Runes are like a cheat code for your weapons and armor in The Forge. With the right one, your damage and survivability can skyrocket. Runes can be equipped on your equipment and provide it with some amazing buffs. But with plenty of runes, choosing the right one can sometimes feel daunting. In our ultimate The Forge runes tier list, we have ranked every rune in the game and explained all of their pros and cons.
Complete The Forge Rune Tier List
There are a total of 11 runes in The Forge, and you can get runes by killing enemies. Each enemy drops a different rune when killed, so it’s important to know about the rune you want to farm. On top of that, not all the runes are worth getting, as the abilities aren’t that great.
As we make the tier list, the runes at the bottom become less valuable as the abilities aren’t worth your time. Yet, as a beginner, you can start with such runes in the mid or lower tiers and slowly work your way up to the top ones. Always remember to grab The Forge codes and reroll race adjusted to the runes you are using. That said, here is a ranked tier list for all the runes in The Forge:
| S Tier | Miner Shard, Blast Chip |
| A Tier | Flame Spark, Venom Crumb, Chill Dust, Drain Edge |
| B Tier | Frost Speck, Rage Mark, Briar Notch, Ward Patch |
| C Tier | Rot Stitch |
To learn about the abilities and traits of each rune, check out our The Forge rune list.
S Tier Runes
 Miner Shard |
+ Best rune for mining and faster ore farming | – Unusable in combat |
 Blast Chip |
+ The best DPS Rune in the Forge. + Can deal a lot of damage depending on your weapon’s DMG, and group all the enemies. + It saves a lot of time, as you don’t have to kill enemies individually. | – Grouped enemies can sometimes deal a lot of damage– Very bad option for low-damage weapons like daggers. |
A Tier Runes
 Flame Spark |
+ Best used for killing single enemies+ Insane compatibility with the Demon race+ Deals a lot of fire damage based on your weapons’ damage | – Not a great option to take out enemy groups– Doesn’t work well with low damage weapons |
 Venom Crumb |
+ Very good option for fast attacking builds+ Good option if you lack the top runes | – Not as good as Flame Spark or Blast Chip |
 Chill Dust |
+ Very good rune for stunning enemies and freezing them+ Can save you from taking damage | – Doesn’t deal any additional damage– Doesn’t buff your stats |
 Drain Edge |
+ It will keep you alive forever as long as you are dealing physical damage+ Boosts your physical damage further+ Very good on the Shadow, Demon, and Golem races | – Reduced health generation good with slow weapons |
B Tier Runes
 Briar Notch |
+ Good for players who love tanking damage+ Great option for new players learning the combat+ Can be used with uranium builds | – Situational to use– Very difficult to trigger the ability– Not even good on builds who love to stay low on HP |
 Rage Mark |
+ Compatible with Minotaur race+ Great for builds that prefer low HP+ Works great with Drain Edge+ Good for beginners | – Ideally, you want to dodge and parry attacks– Staying on high HP is optimal |
 Frost Speck |
+ Freezes enemies and increases your damage window+ Greatly benefits tank builds | – Unreliable cooldown– Doesn’t really benefit a damage build, as they prefer Blast Chip or Flame Spark |
 Ward Patch |
+ Decent defensive option | – Unreliable ability– Too much randomness to trigger its ability– Drain Edge is a better option |
C Tier Runes
 Rot Stitch |
+ Solid AOE and damage over time passive+ Decent for Minotaur race builds | – Too conditional to use– Rage Mark and Drain Edge are better – This doesn’t reduce damage, meaning you are more likely to die often |
That’s everything you need to know about The Forge runes tier list. Check out The Forge Weapons and Armors Upgrade guide to learn more about using runes and upgrading equipment. Pair the runes with the best pickaxes, weapon recipes, and armor recipes to become unstoppable in The Forge.
What do you think of these rankings, and are they placed well? Tell us in the comments below.
Can you remove Runes from your equipment in The Forge?
Yes. You can remove Runes from your equipment at the Runemaker’s place in The Forge.
Can you craft runes in The Forge?
No. You cannot craft runes in The Forge.
