How to Get Runes in The Forge
- Yash Choudhary
- Dec 3
- 3 min read
Runes are one of the most valuable upgrade systems in The Forge, serving as tiny power boosts for your weapons, armor, and pickaxes. Whether you want greater damage, faster mining, or better movement, the correct Rune may completely alter your build. But finding Runes can be difficult if you don't know which monsters drop them or where to harvest them properly.
The full guide describes every technique for obtaining Runes, all confirmed Rune drop locations, and how to activate Rune Slots so that you may begin improving your gear immediately.
What Are the Runes in the Forge?
Runes are upgrade stones that provide unique stat enhancements, such as:
Increased total damage
Faster mining speed
Improved ore yields
Increased mobility or utility effects
Once you've unlocked Rune Slots, you can insert them into suitable weapons, armor pieces, or pickaxes (if they have slots).
How To Get Runes In The Forge
The primary way to gain Runes in The Forge is to battle specific enemies. Not all mobs drop Runes, and each drop table has a unique rarity. Some enemies have higher drop rates than others, making specific farming locations more efficient.
Below is a detailed breakdown of how Rune drops work and where to farm them.
Best Way to Get Runes: Farm the Right Enemies
The majority of Runes are obtained from enemies in the early to late game, with predetermined drop chances. For example, one of the earliest Runes available is the Miner Shard, which Delver Zombies drop at Stonewake's Cross. These mobs have a 1/35 drop chance, so you'll need patience—or a decent Luck stat—to get one.
Possible Miner Shard Traits
Each Miner Shard can roll many bonuses, including:
Yield I: Chance of gaining extra ore via mining.
Luck I: A slight rise in your overall luck.
Swift Mining I: Faster Mining Speed
Mine Power I: provides additional mine damage.
These characteristics make Miner Shards particularly valuable throughout the early advancement phase.
All Confirmed Rune Drops in the Forge
The updated Rune drop table is shown below, and it only includes Runes that are currently available in-game. Some leaked Runes (such as Chill Dust) are on the Index but not yet available to players.
Rune Drop Table
Rune Name | How to Get / Drop Chance |
Miner Shard | Delver Zombie (Stonewake’s Cross) – 1/35 |
Bomber (Forgotten Kingdom) – 1/15 |
|
Blast Chip | Bomber (Forgotten Kingdom) – 1/10 |
Flame Spark | Deathaxe Skeleton – 1/35 |
Elite Deathaxe Skeleton – 1/25 |
|
Reaper – 1/5 |
|
Blazing Slime – 1/12 |
|
Briar Notch | Deathaxe Skeleton – 1/50 |
Elite Deathaxe Skeleton – 1/40 |
|
Rage Mark | Elite Rogue Skeleton – 1/25 |
Drain Edge | Reaper – 1/12 |
Ward Patch | Unconfirmed; believed to be quest-exclusive |
Venom Crumb | Blight Pyromancer – 1/15 |
How to Get Rune Slots in The Forge
Before you can use Runes, your gear's Rune Slots must be unlocked.
How To Unlock Rune Slots
Visit the Enhancer building and select "Yes, I'm here to enhance."
From here:
Choose your weapon or armor.
View enhancement requirements and success possibilities.
Spend Essence and Money to Enhance
Each level can unlock new Rune Slots based on the gear.
Important notes:
Higher enhancement levels may fail.
Failing wastes resources.
Enhancement increases your equip stats, not simply slots.
How to Get Rune Slots for Pickaxes
Pickaxes work differently.
You cannot enhance them at the Enhancer, therefore Rune Slots must be pre-installed.
Bronze Pickaxe: No slots
Iron Pickaxe: No slots
Gold Pickaxe: 1 Rune Slot
Higher-tier pickaxes: May include more slots depending on type
To obtain pickaxe Rune Slots, you must purchase updated pickaxes rather than enhancing your existing one.
Final Tips for Efficient Rune Farming
Improve your Luck stat for higher drop chances.
Use area-damage builds for speedier mob clearance.
Farm mobs in cycles rather than camping in one spot.
Prioritize the Reaper and Bomber routes for consistent Rune drops.
Save Essence for improvement attempts; you'll need it later.