Shadow Priest DPS Stat Priority — 12.0.5

As a Shadow Priest your choice of Hero Talent and the encounter type plays a big role in your desired secondary stats. Largely speaking we prefer Haste and Mastery as our top stats, with Critical Strike and Versatility falling into a lesser category. Whether you prefer Haste or Mastery as your top stat, and by how much, will depend on several factors.

As a Shadow Priest if you want to optimize for all types of content you should keep two gear sets maintained, one for Voidweaver and another for Archon. Voidweaver prefers Haste over Mastery, while Archon does best with keeping these two stats closer to equal.

Below is the stat priority for Shadow Priests in Single Target. Besides each stat a range is listed approximating healthy amounts to target for each stat (un-buffed). These are not minimums or maximums, but simply guidance of rough goals for each stat in a Raid environment.

1. Intellect
2. Mastery (13% - 17%)
3. Haste (24% - 29%)
4. Critical Strike (7% - 16%)
5. Versatility (1% - 3%)

1. Intellect
2. Haste (25% - 33%)
3. Mastery (13% - 17%)
4. Critical Strike (7% - 14%)
5. Versatility (1% - 3%)

Below is the stat priority for AoE. Besides each stat a range is listed approximating healthy amounts to target for each stat (un-buffed). These are not minimums or maximums, but simply guidance of rough goals for each stat in a Mythic+ environment.

1. Intellect
2. Haste (25% - 35%)
3. Mastery (13% - 17%)
4. Critical Strike (7% - 14%)
5. Versatility (1% - 3%)

1. Intellect
2. Haste (25% - 35%)
3. Mastery (11% - 14%)
4. Critical Strike (7% - 14%)
5. Versatility (1% - 3%)

Optimization

Simulations and Tools

While a generalized stat priority will assist new players, there really is no substitute for simming your character. Learn more with this guide!

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Intellect is your primary stat. You should look for this stat in all of your upgrades. It provides you with Spell Power, which increases the damage of your spells.

Critical Strike increases your chance to critically hit with all spells and abilities. Crits deal double damage by default, but several effects can increase your crit damage, and make crits even stronger.

Haste increases your spell-casting speed and the tick rate of your periodic effects.

Mastery ( Mastery: Shadow Weaving) increases the damage of your spells for each damage over time effect you have active on that target. This only works with Shadow Word: Pain, Vampiric Touch, and Shadow Word: Madness. While Voidform is active, you get the benefit on every target as if they had all three dots active.

Versatility increases all your damage and healing done, and decreases all damage taken.

Every stat has a limit where they will begin to offer less increase per point gained, which are known as the points of diminishing return. Once you have reached these amounts, stats will become progressively less valuable and may fall behind other options. The current breakpoints are:

Itemization

Gearing and Enchants

Your stat priority extends to enchants, consumables, and gear. Take what you learned on this page and apply it to your gameplay with these two guides!

GearEnchants

Publik

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This guide has been written by Publik, Shadow Priest theorycrafter and SimC dev at Warcraft Priests.