Priestly Patch Notes: 3.1

I'd be remiss if I didn't post a log of the possible pretty patch notes pertaining to priests of a particularly purplish persuasion. Gleaned from MMO Champion, which is a little confusing to read until you scroll past the "undocumented changes" section, which I won't delve into here.

Spell changes:

• Devouring Plague: This spell now has a new icon.
• Shadowfiend: Health scaling increased. Now receives 30% of the master's spell power. Mana return increased to 5%, up from 4%. The Shadowfiend now receives mana when its melee attacks land, rather than when it deals damage. Movement speed normalized to player movement speed. Tooltip revised. (Anon's note: SQUEE!!!! I love you, ShadowFRIEND! Let's be together forever. It's only a matter of time before he's a proper combat pet.)

Talent changes:

• Blackout: This talent has been removed. (Anon's note: I forgot we even had this.)
  
• Darkness: This talent is now in tier-1, moved up from tier-6.
• Dispersion: Now clears all snare and movement impairing effects and makes you immune to them while dispersed.
  
• New Talent: Improved Devouring Plague (Shadow): Increases the periodic damage done by your Devouring Plague by 5/10/15%, and when you cast Devouring Plague you instantly deal damage equal to 5/10/15% of its total periodic effect. (Anon's note: This is too fantastic. DP is already my highest refresh-rate, and now with the instant damage, I'm going to be even MORE meticulous about cooldowns.)
  
• Shadowform: Bonus damage from critical strike chance removed and replaced by the ability of those periodic damage spells to generate critical strikes. (Anon's note: Hmm... I'll have to see this in practice before I conclude anything.)
  
• Silence: Range increased to 30 yards.
• Vampiric Embrace duration increased to 5 minutes, up from 1 minute. PvP duration is now 60 seconds. Cooldown removed.

Exciting patch all around! With the changes, I think this will be my new spec. Comments?

No Nerf for the Wicked

A little birdie just sent me to (VERY) unofficial patch notes for 3.1.0, and if they're real (people seem to think they are not), boy will I be excited. The full text can be found here, but I'll post just a few of the Shadow-Priesty things that made me squee my pants a little:

• Mental Strength: Also increases armor contribution from items by 5%/10%/15%.
• Mind Melt: Critical strike chance increased by 3%/6%.
• Improved Shadow Word: Pain: Now increases damage by 5%/10%.

And from official blue posts via MMO Champion, here's a far more likely change that is prettah good.

• Shadow Form now reduces magic as well as physical damage. Dispersion now removes snares.

That one seems more for PVP folks, but could be incredibly useful for a few boss fights here and there, and reducing magic damage is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS welcome. Even if the damage increases are naught but lies, I'll be happy with the Shadow Form and Dispersion buffs.