Shadow Priest BIS Gear Phase 1 Cata Classic | Guide

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Stat And Cap Priority

Your Stat Priority for Shadow Priest BiS in Cataclysm Classic should be like this (left to right).

Intellect → Spell Power → Spirit → Hit Rating → Haste Rating → Mastery Rating → Critical Strike Rating

Intellect is the most important stat for Shadow Priests, but it cannot be reforged. Most of your gear will provide Intellect, and your weapon will give Spell Power. Higher item level gear is usually better, especially for weapons.

Spirit and Hit Rating are interchangeable due to the Twisted Faith talent. You need enough to reach the 17% Hit cap, but any more is wasted. Consider raid buffs like Heroic Presence when calculating your needed Hit. Use the improved character sheet to check your Hit chance against different level targets.

After reaching the Hit cap, Haste Rating becomes your best stat, especially at certain breakpoints. With recent changes, our damage-over-time effects can now critically hit, making Critical Strike Rating more valuable.

Mastery Rating provides a unique bonus for each specialization. For Shadow Priests, it enhances Shadow Orb Power, increasing the damage from Shadow Orbs, which is crucial for our DPS.

Even with our guides, getting this gear will be a chore for many weeks. You can use our Cataclysm gearing boost to avoid wasting your time.

Gear

Back

Cloaks with sockets are rare, and there is only one level 379 cloak available, making it the best option. However, it will be highly sought after by all casters and healers. If you can’t get this cloak, consider the Drape of the Twins or the Planetary Drape of the Undertow if the Spirit stat is useful to you. Otherwise, the Shadow of Dread is a decent alternative, although it lacks Haste.

Best Enchant: Enchant Cloak – Greater Intellect.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Shroud of Endless Grief	Sinestra	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Drape of the Twins	Valiona, Theralion	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Planetary Drape of the Undertow	Al’Akir	Throne of the Four Winds (Heroic)
Alt	Shadow of Dread	Nefarian	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Ritssyn’s Ruminous Drape	BoE World Drop	Azeroth
Alt	Drape of the Twins	Valiona, Theralion	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Planetary Drape of the Undertow	Al’Akir	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Shadow of Dread	Nefarian	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Haunt of Flies	1250 Valor Points	Jamus’Vaz, Faldren Tillsdale
Alt	Heavenly Breeze	1250 Valor Points	Jamus’Vaz, Faldren Tillsdale

Chest

This slot is locked into the Mercurial Regalia set. You’ll probably use the Mercurial Vestment until you get another piece of the Mercurial Vestment, especially if you already have enough pieces to activate the set bonus.

Best Enchant: Enchant Chest – Peerless Stats.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Mercurial Vestment	Halfus Wyrmbreaker	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Shadowblaze Robes	Nefarian, Onyxia	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Robes of the Burning Acolyte	Halfus Wyrmbreaker	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt Tier	Mercurial Vestment	2200 Valor Points	Jamus’Vaz, Faldren Tillsdale
Alt	Robes of the Burning Acolyte	Halfus Wyrmbreaker	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Shadowblaze Robes	Nefarian, Onyxia	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Shadowforge’s Lightbound Smock	Zone Drop	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Dizze’s Whirling Robe	BoE World Drop	Azeroth

Head

The Crown of the Twilight Queen is the top pick here because it has the highest item level available. Although its stats aren’t ideal for us, we can easily adjust them at the Reforger. If you want to optimize your Mercurial Regalia, this is a piece you might skip. If you’re not a high priority for the Crown of the Twilight Queen or if you already got the Mercurial Hood early on, you can use this slot for a Tier piece instead.

Best Enchant: Arcanum of Hyjal.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Crown of the Twilight Queen	Sinestra	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Helm of Eldritch Authority	Valiona, Theralion	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Mercurial Hood	Al’Akir, Nefarian	Throne of the Four Winds (Heroic), Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Crown of Burning Waters	Magmaw	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Power Generator Hood	Omnotron Defense System	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt Tier	Mercurial Hood	Al’Akir, Nefarian	Throne of the Four Winds, Blackwing Descent
Alt Engineering	Lightweight Bio-Optic Killshades	BoP Craft	Engineering
Alt	Helm of Eldritch Authority	Valiona, Theralion	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Crown of Burning Waters	Magmaw	Blackwing Descent

Shoulders

Our goal is to get the 4-piece Mercurial Regalia set. To achieve this, we need to obtain the Mercurial Shoulderwraps. These shoulderwraps have the stats we need, making them the perfect choice.

Best Enchant: Greater Inscription of Charged Lodestone.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Mercurial Shoulderwraps	Cho’gall, Al’Akir	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic), Throne of the Four Winds (Heroic)
Alt	Mantle of Roaring Flames	Atramedes	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Mantle of Nefarius	Nefarian	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt Tier	Mercurial Shoulderwraps	Cho’gall, Al’Akir	Throne of the Four Winds, Blackwing Descent
Alt	Mantle of Roaring Flames	Atramedes	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Mantle of Nefarius	Nefarian	Blackwing Descent

Hands

Mercurial Gloves are the clear choice since we will need them for our 4-set bonus. Make sure to participate in Baradin Hold every reset for a chance to get the Mercurial Gloves.

Best Enchant: Enchant Gloves – Haste + Synapse Springs (Engineer only).

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Mercurial Gloves	Magmaw, Atramedes	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Brackish Gloves	Chimaeron	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Hands of the Twilight Council	Cho’gall	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt Tier	Mercurial Gloves	Magmaw, Atramedes	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Brackish Gloves	Chimaeron	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Hands of the Twilight Council	Cho’gall	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Flamebloom Gloves	The Earthen Ring (Exalted)	Shimmering Expanse
Alt BoE	Woundsplicer Handwraps	BoE World Drop	Azeroth
Alt BoE	Grips of the Failed Immortal	BoE World Drop	Azeroth

Wrists

As always, item level is most important, and Bracers of the Dark Mother are the only piece available at item level 379. Expect these to be in high demand. However, Bracers of the Burningeye are also a good option and should serve you well for the rest of the phase if you can obtain them.

Best Enchant: Enchant Bracer – Mighty Intellect.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Bracers of the Dark Mother	Sinestra	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Bracers of the Burningeye	Atramedes	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Bracers of the Bronze Flight	Halfus Wyrmbreaker	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Bracers of the Burningeye	Atramedes	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Bracers of the Bronze Flight	Halfus Wyrmbreaker	The Bastion of Twilight

Waist

The Soul Breath Belt of the Undertow is our top choice. Those who optimized a Shadow Priest in Phase 1 of Burning Crusade Classic might shudder at the idea of a random enchantment being the best option. While this belt is the best choice, it’s not significantly better than other options, so don’t stress too much over it.

If you can’t get the Soul Breath Belt, both the X-Tron Duct Tape and the Belt of Arcane Storms are good alternatives, depending on whether you can manage without the Spirit stat.

Best Enchant: Ebonsteel Belt Buckle.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Soul Breath Belt of the Undertow	Conclave of Wind	Throne of the Four Winds (Heroic)
Alt	Belt of Arcane Storms	Maloriak	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	X-Tron Duct Tape	Omnotron Defense System	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Soul Breath Belt of the Undertow	Conclave of Wind	Throne of the Four Winds
Alt	Belt of the Depths	Belt of the Depths	Tailoring
Alt	Belt of Arcane Storms	Maloriak	Blackwing Descent
Alt	X-Tron Duct Tape	Omnotron Defense System	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Cord of the Raven Queen	Guardians of Hyjal	Mount Hyjal

Feet

If your gear setup is already solid, you can skip the Spirit stat and go for the Quickstep Galoshes. However, if you need extra Spirit to reach the Hit Cap, opt for the Treads of Liquid Ice. Just keep in mind that the Treads of Liquid Ice do not have Haste.

Best Enchant: Enchant Boots – Haste/Lavawalker.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Quickstep Galoshes	Chimaeron	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Treads of Liquid Ice	Ascendant Council	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Slippers of Moving Waters	1650 Valor Points	Jamus’Vaz, Faldren Tillsdale
Alt	Quickstep Galoshes	Chimaeron	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Desert Walker Sandals	Ramkahen (Exalted)	Uldum

Legs

Who would have thought? The Mercurial Regalia set is back! You can get the normal version of Mercurial Leggings from either Baradin Hold or by purchasing them with Valor Points. This makes them the obvious choice for this slot, so you probably won’t need to consider any other options.

Best Leg Armor: Powerful Ghostly Spellthread.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Mercurial Leggings	Maloriak	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Soul Breath Leggings of the Undertows	Al’Akir	Throne of the Four Winds (Heroic)
Alt	Flame Pillar Leggings	Magmaw	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt Tier	Mercurial Leggings	2200 Valor Poitns, Argaloth	Jamus’Vaz, Faldren Tillsdale, Baradin Hold
Alt	Flame Pillar Leggings	Magmaw	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Soul Breath Leggings of the Undertow	Al’Akir	Throne of the Four Winds
Alt	Breeches of Mended Nightmares	Crafted Item	Tailoring
Alt	Flame-Ascended Pantaloons	Crafted Item	Tailoring

Weapons

Main Hand

Incineratus is our top pick, offering our two favorite stats. If you need Spirit to reach the Hit Cap, you could consider Andoros, Fist of the Dragon King, but it’s better to leave this for other specs that might need it more. Twilight’s Hammer is also nearly as good as Incineratus and may be the best choice for some specs, so be considerate of others when deciding to take it.

Best Enchant: Enchant Weapon – Power Torrent.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Incineratus	Magmaw	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Twilight’s Hammer	Cho’gall	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Andoros, Fist of the Dragon King	Nefarian	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Andoros, Fist of the Dragon King	Nefarian	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Incineratus	Magmaw	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Twilight’s Hammer	Cho’gall	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Andoros, Fist of the Dragon King	Nefarian	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Blade of the Witching Hour	Valiona, Theralion	The Bastion of Twilight

Off-Hand

Options for off-hands are quite limited. The Book of Binding Will is our best choice because it is the only option with Haste. The Scepter of Ice is available, but since it lacks Haste, it should not be a priority for us, especially as other specs will benefit more from it.

Best Enchant: Enchant Off-Hand – Superior Intellect.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Book of Binding Will	Halfus Wyrmbreaker	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Scepter of Ice	Ascendant Council	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Book of Binding Will	Halfus Wyrmbreaker	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Scepter of Ice	Ascendant Council	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Heartbound Tome	BoE World Drop	Azeroth

Staves (Optional)

Staff options are also quite limited, with no item level 372 staff available. If you need a weapon early on, any of the listed staffs will work fine.

Best Enchant: Enchant Weapon – Power Torrent.

Item	Source	Location
Chelley’s Staff of Dark Mending	Zone Drop	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Staff of Sorcerer-Thane Thaurissan	BoA Crafted – Dwarf Archaeology Fragment	Archaeology
Staff of Ammunae	BoA Crafted – Tol’vir Archaeology Fragment	Archaeology

Wands

There are only two wand options available. Pip’s Solution Agitator and Theresa’s Booklight are essentially identical, but only one of them comes in a level 372 version.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Pip’s Solution Agitator	Chimaeron	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Pip’s Solution Agitator	Chimaeron	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Theresa’s Booklight	Zone Drop	Blackwing Descent

Jewelry

Trinkets

Your ideal trinket combination is Darkmoon Card: Volcano and Bell of Enraging Resonance. Both of these trinkets have strong damage procs and provide a significant amount of secondary stats, which can be reforged into Haste. While Spirit is generally beneficial for our gear, Spirit procs are essentially useless for us because we aim to be passively hit capped.

Sorrowsong is worth mentioning because, although it isn’t great for most fights, it becomes extremely valuable when a boss spends a significant portion of the fight at or below 35% health. In such scenarios, it can potentially become one of the best trinket options available.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Darkmoon Card: Volcano	Darkmoon Volcanic Deck Reward	Darkmoon Faire
Best	Bell of Enraging Resonance	Atramedes	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Theralion’s Mirror	Valiona, Theralion	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Soul Casket	1650 Valor Points	Jamus’Vaz, Faldren Tillsdale
Alt	Bell of Enraging Resonance	Atramedes	Blackwing Descent
Jewelcrafting Alt	Figurine – Jeweled Serpent	Figurine – Jeweled Serpent	Jewelcrafting
Alt	Theralion’s Mirror	Valiona, Theralion	The Bastion of Twilight
Alchemy Alt	Vibrant Alchemist Stone	Vibrant Alchemist Stone	Alchemy
Alt	Witching Hourglass	Ascendant Lord Obsidius	Blackrock Caverns (Heroic)
Alt	Stump of Time	Exalted Hellscream Reach/Baradin’s Wardens	Tol Barad
Alt	Sea Star	Ozumat	Throne of the Tides (Heroic)
Alt	Sorrowsong	Siamat	Lost City of Tol’vir (Heroic)
Alt	Heart of Ignacious	Ascendant Council	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Heart of Ignacious	Heart of Ignacious	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Tyrande’s Favorite Doll	Night Elf Archaeology Fragment	Archaeology

Rings

Signet of the Fifth Circle is an excellent and obvious choice for this slot. Unfortunately, our other ideal choice, the Planetary Band of the Undertow, comes with a random enchantment, making it harder to obtain. If you can’t get the Planetary Band, Security Measure Alpha is a reliable alternative that doesn’t rely on random enchantment luck.

Best Enchant: Enchant Ring – Intellect.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Signet of the Fifth Circle	Cho’gall	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Best	Planetary Band of the Undertow	Conclave of Wind	Throne of the Four Winds (Heroic)
Alt	Security Measure Alpha	Omnotron Defense System	Blackwing Descent (Heroic)
Alt	Signet of the Fifth Circle	Cho’gall	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Planetary Band of the Undertow	Conclave of Wind	Throne of the Four Winds
Alt	Ring of the Boy Emperor	Tol’vir Archaeology Fragment	Archaeology
Alt	Band of Secret Names	1250 Valor Points	Jamus’Vaz, Faldren Tillsdale
Alt	Security Measure Alpha	Omnotron Defense System	Blackwing Descent
Alt	Twined Band of Flowers	1250 Valor Points	Jamus’Vaz, Faldren Tillsdale

RankItemSourceLocationBestDarkmoon Card: VolcanoDarkmoon Volcanic Deck RewardDarkmoon Faire

Neck

The Planetary Amulet of the Undertow is likely the best choice, although it comes with a random enchantment. If you can do without Spirit in this slot, Valiona’s Medallion is a fine alternative. However, if you really need the Spirit, Wyrmbreaker’s Amulet will work well to meet your needs.

Rank	Item	Source	Location
Best	Planetary Amulet of the Undertow	Al’Akir	Throne of the Four Winds (Heroic)
Alt	Valiona’s Medallion	Valiona, Theralion	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Wyrmbreaker’s Amulet	Halfus Wyrmbreaker	The Bastion of Twilight (Heroic)
Alt	Planetary Amulet of the Undertow	Al’Akir	Throne of the Four Winds
Alt	Valiona’s Medallion	Valiona, Theralion	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Wyrmbreaker’s Amulet	Halfus Wyrmbreaker	The Bastion of Twilight
Alt	Dorian’s Lost Necklace	BoE World Drop	Azeroth
Alt	Yellow Smoke Pendant	Dragonmaw Clan (Exalted)	Twilight Highlands

F.A.Q

What are the best Races for Shadow Priest?

Alliance – all races, Horde – Goblins and Trolls.

Are Shadow Priests good?

Priests are quite powerful in Cataclysm, offering substantial damage through their damage-over-time abilities and providing significant defensive utility for their group. Veteran Shadow Priests will feel comfortable with their familiar toolkit, even with a few new abilities introduced to keep things interesting.

What tier is Shadow Priest in?

SP is in S tier in Cataclysm Classic, along with Affliction Warlock, Demonology Warlock, Survival Hunter, Arms Warrior and Unholy Death Knight.

What are the best professions for Shadow Priest?

It’s Engineering, Archaeology and Tailoring.