Shadow Priest Levelling Guide, 1-40, (Horde for hunting areas)

This is intended as a guide to level a shadow priest from 1 though 40th level on a PvP server. There are numerous other ways to do this, but I thought I’d post my experiences. People who have done this already will find nothing new in here - its intended for new priests. Ideally I’d like to address the misconception that priests are ‘difficult to solo until you get Mind Flay’ statement.

Lets start with a deliberately provocative statement: The shadowpriest solos fast with no downtime at all if grinding mobs up to con +3 all the way from 1 through 40. There are no ‘tough levels’.

For Professions take what you like - none of them help very much during this levelling period :)

1. Levels 1-10.

Go undead for race, unless you want to hope for future improvements to the Troll racial abilities or just want to be different (but sub-optimal).

Attack sequence: Smite/Pain/shield/melee your way to level 9 and buy this:

http://www.thottbot.com/?i=1472

Make sure you do the ‘New Plague’ quest series from Brill and get your Slumber sand.

http://www.thottbot.com/?q=105

2. Levels 11-20

Change tactics slightly now. At level 10 you pick up Mind Blast. Continue to use smite - it’s a long cast but if you use it at the start of a fight the casting time is irrelevant.

Attack sequence: Smite/Mind blast/Pain/Renew/wand. Learn to love this sequence of spells - you’ll be using it for some time! This approach ensures you stop casting >5 seconds before the end of a fight, which means your Mana regeneration is optimised.

Talents. Spirit tap is your highest priority, so work on it from 10-14. By using the above attack sequence (with appropriate equipment upgrades, see later), and having Spirit Tap maxed at 14th level, you will never need to rest/drink after 1-on-1 even con mobs again.

15-16 Improved Power Word: Pain. Yes, the description is poorly written, but these two talent points increase the damage from your Pain by 33%. Take it.

17-19 Personal choice. I prefer 3/5 Blackout, but 3/5 Shadow Focus is fine too.

Equipment:

Clothing isnt very important so just use what you find or if your feeling flush buy some cheap Eagle gear. Save your money for wand upgrades - this is the single most important piece of equipment you will own as a priest.

Buy this for use at 16th level:

http://www.thottbot.com/?i=4236

Usually can be bought for ~1G on my server (although up to 4G occasionally).

Where to hunt. Finish Brill quests, and you should be around 12/13th. You can choose Silverpine or head across to the Barrens. Whilst I prefer the scenery in Silverpine, the Barrens seems to have more quests so I tend to work there. Whilst your heading to the barrens area it may be worth grabbing some Sticky Glue from Durator:

http://www.thottbot.com/?q=29

(If you like to look like a caster, train Staff in Orgrimmar on the way to the Barrens)

Quests (just some choice picks & ones worth doing imo):

Reasonable staff for simple running to Thunder Bluff quest:

http://www.thottbot.com/?q=208

Harpy series (north west Barrens, pretty good for grinding lv 14+ too if you don’t want to quest)

http://www.thottbot.com/?q=219 (hes up tower in Xroads)

At lv 16 you can grind/quest on Quillboars for a reasonable Belt:

http://www.thottbot.com/?q=209

And of course, in your late teens do Wailing Cavs for the awesome staff (pick up quest in TB after a chain):

http://www.thottbot.com/?q=626

Congrats you are now 20th level!

3. Levels 20-30

Talents. Get Mind Flay at 20th, although you wont be using it until level 28 (at the earliest) as a damage dealing spell. If you use it at all it will be for the snare to stop runners, but I’d avoid this if possible as it reduces mana regen.

Talents are a bit more flexible here. You’ll want 2 points in Imp Fear before you hit lv 30, and shadow reach is highly desirable. My personal choice is:

20 Flay
21-24 Imp Mind Blast
25-27 Shadow Reach
28-29 Imp Fear

Attack sequence is the same; Smite/Mind Blast/Pain/Renew/Wand

Speaking of wands, now is the time to purchase this:

http://www.thottbot.com/?i=7389

Can cost up to 5G, although if you are lucky they occasionally go for 2G on my server. Buy it and use from lv 22 onwards.
Where: Do southern barrens/camp T quests until ~lv 22/23, then head south to 1k needles. Grind/quest on centaurs (up to ~25th) and also Grimtotems. There are higher Centaurs in the north-west end of the zone for levels 26-30 too (with chests in the camp too).

If you fancy a break from 1k needles, then Stonetalon has some harpies to grind/quest on too, and a kill quest gives a reasonable cloak:

http://www.thottbot.com/?q=705

4. Level 30-40

Shadowform is getting closer. Talents:

30 - Silence (even if you are not on a PvP server, this is a great investment of a single, measly talent point)
31 - Vamp Embrace. Just take it. Try it in an instance if you happen to have two healers and your allowed to do some damage for a change - just cast this, Pain and Flay/wand away for good, free party heals.
32- 36 Shadow Weaving - needed and good too
37-39 3/5 Darkness
40 Shadowform

Equipment

Can either keep Thunderwood or purchase Starfaller.

http://www.thottbot.com/?i=3935

Or even use the reward wand from BFD if you want. At 37th I’d pick up Firestarter as it’s a top wand with nice stats too.

http://www.thottbot.com/?i=6143

Run RFK for the shoulders too.

Where:

30-36 Desolace. Grind/quest on centaurs (lv 33-35) ones, with splatterings of Naga, Thunderaxe fortress etc. Levels will fly by.
37-40 SM you need to get the Illusionary Rod (or Hypnotic blade/offhand combo), and Whitemaines hat is cool too. But overall its just good exp/loot for the level and fun to boot. You’ll get a group without trying.

If you don’t like instances and fancy some PvP head to Arathi. The Kobold mine is good for 37-38, and then the Elemental Circles of Binding (I like the water one near Hammerfall as they drop mana water by the bucketload) will see you through to 40th. Alternatively there are more Centaurs in the upper 30’s near the Horde village in Desolace.

How: Around 36 I’d start using Flay all the time, as you now have weaving and Flay rank 3 (62dps min, wand now ~40dps). Try:

Mind Blast/Pain/Flay/renew/wand.

Back up after during global cooldown of Pain to maximise Flay time. Occasionally you may be able to get two Flays in before renew/wand action begins (especially if you get a blackout proc)

And thats it. You’re 40th level and you gain Shadowform and your damage jumps nicely. Hope this guide is useful to some folks out there, but like I said at the start there is nothing new or original in it.