The Forge Runes Guide – Best Runes Tier List

Runes are one of the strongest progression systems in The Forge. They enhance damage, apply status effects, improve mining speed, boost survivability, and even trigger powerful on-hit reactions. Understanding which runes matter, where to get them, and how to use them correctly will give you a huge advantage in both mining and combat.

This guide breaks down:

• How runes drop
• What every rune does
• Which enemies drop them
• The best runes ranked in a practical tier list

How Runes Drop

Runes drop directly from enemies. Every enemy has its own loot table, which includes specific rune types.
Weaker mobs rarely drop runes, while elite or higher-level enemies have better odds.

The easiest way to check rune drops is through your Index:

• Open inventory
• Select Index
• Look at each enemy’s drop table
  Example:
  The Delta Zombie has a 1 in 35 chance to drop a Minor Shard.

If you want a specific rune:

• Look up the enemy that drops it
• Farm that enemy repeatedly
• Check your Index frequently to confirm drop chances

All Runes Explained (Full Breakdown)

Below is a comprehensive rundown of all current runes and what they do.
Percentages and durations vary based on rune rarity and tier.

Minor Rune Family

These runes boost mining performance.

Minor Shard

• Increases luck
• Chance to gain one extra ore while mining
• Higher tiers = higher extra-ore chance

Mine Speed Rune

• Boosts mining speed
• Increases pickaxe damage
• One of the best early-game runes

Status Effect Runes

These trigger elemental or debuff effects on hit.

Ice

• Freezes enemies briefly
• Short cooldown
• Strong for crowd control

Burnt / Flame Spark

• Deals a percent of your weapon’s damage as fire per second
• Lasts for a few seconds
• Has a chance to apply on hit
• Great for DoT-focused builds

Poison

• Deals poison damage over time
• Good for stacking damage in long fights

Chill Dust

• Slows enemy movement
• Slows attack speed
• Very effective against fast enemies

Damage Burst Runes

Explosion

• Creates a small explosion at enemy location
• Amazing for crowd clearing
• Scales with your weapon’s damage

Magmite Passive Rune (if used in forging)
Not a true standalone rune, but functions similarly during forging.

• Triggers a 50% AoE explosion
• Works extremely well on fast weapons

Survivability Runes

Drain Edge

• Converts a portion of your damage dealt into healing
• One of the strongest sustain tools in the game
• Excellent for bosses and tough elite enemies

Thorns

• Reflects a percent of physical damage taken
• Has a cap based on user’s max HP
• Useful against high DPS melee opponents

Ward Patch

• Chance to reduce incoming damage
• Purely defensive, good for tank builds

Triggered Condition Runes

Rage Mark

• When HP falls below 35%:
  • Increases physical damage
  • Increases movement speed
• Perfect for aggressive playstyles
• Has a cooldown

Rot Stitch (Toxic Veins)

• While under 35% HP, deals AoE poison around the user
• Good for situations where you’re constantly surrounded

Practical Rune Tier List

This tier list is based on the video’s wiki ranking and actual in-game usefulness.

S-Tier (Exceptional – Always Useful)

Drain Edge

• Best rune in the game
• Constant healing makes both DPS and tank builds unstoppable

Blast Chip (Explosion Rune)

• Great burst damage
• Amazing for clearing waves and elites

A-Tier (Very Strong – Core Build Options)

Miner Runes (Shards & Speed)

• Essential for progression
• Huge for money making
• A must-have on every miner setup

Flame Spark (Burn)

• Consistent damage over time
• Works well with fast weapons

Chill Dust

• Very strong control tool
• Excellent against aggressive mobs

B-Tier (Good, but Build-Dependent)

Poison

• Nice DoT but weaker than Burn

Ice

• Freeze is good, but cooldown prevents repeated uses

Rage Mark

• Strong when low HP
• Situational and risky

Ward Patch

• Mild defensive value
• Not enough impact for a primary slot

C-Tier (Niche or Weak)

Rot Stitch

• Only activates under 35% HP
• Mostly for meme builds

Basic Thorn Runes

• The damage cap makes them underwhelming
• Not reliable for bosses or elites

Most C-tier runes only shine in rare scenarios or specific niche builds.

Finding the Rune You Want (Index Method)

The best way to target-farm runes is through the Index:

• Select any mob
• Look at its potential drops
• Identify the rune
• Farm that enemy’s spawn zone

Because runes have low drop rates, this targeted method is more efficient than random grinding.

When to Use Runes on Pickaxes vs Weapons

Pickaxe

Use runes that boost economy:

• Miner Shard
• Mine Speed
• Flame Spark (optional for enemy mining zones)

Weapon

Use runes that boost combat:

• Drain Edge
• Explosion
• Chill Dust
• Burn
• Poison

Weapons benefit heavily from stacking multiple effect-based runes, especially on fast-hitting builds.