Shadow Priest Talents Guide

With current tuning in pre-patch, Archon is struggling to be viable in most forms of content and Voidweaver should be considered your default.

Note: The following builds have specifically been optimized for pre-patch. Build variety and viability will be different once we get access to Apex Talents in Midnight.

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Shadow Priests have the option to pick between Voidweaver and Archon.

Voidweaver causes your Void Torrent to create an Entropic Rift that follows the target to deal AoE damage during its duration and then explode based on how many Shadow Word: Madness you casted during the window. When Entropic Rift is active, your Mind Blast ability is also transformed into Void Blast which deals a lot more damage.The entire premise of the Voidweaver is to have small burst windows every 30-seconds and to cast as many Void Blasts as possible during the duration of the rift.

Archon causes your Halo to repeat and return 3 times. It also increases the effectiveness of your cooldowns and enhances your Surge of Insanity procs to do more damage and spawn Shadowy Apparitions.The premise of Archon is to weave in super-juiced Surge of Insanity procs into your core rotation and to have stronger cooldown windows. Halo is now also used as a “cooldown button” at the start of your burst windows. It also provides some added off-healing and more Stamina.

Voidweaver:

• Void Torrent: Void Torrent tears open an Entropic Rift that follows the enemy for 8 sec. Enemies caught in its path suffer Shadow damage every 1 sec while within its reach.
• No Escape / Dark Energy: A choice node between a slow from your rift, or being able to cast Void Torrent while moving. At the moment, you will pretty much always pick Dark Energy for added mobility. It also always guarantees you to be able to fully channel your Void Torrent at all times.
• Void Blast: Entropic Rift upgrades Mind Blast into Void Blast while it is active.
• Inner Quietus: Vampiric Touch and Shadow Word: Pain deal 20% additional damage.
• Voidheart: While Entropic Rift is active, your Shadow damage is increased by 5%.
• Devour Matter: Shadow Word: Death consumes absorb shields from your targets, dealing 255% extra damage to them and granting you 5 Insanity if a shield was present.
• Void Empowerment / Darkening Horizon: A choice node between gaining a guaranteed Shadowy Insight proc at the start of your Rift window, or to cause your Void Blast to increase the duration of Entropic Rift by 1sec, up to a maximum of 3 sec. As it stands right now, you will always play Darkening Horizon if it will cause you to gain an additional cast of Void Blast.
• Voidwraith: Transforms your Shadowfiend or Mindbender into a Voidwraith. Voidwraith deals increased damage to high health enemies, up to a maximum of 50% if they are full health.
• Touch of the Void: Voidheart now persists for 8 sec after Entropic Rift ends.
• Quickened Pulse: Shadow Word: Pain and Entropic RIft deal damage 25% more often.
• Void Infusion: Void Blast generates 2 additional Insanity.
• Void Leech / Embrace the Shadow: A choice node between passively stealing 3% health from an ally within 40 yards every 2 seconds, or absorb 3% of all magic damage taken. Void Leech is a little dangerous, since it can cause you to accidentally kill your teammates, but it does have a fail safe where it will only steal health if the target is higher health than you. As it stands right now, I would always play Embrace the Shadow if there is magic damage present during the fight or dungeon, and then play Void Leech if there is not.
• Overwhelming Shadows: Void Torrent deals 30% increased damage.
• Collapsing Void: Each time you cast Shadow Word: Madness, Entropic Rift is empowered, increasing its damage and size by 20%. After Entropic Rift ends it collapses, dealing Shadow damage split amongst enemy targets within 15 yards.

Archon:

• Halo: Creates a ring of Shadow energy around you that quickly expands to 40 yd radius, healing allies or dealing damage to enemies. Generates 5 Insanity.
• Perfected Form: Your damage dealt is increased by 5% while Voidform is active.
• Power Surge: Casting Halo also causes you to create a Halo around you at 100% effectiveness every 5 sec for 10 sec.
• Manifested power: Creating a Halo upgrades your next Mind Flay to Mind Flay: Insanity.
• Focused OUtburst: Void Volley damage increased by 15% and its cooldown is reduced by 4 sec.
• Shock Pulse / Incessant Screams: A choice node between making your Halo to reduce the enemy movement speed by 5% for 5 sec, stacking up to 5 times, or, causing your Psychic Scream to create an image at your location that will cast an additional Psychic Scream after 4 seconds.
• Energy Conservation: Power Surge lasts an additional 5 sec.
• Empowered Surges: Increases the damage done by Mind Flay: Insanity by 30%.
• Word of Supremacy / Heightened Alteration: A choice node between making Power Word: Fortitude grants you an additional 5% stamina and Increases the duration of Dispersion by 2 sec.
• Energy Compression / Sustained Potency: A choice node between increasing the damage of Halo by 30%, or causing your Halo casts to extend the duration of Voidform by 1 sec. If Voidform is not active, up to 6 seconds is stored and applied the next time either of them are used.
• Resonant Energy: Enemies damaged by your Halo take 2% increased damage from you for 8 sec, stacking up to 5 times.
• Energy Cycle: Casting Mind Flay: Insanity has a 100% chance to conjure Shadowy Apparitions.
• Realized Potential / Spiritwell: A choice node between Shadow Word: Death damage increased by 25% and its cooldown is reduced by 3 sec. And Increases the Shadowy Apparition damage by 10%.
• Divine Halo: Halo now centers around you and returns to you after it reaches its maximum distance.