More Runeforging weapon enchantments unveiled
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Jul 18th 2008 at 11:30AM
We've already shown you screenshots of some of the new Runeforging abilities for Death Knights. Now, we have them all via MMO-Champion. As expected, they should let you customize your weapon for whatever role you expect to play, whether it be tanking or DPS, and what type of enemy you expect to go up again, be they undead, spellcasters, or melee. It looks to be an exciting system.
Read on for a full list of the Runeforging Enchantments.
- Rune of the Fallen Crusader: Affixes your rune weapon with a rune that has a chance to heal you for 3% and increase total Strength by 30% for 15 sec. Modifying your rune weapon requires a Rune Forge in Ebon Hold.
- Rune of Cinderglacier: Affixes your rune weapon with a rune that has a chance to increase your Frost and Shadow spell damage by 10% for 15 sec. Modifying your rune weapon requires a Rune Forge in Ebon Hold.
- Rune of Frostfever: Affixes your rune weapon with a rune that has a chance to inflict a disease that causes Frost damage and lowers attack power by 10% for 20 sec. Modifying your rune weapon requires a Rune Forge in Ebon Hold.
- Rune of Lichbane: Affixes your rune weapon with a rune that has a chance to strike undead for extra Fire damage and stun them for 5 sec. Modifying your rune weapon requires a Rune Forge in Ebon Hold.
- Rune of Spellbreaking: Affixes your two-handed rune weapon with a rune that deflects 5% of all spell damage. Modifying your rune weapon requires a Rune Forge in Ebon Hold.
- Rune of Swordbreaking: Affixes your two-handed rune weapon with a rune that increases Parry chance by 3%. Modifying your rune weapon requires a Rune Forge in Ebon Hold.
We can already make some relatively strong guesses about who will use what Runes. Rune of the Fallen Crusader will compliment Blood Knight DPS very nicely, while Unholy DPSers will appreciate the extra disease caused by Rune of Frostfever, and Frost DPSers should see a good amount of extra damage from Rune of Cinderglacier. Tanking Death Knights will have to choose whether Rune of Spellbreaking or Swordbreaking will be of the most use for them, while Death Knights heading into a undead dungeon may decide to try some Lichbane action.
There's still no word on whether there's a cooldown for reapplying runes for individual weapons, but it sounds like the big restriction is that you'll have to teleport back to Ebon Hold to reapply a Rune, which may be enough to make you think twice -- do you really want to take the time to travel back to Northrend or blow your Hearthstone cooldown?
It's also not clear if they overwrite oils, sharpening and weight stones, or permanent enchants, or if they're a completely new 3rd category. There's still a lot more to explore about these abilities, and hopefully we get a chance to take them for a real test drive soon enough.
Filed under: Items, Analysis / Opinion, News items, Expansions, Buffs, Death Knight, Wrath of the Lich King, Enchanting
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ancro Jul 18th 2008 11:39AM
Wasn't there supposed to be a teleport spell that sends you directly back to Ebon Hold? I imagine that if they keep up with the Summoning Stones, returning to Ebon Hold quickly to redo your rune choice shouldn't be too big of a distraction.
Lunati Jul 18th 2008 11:42AM
This makes things interesting.... since it's an enchant, I'm guessing that we'll be able to change the runes we have based on the weapon we're using at the time. That way, you can shift between a "tanking" weapon and a dps weapon if you have both on you, making runes part of your gear, and not part of your character.
This also shows that regardless you'll always be able to put diseases on your weapon through runeforged enchants, so no need to burn a cooldown to put a disease on a target. Death Knights are looking more complex than ever, I love it. :D
Haderic Jul 18th 2008 11:47AM
I think it is safe to assume that these will work like Rogue poisons. I have heard that poisons are being changed to their own 3rd category so that rogues can take advantage of Windfury, I bet Runes will be the same thing.
Lunati Jul 18th 2008 12:02PM
Actually, Rouge Poisons are being kept the same in that sense, but windfury is being changed so its a generic melee enhancement (flat out 30% melee haste) so druids can share in the windfury fun as well.
kabshiel Jul 18th 2008 11:49AM
It's interesting that the two tanking enchants require a 2-handed weapon.
TJourney Jul 18th 2008 11:59AM
it makes sense, as Dual Wielding scales so well with Hit, it is unlikely DK Tanks would want to use Dual Wielding while tanking, and would find 2handers to be a better for the job. How this will affect 2hander and tanking weapon itemization is to be seen.
Personally, I'd find it likely that all tanks will work like paladins do now, getting the brunt of their threat stats on their weapons (Paladins currently get a large portion of their spell damage from their weapon, druids have a large boost of attack power from their weapon)
popeguilty Jul 18th 2008 8:16PM
We've known for months that Death Knights will be tanking two-handed.
Briz9 Jul 18th 2008 12:04PM
I'll probably just carry around multiple weapons with different runes.
Lab Monkey Jul 18th 2008 1:28PM
I'm guessing this is the real reason they've allowed Warlocks to summon from inside an instance.
Tuhljin Jul 18th 2008 5:22PM
Please don't call Blood-specced DKs "Blood Knights." That term is already used for blood elf paladins. We don't need more term confusion in this game.
http://www.wowwiki.com/Blood_knight
Tisen Jul 18th 2008 5:36PM
Can Death Knights duelwield?
Wikt Jul 19th 2008 10:15AM
Yes.
Anenome Jul 19th 2008 11:19AM
Yes.
Egma Jul 30th 2008 1:50AM
"It's interesting that the two tanking enchants require a 2-handed weapon." well if you can't use shields what else are you going to use to tank? duel wielding? though might be better argo holder (not sure since havn't tested) tanking with 1 huge sword looks more correct then tanking with 2 tiny daggers... though not a shield still more "protection" then 1handers and makes sense that the defensive ones are on what would be more definsive in reality...
As for the "hearth CD" note at the top, only if you want quick acces back to where your questing, but you do have a teleport spell to get to ebon hold, and if your really worried about your hearth CD once you leave ebon hold just run to UC if horde (or fly to IF if alli) and buy a mage port to shat to use the portals there to save your hearth...
But either way its like the good ol days of druids being able to set your hearth in one area but having access to another so set hearth on eastern kingdoms will druid spell goes to ka.. (western one dont remember spelling), only difference is now most don't even bother doing that since most set there hearth to shat if they have a main that has a few G to buy a mage port to shat to set hearth...
But druid skill was still used to learn druid skills in moonglade before using hearth CD to go back to shat therfore saving a trip back to shat due to hearth being on CD from hearthing, then going to TB/Darn to learn then being stuck...
Either way hearth CD is very much worth switching out your old green weapon for a blue one that droped in the instance you just did... if you don't think spending 3 minutes using spell to get to DK home to do "Rune of the Fallen Crusade" hearthing and then not being able to hearth for an hr is worth it youve got way to tight of a time schedule to play anything.
Helasmoth Aug 12th 2008 1:36AM
Remember also that with the new inscriptions prof. you will get teleportation scrolls with 15 min CD's. Makes life a little easier for everyone.
Egma Aug 12th 2008 2:37AM
Those scrolls are only usable by inscribers I do believe since curently (though may change) says "requires Inscription (25)" but yes it will be like giving all inscribers the Astral recall spell that Shamans get at 30.
Egma Jul 30th 2008 1:56AM
"It's also not clear if they overwrite oils, sharpening and weight stones, or permanent enchants, or if they're a completely new 3rd category. There's still a lot more to explore about these abilities, and hopefully we get a chance to take them for a real test drive soon enough."
Though probably counts as a perment enchant since rogue poisons count as a temporary one (IE no posion + sharpening stone) I would really love it if it is its own third "slot" of Perment/temporary/"rune"... In fact I think it should get its own slot since none of those besides maybe the DKs replacement to the Crusader enchant (which was jsut a 19 twink enchant anyways) non of the Runes are even close to competing with current high level enchants and so would make runeforging useless expect as a temporary "perment" enchant untill you could find a enchanter to do a better enchant/