Priest

Rotations & Guide · PvE guide · PvP guide · Talent builds · Abilities · Talent Calculator · Macros · Changes vs Classic

Other classes: Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Mage, Warlock, Druid

Priests are cloth healers and shadow casters. Forever gives them a large new toolkit: Penance for Discipline, Holy Binding, Litany of Light and Prayer of Mending for Holy (all talents), and baseline Shadow Word: Death for Shadow. Divine Spirit is now a trainer spell at 30. Several new spells are racial: Contingency Plan and Confounding Flash (Gnome), Divine Grace (Human), Dark Sacrifice (Undead) and Chastise (Dwarf).

Discipline (Healer)

Discipline is a mana-efficient absorb and burst healer in Forever. Penance, the tier 5 Discipline talent, channels holy light to heal an ally or damage an enemy on a 12 sec cooldown, Power Word: Shield prevents damage (Soul Warding takes away its cooldown), and Gnomes get Contingency Plan as a long-cooldown safety net. Inner Focus and Power Infusion boost key moments, and Divine Aegis turns non-periodic critical heals into shields.

Holy (Healer)

Holy is the raw throughput healer. Forever adds Prayer of Mending (Holy's final talent, a bouncing heal on a 10 sec cooldown) and Holy Binding (a tier 4 talent: your Flash Heals on others also heal you for 50% as much), and Humans get Divine Grace (instant emergency heal). Litany of Light, a new tier 5 talent, refunds mana when you alternate between different heal spells, and Spiritual Guidance turns Spirit into healing power.

Shadow (Caster DPS)

Shadow stacks DoTs and channels in Shadowform with Shadow Weaving boosting your shadow damage. Forever makes Shadow Word: Death baseline as an instant finisher with self-damage backlash, and Undead priests get Dark Sacrifice to convert health into mana. Vampiric Embrace heals your party from your shadow damage.

Tips & tricks: what ForeverDB learned

Discipline

Updated 7 November 2026 for build 1.60.1.70862 · From the game client

Learning from players: Healing + absorbs/s (EHPS). Collecting comparable fights before publishing observed cast patterns.

Observed cast patterns, not a proven optimal rotation. Gear, buffs, healing assignments and incoming damage can explain performance differences. HPS is effective healing; overhealing does not increase it. HPS counts effective healing, APS counts recorded shield absorption, and EHPS is their combined rate. Shield application sizes and overhealing do not increase EHPS. Healing assignments and incoming damage still limit healer comparisons. Build groups use the version reported by the log; some logs omit the hotfix build number.

Forever client: There is no simulation for this spec yet. The order shown here comes from the site's rotation card for level 60, using cooldowns and costs from the Forever client. (level 60)
Forever client: Power Infusion has a 3 min cooldown at level 60. You can use it about once every second or third pull. (level 60)
Forever client: Inner Focus has a 3 min cooldown at level 60. You can use it about once every second or third pull. (level 60)
Forever client: Divine Grace has a 10 min cooldown at level 60. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (level 60)
Forever client: Contingency Plan has a 10 min cooldown at level 60. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (level 60)
Forever client: There is no simulation for this spec yet. The order shown here comes from the site's rotation card for levels 20-29, using cooldowns and costs from the Forever client. (levels 20–29)
Forever client: Contingency Plan has a 10 min cooldown at levels 20-29. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 20–29)
Forever client: Divine Grace has a 10 min cooldown at levels 20-29. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 20–29)
Forever client: Desperate Prayer has a 10 min cooldown at levels 20-29. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 20–29)
Forever client: There is no simulation for this spec yet. The order shown here comes from the site's rotation card for levels 30-39, using cooldowns and costs from the Forever client. (levels 30–39)
Forever client: Inner Focus has a 3 min cooldown at levels 30-39. You can use it about once every second or third pull. (levels 30–39)
Forever client: Contingency Plan has a 10 min cooldown at levels 30-39. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 30–39)
Forever client: Divine Grace has a 10 min cooldown at levels 30-39. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 30–39)
Forever client: There is no simulation for this spec yet. The order shown here comes from the site's rotation card for levels 40-49, using cooldowns and costs from the Forever client. (levels 40–49)
Forever client: Power Infusion has a 3 min cooldown at levels 40-49. You can use it about once every second or third pull. (levels 40–49)
Forever client: Inner Focus has a 3 min cooldown at levels 40-49. You can use it about once every second or third pull. (levels 40–49)
Forever client: Divine Grace has a 10 min cooldown at levels 40-49. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 40–49)
Forever client: Contingency Plan has a 10 min cooldown at levels 40-49. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 40–49)
Forever client: There is no simulation for this spec yet. The order shown here comes from the site's rotation card for levels 50-59, using cooldowns and costs from the Forever client. (levels 50–59)
Forever client: Power Infusion has a 3 min cooldown at levels 50-59. You can use it about once every second or third pull. (levels 50–59)
Forever client: Inner Focus has a 3 min cooldown at levels 50-59. You can use it about once every second or third pull. (levels 50–59)
Forever client: Divine Grace has a 10 min cooldown at levels 50-59. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 50–59)
Forever client: Contingency Plan has a 10 min cooldown at levels 50-59. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 50–59)

How to play it at level 60: priority, procs and cooldowns

What to press, in order. Cast the first one that is ready and whose condition holds.

Power Word: Shield: When it's missing from you: On the tank first; rank 10 (60) absorbs 928 before talents. (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Penance: Whenever it's ready: On cooldown: rank 4 (60) heals 425 instantly and every 1 sec for 2 sec. (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Renew: When it's missing from you: Keep it on the tank; rank 10 (60) heals 830 over 15 sec. (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Greater Heal: Whenever it's ready: Rank 5 (60) heals 1853 to 2067; Divine Fury in the healing build makes the cast 0.5 sec shorter. (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Flash Heal: Whenever it's ready: Rank 7 (56) for emergencies. (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)

Keep up:

Power Word: Shield on you, at least 0% of the time (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Renew on you, at least 0% of the time (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)

Cooldowns:

Power Infusion: as needed (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Inner Focus: as needed (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Divine Grace: as needed (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Contingency Plan: On the pull (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)

Latest changes:

7 November 2026: client build 1.60.1.70790 -> 1.60.1.70862 (new client build 1.60.1.70862)
4 November 2026: client build 1.60.1.70755 -> 1.60.1.70790; new Blizzard post (new client build 1.60.1.70790)
3 November 2026: tip wording or values (class pages reworked for 70755 and the level 60 cap)

Holy

Updated 7 November 2026 for build 1.60.1.70862 · From the game client

Learning from players: Healing + absorbs/s (EHPS). Collecting comparable fights before publishing observed cast patterns.

Forever client: There is no simulation for this spec yet. The order shown here comes from the site's rotation card for level 60, using cooldowns and costs from the Forever client. (level 60)
Forever client: Inner Focus has a 3 min cooldown at level 60. You can use it about once every second or third pull. (level 60)
Forever client: Divine Grace has a 10 min cooldown at level 60. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (level 60)
Forever client: There is no simulation for this spec yet. The order shown here comes from the site's rotation card for levels 20-29, using cooldowns and costs from the Forever client. (levels 20–29)
Forever client: Divine Grace has a 10 min cooldown at levels 20-29. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 20–29)
Forever client: Desperate Prayer has a 10 min cooldown at levels 20-29. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 20–29)
Forever client: There is no simulation for this spec yet. The order shown here comes from the site's rotation card for levels 30-39, using cooldowns and costs from the Forever client. (levels 30–39)
Forever client: Divine Grace has a 10 min cooldown at levels 30-39. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 30–39)
Forever client: There is no simulation for this spec yet. The order shown here comes from the site's rotation card for levels 40-49, using cooldowns and costs from the Forever client. (levels 40–49)
Forever client: Divine Grace has a 10 min cooldown at levels 40-49. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 40–49)
Forever client: There is no simulation for this spec yet. The order shown here comes from the site's rotation card for levels 50-59, using cooldowns and costs from the Forever client. (levels 50–59)
Forever client: Divine Grace has a 10 min cooldown at levels 50-59. Plan on using it once per dungeon wing, not every pull. (levels 50–59)

How to play it at level 60: priority, procs and cooldowns

What to press, in order. Cast the first one that is ready and whose condition holds.

Prayer of Mending: Whenever it's ready: Rank 3 (60) heals for 413 each time it triggers; keep it on the tank. (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Renew: When it's missing from you: Keep it on the tank; rank 10 (60) heals 830 over 15 sec before talents. (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Greater Heal: Whenever it's ready: Rank 5 (60) heals 1853 to 2067. (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Heal: Whenever it's ready: Rank 4 for lighter damage, or a lower Greater Heal rank if you prefer. (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Flash Heal: Whenever it's ready: Rank 7 (56) for spikes. (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)

Keep up:

Renew on you, at least 0% of the time (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)

Cooldowns:

Inner Focus: as needed (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)
Divine Grace: as needed (ForeverDB guide, Forever client)

Latest changes:

7 November 2026: client build 1.60.1.70790 -> 1.60.1.70862 (new client build 1.60.1.70862)
4 November 2026: client build 1.60.1.70755 -> 1.60.1.70790; 30-39: removed Binding Heal; 40-49: removed Binding Heal; 50-59: removed Binding Heal; 60-60: removed Binding Heal; new Blizzard post (new client build 1.60.1.70790)
3 November 2026: tip wording or values (class pages reworked for 70755 and the level 60 cap)

Shadow

Updated 8 November 2026 for build 1.60.1.70862 · From the DPS simulator, the game client

Learning from players: DPS. Collecting comparable fights before publishing observed cast patterns.

Simulator: At level 60, your best consumable is Elixir of Greater Intellect (+2.4% DPS in the simulator). Greater Arcane Elixir comes second (+2.2%). (level 60)
Simulator: At level 60, Arcane Intellect from a Mage is your most useful party buff, worth +3.1% DPS in the simulator. (level 60)
Simulator: At level 60, your damage breaks down as: Mind Flay 29%, Shadow Word: Pain 22%, Starshards 17% (simulator, recommended build, best gear, 60 s single target). (level 60)
Simulator: Shadow Word: Pain is worth 11.4% of your DPS at level 60: the simulator's fight without it did that much less damage. It kept it on the target 96% of the time. (level 60)
Simulator: Mind Blast is worth 9.2% of your DPS at level 60: the simulator's fight without it did that much less damage. (level 60)
Simulator: Stat values at level 60 (simulator, 1 spell power = 1): Intellect 1.35, haste rating 0.78. (level 60)
Simulator: At levels 20-29, your best consumable is Scroll of Intellect IV (+3.7% DPS in the simulator). Greater Arcane Elixir comes second (+1.9%). (levels 20–29)
Simulator: At levels 20-29, Blessing of Kings from a Paladin is your most useful party buff, worth +4.2% DPS in the simulator. (levels 20–29)
Simulator: At levels 20-29, your damage breaks down as: Mind Flay 33%, Starshards 19%, Shadow Word: Pain 19% (simulator, recommended build, best gear, 60 s single target). (levels 20–29)
Simulator: Shadow Word: Pain is worth 11.2% of your DPS at levels 20-29: the simulator's fight without it did that much less damage. It kept it on the target 79% of the time. (levels 20–29)
Simulator: Starshards is worth 7.2% of your DPS at levels 20-29: the simulator's fight without it did that much less damage. (levels 20–29)
Speculation: The class guide's rotation card uses Devouring Plague here and the simulator disagrees: check it in game before trusting either: At levels 30-39, the simulator's 60 s single-target fight did 7% more damage without Devouring Plague. The class guide disagrees, so treat this as something to test. (levels 30–39)
Speculation: The class guide's rotation card uses Mind Flay here and the simulator disagrees: check it in game before trusting either: At levels 30-39, the simulator's 60 s single-target fight did 3.5% more damage without Mind Flay. The class guide disagrees, so treat this as something to test. (levels 30–39)
Simulator: At levels 30-39, your best consumable is Scroll of Intellect IV (+5.5% DPS in the simulator). Elixir of Greater Intellect comes second (+4.7%). (levels 30–39)
Simulator: At levels 30-39, Arcane Intellect from a Mage is your most useful party buff, worth +9.2% DPS in the simulator. (levels 30–39)
Simulator: At levels 30-39, your damage breaks down as: Mind Flay 32%, Shadow Word: Pain 20%, Devouring Plague 14% (simulator, recommended build, best gear, 60 s single target). (levels 30–39)
Simulator: Shadow Word: Pain is worth 8.1% of your DPS at levels 30-39: the simulator's fight without it did that much less damage. It kept it on the target 79% of the time. (levels 30–39)
Simulator: Wand is worth 6.5% of your DPS at levels 30-39: the simulator's fight without it did that much less damage. (levels 30–39)
Speculation: The class guide's rotation card uses Devouring Plague here and the simulator disagrees: check it in game before trusting either: At levels 40-49, the simulator's 60 s single-target fight did 10.3% more damage without Devouring Plague. The class guide disagrees, so treat this as something to test. (levels 40–49)
Speculation: The class guide's rotation card uses Mind Flay here and the simulator disagrees: check it in game before trusting either: At levels 40-49, the simulator's 60 s single-target fight did 4.3% more damage without Mind Flay. The class guide disagrees, so treat this as something to test. (levels 40–49)
Simulator: At levels 40-49, your best consumable is Elixir of Greater Intellect (+8.2% DPS in the simulator). Scroll of Intellect IV comes second (+3.9%). (levels 40–49)
Simulator: At levels 40-49, Arcane Intellect from a Mage is your most useful party buff, worth +4.7% DPS in the simulator. (levels 40–49)
Simulator: At levels 40-49, your damage breaks down as: Mind Flay 31%, Shadow Word: Pain 21%, Devouring Plague 15% (simulator, recommended build, best gear, 60 s single target). (levels 40–49)
Simulator: Shadow Word: Pain is worth 11% of your DPS at levels 40-49: the simulator's fight without it did that much less damage. It kept it on the target 79% of the time. (levels 40–49)
Simulator: Wand is worth 7.9% of your DPS at levels 40-49: the simulator's fight without it did that much less damage. (levels 40–49)
Speculation: The class guide's rotation card uses Mind Flay here and the simulator disagrees: check it in game before trusting either: At levels 50-59, the simulator's 60 s single-target fight did 4.5% more damage without Mind Flay. The class guide disagrees, so treat this as something to test. (levels 50–59)
Simulator: At levels 50-59, your best consumable is Elixir of Greater Intellect (+9.6% DPS in the simulator). Scroll of Intellect IV comes second (+6.3%). (levels 50–59)
Simulator: At levels 50-59, Arcane Intellect from a Mage is your most useful party buff, worth +8.7% DPS in the simulator. (levels 50–59)
Simulator: At levels 50-59, your damage breaks down as: Mind Flay 25%, Shadow Word: Pain 22%, Starshards 16% (simulator, recommended build, best gear, 60 s single target). (levels 50–59)
Simulator: Starshards is worth 8.7% of your DPS at levels 50-59: the simulator's fight without it did that much less damage. (levels 50–59)
Simulator: Wand is worth 7.2% of your DPS at levels 50-59: the simulator's fight without it did that much less damage. (levels 50–59)

How to play it at level 60: priority, procs and cooldowns

What to press, in order. Cast the first one that is ready and whose condition holds.

Shadow Word: Pain: When it's missing from the target: Keep it on the target: up 96% of the sim's fight; worth 11.4% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)
Devouring Plague: When it's missing from the target: Keep it on the target: up 86% of the sim's fight; worth 3.7% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)
Starshards: Whenever it's ready: Cast it when it's ready (30 s cooldown); worth 4.9% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)
Mind Blast: Whenever it's ready: Cast it when it's ready (8 s cooldown); worth 9.2% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)
Mind Flay: Fill the gaps with it: Your filler: cast it when nothing above is ready; worth 14.2% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)
Wand: out of mana: Only when you're out of mana; worth 1.5% of your DPS (Simulator)

Keep up:

Shadow Word: Pain on the target, at least 95% of the time (Simulator, Forever client)
Devouring Plague on the target, at least 85% of the time (Simulator, Forever client)

Before the pull:

Arcane Intellect (Simulator, Forever client)
Blessing of Kings (Simulator, Forever client)
Blessing of Wisdom (Simulator, Forever client)
Elixir of Greater Intellect (Simulator, Forever client)
Greater Arcane Elixir (Simulator, Forever client)
Scroll of Intellect IV (Simulator, Forever client)
Mark of the Wild (Simulator, Forever client)
Baked Salmon (Simulator, Forever client)

Latest changes:

8 November 2026: 50-59: added Devouring Plague; 1 new tip(s); 2 tip(s) dropped (client build or hotfix rebuild)
7 November 2026: tip wording or values (client build or hotfix rebuild)
7 November 2026: client build 1.60.1.70790 -> 1.60.1.70862 (new client build 1.60.1.70862)

Every spec's latest changes. Re-studied every week and after each new game build.

Best in slot gear at any level: Discipline, Holy, Shadow

Best professions for Priests: Tailoring + Enchanting.

Priest abilities

Focused Casting
Lesser Heal (level 1)
Power Word: Fortitude (level 1)
Smite (level 1)
Shadow Word: Pain (level 4)
Power Word: Shield (level 6)
Fade (level 8)
Renew (level 8)
Confounding Flash (level 10)
Desperate Prayer (level 10, from the Classic class quest Desperate Prayer (rank 1))
Divine Grace (level 10)
Hex of Weakness (level 10, from the Classic class quest Hex of Weakness (rank 1))
Mind Blast (level 10)
Resurrection (level 10)
Starshards (level 10, from the Classic class quest Returning Home (rank 1))
Touch of Weakness (level 10, from the Classic class quest Touch of Weakness (rank 1))
Inner Fire (level 12)
Cure Disease (level 14)
Psychic Scream (level 14)
Heal (level 16)
Dispel Magic (level 18)
Chastise (level 20, from the Classic class quest A Lack of Fear (rank 1))
Contingency Plan (level 20)
Dark Sacrifice (level 20, from the Classic class quest Devouring Plague (rank 1))
Devouring Plague (level 20)
Elune's Grace (level 20, from the Classic class quest Elune's Grace)
Fear Ward (level 20)
Feedback (level 20, from the Classic class quest Arcane Feedback (rank 1))
Flash Heal (level 20)
Holy Fire (level 20)
Mind Soothe (level 20)
Shackle Undead (level 20)
Shadowguard (level 20, from the Classic class quest Shadowguard (rank 1))
Mind Vision (level 22)
Mana Burn (level 24)
Divine Spirit (level 30)
Mind Control (level 30)
Prayer of Healing (level 30)
Shadow Protection (level 30)
Abolish Disease (level 32)
Shadow Word: Death (level 32)
Levitate (level 34)
Greater Heal (level 40)
Lightwell (level 40)
Prayer of Fortitude (level 48)
Prayer of Shadow Protection (level 56)
Prayer of Spirit (level 60)

Common questions

Can Priests wear all cloth armour in WoW Forever?

Yes. Cloth is the only armour type Priests can equip in Forever, so every cloth piece fits them, at every slot. They cannot wear leather, mail or plate.

For weapons, Priests use one-handed maces, staves, daggers and wands, and they cannot use shields.

The full breakdown is on the Priest class page.

Sources: Priest in WoW Forever · checked on build 1.60.1.70862

The whole FAQ

Data from the WoW Forever client, build 1.60.1.70862, extracted 2026-11-09.