptually to the older Voidform. During this Archon state, abilities may be altered (e.g., Mind Blast potentially becoming Void Blast), and damage output is significantly amplified. It typically favors Mind Flay as a filler due to talent synergies like Ancient Madness. While potentially offering higher burst ceilings, especially in coordinated settings, it requires more careful cooldown management and encounter timing.
Should I be using Mind Spike or Mind Flay as my filler spell?
This choice is almost entirely dictated by your selected Hero Talent specialization:
- Voidweaver: Typically utilizes Mind Spike as its primary filler spell when higher priority abilities are on cooldown and Mind Spike: Insanity charges are unavailable. Voidweaver talents often enhance Mind Spike or lack synergy with Mind Flay.
- Archon: Almost always prefers Mind Flay as its filler due to specific talent interactions within the Archon Hero tree (like Ancient Madness) that benefit channeling or Mind Flay itself. Using Mind Spike as Archon is generally suboptimal.
Why is Void Torrent considered more significant now?
Void Torrent’s importance has been considerably elevated due to a direct 30% damage buff it received. This substantial increase makes its contribution to your overall damage much higher than previously. Consequently, ensuring you channel Void Torrent effectively (without clipping it short or delaying it unnecessarily) and maximizing its damage (e.g., ensuring DoTs are active) has become more critical. Furthermore, Voidweaver Hero Talents often interact directly with Void Torrent (like Dark Energy allowing movement), further solidifying its role in that playstyle.
How has Shadow Crash changed, and how should I use the targeting options?
Shadow Crash, the ability used to apply Vampiric Touch in an area, now has a talent choice node. This allows you to select between its traditional behavior (targeting a location on the ground) and a new option that lets you target a specific enemy directly. The direct enemy targeting is a significant quality-of-life improvement for encounters with high mobility, as it ensures Vampiric Touch application even if the targets move immediately after the cast. Ground targeting remains efficient for stationary packs. Choose the option that best suits the encounter mechanics.
How do the Season 2 Tier Set bonuses affect the gameplay loop?
The Season 2 Tier Set introduces a “Jackpot” mechanic:
- The 2-piece bonus gives your damaging spells a chance to fire a high-damage Void Bolt (Jackpot), guaranteed when using Dark Ascension/Void Eruption. This adds passive damage throughput.
- The 4-piece bonus triggers upon scoring a Jackpot, granting you a short 5-second Power Infusion buff during which Mind Blast and Void Bolt deal increased damage. This creates frequent mini-burst windows. Effective play involves recognizing these procs and prioritizing Mind Blast casts (especially Shadowy Insight procs) during the 5-second buff to maximize its benefit. Cooldown usage like Dark Ascension becomes even more impactful as it guarantees both the Jackpot and the subsequent PI window.
What’s the core strategy for dealing damage to multiple targets (AoE)?
Shadow Priest AoE primarily relies on applying Vampiric Touch widely and then leveraging the Psychic Link talent.
- Application: Use Shadow Crash (targeted or ground) to apply VT to groups. For very large packs (>8 targets), supplement Shadow Crash with a few quick manual VT casts on outliers before using Crash to cover the rest. Efficient VT spread across most targets affected is key.
- Execution: Once VT is applied, focus your single target rotation onto the highest priority mob (usually the one with the most health). Psychic Link will automatically cause your Mind Blasts, Mind Spikes (including Insanity), and Void Torrent to cleave damage onto all other nearby enemies suffering from your Vampiric Touch. You do not need to multi-DoT Devouring Plague. Focus one target and let the cleave do the work.
Who should typically receive Power Infusion?
While the Twins of the Sun Priestess talent ensures you always benefit, Power Infusion provides a significant Haste buff that dramatically increases the output of certain specializations. Therefore, it’s generally optimal to cast it on a nearby ally whose damage profile scales exceptionally well with Haste (often preferring damage dealers like Demonology Warlocks, Fire Mages, Devastation Evokers, or others depending on tuning and encounter). Coordinate with your group or use simulation data/weakauras to identify the best target in your specific party or raid composition for maximum group benefit.
When is the optimal time to use Shadow Word: Death?
Shadow Word: Death serves two main purposes:
- Execute: Its primary function is as a high-damage execute ability, usable when the target is below 20% health. Its damage ramps up significantly in this phase.
- Death Speaker Proc: If you’ve talented into Death Speaker, the ability may periodically become usable on targets above 20% health for a short duration (indicated by a buff/highlight). Use it immediately when this proc occurs.
- Movement/Filler (Situational): It can be used above 20% health without the proc as an instant cast during heavy movement if other instants are unavailable, but be aware of the significant backlash damage taken if the target does not die from the hit. In AoE, the Death and Madness talent allows for chain-casting SW:D on low-health targets for Insanity generation.
What are my options for dealing damage while forced to move during a fight?
Shadow Priest has several tools for maintaining uptime during movement:
- Instant Casts: Utilize instant-cast abilities like refreshing Shadow Word: Pain, using Shadow Word: Death (see above caveats), or casting Divine Star.
- Procs: Prioritize using instant Mind Blast procs from Shadowy Insight.
- Void Torrent (with Dark Energy): If talented into Dark Energy (Voidweaver), you can channel Void Torrent while moving.
- Shielding (with Body and Soul): If talented via the class tree, Power Word: Shield can provide a brief speed increase. Talents like Mental Fortitude can make the shield stronger.
- Situational Utility: While not direct damage, using Psychic Scream defensively or repositioning with Leap of Faith (if applicable contextually) can occur during movement. Avoid unnecessary movement where possible to maximize casting time for channeled or cast-time abilities.
