- Author: Luxrah
- Date: March 29, 2025
- Updated: March 29, 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
- With Legendary Meta Gem:
- Quick Serpent’s Eye (Requires Jewelcrafting)
- Quick Sun’s Radiance
Red Socket
- Without Legendary Meta Gem:
- Brilliant Serpent’s Eye (Requires Jewelcrafting)
- Brilliant Primordial Ruby
- With Legendary Meta Gem:
- Reckless Vermilion Onyx (if the socket bonus is Haste or Intellect)
- Quick Sun’s Radiance
Yellow Socket
- Without Legendary Meta Gem:
- Reckless Vermilion Onyx (if the socket bonus is Intellect)
- Brilliant Primordial Ruby
- With Legendary Meta Gem:
- Quick Serpent’s Eye (Requires Jewelcrafting)
- Quick Sun’s Radiance
Blue Socket
- Without Legendary Meta Gem:
- Purified Imperial Amethyst (if you need Hit and the socket bonus is Intellect)
- Brilliant Primordial Ruby
- With Legendary Meta Gem:
- Energized Wild Jade (if you need Hit and/or the socket bonus is Intellect)
- Quick Sun’s Radiance
Sha-Touched Socket
- Crystallized Horror
Cogwheel Socket
- Without Legendary Meta Gem:
- Sparkling Tinker’s Gear (if Hit is needed)
- Quick Tinker’s Gear (if Haste is needed)
- Fractured Tinker’s Gear
- With Legendary Meta Gem:
- Quick 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:
- Enchant Chest – Glorious Stats (for throughput)
- Wrist:
- Fur Lining – Intellect (Requires Leatherworking)
- Enchant Bracer – Super Intellect
- Plus Socket Bracers (Requires Blacksmithing)
- Hands:
- Enchant Gloves – Greater Haste (if you want more Haste)
- Enchant Gloves – Superior Mastery
- Plus Synapse Springs (Requires Engineering)
- Plus Socket Gloves (Requires Blacksmithing)
- Waist:
- Living Steel Belt Buckle
- Plus Frag Belt (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:
- Enchant Weapon – Jade Spirit
- Off-Hand:
- Enchant Off-Hand – Major Intellect
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.
- Potion of the Jade Serpent
- Master Healing Potion
- Master Mana Potion
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.
- Flask of the Warm Sun
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.
- Mogu Fish Stew
- Banquet of the Pot/Great Banquet of the Pot
- Braised Turtle