Elite Rune Words

In a classic demonstration of Blizzard North's Hell-fixiated mentality, there are many rune words at this level.

More information on runes and rune words can be found at the Runes and Rune Word sections of the Arreat Summit.

Elite Rune Word Weapons

There are a ton of rune word weapons to use at this level; some are very specialized, others are just all-around good. The most preferred rune word by far for the bowazon is Faith in a grand matron bow. However, there are other options.

• Call to Arms 5-socket weapon (Amn + Ral + Mal + Ist + Ohm): +2 all skills, 40% increased attack speed, +200-240% enhanced damage, adds 5-30 fire damage, 7% life stolen per hit, +2-6 battle command, +1-6 battle orders, +1-4 battle cry, prevent monster heal, replenish life +12, 30% better chance of getting magic items, rlvl-51. This rune word enables your bowazon to cast Battle Command, Battle Orders, and Battle Cry, all of which can be raised with +skill items (like the rune word, for example). Of course, the variables on this rune word (the skills, +ED%, and warcries) mean that CtA is a gamble of two very high-end runes: the chances of even getting a perfect Battle Command and Cry are quite low, much less a perfect CtA. Consider yourself warned.
• Silence 6-socket weapon (Dol + Eld + Hel + Ist + Tir + Vex): +200% enhanced damage, +175% damage vs. undead, requirements -20%, 20% increased attack speed, +50 attack rating vs. undead, +2 skills, all resistances 75%, 20% faster hit recovery, 11% mana stolen per hit, hit causes monster flee 25%, hit blinds target 33%, +2 mana per kill, 30% better chance of getting magic items, rlvl-55. This used to be the top-of-line rune word until v1.10 came along. Just don't bother.
• Hand of Justice 4-socket weapon (Sur + Cham + Amn + Lo): 100% chance to cast slvl-36 blaze when you level-up, 100% chance to cast slvl-48 meteor when you die, slvl-16 holy fire aura when equipped, 33% increased attack speed, +280-330% enhanced damage, ignore target defense, 7% life stolen per hit, -20% to enemy fire resistance, 20% deadly strike, hit blinds target, freezes target, rlvl-67. What makes this weapon really nice (aside from the IAS, +ED%, ITD, DS, freeze, and life steal) is that the only variable on this thing is the +ED%, which is still very tight. Compared to other runewords, the HoJ is a very sure bet on a nice rune word weapon. (Many thanks to kevinsteele for pointing this out.)
• Breath of the Dying 6-socket weapon (Vex + Hel + El + Eld + Zod + Eth): 50% chance to cast slvl-20 poison nova when you kill an enemy, indestructible, 60% increased attack speed, +350-400% enhanced damage, +200% damage to undead, -25% target defense, +50 attack rating, +50 attack rating against undead, 7% mana stolen per hit, 12-15% life stolen per hit, prevent monster heal, +30 all attributes, +1 light radius, requirements -20%, rlvl-69. No. Very no. This rune word is a total waste in anything but an ethereal melee weapon: I don't even need to draw up proof, it's been known for a little under a decade.

Ladder-only Rune Word Weapons

I really do want to choke the 'genius' at Blizzard who decided to drop Jah into almost every ladder rune word. Four out of six of the listed bows have that stupid rune in them.

• Fortitude 4-socket weapon (El + Sol + Dol + Lo): 20% chance to cast slvl-15 chilling armor when struck, +25% faster cast rate, +300% enhanced damage, +9 minimum damage, +50 to attack rating, 20% deadly strike, hit causes monster to flee 25%, +200% enhanced defense, +(xx/clvl) life, all resistances +25-30, 12% damage taken goes to mana, +1 light radius, rlvl-59. The life/clvl is randomly set in the range of 1 to 1.5 when the runeword is made and adds that fixed amount of life for each clvl. From the looks of things, you would probably be better off putting this rune word into armor, but that's just me. I'm not a big fan of HCMTF.
• Wrath 4-socket weapon (Pul + Lum + Ber + Mal): 30% chance to cast slvl-1 decrepify on striking, 5% chance to cast slvl-10 life tap on striking, +375% damage to demons, +100 to attack rating against demons, +250-300% damage to undead, adds 85-120 magic damage, adds 41-240 lightning damage, 20% chance of crushing blow, prevent monster heal, +10 energy, cannot be frozen, rlvl-63.
• Brand 4-socket missile weapon (Jah + Lo + Mal + Gul): 35% chance to cast slvl-14 amplify damage when struck, 100% chance to cast slvl-18 bone spear on striking, +260-340% enhanced damage, ignore target defense, 20% bonus to attack rating, +280-330% damage to demons, 20% deadly strike, prevent monster heal, knockback, fires explosive arrows or bolts [slvl-15], rlvl-65.
• Faith 4-socket missile weapon (Ohm + Jah + Lem + Eld): slvl-12-15 fanaticism aura when equipped, +1-2 skills, +330% enhanced damage, ignore target defense, 300% bonus to attack rating, +75% damage to undead, +50 to attack rating against undead, all resistances +15, 10% reanimate as: returned, 75% extra gold from monsters, rlvl-65. With a slvl-12 Fanaticism aura, you will cap your Strafe speed on any bow without any IAS equipment whatsoever; with one glaring exception (explained later), it is strongly recommended that you put this rune word in a GMB, and only a GMB.
• Ice 4-socket missile weapon (Amn + Shael + Jah + Lo): 100% chance to cast slvl-40 blizzard when you level-up, 25% chance to cast slvl-22 frost nova on striking, slvl-18 holy freeze aura when equipped, +20% increased attack speed, +140-210% enhanced damage, ignore target defense, +25-30% cold skill damage, -20% enemy cold resistance, 7% life stolen per hit, 20% deadly strike, +(3.125/clvl) extra gold from monsters, rlvl-65. This weapon is perfect for a frostmaiden. Personally, I'd love to put this into a matriarchal bow.
• Pheonix 4-socket weapon (Vex + Vex + Lo + Jah): 100% chance to cast slvl-40 blaze when you level-up, 40% chance to cast slvl-22 firestorm on striking, slvl-10-15 redemption aura when equipped, +350-400% enhanced damage, ignores target's defense, 14% mana stolen per hit, -28% to enemy fire resistance, 20% deadly strike, +350-400 defense vs. missile, +15-21 fire absorb, rlvl-65. Pheonix, strangely enough, seems to go hand-in hand with the Dragon rune word armor.

Elite Rune Word Armor

Elite rune word armor is among the best in the game. However, a bowazon will generally find little use for these.

• Prudence 2-socket armor (Mal + Tir): 25% faster hit recovery, +140-170% enhanced defense, all resistances 25-35%, damage reduced by 3, magic damage reduced by 17, +2 mana after each kill, +1 light radius, repairs durability in 4 seconds, rlvl-49. This rune word is only available on the Realms. Because of its self-repair property, putting this into an ethereal armor is highly recommended.
• Bramble 4-socket armor (Ral + Ohm + Sur + Eth): slvl-15-21 thorns aura when equipped, +50% faster hit recovery, +25-50% poison skill damage, +300 defense, increase maximum mana 5%, regenerate mana 15%, +5% maximum cold resist, fire resist 30%, poison resist 100%, +13 life after each kill, slvl-13 spirit of barbs (33 charges), rlvl-61. The main attractions here are the boosted poison skill damage and Thorns aura, but it's more suited for a character who's more dependent on poison damage and minions like a necromancer, rabid werewolf, or venom-based assassin.
• Chains of Honor 4-socket armor (Dol + Um + Ber + Ist): +2 skills, +200% damage to demons, +100% damage to undead, 8% life stolen per hit, +70% enhanced defense, +20 strength, replenish life +7, all resistances 65%, damage reduced by 8%, 25% better chance of getting magic items, rlvl-63. Okay, now this is some nasty armor for any warrior for obvious reasons: incredible resistances, life leech, skill bonuses, and a heavy damage bonus to demons.
• Enigma 3-socket armor (Jah + Ith + Ber): +2 skills, 45% faster run/walk, +1 teleport, +750-775 defense, +(0.75/clvl) strength, increase maximum life 5%, damage reduced by 8%, +14 life after each kill, 15% damage taken goes to mana, (1/clvl)% better chance of getting magic items, rlvl-65. A bowazon won't have enough mana to handle more than a few teleports, the main attraction of this armor, nor will her slow cast rate make it useful for anything other than a travel tool. However, everything else is just gravy, so if you want this armor, go for it, but keep in mind that you won't be using it for the teleport charges.

Ladder-only Rune Word Armor

• Dragon 3-socket body armor (Sur + Lo + Sol): 20% chance to cast slvl-18 venom when struck, 12% chance to cast slvl-15 hydra on striking, slvl-14 holy fire aura when equipped, +360 defense, +230 defense vs. missile, +3-5 all attributes, +(0.375/clvl) strength, increase maximum mana 5%, +5% to maximum lightning resist, damage reduced by 7, rlvl-59.
• Fortitude 4-socket body armor (El + Sol + Dol + Lo): 20% chance to cast slvl-15 chilling armor when struck, +25% faster cast rate, +300% enhanced damage, +200% enhanced defense, +15 defense, +(xx/clvl) life, replenish life +7, +5% to maximum lightning resist, all resistances +25-30, damage reduced by 7, 12% damage taken goes to mana, +1 light radius, rlvl-59. The life/clvl is randomly set in the range of 1 to 1.5 when the runeword is made and adds that fixed amount of life for each clvl.

Rune Word Helmets

Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of rune word helms that are any good for a bowazon.

• Delirium 3-socket helms (Lem + Ist + Io): 1% chance to cast slvl-50 delirium when struck, 6% chance to cast slvl-14 mind blast when struck, 14% chance to cast slvl-13 terror when struck, 11% chance to cast slvl-18 confuse on striking, +2 skills, +261 defense, +10 vitality, 50% extra gold from monsters, 25% better chance of getting magic items, slvl-17 attract (60 charges), rlvl-51. Delirium morphs your character into a Bone Fetish for a period of about a minute. You can't do any special attacks once you have transformed, but you can do normal attacks in the form of a headbutt. This is an all-around nice rune word helm to have, execpt for 'that one thing.' While the chance to be turned into a bone fetish is relatively low, it's still a chance; whether you're up to taking that chance is up to you.

Ladder-only Rune Word Helmets

• Dream 3-socket helms (Io + Jah + Pul): 10% chance to cast slvl-15 confuse when struck, slvl-15 holy shock aura when equipped, +20-30% faster hit recovery, +30% enhanced defense, +150-220 defense, +10 vitality, increase maximum life 5%, +(0.625/clvl) mana, all resistances +5-20, 12-25% better chance of getting magic items, rlvl-65.