Battle Rage

Battle Rage

Battle Rage is a cheap buff that costs 20 Fury and, for a very long duration, raises your dealt damage and critical hit chance. Because the uptime is so generous, you usually recast it only occasionally and otherwise enjoy the bonus in the background.

For pure damage, Marauder's Rage is the natural choice, as it noticeably increases the damage bonus. If you play in groups or want burst, Into the Fray can be strong, since every nearby enemy grants extra critical hit chance, which pays off in dense packs. Since Battle Rage also counts as a shout, the right passives can stretch its duration further and keep it nearly always active.

Bloodshed: the rune you see in practice

In fully geared play, Battle Rage is mostly run with Bloodshed (level 54). The rune deals damage equal to 20% of your recent Critical Hits to enemies within 20 yards every second. That turns a plain buff into an additional damage source that grows with how often and how hard you crit. The base effect – 10% damage and 3% Critical Hit Chance for 120 seconds – stays in place.

Ferocity and Swords to Ploughshares

• Ferocity (level 31) grants 15% movement speed and suits moving quickly through zones.
• Swords to Ploughshares (level 38) makes your Critical Hits heal you and your pets for up to 21,457 Life – an option when you lack life recovery.

Marauder's Rage is available as early as level 26, making it the first real damage rune while levelling.

Why Battle Rage pairs with Wrath of the Berserker

Its most common partner is Wrath of the Berserker, which among other things raises your Critical Hit Chance. More crits mean more triggers for Bloodshed. The passive Ruthless points in the same direction, while Rampage and Berserker Rage raise damage by other means. Furious Charge supplies Fury, and Boon of Bul-Kathos shortens cooldowns. Since Battle Rage only needs refreshing every 120 seconds, its 20 Fury cost barely dents your resource budget.

by eRnstl