Shadow Priest Feels Great

Classes Priest
101

I think high end raiders can find shadow priest fun because its feedback systems is one of the best in game. Assuming you don’t run random proc traits like Infinite Stars, Shadow’s damage is very consistent pull to pull. It becomes much easier to judge your performance, and the simplicity of the spec makes it easier to point out areas that need improvement. Hell, your void form length directly correlates to maintaining your ABCs of a caster. Its a solid spec for min-max style of approaching the game.

But this is only in raid. While spriest can perform in M+, it often struggles because it relies heavily on momentum. It directly conflicts with other playstyles in M+ and its unreasonable to expect your tank to play around you and not the 2 other DPS in party. However, the higher in keys you go (20+), mobs just live longer, and momentum is less of an issue as there tends to be less downtime overall. You can watch someone like Matthxw2 on twitch pull his own weight in higher keys, but however hes not really pushing the 24s and 25s like some people are now (and each key level is a huge difference). Shadow is also propped up in M+ by Focusing Iris and Breath of the Dying (which is just a better and functional SWD).

As far as my issues with Shadow, its always felt like the situation had to be adapted to me, not vice versa. Raid members would have to play around what I needed to perform, as losing a GCD over the last 20 seconds of a void form can be as impactful as open GCDs during a combust for a mage. I originally started a spriest in TBC because I liked the utility of the spec. It did crap damage, but its shadow debuffs and mana generation alone justified it for a raid slot. Now its on the complete opposite end, feeling like it adds nothing but damage which your team has to play around. And it can’t even apply extra pressure when you need it, especially when so many fights are heavily reliant on it.

Which is honestly one of my biggest problems with the spec. Its always been a negative side to shadow. Hell, In HFC, shadow got boned pretty hard by the legendary ring effect. But its spread DoT cleave justified bringing the class. But Blizzard doesn’t like that niche being so strong, so where does that leave shadow? They carry this heavy burden of ramp DPS that offers no particular strength. Sure its consistent damage, but consistent damage doesn’t really have much value in WoW.

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102

I think I’d argue shadow has brought consistent damage in the past, due to the historic lack of reliance on cooldowns. Ramp is not equal to consistency, and consistency is often rewarding as long as there isn’t ramp attached to it for no good reason.

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103

Once Shadow ramps, with CoI its pretty consistent damage. In SL with CoI gone, I have no idea. Maybe it will be an ADA approved ramp slope.

104

COI and LI’s overlap effectively “propping up” shadow at low voidform stacks is really a large concern of mine. Especially at this point where the “prop up” is arguably, if not definitively stronger than the actual ramp mechanic itself.

Whether you like voidform or not, I think it’s maybe fair to say that due to interactions with borrowed power and a lack of anticipation from the balance and development team throughout BFA, shadow ended up in a place that was not intended.

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105

After spending more time in more 8.3 content (still no M+ though) I’m still enjoying shadow a lot, the only negative I’m becoming aware of at this point is that power word: shield seems very weak, almost negligible in many cases. (And it still seems that dot damage needs a little love as well.)

106

That’s kinda the thing. Dot damage is weak for you because you don’t reach the numbers of VF stacks the spec is balanced around consistently achieving.

Buffing dots would make the spec overpowered in most other content, but for you it’d just make it fine.

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107

Hmmm interesting.

108

Now imagine those of us who loved shadow prior? I have not enjoyed this game the way I used to since shadow had been reworked in legion. It goes both ways.

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109

Ugh I wasn’t going to post in this forum because it was so narrow minded. I also think its funny how people come into a forum asking for proof like this is some type of legal battle.

Let me clear this up for you. This is why you feel so confident in asking for proof: There is no way to get hard evidence… now stop trolling and asking for proof.

Before you trolls have the need to contradict this; Show me your proof. Yeah, ill wait and wade through your reply’s trying to validate yourself.

Don’t feed about the game is not all about high-end endgame. If this is your foundation of your argument, I understand why your trying to validate yourself on a forum and I feel bad for you.

Raider-io, pvp ladder boards, MDI, and WoW Arena Championship series are the only things we have to go off of as a community. Yeah, your screenshot of your meter doesn’t matter.

As for those people trying to gloat about being scouted for one boss fight out of the game. Congrats, you found the 2% of the game you can be good in.

The reason I choose to respond to this post was to point out how misguided and trash filled the forums are.

Really? WoD. Hardly the best expansion, but we did not have to cast at all… I spammed my strafe keys because I could while doing damage. Try that now and tell me how it goes.

As for the people that think they are speaking for all shadows every where. I don’t remember voting for you nor does anyone else. Keep it simple. The devs don’t want to read through your feud wars. Trying to convince others to lean one way or another. In fact, this probably discourages the devs from even considering the forums as feedback outside the official post. Post what you like and don’t like. Recommend Ideas or changes is always fun and meant as such.

Some people like current shadow. That’s fine. I, however, do not.

I have switched mains after maining shadow until BFA. I have kept up with my priest through the expansion out of pure love and nostalgia for the class. I have expressed my ideas and hope they are seen by the devs.

P.S. For all you trolls, licking your lips getting ready to reply. Just know, I will enjoy your post just as much as you and I can troll just as hard.

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110

If you were slightly more confrontational and used more veiled profanity I would take you more seriously.

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111

Well darn. I guess, I missed my mark. I thought my facial expressions were enough.

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112

The people that keep talking about how much they love Voidform don’t seem to play it without Lingering Insanity, Legacy of the Void, Chorus of Insanity, and Whispers of the Damned.

I’m also assuming a lot of them are running w/ Shadowy Insight. While SW:Void is seen as a must-pick, Shadowy Insight procs a ton and further adds mobility, which I’d suppose makes the really terrible interaction with Voidbolt far less noticeable.

But the thing is, without LI, LotV, COI, and WotD, Voidform mechanically does not function. These talents are not supposed to be mandatory, it’s why Blizz redesigned the tree right? To eliminate cookie-cutter builds. This is more than a cookie cutter build - you need these two (really three) talents to function, and you need these two azerite traits to function.

What happens when you don’t take LI and don’t have CoI? You end voidform with nothing. You start your next Voidform with nothing. Your payoff from maintaining Voidform is fractions of what it would be because your Voidform always starts at nothing. And the only power increase from Voidform is tied to LI and CoI, a talent and a trait. Playing without LotV and WotD means you spend even less time in Voidform because it takes significantly longer to get there, and there’s no increase of power to make up for this when choosing an alternate talent or trait.

The fact is our core mechanic is forced to use a cookie-cutter talent build and azerite traits as crutches to function at the absolute bare minimum. That is embarrassingly poor design.

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113

The implementation of band-aids through borrowed power and mandatory talents to serve the spec to function will again become an issue. It’s like the Alpha/Beta of BFA all over again, and we’re saying the very same things.

How’s the spec going to play without Chorus and Whispers of the Damned?

How is the spec still so reliant on mandatory talents?

I’m legitimately surprised the development team haven’t gone and put LI and LotV up against each other in the thought of making competitive options (touch wood (really bad idea imo)).

I’m confident there are further changes to come, but they really do need to be a significant shift away from this whole mess.

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114

I’m really not. Bandaids are coming, covering up significant flaws that most will pretend don’t exist. They aren’t making significant changes to shadow and they aren’t doing anything significant about the significant power difference between specs that are good at everything and those who aren’t.

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115

Significant changes, of which we need, I doubt will happen. Most likely another expansion of band aids while the playstyle remains where a unique ramp exists in an environment where initiate burst/sustain is favorable.

The mandatory talents (and the dead tiers) will still be in place because the effective playstyle is so reliant of the QoL and band aids, instead of legitimate options that offer a choice on how to augment the design.

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116

My 394 ilvl BM Hunter does more damage than this 465 Priest specced Shadow.

The spec is truly garbage. I mean I’m sure this is a me issue, but just seeing Kill Command crit and watch something go from 100% to 30% in 1 hit while this Priest needs to dot up etc etc, It’s just… It’s sad. WTB MoP Priest have a blessed day.

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117

No, it doesn’t.

It literally, mathematically, doesn’t unless you’re purposefully not even closely doing a good rotation. Please stop trying to use exaggerations.

1 Like
118

And that’s what’s wrong with the spec - There’s no more gameplay for ramp up damage. Affliction and Shadow needs serious love come SL.

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119

…What? What does this have to do with anything?

I said you’re mathematically wrong. No spec at ilvl 465 is going to do worse DPS as DPS as another DPS spec at ilvl 394.

120

Okay oops sorry zaddy calm tf down lmao

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