I've been a raid healer for over two years now. Because of an abundance of very capable pally, druid and shaman healers, I've made the switch. DPS'ing is 180 degree change for me. I'd like a little advise from the more experienced Shadow Priests or anyone else that has 2 cents to add for that matter.

I'm still working very hard to get better gear, gems and enchants on what used to be my grinding gear, now its my full-time raiding gear. (Yay!) My +damage is only at around +700 right now. But, this will improving steadly.

By questions surround my cast rotations. For the majority of the duration of the fight, I'm casting MB and Mindflay. When I cast MB followed by Mindflay, there is a short pause before MB is up again. To deal with this wasted time, I'v been casting Mindflay then Mindflay again after the global cooldown. That way there is less downtime, MB is ready when that last casted Mindflay is done or just about done. Is this what others are doing? There is no need for this if I need to recast SW:P or sneak in a SW: Death.

I tend to shy away abit from SW: Death just cause I don't want the healers to have to deal with me. Sometimes I tell the healer to just ignore my small needs for health as I'm SW:Deathing and they understand. My line of thinking here is the healers have enough to deal with without having someone knocking their own health bar down everytime the cooldown is up. This is why we don't see warlocks constantly tapping during a fight, they are just being polite if you ask me. If a healer sees a health bar that needs more points in it, they usually find a way to put more points in it, whether it is actually NEEDED or not. What are you guys doing here? Are you spamming the SW: Death?

Finally, what is your spell rotation on non-VE fights and VE fights. Are you throwing VE right away? Or SW:P to start the ticking? I usually start with the MB to get that cooldown going, but, I'd like see what others are doing.

I'm really enjoying this shadow thing. Its like creating a brand new character that I didn't have to level to 70. I did my first heroic as shadow last weekend and I think I'm on my way to being a successfull shadow priest, I'd just like to get a little advise from the veterans.

I hope I'm not just rehashing an old thread, I did look and I didn't see what I was looking for, but please move this thread if all this as been gone over before.

BTW, I love this site. You guys do a rockin job of keeping out the rif raf.

Yah, there already a thread on this(well, related): PvE full raiding Shadow priest build? . Locking this one.