Updated: January 28, 2026 
Note: This article was updated with all runes in The Forge on January 28th, 2026.
Runes are power-up items in The Forge that make your weapons and armor way stronger. Some runes help you mine faster, while others make you deal more damage in combat. Here is the complete list of all Runes with their traits in The Forge and how to get them.
What Are Runes in The Forge?
In The Forge, Runes give your equipment special abilities and stat boosts. You can attach them to your pickaxe, weapons, and armor to unlock new effects. When you add a rune to a weapon, armor piece, or pickaxe, you get a main effect that changes how that item works. You also get extra stat bonuses that are picked randomly.
The main effect is always the same for each rune type. For example, Flame Spark always gives you the Burn effect. But the bonus stats change each time you get a new rune. Some runes have level 2 versions marked with "II" at the end of their name. These stronger versions give better effects than the basic runes.
To get Runes, you need to defeat specific enemies, and the drop rates are pretty low. So you'll need to farm the same enemies multiple times to get the rune you want.
All Runes in The Forge and How to Get Them
Runes are divided into three types: Weapon Runes, Armor Runes, and Pickaxe Runes. Here's what each one does and how you can find it:
1. Weapon Runes
| Rune Name | Image | Main Effect | What It Does | How to Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flame Spark |  | Burn | Sets enemies on fire, dealing damage over time based on your weapon damage | Deathaxe Skeleton, Elite Deathaxe Skeleton, Reaper, Blazing Slime |
| Blast Chip |  | Explosion | Creates an explosion where you hit, damaging nearby enemies | Bomber |
| Venom Crumb |  | Poison | Poisons enemies to damage them slowly over several seconds | Blight Pyromancer |
| Drain Edge |  | Life Steal | Heals you for part of the damage you deal | Reaper |
| Frost Speck |  | Ice | Freezes enemies in place for a few seconds | Prismarine Spider, Crystal Spider, Diamond Spider |
| Frost Speck II | | Ice II | Stronger freeze effect with better freeze duration | Golem |
| Chill Dust II |  | Snow II | Slows down enemy attack speed and movement | Golem |
All weapon runes can roll these bonus stats randomly:
- Fracture - Increases armor penetration against enemies
- Critical Damage - Makes your critical hits hurt more
- Critical Chance - Increases how often you land critical hits
- Attack Speed - Lets you swing your weapon faster
- Lethality - Boosts your overall damage output
2. Armor Runes
| Rune Name | Image | Main Effect | What It Does | How to Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ward Patch |  | Shield | Reduces physical damage you take by a percentage | Sensei Moro's Tutorial Quest in Stonewake's Cross |
| Briar Notch |  | Thorn | Reflects some physical damage back to attackers | Deathaxe Skeleton, Elite Deathaxe Skeleton |
| Rage Mark |  | Berserker | Boosts your damage and speed when your health drops below 35% | Elite Rogue Skeleton, Common Orc, Elite Orc |
Armor runes can give you these random bonus stats:
- Vitality - Increases your maximum health
- Endurance - Improves your defense
- Swiftness - Makes you move faster
- Stride - Boosts movement abilities
- Surge - Enhances combat abilities
- Phase - Improves evasion or mobility
3. Pickaxe Runes
Pickaxe runes don't add combat effects. Instead, they make mining faster and more rewarding.
| Rune Name | Image | Possible Effects | How to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miner Shard |  | Swift Mining, Mine Power, Luck, Yield | Delver Zombie, Bomber |
| Miner Shard II | | Swift Mining, Mine Power, Luck, Yield | Golem |
What Each Pickaxe Effect Does
- Swift Mining - You break ore nodes faster
- Mine Power - Each swing does more damage to ore nodes
- Luck - Increases your overall drop chance for rare items
- Yield - Gives you a chance to get extra ore from each node you mine
How to Equip Runes in The Forge to Your Gear
Once you get a rune, you can't just use it right away. You need to visit the Runemaker NPC in Stonewake's Cross Village. Here's how the process works:
- Your pickaxe already has rune slots unlocked by default, so you can add runes to it immediately. But weapons and armor need to be upgraded to +3 before they can hold runes. You'll need to enhance your gear first.
- When you talk to the Runemaker, select the equipment you want to upgrade.
- Pick the rune from your inventory and pay the coin cost.
The rune will be attached to your gear, and you'll get the benefits right away. If you change your mind later, you can remove runes from your equipment. You can also sell unwanted runes to Greedy Cey in the Cave if you need extra coins.
Getting all the runes in The Forge takes time, but they're worth the effort. Each one makes you noticeably stronger, and finding the right combination for your playstyle is part of the fun. Don’t forget to check our dedicated The Forge Wiki to find more details about the game and its features.
