Was curious on the nature of Shadow Weaving as I have read up on a number of different sources saying that it is best to acquire 5 stacks of Shadow Weaving before you cast SW: P.
The reason for that is because if you apply SWP at the beginning with no stacks, your Mind Flay will continually reset its timer so you'll never re-apply it with shadow weaving. I don't know whether the mind flay resets it to your current spellpower and weaving and such or whatever (I remember reading something like that but I could be wrong) but if it doesn't then yeah that's the way to do it.
You want to stack shadow weaving 5 times before you apply SW: P. When you cast a dot its calculates its damage will all buffs on you when it cast. What this means is that buffs that increase your damage AFTER the dot is cast will not be adding damage to the dot tick cause it has already been calculated. For most dots this is not an issue because you will be recasting them every 12-20 seconds depending on the dot. But for SW: P you should only be casting it once a fight. That is why you want to do all in your power to give yourself the biggest increase before casting the SW: P so as to have it giving the most damage. Hopefully that makes the idea clearer, if not sorry.
On a side not about SW: P, not all damage increases work like that. Trinkets with a "chance on" effect will have that spell power added in (and then subtracted once it has run it course) upon mind flay refreshes of your SW: P.
This is a post about what effects need to be up prior to the SW: P cast and what effects are updated up on the refresh from mind flay.
Hope all the helps, keep up the face melting!
At this point, you have seven points left over. I highly recommend placing two points in Improved Shadowform
i had 7 point left with improved shadowform not sure why i put all the point in word for word. wondering if they twicked it in the last patch
I was having a LOT of issues finding spriest information so this guide was absolutely perfect! Good job!
Just wanted to point out 2 great addons for raiding shadowpriests:
http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-a...reenlight.aspx
This will track all the buffs/debuffs that affect your shadow word pain and let you know if you should recast it so that you can increase your damage.
http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-a...texorcist.aspx
This is another dot and buff tracker, it was designed around warlocks but it works fine for shadowpriests who like to multidot since it will group your dots by target.
As far as glyphs go I prefer taking the dispersion glyph over the shadow word pain glyph since swp only returns approx. 64 mp5 where using dispersion on cooldown unglyphed returns 300 mp5 so while the glyph increases the mp5 return by 180, so using the dispersion glyph you're looking at a 116mp5 increase if you use dispersion everytime its up. (http://shadowpriest.com/viewtopic.ph...+of+dispersion)
However you have to look at the time lost casting because you're silenced. I use this glyph in pve mainly for the damage reduction I can take which has saved my life more than a few times.
Cases to use dispersion:
-Festergut Pungent blight, you don't need to get any stacks of inoculation since at 3 stacks, it provides 75% damage reduction while your dispersion provides 90% as well as returning mana to you.
-Kiting slimes on Rotface since you're running you can't do much dps anyway.
-Tanking on bloodprinces, if you are unfortunate and get stuck in that roll, you can use it to reduce damage taken for 6 seconds letting your healers relax for a bit.
I'm sure theres many more uses for it but I haven't progressed much further than this.
to above: yes, mind flay does refresh any spellpower changes on swp, however using shadowgreenlight will let you know if you have to recast it anyway due to another buff change. (sorry its poorly written, its been a long day at work)
So i've compiled a list of specs on my own and i've build a spec that allows one's own shadowpriest to maximize dps and last as long as possible on a battle as fights tend to get long and going OOM as a shadowpriest becomes frequent, especially if you get the T10 4 piece set bonus.
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#bqcbu...cfqckAo:aqh0zM
Edit: Reason for glyph of shadow word: pain over dispersion is that it will give mana back during the fight so you last longer in battle instead of using dispersion and being unable to cast for 6 seconds while there are mechanics in certain boss fights that allow for dispersion to be used optimally suck as phase changes in Lich King, AOE fear in Lan'athel, Selected for Oozes in Rotface, Pungent Blight in Festergut, Bonestorm in Marrowgar, etc..etc..
Last edited by Tymael; 03-06-2010 at 12:16 PM.
Hey I thought i would post my dps rotation which works pretty well and is really easy to keep up
1. firstly I always open a fight with Vampric Touch, its easier to begin, gets up misery and only a noob would cast mind blast without shadow weaving max.
2. then devouring plague
3. then mind flay three ticks- to get your shadow weaving up
4. then shadow word pain
thats the standard opening rotation. following that through I use mind blast. After you use mind blast you can either refresh deavouring plague and vampric then mind flay or the other way about. if mana problems occur (which they will do eventually), after mind blast and if before i had refreshed deavouring plague and vampric touch. during the mind blast cd I will hit shadowfiend then dispersion. I usually do this when i get to about 35% mana i never leave it till i go dry.
as far a trinkets go i will usually use them near the end of a fight or if i have BL after a vampric touch and deavouring plague refresh, then if it was a sp bonus i would get it for 2 mind blasts and 5-6 ticks of mind flay.
I thought I would post this macro i found on wow wiki i think
Spammable Mind Flay
This macro will allow you to spam Mind Flay without interrupting the one already channeling.
#showtooltip Mind Flay
/cast [nochanneling:Mind Flay] Mind Flay
that basically it I would love some comments if possible and hope it helps anyone.
Well, I find that Using shadow fiend at around 60%~ mana is more beneficial than double popping both mana cooldowns, because at times, due to whatever is happening in that fight, it allows me to use dispersion as more of an oshi- button as opposed to a mana return, or not disperse at all, and pop a second shadow fiend, giving you 6 seconds more DPS time.Originally Posted by Synestra
I find for an opener, (not really a rotation, not going to call it that) just a 3 tick mind flay, then DP -> Vt -> SW:P. Then just follow with flay spam, MB on cooldown, and keeping dots up without letting them tick
My opener is usually VT - DP - MB - MF (2 ticks if manageable) - SWP. Since I have the 4pt10 bonus and good amounts of haste and sp, MB and MF give a similar amount of DPS (using simcraft for that) so that I could even ignore MB entirely, but obviously we want the replenishment so I keep it in my list of spells.
I want my dots to start rolling as fast as possible because they are what makes shadowpriest dps high.
Recently I feel the mana shortage a lot, but I will still use Shadowfiend pretty early in the fight, like 10-30 seconds into the fight. If you use Dispersion when you are moving for 3-4 seconds/being spiked/kiting stuff you shouldn't run out of mana before fiend is off cd again. Remember to bring mana potions so that you can use that without wasting dps time in emergencies. My spec btw doesn't use Focused Mind and I am using the SWP glyph. Like I said, I find myself running oom from time to time but it shouldn't have happened if I used my cd's properly, so sometimes because I screwed up, I'll have to use Hymn of Hope, screwing up my dps even more. Managing your mana while doing your best to do max dps is what's gonna give you high dps.
For addons : I use MFClip to track dots single target. MFClip can easily tell you when you need to start casting VT so that you don't clip it while also tracking MB cd. Quartz has the nice big latency bar that MFClip doesn't have. ForteXorcist is also on my screen for tracking dots on more than 1 target.
Recount btw shows more than just Damage Done (which is the relevant tab, not DPS) I think there was a way to track uptime on your dots there and you should aim for as high as you can on VT, DP and SWP dots. MFClip can also be an excellent tool for that since it'll spam you a report on uptimes and how many times you clipped etc.
Very useful guide. Like the earlier poster, I have been wasting a lot of mana thinking that Devouring Plague could tick on more than one mob, so that point alone is going to help me a lot.
One tip worth mentioning, I think, is that in many cases using Mind Sear will get a five-stack of Shadow Weaving almost instantly, so casting that second is often a good way to open (if your tank has threat!) Also - given that Shadow Weaving is super-important - don't forget to kill anything you can including critters to keep a stack up.
With regard to add-ons and maintaining DoTs, people may like to consider a tactic that I am trying out using NeedToKnow. This is an add-on that I've been using for a long time because I run a lot of alts and it is very flexible. If you focus your first target, you can set up an entire block of bars to time your DoTs on this target and then use your targeting timers on your current target. The side-benefit is that you can re-target your focus quickly without tabbing through a group. Bear in mind though that the dps cost of letting DoTs fall off your primary target for any length of time, or missing Mind Blast on c/d, will often outweigh what you gain from having a second set of DoTs ticking, so don't get distracted from your core priorities.
Finally, my shadowpriest recently dinged 80 and I have a gearing question. It's possible to build a T9 set fairly quickly and the two-piece bonus (extended time on Vampiric Touch) is great, but my priest has off-spec Disci healing and would benefit from a more generalist cloth set. Hood of Fiery Aftermath and Mantle of Catastrophic Emanation are the obvious alternative purchases, because they have hit rating and are thus the designated "dps" items. But I was wondering whether the items with Spirit - Helm of Clouded Sight and Pauldrons of Revered Mortality - might actually be a better investment? I could then - long-term - pick up the chest and trousers for each T9 set to activate the two-item bonus.
I think it's a bad idea to focus on getting "compatible" gear for your healing set. Expecially on your helm this won't work since you'll need a different meta gem. If you want to farm heroics faster, queueing as healer, just get some healer items first. As healer you don't want to be wearing hit items and as dps you don't want to be low on hit or have mp5 items.
The gemming/enchanting is different for dps/healing but some items can be used for both specs. Not all tho.
You won't stack mp5, or spirit as a disc priest (well, until Cata). In fact, some hit items are better for disc than more healy looking ones. Your intellect determines your mp5 (returns % of total mana).
Having said that, it's hard to have a dual purpose full set of gear - your meta (and helm enchant) will be different so you want 2 hats. And shadow you gem for SP, SP/Haste and SP/Spirit, whereas disc you gem for SP and Int.
You could certainly use a few of the same items in each set, but you'd need a few dedicated to each set as well. Basically, you'll probably have the throughput in your shadow gear, but you will go oom quickly as you'll be missing a good 10k mana, and the mp5-from-int as well.
I got a question about gemming. I got merlins robe which has a yellow, red and blue slot with a 9 spell power bonus. Do i put 3 runed Cardinal ruby's gems in there or do i do reckless ametrine, runed cardinal ruby and purified dreadstone?
Great guide, thnx so much. I've been using my rotation a little different than how you have it posted, I may try to reset and realign it. My glyphs, chants and other gems etc were dead on the recommended...I've only got a couple ICC pieces, the rest are T9's (saving up frosts for my last trinket change out)...always lookin' for more POWER!!! lol...
However with my things being relatively to "que" I can't get off more than 5k solo, or up to 10k in a group (SO thankful for mind sear)...don't know if it's just the gear, my rotation or what?My rotation is usually pain, plague then vampiric touch, the blast and flay, by the time my plague, and touch tick, blast is ready again so I hit the rotation in succession...I'm a PURE raider and what to get this as perfect to line as possible...I run ICC's every week, normally 25 mode....really hoping it's just my gear..also my hit rating is through the ROOF...according to a few I raid with 8% is a good bias? I'm at over 16%
Priest lost in transition...help! lol...
Divah hun, I'm using the same robe till I can get betterI WENT for the bonus on the robe by using the ametrine, ruby and dreadstone combination. I found using to "spec" on gems for your helm, shoulders and robe are beneficial when you're still obtaining gear and still at the T9 (mixed stage)...I slapped ruby's, dreadstone's, and ametrine's in everything else that I could squeeze them in, even giving up a couple bonuses, because I tripled the ruby's in one so it wasn't "important" or a loss to not go for the 7sp bonus when I stuck in 21
Last edited by Essere; 06-07-2010 at 07:04 AM. Reason: spelling
Your opening rotation is VT + DP + 3 ticks of Mind Flay, then apply SW:P.Great guide, thnx so much. I've been using my rotation a little different than how you have it posted, I may try to reset and realign it. My glyphs, chants and other gems etc were dead on the recommended...I've only got a couple ICC pieces, the rest are T9's (saving up frosts for my last trinket change out)...always lookin' for more POWER!!! lol...
However with my things being relatively to "que" I can't get off more than 5k solo, or up to 10k in a group (SO thankful for mind sear)...don't know if it's just the gear, my rotation or what?
Priest lost in transition...help! lol...
After that your priority is 1) refresh your DoTs juuuust after they expire but not before (make sure that last tick goes off or you lose a lot of DPS!), 2) keep Mind Blast on cooldown, and 3) spam Mind Flay whenever else. It's worth noting that you shouldn't clip Mind Flay either, make sure its third tick goes off before you recast it - spamming the Mind Flay button is a huge DPS loss as well.
And 16% hit is too much, but 8% is way too low. You need 17% spell hit against a level 83 raid boss - you get 3% from the Shadow Focus talent, and another (raid-wide) 3% from the Misery debuff you put on the boss, meaning you need 11% from gear. Try to get down as close to 11% as you can without going under.
So aim to lose a little hit rating, and change up your rotation as I recommended. If DPS problems persist, maybe post your armory in the HALP! forums and we can give you some more specific advice.
Thank you Harmacy
Well I've reset my lineup and even threw in a alternate to the mix because I don't have my talent tree set up the same as the site says...I don't stack like everyone else it keeps appearing lol. However I do throw VT first, pain, plague, blast, death (with embrace going ahead of time it's a "hit" but quickly restores the health loss with death engaged), then flay...I have been able to get two to three flay's off before restarting rotation again. I downloaded Quartz to help HOPEFULLY with latency probs, cuz any of you know that run on Moonrunner..dungeon's are miserable sometimes
I worked heavily on my gear and thankfully since last post I'm sporting all ICC gear (except the robe is still the Merlin's Robe), according to wow-heroe's i'm in the 10.5 or equivalent range. I gemm'd as I should've weasling in every bit of sp, crit and haste I could. I've got my haste over 800, my hit FINALLY is down to 13.27%.. my bonus damage is over 3,000...but my cotton pickin dps is STILL only averaging a high 3k-low 4k range (without anything BUT embrace engaged, no other buff's), I whomped out 10k in ICC 25 this week but I was buff'd out the whazoo..what am I doin wrong?? Shouldn't I be able to pull off more than what I'm doin' on the heroic dummy in IF? I added the link to my character sheet on wowhead..I know I still need one trinket upgrade
Shaddys get a huge boost in dps with the tier 10 4 pc set bonus, so if you don't have it that would be priority #1 as far as gear goes. I'm consistently in the top 5 of my guild for damage done in almost any boss fights. Single target 9k+ with barely over 3k sp. in 25 man.
shadows got a huge boost with haste now effecting our dots. Check out shadowpriest.com for more indepth look at geming and gear choices. spell power is almost as important as haste for shadows. more haste=more ticks per spell. And do your research on your fights. ie. Festergut: you never have to move unless a spore is on your head. just use your dispersion to mitigate that aoe that all the others need to get innoculated for.
It's important to note that Inner Fire no longer gives a spell power buff as of 3.3.5, so the points in Improved Inner Fire would be a waste. I prefer to max Twin Disciplines, max Improved Power Word: Fortitude (for buffing purposes), then put four points into Unbreakable Will (partly just to get down to Meditation and Inner Focus and also because time spent silenced/feared/stunned is time that could be spent DPSing), and then max Meditation and Inner Focus. It's mostly the same as what Aliena has so kindly posted for us above, but here is the build I run with: http://www.wowhead.com/talent#by0buZ...ffqfzAo:hqazVc .
EDIT: Also, all of the above rotations (mind flaying to get to 5 stacks of Shadow Weaving) assume that you are doing a longer boss fight. For shorter fights, it's best to just get all your DoTs up, mind blast, and then mind flay until either mind blast comes of CD, DoTs need to be refreshed, or everything is dead.
BEGONE FROM THE INTERNETZ TROLLS!!!! BEGONE!!!!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks