Dear Development Team,
I would like to bring attention to the significant decline in Shadow Priest utility, which has not kept pace with the game’s progression, particularly with the transition from 10-man to 20-man raids. This shift has profoundly impacted the value and effectiveness of Shadow Priests in our raids.
Early Stages vs. Current State
In the initial phases (P1 and P2), the utility provided by Shadow Priests was highly valuable due to the limited raid slots:
- Warrior Utility: Shadow Priests helped reduce the need for Warriors to spend numerous globals on applying Sunder Armor.
- Rogue Utility: The single rogue, who might not run Improved Expose Armor, contributed more significantly to total raid DPS.
- It’s not necessary to bring up the Homunculi AI and pet control.
- Curse Application: Shadow Priests could substitute a Warlock slot by providing one curse every 3 minute.
- Healing: The passive healing provided by Shadow Priests allowed for one less healer, optimizing the raid composition.
However, in the transition to 20-man raids, this utility has diminished:
- Curse Application: With the ability to easily include a Warlock who can apply all curses at once, Shadow Priest curses are less valuable – Eye of the Void is now a dead rune.
- Armor Debuff : Expose Armor and Sunder stacks can now be reliably managed by rogues and multiple warriors – Homonucly rune is also now an almost dead rune for optimal gameplay.
- Healing: Healing a quarter of the raid is less impactful compared to half in a 10-man setting, and it’s easier to manage healing with the increased raid size.
Specific Issues in Phase 4 (P4)
The attention in P4 was somewhat positive, but there are key issues that need addressing:
- Tier 1 (T1) 6P Bonus: While fun, the 24-yard range does not fit the kit well and needs adjustment.
- Spell Pushback: Initially not a major issue in Molten Core (MC), but a critical problem in Blackwing Lair (BWL) due to constant casting interruptions.
- Swiss Army Knife Mentality: Acceptable in earlier phases but has lost effectiveness with the increased raid size and recent utility nerfs.
Upcoming Phase 5 (P5) Concerns
With the imminent release of P5 and BWL, several pressing issues need to be addressed:
- Spell Pushback: A major hindrance in BWL, making the class less fun and effective.
- Tier 2 (T2) Bonus : Poor design, not worth it over the old T1 bonus.
General Utility and Damage
- Damage Compensation: The VE nerf has significantly reduced utility without compensatory damage buffs. Shadow Priest should be provided with reasonable damage boosts to make up for this.
- Utility Buffs: Buff the utility to maintain the Shadow Priest’s identity as a versatile class. Currently, utility has been gutted (e.g., Eye of the Void, Homunculi, Vampiric Embrace) – Shadow Priest Utility doesn’t bring something unique that other class can’t do better in a 20+ raid environment.
- Despair Buff: Buffs three spells (SW:D, MS, MB) but offers minimal DPS gains and no scaling. Additional sources of damage increase are needed.
- Mind Flay Range: The 24-yard range forces positioning issues, impacting raid strategy and effectiveness – An option here could be to make the Melting Faces buff also increase its range, so Shadow Priest can remain standing in caster groups
Conclusion
The development team needs to re-evaluate the Shadow Priest’s role and utility in the current raid meta. The class’s unique strengths have diminished significantly with the raid size increase, and recent nerfs have not been offset by adequate buffs. If you want debuffs, you bring Warlocks, Warriors and Rogues which as a side reward also bring more damage. In situations where you want DPS you will indirectly give priority to the top DPS classes before taking a Shadow Priest.
Ensuring that Shadow Priests remain viable requires careful consideration of their utility and damage potential. Implementing the suggested changes to tier bonuses, pushback mechanics, and overall damage would be a positive step towards restoring balance and enjoyment for Shadow Priests in upcoming content.
Thank you for your attention to these concerns. Your efforts in maintaining a balanced and enjoyable game are greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,