Cataclysm Classic Shadow Priest Stat Priority

The stat priority for Shadow Priest is as follows:

1. Intellect
2. Hit Rating or Spirit (17% Hit Cap)
3. Haste Rating (check breakpoints below!)
4. Mastery Rating
5. Critical Strike Rating
6. Haste Rating

Intellect is the new main stat for all casters, including Shadow Priests, replacing Spell Power on every gear slot except for your weapon. Every 1 point of Intellect gives 1 Spell Power, making it by far the best stat for Shadow. Intellect also increases your maximum Mana, which increases your Mana regeneration as spells such as Hymn of Hope and talents like Dispersion restore maximum Mana, meaning the more Mana you have, the more gets restored. Your Intellect gets further increased by buffs such as Blessing of Kings. This makes Intellect your best stat by far, meaning you should prioritize it over all other stats whenever possible.

Your second priority will be to reach the Hit cap of 17%, which can be obtained through the Hit Rating stat, or with Spirit thanks to the Twisted Faith talent. Reaching the Hit cap ensures that your spells can no longer miss your target, giving you the highest possible DPS increase out of any stat. Always cap your Hit Rating out anyway possible before looking at other stats. If you are playing as a Draenei, you only need to reach 16% Hit, as the racial Heroic Presence gives you 1% Hit automatically.

At Level 85:

• 102.44 Hit Rating (or Spirit) = 1% Spell Hit Chance

Haste Rating is the best secondary stat for Shadow as it adds additional damage ticks to all of your DoTs, increasing their value substantially. Adding these additional damage ticks to your DoTs requires you to hit certain Haste breakpoints, Haste amounts that change depending on your buffs and racial. Reaching these Haste breakpoints is the biggest DPS upgrade you can achieve as a Shadows entire toolkit revolves around its multiple Shadow damage-over-time spells.

At Level 85:

• 128.05 Haste Rating = 1% Haste

The breakpoints will vary depending on what buffs or racial you have such as the Dark Intent Haste buff, if you are a Goblin with Time is Money, or are under the effect of something like Bloodlust. Hitting these Haste breakpoints is extremely important as Shadow. Compare the Haste percentages on the chart below to your in-game character sheet.

Ticks Gained	Devouring Plague	Shadow Word: Pain	Vampiric Touch
1 Extra Tick	6.26%	8.33%	9.99%
2 Extra Ticks	18.75%	24.98%	30.01%
3 Extra Ticks	32.27%	41.68%	49.97%
4 Extra Ticks	43.79%	58.36%	70.02%
5 Extra Ticks	56.30%	74.98%	90.06%
6 Extra Ticks	67.78%	91.64%	110.01%

Mastery is the new stat added in during Cataclysm and provides a different, unique benefit for every single specialization in the game. For Shadow Priests, Mastery gives Shadow Orb Power, increasing the potency of your Shadow Orbs buff. These orbs are a natural part of your standard rotation, meaning that Mastery simply gives you a higher damage output passively without needing to alter your playstyle. This is a great mastery and only falls behind Haste Rating when you can reach a breakpoint, but surpasses Haste if you can not reach the next Haste breakpoint.

At Level 85:

• 179.28 Mastery Rating = 1% Mastery

While Crit Rating is your worst stat, it isn't bad at all, just worse when compared to both Haste and Mastery. Generally, you should be Reforging Crit into higher priority stats, especially Haste if it can help you reach a breakpoint.

At Level 85:

• 179.28 Crit Rating = 1% Crit