The crafting system in Last Epoch is one of its deepest and most rewarding gameplay loops, empowering players to truly perfect their builds. Central to this system is Runes, consumable materials that allow you to manipulate gear in powerful, sometimes volatile ways.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Runes - how to farm them efficiently, what each one does, and how to strategically use them without wasting precious items or Forging Potential.

What Are Runes in Last Epoch?

Runes are single-use crafting items that have direct and transformative effects on your gear. Unlike Glyphs, which alter crafting success rates or improve outcomes, Runes take big swings:

·They can destroy gear in exchange for Shards.

·They can duplicate items.

·Some even convert gear into Uniques or Sets.

Because of their powerful effects, Runes are harder to come by and should be used thoughtfully.

How to Get Runes in Last Epoch

General Drops

Runes can drop from almost any enemy or container, but they are far from common. You'll mostly find them:

·As random loot drops in the world

·In breakable barrels, urns, and destructibles

·From general monster kills

However, certain sources offer higher odds and better consistency.

Best Sources for Runes

·Bosses: Almost all campaign and Monolith bosses have a significantly increased chance to drop Runes.

·Chests and Caches: These often contain crafting materials and can drop multiple Runes at once.

·Elites and Champions: These enemies drop higher-value loot tables, which include Runes.

·Loot: Lizards (Treasure Beasts) A rare enemy that explodes into loot when killed. Usually drops 2-3 Runes.

·Nemeses: Defeating a Nemesis often drops several crafting materials, including Runes and Shards.

·Prophecies (Circle of Fortune): Join this faction and complete ·Prophecies that specifically reward Runes.

Target Farming in the Monolith of Fate

The best way to consistently farm Runes is in the Monolith of Fat.:

·As you explore Echoes, look for maps that have "Rune reward" tags.

·The echo reward is guaranteed at the end of the map - you will get Runes no matter what.

Monsters within Echoes also have boosted drop rates, particularly if modifiers include:

·+% increased Rare/Champion enemies

·+% chance for enemies to drop crafting materials

For the highest drop density, focus on high corruption timelines and choose Echoes with multiple elite spawns.

All Runes and What They Do

Here's an updated and fully explained breakdown of every Rune currently in the game:

Basic Utility Runes

·Rune of Shattering: Destroys an item to gain a random number of Shards based on its affixes.Best for farming Shards from unwanted rares.

·Rune of Removal: Removes a random affix and gives you its Shards. Use on items with one good affix and junk ones.

Reforge and Reroll Runes

·Rune of Refinement: Rerolls all affix values (not tiers). Great on gear with high affix tiers but bad rolls.

·Rune of Shaping: Rerolls the implicit values of an item. For improving bases like weapons or exalted helmets.

High-Impact Runes

·Rune of Ascendance: Converts gear into a Unique or Set of the same type. Gamble rares for Uniques - works best with gloves, rings, etc.

·Rune of Creation: Duplicates an item, sets both to 0 Forging Potential. Ideal for making a backup copy of high-value items.

·Rune of Discovery: Adds random Tier 1 affixes to empty slots. No FP cost. Best for new gear with 1-2 affixes already present.

Advanced Endgame Runes

·Rune of Havoc: Shuffles non-sealed affix tiers on Exalted items. Use to optimize tier layout without losing affixes.

·Rune of Redemption: Changes an Exalted affix into a different one. Helps reroll bad exalted affixes into useful ones.

·Rune of Weaving: Uses remaining Weaver's Will to enhance affixes. Enhances Weaver's gear - must be timed perfectly.

Crafting Tips: How to Use Runes Wisely

·Shatter Everything: Use Rune of Shattering on useless rares to constantly refill your Affix Shard pool.

·Don't Waste Removal: Only use Rune of Removal when you're okay with RNG - the affix removed is random!

·Refinement > Shaping Early: When leveling or making pre-endgame gear, prioritize refining over implicits.

·Ascend on High-Item-Level Gear: Items with higher item level can result in better Uniques when using Rune of Ascendance.

·Rune of Discovery is Free Value: Use it on blue or low-tier crafted gear to quickly max out your prefixes/suffixes.

Crafting Session Prep: What to Bring

Before sitting down for an hour-long crafting binge, you'll want to:

·Farm Monolith Echoes with Rune rewards

·Run Nemesis or Champion-heavy Echoes

·Empty your inventory and stash beforehand

·Stockpile at least 30-50 Runes of various types

Use loot filters to mark items with:

·Empty affix slots

·Exalted tier affixes

·High item level with Forging Potential remaining

Rune Mistakes to Avoid

·Don't use Rune of Creation on items you can't replace - both copies will have 0 FP.

·Avoid Rune of Ascendance on boss-dropped bases - it won't roll boss-exclusive Uniques.

·Don't overwrite valuable sealed affixes - many Runes like Havoc will ignore seals and ruin gear.

·Avoid Discovery on 0 FP gear - it simply won't work!

Final Thoughts

Crafting in Last Epoch is powerful, but also requires restraint and smart planning. Runes are among your strongest tools, and when used wisely, can unlock massive potential for both leveling and endgame builds. Whether you're trying to min-max a Legendary item or convert mid-tier loot into game-changers, mastering Rune use will give you an edge that others overlook.

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