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World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide

Shadow Priest: Races

Every race Shadow Priest can be, ranked against each other: best first, with how much the choice matters.

Best races for Shadow Priest

Best races for Shadow Priest in PvE

Race matters a lot

Two races lead Shadow Priest. Night Elf Starshards adds an estimated 1.5 to 3% damage and Undead Touch of the Grave about 1 to 1.5%, while Gnome and Troll gain little because Eureka! and Berserking skip DoTs and channels. Night Elf is the best Alliance pick. Undead is the best Horde pick.

  1. Undead S tier

    Cannibalize gives Undead the strongest leveling here, which makes it the best pick for Shadow Priest.

    Why S, and its scores

    Touch of the Grave procs at 30% on Mind Blast and similar hits, about 1 to 1.5% more damage (an estimate). Whether DoT and channel ticks can proc it is untested. Will of the Forsaken removes Charm, Fear and Sleep every 2 minutes, and Cannibalize heals 35% of health between pulls. Safety scores 4 of 5 for Shadow Priest. Cannibalize restores 35% of health and mana near a corpse every 2 minutes, which cuts drinking and eating time. Dark Sacrifice adds more mana between fights. Leveling scores 5 of 5.

    It has no race ahead of it. The next race, Night Elf, trails by 0.10 and sits in tier S. It falls short on leveling (Quickness against Cannibalize, 3 of 5 to 5) and safety (Shadowmeld against Will of the Forsaken, 3 of 5 to 4).

    Scores for Undead for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 3
    Survival and utility25 4
    Leveling and downtime20 5

    Weighted score 3.65, the best for this spec, which is S tier.

    What would move it: It would lose first place if testing showed Starshards on Night Elf worth more than the estimate for Shadow Priest now, or if Touch of the Grave were cut in a patch.

    The Undead race page

  2. Night Elf S tier

    Night Elf's Quickness trails Undead's Cannibalize on leveling.

    Why S, and its scores

    Starshards is a 6 second channel for up to 1,800 damage on a 30 second cooldown, about 10 DPS over a filler spell, an estimated 1.5 to 3% more damage. Elune's Light adds about 0.4% on average. Shadowmeld can be used in combat to discourage attacks (2 minute cooldown in combat), and Quickness adds 1% dodge. Safety scores 3 of 5 for Shadow Priest. Quickness adds 2% movement speed that stacks with other speed effects, and Wisp Spirit adds 75% speed as a wisp. Starshards adds damage while leveling. Leveling scores 3 of 5.

    Ahead of it: Undead. The best, Undead, is 0.10 ahead because it is stronger on leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 3) and safety (Will of the Forsaken, 4 of 5 against 3). This race wins on damage (Starshards) but not by enough. That is within 0.50 of the best, so it stays in tier S.

    Scores for Night Elf for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 4
    Survival and utility25 3
    Leveling and downtime20 3

    Weighted score 3.55, 0.10 behind the best race for this spec, which is S tier.

    What would move it: It would lead outright if a test showed Starshards worth more than the estimate now, or if Touch of the Grave on Undead lost value.

    The Night Elf race page

  3. Human B tier

    The Human Spirit trails Undead's Cannibalize on leveling.

    Why B, and its scores

    Ruthless adds 2% crit, and Shadow DoTs can crit, so it is about 1% more damage (an estimate). The Human Spirit adds 5% Spirit. Will to Survive removes all stuns on a 3 minute cooldown, and Perception detects stealth for 20 seconds. Safety scores 3 of 5 for Shadow Priest. The Human Spirit adds 5% Spirit, which helps regen a little. Leveling scores 2 of 5.

    Ahead of it: Undead and Night Elf. The best, Undead, is 0.85 ahead because it is stronger on leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 2) and safety (Will of the Forsaken, 4 of 5 against 3). Tier B covers up to 1.17 behind; tier A needs 0.83 or less.

    Scores for Human for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 3
    Survival and utility25 3
    Leveling and downtime20 2

    Weighted score 2.80, 0.85 behind the best race for this spec, which is B tier.

    What would move it: Closing about 0.02 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Ruthless or a change to Touch of the Grave on Undead, would lift it to tier A.

    The Human race page

  4. Dwarf D tier

    Dwarf's Earth Fury trails Undead's Touch of the Grave on damage.

    Why D, and its scores

    Earth Fury adds 2% to the crit bonus, about 0.1 to 0.4% more damage, an estimate. Stoneform removes bleed, poison and disease, grants immunity to them and cuts physical damage taken 10% for 8 seconds, every 3 minutes. Safety scores 4 of 5 for Shadow Priest. Big Game Hunter helps only against Beasts, and Stoneform handles poison. Leveling scores 2 of 5.

    Ahead of it: Undead, Night Elf and Human. The best, Undead, is 1.70 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Touch of the Grave, 3 of 5 against 1) and leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 2). Tier D covers up to 1.83 behind; tier C needs 1.50 or less.

    Scores for Dwarf for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 1
    Survival and utility25 4
    Leveling and downtime20 2

    Weighted score 1.95, 1.70 behind the best race for this spec, which is D tier.

    What would move it: Closing about 0.20 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Earth Fury or a change to Touch of the Grave on Undead, would lift it to tier C.

    The Dwarf race page

  5. Gnome D tier

    Eureka!, the Gnome racial, trails Undead's Touch of the Grave on damage.

    Why D, and its scores

    Eureka! skips Shadow Word: Pain, Devouring Plague and the Mind Flay channel, so it adds only about 0.3%. Contingency Plan gives an absorb and a heal over time at 35% health on a 10 minute cooldown, and Confounding Flash confuses up to 5 targets for 3 seconds. Safety scores 4 of 5 for Shadow Priest. Expansive Mind adds a larger resource pool, and Escape Artist helps with kiting. Leveling scores 2 of 5.

    Ahead of it: Undead, Night Elf and Human. The best, Undead, is 1.70 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Touch of the Grave, 3 of 5 against 1) and leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 2). Tier D covers up to 1.83 behind; tier C needs 1.50 or less.

    Scores for Gnome for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 1
    Survival and utility25 4
    Leveling and downtime20 2

    Weighted score 1.95, 1.70 behind the best race for this spec, which is D tier.

    What would move it: Closing about 0.20 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Eureka! or a change to Touch of the Grave on Undead, would lift it to tier C.

    The Gnome race page

  6. Troll F tier

    Troll's Berserking trails Undead's Touch of the Grave on damage.

    Why F, and its scores

    Berserking is reported not to speed Mind Flay or DoTs, which is most of Shadow's damage, so it is worth little. Rapid Regeneration heals 50% of maximum health over 6 seconds, but any movement, action or damage cancels it. Regeneration adds 20% health regen. Safety scores 2 of 5 for Shadow Priest. Regeneration adds 20% health regen (20% of it works in combat), and Beast Slaying adds 5% damage to Beasts. Leveling scores 3 of 5.

    Ahead of it: Undead, Night Elf, Human and 2 more. The best, Undead, is 2.00 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Touch of the Grave, 3 of 5 against 1), safety (Will of the Forsaken, 4 of 5 against 2) and leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 3). That is beyond 1.83 behind the best, which is tier F.

    Scores for Troll for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 1
    Survival and utility25 2
    Leveling and downtime20 3

    Weighted score 1.65, 2.00 behind the best race for this spec, which is F tier.

    What would move it: Closing about 0.17 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Berserking or a change to Touch of the Grave on Undead, would lift it to tier D.

    The Troll race page

How these are ranked

Forecast. Rated from the client data and our research, before anyone has played it at this level on this build. Where the data stops, the write-up says what it assumed. Rated as of , build 1.60.1.70450.

For each of the 28 specs, every race that can play it, ranked against each other for that spec: what the race's racials give it in PvE, leveling 1 to 60 and then in dungeons and raids at 60. It answers one question per spec: which race should I pick for it?

A tier says how far a race trails the best race for the same spec, never how it compares with another spec's races: an S Dwarf Protection Warrior and an S Undead Fire Mage are each the best for their own spec. The best race of every spec is S. Each spec also says how much the choice matters: on some specs the best and worst races are a few percent apart, on others one racial decides it.

The scores are the racials' worth on fixed anchors (1 to 5). The tier comes from the weighted score's gap to the spec's best: 5 minus 1.5 times the gap, against the thresholds, so S is within 0.50 of the best and F more than 1.83 behind.

The racials are rated from their tooltips and the client's numbers; none has been measured in play. The percentages are estimates, and no racial is worth more than about 3% of a spec's output, so a damage spec's races are often close and its pick is a matter of a few percent.

Where a racial answers something a spec cannot do without, the gap is larger: Stoneform for a tank, a mana return for a healer, a fear break for a melee spec. Those specs say race matters a lot.

The rubric: each criterion scored 1 to 5
CriterionWeightWhat it measures
The spec's job55What the racials add to what the spec is for at 60: damage for a damage spec, healing and mana for a healer, survival and threat for a tank. 5: about 3% or more of the spec's output, or one racial the role leans on most fights (a tank's Stoneform, a healer's large mana return). 3: about 1 to 1.5%, or a role racial that helps on some fights. 1: nothing that adds to the spec's job.
Survival and utility25Racials that keep this spec alive or help its group, beyond its main job: removing or ignoring a common danger (fear, poison, disease, curse, stun), a damage cut, a threat drop, an interrupt or stun the spec lacks. 5: helps on most fights. 3: one racial that helps on some fights. 1: nothing.
Leveling and downtime20Makes leveling this spec quicker or easier: less eating and drinking, more health, speed, a strong solo cooldown. 5: a large help throughout. 3: helps a little, or helps some of the levels. 1: nothing.
S 0.50 or less behind the best
The best race for this spec, or as good as makes no difference.
A 0.83 or less behind the best
A little behind the best; a fine pick if you prefer it.
B 1.17 or less behind the best
Behind the best, but nothing you will notice most nights.
C 1.50 or less behind the best
Clearly behind the best on what this spec needs.
D 1.83 or less behind the best
Well behind the best; pick it for other reasons.
F more than 1.83 behind
The furthest behind for this spec.

What the ratings assume:

  • Racials as of the stated build: the client's tooltips, cooldowns and numbers, after the 15–16 Oct racial rework.
  • The spec played as its class guide sets it out, in its usual group role at 60, and leveled as that spec.
  • Gear: leveling gear, then pre-raid blues at 60.
  • No Legacy perks and no world buffs.
  • Faction is not rated. Both factions' races sit on one scale; each spec names the best pick on each side.
  • The game rules of the stated build. A patch that changes a racial makes a new version.

Best races for Shadow Priest in PvP

Race matters some

Shadow has the most burst and control of the Priests, but Shadowform blocks all healing, so a fear, stun or interrupt chain has no recovery. A break or a defense that works in form decides the pick, and four races sit within 0.60. The spread is 1.00, so the choice matters some. Gnome is the best Alliance pick. Undead is the best Horde pick.

  • Best Alliance pick: Gnome S tier
  • Best Horde pick: Undead S tier

  1. Gnome S tier

    Gnome leads Shadow Priest: Escape Artist gives it the best breaks, and burst comes from Eureka!

    Why S, and its scores

    Breaks scores 3 of 5: Escape Artist frees you from any movement impairment and gives 3 seconds of immunity on a 2 minute cooldown. The Mind Flay kite needs freedom of movement, which Escape Artist gives. Burst scores 3 of 5: Eureka! adds 10% non-periodic damage and cuts costs 10% for 8 seconds on a 2 minute cooldown, but does nothing for DoTs or channels and fails in stealth. Eureka! covers Mind Blast and Shadow Word: Death, but damage over time and Mind Flay are excluded. Defensives scores 2 of 5: Contingency Plan gives an absorb and a heal over time at 35% health on a 10 minute cooldown. Mobility scores 3 of 5: Confounding Flash confuses five enemies for 3 seconds.

    No race is ahead of it. The next race, Human, is 0.10 behind and sits in tier S. It falls short on burst (Eureka!, 3 of 5, against Ruthless, 1) and mobility (Confounding Flash, 3 of 5, against Perception, 2).

    Scores for Gnome for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 3
    Burst25 3
    Defensives25 2
    Mobility and detection20 3

    Weighted score 2.75, the best for this spec, which is S tier.

    What would move it: It would lose first place if testing which spells Eureka! covers (its text excludes periodic damage) went against it, or if its Escape Artist were cut in a patch. Human is 0.10 behind, so a small change could close it.

    The Gnome race page

  2. Human S tier

    Human stays close to Gnome for Shadow Priest: Will to Survive keeps it in tier S, short on burst and mobility.

    Why S, and its scores

    Breaks scores 5 of 5: Will to Survive frees you from all stuns on a 3 minute cooldown. Burst scores 1 of 5: Ruthless adds 2% crit. Defensives scores 2 of 5: Divine Grace and Feedback give a small defense (Feedback drains an attacker's mana). Mobility scores 2 of 5: Perception is a 20 second stealth detection on a 3 minute cooldown, and Spirit is 5% higher.

    It is 0.10 behind Gnome, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier S. The gap comes from burst (Eureka!, 3 of 5, against Ruthless, 1) and mobility (Confounding Flash, 3 of 5, against Perception, 2). It does lead on breaks (5 of 5 against 3).

    Scores for Human for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 5
    Burst25 1
    Defensives25 2
    Mobility and detection20 2

    Weighted score 2.65, 0.10 behind the best race for this spec, which is S tier.

    What would move it: Settling how often stuns chain on Forever (diminishing returns there are undocumented) could close the 0.10 gap to Gnome: one more point on breaks is worth 0.30.

    The Human race page

  3. Undead S tier

    Undead stays close to Gnome for Shadow Priest: Will of the Forsaken keeps it in tier S, short on mobility and burst.

    Why S, and its scores

    Breaks scores 4 of 5: Will of the Forsaken removes Charm, Fear and Sleep on a 2 minute cooldown. Burst scores 2 of 5: Touch of the Grave has a 20% or 30% proc chance and drains up to 5% of your health on a 25 second internal cooldown, worth about 1 to 2% damage as an untested estimate. Defensives scores 2 of 5: Dark Sacrifice and Touch of the Grave give a small defense. The heal from Touch of the Grave may work in Shadowform because it is not a spell, which is untested. Mobility scores 1 of 5: Undead has nothing here.

    It is 0.35 behind Gnome, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier S. The gap comes from mobility (Confounding Flash, 3 of 5, against 1 here) and burst (Eureka!, 3 of 5, against Touch of the Grave, 2). It does lead on breaks (4 of 5 against 3).

    Scores for Undead for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 4
    Burst25 2
    Defensives25 2
    Mobility and detection20 1

    Weighted score 2.40, 0.35 behind the best race for this spec, which is S tier.

    What would move it: Reaching Gnome means making up 0.35. One more point on burst is worth 0.25, so settling how large Touch of the Grave is in practice (untested) would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

    The Undead race page

  4. Night Elf A tier

    Night Elf stays close to Gnome for Shadow Priest: Elune's Grace keeps it in tier A, short on breaks and burst.

    Why A, and its scores

    Breaks scores 1 of 5: Night Elf has no break from control. Burst scores 2 of 5: Starshards is a damage-over-time spell. Elune's Grace still works in Shadowform, which helps a spec that cannot heal. Defensives scores 4 of 5: Elune's Grace cuts the chance to be hit by 50% for 15 seconds on a 5 minute cooldown, and dodge is 1% higher. Mobility scores 2 of 5: Shadowmeld and 2% extra speed help a little.

    It is 0.55 behind Gnome, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier A. The gap comes from breaks (Escape Artist, 3 of 5, against 1 here), burst (Eureka!, 3 of 5, against Starshards, 2) and mobility (Confounding Flash, 3 of 5, against Shadowmeld, 2). It does lead on defensives (4 of 5 against 2).

    Scores for Night Elf for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 1
    Burst25 2
    Defensives25 4
    Mobility and detection20 2

    Weighted score 2.20, 0.55 behind the best race for this spec, which is A tier.

    What would move it: Reaching Gnome means making up 0.55. One more point on mobility is worth 0.20, so settling whether Shadowmeld discourages attacks in combat against players (untested) would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

    The Night Elf race page

  5. Dwarf B tier

    Dwarf trails Gnome for Shadow Priest on burst and breaks, and Stoneform does not make up the difference.

    Why B, and its scores

    Breaks scores 2 of 5: Stoneform cleanses Bleed, Poison and Disease, a narrow family. Burst scores 1 of 5: Earth Fury adds a tiny 2% crit bonus. Defensives scores 2 of 5: Desperate Prayer is an emergency heal on a 10 minute cooldown, and Stoneform cuts Physical damage 10% for 8 seconds. Desperate Prayer may not work in Shadowform if healing is blocked, which is untested. Mobility scores 2 of 5: Chastise roots a humanoid for 2 seconds on a 2 minute cooldown.

    It is 1.00 behind Gnome, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier B. The gap comes from burst (Eureka!, 3 of 5, against Earth Fury, 1), breaks (Escape Artist, 3 of 5, against Stoneform, 2) and mobility (Confounding Flash, 3 of 5, against Chastise, 2).

    Scores for Dwarf for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 2
    Burst25 1
    Defensives25 2
    Mobility and detection20 2

    Weighted score 1.75, 1.00 behind the best race for this spec, which is B tier.

    What would move it: Reaching Gnome means making up 1.00. One more point on defensives is worth 0.25, so settling the real size of Stoneform's 10% Physical cut would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

    The Dwarf race page

  6. Troll B tier

    Troll trails Gnome for Shadow Priest on breaks and mobility, and Berserking does not make up the difference.

    Why B, and its scores

    Breaks scores 1 of 5: Troll has no break from control. Burst scores 3 of 5: Berserking adds 10% attack and casting speed for 10 seconds on a 3 minute cooldown, and per player reports does not speed DoT ticks or channels, which is untested. Defensives scores 2 of 5: Hex of Weakness lowers a melee attacker's attack power and the healing it takes. Mobility scores 1 of 5: Troll has nothing here.

    It is 1.00 behind Gnome, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier B. The gap comes from breaks (Escape Artist, 3 of 5, against 1 here) and mobility (Confounding Flash, 3 of 5, against 1 here).

    Scores for Troll for Shadow Priest
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 1
    Burst25 3
    Defensives25 2
    Mobility and detection20 1

    Weighted score 1.75, 1.00 behind the best race for this spec, which is B tier.

    What would move it: Reaching Gnome means making up 1.00. One more point on burst is worth 0.25, so settling whether Berserking speeds channels and damage-over-time ticks would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

    The Troll race page

How these are ranked

Forecast. Rated from the client data and our research, before anyone has played it at this level on this build. Where the data stops, the write-up says what it assumed. Rated as of , build 1.60.1.70450.

For each of the 28 specs, every race that can play it, ranked against each other for that spec in PvP: what the race's racials give it at level 60 in open-world fights and battlegrounds, against players of similar level and gear. It answers one question per spec: which race should I pick for it in PvP?

A tier says how far a race trails the best race for the same spec, never how it compares with another spec's races. The best race of every spec is S. Each spec also says how much the choice matters.

The scores are the racials' worth on fixed anchors (1 to 5). The tier comes from the weighted score's gap to the spec's best: 5 minus 1.5 times the gap, against the thresholds, so S is within 0.50 of the best and F more than 1.83 behind.

The racials are rated from their tooltips and the client's numbers; none has been measured in play, and diminishing returns on control in this build are not yet confirmed.

A break from the control a spec suffers most weighs most: a stun break for a melee spec that must stay on its target, a fear break for a spec that can't answer fear itself. Where a spec already has its own answer, the racial is worth less to it.

The rubric: each criterion scored 1 to 5
CriterionWeightWhat it measures
Breaks and escapes30Racials that free this spec from the control it suffers most. 5: an on-use break from a whole family of control (all stuns, or all fears and charms) on a cooldown of 2 to 3 minutes, or an always-on cut to control that works every fight. 3: a break for a narrower family (roots and slows, or one effect type such as curses or poisons), or one that only partly fits how this spec is controlled. 1: nothing.
Burst25Racials that raise this spec's damage (or a healer's healing) against players in its burst window. 5: about 10% or more, lined up with its own cooldowns, or an always-on gain the spec uses fully. 3: a smaller gain, or one the spec only partly uses (a physical bonus on a mostly spell spec). 1: nothing.
Defensives25Racials that keep this spec alive against players. 5: one that turns a losing fight: a large damage cut or immunity on use, more health, or healing in combat that a player can't stop. 3: a small or narrow one: a few % cut against one school, a small health or dodge gain, a heal that damage interrupts. 1: nothing.
Mobility and detection20Tools that win fights outside the numbers. 5: an area stun or interrupt the spec lacks, stealth or stealth detection that changes its fights, a lasting speed boost that works in combat. 3: one such tool, or several small ones (a short sprint, a safe fall). 1: nothing.
S 0.50 or less behind the best
The best race for this spec, or as good as makes no difference.
A 0.83 or less behind the best
A little behind the best; a fine pick if you prefer it.
B 1.17 or less behind the best
Behind the best, but nothing you will notice most nights.
C 1.50 or less behind the best
Clearly behind the best on what this spec needs.
D 1.83 or less behind the best
Well behind the best; pick it for other reasons.
F more than 1.83 behind
The furthest behind for this spec.

What the ratings assume:

  • Racials as of the stated build: the client's tooltips, cooldowns and numbers, after the 15–16 Oct racial rework.
  • The spec in a PvP-minded build, as its class's open-world PvP research sets it out.
  • Gear: pre-raid blues. No honor gear yet.
  • Opponents of any class and race, so a racial is worth what it does against the whole field, not one matchup.
  • Faction is not rated: population, queue times and which faction's classes are stronger are not part of the score. Each spec names the best pick on each side.
  • The game rules of the stated build. A patch that changes a racial makes a new version.