WoW Dragonflight Shadow Priest DPS Guide

Unlock the Secrets of Shadow: A Comprehensive Shadow Priest DPS Guide for World of Warcraft — Dragonflight 10.1.0

Embark on an enlightening journey through the realm of darkness as we unveil the intricacies of playing as a formidable Shadow Priest in the illustrious World of Warcraft. In this comprehensive guide tailored specifically for Dragonflight 10.1.0, we will delve deep into the shadows, equipping you with the knowledge and expertise necessary to unleash your full potential as a DPS powerhouse.

Mastering the art of the Shadow Priest requires a meticulous understanding of both raid encounters and Mythic+ dungeons. From the very foundation to the pinnacle of your DPS output, we leave no stone unturned as we walk you through every essential aspect of this enigmatic class.

Begin your journey by laying a solid groundwork for success. We will meticulously dissect the core mechanics of the Shadow Priest, from harnessing the potent powers of shadow magic to managing your resources with finesse. Unleash a torrent of devastation as you learn the intricacies of properly executing your rotation, maximizing your damage output, and ensuring optimal uptime of your most potent abilities.

But our journey does not end there. We will guide you through the labyrinthine paths of raid encounters, unveiling valuable insights and strategies tailored to the unique challenges of Dragonflight 10.1.0. Whether you face formidable bosses or treacherous trash mobs, our guide will empower you to make informed decisions, enabling you to adapt your playstyle to each encounter with unparalleled efficiency.

Venture beyond the realm of raids and into the heart of Mythic+ dungeons, where your mastery of the Shadow Priest class will be put to the ultimate test. Navigate the perilous depths, slay hordes of enemies, and emerge victorious by mastering the art of crowd control, efficient AoE damage, and precise timing of your potent cooldowns. We provide comprehensive advice on optimizing your talents, gear, and conduits to ensure your dominance in any Mythic+ scenario.

But knowledge alone is not enough to triumph. We will also equip you with invaluable tips and tricks, honed through countless battles, to enhance your survivability, mitigate damage, and maintain optimal positioning. Prepare to embrace your role as the shadowy harbinger of destruction, embracing darkness as your ally and emerging victorious from even the direst of encounters.

Embark on this thrilling adventure as we unravel the mysteries of the Shadow Priest in World of Warcraft — Dragonflight 10.1.0. Arm yourself with knowledge, hone your skills, and ascend to new heights of power as you embark on an unforgettable journey through the darkest recesses of Azeroth.

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Embrace the Darkness: An In-Depth Overview of the Shadow Priest in Dragonflight

Prepare to immerse yourself in a whole new realm of shadowy power as we delve into the intricacies of the Shadow Priest specialization in World of Warcraft's Dragonflight expansion. With the talent tree reworks taking center stage, now is the perfect time to explore the revamped playstyle of the Shadow Priest. A plethora of exciting changes awaits, promising a dynamic and engaging experience unlike anything you've encountered before.

One of the most notable transformations within the Dragonflight talent tree is the introduction of the "build-your-own" Shadow Priest concept. This novel approach empowers players with the ability to customize their gameplay by selecting between two distinctive core cooldowns: Void Eruption and Dark Ascension. These options form the foundation of your Shadow Priest's arsenal, each offering unique benefits and synergies that cater to different playstyles and strategic preferences.

Venturing deeper into the talent tree, you will encounter the thematic Idol spells. These captivating abilities serve as the culmination of your chosen path, allowing you to further customize your Shadow Priest's repertoire. With a wide array of options at your disposal, the possibilities are virtually limitless. From inflicting devastating damage upon your foes to enhancing your survivability and utility, these Idol spells grant you the flexibility to mold your Shadow Priest into a true embodiment of your desired playstyle.

This newfound flexibility within the talent tree gives rise to a rich variety of gameplay options for the Shadow Priest. The resulting playstyles can diverge dramatically, providing an exhilarating and ever-evolving experience. Whether you prefer a bursty, high-risk-high-reward approach or a more sustained, controlled playstyle, the Dragonflight talent tree has something to offer for everyone.

As you navigate the intricacies of the Shadow Priest's talent tree, it becomes evident that there is much to discuss. The multitude of options and potential synergies beckon for exploration and analysis. Each talent choice has the potential to shape your playstyle and significantly impact your effectiveness in different scenarios.

From examining the strengths and weaknesses of Void Eruption and Dark Ascension to dissecting the intricacies of the thematic Idol spells, our comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about your talent selections. We will unravel the nuances of each choice, shedding light on their individual strengths, synergies, and optimal usage scenarios. By understanding the intricacies of the talent tree, you will gain the tools needed to forge a path that aligns seamlessly with your desired playstyle and maximizes your potential as a Shadow Priest.

Prepare to embark on a journey of self-discovery and experimentation as you uncover the untapped potential of the Shadow Priest in Dragonflight. Embrace the freedom of choice, relish the thrill of customization, and become the master of shadows as you unlock the secrets of this enigmatic specialization. The power lies within your grasp, waiting to be harnessed and unleashed upon your unsuspecting adversaries.

Unleashing Shadows: Assessing the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Shadow Priest in Dragonflight

Strengths:

1. Flexibility with Cooldown Style Choice: The Dragonflight expansion introduces a groundbreaking talent tree system for the Shadow Priest, allowing players to select between Void Eruption and Dark Ascension as their core cooldown. This grants an unprecedented level of flexibility, enabling players to tailor their playstyle to their preferences and adapt to different encounters with ease.

2. Incredible Cleave Damage: The Shadow Priest excels in encounters that feature multiple targets, such as council-type encounters and Mythic+ dungeons. With potent abilities like Vampiric Touch and Devouring Plague, their cleave damage is truly remarkable. As the number of targets increases, their self-healing capabilities scale accordingly, ensuring both sustained damage output and survival in the face of adversity.

3. Amazing Self-Healing: Through the utilization of Vampiric Touch and Devouring Plague, the Shadow Priest possesses impressive self-healing capabilities. These abilities synergize effectively with additional targets, amplifying their healing potential. This aspect not only enhances their survivability but also contributes to their overall damage output.

4. Access to Powerful External DPS Cooldown: Power Infusion stands as the Shadow Priest's premier single-player external DPS cooldown. With its potency augmented by Twins of the Sun Priestess, this ability can now be easily shared with others, bolstering the damage potential of the entire group.

Weaknesses:

1. DoT Management Complexity: Managing damage over time (DoT) effects can prove challenging for the Shadow Priest, particularly in multi-target situations. The proper application and maintenance of DoTs, coupled with the reliance on abilities like Shadow Crash to spread them efficiently, demands focus and precision. Failure to execute these aspects optimally can hinder overall damage output.

2. Abundance of Spells and Abilities: The Shadow Priest's toolkit boasts a wide array of spells and abilities, providing diverse options for customization and playstyle adaptation. However, this abundance can be overwhelming, especially when combined with certain talent choices. Navigating through the multitude of available options may require additional effort and practice to fully grasp their synergies and optimal usage.

3. Movement Planning: Unlike some other classes, the Shadow Priest requires careful planning when it comes to movement during encounters. Optimal damage output relies on thoughtful timing and coordination, as interrupting casts can significantly impact their performance. Adapting to movement requirements while maintaining a high level of damage output demands strategic forethought and precise execution.

By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the Shadow Priest in Dragonflight, you will be better equipped to harness their potential effectively. Embrace their flexibility, leverage their cleave damage prowess, and master the art of self-healing. However, be mindful of the challenges posed by DoT management, the abundance of spells and abilities, and the need for meticulous movement planning. With this knowledge in hand, you can unlock the true potential of the Shadow Priest and emerge as a force to be reckoned with in the shadows of Azeroth.

•  Shadow Word: Death cooldown reduced to 10 seconds. Now also gives 4 Insanity baseline. The damage of the spell has been adjusted to compensate.
•  Psychic Scream now hits all enemies within eight yards.
•  Void Tendrils now hits all enemies within eight yards.

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In this patch Shadow Priest has received a rework. The list below is not everything that has changed, only the bigger, more impactful items. Check out the link below for the full changelog.

• Mind Sear, Dark Void, Coalescing Shadows, Puppet Master, Harnessed Shadows, The pain of Death, Surge of Darkness, Encroaching Shadows (baseline), and Damnation have been removed from the game.
• The locations of many talent nodes have been changed.
•  Shadowy Insight has been broken up into two talent nodes. The proc no longer grants a temporary charge of  Mind Blast.
•  Shadow Crash has been broken up into two talent nodes, damage reduced by 70%, Insanity reduced to 6, and the cooldown lowered to 20 seconds.
•  Psychic Link has been updated to work with ALL spells except  Shadow Word: Pain,  Vampiric Touch, and  Shadowy Apparitions.
•  Maddening Touch and  Auspicious Spirits now scale the proc rate based on the number of targets you are fighting.
•  Mind Spike now replaces  Mind Flay when talented. All spells and talents that worked with Mind Flay now also work with Mind Spike.
•  Void Torrent automatically procs an  Idol of C'Thun tendril.
•  Screams of the Void has been redesigned as a buff triggered from  Devouring Plague.
• Several new talents have been added:  Voidtouched,  Mastermind,  Phantasmal Pathogen,  Mind's Eye, and  Distorted Reality.
•  Mind Melt,  Damnation, and  Inescapable Torment are now 1 point nodes.
•  Vampiric Embrace no longer triggers from  Psychic Link damage.

Best Shadow Priest Talent Build

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•  Dark Ascension as your main cooldown
•  Psychic Link and  Shadow Crash for AoE
•  Mental Decay should limit how often you need to re-apply DoT effects in single-target
•  Idol of C'Thun and  Idol of Yogg-Saron offer damage patterns that work in almost all content.

Generally speaking, you will find better results using  Void Eruption instead of  Dark Ascension, but this cooldown does require more precise usage, so running  Dark Ascension as you learn the spec makes more sense.

If you are looking to optimize talents, you can make the following adjustments:

• Single Target: Drop  Shadow Crash and  Whispering Shadows for  Dark Evangelism. Once you get comfortable with the rotation, you should also swap  Distorted Reality for  Mind's Eye.
• Overall damage: Drop 1 point of  Screams of the Void and  Idol of N'Zoth to pickup  Void Torrent and  Malediction. If you want N'Zoth for AoE instead drop  Insidious Ire.

Before you start combat, make sure you have  Shadowform active and use  Vampiric Touch to start combat.

1. Keep  Shadow Word: Pain and  Vampiric Touch applied on all targets. Note that with  Misery, you should always use  Vampiric Touch to refresh either of these DoTs, unless you are moving.
2. Cast  Shadowfiend or  Mindbender on cooldown.
3. Cast  Dark Ascension or  Void Eruption on cooldown.
4. Cast  Power Infusion on cooldown (make sure you cast it on an ally if using  Twins of the Sun Priestess).
5. Spend Insanity on  Devouring Plague.
6. Cast  Mind Blast whenever available to generate Insanity
7. Cast  Void Bolt if inside of  Voidform (with  Void Eruption talented).
8. Cast  Shadow Crash.
9. Cast  Shadow Word: Death if the target is below 20% HP.
10. Cast  Mindgames.
11. Cast  Halo.
12. Cast  Mind Spike to generate Insanity as your filler spell.

Note that in AoE, when talented into  Distorted Reality, you can try and maintain  Devouring Plague on multiple targets for an increase in overall damage. That being said  Mind's Eye is still the preferred talent if you are comfortable using it.

Step into the world of Shadow Priests with a beginner's guide to rotation. Unveil the core principles of executing spells and abilities, setting the stage for your journey of mastery.

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Navigating the Shadows: Understanding the General Stat Priority for Shadow Priests

When it comes to optimizing your gear and maximizing your effectiveness as a Shadow Priest, understanding the general stat priority is crucial. The following stat priority will serve as a guide to help you make informed decisions when selecting and prioritizing your gear:

1. Intellect: Intellect reigns supreme as the primary stat for a Shadow Priest. It eclipses all other stats by a significant margin, making it the most valuable attribute to prioritize. As a result, items with higher item levels that provide an increase in Intellect will generally be more beneficial than those with optimal secondary stats.

2. Haste: Following Intellect, Haste takes precedence as a secondary stat for a Shadow Priest. Haste offers remarkable scaling potential, amplifying the effectiveness of nearly every spell in your toolkit. The increased casting speed and reduced cooldowns provided by Haste contribute to a higher rate of spellcasting, resulting in greater overall DPS output. Strive to obtain gear pieces that grant substantial amounts of Haste.

3. Mastery: Mastery holds a prominent place in the Shadow Priest's stat priority. This stat rewards skillful play and directly enhances the power of every spell in your arsenal. By prioritizing gear with Mastery, you can augment your overall damage potential and capitalize on the strengths of your chosen specialization.

4. Critical Strike and Versatility: Critical Strike and Versatility share a similar level of priority in the Shadow Priest's stat hierarchy. While slightly behind Intellect, Haste, and Mastery, these two stats are still valuable and contribute to your overall performance. Critical Strike increases your chance to deal critical hits, providing occasional bursts of enhanced damage. Versatility, on the other hand, offers a well-rounded benefit by increasing both your damage output and damage mitigation.

It's important to note that stat priorities can vary depending on your gear, talents, and specific encounter situations. As you progress through different content and acquire new gear, be mindful of any shifts in stat weights and adjust accordingly. Utilize tools such as simulation programs or guides from reputable sources to stay up-to-date with the most optimal stat prioritization for your Shadow Priest.

By adhering to the general stat priority of Intellect, Haste, Mastery, and considering Critical Strike and Versatility as secondary priorities, you can enhance your performance and unlock the full potential of your Shadow Priest in Dragonflight. Stay vigilant, adapt to the ever-changing gear landscape, and become a formidable force of shadowy devastation in your adventures across Azeroth.

Diving Deep into Haste: Optimizing Your Shadow Priest's Performance

Haste plays a pivotal role in the optimization of a Shadow Priest's performance, influencing casting speed, cooldown reduction, and overall spellcasting efficiency. Let's explore the intricacies of haste and its impact on your gameplay.

The Sweet Spot: Aiming for 35% Haste

For many Shadow Priests, achieving around 35% haste is often considered the sweet spot. At this threshold, you can attain a desirable balance between spellcasting speed and the diminishing returns (DR) that occur when stacking haste too high. By maintaining a haste level around 35%, you can ensure a smooth and fluid rotation without experiencing a significant dip in overall performance due to DR.

Considering Simulations and Optimal Secondary Stats

It's essential to note that the specific optimal haste value can vary based on your character's gear, talents, and current gearing options. Utilizing simulation programs is highly recommended to determine the most effective stat distribution for your individual character. These simulations consider a multitude of factors and can provide valuable insights into your optimal secondary stat weights, including haste.

It's important to understand that simulations often prioritize higher item level pieces over optimal secondary stats, especially when comparing two items of unequal item levels. This prioritization is based on the assumption that the increase in Intellect from higher item level gear outweighs the potential loss in secondary stat optimization. Keeping this in mind when evaluating gear choices can help guide your decision-making process.

Stat Procs and their Influence on Haste

Certain items and trinkets, such as the Vessel of Searing Shadow, Ominous Chromatic Essence, and Voice of the Silent Star, introduce stat procs that can affect your optimal stat distribution. When simulating your character with these items, you may notice a knee-jerk reaction in the simulation results, indicating a lower preference for haste. However, it's generally advised to maintain a haste level around 35%, even when utilizing these items, to ensure more consistent DPS output. Each character's gearing options and playstyle may lead to slight variations in optimal stat choices, making it crucial to rely on simulations as a tool for guidance rather than blindly following their recommendations.

Transitioning from T29 to T30 Set Bonuses

If your character is still utilizing the old T29 4-piece set bonus, you might observe the simulation favoring a lower haste value, hovering closer to 30%. However, as you acquire the T30 Season 2 set bonus and replace the old set bonus, you should naturally gravitate toward a preference for around 35% haste. The new set bonus synergizes better with higher haste levels, optimizing your rotation and overall performance.

Remember to Sim and Adapt

Ultimately, it is paramount to sim your character regularly and leverage the results as a tool to inform your gear choices and stat priorities. Simulations take into account the complexities of your character's gear, talents, and other factors, providing a personalized and data-driven approach to optimizing your Shadow Priest's performance.

Keep an open mind and be willing to adapt your gearing options based on simulation results, while also considering your own playstyle preferences. Striking the right balance with haste and staying informed about the impact of stat procs and set bonuses will ensure that you unleash the full potential of your Shadow Priest in Dragonflight.

Understanding Secondary Stat Diminishing Returns (DR) for Shadow Priests

Secondary stat diminishing returns (DR) is an important concept to grasp as you optimize your Shadow Priest's secondary stat allocation. These DR thresholds indicate points at which the value of a particular secondary stat begins to diminish, requiring more rating to gain a percentage point. Let's delve into the specifics for each stat:

1. Haste, Critical Strike, and Versatility DR: The diminishing returns for Haste, Critical Strike, and Versatility begin to take effect at around 30%. Beyond this threshold, acquiring additional rating in these stats becomes less impactful, as it takes more rating to achieve the same percentage increase in the respective stat. Keep in mind that these thresholds are not fixed points to aim for but rather indicators that the value of these stats starts to diminish slightly.

2. Mastery DR: Mastery operates slightly differently for Shadow Priests due to the unique nature of their Mastery mechanic. With a conversion value of 0.5 for Mastery points, the diminishing returns for Mastery begin at approximately 19%. This means that once you reach this threshold, the value of Mastery starts to diminish, and further investment in Mastery rating will yield diminishing returns. As Shadow Priests have a base Mastery of 4%, this translates to the start of diminishing returns at 19%.

Adjusting Enchants and Gems for Maximum Benefit

As you approach these DR thresholds, it can be advantageous to allocate enchants or gems in another secondary stat to continue maximizing the benefits from your gear. By diversifying your secondary stat allocation, you can potentially enhance your overall performance and ensure that you are getting the most value from your gear.

However, it's important to note that these thresholds are not hard caps that should dictate your stat allocation. The relative value of each secondary stat can still vary based on your gear, talents, and other factors. Regularly simulating your character and comparing the results can provide insights into the optimal allocation of secondary stats for your specific situation.

Adapting your enchantments, gems, and stat allocation based on the changing DR thresholds will help you stay at the forefront of your Shadow Priest's performance. By fine-tuning your secondary stats, you can continue to optimize your DPS output and maintain a competitive edge in Dragonflight.

Remember to stay informed, stay adaptable, and make informed decisions based on the diminishing returns of secondary stats to unlock the true potential of your Shadow Priest.

Intellect is your primary stat. You should look for this stat in all of your upgrades. It provides you with Spell Power, which increases the damage of your spells.

Critical Strike increases your chance to critically hit with all spells and abilities.

Haste increases your spell-casting speed and the tick rate of your periodic effects.

Mastery ( Mastery: Shadow Weaving) increases the damage of your spells for each damage over time effect you have active on that target. This only works with  Shadow Word: Pain,  Vampiric Touch, and  Devouring Plague. While  Voidform is active, you get the benefit on every target as if they had all three dots active.

Versatility increases all your damage and healing done, and decreases all damage taken.

In Dragonflight, you will have 2 categories of gems to choose from: Rare or Epic. The Rare gems are either just a single stat like in previous expansions or a combination of 2 secondary stats on one gem. The Epic gems are significantly stronger, but you can only use one at a time for your entire character.

Right now, Gems can be applied to a Helm, Neck, Bracer, Belt, or Ring via the  Storm-Charged Manipulator item from the Great Vault. In addition, a Jewelcrafting item lets you apply up to 3 sockets to a neck item with  Tiered Medallion Setting.

• Epic Gem:  Fierce Illimited Diamond or  Skillful Illimited Diamond
• Rare Combination Gem:  Keen Ysemerald or  Keen Neltharite

For your rare gem, I strongly encourage simming your character to see which of the 2 makes the most sense. You always want to use the double-stat gems over single-stat ones since they give more secondaries in total. Between Haste heavy or the Mastery heavy one, I would more often lean towards the Haste heavy  Keen Ysemerald. As your character obtains gear, you will get closer to hitting secondary stat diminishing returns. Hitting these points can easily mean using alternative gems to get the full value out of the socket.

Rare gems are roughly worth 600 DPS. If you are weighing the choice of replacing an item with a socket, keep this in mind. As you get more gear, this could be even higher, but this is a rough number you can use. I would suggest simming the differences on Raidbots to know for sure if something is worth adding or dropping a socket for.

Slot	Enchantment
Chest	Enchant Chest - Waking Stats (0.22% DPS loss per rank lower)
Cloak (non-throughput)	Enchant Cloak - Regenerative Leech
Wrists (non-throughput)	Enchant Bracer - Devotion of Leech
Waist (non-throughput)	Shadowed Belt Clasp
Legs	Frozen Spellthread (0.24% DPS loss per rank)
Ring	Enchant Ring - Devotion of Haste (0.05% DPS loss per rank)  Enchant Ring - Devotion of Mastery (0.05% DPS loss per rank)
Feet (non-throughput)	Enchant Boots - Watcher's Loam
Weapon	Enchant Weapon - Sophic Devotion (0.25% DPS loss per rank lower)  Enchant Weapon - Wafting Devotion (0.25% DPS loss per rank lower)

For weapon enchants, you will start to see  Enchant Weapon - Wafting Devotion perform quite well in 10.1. Shadow Priests just love stacking haste, and depending on your gear, you might see this outperform  Enchant Weapon - Sophic Devotion.

In Dragonflight, several potions could make sense depending on the content you are doing. Use the following list as your guide; the higher, the better.

1.  Elemental Potion of Ultimate Power (0.20% DPS loss per rank lower)
2.  Elemental Potion of Power (0.15% DPS loss per rank lower)
3.  Residual Neural Channeling Agent - can be used while dead

For Healing Potions, use  Refreshing Healing Potion alongside a  Healthstone if you have one at hand. Healthstones and Healing Potions can be used alongside each other without putting the other on cooldown.

In Dragonflight, several flasks or phials could make sense depending on the content you are doing. Use the following table as your guide; the higher in the table, the more DPS. While each phial has a different top-end DPS, I think there are scenarios where you will potentially want to have at least a few of each around at a time, depending on the encounter.

Phial Name	When to Use	Loss per Rank Lower	DPS Increase at Rank 3
Iced Phial of Corrupting Rage	Only use if you get at least 70% uptime.	-0.5%	5.1%
Phial of Tepid Versatility	While not the best, it can be a nice mix of offensive and defensive power without any downside.	-0.3%	3.3%

10.1 has given several changes to  Iced Phial of Corrupting Rage that should make it a competitive choice. If you can maintain 70%+ uptime, this Phial will generally outperform  Phial of Tepid Versatility offensively. I would suggest keeping a supply of both in case you want the extra defensive value from the Vers flask, or you can push for more damage.

For most parts of PvE content, it will not be easy to use  Phial of Charged Isolation or  Phial of Static Empowerment. For this reason, they are not suggested.

Note that  Phial of Elemental Chaos and  Phial of Glacial Fury are both worse than the options above, and I would not consider using them as a Shadow Priest unless they are considerably cheaper and you are on a budget. You might find that Glacial Fury sims decent in multi-target, but in practice, I think the other options make more sense.

For all cases where you want to food buff, you should always use the  Fated Fortune Cookie or the equivalent  Grand Banquet of the Kalu'ak. If you do not have fortune cookies, you can use the stat food instead with  Sizzling Seafood Medley.

For your temporary weapon rune, you should use  Howling Rune or  Hissing Rune, depending on your stats. I would suggest simming both options at your current gear to see which is better, but for most people Howling Rune will be a solid default. Lower ranks of this are roughly 0.2% worse per rank.

You should aim to use  Draconic Augment Rune to get a boost of Intellect during any progression content.

The  Onyx Annulet ring has special sockets that take unique gems. These gems range from various defensive and offensive effects, but the ring has no secondary stats as a downside. In addition to having no secondary stats, you cannot socket this ring with a regular gem slot. For most gem combinations, the ring is a considerable DPS loss. However, when fully upgraded, a specific combination is competitive in a single target.

Shadow Priest is a spec that scales quite well with Haste and Mastery. Due to the ring not having or scaling with these effects, the ring is not an upgrade for Shadow Priests. Any ring obtained in Season 2 will be more DPS to use than the Onyx Annulet.

Mastering the Art of Swift Casting: Optimizing Your Button Presses as a Shadow Priest

In the realm of shadowy power, every moment counts, and the speed at which you press your buttons can make a significant impact on your performance as a Shadow Priest. While it may seem like a trivial matter, it is crucial to maintain a fast and precise button pressing rhythm to ensure you maximize your DPS output. Here are some key insights to help you perfect your button pressing technique:

1. Embrace the "Always Be Casting" Mentality: As a Shadow Priest, you constantly have something to cast. With high Haste levels compared to most other specs, it becomes even more crucial to avoid any gaps or delays in your casting rotation. Embrace the "always be casting" mentality by ensuring that you have your next spell queued up and ready to go while casting your current spell. This proactive approach ensures minimal downtime and maximizes your overall casting efficiency.

2. Mash Buttons for Swift Execution: To maintain a fast and seamless casting rhythm, consider mashing the next button you intend to press while you are casting your current spell. This technique minimizes any delay between spells, allowing you to execute your actions as quickly as possible. By continuously pressing the buttons in a rhythmic and controlled manner, you can reduce the likelihood of missing a cast or experiencing unnecessary downtime.

3. Practice Makes Perfect: Achieving optimal button pressing speed requires practice and familiarity with your spell rotation. Spend time honing your muscle memory and developing a rhythm that feels comfortable and natural to you. As you become more proficient, your button pressing will become more instinctive, allowing you to focus on the encounter mechanics and overall situational awareness.

4. Utilize Add-ons and Macros: Add-ons and macros can serve as valuable tools to assist you in optimizing your button pressing. Consider using add-ons that provide visual cues or audio prompts to remind you to press your next button in the rotation. Additionally, macros can streamline your casting process by combining multiple actions into a single button press, reducing the complexity and potential for errors.

By prioritizing swift and precise button pressing, you can ensure that your spells flow seamlessly, minimizing any downtime and maximizing your DPS potential as a Shadow Priest. Embrace the rhythm of shadow, let your fingers dance across the keys, and unleash your full potential as you immerse yourself in the darkness of Dragonflight.

Perhaps the biggest learning curve as a Shadow Priest is learning how to deal with movement during a fight. While Priests can use  Angelic Feather or  Body and Soul for movement, being able to move without relying on these is a good way to improve DPS. It is important to master the following two guidelines:

First of all, it is important to understand the concept of something we call 'stutter-stepping.' Stutter-stepping means that you are moving small distances between your globals and fitting in any instant spells you may have to ensure you do not lose any casts. Luckily for Shadow, during  Voidform, you get access to  Void Bolt, which is instant and available often. Outside of  Voidform, you can use  Shadow Word: Death,  Devouring Plague, or  Shadowy Insight procs. This means you can move a few yards after every instant cast ability you cast if you want to. Playing around with this is key to optimizing your damage. You can sometimes move into position ahead of time if you know a mechanic will force you to move soon. The goal here is that you are slowly moving to your destination over time, but you will lose no casts in the process. Using instant casts to cover your movement is ideal, but sometimes that is not enough. In the first place, because you may not be in Voidform when movement happens; in the second place because certain fight mechanics do not give you the time to do this properly.

Secondly, you must learn to use  Shadow Word: Pain in cases of movement. When doing the rotation normally,  Mind Flay is your filler spell. If there is a movement where the above-explained stutter stepping does not cover it entirely, the second most ideal way to deal with movement is to use some ability while moving. You can insert any available ability here, the point being you are pressing something while on the move and not only moving. Shadow Word: Pain is always available, so use this as a last resort.

Understanding the Power of Simulation: Mastering the Art of Simulating Your Shadow Priest

Simulating your character is an invaluable tool that allows you to gain insights into the optimal gearing, talent, and stat choices for your Shadow Priest. By utilizing simulation programs, you can analyze different scenarios, experiment with gear combinations, and make informed decisions to maximize your performance. Here are essential steps to help you effectively simulate your Shadow Priest:

1. Choose a Reliable Simulation Program: Selecting a reputable simulation program is crucial to obtaining accurate and reliable results. Programs such as SimulationCraft or Raidbots are widely used and trusted within the World of Warcraft community. These tools use complex algorithms to simulate various combat scenarios, providing detailed information about your character's performance.

2. Input Your Character Data: Start by inputting your character's data into the simulation program. This includes your gear, talents, covenant, conduits, legendary effects, and any other relevant information. Ensure that the data you provide is up to date and accurately reflects your current character configuration.

3. Define the Simulation Parameters: Set the simulation parameters to align with your intended scenario. This includes specifying the encounter type (e.g., raid boss, Mythic+ dungeon), fight duration, and any other relevant modifiers or conditions. These parameters help tailor the simulation to your specific needs and goals.

4. Run Multiple Simulations: To obtain comprehensive results, it's advisable to run multiple simulations with varying configurations. Experiment with different gear combinations, talent choices, and stat distributions to evaluate their impact on your performance. By running multiple simulations, you can identify trends, compare results, and make informed decisions about gear upgrades and optimizations.

5. Analyze the Results: Once the simulations are complete, carefully analyze the results provided by the simulation program. Pay attention to key metrics such as DPS, secondary stat weights, and talent performance. These insights will help guide your decision-making process, allowing you to fine-tune your gear choices, talent selections, and stat prioritization.

6. Consider Real-World Application: While simulation results provide valuable information, it's important to consider real-world application and practical gameplay scenarios. Factors such as encounter mechanics, movement requirements, and your personal playstyle may influence the optimal choices for your Shadow Priest. Use the simulation results as a foundation but also trust your own judgment and experience as you refine your character's setup.

Remember, simulation is a powerful tool, but it should not be followed blindly. It serves as a guide to inform your decision-making process, but it's essential to adapt and adjust based on your own experiences and preferences. Regularly simulating your character as you acquire new gear or experiment with different builds will help you stay on top of the optimal choices for your Shadow Priest in Dragonflight. Embrace the knowledge gained from simulations, refine your character's setup, and unleash the full potential of your shadowy powers upon the challenges that lie ahead.

Before going in-depth with the priority list, I wanted to break down the goals of playing Shadow Priest on a single target. These goals are meant to help describe the why behind the full-on priority list, hopefully giving it more context.

If you can get these goals right, the rotation should make more sense and fall into play naturally.

1. Maintain  Vampiric Touch and  Shadow Word: Pain roughly up to 12 targets. Use  Shadow Crash to help with this.
2. Maintain uptime of  Devouring Plague on a single target without capping on Insanity.
3. Use short cooldown Insanity generating spells to make sure you do not lose uses of them. This includes spells like  Mind Blast,  Void Bolt, and  Surge of Insanity procs.
4. Use your long cooldown spells ideally when you will not lose uses of any short cooldown spells, being sure not to hold too long to still take advantage of any active buffs.