Priest DPS Guide for Season of Discovery Phase 2
Priest DPS Guide for Season of Discovery Phase 2
In Phase 2 of the Season of Discovery, Priest DPS experiences a transformative surge. Out goes the era of Smite Priests; in comes a formidable array of potent spells. Key additions like Maligno de las Sombras and Dispersión redefine mana management, eliminating concerns about depletion. A substantial buff to Forma de las Sombras solidifies its role, ensuring seamless rotations and sustained damage output.
Rotation dynamics see Despelleje mental yielding to the more impactful Púa mental, elevating our damage potential. The divisive Palabra de las Sombras: muerte emerges as a disruptor, touted by some as the game's most formidable spell. Notably, we now maximize Tejido de las Sombras, uniquely benefiting our spec.
Embrace shadow mastery in Phase 2, wielding spells with newfound potency. Whether disrupting foes with Palabra de las Sombras: muerte or maintaining relentless damage, the Season of Discovery beckons. May your spells be potent, and enemies tremble in the face of your shadowy might!
Priest DPS Viability
In Phase 2, Priest DPS stands as a formidable force, firmly establishing itself among the elite. Initially commanding a prevalent presence in the top 100 DPS, even subsequent to a few necessary nerfs and fixes, Shadow continues to hover near the pinnacle. The eradication of mana concerns elevates the class, with threat management emerging as the sole obstacle.
In an unexpected twist, Shadow Priests find themselves in a unique position within the Season of Discovery. Accidental aggro pulls, once perceived as a hindrance, now underscore the potency of the spec. Notably, Shadow stands out as one of the few specializations capable of unintentionally seizing aggro, a testament to its unparalleled prowess.
As Phase 2 unfolds, revel in the dominance of Priest DPS. With mana worries vanquished, navigate the challenges of threat management, and let Shadow continue to shine as a force to be reckoned with in the ongoing saga of the Season of Discovery.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
1. Very High DPS: Priest DPS boasts exceptional damage output, consistently ranking among the top performers in Phase 2.
2. Solid AoE (Area of Effect): The class excels in dealing with multiple enemies simultaneously, providing reliable AoE damage.
3. High Sustain: With robust sustainability, Priest DPS can endure prolonged engagements, contributing consistently to encounters.
4. Consistent Group Healing with Vampiric Embrace: The ability to contribute to group healing enhances the versatility of Priest DPS, ensuring the well-being of the entire party.
5. Flexibility with Runes: Unparalleled flexibility is granted by the ability to seamlessly switch between Healer, DPS, or Support roles using Runes alone, adapting to the evolving needs of the group.
6. Unique Debuff in Shadow Weaving: The inclusion of Shadow Weaving introduces a distinctive debuff, setting Priest DPS apart and enhancing its utility within a group.
Weaknesses:
1. Time-Dependent Damage Abilities: Void Plague and Shadow Word: Pain, while potent, require time to reach their maximum damage potential, making initial burst damage a bit delayed.
2. Shadow Word: Death Impact: The formidable Shadow Word: Death, despite its power, can pose a significant threat to the Priest DPS, necessitating strategic use to avoid potential self-inflicted damage.
3. Consideration of Racial Abilities: The impact of racial abilities on performance remains a crucial consideration, as racial choices can influence the effectiveness and synergy of Priest DPS in various situations.
Best Specialization for Priest DPS
For optimal Priest DPS performance in Phase 2 of the Season of Discovery, the recommended specialization is to exclusively invest in the Shadow tree. Channeling all skill points into this tree unlocks crucial abilities that significantly enhance damage output and overall effectiveness.
Key Talents and Specializations:
1. Shadowform: Prioritize acquiring Forma de las Sombras, a cornerstone ability that not only enhances survivability but also amplifies your damage potential.
2. Shadow Weaving: Allocate points to Shadow Weaving to maximize the unique debuff it provides. This debuff not only boosts your damage but also benefits your group, making it a valuable addition to your arsenal.
3. Darkness: Invest in Darkness, another talent in the Shadow tree that augments your overall performance, contributing to increased spell hit chance.
Best Runes for Priest DPS
1. 
Mind Spike Rune: This Waist Rune replaces Mind Flay in your rotation, increasing the Critical Chance of Mind Blast by 30% per cast, stacking up to 3 times for a total of +90% Critical Chance. Utilize Mind Spike three times between every Mind Blast, ensuring optimal damage output.
2. 
Dispersion Rune: A favored Boot Rune, Dispersion transforms you into "pure Shadow energy" for 6 seconds, reducing damage taken by 90% and regenerating 6% mana per second. It serves as a reliable defensive cooldown, and its mana regeneration aspect enhances sustainability. Dispersion can also be used while crowd controlled, breaking and clearing most CC effects, making it valuable in PvP.
3. 
Pain Suppression Rune: While Dispersion is generally preferred, Pain Suppression offers powerful group utility for specific encounters. It can be a crucial tool to support your group in challenging situations.
4. 
Void Plague Rune: One of the Chest options for DPS Priests, Void Plague functions as an additional Shadow Word: Pain. While straightforward, it contributes solid DPS, making it a reliable choice.
5. 
Twisted Faith Rune: Twisted Faith deals more damage to targets with Shadow Word: Pain on them. While a strong ability, its effectiveness is limited in Phase 2 due to the absence of Mind Flay. Choosing between Void Plague and Twisted Faith depends on the encounter dynamics and personal preference.
6. 
Shadow Word - Death Rune: An instant, high-damage nuke with potential backlash damage if it doesn't secure a killing blow. It can be a significant damage dealer but requires caution to manage the self-inflicted damage. Vampiric Embrace can help mitigate the backlash.
7. 
Mind Sear Rune: This returning staple provides powerful AoE damage, mirroring Mind Flay's mechanics for multi-target situations. However, it doesn't damage the channeling target, requiring strategic positioning for optimal efficiency.
8. 
Homunculi Rune: Summoning 3 tiny copies, Homunculi debuffs enemies with Armor reduction. This Rune is particularly beneficial for Physical DPS, replacing the need for Sunder Armor. However, the copies may act independently, requiring careful positioning and control.
9. 
Shared Pain Rune: Shared Pain causes Shadow Word: Pain to hit 3 targets per cast, making it a decent AoE option. However, Priest DPS may already have efficient AoE tools, making this Rune more situational on specific encounters.
Gameplay Priest DPS
As a Shadow Priest in the Season of Discovery Phase 2, mastering your rotation is key to maximizing your damage output. Here's a straightforward guide to help you navigate the shadowy arts:
Basic Rotation:
1. Maintain Void Plague: Ensure the consistent upkeep of Void Plague on your target to inflict sustained damage over time.
2. Keep Shadow Word: Pain Active: Pain to contribute to ongoing damage on your target.
3. Cast Shadow Word: Death: Death whenever it's off cooldown to deliver a potent burst of damage. Exercise caution to avoid its potential self-damage.
4. Expel Mind Blast with 3 stacks of Mind Flay: Build up 3 stacks of Mind Flay and unleash them with Explosión mental for a powerful spell combo.
Shadow Rotation in Action:
1. Keep Void Plague Active: Ensure that Void Plague is consistently applied and ticking on your target.
2. Maintain Shadow Word: Pain: Keep Shadow Word: Pain active for continuous damage output.
3. Cast Shadow Word: Death: Death when available for a burst of damage. Exercise caution to avoid potential self-damage.
4. Expel Mind Flay Stacks with Mind Blast: When you accumulate 3 stacks of Mind Flay, expend them by casting Explosión mental.
5. Cast Mind Flay: Continue to build stacks of Mind Flay for future Explosión mental casts.
Adaptations:
- Skip Void Plague and Shadow Word: Pain for Short-Lived Targets: For targets unlikely to survive the full duration of Void Plague or Shadow Word: Pain, consider skipping these spells, as they may not be worth casting.
- Exercise Caution with Shadow Word: Death: Be mindful of your positioning and timing when casting Shadow Word: Death to avoid potential self-inflicted damage.
Stats and Gear Guide for Priest DPS
Stat Priority
1. Spell Power: Prioritize Spell Power as it significantly enhances the damage output of all your spells. Notably, DoT effects like Shadow Word: Pain benefit greatly from Spell Power, with close to a 1:1 ratio.
2. Spell Crit: While Spell Crit is valuable, it is not as essential for Priest DPS as it might be for other caster DPS or healers. It adds to your overall damage but may not be as impactful in certain rotations.
3. Intellect: Intellect contributes to your overall mana pool and boosts your spell critical strike chance. It enhances your sustainability and longevity in encounters.
4. Mana Per 5: Reducing the need to cast Dispersion is crucial, and Mp5 aids in sustained mana regeneration. It is especially valuable as it operates outside the five-second rule, providing a constant flow of regeneration.
5. Spirit: While Spirit contributes to mana regeneration, its impact is less direct compared to Intellect and Mp5. However, it still plays a role in overall sustainability.
6. Spell Hit: Although powerful, Spell Hit is capped at 5% against level 42 bosses in Gnomeregan. Achieve this cap through talents like Shadow Focus or a combination of talents and gear.
Gear Recommendations for Priest DPS
1. Gneurolinked Arcane Filament Monocle: An exclusive tailor item, this piece provides substantial Spell Damage and includes a valuable DPS cooldown, addressing a potential gap in Priest DPS capabilities.
2. Shiny Junk Sword: A coveted Purple Weapon, this item enhances your overall damage and serves as a desirable addition to your gear arsenal.
Best Races for Priest DPS
Best Alliance Races:
1. Dwarf: Dwarf priests bring the classic powerhouse Fear Ward, allowing them to nullify a Fear effect on a single player every 30 seconds. While historically invaluable, Season of Discovery introduces Exemplar's Inspiration, a Paladin Rune that dispels Fear and Sleep on any nearby party members. This group dispel makes Fear Ward less impactful for DPS players.
2. Night Elf: Night Elf priests possess the surprisingly powerful Starshards, which can effectively replace Mind Flay. However, with Mind Flay taking over that role in Phase 2, the main Night Elf racial, Shadowmeld, remains niche but allows for an advantage in certain PvP situations.
3. Human: Humans bring nothing particularly valuable to the table for Priests in terms of racials and are not considered the best choice for maximizing Priest DPS.
Best Horde Races:
1. Troll: Troll priests benefit from Shadowguard, retaliating with a small chunk of Shadow damage whenever hit. This racial is useful, especially against AoE hits, and has PvP utility by potentially stopping a Rogue ambush with the Stun effect. Additionally, Berserking provides a powerful racial synergy with Shadow Word: Death, offering a significant damage boost.
2. Undead: Undead priests receive Devouring Plague, a 3-minute cooldown DoT that also heals the caster. While potent, it comes with a hefty Mana cost. Will of the Forsaken is a strong spell but doesn't drastically impact PvE. The race excels in unique utility, making it a solid choice for Horde Priests.
Best Professions for Priest DPS
Tailoring: Tailoring offers a range of solid items to craft for Priest DPS. However, the standout item is the Gneurolinked Arcane Filament Monocle. This headpiece is undeniably the best-in-slot item for Priests, providing unparalleled benefits, and it is exclusively available to tailors.
In Season of Discovery Phase 2, choosing Tailoring as one of your professions ensures access to this exceptional headpiece, significantly boosting your overall performance as a Priest DPS.