I have just picked up Shadow Priest and I’m absolutely loving it. I played it a bit in BFA, but I can see it has changed since then.
I noticed we have another filler spell now called Mind Spike and that it buffs our next Mind Blast… But when do I use it?
We also have Mind Flay which I love using, but I can’t help feeling that it’s a bit obsolete with us having Mind Spike?
So do I use Mind Spike only when we get the free proc? Only when we have charges of Mind Blast? Or do I just completely replace Mind Flay with Mind Spike every time?
In that case you barely ever hard cast either of them. You use flay to bait kicks / slow things if you absolutely have to, but otherwise your filler spells are vampiric touch and dispel magic. It’s more important to be keeping dots rolling on things / kill targets clear of debuffs than whatever small damage you can do with filler spells.
Mind spike is used with procs from surge of darkness, or just as something to be doing if you’ve already been kicked on Shadow since it is Shadowfrost school.
There are various talents which make Mind Spike and Mind Blast instant. Generally speaking use Mind Spike in pvp only when flashing showing its instacast, before Mind Blast to buff Mind Blast. Alternatively, use it when shadow locked (however there are likely better things to cast when shadow locked like dispel, shield, flash heal etc.)
As for mind flay, the talent choice mind flay: insanity means you can use it after Devouring Plague as it’s quicker, does more damage, and builds more insanity than regular mind flay.
Also look at the talents which mean that mind flay increases your dot damage. If you spec mind flay: insanity and damnation for example, you could cast
Damnation - which puts all 3 dots on the target, this procs Mind flay Insanity
Cast mind flay insanity - this increases dot damage if specced
During doing this you will hopefully proc some instant mind spikes/blasts.
Remember too you can buff mind blast with talents to be 40% stronger with 3 dots up, so casting this with Plague up means putting it above Mind flay insanity in your rotation.
It’s all in the talent choices really…….if you don’t take MF:Insanity, flay is just a low damage filler you probs don’t want to use much in pvp
I remember from back in BFA that we primarily focus on dispelling and dotting, so I have definitely been doing that as a priority.
I had NO idea that Mind Spike was a different school, and could be used even when getting interrupted. So that’s great to know.
Oh so based on all the talents you mentioned, there are many ways to make Mind Blast and Mind Flay actually do something else besides being fillers. I’ll definitely take a look at them and try things out.
I’m really glad for the detailed explanations both of you came with. I think I have the general idea of where exactly these two spells belong in my rotation then.
