The following compares the current state of Shadow Priests to Subtlety Rogues using the latest SimulationCraft data for end-game PvE in World of Warcraft The War Within patch 11.0.2.
Comparison
Category
Winner
Subtlety Rogue
+4.14%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Subtlety Rogues averaged 4.14% more DPS than Shadow Priests (+61K DPS).
Subtlety Rogue
+16.21%
When simulating AoE DPS, Subtlety Rogues averaged 16.21% more DPS than Shadow Priests (+167K DPS).
Subtlety Rogue
+37.15%
Subtlety Rogues have higher spike damage potential, achieving +2.9M more DPS than Shadow Priests.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Subtlety Rogue
+3.58%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Subtlety Rogue DPS improved the most, +3.58% more than Shadow Priest. In total, Subtlety Rogues DPS increased by 70.45% and Shadow Priests by 66.87%.
Subtlety Rogue
+14.54%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 8.19% for Subtlety Rogues.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 22.73% for Shadow Priests.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Subtlety Rogues performed better, as Shadow Priests suffered a +14.54% DPS loss.
Subtlety Rogue
When evaluating abilities used during boss encounters, Subtlety Rogues had fewer damaging abilities in total, indicating a potentially less complex rotation.
The comparisons above highlight some of the key differences between Shadow Priest and Subtlety Rogue in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Subtlety Rogue