WoW Forever Shadow Priest Leveling Guide

ROUTELevel-by-level route

1. 5

   Levels 1–5

   Get a wand early

   • Kill one enemy at a time with Smite and use Lesser Heal between fights if needed. Keep Power Word: Fortitude up at all times.
   • Learn Shadow Word: Pain at level 4 and open every fight with it. It does much more damage than Smite.
   • Equip a wand as soon as you can: Novice's Practice Wand at level 1, then Lesser Magic Wand at level 5, both made with Enchanting. Wands cost no mana, so you rest far less.
   • New spells and ranks open every two levels starting at 2. Visit a priest trainer whenever you pass through a town.

   Gear to pick up

   • 
     Novice's Practice WandCraft

     Made with Enchanting

     Your first wand, usable from level 1
   • 
     Lesser Magic WandCraftLv 5

     Made with Enchanting

   New abilities

   • Lesser Heal1
   • Smite1
   • Power Word: Fortitude1
   • Shadow Word: Pain4

   Rank upgrades

   Lesser Heal 2 (4)

2. 9

   Levels 6–9

   Shield before you pull

   • Cast Power Word: Shield, learned at level 6, before every pull. It absorbs damage and stops hits from pushing back your casts. It lasts up to 30 seconds, so you can cast it out of combat.
   • Mana only regenerates after 5 seconds without casting. Wand attacks don't reset this, so avoid stray spells between wand shots.
   • Without a wand, killing slows down badly as you approach level 10 and mana shortages force you to rest often. Keep your wand up to date.
   • Loot every enemy for cloth and save it for Tailoring.

   New abilities

   • Power Word: Shield6
   • Renew8
   • Fade8

   Rank upgrades

   Smite 2 (6)

3. 12

   Levels 10–12

   Wand Specialization and Spirit Tap

   • Your first two points go into Wand Specialization. It adds 25% wand damage, and your wand does most of the work while leveling.
   • From level 12 your next five points go into Spirit Tap. Kills double your Spirit for 15 seconds and let mana regenerate while casting — the core of Shadow's mana recovery. It only triggers on your own killing blow, so finish enemies yourself with your wand.
   • Mind Blast arrives at level 10. From level 12 keep Inner Fire up alongside Power Word: Fortitude; both are big survivability gains.
   • Undead: also cast Touch of Weakness before each pull. It greatly reduces the damage you take.
   • At level 10 a class quest opens that grants a race-specific spell.
   • Look for spell power, Intellect and Spirit on gear to support your damage and mana. Fill your waist, chest and hands with Tailoring.

   Gear to pick up

   • 
     Novice Arcanist's SashCraftLv 10

     Made with Tailoring
   • 
     Green Woolen VestCraftLv 12

     Made with Tailoring
   • 
     Heavy Woolen GlovesCraftLv 12

     Made with Tailoring

   Talents

   • Lv 10–11Wand Specialization2/2
   • Lv 12Spirit Tap1/5

   New abilities

   • Desperate Prayer10
   • Divine Grace10
   • Resurrection10
   • Hex of Weakness10
   • Mind Blast10
   • Touch of Weakness10
   • Confounding Flash10
   • Starshards10
   • Inner Fire12

   Rank upgrades

   Lesser Heal 3 (10) · Shadow Word: Pain 2 (10) · Power Word: Fortitude 2 (12) · Power Word: Shield 2 (12)

4. 16

   Levels 13–16

   Better wand, first dungeons

   • Switch to Greater Magic Wand at level 13. You make it yourself with Enchanting.
   • Ragefire Chasm, The Hall of Thanes and The Deadmines open up. Dungeon quests give a huge amount of experience, so pick them up first.
   • In dungeons you usually deal damage but can heal when needed. Watch your mana, especially when healing, and use your wand in quieter moments so you are ready for the next dangerous pull.
   • In dungeons Spirit Tap still needs your killing blow. Coordinate with the group to get last hits and your mana will hold up much better.
   • Mind Blast and your heals generate a lot of threat, and early tanks have few tools to hold aggro. If you pull aggro, use Fade — it is only temporary, so the tank must take the enemy back before it ends.
   • Bring plenty of water into dungeons. You will need to drink every few pulls, and almost every innkeeper sells it.

   Gear to pick up

   • 
     Greater Magic WandCraftLv 13

     Made with Enchanting
   • 
     Woolen BootsCraftLv 14

     Made with Tailoring
   • 
     Pearl-clasped CloakCraftLv 14

     Made with Tailoring

   Talents

   • Lv 13–16Spirit Tap5/5

   New abilities

   • Cure Disease14
   • Psychic Scream14
   • Heal16

   Rank upgrades

   Smite 3 (14) · Renew 2 (14) · Mind Blast 2 (16)

   Dungeons for this range

   • Ragefire Chasm13
   • The Hall of Thanes13–18
   • Ruins of Lordaeron15–20
   • The Deadmines16
5. 19

   Levels 17–19

   Stronger Pain, multiple enemies

   • From level 17 put two points into Improved Shadow Word: Pain. Shadow Word: Pain lasts 6 seconds longer, so each cast does more damage both solo and in groups.
   • From level 19 your last two points go into Shadow Focus, raising your chance to hit with Shadow spells.
   • Wailing Caverns and Ruins of Lordaeron are now in reach. Start collecting your level 20 gear there.
   • Against several enemies, put Shadow Word: Pain on the extras when mana allows, then return to your main target.
   • Use Dispel Magic, learned at level 18, to remove Magic debuffs from allies. In early dungeons, people die if nobody dispels.
   • Make Double-Stitched Woolen Shoulders with Tailoring for your shoulders.

   Gear to pick up

   • 
     Double-Stitched Woolen ShouldersCraftLv 17

     Made with Tailoring

   Talents

   • Lv 17–18Improved Shadow Word: Pain2/2
   • Lv 19Shadow Focus1/5

   New abilities

   • Dispel Magic18

   Rank upgrades

   Desperate Prayer 2 (18) · Divine Grace 2 (18) · Shadow Word: Pain 3 (18) · Power Word: Shield 3 (18) · Starshards 2 (18)

   Dungeons for this range

   • Wailing Caverns17
   • Shadowfang Keep18
6. 20

   Level 20

   Level 20: gear up in dungeons

   • Level 20 brings Holy Fire, Flash Heal and Fear Ward. You can open fights with Holy Fire if you like.
   • Do the level 20 class quest for your race's second spell.
   • Not an enchanter? Get your wand from dungeons: Deepblaze from a The Hall of Thanes quest, Sable Wand from a The Deadmines quest, or Sizzle Stick and Firebelcher in Wailing Caverns.
   • Carry your Tailoring cloth set up to Spidersilk Boots, then fill the remaining slots with the dungeon drops and dungeon quest rewards listed below.

   Gear to pick up

   • 
     Spidersilk BootsCraftLv 20

     Made with Tailoring

     Keep Woolen Boots if you can't make these

   Talents

   • Lv 20Shadow Focus2/5

   Open this build in the calculator →

   New abilities

   • Chastise20
   • Fear Ward20
   • Flash Heal20
   • Holy Fire20
   • Holy Nova20
   • Dark Sacrifice20
   • Devouring Plague20
   • Mind Soothe20
   • Shadowguard20
   • Mind Flay20
   • Contingency Plan20
   • Elune's Grace20
   • Feedback20
   • Shackle Undead20
   • Inner Focus20

   Rank upgrades

   Renew 3 (20) · Fade 2 (20) · Hex of Weakness 2 (20) · Touch of Weakness 2 (20) · Inner Fire 2 (20)

ROTATIONHow to fight

1. 1Keep Power Word: Fortitude and Inner Fire up.
2. 2Cast Power Word: Shield before the pull.
3. 3Undead: also cast Touch of Weakness before combat to take less damage from melee enemies.
4. 4Optionally open with Holy Fire (Smite before you have it).
5. 5Cast Mind Blast, then Shadow Word: Pain.
6. 6Finish with your wand, landing the killing blow for Spirit Tap.
7. 7Dungeons: reapply Shadow Word: Pain when it falls off, and spread it to several enemies if mana isn't a concern.

GEARLevel-20 target gear

Dungeon drops, quest rewards and crafted items worth chasing at level 20 for this spec, by slot, best stats for the spec first.