Cast sequence!Follow

the sticky at the top of this forum can help you a great deal.

What's your spec?

For my leveling shadow priest, I go Power Word: Shield -> Mind Blast -> Shadow Word: Pain -> Mindflay -> Mindflay -> wanding. They usually die just before my shield would break, or maybe 1 or 2 attacks after the shield breaks.

For my disc priest, I think I leveled with Power Word: Shield -> Holy Fire -> Mind Blast -> Smite -?> Smite/Wanding.

As a disc priest, my shield generally never broke before they died. Also, I don't remember using Shadow Word: Pain very much because of its mana cost. But it's been a while since I've played her, I'm leveling that shadow priest on another server.

I have a disc priest but went enough shadow for mindflay. My sequence is the same as your shadow priest. Leveling this way has been so easy. I didn't want full shadow as everyone has a shadow priest and I felt the need to be a little different. If I'm a little low on mana I'll swap the mindblast with holy fire.

On my shadow priest, it's generally something like:
Shield > Mind Flay (Touch of Weakness kicks in at the end) > Vampiric Embrace > Mind Flay > SW: Pain > Mind Blast. Repeat.
You want to build Shadow Vulnerability before hitting them with Mind Blast or Pain. Using Psychic Scream can be useful in helping to do that.

Assuming we're talking about for solo, using SW:P last or near the end would be a waste of mana because the mob would take alot less damage from it (fewer ticks)

Are we talking PVP or PVE? There would be a difference.
In either case, one wants to build Shadow Vulnerability as quickly as possible. My sequence is more for PVE-- obviously, you dont want to get hit, so one can just fear them by the time they get close. Besides, just cast shield again when it gets knocked down. Unless you have have multiple targets, Shield will last as long as it needs to in order for you to stack your damage.

Its amazing how few people say to use psychic scream when levelling. Its way more efficient than using power word shield. It can be risky, but if you're careful with it you'll speed up the levelling no end due to reduced downtime.

Ah well, looks like I got the whole copy paste thing down ok then :P

Why would you wand down a mob when you've gained the +10% shadow dmg bonus? Personally, I go: PW:S, MB, SW:P, Flay, wait, MB, flay, scream, flay, flay. Mobs have so far always died before PW:S ends, or you avoid hits until you can recast PW:S.

Wands are more mana efficient (?) at lower levels, but if you have the cash for drinks, no reason not to use the +dmg bonus to its limit. Spirit weaving is a must though, or you'll be hurting for mana worst than a mage :S

Yay shadow damage wants. Not only more efficient for grinding, but you can have the fun of getting a lock buddy and one-shotting lowbies with crits :D

Once you get Vampiric Touch, wanding becomes efficient again.

Vampiric Touch, Shadow Word: Pain, Vampiric Embrace, Mind Blast, wand -> kill. By the time the mob dies I'll be at almost full mana and thanks to (Improved) Vampiric Embrace I'm at almost full health as well. Spirit Tap does the rest.

Because of Vampiric Touch's mana-returning capabilities, it's rather mana efficient when used together with Shadow Word: Pain. And since it also ticks in on Vampiric Embrace, it's even more over-time healing while wanding. I use the single Mind Blast just for fun and because I can. Plus, my wand sucks for my level so I need some help.

Haven't bought a drink in 30 levels and counting.

Ps. The DoT sequence might appear time consuming, but the mob dies before (Improved) Shadow Word: Pain runs its course. That's 24 seconds.

Edited, Jan 24th 2008 1:29am by Mazra