The Best Warlock Runes in Season of Discovery

Warlocks and Hunters are the only two classes in WoW Classic with pets, but unlike Hunters, Warlocks are getting a completely new role to play in the Season of Discovery. With Warlock Runes like Metamorphosis and Demonic Grace, Warlocks can be Tanks in SoD, and they’re looking to be one of the best Tanks in the Season in general. But aside from an exciting new spec, Warlock players who just want to DPS are getting lots of strong Runes to try out, too.

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Though many of these WoW Warlock Runes have been found, their effects and power levels will change as the Season of Discovery progresses. Because only one Rune can be equipped to each slot, each section below ranks Warlock Runes against other Runes within the same gear category.

Updated November 6, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: Now that the Season of Discovery is in full swing a week after launch, all Warlock Runes SoD players can get have been found. Some are easy to get, and players will practically stumble across some Warlock SoD Runes in the starting zones, while others can only be used after long questlines (and long journeys across Azeroth). This guide to the best SoD Warlock Runes has been updated with all Discovery methods – but players who want to preserve the sense of adventure and mystery need not avert their gaze. Though the names and effects are spoiled below, the methods to get each of the best Warlock Runes in SoD are hidden by default. Only reveal this information if you are truly stumped on how to get the best Warlock Runes WoW SoD offers.

This guide to the best Warlock Runes in WoW SoD covers all 12 Phase One Runes. Later in the Season, check back for information on the best SoD Warlock Runes for other equipment slots when the 40, 50, and 60 level brackets unlock in later Phases.

Warlock Chest Runes, Ranked

Demonic Tactics, Lake of Fire, Master Channeler, & Soul Siphon

Though Warlocks will have the ability to Tank in the Season of Discovery, all four Chest Runes Warlocks get in SoD are damage or self-sustain abilities. Of the four, Lake of Fire has the potential for the biggest jump in power for Destruction Warlocks. Essentially, when Rain of Fire is active, affected enemies take a whopping 40% more Fire damage from the Warlock. Destruction Warlocks rely on Fire spells for the majority of their damage, so this is practically a 40% power boost for the spec.

Master Channeler and Soul Siphon are the self-sustain abilities granted to Warlocks in this slot, and of the two, Master Channeler seems to be the more useful. Soul Siphon can be powerful in an Affliction build, but it also requires players to build up DoTs, and is best used on high-HP enemies like Elites and Bosses. Master Channeler, on the other hand, turns Drain Life into a debuff that straight up heals for 50% more each tick, but costs twice as much to cast.

Demonic Tactics will be very powerful for Demonology Warlocks, but a 10% boost to Critical Hit Chance is not the most revolutionary thing in the world. Still, those crits will feel powerful, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to see big numbers.

Soul Siphon

WoW Rune Guides Spoiler Text Click To Reveal Hidden Expandable-3

Human characters must drain a Critter for the Innocent Shard, then drain Hogger for the Wanted Shard. Bring both to the Soul Broker in Goldshire.

Gnome characters must drain a Critter for the Innocent Shard, then drain Captain Beld for the Wanted Shard. Bring both to the Soul Broker in Kharanos.

Orc characters must drain a Critter for the Innocent Shard, then drain Gazz’uz to get the Wanted Shard. Bring both to the Soul Broker in Razor Hill.

Undead characters must drain a Critter for the Innocent Shard, then drain Maggot Eye for the Wanted Shard. Bring both to the Soul Broker in the Undercity.

Soul Siphon Effect	Increases the amount drained by your Drain Life and Drain Soul spells by an additional 6% for each of your Warlock Shadow effects afflicting the target Up to a maximum of 18% additional drained.

Demonic Tactics

Alliance characters must find the Dead Acolyte in the Jasperlode Mine, then get the Powerless Artifact from a Warlock Trainer. Head back to the Acolyte to get the Blood Offering. Head straight to Gakin the Darkbinder in the Mage Quarter of Stormwind to cleanse the debuff.

Horde characters must find the Dead Acolyte in Tirisfal Glades close to the Scarlet Monastery, then bring it to a Warlock Trailer to get the Powerless Artifact. Go back to the Acolyte, use the Artifact, then head to Carendin Halgar in the Magic Quarter of the Undercity to get rid of the debuff.

Demonic Tactics Effect	Increases the melee and spell critical strike chance of you and your pet by 10%.

Master Channeler

Human characters must kill Dark Strand Fanatics, found in southern Darkshore

Gnome characters must find the wandering vendor Greishan Ironstove, and buy the Malevolent Pie. Eat it to unlock the Rune.

Orc characters must use Health Funnel to kill themselves while standing on the Altar of Thorns, found in the Barrens. Players will be brought back to full HP and given the Rune.

Undead characters must find the Sadistic Fiend, an elite enemy, in a cave found in east Silverpine Forest. Cast Curse of Recklessness on the Sadistic Fiend and kill the elite.

Master Channeler Effect	Your Drain Life is no longer channeled, lasts 15 sec with a 15 sec cooldown, costs 100% more mana, and heals you for 50% more each time it deals damage.

Lake of Fire

All characters must hunt down Zixil, a wandering vendor in the Hillsbrad Foothills. Players must purchase a unique Bomb from Zixil (costing five gold). Head to Durnholde Keep in Hillsbrad, and find an interactive Rubble NPC in the northeastern part of the ruins. Use the Demolition Explosives item on the Rubble to uncover a Chest.

Lake of Fire Effect	Rain of Fire also leaves a Lake of Fire on the ground that increases all Fire damage you deal and your Demon pet deals to affected enemies by 40% for 15 sec.

Warlock Legs Runes, Ranked

Demonic Grace, Demonic Pact, Everlasting Affliction, & Incinerate

With Leg Runes Warlocks start to lean into their Tanking abilities, where Demonic Grace will be the default choice for those looking to try the new role while leveling. Demonic Grace is a six-second-long active buff that increases the player’s dodge chance and critical strike chance by 30%, allowing for a huge burst of Threat-generating damage while avoiding incoming damage more effectively. The only downside here is the very short duration.

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Demonic Pact has potential to be one of the most powerful Demonology Runes Warlocks can get in SoD, though it does require players to build into enhancing pet Critical Strike Chance. Whenever a pet crits, all party members get the Demonic Pact effect and gain a boost to spell and attack power.

Affliction Warlocks get the short end of the stick here with Everlasting Affliction, which essentially saves them one spellcast every 18 seconds. However, Destruction Warlocks get yet another way to create bursts of extreme Fire Damage with Incinerate. When cast, this spell increases the player’s Fire Damage by 25% – on top of other bonuses, like that of Lake of Fire. This allows Destruction Warlocks to deal up to 65% extra damage from just two spells, and it doesn’t seem too hard to weave these spells together regularly.

Everlasting Affliction

Purchased from Waylaid Supply vendors after reaching Honored with the new faction, the Azeroth Commerce Authority/Durotar Supply and Logistics.

Everlasting Affliction Effect	Drain Life, Drain Soul, Shadowbolt, Shadow Cleave, Searing Pain, Incinerate, and Haunt refresh the duration of Corruption on the target.

Demonic Grace

All characters must obtain three items from three different mobs in their respective starting zones. Players must get the Ominous Tome from the first enemy listed, Blood or Legs from the second, and Jawbones or Skulls from the third.

Human characters must obtain these items from Kobolds, Gnolls, and Wolves in Elwynn Forest

Gnome characters must obtain these items from Frostmane Shadowcaster, Wendigo, and Wolf enemies in Dun Morogh

Orc characters must obtain these items from Voodoo Trolls, Makrura, and Kul Tiran Humans in Durotar

Undead characters must obtain these items from Skeletons, Gnolls, and Darkhounds in Tirisfal Glades

After acquired, head to the summoning circles in either Stormwind or the Undercity to summon an elite demon, which must be defeated.

Demonic Grace Effect	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.

Demonic Pact

Purchased from Grizzby in the Ratchet Inn after completing a series of quests requiring several items – 24 Fish Oil, 20 Dark Iron Ordinance, and 16 Shredder Turbochargers. Players have at least 5 Gold to interact with Grizzby.

Demonic Pact Effect	Your pet’s critical strikes apply the Demonic Pact effect to your party members for 45 sec. Demonic Pact increases spell damage and healing by 10% of your spell damage or half of your level, whichever is higher. Does not work on Subjugated demons.

Incinerate

All characters must defeat a new elite enemy in Redridge Mountains named Incinerator Gar’im. Incinerator Gar’im spawns in the south east of the zone in a cave.

Incinerate Effect	Burn your enemy for massive Fire damage damage and increase all Fire damage you deal by 25% for the next 15 sec.

Warlock Gloves Runes, Ranked

Chaos Bolt, Haunt, Metamorphosis, & Shadow Bolt Volley

The Gloves Runes Warlocks can use in the Season of Discovery are almost equally powerful, but for different specs. Of course, arguably the biggest change comes with the Metamorphosis Rune, which grants a suite of Tanking abilities to Warlocks – including an absolutely enormous amount of extra Armor, Threat Generation, and transforming many of their core abilities into new, Tank-oriented ones that generate Threat. For Tank Warlocks, Metamorphosis is a must-have.

Chaos Bolt is a classic Destruction spell that Fire Warlocks will take because, while slotted, it negates enemy Fire resistances entirely. Plus, it never misses. Haunt will become the bread and butter of the Affliction Warlock’s rotation, especially in solo and PvP content, while Shadow Bolt Volley seems incredibly powerful in group fights (if it doesn’t generate too much threat, that is.)

The best Warlock Gloves Runes really depends on one’s spec, but Metamorphosis takes the top spot thanks to the sheer volume and power of changes it incurs.

Haunt

The Haunt Rune is earned after completing the Level 2 quest that introduces the Rune System. These quests can be started in each starting zone, and asks players to find a different item nearby.

Human characters must find a chest south of Millie’s Vineyard

Gnome characters must find a chest in a Trogg camp just south of Anvilmar

Orc characters must find a chest in the Burning Blade cave

Undead characters must find a chest in the Spider cave

Haunt Effect	Unleash a ghostly soul on an enemy, dealing Shadow damage, and increasing all Shadow damage over time you deal to that target by 20%. When the Haunt ends or is dispelled, you will be healed for all the damage it dealt to your target. Lasts 12 seconds.

Chaos Bolt

Human characters must defeat the Frozen Murloc at Stonecairne Lake with Fire damage (Immolate & Imp Firebolts)

Gnome characters must defeat the Frozen Trogg at Gol’bolar Quarry with Fire damage (Immolate & Imp Firebolts)

Orc characters must defeat the Frozen Makrura near Senjin Village with Fire damage (Immolate & Imp Firebolts)

Undead characters must defeat the Frozen Murloc north of the Tirisfal Lake with Fire damage (Immolate & Imp Firebolts)

Chaos Bolt Effect	Sends a bolt of chaotic fire at the enemy, dealing immense Fire damage. Chaos Bolt always hits, and cannot be resisted. Knowing this Rune causes all Fire spells to pierce through absorption effects.

Shadow Bolt Volley

Alliance characters must either defeat Delmanis the Hated in Darkshore. Alternatively, Alliance players can shoot a Shadow-damage dealing spell at the Demonic Remains in the Loch Modan archeological ruins. This spawns an elite that, when killed, drops the Rune.

Horde characters must drain Supervisor Lugwizzle in the Venture Co area of the northern Barrens to get a Soul of Greed. Head south to find a Hungry Idol, and offer the Soul to it. Alternatively, Horde players can kill enemies in Beren’s Peril in Silverpine Forest to get a Tortured Soul. Cast Life Tap, then interact with the Tortured Soul to spawn an elite enemy, which drops the Rune.

Shadow Bolt Volley Effect	Your Shadow Bolt now strikes up to 5 targets within a chain distance of 10 yards, but for 20% reduced damage.

Metamorphosis

All characters must follow a branching questline with multiple requirements and locations involved. To begin with, players must go to the southern Barrens to find an NPC named Doan Karhan.

Pick up his quest, then head to the Zoram Strand and either head into the Blackfathom Deeps raid or look for Twilight Acolytes just outside (in the subterranean tunnels, not the surface). Kill Twilight Acolytes to get three Soran’ruk Fragments. Then, head to Shadowfang Keep and kill Shadowfang Darksouls to get the Large Soran’ruk Fragment.

Return to Doan Karhan with three Soran’ruk Fragments and one large Fragment to complete the first quest. The next quest asks players to locate the Orb of Des and the Bough of Altek.

The Orb of Des is found at the top of the Tower of the Ilgalar, found in the eastern Redridge Mountains. The Bough of Altek is found at the top of the Tower of Althalaxx in northeastern Darkshore. Both of these areas are high-level and filled with elites, so bring a group.

Return with both Orbs to Doan Karhan to receive the final part of the quest chain. Players must get ten Blood of the Legion to progress, which can be found by defeating various demons in Felfire Canyon in Ashenvale. Don’t head back to Doan yet, though – look for an Altar just south of Felfire Canyon (near the memorial to Grommash Hellscream).

Click on the Altar to begin a ritual which will spawn waves of Demons. Once the Ritual is complete, speak to the Mysterious Traveler who appears, then head back to Doan Karhan. The final step of the quest asks players to speak to one more NPC just a few steps away.

Metamorphosis Effect	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.

Metamorphosis Effect

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.

World of Warcraft

Platform(s): PC
Released: November 23, 2004
Developer(s): Blizzard
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