Wisdom Runes in Dota 2

7.33 New Frontiers, Dota’s most recent patch, is a breath of fresh air for the current state of the game. Among other changes, it introduced Wisdom Runes, a new mechanic replacing the old Tome of Knowledge — a controversial item that regularly brought a lot of toxicity to the game. The Tome was limited, yet provided a key advantage to the team member who was first to buy it, causing all sorts of nasty situations in pubs.

On the other hand, Wisdom runes offer a new and less competitive avenue for teams to gain experience. In this article, we will break down all you need to know about Wisdom Runes: what they are, where you can find them, and even some tips on how to master them to stay on top of your opponents.

What are Wisdom Runes?

Dota 2 Wisdom Rune is basically an item that gives your hero some extra Experience Points once you grab it. Unlike the Tome of Knowledge, which only helped the hero who bought it, Wisdom Runes are totally free and grant experience to both the picking hero and his buddy with the lowest level. This change was appreciated by the player base, as it really helps support heroes who often lag behind in experience to keep up with the rest of the team.

Pick Up Rules

Here’s a catch. Unlike other runes that can be picked by minions like Spirit Bear (Lone Druid’s summon) and Tempest Double (Arc Warden ultimate clone), Wisdom rune in Dota can only be grabbed by heroes. It’s probably done to make fights for those runes more personal. But what about Meepo, whose clones receive only 30% of experience from any source? Thankfully, Valve had foresight enough to make the rune pickable by any Meepo Clone, and grant them the full XP pack. Let’s be real: if you’re trying to master Meepo, you probably don’t need any additional challenges.

Strategic Advantage

Early-game Wisdom runes help supports reach level 6 and get their ultimate abilities, which are oftentimes insanely valuable. Consider for a second how important it is to get Lion’s Finger of Death or Enigma’s Black Hole earlier than the enemy team’s ultimates of similar scale. This means a Wisdom Rune can provide a game-winning boost to your team, making it a pretty significant mechanic.

And by the way, this rune can be bottled. So, you can initiate a “losing” fight while being level 5, activate the rune, allocate the level-up point to your ultimate, and strike back!

How to Get Wisdom Runes in Dota 2

Hopefully, you now understand how important those runes are. Now, let’s take a look at some tips and strategies that will help you secure them every time.

Spawn Locations

Wisdom runes spawn on the left for Radiant and on the right for Dire — around each team's Tier 2 towers, near their respective Tormentors. If you need to quickly track them down, just hit Alt on your keyboard; their spawn spots will show up on the map.

Spawn Timings and Experience

Knowing the precise location where the rune will appear is of little use if you don’t know their timing. Luckily, the Dota 2 Wisdom rune spawn time is no rocket science:

1. The spawn order is always the same with 7-minute intervals, meaning you can, and should, always try to contest it at 7:00, 14:00, 21:00, and so on.
2. Keep in mind that runes don’t disappear over time, with a new one simply spawning next to the existing one. This means there’s no need to drop everything you’re doing just to grab it right away. However, leaving it unattended for too long gives your opponents a chance to steal it and get a significant advantage.
3. The very first rune grants 280 experience to the player who picked it up and their teammates who have the least total experience. Each subsequent rune will increase this number by another 280. So, the 2nd rune will give 560 XP, the 5th one will increase this number to 1,400, the 8th one to 2,240, and so on.
4. Cumulative XP from Wisdom Runes adds up to as much as 58,800 XP in 140 minutes, which is, simply put, just insane. It’s unlikely that you’ll play this long, but it shows how much experience you can get from this source alone.

Strategies for Controlling Wisdom Runes in Dota 2

Dota can be a very different game based on your team composition, items, teammates, etc., and no single strategy will work every time. However, there are still some basic advice that can make your life easier.

Early Game Rune Control

If you manage to secure the first rune, this can set up a momentum that can carry over till the end of the game, so try to put adequate effort into it. Here are a few tips for early runes:

1. Support Heroes should leave the lane around 6:30 to secure your side's rune. Heroes with crowd-control abilities, such as Crystal Maiden and Lion, are best suited for this task.
2. Place wards near the spawn point of your rune to detect your opponents’ rotations.
3. Use heroes with high mobility and/or stealth, like Nature's Prophet or Riki, to teleport or slip in and steal the opponents’ runes without getting killed.

Mid-Game Rune Control

Wisdom runes give much more XP as the game progresses, which makes it even more valuable to snatch one (or maybe even both) runes.

1. Team up to capture both runes. Heroes who provide vision and control the map, like Beastmaster or Chen, can really make a difference.
2. Counter invisibility by using sentries and dust to shield your rune from being stolen by stealth heroes.

Denying the Enemy Team

Dota Wisdom Rune control is not just about picking up your own — it's about denying the enemy access to them.

1. Ward and deward aggressively to control the rune areas. There are many ways of doing so, and training with bots can help you practice them.
2. Set up ambushes around rune spawns to punish overcommitting enemies. For example, while Carry and Hard Support stay on the Safe Lane, Offlaner, Hard Support, and Midlaner can set up a trap.
3. In the late game, wisdom runes can help your supports reach level 25 sooner, unlocking game-changing talents. Never underestimate the value of a well-timed wisdom rune pickup.

***

That’s it for today! Valve seriously changed up the game by ditching the Tome of Knowledge for something way cooler and more team-oriented, and we’re for once happy to welcome Wisdom Rune in Dota 2. It’s certainly a great way to enhance your team, and it also introduces more depth into the game. Once you figure out when they show up and where to find them, plus keep them away from the enemy, you can totally turn whole games around. And, last but not least, let’s celebrate the fact that we all now live in a Tome-free world! This timeline might not be as cursed as it seems after all.