As the tittle says all I read and hear is trash about the spec, specially VW. I have been wanting to main Spriest since Legion but NOW with the theme of the expansion being void I think it’s a great chance. However I also want to be competitive in m+ and raids and not being rejected all the time because I am playing a spec that is unfinished or just bad. 
By all accounts, it’s not looking great. My guess is that you should still be able to hit ksm/2100/aotc with enough time played. But that’s any class. The problem is how much harder you’ll have to work than other classes.
Sp play style is based more on priorities and conditions, rather than a set rotation, especially in an arena setting.
Still though, if you’re feeling drawn to the purple, then that’s a sign you’re a sp. I was doing dailies as a human rogue back in mop and this undead sp came in and ruined everyone’s day. I had already had my eyes on sp, but watching this guy in action that day, sold me once and for all and I haven’t looked back since
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I apologize for nothing! 
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Mannaroth?
I’ll get hate since I’m in the lions den, but you’re only going to hear bad things about it asking in these forums.
Every single class forum, every expansion is filled with mostly “why does blizzard hate us” posts, which obviously isn’t true of all the classes, and furthermore is completely subjective.
For all intents and purposes, shadow priest is going to be more than fine. There’s data and footage from beta, their damage is fine. Their utility, specifically PI, is very strong.
Their main weakness is they need to be supplemented for what they don’t bring, mainly in brez, kicks, and lust, but they’re not the only class like that.
Never ask for an opinion of a class on said classes forum, as ironic as that is. As I said, each class forum is filled with a loud minority that is never satisfied, usually complaining that their class cannot perform in content that they’ll never see anyways.
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Shadow has some pains, but no more than other specs. It’s a cool class. Visually fun, a decently interesting rotation with enough procs and such to keep it fresh.
If you’re excited by it, play it. Shadow priest was part of god comp in DF. Prized for its impressive damage on higher keys due to mobs lasting long enough to actually get their damage rolling.
The on call healing from vampiric embrace is great utility. Leap of faith is a fantastic save tool (and great for trolling friends). Shadow can be a good time.
Try it out, and if partway through the patch or xpac you get tired of it, swap to something else. A cool, thematically relevant expansion is the perfect time to check them out.
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Ultimately what you should take away from this, is if you enjoy how it feels and plays. If you enjoy the sort of rampy damage profile, then play it.
Balance happens. Reworks happen. Don’t listen to the loud folks screaming doom and gloom. They were doing that when spriest was meta.
And in their defense for a moment, if they love the spec, but don’t love how it feels, they’re entitled to that, as we all are.
But in terms of speaking solely to viability, they’ll absolutely be more than fine.
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Thanks all! In the end I will still play Shadow Priest as a main or alt but I will definetly gonna play it!
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Very insightful, thanks
Honestly you should have mained it in DF when it was meta, LOL. But I say go for it. It’s not the only dps spec that’s struggling damage wise right now. Fire mage also feels really undertuned currently with it’s damage numbers. The expansion is around the corner so they could always do buffs later.
I’m expecting aggressive balancing from Blizz for TWW. They’ll want to be ready for the race to world first and the mythic dungeon races.
Classes will be in flux for a while yet.
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Shadow will be a desired spec to play in high M+ it does massive AoE damage over a medium - long period of time. Brings health buff, Power infusion, and with Archon 2 AoE stops.
In Low to Mid keys it will be pretty meh, due to the on demand nature of VW it will see more play there.
As for raid it will probably be middle of the pack. Which is fine, due to this I don’t expect the class to get any nerfs which is a good peace of mind to have. Though you will not be topping meters by anymeans.
A lot of the criticism coming from Shadow players isn’t the damage meter at the end of the day. Its that:
- Archon is doing more damage overall and anything with long term combat is pulling ahead of VW enough so it probably wont see much play. And not playing the void tree in the void expansion is bad
- The way shadow does damage, Mind Blast tickles, DA being required for VW, how the mastery works. etc…
- We’ve got a lot of 2 point talents
- They’re is just flat mandatory talents that you have to put points into
- Our interrupt and defensive isn’t baseline and we lose damage if we ever talent into more than the baseline ability.
- Probably the worst mobility in the game.
Overall if you’re new to the class you will probably enjoy it and if you want to play it for sure. The Theme feels good, especially if considering the expansion. The utility is there if you like to help out your group. The damage is competitive enough. But be prepared for 2 re-works per expansion, nerfs because of the classes that you synergize with and if you pvp, being the punching bag.
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I am more like “concerned” about VW in single target. I am not planning to use Archon at all because I feel it doesn’t go with the class currently in terms of fantasy but that’s my opinion. So for example I would like to know if the spec is playable/viable in delves or in “solo content” more than raids. I won’t usually play a lot of M+ mostly raids and the new mode.
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I Imagine that VW will do just fine for what your looking to do.
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If you enjoy working harder than other specs for less than other specs then shadow is the spec for you! Lol.
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lmao that is not helping
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I’m loving that you are excited. Just play one and you’ll see why we are all like 
about Shadow. I love love love my shadow priest but I would give Blizzard lungs, toes, and knee caps to have the simpleness of Fire Mage rotation and it’s AoE abilities. Shadow has had so many reworks and it’s still in a…place. But it literally was Meta for a good portion of Dragonflight. That we cannot deny. Priest was Meta in general. Holy was meta for raids, Disc was Meta for mythic+, and Shadow was meta for Mythic+. Blizzard finally gave us a bone scrap or two. 
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Don’t forget for pvp that priest is essential in one of most famous 3s comp out there. RMP. Rogue, Mage, Priest.
We have a place in this game. Despite all the valid concerns, we’re still a cool class worth playing.
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The forums have and will continue to think the spec is trash. Shadow was top meta in m+ for most of dragonflight and the forums STILL said it was trash the entire time (mind you some of the criticism is definitely valid).
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This is why I always tell people that ironically and sadly a classes forums is the worst place you can get unbiased opinions on said class.
Every patch of every expansion, EVERY class forum is filled with how their spec is trash/blizzard hates them.
Just whiny nihilists who will never be satisfied, so just ignore them.
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