Shadow priest in serious need of help

[Elimere]

Hi Guys!

I'm failing miserably at spriest this expac. I've always mained a spriest and I'm so lost and confused as to what on earth I am doing wrong, other than everything.

Here are some logs:

(most recent with me trying LoTV at someones suggestion): https://www.warcraftlogs.com/reports...s=-2&source=14

last weeks h en (s2m):
https://www.warcraftlogs.com/reports...s=-2&source=15

Somewhere in everything I'm struggling with my stacks in voidform. Practicing on the PVP dummy in ashran, I can get to 80+ stacks, but I rarely see that in a fight. I know I'm missing something and I'm at an utter loss.

[Notecard]

Your Mind Flay usage is substantially lower than it should be. Only 8 casts on Ursoc when other priests are doing over 40 on a similar length fight. It should be your filler, if you're not doing anything else, then you should be using it.

[2Dee]

Hi Guys!

I'm failing miserably at spriest this expac. I've always mained a spriest and I'm so lost and confused as to what on earth I am doing wrong, other than everything.

Here are some logs:

(most recent with me trying LoTV at someones suggestion): https://www.warcraftlogs.com/reports...s=-2&source=14

last weeks h en (s2m):
https://www.warcraftlogs.com/reports...s=-2&source=15

Somewhere in everything I'm struggling with my stacks in voidform. Practicing on the PVP dummy in ashran, I can get to 80+ stacks, but I rarely see that in a fight. I know I'm missing something and I'm at an utter loss.

Why your dps is low:
You die to raid mechanics (nyth, elereth)
You use s2m too late (ursoc)
You dont use s2m at all (cenarius)
You use SWD on CD rather than a tool to keep your insanity capped

The top 3 are the reason your dps is low and I am surprised you did not catch that yourself.

Your Mind Flay usage is substantially lower than it should be. Only 8 casts on Ursoc when other priests are doing over 40 on a similar length fight. It should be your filler, if you're not doing anything else, then you should be using it.

I would expect his mindflay casts to be lower due to the legendary belt, but yes your mindflay casts are low. Although this wouldn't increase your dps as much as...well..not dying

[elodea]

Your S2m's are not performing as well as you'd like for several reasons
1. You're burning out your swd's and mindblast charges from the very start.
2. Never casting mindflay during surrender
3. Sometimes casting 3 mindblasts between void bolts.
4. Raid timings/avoidable early deaths. This is more fight specific and i'm sure you know where to improve here.

Surrender currently works as follows with the lego belt,

Before 130% haste, you should cast 2 spells between each void bolt. Not 1, and not 3.
VB > mindblast > flay (filler) > repeat
or
VB > mindflay > VB if you are running out of mindblast charges

After 130% haste, you must cast 1 spell between each voidbolt. Not 2, and not 3.
VB > Mindblast > repeat.
or
VB > mindflay > VB if you are running out of mindblast charges

At 60 stacks, you must have 2 swd charges saved up to help you get to ~85. Use it in place of a mindblast/flay that would otherwise kill you

PI is used at ~85 stacks when you have 0 swd charges left. Pop shadowfiend here as well. You will enter this phase with 0 swd charges and aim to exit with PI with 2 swd charges, so do not use them as you should not need to. VB > MB > VB > MB > repeat should be sufficient.

After PI, weave in your 2 swd to get as far as you can before dispersion.
VB > SWD > VB > MB > VB > SWD > VB > MB

Use additional 1 swd from disperse to keep going. 3rd VoiT if lucky > die horribly

Goodluck.

[Steelecho]

In addition to what everyone else said, you're casting vt multiple times when the dot is already up, which should be mind flay instead. See h ursoc you have 3 vt casts within the first 10 seconds which is completely unnecessary. Casting SWP when you need to move is fine but you're still using it way too much.
Go look up the spriest spell priorty list and make sure you're following it.

If you aren't reaching close to the stacks you can get on a dummy during a boss fight then you are most likely not planning ahead enough for s2m. PI can be used one voidform before s2m and void torrent should be up and used immediately after the first void bolt when you start s2m. Grab the timetodie weakaura if you don't already have it too, it helps you figure out when you should be popping surrender.

[Elimere]

Your S2m's are not performing as well as you'd like for several reasons
1. You're burning out your swd's and mindblast charges from the very start.
2. Never casting mindflay during surrender
3. Sometimes casting 3 mindblasts between void bolts.
4. Raid timings/avoidable early deaths. This is more fight specific and i'm sure you know where to improve here.

Surrender currently works as follows with the lego belt,

Before 130% haste, you should cast 2 spells between each void bolt. Not 1, and not 3.
VB > mindblast > flay (filler) > repeat
or
VB > mindflay > VB if you are running out of mindblast charges

After 130% haste, you must cast 1 spell between each voidbolt. Not 2, and not 3.
VB > Mindblast > repeat.
or
VB > mindflay > VB if you are running out of mindblast charges

At 60 stacks, you must have 2 swd charges saved up to help you get to ~85. Use it in place of a mindblast/flay that would otherwise kill you

PI is used at ~85 stacks when you have 0 swd charges left. Pop shadowfiend here as well. You will enter this phase with 0 swd charges and aim to exit with PI with 2 swd charges, so do not use them as you should not need to. VB > MB > VB > MB > repeat should be sufficient.

After PI, weave in your 2 swd to get as far as you can before dispersion.
VB > SWD > VB > MB > VB > SWD > VB > MB

Use additional 1 swd from disperse to keep going. 3rd VoiT if lucky > die horribly

Goodluck.

Thanks, this last bit is exactly what I was looking for, especially the bit on charges. Gonna go try it out in LFR

- - - Updated - - -

Why your dps is low:
You die to raid mechanics (nyth, elereth)
You use s2m too late (ursoc)
You dont use s2m at all (cenarius)
You use SWD on CD rather than a tool to keep your insanity capped

The top 3 are the reason your dps is low and I am surprised you did not catch that yourself.



I would expect his mindflay casts to be lower due to the legendary belt, but yes your mindflay casts are low. Although this wouldn't increase your dps as much as...well..not dying

Yeah I know on fights I die why my DPS is too low, or not using S2M, as for the mind flay bit, yeah, with this belt, its got me ten kinds of screwed up and I got conflicting advice previously from some people about MF. So now I'm going to go try some stuff in LFR and see how it goes. Thank you (also the bit about SW is super helpful)

[ThePhantombox]

Hi Guys!

I'm failing miserably at spriest this expac. I've always mained a spriest and I'm so lost and confused as to what on earth I am doing wrong, other than everything.

Here are some logs:

(most recent with me trying LoTV at someones suggestion): https://www.warcraftlogs.com/reports...s=-2&source=14

last weeks h en (s2m):
https://www.warcraftlogs.com/reports...s=-2&source=15

Somewhere in everything I'm struggling with my stacks in voidform. Practicing on the PVP dummy in ashran, I can get to 80+ stacks, but I rarely see that in a fight. I know I'm missing something and I'm at an utter loss.

Nigga is warcraftlogs trippin on me or are you actually wearing the WoD ring?

[spiritsurge]

A little tip to keep in mind for S2M play: You can use SW: Death fairly freely until you get to higher stacks.

I always keep 1 charge of Death on CD just for the extra damage until I get to around 70ish stacks and I actually start to need the insanity it gives.

[Elimere]

Nigga is warcraftlogs trippin on me or are you actually wearing the WoD ring?

HA! I bet that was when I realized I had the wrong shit on. No, I normally am not that idiotic. Although sometimes I'm not smart.

- - - Updated - - -

A little tip to keep in mind for S2M play: You can use SW: Death fairly freely until you get to higher stacks.

I always keep 1 charge of Death on CD just for the extra damage until I get to around 70ish stacks and I actually start to need the insanity it gives.

Thanks. I tinkered with my rotation yesterday and have seen some improvement. I think I just have to keep practicing like crazy.

[Kithelle]

Well there you go...the latest patch...I guess all shadow needed was longer duration DoT's to balance them! >.<

[Dispersed]

Such a waste of a legendary belt.

[Crysake]

Such a waste of a legendary belt.

oh god don't even go there

[Vargur]

OP, just wait for 7.1.5 and keep practising for higher numbers. Without StM.
Let it die off already.

[tiptopmemer]

Keep bumping x))))

[Deleted]

According to this forum, a good legendary automatically means you out dps the best players in your guild.

In some case, that's a completely fine assumption. Especially with a legendary that help during that one last minute where half our damage are done.

[Deleted]

Hehe, I bet if they do bad dps because messing up rotations and everything, they certainly cannot use StM correctly or haven't specced into it

Frankly, someone simply doing a correct rotation is not going to do "good dps". It's going to do "okay" dps. The use of cooldown at crucial moment is important, especially in some classes. Leg may help balance out the decision error of some player and put them above others.


In the SP situation, someone with Mangaza or the shoulder will, for example, will have a much easier time to use PI at 90+ and reach a third void torrent than a regular joe. Given how important those last 20 second are to our dps, that's a significant advantage, and may put them above an all around better player. (Again, especially in a class as retarded as ours atm)

[tiptopmemer]

According to this forum, a good legendary automatically means you out dps the best players in your guild.

When i got my legendary belt i jumped 30% DPS, went from middle-top of the pack to outright first.

So yes, unless you're in a casual guild where skill fluctuates a lot, getting the best legendary puts you on equal footing or a step ahead.

[danieltang34]

According to this forum, a good legendary automatically means you out dps the best players in your guild.

The belt is a tricky one, it makes your rotation easier but it doesn't have too much of an impact when u can execute the rotation.correctly. iirc my friend has 99 parses on literally all of the bosses except M Helya, and he doesn't have the belt. He doesnt really care cause he's reaching 3rd VoiT consistently already and he's fine with having the wrist and ring only
It's not a flat boost unlike most other BiS legendaries.

Edit: just found out he has some no.1 parses on heroic EN too

[Fleckens]

The belt is a tricky one, it makes your rotation easier but it doesn't have too much of an impact when u can execute the rotation.correctly. iirc my friend has 99 parses on literally all of the bosses except M Helya, and he doesn't have the belt. He doesnt really care cause he's reaching 3rd VoiT consistently already and he's fine with having the wrist and ring only
It's not a flat boost unlike most other BiS legendaries.

Edit: just found out he has some no.1 parses on heroic EN too

It still does give you quite a few more mind blast casts, generally when I'm in a raid with a sp who has the belt they tend to have between 25-40% more mind blast casts. You can definitely get high rankings without the legendaries, I got quite a few in EN without any good legendaries but I would still perform even better if I had them, getting shoulders as my 4th legendary already helped a ton, almost offsetting the nerf we got.

[tiptopmemer]

The belt is a tricky one, it makes your rotation easier but it doesn't have too much of an impact when u can execute the rotation.correctly. iirc my friend has 99 parses on literally all of the bosses except M Helya, and he doesn't have the belt. He doesnt really care cause he's reaching 3rd VoiT consistently already and he's fine with having the wrist and ring only
It's not a flat boost unlike most other BiS legendaries.

Edit: just found out he has some no.1 parses on heroic EN too

h3h3 nice m3m3 friendo