I can't wrap my head around this rune system

[OCDFreaK]

Other resources from classes are simple like combo points chi etc but rune is just a whole new level. It just sounds really complicated with things like "keep one of each pair on cd" or "using this ability turns it into a death rune". I've used an add-on to put that bar in the middle next to my character but it honestly means nothing when I don't know what I'm looking at or what I should be doing.

Frost I don't worry about its simple enough. But I want to play unholy and blood. Bloods survivability is crucial on your runes and such I'm scared to play it outside of 5 mans ><

[Soisoisoi]

Read your abilities tool tips, they tell you what runes they use. It's not really that difficult once you read it.

One of each pair of runes just means always keep one of each rune recharging. If you have both frost runes ready to use... It's being wasted. Same with them all.

if it helps, think of each rune type (blood, frost, unholy, death) as two individual energy bars, if one of them gets full it overflows into a second, and each ability costs one of those energy bars. If one energy bar caps it's not too bad as it can overflow. If you cap them both then it's wasted. Obviously then you have 3 different types of runes (4 if you include death), so it's like 3 lots of 2 energy bars. Just make sure one of each colour is used so none are being wasted.

For the rune bar I found a 3x2 grid (DocsRebugRunes) was better than 1x6 as you could essentially see that, say, a Death Strike was going to use the bottom two on the right or left, and Blood Boil would use the top row. E.g. Before and after a Death Strike:

BB
UU
FF

BB
Ux
Fx

[Omertocracy]

Aaaawright here we go.
Ya got yer blue bar, and yer circly dealies. If yer circly dealies ain't circlin' use a button. If yer circly dealies don't got no purple, use a 2 rune button (Festering or Obliterate). Otherwise use a 1 rune button (Scourge Strike or Fuck You Use Obliterate). If yer blue bar is too blue and not enough black or white or red or whatever the fuck default is nowadays, use a bar button (Death Coil or Frost Strike). If ya got a cooldown that ain't coolin' down, fuckin' use it. If a button is glowy, that there is a proc. Fucking hit that button next.

If any of the following situations are true, hit these buttons:
1) 3 or more targets
2) You are Dual Wielding. WHY ARE YOU DUAL WIELDING?!?!