Shadow Priest PvP build: WoW

[James Bond]

A friend of mine decided he doesn't want to play anymore, so he gave me his acct. I'm going to be using his tier1 60 priest.

I was wondering what the *very best* PVP build is. I know it's shadow, but how many points should go where?

The only reason I play is to PvP, so I want the build to be exclusively for that.

 

[Malladine]

silence
mind flay
any +shadow damage
Shadowform is alright and probably you should get vampiric embrace is you want to assist healing at all.

Discipline is the other tree you need to go for. awesome murder tools in there.
My stepson's priest was 25/26 dis/holy and he slaughtered people. I recommend 25/26 disc/shadow for maximized priestly ownage.

 

[James Bond]

That's not too many points in shadow, but I do appreciate the advice. Do you have a link to that build anywhere?

 

[Malladine]

well here's a link to one for a lvl 60 using 31pts in shadow.

 

[Malladine]

Here's a link to the 25/0/26 build. Read the discipline talent: improved divine spirit ...whoa.

 

[James Bond]

Neither of those use Shadowform.. Are the ownage shadow priests not using shadow form? Just shadow spells?

 

[James Bond]

I remember seeing a vid of a shadow priest (with shadowform) who owned so hard.. His vampiric embrace always kept him alive

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: Malladine
well here's a link to one for a lvl 60 using 31pts in shadow.

Your build doesn't even include shadowform... not only is this a drop in DPS (15% before modifiers, if I remember correctly), but you also take more damage when you're fighting melee/hunters which equates to your shields not staying up as long. You also have no Vampiric Embrace and no Shadow Weaving... your build entirely relies upon other shadow priests, yet you went for Improved Inner Focus, which is by far a survivalist PVP talent (or solo PVE talent).

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxMGzIZZVMgzMtR0t

That's my priest's shadow build.

Also, Discipline is by far the "survival" tree when it comes to priests. That other build your posted isn't very good for PVP in my opinion. Nor is it really that great for PVE... You lack Vampiric Embrace, most PVP sets or gear you would use for PVP focus very little on spirit making Improved Divine Spirit useless, you have Wand Spec, you don't have martyrdom. There may be more issues, but I already reset the build and fixed it:

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxMGzIoxZZVMgzMtR

I still don't think it's that useful, honestly... you're going for half-survival and half-damage. Frankly, Shadowform provides good survival power against melee/hunters, but discipline provides great survival against all classes, but you lack damage unless you have high +damage and +crit and are NOT the focus of attacks. I know some priests who went Discipline (before talent changes) and were very good, but they also did things like use the ZG set (provided longer range) and had good +damage and good +crit.

The only problem I see is, the OP has Tier1... which isn't good for anything but healing (I believe only TWO or THREE pieces have +damage/healing instead of +healing... the helm and the shoulders (possible the belt, I can't remember)?). His best bet is probably just to spec Shadow and get more appropriate Shadow gear during 60->70 leveling.

EDIT: Changed Melee to Melee/Hunters to reflect the change in Shadowform made in 1.10.

 

[James Bond]

Thanks Aikouka, I really like that build.

So when using Vampiric embrace. If I'm doing dmg to someone it was casted on, ALL of my part members get healed? What if they aren't near me?

 

[James Bond]

Aikouka, is there any specific reason you didn't put points into Improved Mind Blast and Shadow Power?

 

[beggerking]

I'm confused... I thought we are supposed to focus on one tree for the ultimate 41 pt talent?.. .

I have a tank warrior, do you have any recommandation for it? Thank you in advance.

 

[James Bond]

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxMGzbMZZVMgpMtRhz

What about this build? More versatile vs casters.

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: Tizyler
Aikouka, is there any specific reason you didn't put points into Improved Mind Blast and Shadow Power?

Improved Mind Blast isn't worth it nor will you use it often in PVP or PVE. Priests cannot and rarely do not get those opportune attacks. You may only ever get 1 Mind Blast off in a fight, because unlike Mages and Warlocks (depending), you can only force people off you with a Fear (every 26 seconds via talents). Because of this, it's simply not worth it, as a good player will jump around you and run through you to disrupt your Mind Blast. So, essentially, it's not worth lowering the cooldown.

In PVE, my fights usually go like this (with buffs already on):

Attain max distance or close to it -> Power Word: Shield -> Mind Blast -> Walk Backwards + Cast Shadow Word: Pain -> Cast Mind Flay -> (sometimes!) Cast Mind Flay -> Wand mob to death

Originally posted by: beggerking
I'm confused... I thought we are supposed to focus on one tree for the ultimate 41 pt talent?.. .

The problem with the Priest Shadow Tree 41 point talent is, on paper it's not that good and really not worth it... It can be nice for extra DPS in PVP, but it's really not worth giving up Inner Focus in my opinion. Also, it only provides 5% mana to you (and your party) for the shadow damage you deal. So, to make up for the mana you cast, you need to deal 20x the cost of Vampiric Touch in the 15 seconds that it lasts. Or 4x if you're in a party (note, this considering the fact that you're also giving mana back to your party). This skill can work well in PVE with other shadow priests in the same party. I know Death and Taxes defeated Loatheb with only 5 people by using Shadow Priests. I haven't watched the video, but I presume they may have had 2 or so Shadow Priests using both Vampiric Touch and Vampiric Embrace, because replenishing the mana is so much easier with more than one priest. Even easier too since DnT = Alliance, and if they have a Paladin, they also get mana back from JoW.

Originally posted by: beggerking
I have a tank warrior, do you have any recommandation for it? Thank you in advance.

I'm not as good with warriors, so I can only provide so much help. I do have a 60, but I stopped playing him, because I enjoy tanking, but I don't enjoy playing with people enough .

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=TVMxdhbogMzZmZcxt0h

You'll probably like something like this build. You can make changes depending on what type of weapon you're using, but that should work well. It's unfortunate that they adjusted the shield talents, because Improved Shield Block was awesome when it had no precursors . You simply put one point in it and it would always block 2 attacks instead of 1.

Originally posted by: Tizyler
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxMGzbMZZVMgpMtRhz

What about this build? More versatile vs casters.

The build lacks Darkness, which is great for raising damage overall. Mana Burn is really only that useful against priests and a priest with good mana/5 wll get around that via regen. There's no point in using Mana Burn against a mage or a warlock, they'll kill you before you can drain all their mana (especially with their tools to get mana back). Shamans will also kill you before it becomes worthwhile .

Focused Mind isn't that worthwhile IMO. Improved Mind Blast still isn't that worth it, just spam Mind Flay.

 

[Anubis]

go 11/0/40 is you want to just kill people

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rx0GzZZVMgtMdohtx

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: Anubis
go 11/0/40 is you want to just kill people

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rx0GzZZVMgtMdohtx

Misery > Shadow Power. You don't usually use Mind Blast enough to make the +crit worthwhile. Also, most shadow priests don't focus on +crit since we only have one spell (and we'll get another one when going from 60-70) that can crit.

EDIT: I also wouldn't drop Shadow Weaving down, especially for something like Focused Mind. Very rarely will you ever kill anything quickly as a priest, we don't have the burst damage of a mage. I'd know... my mage 3 shots mobs in Silithus (with worse gear than my priest) and my priest sure as hell can't .

 

[beggerking]

Thank you Aikouka, I'll give it a try.

looks great! sweep attack!

if we sweepstrike and then retaliate, will the damage double?...

 

[CKent]

Tier 1? I don't think tier 1 has much spell damage. Casters are very reliant on this stat, especially shadow priests and elemental shamans.

 

[Aikouka]

Retaliate? Not sure, but I know sometimes I'd use Sweeping Strikes with Cleave, because it'd do 4 hits instead of just 2 (to two mobs).

EDIT:

Tier 1? I don't think tier 1 has much spell damage. Casters are very reliant on this stat, especially shadow priests and elemental shamans.

It doesn't, that's why I said he'd have a hard time . The guy may have some other gear in his bank or something. I doubt he got rid of all of his leveling/shadow gear.

 

[CKent]

Originally posted by: Aikouka
Retaliate? Not sure, but I know sometimes I'd use Sweeping Strikes with Cleave, because it'd do 4 hits instead of just 2 (to two mobs).

EDIT:

Tier 1? I don't think tier 1 has much spell damage. Casters are very reliant on this stat, especially shadow priests and elemental shamans.

It doesn't, that's why I said he'd have a hard time . The guy may have some other gear in his bank or something. I doubt he got rid of all of his leveling/shadow gear.

My mistake, I skimmed over the post instead of really reading it.

 

[beggerking]

Originally posted by: Aikouka
Retaliate? Not sure, but I know sometimes I'd use Sweeping Strikes with Cleave, because it'd do 4 hits instead of just 2 (to two mobs).
.

NICE! Thank you!

 

[Hacp]

18/0/33

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxMrzIZZqMrdMtkMt

Gets most of the PvP talents in there. You only need 3% hit vs players your lvl, so thats why theres two points into shadow focus. I took all the damage talents and excluded all the mana efficiency ones. 1 point into Spirit tap as a filler.

You might want to change to this build for lvling during TBC with the remaining points going wherever. Shadow Wordain + Vampiric Touch + Mind Flay Spam. Rinse and repeat. Spirit and Spell damage are your main stats.

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rZZEMgzMtohtVo

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: CKent
Tier 1? I don't think tier 1 has much spell damage. Casters are very reliant on this stat, especially shadow priests and elemental shamans.

you will replace T1 greens in TBC from lvl 61 on

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: Hacp
18/0/33

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=bxMrzIZZqMrdMtkMt

Gets most of the PvP talents in there. You only need 3% hit vs players your lvl, so thats why theres two points into shadow focus. I took all the damage talents and excluded all the mana efficiency ones. 1 point into Spirit tap as a filler.

You might want to change to this build for lvling during TBC with the remaining points going wherever. Shadow Wordain + Vampiric Touch + Mind Flay Spam. Rinse and repeat. Spirit and Spell damage are your main stats.

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=rZZEMgzMtohtVo

The first one's assuming that he'll only fight level 60's with 0 Shadow Resistance. You max out Shadow Focus to help alleviate the spell resistances. It does make a difference, trust me... one time I only had 2 and you know, I was kinda fine against mobs (although higher level mobs were a bit of a bane), but characters still resisted a lot more than when I maxed it out. Although there was no T3 when I PVP'd on my priest and most people used T1 and T2.