a Darkened Soul » Theorycrafting

Hopefully this site is helpful in bringing you the most up-to-date Shadow Priest info as it becomes available. The 4 posts below are random older posts that might be of interest to some people.

Engineering as a Shadow Priest

Aug-4-2008

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Archive for the ‘Theorycrafting’ Category

Shadow Priest Dictionary: Double Potting

Posted by chuckenorris On January - 26 - 2010

Double Potting

-verb

1. The action of using more than one potion in an encounter.

2. Using a Potion immediately before entering combat allows a player to use another potion at sometime during that encounter.

Surprisingly few Shadow Priests seem to be using this method to increase their dps potential, but in the golden age of pugs and under-geared players in end game content I am not really that surprised. Double Potting is the action of using a potion such as Potion of Wild Magic right before a boss encounter begins allowing you all the benefits of that potion while in combat without locking yourself out of the use of a potion during the fight.

This method is specifically very beneficial to Shadow Priests due to the fact that the effects of the potions can carry over in or SW:P throughout the entire encounter.

Here is an example of how I begin a typical boss fight: Potion of Wild Magic, combat begins, VT,DP,MB,MF, Nevermelting Ice Crystal(trinket), SW:P

The breakdown of what this accomplishes is:

Potion of Wild Magic- Increases critical rating by 200 (9.06% @ L70) and spell power by 200 for 15 sec. (1 Min Cooldown) Using this potion before the beginning of combat allows all of your first casts the Spellpower and Critical Strike benefits while you are applying Misery and Shadow Weaving debuffs to the boss. There should be plenty of time to cast all of these spells and use your trinket before the 15 second timer on the potion expires. The 200 Spellpower will roll off of your SW:P when it is refreshed the next time by your Mind Flay. However, the 200 Crit from the potion as well as the 920 Crit from your trinket will roll over for as long as you can keep your SW:P from falling off the boss.

The action of using your potion before the encounter has begun allows you to use another potion during combat in case either your buffs have fallen off and you must renew SW:P or you need a burst of damage at a particular point in the encounter.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Theorycrafting, World of Warcraft, WotLK

Beefing Up Your Shadow Word: Pain

Posted by chuckenorris On January - 7 - 2010

After seeing my dps increase dramatically from the changes made in Patch 3.3, it was obvious to me that Blizzard made the right decision by keeping Haste off of SW:P.

Shadow Priests are at a really good place right now and don’t really have any reason to complain about much of anything. Buuut everyone should have an ace-in-the-hole so to speak. You know, something that almost seems like cheating if we didn’t already know that Blizzard knew we were doing it and didn’t say anything.

One of these little “secrets” that can be exploited is the bug with SW:P refreshing. You know, the one that Blizzard originally said was the reason that we couldn’t have the Haste buff added to the spell and then changed their minds saying that it was because they didn’t want classes to become too dependent on certain stats.

Basically the idea, in case you don’t know what I’m talking about, is the ability to stack Crit with pots and trinkets before casting SW:P and being able to keep that Crit forever through Mind Flay refreshing.

Now a trinket has come into play that seems to be sort of a secret weapon that no one talks about. This trinket called Nevermelting Ice Crystal increases Spellpower by 111 but the real kicker come from the use on the item.

Use: Increases your Critical Strike Rating by 920 for 20 seconds. Each time one of your non-periodic spell does a critical strike the bonus is reduced by 184.

It has been tested by the user base at Shadowpriest.com and verified that using this item before casting SW:P will allow you to keep the 920 Crit Rating or about 20% Crit Chance through Mind Flay refreshes.

This is obviously an amazing thing to have around, especially in fights that are easy to keep the same SW:P up the entire time like Marrowgar.

This awesome guide over at Shadowpriest.com gives a great breakdown of what other things roll over in SW:P refreshing.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Gear, Talents and Spells, Theorycrafting, World of Warcraft, WotLK

Shadow Priest Cheat Sheat 3.3.1

Posted by chuckenorris On January - 2 - 2010

This is the 3.3.1 version of my Shadow Priest Cheat Sheet. A few updates have been made for accuracy and suggestions by users. I have added my Best Raiding Profession guide into this one for an easier experience finding valuable information. I have also decided to remove the downloadable version unless it is requested due to lack of interest over the last two versions.

Hit

* 263 hit is the cap with 6 points between Shadow Focus and Misery and with a Draenei in your group

* 289.55 hit is the cap with 6 points between Shadow Focus and Misery

* 314.78 hit before you can go to 5 points between Shadow Focus and Misery

* 341.02 hit before you can go to 4 points between Shadow Focus and Misery

* 367.25 hit before you can go to 3 points between Shadow Focus and Misery

* 393.48 hit before you can go to 2 points between Shadow Focus and Misery

* 419.71 hit before you can go to 1 point between Shadow Focus and Misery

* 445.94 hit before you can go to 0 points between Shadow Focus and Misery

Stat Priority

1. Hit (until cap)

2. Spellpower

3. Haste

4. Crit

5. Spirit

6. Intellect

Percent Values

1% hit = 26.23 hit

1% haste = 32.79 haste

1% crit = 45.91 crit

Psuedo Point Values

* 1 spellhit = 1.88 PP

* 1 spellpower = 1 PP

* 1 spellhaste = .98 PP

* 1 spellcrit = 0.76 PP

* 1 spirit = 0.59 PP

* 1 intellect = 0.22 PP

Casting Priority List

1. Shadow Word Pain (only with 5x weaving stack and crit buffs)

2. Vampiric Touch

3. Devouring Plague

4. Mind Blast

5. Mind Flay

6. Shadow Word: Death (only when there is between 1 and 1.5 seconds before the next non-Mind Flay spell should be cast)

Spell Coefficients

Devouring Plague- 18.49% (per tick)

Holy Nova- (Damage)16.06%

Mana Burn- 0.0%

Mind Blast- 42.80%

Mind Flay- 25.70% (per tick)

Mind Sear- 71.43%

Shadowfiend- 65.0%

Shadow Word: Death- 42.96%

Shadow Word: Pain- 18.29% (per tick), 110% (overall)

Smite- 71.40%

Vampiric Touch- 40.0% (per tick)

Most Benefiting Professions for Raiding

1. Engineering- 52.22pp

PP is from Hyperspeed Accelerators, Springy Arcanoweave, and Nitro Boosts. (66.64 – 28 + 27 – 22.54+18.24-9.12 =52.22)

2. Tailoring-51.21pp

All pp is from Lightweave Embroidery. (295/4-22.54=51.21)

3. Jewelcrafting- 48pp

All pp is derived from Runed Dragon’s Eye. ((39-23)*3 = 48)

4. Inscription- 46pp

All pp is from the Master’s Inscription of the Storm shoulder enchant. (80.65-34.65=46)

4. Blacksmithing- 46pp

All pp is from Socket Gloves and Socket Bracer. (23+23=46)

4. Leatherworking- 46pp

All pp is from Fur Lining- Spellpower. (76-30=46)

4. Enchanting- 46pp

All pp is from Enchant Ring- Greater Spellpower. (23+23=46)

5. Skinning- 30.74pp

PP is derived from Master of Anatomy. (40*.76=30.74)

Best Gems

1. Runed Cardinal Ruby(23pp)

2. Reckless Ametrine(21.8PP)

3. Purified Dreadstone(17.9PP)

Best Meta

Chaotic Skyflare Diamond

“Jewelcrafter only” gems get top priority

Best Glyphs

Major Glyphs:

1. Glyph of Shadow

2. Glyph of Mind Flay

3. Glyph of SWP

4. Glyph of SWD

Minor Glyphs:

1. Glyph of Shadowfiend

2. Glyph of Fading

3. Glyph of Levitate

Talent Specs

14/0/57- Get Meditation and Inner Focus in the Disc tree.

13/0/58- Get Meditation but not Inner Focus.

Best Enchants (non profession)

Head- Arcanum of Burning Mysteries

Shoulders- Greater Inscription of the Storm

Cloak- Greater Speed

Chest- Major Spirit

Wrists- Superior Spellpower

Gloves- Exceptional Spellpower

Waist- Eternal Belt Buckle

Legs- Brilliant Spellthread

Feet- Icewalker

2 Hander- Greater Spellpower

Main Hand- Mighty Spellpower

Mana Regen

-Spirit is first because it increases spellpower as well as mana regen

-Intellect is second priority because both Dispersion and Shadowfiend return mana based on mana pool. It also increases crit chance.

-MP5 is third because it does nothing but supply mana regen.

Popularity: 34% [?]

Gear, Professions, Talents and Spells, Theorycrafting, World of Warcraft, WotLK

Shadow Priest Cheat Sheet 3.3.0

Posted by chuckenorris On December - 5 - 2009

VERSION 3.3.1 OF THIS CHEAT SHEET IS NOW AVAILABLE!

This is the 3.3.0 version of my Shadow Priest Cheat Sheet since 3.3 is all but finalized. I have added my Best Raiding Profession guide into this one for an easier experience finding valuable information. I have also decided to remove the downloadable version unless it is requested due to lack of interest over the last two versions.