Welcome to our guide on the Rune System in Throne & Liberty. Though the rune system isn’t available in the global version yet, rumors point to it arriving around January 2025. Getting familiar with it now can give you a head start, so you may start slotting runes into your gear as soon as it releases. If you’re aiming to maximize your character’s potency, knowing how to work with runes will be very important. The system allows you to enhance your gear with custom effects that boost your character’s capabilities significantly. Using rune slots, rune hammers, and unique rune synergy combinations, players can unlock extra potential in their items.
The rune system involves some strategy, patience, and time, but the payoff is worth it. With the right approach, you’ll end up with gear that gives your character a noticeable advantage. This guide covers every step, from accessing the system and obtaining rune hammers to leveling up runes and achieving powerful synergy effects.
Introduction to Runes in Throne and Liberty
Runes are an important endgame progression mechanic that enhance your gear by adding specific stats and synergies. They can only be equipped on certain pieces of gear: weapons, necklaces, belts, bracelets, and rings. Each rune has a unique category and level, affecting the type of bonus it provides and its compatibility with other runes.
There are three categories of runes:
Each rune category is divided into three tiers: Gray for the basic tier, Green for the intermediate tier, and Blue for the advanced tier. Through repeated farming, leveling, and socket optimization, your ultimate goal is to have each eligible gear piece socketed with max-level blue runes and a synergy that enhances your build.
Runes can be leveled up as you collect more, with higher levels offering stronger bonuses. To reach top-tier synergy, you’ll need a precise socketing and leveling strategy. Don’t worry, we’ll talk about all of those here.
Accessing the Rune System
To begin using the rune system, open theRune Manageoption in the game’s menu, then select the specific item you want to enhance. Each item has three rune slots, which are locked by default and would needRune Hammersto unlock. Once you unlock these slots, you can fill them with your preferred runes to enhance your item’s stats and provide valuable effects.
How to Obtain Rune Hammers in Throne and Liberty
Now that we know Rune Hammers are essential for unlocking slots in your gear, let’s look at how you can actually get these valuable items. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to acquire them.
Crafting Individual Rune Hammers
First up,crafting individual Rune Hammers. Head to theAccessory Crafter. This is your go-to spot for making single hammers. You’ll needPrecious Polish CrystalsandRune Fragments. You’ll likely have plenty of crystals just from regular gameplay, but rune fragments come fromdissolving unwanted runes. Crafting individual hammers is great if you’re keeping them for yourself since it doesn’t require Marind.
Crafting Rune Hammer Bundles
If you’re looking to sell hammers for some extra currency, you’ll want tocraft Rune Hammer bundles. Unlike individual hammers, these bundles requireMarind. Once crafted, you can list them on theAuction Housefor a solid profit, making this option ideal for those who want to sell instead of use.
Auction House Purchases
Another option is purchasing hammers directly from theAuction House. They’re in theMiscellaneoussection, though prices can vary. Check often for deals, or, if you’re aiming to make some Lucent, consider selling some hammers here.
Battle Pass and Special Shops
Rune Hammers can be obtained as rewards through theBattle Passand certain event shops, adding another opportunity to stock up.
Contract Coin Merchant
Acquiring Runes for Slots
With your slots unlocked, it’s time to talk about gettingrunesthemselves. You’ll want the highest quality possible, so here are the top ways to farm them.
Challenge Dungeons (Co-op Dungeon)
Challenge dungeons are a fantastic source for rune farming. These PvE dungeons offer runes as rewards, with higher difficulties providing better-quality runes. There are no entry limits, though higher tiers require stronger gear and good party coordination. Each tier not only raises gear score requirements and rewards but also has a system that tracks the highest rune level you obtain, known as the hidden “watermark” system, which influences future drops. The best part is that you don’t need to clear every single tier to access higher ones; if the party leader has cleared Tier 5, for example, you can go directly into the Tier 5 boss fight without completing the lower tiers. Defeating each boss rewards you with an RNG rune chest for a specific gear piece, and each new drop contributes to the watermark system. Dissolving a high-level rune won’t reset this level, so dismantling higher-level runes can raise the level of future drops, making it beneficial to dissolve unwanted runes.
To efficiently level your runes, start by farming Tier 5 bosses until your gray runes reach a watermark level of 20. Once you’re ready, progress to Tier 10 to farm green runes, continuing until they reach around level 25-30. From there, move on to Tiers 11-15, where blue runes begin to drop, and any green rune at level 25 can now be converted into a blue rune. Dissolve lower-level runes consistently to collect Rune Fragments, which are essential for crafting Rune Hammers, allowing you to reroll or unlock more rune sockets as you continue to build up your gear’s power.
Dynamic Events
Events can also reward runes based on your performance. Check the event schedule regularly, and prioritize ones that offer runes. Ranking high in these events is worth the effort. Dynamic events are a great supplementary way to acquire high-level runes without needing to rely on dungeons.
Battle Pass Rewards
The Battle Pass is also another avenue where you can get Runes if you’re willing to spend.
Crafting Runes (Rune Chests)
If you have excess Rune Fragments, you can alsocraft Rune Chestsat the Accessory Crafter. This option allows you to reroll unwanted support runes into attack runes, though be aware that this can eat up your fragments quickly. Only use this method after unlocking all slots, because crafting Rune Chests early on can make it hard for you to get enough Rune Hammers.
Leveling Up Runes in Throne and Liberty
Once you have the right runes, you’ll want to level them up. Runes in Throne & Liberty can go up toLevel 60, and leveling them increases their effectiveness.
Creating Rune Synergy with Slot Combinations
Now let’s dive into runesynergy. By combiningDefensive,Attack, andSupportrunes in specific orders, you’re able to unlock powerful synergy effects. To find these combinations, open theRune Synergy Listin the Rune Manage menu, which shows which effects are available based on the order of your rune types.
Understanding the Rune Synergy List
Now let’s go into runesynergymore. By combiningDefensive,Attack, andSupportrunes in specific orders, you’re able to unlock powerful synergy effects. To find these combinations, open theRune Synergy Listin the Rune Manage menu, which shows which effects are available based on the order of your rune types.
For example, if you want a shield block penetration chance effect on your ring, you might need:
Rerolling Rune Types
Synergy Effects and Rune Values
Advanced Tips for Rune Management
Final Thoughts
That’s it for our guide on mastering theRune System. Although this system isn’t in the global version of Throne & Liberty yet, it’s set to change the way gear improvement works when it arrives. Some players feel that adding this feature could push the game toward a pay-to-win model, as it could make the most powerful gear upgrades more accessible to those willing to spend money.
Whether or not it becomes pay-to-win depends on how accessible the resources for upgrading runes will be without spending. For now, though, knowing how it all works can give you a big advantage, so you’re ready to jump right into slotting and upgrading runes when it does release.
The rune system itself is complex and can feel overwhelming at first, but understanding how to work with it will significantly boost your flexibility and power in both PvE and PvP. By getting to know the different types of runes, using the watermark system effectively, and farming efficiently, you may create a setup that fits your playstyle. What do you think about the system? Will the rune system add depth and excitement to gear customization, or could it make the game too pay-to-win?
