Runes are powerful upgrades that can completely transform your gameplay in The Forge. These special items add magical abilities to your weapons, armor, and pickaxes, making you stronger in combat and more efficient at mining. Many players wander around for hours trying to find these valuable items without knowing where to look. The good news is that getting runes isn’t random chaos—it’s a system you can master. This guide will show you exactly how to get runes in The Forge, which enemies to target, and how to use them to boost your gear to the next level.
Key Takeaways
- Runes only drop from specific enemies in The Forge, not from all mobs you fight
- Each rune has a fixed drop rate (like 1/35 or 1/15), so you might need to defeat multiple enemies
- You must enhance weapons and armor to unlock rune slots (level 3+ for weapons)
- Pickaxes come with rune slots by default starting from the Gold Pickaxe
- Visit the Runemaker in Stonewake’s Cross to attach runes to your equipment
- Some runes like Frost Speck and Venom Crumb aren’t available yet in the game
What Are Runes in The Forge?
Runes are special items that act like tiny power cores for your equipment in The Forge. When you attach them to your weapons, armor, or pickaxes, they give you extra abilities and bonuses. Think of them as magical upgrades that can make you mine faster, hit harder, or move quicker in battle.
Each rune type offers different benefits. Some runes help with combat by adding fire damage or increasing your attack speed. Others help with mining by making you mine faster or find better ores. The right runes can completely change how you play The Forge, making tough enemies easier to defeat and rare ores easier to find.
What makes runes special is that they come with random traits. You might get a Miner Shard with +15% mining speed or one with +10% luck. This randomness means every rune you find could be better than the last one, keeping the hunt exciting and rewarding.
How To Get Runes in The Forge?
The main way to get runes in The Forge is by defeating specific enemies. Unlike ores that you find by mining, runes only drop when you defeat certain enemies. Each rune has its own source and drop rate, making some easier to get than others.
Here’s a complete table showing all available runes, where to find them, and their drop rates:
| Rune Name | Which Enemy Drops It | Drop Rate | Location |
| Miner Shard | Delver Zombie | 1/35 | Stonewake’s Cross Cave |
| Miner Shard | Bomber | 1/15 | Forgotten Kingdom Ruined Cave |
| Blast Chip | Bomber | 1/10 | Forgotten Kingdom Ruined Cave |
| Flame Spark | Deathaxe Skeleton | 1/35 | Forgotten Kingdom Ruined Cave |
| Flame Spark | Elite Deathaxe Skeleton | 1/25 | Forgotten Kingdom Ruined Cave |
| Flame Spark | Reaper | 1/5 | Volcanic Depths |
| Flame Spark | Blazing Slime | 1/12 | Forgotten Kingdom Ruined Cave |
| Drain Edge | Reaper | 1/12 | Volcanic Depths |
| Briar Notch | Deathaxe Skeleton | 1/50 | Forgotten Kingdom Ruined Cave |
| Briar Notch | Elite Deathaxe Skeleton | 1/40 | Forgotten Kingdom Ruined Cave |
| Rage Mark | Elite Rogue Skeleton | 1/25 | Volcanic Depths |
Pro Tip: The Reaper has the best drop rate for Flame Spark runes at 1/5, making it your best target if you want combat runes. Just make sure you have good armor and weapons before fighting Reapers in the Volcanic Depths!
Some runes like Frost Speck, Venom Crumb, Chill Dust, Ward Patch, and Rot Stitch aren’t available yet in the game. They’ll likely be added in future updates when new areas like the snow island are released.
How To Get Rune Slots on Your Equipment?
Finding runes is only half the battle. You also need to know how to equip them to your gear. The process involves getting rune slots on your equipment and then visiting the Runemaker to attach the runes.
For Weapons and Armor:
You need to enhance your gear at the Enhancer to get rune slots. Here’s the step-by-step process:
- Go to the Enhancer’s Place in Stonewake’s Cross
- Talk to the Enhancer and select “Yes, I’m here to enhance”
- Choose the weapon or armor you want to enhance
- Pay the required money and essence
- Keep enhancing until you reach level 3 or higher
Most weapons and armor unlock their first rune slot at enhancement level 3. Higher enhancement levels might give you additional rune slots, but level 3 is the minimum you need.
For Pickaxes:
Pickaxes work differently. You can’t enhance them to get rune slots. Instead, you need to buy pickaxes that already have slots built-in:
- Bronze Pickaxe: No rune slots
- Iron Pickaxe: No rune slots
- Gold Pickaxe: 1 rune slot (first pickaxe with slots)
- Diamond Pickaxe: 1-2 rune slots
- Mythical Pickaxes: 2-3 rune slots
Actionable Tip: Save your money and skip the Bronze and Iron Pickaxes. Go straight for the Gold Pickaxe as soon as you can afford it. The rune slot alone makes it worth the investment, especially if you’ve already found some good mining runes.
How To Use the Runemaker to Attach Runes?
Once you have runes and equipment with rune slots, it’s time to visit the Runemaker. Here’s exactly what to do:
- Find the Runemaker: He’s located in Stonewake’s Cross, opposite the Enhancer’s Place
- Talk to Him: Click on the Runemaker NPC to open the rune menu
- Select Your Equipment: Choose the weapon, armor, or pickaxe you want to add a rune to
- Choose Your Rune: Pick which rune from your inventory you want to attach
- Confirm: Click to attach the rune permanently
Important: Once you attach a rune to equipment, you cannot remove it without paying a fee. Choose wisely which runes go on which items. If you make a mistake, you’ll need to pay gold to remove it and get a new rune.
Verified Data Point: According to IGN’s The Forge guide, enhancing your gear not only unlocks rune slots but also increases the base stats of your equipment, making it stronger even before you add runes.
Best Runes for Different Playstyles?
Not all runes are created equal, and different runes work better for different playstyles. Here’s how to choose the best runes for your preferred way of playing The Forge.
Which Runes Are Best for Mining?
If you prefer mining and making money, these runes will help you gather resources faster and more efficiently:
For Pickaxes:
- Miner Shard: The best mining rune, can give bonuses like:
- Yield I: Chance to drop extra ores
- Swift Mining I: Faster mining speed
- Luck I: Better chance to find rare ores
- Mine Power I: More damage to mining nodes
Why Miner Shard is Best: It’s the easiest rune to get early in the game (from Delver Zombies in Stonewake’s Cross), and it directly improves your money-making ability. A good Miner Shard with Yield or Swift Mining traits can pay for itself quickly.
Real Example: A player with a Miner Shard that had +15% mining speed and +10% luck reported finding twice as many rare ores compared to mining without runes. That’s a huge difference in your income!
Which Runes Are Best for Combat?
If you love fighting enemies and want to deal maximum damage, these are the runes you should focus on:
For Weapons:
- Flame Spark: Adds fire damage that works great against most enemies
- Drain Edge: Steals health from enemies, keeping you alive longer in tough fights
- Rage Mark: Increases your damage output significantly, perfect for boss fights
For Armor:
- Blast Chip: Creates small explosions when you take damage, hurting nearby enemies
- Briar Notch: Reflects damage back to enemies that attack you
Pro Tip: The Flame Spark rune from Reapers has the highest drop rate at 1/5, making it the easiest combat rune to farm. Start with this one if you’re new to rune hunting.
Which Runes Are Best for Defense?
If you find yourself dying often in tough fights, these defensive runes can help you survive longer:
- Briar Notch: Reflects 2-10% of physical damage taken back to attackers
- Ward Patch: (when available) Will likely provide defensive bonuses like damage reduction
- Rage Mark: Activates when health is below 35%, giving you a damage and speed boost to escape or finish fights
Advanced Rune Farming Strategies?
Farming runes efficiently means more than just fighting the right enemies. You need a strategy to maximize your chances of getting the runes you want. Here are the best methods for rune farming:
1. Focus on One Rune at a TimeDon’t try to get every rune at once. Pick one rune you really want and focus only on the enemies that drop it. For example, if you want Miner Shard runes, only fight Delver Zombies and Bombers.
2. Increase Your Luck StatHigher luck means better drop rates for everything, including runes. You can increase your luck by:
- Wearing luck-boosting armor
- Using potions that increase luck
- Getting lucky pickaxes with luck traits
3. Farm in the Right LocationEach enemy type appears in specific areas. Don’t waste time searching the whole map when you know exactly where your target enemies spawn. For example, if you need Blast Chip runes, go directly to the Forgotten Kingdom Ruined Cave and fight Bombers there.
4. Bring the Right EquipmentMake sure you have weapons and armor that are strong enough to defeat your target enemies quickly. The faster you can defeat enemies, the more runes you can farm in the same amount of time.
Real Example: One player farmed 50 Bombers in the Forgotten Kingdom and got 3 Blast Chip runes and 2 Miner Shards. That’s about a 10% success rate, which is actually better than the official drop rates suggest!
Complete List of All Runes and Their Effects?
Currently, there are 11 runes in the game, each with unique abilities that enhance weapons or pickaxes. Here’s a complete list of all runes and their effects:
| Rune Name | Main Effect | Possible Bonuses |
| Miner Shard | Luck: 5-16% overall luck increaseYield: 3-10% chance to drop 1 extra ore from minesSwift Mining: 4-12% faster miningMine Power: 8-15% extra mine damage | Luck I, Yield I, Swift Mining I, Mine Power I |
| Frost Speck | Ice: Freezes enemies for a short duration | Currently unobtainable |
| Flame Spark | Burn: Deals 5-10% of weapon damage as fire per second for 1-2 seconds. 15-25% chance on hit | Critical Damage, Critical Chance, Lethality, Fracture, Attack Speed |
| Venom Crumb | Poison: Deals 4-7% of weapon damage as poison per second for 3-6 seconds. 25-35% chance on hit | Fracture, Attack Speed |
| Chill Dust | Snow: Slows enemy movement and attack speed | Currently unobtainable |
| Blast Chip | Explosion: Causes an explosion at the victim’s location, dealing 20-40% of weapon damage as AOE damage. 8-20% chance on hit | Attack Speed, Fracture, Critical Chance |
| Drain Edge | Heal: Heals 5-13% of physical damage dealt on-hit | Fracture, Attack Speed |
| Briar Notch | Thorns: Reflects 2-10% physical damage taken. Maximum damage given limits at 5% max health of user. 0.05 seconds cooldown | Stride, Phase, Surge, Endurance |
| Rage Mark | Berserk: Boosts physical damage and movement speed by 12-26% for 4-7 seconds. Activates when health is below 35%. Has 50-60 seconds cooldown | Phase, Surge, Stride, Vitality, Endurance |
| Ward Patch | Shield: Reduces incoming damage by 6-14% with a 5-15% chance per hit | Vitality |
| Rot Stitch | Toxic Veins: Deals some poison damage around the user while health is below 35% | Currently unobtainable |
Frequently Asked Questions?
How do I get runes in The Forge?
The primary way to get runes in The Forge is by defeating specific enemies. Each rune drops from particular enemies at fixed rates. For example, Miner Shards drop from Delver Zombies and Bombers, while Flame Sparks drop from Deathaxe Skeletons and Reapers. You need to fight these enemies repeatedly until they drop the rune you want. The drop rates range from 1/50 for rare runes to 1/5 for more common ones.
Can you combine runes in The Forge?
You cannot directly combine multiple runes into one stronger rune. However, as you progress and kill higher level enemies, you can get runes with dual traits. These are single runes that have two different abilities instead of just one. For example, you might find a Miner Shard with both Swift Mining and Yield traits. These dual-trait runes are more valuable and powerful than single-trait ones.
What are the best runes for weapons?
The best runes for weapons depend on your playstyle, but generally Flame Spark, Drain Edge, and Blast Chip are top choices. Flame Spark adds consistent fire damage over time, Drain Edge provides life steal to keep you alive in tough fights, and Blast Chip creates area-of-effect explosions that can hit multiple enemies at once. For maximum effectiveness, try to get these runes with secondary traits like Attack Speed or Critical Damage.
How do I remove runes from my equipment?
You can remove runes from weapons, armor, and pickaxes by visiting the Runemaker NPC in Stonewake’s Cross. Talk to him and select the equipment management menu, then choose the item with the attached rune. Click the rune slot and select the Detach option. You’ll need to pay a gold fee to remove the rune, but it will be returned to your inventory and can be reused on other equipment.
Do luck stats affect rune drops?
Yes, your luck stat does affect rune drop rates in The Forge. Higher luck increases your chances of getting any drop, including runes. You can increase your luck by wearing luck-boosting armor, using luck potions, or equipping pickaxes with luck traits. However, luck doesn’t guarantee rune drops—it just improves your odds slightly. You still need to defeat the right enemies multiple times to get the runes you want.
What are the best runes for mining?
The best rune for mining is definitely the Miner Shard. It provides several mining-related bonuses including increased mining speed, chance to drop extra ores, better luck for finding rare ores, and more damage to mining nodes. The best traits to look for on a Miner Shard are Yield (for extra ores) and Swift Mining (for faster mining speed). These traits directly increase your efficiency and income when mining.
Which enemies have the highest rune drop rates?
The Reaper in the Volcanic Depths has the highest rune drop rate at 1/5 for Flame Spark runes. This makes it the most efficient enemy to farm if you’re looking for combat runes. Other good targets include Bombers in the Forgotten Kingdom (1/10 for Blast Chip and 1/15 for Miner Shard) and Elite Rogue Skeletons in the Volcanic Depths (1/25 for Rage Mark). Focus on these enemies for the best chances of getting valuable runes.
Conclusion
Runes are powerful upgrades that can significantly enhance your gameplay in The Forge. By knowing which enemies to target and how to use the runes effectively, you can transform your weapons, armor, and pickaxes into formidable tools. Remember to focus on one rune at a time when farming, increase your luck stat for better drop rates, and choose runes that match your playstyle.
Whether you prefer mining, combat, or a balanced approach, there’s a rune combination that’s perfect for you. Experiment with different setups to find what works best for your gameplay style. And don’t forget to check out our other The Forge guides for more tips on mastering this exciting Roblox game!
Ready to take your The Forge experience to the next level? Start hunting for those runes today and watch your power grow!
