While leveling in the Shadowlands, you will encounter four different Covenants; each desperate for your help. In exchange for your aid, they will provide you with a general and a spec-specific ability, as well as a variety of cosmetics such as mounts, pets and armor sets.
Picking the right Covenant is a hard and important decision. This guide will help you decide what the best Covenant is for Warriors.
Your first character of the expansion will need to level through all four Shadowlands zones (Revendreth, Maldraxxus, Bastion and Ardenweald) and pick a Covenant at level 60. Subsequent alts can pick a Covenant at level 50 and do not need to complete all questlines.
Table of Contents
All Shadowlands Covenant Guides
What Covenants are there?
There are 4 Covenants in the Shadowlands
- The Venthyr in Revendreth. Their Sanctum is Sinfall.
- The Necrolords in Maldraxxus. Their Sanctum is the Seat of the Primus.
- The Kyrians in Bastion. Their Sanctum is Elysian Hold.
- The Night Fae in Ardenweald. Their Sanctum is the Heart of the Forest.
Can you switch Covenant?
Yes, you can quite easily leave your Covenant and join another Covenant that you have not joined before. Simple speak to the leader of the Covenant you wish to join in Oribos.
If you left a Covenant and wish to rejoin it, the process is a bit more difficult. The Covenant sees your leaving as a betrayal, and you will have to prove your worth by completing dungeons, world quests, daily quests and more.
Rejoining a Covenant requires two weekly quests, thus takes a minimum of two weeks.
General Covenant Abilities
Each Covenant has a Signature Ability. This is an ability that all members of the Covenant get, regardless of race, class or specialization.
Venthyr Covenant Ability: Door of Shadows
- Wend through the shadows, appearing at the targeted location
- 1 minute cooldown – 35 yd range – 1.5 secs cast
Necrolord Covenant Ability: Fleshcraft
- Form a shield of flesh and bone over 4 seconds that prevents damage equal to 20% of your maximum health. Standing near the corpse of a defeated enemy when the ability is cast will create a larger shield, up to 50% of your maximum health.
- 2 minutes cooldown – 10 yd range – 4 seconds channel
Kyrian Covenant Ability: Summon Steward
- Call your steward to bring you a Phial of Serenity that can be consumed to restore 20% of your health and remove all Curse, Disease, Poison, and Bleed Effects.
Your Steward additionally offers access to a selection of useful amenities, each once per day. - 5 minutes cooldown – instant cast
- The other abilities of the steward are predominantly temporary buffs to stats, movement speed or flat dps/hps increase.
Night Fae Covenant Ability: Soulshape
- Turn into a Vulpin, teleporting 15 yards forward and increasing movement speed by 50%. You may reactivate Soulshape every few seconds to teleport a short distance forward.
While out in the world, this effect has a 12 seconds duration before it wears off, but lasts indefinitely while in a rest area. - 1.5 minute cooldown – instant cast
Warrior-specific Covenant Abilities
Each Covenant also gives you access to a class-specific combat ability.
Venthyr Covenant Ability for Warriors: Condemn
- Condemn a foe to suffer for their sins, causing up to [2.0 * (92.2%103.5% of Attack power)] Shadow damage. Only usable on enemies who are above 80% health or below 20% health.
The primary target is weakened, preventing up to [(0.6 * Attack power) * 2.0 * (1 + Versatility)] damage they would deal to you.- Arms/Protection: If your foe survives, 20% of the Rage spent is refunded.
- Fury: Codemn costs no Rage
- Costs 20-40 Rage – 6 seconds cooldown – Melee Range – instant cast
Necrolord Covenant Ability for Warriors: Conqueror’s Banner
- Plant the Conqueror’s Banner in the ground, granting 20% maximum health and 10% critical strike chance to you and 2 allies within 15 yds of the banner for 20 sec.
- Arms: While active, spending 20 Rage and killing enemies grants you Glory.
- Fury: While active, spending 30 Rage and killing enemies grants you Glory.
- Protection: While active, spending 20 Rage and killing enemies grants you Glory.
- Glory: Glory increases your critical strike damage by 1% per stack, up to 30%, for 30 sec.
- 3 minutes cooldown – instant cast
Kyrian Covenant Ability for Warriors: Spear of Bastion
- Throw a Kyrian spear at the target location, dealing (110% of Attack power) Arcane damage instantly, dealing additional (120% of Attack power) damage over 4 sec. Deals reduced damage beyond 5 targets.
Enemies hit are tethered to Spear of Bastion’s location for the duration.
Generates 25 Rage. - 1 minute cooldown – 25 yd range – instant cast
Night Fae Covenant Ability for Warriors: Ancient Aftershock
- Unleash a wave of anima dealing (220% of Attack power) Nature damage to up to 5 enemies and knocking them down for 1.5 sec.
The ground will continue to expel anima, dealing [4 * (35% of Attack power)] Nature damage to up to 5 enemies and generating 16 Rage per enemy over 12 sec. Every 3 sec, targets are briefly knocked down. - 1.5 minutes cooldown – instant cast
Best Covenant for Arms Warrior
Mythic Plus/Raids
For Mythic+ and Raid fights with many adds, both the Kyrian and the Night Fae Covenant offer a good boost in AOE dps. For longer single target fights, like most bosses in raids, the Venthyr ability is also very strong.
November 23rd update: Night Fae was nerfed, and the tie is now between Kyrian and Venthyr. In both AOE and single target situations these Covenants perform equally well (like – really equal, less-than-0.01%-difference-equal). Pick whichever you prefer in terms of mounts, transmog or playstyle.
PVP
The signature ability of the Night Fae Covenant gives Arms Warrior a strong gap closer against mobile and ranged targets. You could also pick Necrolords for pvp; both the shield and the extra critical strike can be useful.
Best Covenant for Fury Warrior
Mythic Plus/Raids
The Venthyr Covenant offers the highest damage boosts for Fury Warriors. In Mythic+ and in raid fights with many adds, the Night Fae Covenant also offers good damage (as long as you combine Ancient Aftershock with your Recklessness).
November 23rd update: Venthyr is still the strongest option for fury warriors. Kyrian was buffed and is now okay as well, but Venthyr is just better.
PVP
Venthyr is a safe choice for Fury Warriors who mainly play Arena and Battlegrounds. The Night Fae covenant is a decent alternative.
Best Covenant for Protection Warrior
Mythic Plus/Raids
Protection Warriors have the luxury that all Covenants offer strong benefits in PVE situations. The shield from Necrolords is a strong defensive, especially in Mythic+. Both Night Fae and Kyrian offer a nice boost to AOE damage. The Venthyr Covenant can help you reposition and switch targets fast, but is admittedly a bit more niche.
November 23rd update: No changes, Night Fae and Kyrian are still the best options for AOE damage and Necrolord is still the best defensive option.
PVP
Protection Warriors will have a hard time excelling in PVP situations. I would say the Night Fae Covenant is ‘best’ for Protection Warrior arena, but you’re honestly better off playing a different spec in PVP.
