Deathfire Touch is no longer in League of Legends. It was a keystone mastery from the Ferocity tree that Riot removed when it replaced masteries with the Runes Reforged system. If you’re looking it up because an older guide or video mentioned it, here’s what it did and what replaced it.
What it was
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | keystone mastery, Ferocity tree |
| Tier | 6, the highest in the tree |
| Rank | 1, could not be upgraded |
| Requirement | 17 points in Ferocity |
| Trigger | hitting an enemy champion with an ability |
| Effect | magic damage over time (bleed) |
| Damage | 1 (+3.125% AP) (+5.625% bonus AD) every 0.5 s |
How it actually played
The damage per tick was deliberately minimal. The result depended on two things: how long the fight lasted and how often you landed an ability. Every hit refreshed the bleed, which ticked twice per second, so long trades strongly favored it.
That made it the opposite of Thunderlord’s Decree, which exploded after three stacked hits. Thunderlord’s suited burst assassins, Deathfire Touch suited poke and DoT kits.
Why almost nobody played it
The design was clean, but the meta ignored it. Thunderlord’s Decree had a simpler, more reliable trigger, and fights ended before Deathfire Touch could build up meaningful damage. In burst trades, which decide most of the laning phase, it brought almost nothing.
It ended up as a technically correct choice for a narrow group of champions and a fringe pick everywhere else. This very gap between intent and practice is one of the reasons the masteries system was eventually replaced.
What replaced it
Runes Reforged packaged these ideas into keystone runes. The sustained damage niche that Deathfire Touch held is now covered by keystones focused on long fights and damage over time, while the burst niche went to the successors of Thunderlord’s Decree.
In practice: if a guide tells you to play Deathfire Touch, it predates the rune rework, and its item and build advice is most likely outdated too.
FAQ
No. It disappeared along with the masteries system when Runes Reforged arrived, and it has no direct one-to-one replacement.
Every ability that hit an enemy champion applied a magic bleed that ticked every half second and scaled with AP and bonus AD.
1 (+3.125% AP) (+5.625% bonus AD) per tick. That’s very little on its own, so it only paid off in long fights with frequent hits.
Only in long fights with frequent ability casts. In burst trades Thunderlord’s won easily, which is why Thunderlord’s was the default choice for most champions.
Those with DoT kits or constant ability casting, the same profile that reaches for sustained damage keystones today.
Information verified as of 7 September 2026. This article describes removed content, so nothing in it will change anymore. More League articles: Stormraider’s Surge, also removed, and Sword of Blossoming Dawn, which is still in the game. Everything about League is in the League of Legends section. Elsewhere in our guides: crafting in Diablo 4, gear in Crimson Desert and the entire Game guides section.