In The Forge, runes are powerful modifiers you can slot into your gear to boost damage, survivability, or mining performance. Since applying and removing runes costs a lot (based on your gear’s base price), it’s worth knowing which runes are actually worth using and what sub‑stats to chase.
Best Runes for Weapons
For swords, axes, and other melee weapons, the priority is higher damage with reliable sustain. These runes offer the best value in most builds.
Top Priority Rune
Drain Edge (Life Steal I)
- Effect: Heals you for 5–13% of the physical damage dealt on hit
- Why it’s best: Provides unmatched sustain, letting you stay in fights longer without relying on healing items. This is the only weapon rune that’s considered essential for most builds.
Situational Weapon Runes
These runes can work in specific setups but are generally secondary to Drain Edge:
Blast Chip (Explosion I)
- Effect: 8–20% chance to trigger an explosion dealing 20–40% bonus damage
- Best for: Burst damage, though results are RNG-dependent
Flame Spark (Burn I)
- Effect: 15–25% chance to apply burn, dealing 5–10% fire damage per second for 1–2 seconds
- Best for: Damage-over-time builds; weaker than lifesteal overall
Venom Crumb (Poison I)
- Effect: 25–35% chance to apply poison, dealing 4–7% damage per second for 1–2 seconds
- Best for: Boss fights and prolonged encounters
Best weapon sub‑stats
When you get a weapon rune, it also rolls one random sub‑stat. Prioritize these in order:
- Attack Speed I (+5–18% attack speed) – huge for DPS.
- Lethality I (+5–15% physical damage) – pure damage boost.
- Critical Chance I (+6–15% crit chance) – more crits = more burst.
- Critical Damage I (+5–15% crit damage) – good, but less impactful than crit chance.
- Fracture I (+5–20% extra stun hit damage) – only useful if you’re building around stuns.
If you’re farming runes, focus on getting Drain Edge with Attack Speed I or Lethality I for the strongest weapon setup.
Best Runes for Armor
Armor runes focus on survivability, mobility, and defensive utility. While several options are viable, one stands clearly above the rest.
Top Priority Rune
Rot Stitch (Bad Smell I)
- Effect: Applies 5–15% poison damage over 1–2 seconds and fears nearby enemies when your HP drops below 35% (15–20s cooldown)
- Why it’s best: It combines extra damage with a powerful panic-button effect, giving you breathing room when things get dangerous. This is the only armor rune widely considered S-tier.
Useful Alternatives
These runes can work depending on your build, but they don’t replace Rot Stitch:
Rage Mark (Berserker I)
- Effect: Increases physical damage and movement speed by 12–26% for 3–5 seconds when HP falls below 35% (50–60s cooldown)
- Best for: Glass-cannon or aggressive builds that thrive at low HP
Briar Notch (Thorn I)
- Effect: Reflects 2–10% of incoming physical damage (capped at 5% of max HP, 0.05s cooldown)
- Best for: Tank-focused builds; reliable chip damage but less impactful overall
Ward Patch (Shield I)
- Effect: 6–14% physical damage reduction with a 5–15% chance per hit
- Best for: Consistent defense, though it lacks the clutch utility of Rot Stitch
Best armor sub‑stats
For armor runes, these sub‑stats are the most valuable:
- Vitality I (+5–10% max HP) – the single best sub‑stat for survivability.
- Swiftness I (+4–10% movement speed) – great for kiting and dodging.
- Endurance I (+4–10% stamina) – useful if you dash a lot, but not as strong as HP or move speed.
- Surge I (–3–11% dash cooldown), Stride I (+4–15% dash distance), Phase I (+4–11% dash invincibility) – all decent for mobility, but Vitality and Swiftness are usually better.
If you’re just starting out, aim to equip Drain Edge on your main weapon and Rot Stitch on your armor with solid sub-stats, they form a strong foundation for tackling The Forge. If you have questions or want to share feedback, drop a comment below, we’re always happy to help.
Discussion