Shadow Priest 10.0 Guide
Introduction
This guide presents an in-depth view of the Priest's Shadow Specialization in WoW Dragonflight patch 10.0! You will learn everything about the spec, such as how to level, gear, prepare, and then min-max your Shadow Priest for the most challenging PvE content in World of Warcraft, Season 1.
First, we'll check out the specialization's particularities and see why the Shadow Priest is one of the best specs in Dragonflight in the ongoing meta. Then you'll learn how to gear your Shadow Priest, what stats to prioritize, and the best leveling spec, talents, and rotation that will get you to max level in no time.
Finally, we'll go deep into min-maxing your character for the end-game content and teach you what gear to use for Mythic Raiding and Mythic Plus dungeons. By the end of the guide, you will become a master of the Shadow specialization! Sounds good, right? Let's get started!
Table of Contents
- Shadow Priests: Strengths and Weaknesses
- How to gear your Shadow Priest
- How to level your Shadow Priest. Leveling tips
- Best Shadow Priest talents for end-game content
- Shadow Priest in Dragonflight - FAQ
Shadow Priests in Dragonflight: Strengths and Weaknesses
In World of Warcraft, the Priest class comes with three specializations: Shadow, Holy, and Discipline. All three priest specs focus on ranged-combat fights and require wise resource management. The Shadow priest covers the ranged DPS role and uses Insanity and Mana as resources.
The Shadow Priest represents one of the best DPS classes for Mythic Dungeons and Mythic Raiding in Dragonflight Season 1, providing excellent single-target damage!
In terms of weapons, the Shadow Priest uses a wide selection of weapons such as daggers, maces, staves, and wands. As for raid gear, the priest shares the Conqueror Tier Token with Paladins, Warlocks, and Demon Hunters for legacy content. In the Dragonflight expansion, the Vault of the Incarnates raid, it shares the Venerated Tier Token with Paladins and Shamans.
In the table below, we present the Shadow spec's strengths and weaknesses:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| + Excellent single-target damage | - Low mobility |
| + Great sustain and self-healing | - Complex rotation that can be tricky sometimes |
| + Great 2p and 4p set bonuses | - DoT management that requires a lot of focus |
How to gear your Shadow Priest
In World of Warcraft, gearing is one of the most important aspects that enhances your character's overall performance by providing massive amounts of stats, armor, procs, and set bonuses. This guide will teach you how to properly gear up for the most challenging content in WoW Dragonflight, Mythic Raiding, and Mythic+ Dungeons.
We'll start with the basics and cover the Shadow Priest's stats priority, check out the tier set bonuses, and finally, the best in slot gear you can get from mythic raids and dungeons.
Shadow Priest stat priority
Regardless of the class and spec you roll into in World of Warcraft, the stats are a key component when gearing up and min-maxing your character for the end-game content. Shadow Priests wear Cloth gear with Intellect as the main stat.
The Intellect stat increases the power of your spells and abilities, in other words - the damage you are dealing to the enemies. Also, please note that a higher and adequate item level will better impact your character's performance than a perfect stat distribution, so always keep an eye on the gear's item level!
The Shadow Priest stats priority looks like this:
- 1. Intellect
- 2. Haste
- 3. Mastery
- 4. Critical Strike
- 5. Versatility
So as a Shadow Priest, you will primarily value item level for Intellect as the primary stat, then Haste, followed by Mastery, Critical Strike, and Versatility as secondary stats.
In other words: Intellect > Haste > Mastery > Critical Strike > Versatility. And here's why:
Intellect: Increases your spell power and, therefore, all the damage you are dealing to your enemies
Haste: Increases your attack speed and your spell casting speed
Mastery: Increases the effectiveness of Mastery: Shadow Weaving
Critical Strike: Increases the chance for extra effectiveness on your attacks and heals
Versatility: Increases healing and damage dealt and reduces damage taken
Shadow Priest Tier Set Bonus
To start with, what is a tier set in World of Warcraft?
In WoW, a tier set is a unique class armor set with powerful 2-set and 4-set specific bonuses for each specialization of that particular class. Tier set bonuses change based on the character's active talent specialization, ensuring that the bonus is appropriate and useful to that spec.
So to recap, tier sets are unique pieces of armor that, when equipped simultaneously, provide you with a bonus, different for each spec of the chosen class. This bonus is based on the number of pieces from the set you have equipped, with most tier sets providing bonuses when equipping 2 or 4 pieces.
How to get the Shadow Priest Tier Set in Dragonflight Patch 10.0
There are three ways you can get tier set items in WoW in the Dragonflight expansion:
- Vault of the Incarnates Raid: You can get tier set items from specific bosses in the Vault of the Incarnates raid.
- Revival Catalyst: You can craft Tier armor from non-set pieces of the same item level using the Revival Catalyst crafting system.
- Great Vault: You can obtain tier set items from all activities that normally give Great Vault rewards, such as raiding, Mythic+ dungeons, and PvP.
The fastest way to obtain tier set items is to take advantage of these three sources that can reward you with tier set items for your priest. The best advice is to complete the Vault of the Incarnates raid weekly - this is probably the fastest way to get your hands on the desired tier armor. In case you don't have a team to raid with, complete some Mythic+ Dungeons or some PvP matches.
Mythic dungeons and PvP are highly beneficial because even if you can't drop the set items while participating in these activities, you increase the chances of getting your set items at the Great Vault or the Revival Catalyst console in Thaldraszus. At the revival catalyst console, you can convert the non-set pieces obtained in dungeons or PvP into tier set items.
Let's have a closer look at the Great Vault feature:
And this is what the Revival Catalyst looks like:
Back to our Shadow Priest Tier Set. Now that you learned how to obtain the tier set, let's see some set bonuses and particularities, shall we?
The Priest Tier set is called Draconic Hierophant's Finery. For the Shadow spec, it comes with the following bonuses for two pieces and four pieces equipped:
- 2-Set: - Mind Blast increases the damage of your next Devouring Plague or Mind Sear by 12%, stacking up to 3 times.
- 4-Set: - Devouring Plague and Mind Sear increase your haste by 4% for 8 seconds.
In the table below, we present you the sources for Shadow Priest Tier Set items:
| Slot | Tier Piece | Source |
| Helm | Draconic Hierophant's Archcowl | Raszageth |
| Shoulders | Draconic Hierophant's Wisdom | Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Chest | Draconic Hierophant's Vestment | Kurog Grimtotem |
| Gloves | Draconic Hierophant's Grips | Dathea, Ascended |
| Legs | Draconic Hierophant's Britches | Sennarth |
The remaining tier set items (Cloak, Wrists, Waist, and Boots) can be obtained by using the Revival Catalyst in Thaldraszus.
As previously stated, you unlock the tier set bonuses for your Shadow Priest when you equip any two or four pieces of the Draconic Hierophant's Finery set. For itemization and build optimization, your four pieces of tier set as a Shadow Priest will be the Legs, Shoulders, Chest, and Gloves.
Raid Best in Slot (BiS) Gear for Shadow Priests
In the table below, you can find the best item to use in each slot from the raid as a Shadow Priest:
| Slot | Item Name | Encounter |
| Helm | Draconic Hierophant's Archcowl | Raszageth |
| Neck | Eye of the Vengeful Hurricane | Dathea, Ascended |
| Shoulders | Draconic Hierophant's Wisdom | Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Cloak | Acid-Proof Webbing | Sennarth |
| Chest | Draconic Hierophant's Vestment | Kurog Grimtotem |
| Wrists | Chilled Silken Restraints | Sennarth |
| Gloves | Draconic Hierophant's Grips(Eggtender's Safety Mitts Catalyst) | Broodkeeper Diurna and Revival Catalyst |
| Waist | Magatha's Spiritual Sash | Kurog Grimtotem |
| Legs | Flametender's Legwraps | Eranog |
| Boots | Sandals of the Wild Sovereign | Raszageth |
| Ring #1 | Seal of Filial Duty | Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Ring #2 | Seal of Diurna's Chosen | Eranog |
| Trinket #1 | Whispering Incarnate Icon | Primal Council |
| Trinket #2 | Spiteful Storm | Raszageth |
| Staff | Quake-Detecting Seismostaff | Terros |
| Main-Hand | Stormlash's Last Resort | Raszageth |
| Off-Hand | Scripture of Primal Devotion | Kurog Grimtotem |
Mythic+ Best in Slot (BiS) Gear for Shadow Priests
In the table below, you can find the best item to use in each slot from the Mythic+ Dungeons as a Shadow Priest:
| Slot | Item Name | Location |
| Helm | Draconic Hierophant's Archcowl(Organized Pontificator's Mask Catalyst) | Algeth'ar Academy and Revival Catalyst |
| Neck | Ukhel Ancestry Beads | The Nokhud Offensive |
| Shoulders | Draconic Hierophant's Wisdom(Infernal Mantle of Conquest Catalyst) | Halls of Valor and Revival Catalyst |
| Cloak | Fireproof Drape | Ruby Life Pools |
| Chest | Draconic Hierophant's Vestment(Arcanist's Resonant Robes Catalyst) | Court of Stars and Revival Catalyst |
| Wrists | Bracers of Arcane Mystery | Shadowmoon Burial Grounds |
| Gloves | Draconic Hierophant's Grips(Azureblade's Work Gloves Catalyst) | The Azure Vault and Revival Catalyst |
| Waist | Sky Saddle Cord | Ruby Life Pools |
| Legs | Leggings of Swirling Runes | Halls of Valor |
| Boots | Cushioned Treads of Glory | Halls of Valor |
| Ring #1 | Unstable Arcane Loop | The Azure Vault |
| Ring #2 | Signet of Dancing Jade | Temple of the Jade Serpent |
| Trinket #1 | Furious Ragefeather | The Nokhud Offensive |
| Trinket #2 | Horn of Valor | Halls of Valor |
| Staff | Final Grade | Algeth'ar Academy |
| Main Hand | Koroleth's Crackling Dagger | The Nokhud Offensive |
| Off Hand | Sadana's Grisly Visage | Shadowmoon Burial Grounds |
Best in Slot (BiS) Trinkets for Shadow Priests
The best Shadow Priest trinkets for end-game content are:
| Tier | Item Name | Location |
| S | Furious Ragefeather | The Nokhud Offensive |
| S | Voidmender's Shadowgem | Shadowmoon Burial Grounds |
| S | Horn of Valor | Halls of Valor |
| A | Whispering Incarnate Icon | Vault of the Incarnates |
| A | Eye of Skovald | Halls of Valor |
| B | Desperate Invoker's Codex | Vault of the Incarnates |
| B | Ruby Whelp Shell | Ruby Life Pools |
| B | Infernal Writ | Court of Stars |
| C | Tome of Unstable Power | The Azure Vault |
| C | Spiteful Storm | Vault of the Incarnates |
| C | Iceblood Deathsnare | Vault of the Incarnates |
This wraps up everything you should know about gearing your Shadow Priest: the stats priority, how to obtain the tier set, and what items to use in the end-game activities. Moving on to the next section of our guide, we'll teach you how to level your Shadow Priest in Dragonflight patch 10.0. Sounds good, right? Let's dive in!
How to level your Shadow Priest. Leveling tips
Before leveling your Shadow Priest, you must first create and customize the character. That brings us to the first question: what race should you go for when creating the character? Let's find out, shall we?
Best Shadow Priest Races
When it comes to races, with so many options to choose from, you are probably wondering what would be the best race for the Shadow spec. In World of Warcraft, each race has different racial abilities and spells, but no races offer an immediate advantage compared to others regarding the Shadow spec. I highly recommend choosing the race you like the most, aesthetically speaking.
However, in the table below, you can see the top 10 best races for Shadow Priests based on performance gain:
| Race | Performance Gain |
| Human | +1.61% |
| Troll | +1.58% |
| Goblin | +1.45% |
| Gnome | +1.42% |
| Mechagnome | +1.36% |
| Void Elf | +1.00% |
| Blood Elf | +0.98% |
| Dark Iron Dwarf | +0.97% |
| Kul Tiran | +0.96% |
| Zandalari Troll Paku | +0.91% |
Now, if you want to make an idea of what race players generally choose for their Shadow Priests:
- For Alliance: Human, Void Elf, and Night Elf.
- For Horde: Blood Elf, Undead, and Troll.
Best Shadow Priest Leveling Talents and Rotation in Dragonflight 10.0
The best talents to use while leveling to level 60 as a Shadow Priest are:
Shadow Priest Basic rotation:
- 1. Ensure you are in Shadowform.
- 2. Cast Shadow Crash before pull.
- 3. Cast Mindbender.
- 4. Use Shadow Word: Death if the target is below 20% health.
- 5. Use Dark Ascension or Voidform.
- 6. Use any active combat trinkets or potions, as well as Power Infusion.
- 7. Use Devouring Plague.
- 8. Use Mind Blast.
- 9. Use Mindgames.
Follow the rotation, and you'll get to max level in no time! Now that we've covered the leveling part, it's time to move on to the end-game.
In the next section of our Shadow Priest Guide, we'll present the best talents to use for PvE end-game content, such as raiding and Mythic+ dungeons. In the end game, it's crucial to use the right talents and prioritize the skills you use depending on the activity. Choosing the best talents will significantly impact your performance as a DPS!
Best Shadow Priest End-game Talents
From the PvE perspective, there are two main end-game activities we'll take into consideration: Mythic raiding and Mythic+ Dungeons. We'll treat them separately to keep things clear and avoid confusion.
Best Talents for Mythic Raiding in Season 1 (patch 10.0)
In the picture below, you can see the best talents for mythic raiding as a Shadow Priest:
C'thun Build:
Yogg Build:
Best Talents for Mythic+ Dungeons in Season 1 (patch 10.0)
As a Shadow Priest, these are the talents you must use to maximize your damage in M+ Dungeons:
Yogg N'zoth Build:
C'thun Yogg Build:
Shadow Priest in Dragonflight - FAQ
1. Are Shadow Priests good in Dragonflight 10.0?
Yes, Shadow Priest represents one of the strongest specs for PvE content in Dragonflight Season 1.
2. Is Shadow Priest easy to play?
Yes. The Shadow Priest specialization qualifies as one of the most accessible specs in WoW Dragonflight.
3. What is the stats priority for Shadow Priests?
The stats priority for Shadow Priest is Intellect > Haste > Mastery > Critical Strike > Versatility
4. Which priest spec is best for leveling in patch 10.0?
The Shadow Specialization is the best spec for priest leveling.
5. What is the best race for Shadow Priests in Dragonflight?
- Alliance's best Shadow Priest races are Human, Gnome, and Void Elf.
- For Horde, the best Shadow Priest races are Troll, Goblin, and Blood Elf.
Final thoughts
This wraps up everything you should know regarding the Priest's Shadow specialization in World of Warcraft Dragonflight for Season 1, patch 10.0. By reading this guide, you should now better understand the Shadow Priest's spec and particularities and how they perform in certain circumstances and different end-game activities. It's one of the game's strongest specs in Dragonflight, so I encourage you to try it!