1. #1
    Deleted

    Shadowpriest questions!

    Hey there,

    I'm all new to the priest class and i've been reading a few guides on how to shadowpriest.

    But there are some things I can't get my head around. I'm just 54 atm but I have a question about the rotation.
    I start up with VP -> DP -> SW:P after that I Mind Flay to get atleast 1 orb up, so I can follow up with a Mind Blast. After that I use Mind Flay as filler till Mind Blast comes off cooldown.

    But I remember reading ( don't know where ) that after u get a buff ( forgot which one ) u have to reapply VP and DP for them to gain extra damage?! So when do I reapply them and how often do I need to do during a bossfight. Im not sure but is that buff Empowered Shadow? Or is that no longer how it works cause not every guide talks about it.

    And while i'm only 54, I would like ask how the mana management is at lvl 85. Cause at this lvl i'm like watching closely to my targets health to make sure I get the killing blow with SW: D for the mana gain. Without it...and even sometimes with it.. I struggle with mana from time to time.

    Hope someone can help me understand it

    ( Sorry for the poor english btw )

  2. #2
    Mana later on won't be an issue for you. Like you said, SW: D at -25%. But also, you'll have your shadowfiend and Wings on CD all the time.
    I start with SW:P -> VT -> DP, and then Mind flay until I have atleast 1 orb, and MB is off CD.

    Only time I re-apply my VT/DP is when someone pops BL/Hero. And when they're about to run out ofc.

    *Edit*
    If you haven't found this link alrdy, check it out. Explains a lot and breaks it down for you.
    http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...w-Priest-Guide
    GL with the SP!
    Last edited by Crummy; 2011-05-31 at 10:01 PM.

  3. #3
    Brewmaster Neotokyo's Avatar
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    grab an addon called easy destro (from curse) it watches all your cooldowns and procs and even know what spells you should have at what level.. so it wont be asking you to cast anything you wont have.. really helps to get used to a rotation and works nearly all classes.

  4. #4
    The guides will make more sense once you are 85 and can try it yourself.

    You don't really need to worry about mana on most fights. Basically, when you have to move you can use the time to either use SW to regain some mana or DP if your mana is fine. The only fight I have had to watch my mana on is Cho'gall because of the multi-doting and mind sear spam on the slimes.

    As far as refreshing your DoTs early for procs, I do so for DP often (improved DP makes this worthwhile) but only refresh VT early if I get several procs together.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Crummy View Post
    Mana later on won't be an issue for you. Like you said, SW: D at -25%. But also, you'll have your shadowfiend and Wings on CD all the time.
    Spriests don't get archangel until pretty late because it's in the Disc tree and you don't fill out the shadow tree until level 69. Mana's a bigger issue at lowlevels because of that.

    If you're having mana issues, make sure to grab some glyphs. The one for shadowfiend, Spirit Tap, and SW: D that all help with that. As for recasting for buffs, at 85 it's a general rule to only do it if you have 2 procs to benefit. You don't benefit from mastery until 80, so the buff you get from ES is pretty weak at low levels; if you only just refreshed the DoTs when you get an orb, it may not be worth refreshing the DoTs for it, especially if it's the only extra buff you have.

    Mana maintenance will get better with higher levels, so just hang in there. =)

  6. #6
    Deleted
    Thanks for the reply's!

    Knowing that mana maintenance will get better at higher lvls is good to know! That sure motivates me to continue!

    -> Zuziza

    So as soon as I get Mastery at lvl 80 I only refresh VP and SW:P as soon as ES is up? ( Just to make sure I understand it fully )

    Thanks!

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Livithium View Post
    So as soon as I get Mastery at lvl 80 I only refresh VP and SW:P as soon as ES is up? ( Just to make sure I understand it fully )
    SW: P will refresh from your mind flay tics So just focus on VT/DP

  8. #8
    I meant that unless you have two procs (like a trinket proc and ES buff at the same time), it's usually not a DPS increase to refresh your DoTs early. The cast time of VT and the GCDs spent to refresh it may mean DPS decrease because of the tics of MF lost to the refresh. This will vary greatly at low levels because of what trinket procs you may get, since some can be crazily OP. You'd have to test it out depending on what you can pop. I brought up ES and mastery specifically because prior to 80, it's just kind of there.

    You shouldn't have to ever hard refresh SW:P with Pain and Suffering maxxed (level 53 I think) because MF filler should keep it up. Make sure you get those talents as soon as they are available, since they save some considerable mana for bosses. The harder decision for the refresh comes with VT because of the cast time. At lower levels, it may only be worth it to refresh DP for a proc (longer duration, only costs one GCD) instead of VT (shorter duration, long cast time, loss of MF), but it's entirely dependent on what procs you get.

    As for ES at level 80, ES uptime is generally pretty good as long as you're casting MB when you're supposed to. Thus, refreshing for ES should only be a concern at the start of a fight. In wrath, spriest DPS ramp up was notoriously slow, but the influence of the start of the fight on our DPS has diminished greatly. IMO, it's not absolutely necessary to refresh DoTs as soon as ES is first up for a fight, but don't take that as an instruction to ignore it. If you scan the threads on refreshing DoTs, you'll find many spriests are more concerned with what trinket procs, heroism/bloodlust, and pot combinations are or aren't worth the refreshes. The general idea of wanting 2 procs comes out of those discussions since it's rare for 1 proc alone to be worth it, but 2 almost always is.

    In sum, there's no straightforward answer on when you for sure refresh your DoTs. You really have to test it yourself with your gear and procs at your level. What you have to keep in mind is what the trade is: when you refresh early, you are doing less MF, meaning fewer SW:P refreshes and fewer chances to proc orbs, so ES uptime may decrease. This type of micromanaging is generally a bigger concern at 85, not low levels, but practicing with that and doing tests will definitely improve your spriest DPS at low levels and give you good experience if you want to do shadow at endgame.

    If you're willing to put in that sort of level before you even max, then more power to you. It's a lot of work for not very much payout (after all, we have websites to log, analyze, and rank damage dealt to raid bosses, but definitely not for low level dungeons) when levelling, but it will make you an excellent player to level with that mindset.

  9. #9
    Deleted
    Wow, that must have taken some time to typ out! Thanks for the input! I'm sure it will help me be a better spriest now and later on I'll keep practicing and trying this all out!

    And as for the SW:P part, I was going to typ VT and DP, but somehow ended up with SW:P. I indeed have Pain and Suffering and its great

    Again, thanks everyone for the info! It sure helps out alot in understanding my char!

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