A priest is one of the most desired classes for end game raiding, but you aren't getting there anytime soon unless you are using a Shadow Priest Leveling Build. This is the absolute best talent spec for solo questing your way to level 85. However, many players don't know how to really push the potential of their Shadow Priest, and thus are not actually getting to level 85 in the time that they should. Read on, and I'll reveal how to build your Shadow Priest for power Leveling.
Why choose a Shadow Priest Leveling Build?
Shadow absolutely has the best DPS of any of the talent trees. This is your best choice for solo questing by far. Discipline is a great alternative to Shadow if you want to take a safer road, and has some great burst damage against a single target, but Shadow has the best damage against multiple mobs by utilizing a DoT Farming strategy. In addition, Shadow has some excellent mana efficiency. In fact you should never run out of mana if you utilize the appropriate talents, abilities and glyphs. Abilities you need to use for
Glyphs for your Shadow Priest Leveling Build
Your glyphs are just as important, if not more so than the talent points you choose. If you don't glyph appropriately, you are only using a fraction of your Shadow Priest Leveling Build's potential. For prime Glyphs, you will want to use Shadow Word: Death, Shadow Word: Pain, and Dispersion. SW:D and SW:P are two of the most important spells in your arsenal, so it's important for you to have them. Dispersion adds some much needed survivability and mana regen when you get it, so definitely, glyph it. Major glyphs you want to choose are Spirit Tap, Psychic Scream, and Psychic Horror. Spirit Tap is absolutely necessary for your mana regen, especially at lower levels. This should be your first major glyph. Psychic Scream and Psychic Horror are excellent survivability options. Minor Glyphs you can equip are Levitate, Fortitude, and Shadowfiend. The first one is mostly for convenience. I hate carrying reagents. With a Passion. Fortitude cuts down on mana usage considerably, and Shadowfiend restores some mana if it dies. Who doesn't like more mana? Overall, these glyphs contribute to a large part of your Shadow Priest Leveling Build.
Gearing for your Shadow Priest Leveling Build
One thing that can set you back while leveling your Shadow Priest is gearing improperly. You can only use cloth, and it's all caster gear. However, not all stats are created equally. You want a weapon with high spellpower. That's a no-brainer for any caster class. However, you need to stack your stats appropriately. Intellect is definitely number one for any caster class. However, Spirit is one of the most important secondary stats. This is typically a healer statistic, but for the Shadow Priest, it contributes to mana regen as well as hit rating. Stack this just after Intellect. It's a secondary stat, so it shouldn't conflict with Intellect. Once you are hit capped through spirit, Haste is the next important secondary stat for you. Your DoT's tick faster and your Global Cooldowns are reduced, meaning you can push out more damage, and make bigger pulls. Crit is nice too, but ranks just under haste for usefulness. Don't reforge to crit unless you are spilling over the hit cap.