On whether to place talent points into the shadow tree

The Wrath of the Lich King priest build that you’ll hear about the most in this blog is the raid viability build, which focuses on talents that not only benefit your holy DPS, but benefit the raid as a whole. This is Johannah’s spec. There is also, however, the maximum DPS build, which takes into consideration that shadow is part of the rotation.

We’ll go into the spec I don’t use first so it makes it easier to explain the raid viability build later.

Maximum DPS build

I’d like to thank Holy Fire Spec in advance for making me aware of this talent setup commonly used among the smite priest community. Though the Holy Fire Spec blog isn’t updated as much as I wish it was these days (and partly inspired the incarnation of this blog), I highly recommend visiting it for information on the WotLK smite priest.

Your spec is going to look like this: (37/27/7)

Discipline Tree: Twin Disciplines 5/5; Improved Inner Fire 3/3; Improved Power Word: Fortitude 2/2; Meditation 3/3; Inner Focus 1/1; Improved Power Word: Shield 3/3; Mental Agility 3/3; Mental Strength 5/5; Soul Warding 1/1; Focused Power 2/2; Enlightenment 3/3; Focused Will 3/3; Power Word: Infusion 1/1; Aspiration 2/2

Holy Tree: Holy Specialization 5/5; Divine Fury 5/5; Spell Warding 5/5; Desperate Prayer 1/1; Holy Reach 2/2; Searing Light 2/2; Spiritual Guidance 5/5; Surge of Light 2/2

Shadow Tree: Darkness 5/5; Improved Shadow Word: Pain 2/2

For a thorough explanation behind each of these talents, consult the Holy Fire Spec: Holy DPS Guide, where this was taken from.

Raid viability build

If you’re going for maximum DPS, I should break the sad truth to you right now: play a shadow priest. If, however, you are interested in bringing a unique smite priest into a raid that can provide your fellow comrades with some benefits for your inferior estranged presence, I recommend this build: (43/28/0)

Discipline: Twin Disciplines 5/5; Improved Inner Fire 3/3; Improved Power Word: Fortitude 2/2; Meditation 3/3; Inner Focus 1/1; Improved Power Word: Shield 3/3; Mental Agility 3/3; Mental Strength 5/5; Soul Warding 1/1; Focused Power 2/2; Enlightenment 3/3; Focused Will 3/3; Power Word: Infusion 1/1; Aspiration 2/2; Renewed Hope 2/2; Rapture 3/3; Pain Suppression 1/1

Holy Tree: Holy Specialization 5/5; Improved Renew 3/3; Healing Focus 2/2; Divine Fury 5/5; Spell Warding 5/5; Desperate Prayer 1/1; Holy Reach 2/2; Searing Light 2/2; Spirit of Redemption 1/1; Spiritual Guidance 5/5; Surge of Light 2/2

Here’s the explanation as to why this build is more beneficial than the maximum DPS build:

DISCIPLINE TREE

Renewed Hope. This talent is going to give the raid a consistent 3% damage decrease so long as you keep your Power Word: Shield up. This will always be useful to the raid dynamic, even if the tank is the only one being spanked; the counter argument to this is that another Discipline priest in your raid will neutralize this utility. You’ll need to keep a shield up too, but see the next explanation for that.

Rapture. In a fight with some kind of splash damage, keep yourself shielded. Not only are you going to help the healers, you’re going to proc Renewed Hope and get yourself extra mana. In a fight where you won’t take damage, shield your tank. He’ll appreciate the rage. Like Renewed Hope, this will be large-in-part neutralized by another Discipline priest.

Pain Suppression. There are fights where this is useful and your tanks will love you for it.

HOLY TREE

Spell Warding. I’m not sure why this was taken in the maximum DPS build and I would be wary to take this even if you decided to forfeit Discipline talents in the name of Shadow. This talent is geared for PvP; your smite priest should be just fine with a bubble and not need spell damage reduction.

Improved Renew. There are fights where an extra HoT on the tank will be vastly appreciated. Since you need to take a minimum amount of Holy talents to reach Surge of Light, this has much more utility than Spell Warding, it’s counterpart.

Holy Specialization. This will hardly ever get used, but is still more beneficial than Spell Warding and pushes you towards your Surge of Light goal. This will unfortunately be used the most when you’re doing your dailies.

Spirit of Redemption. Beyond the meager Spirit this is going to generate you, being able to heal after death gives you a tiny extra bang for your one-point talent buck. You could theoretically move this talent into Darkness, but it seemed like a moot investment to me to put one talent point in your Shadow tree now that you’ve gone after Pain Suppression. The added hilarity to Spirit of Redemption is that the druids will be aware there’s a BR target in 3… 2… 1…

Of course, with the raid viability spec, you’re looking at a 16% damage reduction to the Shadow Word: Pain in your rotation. Ouch! Trienish the Shadow Priest friend thinks this is such a detriment that shadow spells should be removed from the rotation entirely, which is the case in the smite priest simulator.

Interested in what other bloggers have to say about this spec? Read about that next time!