- Author: Luxrah
- Date: March 29, 2025
- Updated: May 20, 2025
- Expansion: Mists of Pandaria
In Mists of Pandaria, Shadow Priests will want to choose the gems, enchants, and consumables that support their current stat priority. Spirit, Haste, and Intellect can each be valuable depending on your current stats and gear level.
Gems
Your gem choices will depend upon whether you are Hit capped or looking for more Haste, with Intellect becoming the default choice otherwise. You should always go for Intellect socket bonuses by using appropriate colored gems. When you are looking for more Haste, you can also go for Haste socket bonuses. Socket bonuses can be ignored otherwise in favor of Intellect or Haste gems.
Meta Socket
- Sinister Primal Diamond (Available in Phase 2)
- Burning Primal Diamond
Prismatic Socket
- Without Legendary Meta Gem:
- Brilliant Serpent’s Eye (Requires Jewelcrafting)
- Brilliant Primordial Ruby or Perfect Brilliant Pandarian Garnet
- With Legendary Meta Gem:
- Quick Serpent’s Eye (Requires Jewelcrafting)
- Quick Sun’s Radiance or Perfect Quick Sunstone
Red Socket
- Without Legendary Meta Gem:
- Brilliant Serpent’s Eye (Requires Jewelcrafting)
- Brilliant Primordial Ruby or Perfect Brilliant Pandarian Garnet
- With Legendary Meta Gem:
- Reckless Vermilion Onyx (if the socket bonus is Haste or Intellect)
- Quick Sun’s Radiance or Perfect Quick Sunstone
Yellow Socket
- Without Legendary Meta Gem:
- Reckless Vermilion Onyx (if the socket bonus is Intellect)
- Brilliant Primordial Ruby or Perfect Brilliant Pandarian Garnet
- With Legendary Meta Gem:
- Quick Serpent’s Eye (Requires Jewelcrafting)
- Quick Sun’s Radiance or Perfect Quick Sunstone
Blue Socket
- Without Legendary Meta Gem:
- Purified Imperial Amethyst (if you need Hit and the socket bonus is Intellect)
- Brilliant Primordial Ruby or Perfect Brilliant Pandarian Garnet
- With Legendary Meta Gem:
- Energized Wild Jade (if you need Hit and/or the socket bonus is Intellect)
- Quick Sun’s Radiance or Perfect Quick Sunstone
Sha-Touched Socket
Cogwheel Socket
- Sparkling Tinker’s Gear (if Hit is needed)
- Quick Tinker’s Gear
- Fractured Tinker’s Gear
Enchants
- Head:
- (There are no head enchantments available in Mists of Pandaria.)
- Shoulder:
- Secret Crane Wing Inscription (Requires Inscription)
- Greater Crane Wing Inscription
- Back:
- Lightweave Embroidery (Requires Tailoring)
- Enchant Cloak – Superior Intellect
- Chest:
- Wrist:
- Fur Lining – Intellect (Requires Leatherworking)
- Enchant Bracer – Super Intellect
- Plus Socket Bracer (Requires Blacksmithing)
- Hands:
- Enchant Gloves – Greater Haste
- Enchant Gloves – Superior Mastery
- Plus Synapse Springs (Requires Engineering)
- Plus Socket Gloves (Requires Blacksmithing)
- Waist:
- Living Steel Belt Buckle
- Plus Frag Belt or Nitro Boosts (Requires Engineering)
- Legs:
- Master’s Spellthread (Requires Tailoring)
- Greater Cerulean Spellthread
- Feet:
- Enchant Boots – Greater Precision (if you need Hit)
- Enchant Boots – Greater Haste (if you want more Haste)
- Enchant Boots – Pandaren’s Step
- Finger:
- Enchant Ring – Greater Intellect (Requires Enchanting)
- Weapon:
- Off-Hand:
Consumables
Potions
You can “pre-pot” by using Potion of the Jade Serpent just before entering combat. This will put your potions on cooldown but allow you to use them again later in the fight. You may want to save your potion cooldown for a healing or mana potion on certain fights.
Flasks & Elixirs
There are no good Guardian Elixirs for Shadow Priests, so you will always prefer to use a flask. If you have Alchemy, you’ll get 30% increased stats and an extra hour of duration from each flask.
Food
Your best food is made with the Way of the Pot Cooking specialty. Having this specialty will increase the stats you gain from eating the associated Banquets. If your character is a Pandaren, remember that you will gain double benefit from your food buff.
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