Warlocks have gone through what might be the biggest overhaul in WoW Season of Discovery. Even compared to the new Tanking specs available to Rogues and Shamans, and the new Healing potential of the Mage class, Warlock Tanks are in a league of their own, able to easily compete and even beat traditional Tanks at their job.
WoW SoD: All Phase 1 & 2 Warlock Runes
Though players are most excited about Metamorphosis, Warlock runes in WoW SoD are going to be powerful across the board.
The backbone of the best Warlock SoD Rune is Metamorphosis, of course, which quite literally turns the Warlock into a shadowy demon with completely new abilities. But there are a lot of other great Warlock Runes that help to flesh things out, too. This guide goes over what the best Warlock Tank SoD Runes are, and what makes them so crucial to the Warlock Tank playstyle.
Demonic Grace
Best Warlock Legs Rune
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Demonic Grace Effect
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- Surge with fel energy, increasing your pet's and your own dodge chance by 30%, and your chance to critically strike with all attacks by 30%.
- Lasts 6 sec.
Warlock Tanks tend to go into the Demonology Talent Tree and have an Imp out for a little extra DPS. Demonic Grace is an activated ability that gives you and your pet a temporary, but extremely useful, buff to both your damage mitigation and DPS output.
On a 20 second cooldown, both you and your pet will gain a 30% boost to Dodge Chance and Critical Hit chance for all attack types for six seconds. Demonic Grace is therefore both a great Defensive that you can cast regularly, and a great way to help generate more Damage and consequently manage Threat better.
Demonic Tactics
Best Warlock Chest Rune
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Demonic Tactics Effect
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- Increases the melee and spell critical strike chance of you and your pet by 10%.
Demonic Tactics is a Chest Rune that simply increases the Critical Hit chance for spells cast by you or your Demon by 10%. 10% extra Critical Hit chance is huge in Classic WoW, and this goes a long way in helping maintain Threat with your unique casting Tank kit.
WoW Season of Discovery: DPS Warlock BiS Gear
This guide goes over the best in slot gear for Warlocks in the DPS role for WoW Season of Discovery, and where to get every piece.
Aside from a few totally Class-changing abilities, the majority of the best Warlock Tank SoD Runes have pretty simple effects. Demonic Tactics is one that doesn't give you a new button to press, but offers a basic effect that's too hard to pass up.
Metamorphosis
Best Warlock Hands Rune
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Metamorphosis Effect
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Transform into a Demon, increasing Armor by 500%, reducing the chance you will be critically hit by 6%, increasing your threat by 50%, increasing mana gained from Life Tap by 100%, transforming the functionality of some of your abilities, and granting some new abilities:
- Searing Pain: Now instant.
- Shadow Bolt: Becomes Shadow Cleave, a Shadow melee attack that hits up to 3 nearby enemies, but has a 6 sec cooldown.
- Curse of Recklessness: Now also taunts your target to attack you for 3 sec, but gains a 10 sec cooldown and range is reduced to melee.
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Transform into a Demon, increasing Armor by 500%, reducing the chance you will be critically hit by 6%, increasing your threat by 50%, increasing mana gained from Life Tap by 100%, transforming the functionality of some of your abilities, and granting some new abilities:
Arguably the most iconic rune in the Season of Discovery, Metamorphosis is the backbone of the Warlock Tank SoD build. It massively increases your armor, reduces the chance to get Critically Hit, increases Threat generation, and doubles Mana regeneration from Life Tap. Not only do several of your Warlock spells transform into new Tanking-ready ones, your player model also transforms into a menacing, huge shadowy Demon.
Warlock Tanks are performing extremely well in the Season of Discovery, and a lot of it is because of just how transformative the Metamorphosis ability is – literally and figuratively. It takes a while to unlock, but the journey is well worth having one of the craziest Runes in SoD.
Shadow and Flame
Best Warlock Belt Rune
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Shadow and Flame Effect
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- Critical Hits with Fire and Shadow spells increase both your Fire and Shadow damage by 10% for 10 seconds
Introduced in Phase Two, the Shadow and Flame Rune is one that provides a simple effect, but one that's incredibly useful for Warlock Tanks. With this Rune, Warlocks gain 10% increased Fire and Shadow damage for 10 seconds every time they score a Critical Hit with either a Fire or Shadow-based attack.
WoW Season of Discovery: What To Do At Max Level
Once you reach max level in WoW Season of Discovery, there's still plenty to do, including collecting Runes, raiding BFD, and leveling Professions.
With decent Gear, and when this Rune is equipped alongside Demonic Grace to boost your Crit chance, Warlocks will almost always have the Shadow and Flame buff up in Boss fights.
Dance of the Wicked
Best Warlock Boots Rune
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Dance of the Wicked Effect
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- Grants Dodge chance equal to your Spell Critical Hit chance each time you deal a Critical Hit to an enemy
- Critical Hits and Dodges both regain 2% of your maximum mana
Dance of the Wicked is a Boots Rune introduced in Phase Two that offers an effect like an Activated ability even though it's a Passive. Whenever the Warlock deals a Critical Hit to an enemy, both they and their Demon gain Dodge Chance equal to their Spell Critical hit chance temporarily. Every time you deal a Critical Hit, you also regenerate 2% Mana.
Like Shadow and Flame, the Dance of the Wicked Rune is at its best when used alongside Crit-boosting abilities like Demonic Grace. Warlocks rarely have issues regenerating Mana, but this also offers another way to keep your blue bar topped up.
World of Warcraft
- Released
- November 23, 2004
