Priest specializationDPS

Shadow Priest

Shadow is one of the three Priest talent trees in WoW Forever. Its tree has 18 talents: 3 new, 5 changed and 10 moved. Forever removes 1 Classic talent from this tree. Our best-in-slot (BiS) list treats it as a DPS spec.

Class: Priest
Talents: 18
New in Forever: 3
Abilities: 19

Shadow talents

The 18 talents of the Shadow tree in the beta, row by row. Each one opens its own page: what every rank does, its requirements and what changes from Classic.

Shadow FocusRow 1 · 5 ranksMoved
BlackoutRow 1 · 5 ranksMoved
Spirit TapRow 1 · 5 ranksMoved
Shadow AffinityRow 2 · 3 ranksChanged
Improved Shadow Word: PainRow 2 · 2 ranksMoved
Shadow ReachRow 2 · 2 ranksMoved
Improved Mind BlastRow 3 · 5 ranksMoved
Improved Psychic ScreamRow 3 · 2 ranksMoved
Mind FlayRow 3 · 1 rankChanged
Improved Mind FlayRow 3 · 2 ranksNew
Improved FadeRow 4 · 2 ranksMoved
Vampiric EmbraceRow 4 · 1 rankMoved
Shadow WeavingRow 4 · 3 ranksMoved
SilenceRow 5 · 1 rankChanged
Devouring ContagionRow 5 · 2 ranksNew
Early DemiseRow 6 · 2 ranksNew
DarknessRow 6 · 5 ranksChanged
ShadowformRow 7 · 1 rankChanged

Try Shadow in the calculator

What changes in Forever

What is new and changed for Shadow compared with Classic Era: our change list, its talent tree and its abilities.

In our change list

SCHANGEDSpell

Devouring Plague

· General

Forever

Can now correctly land critical strikes. It remains available to all Priests regardless of race.

Auto-updated from official notes on October 1, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70170

SCHANGEDSpell

Fade

· General

Forever

Threat reduction effect doubled.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

SNEWSpell

Shadow Word: Death

· General

Forever

Baseline ability for all Priests at level 32. Deals instant Shadow damage; if the target is not killed by it, the Priest takes 10% of their maximum health in damage. 15 second cooldown.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

TCHANGEDTalent

Shadow Focus

· Shadow

Forever

Moved from row 2 up to row 1. Instead of reducing the target's chance to resist, it increases the chance for Shadow spells to hit.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

TCHANGEDTalent

Shadow Affinity

· Shadow

Forever

Threat reduction to Shadow spells increased slightly.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

TCHANGEDTalent

Shadow Reach

· Shadow

Forever

Moved from row 4 up to row 2. Now requires only 2 talent points for the same effect.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

TCHANGEDTalent

Improved Psychic Scream

· Shadow

Forever

Blackout is now a pre-requisite.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

TNEWTalent

Improved Mind Flay

· Shadow

Forever

New row 3 talent. Requires Mind Flay. Increases the damage and range of Mind Flay but reduces its movement speed slowing effect.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

TCHANGEDTalent

Vampiric Embrace

· Shadow

Forever

Moved to row 3 as the 16-point gold medal talent. Now lasts 30 seconds with a 1-minute cooldown.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

TCHANGEDTalent

Shadow Weaving

· Shadow

Forever

Can no longer fail to apply. It still benefits only the casting Priest and not other party or raid members.

Auto-updated from official notes on October 1, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70170

TCHANGEDTalent

Silence

· Shadow

Forever

No longer requires Improved Psychic Scream as a pre-requisite.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

TNEWTalent

Devouring Contagion

· Shadow

Forever

New row 5 talent. Reduces the Mana cost of Devouring Plague, and when a target dies while afflicted with Devouring Plague it jumps to a new enemy within 5 yards with the same remaining duration.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

TNEWTalent

Early Demise

· Shadow

Forever

New row 6 talent. Increases Shadow Word: Death's critical strike chance on targets below 20% health.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

TCHANGEDTalent

Shadowform

· Shadow

Forever

Now allows all non-healing spells to be cast while in Shadowform, reduces the Mana cost of all Shadow spells by 50% and increases the critical strike damage bonus of Shadow spells by 100%. Bonus to Shadow damage dealt decreased.

Auto-updated from official notes on September 30, 2026Official note ↗

Build 1.60.1.70124

Class-wide changes

They affect every Priest, whatever tree they play:

New talents

Improved Mind Flay
Your Mind Flay now deals 20% more damage, gains 10 yards increased range, but slows the target's movement speed by 20%.
Devouring Contagion
Reduces the mana cost of your Devouring Plague by 50%. Targets that die while Devouring Plague is active spreads it, jumping to a nearby enemy within 10 yds for the remaining duration.
Early Demise
Increases Shadow Word: Death's critical strike chance on targets at or below 20% health by 30%.

Changed or moved talents

Shadow FocusChanges: position, text, numbers.
BlackoutChanges: position.
Spirit TapChanges: position, text, numbers.
Shadow AffinityChanges: text, numbers.
Improved Shadow Word: PainChanges: position.
Shadow ReachChanges: position, ranks, text, numbers.
Improved Mind BlastChanges: position.
Improved Psychic ScreamChanges: position.
Mind FlayChanges: text, numbers.
Improved FadeChanges: position.
Vampiric EmbraceChanges: position, text, numbers.
Shadow WeavingChanges: position, ranks, text, numbers.
SilenceChanges: text, numbers.
DarknessChanges: text.
ShadowformChanges: text, numbers.

Removed talents

Improved Vampiric Embrace

New abilities

Changed abilities

Shadow Word: PainChanges: tooltip.
Hex of WeaknessChanges: tooltip.
Mind BlastChanges: tooltip.
Touch of WeaknessChanges: tooltip.
Devouring PlagueChanges: cooldown, tooltip, races.
Mind FlayChanges: tooltip.
ShadowguardChanges: tooltip.
Vampiric EmbraceChanges: level, cooldown, tooltip.
SilenceChanges: tooltip.
ShadowformChanges: tooltip.
Prayer of Shadow ProtectionChanges: tooltip.

Shadow Magic abilities

The 19 abilities the beta spellbook groups under Shadow Magic, by the level they are learned at. Each one opens its own page with its ranks, cost and changes.

See Shadow Magic in the spellbook →

Shadow best-in-slot (BiS) gear

The site’s suggestion, not an official list: we score the beta items with our stat weights for each level. The beta is capped at level 30.

Full list by levelLevel 20 Level 30beta Level 40 Level 50 Level 60

Top picks at level 60

Main hand
1. Brimstone Staffitem level 83 · Two-Hand · Drops from Loatheb · Naxxramas (Classic data)
2. Soulseekeritem level 89 · Two-Hand · Drops from Kel'Thuzad · Naxxramas (Classic data)
Head
1. Mish'undare, Circlet of the Mind Flayeritem level 83 · Drops from Nefarian · Blackwing Lair (Classic data)
2. Tiara of the Oracleitem level 81 · Quest: Tiara of the Oracle · Ahn'Qiraj (Classic data)
Chest
1. Crystal Webbed Robeitem level 85 · Drops from Maexxna · Naxxramas (Classic data)
2. Vestments of the Oracleitem level 88 · Quest: Vestments of the Oracle · Ahn'Qiraj (Classic data)

The two highest-scoring pieces in three slots. It is a forecast: until the beta reaches 60, items and their sources may change.

Full Shadow list at level 60 →

Why these weights

Shadow damage: spell power (and specific Shadow damage) is what truly matters; hit is worth ~12 per 1% and crit less than for a mage. In Classic the spell hit cap against bosses was 16%; Blizzard has not given Forever's now that hit is one shared stat. Spirit restores mana through Spirit Tap and Shadowform does not disable it. The wand scores twice as much as for the healing trees because it is part of real damage while levelling.