WoW Forever Priest Shadow Build
Looking for the best WoW Forever Priest build for Leveling? This Shadow plan is a starting point for shadow spell questing. Compare its conditions and alternatives below; it is not a measured performance winner or a BiS gear list.
A leveling planning route for Priest Shadow, built around Shadowform, Mind Flay, Vampiric Embrace, Devouring Contagion using the November 3 reviewed snapshot.
Editorial planning guide, grounded in the supplied beta talent descriptions. The allocation and point order have been checked for legal ranks and prerequisites. Combat performance has not been simulated or game-tested.
When to use this plan
Read the core effects below for weapon, target, form and cooldown requirements. The exact current tooltips are shown at the selected ranks. Test the interaction in your intended activity before committing to a respec.
What you give up
This allocation commits to Shadow with support from Discipline; it cannot also reach every other capstone. Compare alternative plans and equipment requirements for your activity.
Why these core choices?
Mind Flay
Assault the target's mind with Shadow energy, causing 63 Shadow damage over 3 sec and slowing their movement speed by 50%.
Selected rank 1 of 1.Vampiric Embrace
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.
Selected rank 1 of 1.Devouring Contagion
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.
Selected rank 2 of 2.Shadowform
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.
Selected rank 1 of 1. Requires Vampiric Embrace.Complete allocation
All 18 selected talents are listed below. Expand any talent to see the exact supplied description at the rank used by this plan.
Discipline · 20 points
Power in Light 5 / 5
Your Smite and Penance spells deal 10% increased damage to targets afflicted with your Holy Fire or Shadow Word: Pain.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Twin Disciplines 5 / 5
Increases the damage and healing of your instant cast spells by 5%.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Mental Agility 2 / 3
Reduces the mana cost of your Smite, Holy Fire, and instant cast spells by 7%.
Row 3. Read every rank →
Improved Power Word: Shield 3 / 3
Increases the damage absorbed by your Power Word: Shield by 20%.
Row 3. Read every rank →
Shadow · 31 points
Spirit Tap 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.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Improved Mind Blast 5 / 5
Reduces the cooldown of your Mind Blast spell by 2.5 sec.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Improved Shadow Word: Pain 2 / 2
Increases the duration of your Shadow Word: Pain spell by 6 sec.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Shadow Reach 2 / 2
Increases the range of your offensive Shadow spells by 20%.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Mind Flay 1 / 1 Core choice
Assault the target's mind with Shadow energy, causing 63 Shadow damage over 3 sec and slowing their movement speed by 50%.
45 Mana | 20 yd range | Channeled
Row 3. Read every rank →
Improved Mind Flay 2 / 2
Each instance of damage of Mind Flay deals 20% more damage than its previous instance of damage.
Row 3 · Requires maximum Mind Flay. Read every rank →
Vampiric Embrace 1 / 1 Core choice
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.
40 Mana | 30 yd range | Instant | 30 sec cooldown
Row 4. Read every rank →
Shadow Weaving 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.
Row 4. Read every rank →
Devouring Contagion 2 / 2 Core choice
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.
Row 5. Read every rank →
Shadowform 1 / 1 Core choice
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.
40% of base mana | Instant | 1.5 sec cooldown
Row 7 · Requires maximum Vampiric Embrace. Read every rank →
Three valid adjustments
Each option below is a separate one-point change to the original plan. It preserves the point budget, row gates and prerequisites. Choose an effect you need; the options are not a damage ranking and should not be applied together without rechecking.
Improved Power Word: Shield → Mental Agility
Move one point: Improved Power Word: Shield 3 → 2; Mental Agility 2 → 3.
Effect after this change
Improved Power Word: Shield: Increases the damage absorbed by your Power Word: Shield by 14%.
Mental Agility: Reduces the mana cost of your Smite, Holy Fire, and instant cast spells by 10%.
Improved Power Word: Shield → Meditation
Move one point: Improved Power Word: Shield 3 → 2; Meditation 0 → 1.
Effect after this change
Improved Power Word: Shield: Increases the damage absorbed by your Power Word: Shield by 14%.
Meditation: Allows 17% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
Improved Power Word: Shield → Inner Focus
Move one point: Improved Power Word: Shield 3 → 2; Inner Focus 0 → 1.
Effect after this change
Improved Power Word: Shield: Increases the damage absorbed by your Power Word: Shield by 14%.
Inner Focus: 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.
Level-by-level point order
This route reaches the complete allocation without a respec. It follows this guide’s core choices and prerequisites, rather than claiming an optimal speed-leveling route. Talented changes the level when each point becomes available, not the 51-point limit.
First point at level 10; all 51 points at level 60.
Use a Talented rank your character has actually unlocked in the Legacy system. This control models its point timing, not the rest of your Legacy allocation.
Show all 51 steps
| Level | Add one point | New rank | Tree |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Spirit Tap | 1 / 5 | Shadow |
| 11 | Spirit Tap | 2 / 5 | Shadow |
| 12 | Spirit Tap | 3 / 5 | Shadow |
| 13 | Spirit Tap | 4 / 5 | Shadow |
| 14 | Spirit Tap | 5 / 5 | Shadow |
| 15 | Shadow Focus | 1 / 5 | Shadow |
| 16 | Shadow Focus | 2 / 5 | Shadow |
| 17 | Shadow Focus | 3 / 5 | Shadow |
| 18 | Shadow Focus | 4 / 5 | Shadow |
| 19 | Shadow Focus | 5 / 5 | Shadow |
| 20 | Mind Flay | 1 / 1 | Shadow |
| 21 | Improved Shadow Word: Pain | 1 / 2 | Shadow |
| 22 | Improved Shadow Word: Pain | 2 / 2 | Shadow |
| 23 | Shadow Reach | 1 / 2 | Shadow |
| 24 | Shadow Reach | 2 / 2 | Shadow |
| 25 | Vampiric Embrace | 1 / 1 | Shadow |
| 26 | Improved Mind Blast | 1 / 5 | Shadow |
| 27 | Improved Mind Blast | 2 / 5 | Shadow |
| 28 | Improved Mind Blast | 3 / 5 | Shadow |
| 29 | Improved Mind Blast | 4 / 5 | Shadow |
| 30 | Devouring Contagion | 1 / 2 | Shadow |
| 31 | Devouring Contagion | 2 / 2 | Shadow |
| 32 | Improved Mind Blast | 5 / 5 | Shadow |
| 33 | Improved Mind Flay | 1 / 2 | Shadow |
| 34 | Improved Mind Flay | 2 / 2 | Shadow |
| 35 | Shadow Weaving | 1 / 3 | Shadow |
| 36 | Shadow Weaving | 2 / 3 | Shadow |
| 37 | Shadow Weaving | 3 / 3 | Shadow |
| 38 | Darkness | 1 / 5 | Shadow |
| 39 | Darkness | 2 / 5 | Shadow |
| 40 | Shadowform | 1 / 1 | Shadow |
| 41 | Wand Specialization | 1 / 2 | Discipline |
| 42 | Wand Specialization | 2 / 2 | Discipline |
| 43 | Twin Disciplines | 1 / 5 | Discipline |
| 44 | Twin Disciplines | 2 / 5 | Discipline |
| 45 | Twin Disciplines | 3 / 5 | Discipline |
| 46 | Twin Disciplines | 4 / 5 | Discipline |
| 47 | Twin Disciplines | 5 / 5 | Discipline |
| 48 | Power in Light | 1 / 5 | Discipline |
| 49 | Power in Light | 2 / 5 | Discipline |
| 50 | Power in Light | 3 / 5 | Discipline |
| 51 | Power in Light | 4 / 5 | Discipline |
| 52 | Power in Light | 5 / 5 | Discipline |
| 53 | Holy Precision | 1 / 3 | Discipline |
| 54 | Holy Precision | 2 / 3 | Discipline |
| 55 | Holy Precision | 3 / 3 | Discipline |
| 56 | Improved Power Word: Shield | 1 / 3 | Discipline |
| 57 | Improved Power Word: Shield | 2 / 3 | Discipline |
| 58 | Improved Power Word: Shield | 3 / 3 | Discipline |
| 59 | Mental Agility | 1 / 3 | Discipline |
| 60 | Mental Agility | 2 / 3 | Discipline |
Compare other Priest plans
Shield and casting support
A pvp planning route for Priest Discipline, built around Power Infusion, Penance, Soul Warding, Inner Focus using the November 3 reviewed snapshot.
Read choices & leveling route →Load this buildParty healing tools
A pve planning route for Priest Holy, built around Prayer of Mending, Holy Binding, Spirit of Redemption, Spiritual Healing using the November 3 reviewed snapshot.
Read choices & leveling route →Load this build