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Shadow is the Ranged DPS specialization of the Priest in WoW: Forever. This page summarizes its talent tree as it appears in the game client (build 1.60.1.70753); the role is the one stated by the Icy Veins guide for the specialization.
In our level-60 simulation (180 seconds on a stationary boss, raid buffs, best known gear), Shadow Priest ranks #8 of 20 DPS specs with 699 DPS. #1 is Affliction Warlock (907 DPS). A stationary boss does not tell everything: group utility and moving fights matter too.
Our simulator's build uses 51 points, split Discipline 19 / Shadow 32. The talents that weigh the most in the simulation: Mind Flay, Shadowform, Darkness. Open this build in the talent calculator →
Without raid items, the best set the simulator finds gives 670 DPS, −4.2% against the set that includes raid items. Stat priority: Spell Power > Critical Strike > Hit Chance. Full gear and enchantments →
Opening: Keep Shadow Word: Pain and Devouring Plague up ; Mind Blast on cooldown ; Shadow Word: Death when ready. Full rotation →
The top race in our simulation: Dwarf. All races of the class →
The first talent point comes at level 10, then one per level up to 51 at level 60. The guide gives the talent order step by step (derived from the level-60 build, not tested while leveling), the dungeons of each level band and the spec's best item in each. See the leveling →
Our dungeon finder shows, for every dungeon, the best item for this spec according to the simulator's stat weights. Best dungeon items →
Our level-60 simulator build (51 points), the one used for the ranking: talents, gear and rotation are on the ranking page.
Gear, rotation and damage by ability for this level-60 build: Priest Shadow →
The class's three trees, with the talents of the level-60 build (51 points) in colour and all the others in grey. The small number on the left of each row is the points you must have spent in the tree to reach it, and each talent's badge shows the points invested. This section is fixed: it does not move and does not depend on the calculator.
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Rank 5/5: Improves your chance to hit with Shadow spells by 5%.
Rank 5/5: Gives you a 100% chance to increase your Spirit by 100% for 15 sec after killing a non-trivial target or when an enemy afflicted by your Vampiric Embrace dies. For the duration, 50% of your Mana regeneration will continue while casting.
Rank 5/5: Reduces the cooldown of your Mind Blast spell by 2.5 sec.
Rank 2/2: Increases the duration of your Shadow Word: Pain spell by 6 sec.
Rank 1/1: Assault the target's mind with Shadow energy, causing 63 Shadow damage over 3 sec and slowing their movement speed by 50%.
Rank 2/2: Each instance of damage of Mind Flay deals 20% more damage than its previous instance of damage.
Rank 1/1: Afflicts your target with Shadow energy that causes all party members to be healed for 20% of any Shadow spell damage you deal for 30 sec.
Rank 3/3: Your Shadow damage spells have a 100% chance to increase the Shadow damage the target takes from you by 2% for 15 sec, stacking up to 5 times.
Rank 2/2: Reduces the mana cost of your Devouring Plague by 50%. Targets that die while Devouring Plague is active spreads it, jumping to 2 nearby enemies within 10 yds for the remaining duration.
Rank 5/5: Increases your Shadow damage done by 10%.
Rank 1/1: Assume Shadowform, increasing your Shadow damage by 10%, reducing the Mana cost of all Shadow spells by 50%, increasing the critical strike damage bonus of your Shadow spells by 100%, and reducing Physical damage taken by you by 15%. However, you may not cast healing spells while in this form.
Rank 5/5: Your Smite and Penance spells deal 10% increased damage to targets afflicted with your Holy Fire or Shadow Word: Pain.
Rank 5/5: Increases the damage and healing of your instant cast spells by 5%.
Rank 2/5: Increases your total Intellect by 4%.
Rank 3/3: Reduces the mana cost of your Smite, Holy Fire, and instant cast spells by 10%.
Rank 1/1: When activated, reduces the Mana cost of your next spell by 100% and increases its critical effect chance by 25% if it is a non-periodic spell and capable of a critical effect.
Rank 3/3: Allows 50% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
The first talent point comes at level 10, then one per level: 1 point at level 10, 11 at level 20, 21 at level 30, 31 at level 40, 41 at level 50 and 51 at level 60. A row of a tree opens for every 5 points spent in that tree.
Derived order: we computed it from our simulator's level-60 build, following the tree rules (rows, prerequisites) and taking at each point the talent the simulation values most. It was not tested while leveling a character: it is a starting point, not a proven leveling build, to be revisited with the released game's data.
Levels 1 to 9: no talent point yet, the first one comes at level 10.
Take: Shadow Focus. See the tree at this step →
Take: Shadow Focus ×4, Improved Shadow Word: Pain ×2, Improved Mind Blast ×3, Mind Flay. See the tree at this step →
Take: Improved Mind Flay ×2, Improved Mind Blast ×2, Shadow Weaving ×3, Twin Disciplines ×3. See the tree at this step →
Take: Twin Disciplines ×2, Mental Strength ×2, Power in Light ×3, Mental Agility ×3. See the tree at this step →
Take: Meditation ×3, Power in Light ×2, Spirit Tap ×5. See the tree at this step →
Take: Inner Focus, Vampiric Embrace, Devouring Contagion ×2, Darkness ×5, Shadowform. See the tree at this step →
51 points: Discipline 19 / Shadow 32
The talents that weigh the most in the simulation: Mind Flay, Shadowform, Darkness.
See the full tree →The best set the simulator finds among the known dungeon and profession items, raid excluded: 670 DPS, −4.2% against the set that includes raid items (699 DPS).
Full gear, enchantments included →
Figures come from our simulator, not from players: they move with patches.
| Stat | DPS gained | Relative value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hit per rating point | 0.632 | 1.34 | |
| Spell power per point | 0.473 | 1.0 | |
| Crit per rating point | 0.417 | 0.88 | |
| Intellect per point | 0.115 | 0.24 | |
| Spirit per point | 0.022 | 0.05 | |
| Strength per point | 0.0 | no effect | |
| Agility per point | 0.0 | no effect | |
| Haste per rating point | -1.534 | -3.24 |
Measured by the simulator on the character above: the DPS gained by one more point of each stat, with the same random draws on both sides. The relative value compares each stat with one point of spell power. Crit, hit and haste are counted per rating point, like Strength or Agility, so they compare directly; they respect the caps: hit at the cap adds nothing. A value near zero or negative is within the margin of error or tied to a limit (mana, cap).
DPS gained when points of each stat are added on top of the simulated gear. Click a stat (or its row in the table) to bring its curve forward; the ring marks the estimated cap, past which every point is worth less than 20% of what it gave at the start.
Our simulator's priority at level 60, set against what Icy Veins recommends. Their guides are written before launch, for level 30 and for leveling: we keep what everyone agrees on, adopt what the simulation confirmed at level 60 and say where the two differ.
Agreed: Mind Blast, Devouring Plague, Shadow Word: Pain, Mind Flay as the filler, plus Shadow Word: Death. Finishing with the wand is a leveling habit, not part of the rotation against a boss.
Mining
Engineering guide 
Herbalism
Alchemy guide 
Tailoring guide 
Enchanting guide 
Cooking guide 
Fishing
First Aid guide The gear our optimizer picks for this specialization among the items known so far (dungeons, the few raid items already known and crafted gear, which can be bought or made for you: prices and materials are not taken into account), with item effects simulated. Nothing is hand-picked: it is the result of the ranking's computation, and it will change as new items are discovered.
Enchantments up to skill 300, valued by the simulator when they give flat stats or flat weapon damage. The character does not need the profession: they can be bought or applied by an enchanter; Leatherworking armor kits (chest, legs, feet, hands) and Engineering scopes are counted too. A kit and an enchantment share the same permanent slot: a piece carries one or the other, and the legs, which have no enchantment, get the kit; spell-proc enchants (Crusader, Fiery Weapon...) and school damage are not simulated. The client data has no ring enchantment up to skill 300.
Icy Veins guide dated 2026-11-03, read on September 21, 2026.
The three best of each category, measured by the simulator on the character above. Only one scroll and one elixir or flask can be worn at a time: each gain is the DPS this consumable brings alone, compared with an empty slot, the rest of the set unchanged. Gains in the same category therefore do not add up. The row marked with a dot is the one in the simulated set.
These are the deepest talents in the tree: they require 30 points already spent in the specialization. Official game text, at maximum rank.
Assume Shadowform, increasing your Shadow damage by 10%, reducing the Mana cost of all Shadow spells by 50%, increasing the critical strike damage bonus of your Shadow spells by 100%, and reducing Physical damage taken by you by 15%. However, you may not cast healing spells while in this form.
Open Priest in the talent calculator
Spend your 51 points, compare the three specializations and share your build by link.
Talent data comes from the game client. The level-60 build, gear, stats and rotation come from our simulator and are validated by DPS measurements; the rotation is compared with the Icy Veins guides, written before launch for level 30. Healing is not simulated. This data will change with future patches.
