This guide outlines the key runes players should focus on acquiring early in WoW Classic Season of Discovery, including runes to help with leveling, PvP, and raiding endeavors. By obtaining the recommended runes, characters can be better equipped with a strong set of bonuses that enhance performance based on a player's goals for endgame PvE or PvP activities.

WoW Season of Discovery Best DPS Runes for Each Class

The introduction of rune engraving and new talent trees in WoW Classic Season of Discovery has the potential to significantly alter character power and gameplay, as the announced runes provide exceptionally strong bonuses comparable to core talents, yet Alliance Druids gain Wind Fury while Horde receives no equivalent threat reduction may allow them to maintain raiding dominance even as specializations like Feral Druids and casters emerge as new potential top damage dealers depending on later season gear and runes, promising both increased build diversity for all classes but also potential disruption to faction and metagame balances that will only be revealed through player experiences over the course of the new season. So with this guide, we want to break down the best DPS runes for each class you should get to achieve the maximum single-target and AOE damage.

Best DPS Runes for Priest

1. Circle of Healing - This is the rune to get first for Priest, Circle of Healing just got buffed to a 40 yard range and it's 276 heals per person, which puts it in the range of a level 30 Prayer of Healing except instant.

2. Penance (Glove Rune) - It heals for about 513 single Target which is the best direct heal in the game, damage values are subject to change but it's about 190 damage in 2 seconds, which makes it the best single Target damage ability for priests.

3. Strenth of Soul (Chest Rune) - Power word shield no longer stops rage generation, so you can spam it on tanks and keep them safe, Strenth of Soul lets you Shield targets way more often which is really strong in group scenarios if you have the Mana for it.

4. Prayer of Mending (Leg Rune) - It is a 750 healing in a single global cooldown, compare that to the spell heal which is a 3-second cast for about 500 healing.

5. Shadow Word: Death (Glove Rune) - It is an instant cast 140 damage spell on a 12-second cooldown. It immediately increases your leveling speed and your raid damage at the same time.

6. Homunculi (Leg Rune) - It reduces armor by 1,000 as one of its effects, if that ends up being true, it would be more than 5 sunders, which would make it the best armor reducer in the entire game for any raid boss.

Best DPS Runes for Paladin

1. Avenger's Shield (Leg Rune) - The Paladin Rune to get first is Avenger's Shield, it is 180 damage to up to three Targets on a 30-second cooldown that's very overpowered, 540 damage instantly from 30 yards away.

2. Crusader Striker (Glove Rune) - It helps to fix your Mana issues and gives you another instant damage ability with no cost.

3. Beacon of Light (Glove Rune) - It has been nerfed to just a 40-yard range but holy paladins will still be the kings of tank healing.

4. Divine Storm (Chest Rune) -  It should be one of the strongest AOE abilities in the game, especially with a high top-end weapon like Verigan's Fist

5. Exorcist (Leg Rune) -  Exorcist rank one exorcism is only about 96 damage but having an instant spell with a 30-yard range will really ramp up your single target damage.

Best DPS Runes for Shaman

1. Water Shield (Glove Rune) -  The higher priority glove rune for Shaman to get is Water Shield, the 4% gained Mana when getting hit makes this a must-have for any tank Shaman, but if you have two 2,000 maximum Mana you also get 20 extra Mana per 5 Seconds.

2. Lava Burst (Glove Rune) - This is a rune you'll definitely want to get as quickly as you can, it'll be great for both leveling and for raids as well though with an 8-sec cooldown it's pretty likely to be nerfed.

3. Overload (Chest Rune) - Lightning Blot with Overload goes from 98 damage per base cast to 115. More exciting though is the Lava Burst interaction, Overload increases Lava Burst to a concerningly high 390 damage per cast.

4. Earth Shield (Leg Rune) - Earth Shield is 300 healing for only 121 Mana, that's one of the highest heal per Mana spells in the game next to spells like a pennant.

5. Shamanistic Rage (Leg Rune) - A full pre-bis Shaman of any spec will have at least 125 attack power, which means they generate a minimum of 19 Mana per second for 15 seconds, your party will also be getting 28 Mana per minute each as well which is a nice bonus.

Best DPS Runes for Warrior

1. Single-Minded Fury (Glove Rune) - This is the Rune we plan to get first on the warrior, in the open world few runes will get us more excited than Single-Minded Fury.

2. Consumed By Rage (Leg Rune) - This Rune is good enough that it just got nerfed from 25% to 20% more damage.

3. Quick Strike (Glove) - You don't really have any good attacks on a Warrior other than execute, this is definitely a must-have ability for raid damage.

4. Warbringer (Chest Rune) - This is a great rune for raids and PVP, being able to charge in combat and get back to bosses like Baron Aquanis will be a game changer.

5. Blood Frenzy (Chest Rune) - It is a pretty big part of most people's leveling rotation, so getting more rage generation in early levels is really great.

Best DPS Runes for Rogue

1. Mutilate (Glove Rune) - Mutilate gives you a new combo Point Builder that hits for 100% weapon damage on both weapons.

2. Envenom (Leg Rune) - Envenom is your new finisher for nearly all Rogue specs.

3. Deadly Brew (Chest Rune) - It gives you the level 30 deadly poison completely for free, it also has great Synergy with Envenom and Mutilate.

4. Saber Slash (Glove Rune) - It is a key part of the highest simming Rogue build for 25 raids, since it causes a stacking bleed, it also has very nice Synergy with the Feral Druid Mangle.

5. Slaughter from the Shadows (Chest Rune) - A backstab build with Slaughter from the Shadows looks to be one of the strongest Rogue builds, without any buffs on a two-minute fight we were able to sim it at 113 DPS.

Best DPS Runes for Hunter

1. Aspect of the Lion (Chest Rune) - 10% stats for everybody in the raid and 20% for yourself, this alone makes Hunter a must-have for every raid situation.

2. Master Marksman (Chest Rune) - 5% flat Critical Strike and reduced shot cost by 25% synergizes perfectly with Hunter gameplay.

3. Explosive Shot (Glove Rune) - Explosive Shot with the current tooltip is 247 damage on a 6sec cooldown.

4. Sniper Training (Leg Rune) - Increased crit for your shots when you haven't moved for 6 seconds will be a must-have for any raid or dungeon encounter.

5. Beast Mastery (Glove Rune) - A more reliable pet taunt and more pet health make this one of the best runes in the whole game for leveling.

Best DPS Runes for Mage

1. Icy Veins (Leg Rune) - The Rune we are getting first on Mage though is Icy Veins, that's one of the few ways to get spell haste in Season of Discovery.

2. Living Bomb (Glove Rune) - Everybody's talking about Living Bomb for the AOE damage at the end of it but it's also a free 12-damage dot which is great on bosses too.

3. Burnout (Chest Rune) - 15% increased Critical Strike is one of the best passive talents for any class in the entire game.

4. Arcane Surge (Leg Rune) - Arcane Surge is a great way to increase leveling speed, you'll be able to consistently get free Mana regen when you're leveling.

5. Living Flame () - Living Flame is one of the best AOE runes available but it also should truck on single Target fights, it is instant cast, and Target sitting in the flame will take 840 damage over 20 seconds.

Best DPS Runes for Druid

1. Wild Strikes (Chest Rune) - The Rune we are getting first on druid is Wild Strikes, there's no more guaranteed raid spot in the game than a druid with wild strikes that's because it's the only wind Fury available at level 25.

2. Mangle (Glove Rune) - Mangle makes feral Druids very strong but it also amps up your entire raid, Rogues with Saber Slash go up 10 DPS just by playing with a Mangle Druid.

3. Sunfire (Hand Rune) - Sunfire is instant damage and it's going to amp up leveling in all three specs.

4. Boomkin Druids.

5. Savage Roar (Leg Rune) - The Savage Roar is a 30% damage increase in cat form and it's a key part of Feral Druid.

6. Fury of the Storm Rage (Chest Rune) - Infinite wrath at no cost is amazing for farming, it'll be hard not to run this Talent at both healing.

Best DPS Runes for Warlock

1. Demonic Pact (Chest Rune) - At low levels, this will just be a flat 13 spell power for your party, all warlocks are going to be forced to run this talent in raids and it's a must-have early on.

2. Master Channeler (Chest Rune) - Drain Life will become yet another instant dot in your toolkit that also base heals for over 25 per tick.

3. Metamorphosis (Glove Rune) - Metamorphosis is rushing meta for the bigger life Taps, the free armor, and the AOE damage every 6 seconds.

4. Lake of Fire (Chest Rune) - Rain of Fire is already one of the better AOE abilities in the game, now you get a free consecrate and 40% fire damage as well.

5. Haunt (Glove Rune) - Haunt gives you a much-needed instant damage button for affliction, it also increases your Shadow damage at the same time.