Shadowpriests Get The Love
Pedran — Wed, 10/01/2008 - 06:14
- Improved Inner Fire has changed from Tier 3 to Tier 2.
- Improved Power Word: Fortitude has changed from Tier 2 to Tier 3.
- Twisted Faith now increases the Mind Flay and Mind Blast damage by 2/4/6/8/10% while Shadow Word: Pain is active. (Last week's was a typo anyone?)
What this basically means to non-priests:
- Pro's:
- Shadowpriests will be able to take advantage of the +174 Spell damage that comes with Improved Inner Fire. However, the +Spell will NOT BE AVAILABLE Pre-WotLK because it goes through at level 71.
- Raids will not require two Shadow Priests for maximum SP damage.
- Overall maximum Shadowpriest damage will be MUCH higher thanks to additional Crit change and 100% additional crit damage from all main spells. (and Mind Flay now Critting)
- Overall mana-battery usefulness will go up because mana gained is going to be significantly higher with the new Shadow Spec
- Con's:
- Shadowpriests will no longer have Improved Power Word: Fortitude. This could be a detriment because every KZ run I've been through the Holy Priests didn't come with it.
- Shadow Focus (currently giving 3% Spell Hit at max rank) will probably be a 0-1 point talent to take advantage of the crits from Mind Melt and Shadow Power, and to take advantage of the damage boost from Darkness, Misery, and Twisted Faith. (This is lvl 80)
- Shadowpriests will need to STACK spell hit in their gear, as opposed to spell damage. This means they will be rolling against Warlocks and Mages MUCH more often than they have in the past. Instead of the current requirement of +76 Spell Hit Rating, each Shadowpriest would need at least 139 +Spell Hit and 1 point in Shadow Focus, or 152 +Spell Hit and 0 points in Shadow Focus. That is a pretty significant difference from the original +76 requirement. (This is lvl 80)
- For Dranei Priests (or a Dranei caster in-party) this would be +126(1 point) or +139 (0 point) additional +Spell Hit Rating.
- For priests with a Totem of Wrath in-party on the ground this number would be +114(1 point) or +126(0 points)
- Thus ideally for Shadowpriests, a Dranei Elemental Shaman would be in group with the Totem of Wrath, which would require only +101(1 point) or +114(0 point) additional Spell Hit.
- In simpler terms, there's going to be ALOT of "RESIST" flashing on the screen for Shadowpriests who have stacked nearly 100% +Spell Damage due to the free +10% Spell Hit we've had before. Shadowpriests that have progressed with LF1M and Hamfist will need to regem, re-chant, and possible have loot runs made to ensure they are able to mantain maximum DPS.
Here is a 'thought' on a spec pre-WotLK:
http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?talent=bVZZGcfVorzfiqszAo
- The Dispersion should make up for the loss of the Inner Focus and Meditation when paired with the Shadowfiend and Improved Spirit Tap. It will also give us a second "Fade" in an emergency if we accidentally triple crit on Mind Flay as we're clicking on PW: D and getting a crit. With how many spells we have now being able to crit, having the semi-Fade may be needed heavily.
- At 6% Spell Hit down from Innate 10% Spell Hit, all Shadowpriests will shift from needing +76 Spell Hit Rating to needing +126 Spell Hit Rating instead. This can be solved quickly with a Dranei Elemental Shammy and the Totem of Wrath. (+1% Racial, +3% Totem of Wrath). The difference in DPS alone will MORE than make up for the loss of a few of those +Spell and +Haste Rating gems.



Not to mention, shadow
Agoney — Thu, 10/02/2008 - 12:48Not to mention, shadow priest glyphs suck.. I suppose mine would be:
Major:
1) Glyph of Mind Flay(gives you back range)
2) Glyph of Mass Dispel
3) Glyph of Inner Fire
Minor:
1)Glyph of Shadowfiend
2)Glyph of Levitate
3)Glyph of Shadow Protection
Gheeesh ... can't belive
GrayVon — Wed, 10/01/2008 - 13:21Gheeesh ... can't belive they did that to Spirit Tap .. making a totaly usless skill into a must have ...
Not sure about the rest of you guys but when in a group I hardly ever get the killing blow to proc ST.
Also, would have to go with Antiquite's spec .. the reach is useless untill they start applying it to mind-flay.
Well, for raiding shadow
Agoney — Wed, 10/01/2008 - 08:39Well, for raiding shadow priests, they'll actually have to stack less hit. Misery giving 3%, shaman %1, ToW 3%. I'm sitting at 180 hit rating as it is right now, and thats with 300+ haste. Also remember that mana return isnt affected by damage now, it's .25% of max mana.
http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?talent=bVZZGcfVRMzfiqszAo
Almost similiar to yours, but I take out imp range and put it into vieled shadows. That would be my cookie-cutter spec.
For my spec with my gear, I'll prob dump 2 pts out of shadow focus and move them elsewhere, maybe into weaving, or split them b/w weaving and range. I'm not worried about losing 4% mana cost. Even if i DO have remote mana problems, I have 2 huge mana returns every 3 mins, plus mana pot every 2, plus druids innervate if needed.
I should also add that I believe they fixed fade, it should dump more threat but I cant find the blue post about it.