Shadow Priest DPS Liberation of Undermine Raid Guide — The War Within (11.1.0)

This build is aimed at maximizing pure single target damage. If the fight has adds you should swap to the build that includes Shadow Crash.

As a Shadow Priest you should feel free to play either Archon or Voidweaver in raiding environments. Voidweaver has a higher theoretical max but some of the fights make it hard for it to deal its damage effectively with moving targets or different fight timings. Each encounter below gives a default starting suggestion for Hero talent choice, start with this and try out the other if it does not feel right to you.

• Rik Reverb (LFR and Normal)
• Cauldron of Carnage
• Sprocketmonger Lockenstock
• Mug'Zee

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This build is nearly identical to the single target build but picks up Shadow Crash and Whispering Shadows to give you the ability for easy DoTing of many adds without compromising your single target damage much (less than 4%).

As a Shadow Priest you should feel free to play either Archon or Voidweaver in raiding environments. Voidweaver has a higher theoretical max but some of the fights make it hard for it to deal its damage effectively with moving targets or different fight timings. Each encounter below gives a default starting suggestion for Hero talent choice, start with this and try out the other if it does not feel right to you.

• Vexie Fullthrottle
• Rik Reverb (Heroic and Mythic)
• Stix Bunkjunker
• One-Armed Bandit
• Chrome King Gallywix

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If you are just starting out your Shadow Priest journey in Season 2 you likely do not have access to the new set bonus available. This set bonus has a few talent choice implications for Archon so until you start using the Priest Shadow 11.1 Class Set 4pc bonus you should use the Pre-Season builds.

As a Voidweaver priest you should continue to use the same builds, regardless of your tier situation.

These builds are the best to use if you have any amount of tier from Season 1, or are just starting out and have no tier set bonuses equipped.

While this can vary slightly depending on your gear and your character once you get the new Season 2 4-piece bonus ( Priest Shadow 11.1 Class Set 4pc) you should start using the normal builds for this season found in the other sections on this page.

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The following is a walkthrough guide using Mythic footage from live servers. Certain mechanics might not exist on lower difficulties.

• If you get targeted by Spew Oil consider using a small defensive. If you need to get into a better position to drop the Oil Slick you can consider using Dispersion.

• This boss has a damage amp phase that happens once you destroy enough Protective Plating stacks. During this phase the boss gains the Mechanical Breakdown debuff and also spawns adds that attempt to repair the boss. This phase can roughly be controlled when it starts based on when you break the last Plate. You should play the fight around this fight and make sure you have full cooldowns for the start of this phase.
• On Normal and Heroic most groups will phase the boss between 1:00 and 1:30 into the fight. For this reason you should just use cooldowns less than that on pull ( Halo, Dark Ascension, and Void Torrent). And use your full cooldowns with Bloodlust on the first burn. This burn lasts for 45 seconds assuming you keep the adds interrupted.

• During Mechanical Breakdown adds will spawn that will try and repair the boss. These adds will eventually run away when the phase completes and do not need to be killed. You can DoT them with a quick Shadow Crash during the intermission to proc Twist of Fate but largely they will be interrupted and stopped by the melee DPS. This will give quite a lot of pad damage with the amp on the boss making Psychic Link hit like a truck.
• Since the adds on the motorcycles are baited towards players it is suggested to stand near the boss as much as possible so that they group up towards the boss. Once they race over to the boss you should immediately DoT them to begin Psychic Link cleave. Generally speaking you should be cleaving off the boss here unless an add specifically needs to die ASAP before it charges away or you need to phase.

• Typically in Mythic you will have a more controlled phase into the intermission at exactly 2 minutes into the fight. Due to this you can afford to use full cooldowns on pull.
• During the Mechanical Breakdown intermission there will be a large add that travels towards the boss. Ideally this add stays away from the boss and gets hard crowd controlled. Unfortunately spells like Starfall or Halo will hit this add while crowd controlled since it is in combat and break that control. For this reason try to position yourself to minimize Halo hitting the add, you can also consider talenting out of Phantom Reach.

Suggested Hero Talent Spec: Voidweaver

For this fight we are mostly focused on optimizing our damage for the 45-second burn window during Mechanical Breakdown. In this burst window Voidweaver is generally going to net more boss damage, particularly if you get the full 45 seconds in the window.

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The following is Mythic footage from live servers. Certain mechanics might not exist on other difficulties.

• You should plan to use a defensive for each intermission cast of Colossal Clash.
• Be aware that you are not standing too close to the other sides boss so that you are not incrementing both boss debuffs on yourself. This can be deadly.
• When you are soaking on Flarendo side consider using a defensive depending on what healing cooldowns are running. At the very least you should be using Fade.

Once the bosses reach full energy they will cast Colossal Clash and head into the middle. While there is not a damage amplification during this phase you could consider holding cooldowns to line up for this phase since you will be able to hit both bosses.

If you assume you will only ever get three casts of Colossal Clash these will happen at the following times: 1:10, 2:40, and 4:20. This leaves you into an awkward timing for cooldowns but I would typically line this up with the last clash, especially if you are using Bloodlust for that burn. If you use Bloodlust at a different time you should consider adjusting cooldowns.

Use this as a rough guide for Archon cooldowns assuming 3 phases.

• 0:00; Full cooldowns on whichever boss you start on.
• 1:10; Save your second cast of Halo to line up with the first Colossal Clash.
• 2:10 - 2:20; Sometime in this range use all cooldowns again on whichever boss you are currently fighting.
• 2:40; For the second intermission you will be dry here, just focus on staying alive since you will not have as much self-healing.
• 3:20; Cast Halo.
• 4:20; For this last Colossal Clash you should have all cooldowns back up with Twist of Fate rolling, ideally you also have Bloodlust for this.

Use this as a rough guide for Voidweaver cooldowns assuming 3 phases.

• 0:00; Full cooldowns on whichever boss you start on.
• 0:30; Second cast of Void Torrent.
• 1:10; Save your third cast of Void Torrent to line up with the first Colossal Clash with Dark Ascension.
• 1:40; Fourth cast of Void Torrent.
• 2:10 - 2:20; Sometime in this range use all cooldowns again on whichever boss you are currently fighting.
• 2:40; For the second Colossal Clash you will just use your fifth Void Torrent of the fight.
• 3:10 - 3:20; Cast Void Torrent with Dark Ascension.
• 3:50; Seventh Void Torrent.
• 4:20; For this last Colossal Clash you should have all cooldowns back up with Twist of Fate rolling, ideally you also have Bloodlust for this.

• If you can afford to stand in the middle you could gain damage by doing so, but this means you might be more on your own in terms of self-sustaining your health pool and would be unable to help soak on the Dino side. As such on progression this is not something I would suggest and would just play it as normal. Note that even if you are in the middle you would need near perfect tank positioning for Halo to hit both bosses since its range is not quite equal to your max range if you decided to play Archon.
• As the bosses group up for Colossal Clash be sure to cast Vampiric Touch on the opposite boss once it gets in range so that you get your Psychic Link damage rolling. Keep an eye on timers to not use Void Torrent (as Voidweaver) too early as you could lose out on tick damage from Entropic Rift as they move to the middle.
• On Torq side you need to be cautious with your movement so that you do not get stunned in higher difficulties. Be sure to utilize your instant cast spells to move in small bursts where possible. Once you have 25%+ haste you should be able to comfortable get off a full cast before needing to move.

• On the Torq side if you are fixated with Voltaic Image do your best to kite it to the outside of the area. On Mythic difficulty they leave a Lingering Electricity Pool when expiring as well as when someone contacts them.

Suggested Hero Talent Spec: Voidweaver

This fight is mostly handled as Single Target with a brief intermission of 2 target damage. Voidweaver can typically line up better with these to get damage out in the amp phase due to Halo needing a few seconds to ramp up. For this reason I would start with Voidweaver here but you can make either work.

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy' button to import the build directly into your game!

The following is Normal footage from live servers. Certain mechanics might not exist on other difficulties.

• If you are assigned to click a pillar you should at least use Fade before each cast. On higher difficulties you can get overlaps of Faulty Zap that can be extremely deadly while clicking. For this reason I typically saved Dispersion for each click. You can cast Dispersion and then click the pillar as normal.
• During the intermission the boss is immune so you should focus as much as possible on keeping yourself alive. You can use this time to buildup Insanity for when he drops down though.

• Once the boss goes into the intermission he will gain Sound Cloud causing him to take 99% reduced damage. For this reason you should keep an eye out on intermission timers so that you do not have cooldowns running going into this phase, save them for afterwards.
• On Heroic difficulty and up be sure to prioritize killing Pyrotechnics adds as much as possible. These need to die ASAP! They have a red circle on the ground where they will spawn so you can use this to pre-cast Shadow Crash to save time on DoTing. Most sets you should be able to hit 2-3 with Shadow Crash so you only need to manually DoT 1 or 2.

I would suggest adjusting your addon and in-game setting to be able to show Health Bars under your friendly nameplates. This will allow you to see the health of the clickable pillars in the phase to easily see their health. If you are using the Plater addon just make sure you have Friendly Nameplates turned on and Hide Blizzard Health Bars is NOT checked under General Settings. In the raid this should then show the plate.

• If you are assigned to click a pillar you might also be asked to mark that pillar to help the group in case whatever addon you are using does not handle this correctly. If so you can use the macro below to help make this quicker.
• Be sure to help soak players that are targeted with Sound Cannon.
• While adds are out it can be easy to forget your positioning here, you want to remain within range of all targets to make sure your Psychic Link damage is still going off.

• /targetmarker [@mouseover] 6

The number corresponds to the marker, use this list to use the correct one.

1. Yellow Star
2. Orange Circle
3. Purple Diamond
4. Green Triangle
5. Pale Blue Moon
6. Blue Square
7. Red Cross
8. White Skull

• There are no specific tips for this boss on Mythic Difficulty.

Suggested Hero Talent Spec: Archon

While Voidweaver can do good boss damage on this fight Archon should generally have an easier time focusing down the adds here which are super important. Voidweaver will struggle more target swapping from the boss to adds or killing each add at a time, whereas Halo and Archon can play more naturally. If the adds are dying quickly you can instead play Voidweaver and just rely on Psychic Link for firework damage but this is unlikely on progression.

Note that on Normal difficulty you do not need Shadow Crash for this boss and should instead use the pure single target builds.

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy' button to import the build directly into your game!

The following is Heroic footage from live servers. Certain mechanics might not exist on other difficulties.

• There are no specific defensive tips for this boss.

• As a Voidweaver you need to be extra careful when you cast Void Torrent to make sure the target is not about to move across the room or you will not have to target swap. This is what makes the fight challenging to play as this Hero talent spec.
• Pay attention to fight timers to not start blasting cooldowns before he goes into the intermission. While up in the air he takes reduced damage so you should just focus on killing adds if they are still alive.

• You ideally want to stay on top of keeping Vampiric Touch on as many adds as possible, but this fight can quickly get chaotic. You mainly want to prioritize DoTing and killing adds that are debuffed with Messed Up as they will take double damage. This happens after they are rolled over by a player controlling a junk pile.
• Use adds debuffed with Messed Up to your advantage, by targeting these adds with your main rotational spells you will get higher Psychic Link damage out to all other targets, including the boss.
• On Heroic and Mythic difficulties your primary goal should be to damage down the Territorial Bombshell adds to 75% as soon as possible. Afterwards they will abandon their garbage pile so that it can be consumed. After they have all jumped off their pile continue to focus them down before they explode with Short Fuse after 30 seconds.
• Always be sure to stand away from garbage so that you do not accidentally set it on fire.

• If you get targeted with the Prototype Powercoil cast you will gradually take more damage due to Hypercharged. Plan to always use a defensive for this cast. Fade will last the entire duration so you are clear to use it ASAP. Towards the end of the cast if it gets to be too much damage add another defensive.

Suggested Hero Talent Spec: Archon

Voidweaver can be competitive on this boss depending on your priorities, but due to adds spawning away from boss that need to be focused down starting in Heroic difficulty Archon should have an easier time target swapping comparatively.

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy' button to import the build directly into your game!

The following is Heroic footage from live servers. Certain mechanics might not exist on other difficulties.

• If you are assigned to pop Product Deployment traps be sure to use a defensive beforehand.

• Due to the way the boss phases you will often be knocked back onto conveyor belts around the time you have cooldowns available. If you are progressing on this fight it can be a good idea to hold cooldowns for after this is done until you are comfortable dodging mechanics. The Beta Launch happens once he reaches 100 energy and lasts for 20 seconds. During this time the boss takes full damage.

• Use the conveyor belts to your advantage to be able to move with them and still get casts off.
• If you get targeted with Screw Up you can stack 2 drills on the same location before moving out to conserve space.
• While there is an animation for the beams that go out on the boss (red or purple) the visual is slightly delayed and you should aim to be out of it before it even spawns. Pay attention to timers and look at the edge of the room to see where the turrets are spawned before they start their casts.

• During Mythic you will need to manage your assigned color debuff from Polarization Generator and only stay around people with the same color. Be sure to stand in the quadrants of the room that are assigned to that color noted by the color of the bombs you will soak in that phase. This should naturally split the group up without causing conflicts.

Suggested Hero Talent Spec: Voidweaver

This is as Patchwerk Single Target as the raid will get this tier, so I would default to Voidweaver here to get as much damage as possible.

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy' button to import the build directly into your game!

The following is Heroic footage from live servers. Certain mechanics might not exist on other difficulties.

• During Reward: Flame and Coin the raid will be taking massive ticking damage. It is a good idea to have at least Fade running for this and consider using Vampiric Embrace as well.
• Use Fade and run out of the ranged stack when you get Withering Flames as you wait for a dispel.
• Typically it is worth using Desperate Prayer to help heal off Foul Exhaust when active.

• Generally speaking you should be able to use your cooldowns on cooldown during this fight and get good lineups with add spawns. You won't have full cooldowns for each one but it should get you close.
• Around 30% the boss will enter the Cheat to Win! phase. This does not have a specific damage amp associated with it but does ramp mechanics up and requires you to kill the boss before it hard enrages. Most groups will opt to save Bloodlust for this point so be sure to time it so that you have cooldowns ready to use at the top of this phase.
• There are three combinations of adds that will trigger small bombs to spawn. If you trigger Reward: Shock and Bomb, Reward: Flame and Bomb, or Reward: Coin and Bomb you will spawn Dynamite Booty, Fiery Dynamite Booty, or Premium Dynamite Booty. When this is happening be sure to have Shadow Crash ready for when they spawn to quickly get them debuffed by Vampiric Touch. This typically means you will need to manually DoT each Reel Assistant.

• For this fight you want to constantly be focusing the boss and cleaving off the adds as much as possible. Your cleave should be most effective this way.
• Periodically there will be Coins shot around the room. When they initially launch out there will be a blue line indicating their path. By standing as close to it as you can without getting hit you will gain the High Roller! buff. This takes some getting used to but once you line it up you can get this buff on the way out and once the coin is sent back towards the boss/adds. Careful with this, if you get hit by the coin you get Crushed!.
• While we typically will not suggest taking Silence, you should be cognizant of Reel Assistant adds casting Overload!. This can knock you back at rough times and potentially get you knocked into a Pay-Line and Crushed!.

• Be sure to use a defensive for each cast of The Big Hit.

Suggested Hero Talent Spec: Archon or Voidweaver

On most fight timers Archon should have easier time setting up for add spawns, but well timed Voidweaver setups can deal massive damage as well. Either choice should be good on this boss.

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy' button to import the build directly into your game!

The following is Heroic footage from live servers. Certain mechanics might not exist on other difficulties.

• When the boss switches control they will cast Elemental Carnage or Uncontrolled Destruction. Be sure to at least use Fade to mitigate the damage from swapping.
• If you are targeted with Stormfury Finger Gun or Spray and Pray you should at least use Fade and consider stacking Protective Light or Desperate Prayer. Dispersion should be overkill but might be needed in emergencies.

• Earthshaker Gaol adds need to die ASAP, one way to cheese the line of sight mechanic is to specifically time your Shadow Crash to land on the other add that you are not soaking. If timed correctly you will get your Vampiric Touch and Shadow Word: Pain applied to that add. This gives a bit of extra damage and can increase your Twist of Fate uptime. Psychic Link for the most part does not work, although it can sometimes bug a few hits through.
• Be sure to focus the Mk II Electro Shocker as soon as possible. Once they reach 80% health they will gain Faulty Wiring, causing them to take 100% increased damage. You should immediately swap to main target this add to get the increased base damage modifier from the Psychic Link on the boss, or the other add if it is still alive.

• Be sure to focus the Mk II Electro Shocker adds as soon as possible. You should still maintain Vampiric Touch on the boss for cleave.
• This boss has quite a lot of precise positioning requirements so be sure to maintain a good foothold near the boss and understand where you will be moving ahead of time to reduce downtime between movement events.
• Shadow Priest has one of the toughest time reacting and moving for Frostshatter Boots due to our movement kit. To counter this pay extra attention to the timers from BigWigs or DBM to pre-position as if you will get targeted before it goes out.
• It is a bit hard to see but if you are in the prison with the Gallagio Goon pay attention to the Shakedown frontal cast. Once the add is ready to break you out be sure to stack with the group so you do not break too many walls.
• Once the Goblin-guided Rocket circle spawns that means the Volunteer Rocketeer has also spawned and is flying in. You can target his boss frame as he is flying around to get Vampiric Touch on him early.
• During the intermission when Mug'Zee casts Static Charge he will immediately follow it up with a Bulletstorm cast. This can be deadly if you are not positioned correctly, but his rotations are a fixed order. He rotates clockwise, counter-clockwise, and a 3rd time clockwise. To make positioning easier you should be on the back left side before he does the clockwise charges, and back right side for counter-clockwise charges. Check out the video above to see how we handled this.

• There are no specific tips for this boss on Mythic Difficulty.

Suggested Hero Talent Spec: Voidweaver

Voidweaver on this boss should perform better due to the extra boss damage and generally has good line ups for the fight. You can choose whether or not to use Shadow Crash here, but most times it is not gaining you much value, particularly if you are ever assigned to go inside of the Earthshaker Gaol prison.

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy' button to import the build directly into your game!

The following is Normal footage from live servers. Certain mechanics might not exist on other difficulties.

• If you end up soaking Scatterblast Canisters and get Mechengineer's Canisters you should consider using Desperate Prayer to counter the Healing Absorb. This is also a prime opportunity to use Healthstone or Algari Healing Potion as well.
• Use at least a minor defensive if you end up picking up a Charged Giga Bomb to mitigate the ticking damage.
• The raid will take massive damage while Venting Heat is active, be sure to use a defensive to mitigate this.

• At 50% health Gallywix will go into the intermission and gain Armageddon-class Plating. This puts an absorb shield on the boss that will be a good time to use Shadow Word: Death on cooldown if you are playing Voidweaver for the Devour Matter increase.

• Prioritize killing the Darkfuse Technician adds so that they drop their Giga Bombs. Afterwards take care of the Sharpshot Sentry and Darkfuse Wrenchmonger. These should all be affected by Vampiric Touch to get your Psychic Link cleave off.

• There are no specific tips for this boss on Mythic Difficulty.

Suggested Hero Talent Spec: Voidweaver

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy' button to import the build directly into your game!