Runes

You know them. They tie your build together, boost your stats, and/or give you a nifty bonus effect. At least in theory.There are currently 88 superior runes in the game. Of those, only 6 (Scholar, Renegade, Monk, Leadership, Krait, Water) see widespread, meta use. And for good reason! Those 6 are numerically best in slot for their respective roles. (EDIT: After the sigil/rune balance update, the meta had a bit of a shake. More fun for us!)

I know this isn't something that can be changed and this post isn't about changing the meta. Instead, I'd like to spark the theorycraft discussion: How would we best use these 82 other runes?

The Project

I propose a discussion and exploration on runes. Let's work backwards. Instead of making a build and finding the best rune to complement it; Let's start with the rune and build around what it best supports.To that end, I have created a Google sheet: Builds for Runes LINK .I fancy myself a bit of a theorycrafter but I know my limits. I'm only intimately familiar with 3 or 4 of the classes and I've never even touched Necro, Mes, or Rev. I'm going to need your help to discover the full potential of these runes.

The Caveat

We could simply copy/paste a meta build onto almost any rune and the build would work. That's not the point here.We're looking for builds that maximize what stats or theme a particular rune is trying to support.For example, Rune of the Citadel is Power focused, Fury bonus, and summons a bomb. And if that's doesn't sound engi enough; the bomb it summons counts as an explosion for related traits. Sounds like a build brewing to me! (EDIT: After the rune balance, no more bomb or explosion. Build still works tho.)

I know that a number of runes are just kinda boring. And we'll get similar builds for a few just based on stats and such. But let's do our best and talk about 'em. Why is Rune of X boring or not effective? Would a small change make it better in this niche?

Also, this is a project for full rune-sets. You could min/max more with combinations but there's no way to account for all the possibilities. o.oEDIT: And after the sigil/rune balance update, most of the unique effects are only on the 6) bonus anyway!

The Format

Build Name/ClassRune NameGamemodeBuild Link (Suggestion: type "LINK", highlight that text, then click the link button and paste URL there. Make a text link instead of showing the whole URL)Comments: What works? What's lacking with the rune to make this really cool or effective?

The Bounty

5G 10G per unique build. 2G 5G if a rune already has a build in a different gamemode.I'm going to be filling out eight or ten of these myself (including the meta 6) in the next few days and will continue as I have time. So I could eventually fill it out myself. But that's a lot of work and not fun.I'm not GW2 rich but I'm willing/able to give out 5G 10G per unique rune build. Let's see what you got! I'll try to update the spreadsheet daily.

Recap

• Builds for Runes LINK
• Find a rune that doesn't have a build yet and get thinking.
• Post build here. Discuss
• Profit! If you want.

but what about mixed runes?

Malicious Shadow Duelist Reposted from Deadeye 2.5 thread

Rune: TormentingType: WvW/sPvPGW2 Skills Build Link (PvP)

This is a condi build for Pistol/Dagger Deadeye. The build uses a hybrid of traits to achieve poison and torment application for damage and specializes in boon application and crowd control (immobilize/cripple/knockdown).

I don’t need the gold but happy to provide one of the more unique builds out there for those who want to try different things.

@Fipmip.7219 said:but what about mixed runes?

As I said in the caveat:

Also, this is a project for full rune-sets. You could min/max more with combinations but there's no way to account for all the possibilities. o.o

Additionally, mixed runes are a mixed... bag. There are a few combinations that work really well because of the #2 bonus on one of them, like Nightmare/Trapper. But if you're running 5/1 or 4/2 for most runes, the 1 or 2 rune can be replaced with almost all of the runes in that stat. Not very interesting.

This project is looking at what each rune can do or is trying to do by itself.

My Guardian uses Rune of the Defender for the block heals and aegis on heal skill use. He's currently a core cleric stat guardian, switching between Mace/Shield and Hammer. It's amazing for self heals alongside meditation skills traited to heal. I do however hit like a wet kipper, so I have no doubt I'll play with it one day to add in more dps at some point and offset my prob way too high healing power, but I rather enjoy playing him as an alt or with a small group he can support.

At work so I can't post them, but I'm actually using Runes of Rage, Runesof the Ice, and Runes of the Flame Legion on several of my characters.

A thread worth logging on and posting in!

Reaper (PvE)Rune of Ice[gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNAR3dnk0AlbiF1A+0A0biFcBbKL0EqCxXxuYYE6qFAOAA-jxxFQBA4iAsi9HOnumDq8jiKBvn6PC4JAAA-e](http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNAR3dnk0AlbiF1A+0A0biFcBbKL0EqCxXxuYYE6qFAOAA-jxxFQBA4iAsi9HOnumDq8jiKBvn6PC4JAAA-e "gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNAR3dnk0AlbiF1A+0A0biFcBbKL0EqCxXxuYYE6qFAOAA-jxxFQBA4iAsi9HOnumDq8jiKBvn6PC4JAAA-e")A good build to solo anything in PvE. If you struggle with anything this will make it easy mode. Just enough defense to help out. Reaper is built to take advantage of the rune as you chill everything everywhere all the time. As a blind player this is really my go-to, make-PvE-easy build. I've yet to find anything it can't handle. I'll experiment with it in PvP sometime, but it may not work well there (first step is to replace well of darkness with well of corruption). I've used most of this build in PvP but not the runes.

@saerni.2584 said:Malicious Shadow Duelist Reposted from Deadeye 2.5 thread

Rune: Tormenting

Hey interesting. I wouldn't mind seeing gameplay of that one. Have you played around with Skale Venom or do you find your weapon skills and heal are enough Torment in a PvP match?

@Rogue.8235 said:A thread worth logging on and posting in!

Reaper (PvE)Rune of Ice

I'm kinda glad someone grabbed Rune of the Ice so early. Saves me from publicly forcing a Soulbeast build with it. lol(I'm totally still trying it tho)

As a blind player...You're exaggerating....right? :o

@Chrury.4627 said:

@Rogue.8235 said:As a blind player...You're exaggerating....right? :o

I don't know @Rogue.8235, but I can point out that blindness (like a lot of disability) isn't a binary. Most people imagine "blind" to mean absolutely no sight and "deaf" to mean absolutely no hearing. Both of these are incorrect.As long as your eyesight is below a certain threshold you are blind, even if you see some.

Also - really cool thread!

As a blind player...You're exaggerating....right? :o

There's different levels of blind

Point taken, semantics. Let's try not to derail the thread too much.

@Randulf.7614 said:My Guardian uses Rune of the Defender for the block heals and aegis on heal skill use. He's currently a core cleric stat guardian, switching between Mace/Shield and Hammer. It's amazing for self heals alongside meditation skills traited to heal. I do however hit like a wet kipper, so I have no doubt I'll play with it one day to add in more dps at some point and offset my prob way too high healing power, but I rather enjoy playing him as an alt or with a small group he can support.

Just rechecked the wiki for Rune of the Defender and that block heal must be pretty good in Clerics. Like 4500?Does the #6 heal bonus proc when someone breaks your Aegis at the start of a fight? So you wouldn't get healed from the bonus for 30 seconds? Sounds a bit awkward but from what you're describing, it sounds like you're tanky enough to survive long enough to use it.

@Diak Atoli.2085 said:At work so I can't post them, but I'm actually using Runes of Rage, Runesof the Ice, and Runes of the Flame Legion on several of my characters.

Nice. I too have dabbled with Rage runes. WH Ranger so my dungeon party was wondering why they had 2 minutes of Fury. :D

At the people who are curious

Not exaggerating at all. I don't have a right eye anymore and the left eye has less than 3% field of view. The eye is scarred on the inside and the optic nerve barely functions at all. The result is that in a tiny sliver of the corner (lower left) of my left eye i detect light and motion only. My vision is limited to about 4 feet out.

To get an idea of how I see, think back to when you saw something move in the corner of your vision. You didn't see what it was or any details at all, just the motion. That is what I see. I play through sound and memorization. In PvP, i play because people are so predictable with their "rotations". I know what they're doing without needing to see it. For new stuff I have some friends who deck their characters in the brightest armor and mounts possible. I can follow the light and motion at that point and we're on voice comm so they walk me through it aurally.

On my own I just run around and do stuff randomly, not really caring about anything major. I don't do fractals or dungeons because when people speed clear I can't figure out where anyone is and just get left behind. sPvP is easier than fractals or dungeons. I don't really WvW anymore.

There are some blind players who are better gamers than I am, some with absolutely no vision whatsoever. It is possible.

Finally, Anet helps a lot. They made a game with so many audio cues you really can play just by sound.

@Chrury.4627 said:

@saerni.2584 said:

Malicious Shadow Duelist

Reposted from Deadeye 2.5 thread

Rune: Tormenting

@Rogue.8235 said:A thread worth logging on and posting in!

Reaper (PvE)Rune of Ice

As a blind player...You're exaggerating....right? :o

I orginally had those runes on my ranger too. Was thinking the axe and pets could help but really couldn't make it work. Now my ranger just sits in Malchor's Leap collecting elder wood. Shame on her for trying to be cool. (sry couldn't help it)

@Chrury.4627 said:Point taken, semantics. Let's try not to derail the thread too much.

@Randulf.7614 said:My Guardian uses Rune of the Defender for the block heals and aegis on heal skill use. He's currently a core cleric stat guardian, switching between Mace/Shield and Hammer. It's amazing for self heals alongside meditation skills traited to heal. I do however hit like a wet kipper, so I have no doubt I'll play with it one day to add in more dps at some point and offset my prob way too high healing power, but I rather enjoy playing him as an alt or with a small group he can support.

@Diak Atoli.2085 said:At work so I can't post them, but I'm actually using Runes of Rage, Runesof the Ice, and Runes of the Flame Legion on several of my characters.

The aegis does proc it yes, but the heal is massive. Im not sure what the numbers are, but with all the passive heals and every utility traited to heal on use, he can take quite a battering even if he cant dish it out

@Chrury.4627

I don’t have gameplay footage but I might record a match and post it later.

The torment is enough in concert with incidental bleed, power damage and the other primary damage of poison.

Skate venom isn’t as strong as spider venom in a spike but the advantages of venoms are outweighed by the flexibility that Mercy provides.

Binding Shadow and Shadowsteps are extremely good in their own way so Mercy is what would be dropped for a small increase in damage but a larger loss in sustain and overall utility.

@Rogue.8235 said:At the people who are curious

Not exaggerating at all. I don't have a right eye anymore and the left eye has less than 3% field of view. The eye is scarred on the inside and the optic nerve barely functions at all. The result is that in a tiny sliver of the corner (lower left) of my left eye i detect light and motion only. My vision is limited to about 4 feet out.

To get an idea of how I see, think back to when you saw something move in the corner of your vision. You didn't see what it was or any details at all, just the motion. That is what I see. I play through sound and memorization. In PvP, i play because people are so predictable with their "rotations". I know what they're doing without needing to see it. For new stuff I have some friends who deck their characters in the brightest armor and mounts possible. I can follow the light and motion at that point and we're on voice comm so they walk me through it aurally.

On my own I just run around and do stuff randomly, not really caring about anything major. I don't do fractals or dungeons because when people speed clear I can't figure out where anyone is and just get left behind. sPvP is easier than fractals or dungeons. I don't really WvW anymore.

There are some blind players who are better gamers than I am, some with absolutely no vision whatsoever. It is possible.

Finally, Anet helps a lot. They made a game with so many audio cues you really can play just by sound.

Dag, yo. Mad Props.It tickles me to hear that sPvP is playable because players are predictable. I'm going to be SO self-conscious next match lol.More power to ya! /o/

@Rogue.8235 said:

@Chrury.4627 said:

I'm kinda glad someone grabbed Rune of the Ice so early. Saves me from publicly forcing a Soulbeast build with it. lol(I'm totally still trying it tho)

Oy, puns!Yeah, even with pets, frost trap, and the two chill sigils; the application just isn't there for Ranger. Maybe we'll get a pet with an ice field later.

I have updated the Builds for Runes spreadsheet with some of the major meta builds for the mentioned meta Runes. As well as one of my own creation:

Vampiric Soulbeast (PvE)Rune of VampirismA hybrid build based around life stealing. It isn't a fast killer but its sustain is great. I can walk into most group events and challenge most champions without fear with this.This build camps the Dagger/Warhorn. Shortbow is only for the occasionally range when things are literally out of reach.I usually cast Moa Stance with WH5, then pair Vulture stance with merged F3 and Wh4 for those might stacks.I've been camping unmerged Carrion Devourer recently. It's nice to keep the poison fields out of sync as I'm usually close to full HP for long periods and don't need the Predator's Cunning burst healing. When things get dicey tho, merged Forest Spider is the way to go.For non-humans playing the build, Entangle is your best bet. Avatar of Grenth just fits the theme and is a neat get-out-of-jail skill when mobbed. 10 targets and PC has no ICD.

Not a full build but something I've used for a while.

Raging Thief (any mode)Basically, the crit strikes line screamed Rune of Rage. Take Assassin's Fury, Sundering Shade, and No Quarter for permanent fury all the time no matter what. Recent changes makes this combo even easier to maintain.

The idea is that Rune of Rage is really cheap, like only 4s cheap. With it you get a large increase to ferocity and a virtually permanent +5% damage. It's cheaper than Rune of Strength and easier to maintain the damage bonus on a thief.

Perfect combo, especially for a budget build.

I didn't post the rest of the build because I change it all the time. The only constant is Crit Strikes and the traits I mentioned. This leaves the build adaptable if you want more damage or more defense. The trait line alone is enough to maintain fury.

Build Name/Class: Exuberant FirebrandRune Name: Rune of ExuberanceGamemode: PvEBuild Link: LINK

I saw that the Superior Rune of Exuberance granted Vitality and also converted Vitality into Healing Power, Precision, and Power and thought that a hybrid support/dps Guardian would be interesting to play with because of Force of Will. Plaguedoctor stats grant Vitality, (to further the effect of the Runes as well as the effect of Force of Will) Condition Damage, and of course the essential support stats of Healing Power and Concentration so I decided to use that stat type for this build. I did not want to farm for Plaguedoctor gear so this is only theoretical as of now, but the runes, gear, and traits all compliment each other quite well!

I found making this build very enjoyable and might make more builds for unused runes in the future!

90% of the runes just need to be deleted. They're all nothing more than bloat.

@Swagg.9236 said:90% of the runes just need to be deleted. They're all nothing more than bloat.

So true

Build Name/Class: Minion MasterRune Name: Rune of the LichGamemode: PvEBuild Link: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNBIhZ6khGopGsrGwbTg9GsMNYTPgLQFI+DeCbhSDgCQAA-jxBEABbpEkm9HYS5nAPAAAOBAtpHgX1fAA-eComments: Maximize minion count. Nomad gear helps cheese really hard open world events by relying on minions to do the dps while you try to survive.

@"lombomon.7268" said:Build Name/Class: Exuberant FirebrandRune Name: Rune of ExuberanceGamemode: PvEBuild Link: LINK

I saw that the Superior Rune of Exuberance granted Vitality and also converted Vitality into Healing Power, Precision, and Power and thought that a hybrid support/dps Guardian would be interesting to play with because of Force of Will. Plaguedoctor stats grant Vitality, (to further the effect of the Runes as well as the effect of Force of Will) Condition Damage, and of course the essential support stats of Healing Power and Concentration so I decided to use that stat type for this build. I did not want to farm for Plaguedoctor gear so this is only theoretical as of now, but the runes, gear, and traits all compliment each other quite well!

I found making this build very enjoyable and might make more builds for unused runes in the future!

I'm always down with a guard healer. The damage will be ok for a support build with its condis.I wonder how the healing will be with this hybrid. Then again, the outgoing healing is 36% with FoW.I was thinking you could take Merciful Intervention over Bow of Truth but that's not really how the build works. If I was going full heals, I'd be running Virtues to share the F2 passive and then MI is a burst heal/rez helper. This build is heal/condi hybrid so you need the BoT to cover what the virtue healing does.I would suggest a Shield over one of the torches as a back-up. M/Sh, A/T perhaps, so you have a damage set and a healing set.Thanks for participating!

@"runeblade.7514" said:Build Name/Class: Minion MasterRune Name: Rune of the LichGamemode: PvEBuild Link: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNBIhZ6khGopGsrGwbTg9GsMNYTPgLQFI+DeCbhSDgCQAA-jxBEABbpEkm9HYS5nAPAAAOBAtpHgX1fAA-eComments: Maximize minion count. Nomad gear helps cheese really hard open world events by relying on minions to do the dps while you try to survive.

A classic. Also, please tell me the Rune/Sigil minions work with the minion traits. I love that it's reaching GW1 numbers of minions.Any particular reason on D/W, Staff? Staff is good for chill, is the main set fast with some CC? I'm looking at the effectiveness of Chilling Victory in particular.(I don't play necro)

Build: Scorching FirebrandRune: BalthazarMode: PvEhttp://gw2skills.net/editor/?vVEQNAr/fnsADNDhNCDeBDkCjF/BLLJUhyQWBgKQda/i2RHpA-jBiAQBX4BAwV1fMryPAcCAgx+DrVJYCOIASVvQAgDgxLeEPY8xHf8xHvtHf8xHf8xHf8xHvUA8ssC-eComments: Condition build for Guardian using Runes of Balthazar coupled with a Sigil of Smoldering and traits to achieve +100% burning duration or +120% when in Tome of Justice

@"Firmus.2509" said:Build: Scorching FirebrandRune: BalthazarMode: PvEhttp://gw2skills.net/editor/?vVEQNAr/fnsADNDhNCDeBDkCjF/BLLJUhyQWBgKQda/i2RHpA-jBiAQBX4BAwV1fMryPAcCAgx+DrVJYCOIASVvQAgDgxLeEPY8xHf8xHvtHf8xHf8xHf8xHvUA8ssC-eComments: Condition build for Guardian using Runes of Balthazar coupled with a Sigil of Smoldering and traits to achieve +100% burning duration or +120% when in Tome of Justice

Condition duration for any condition is actually capped at 100%. The extra 20% from Legendary Lore isn't doing anything. I'd suggest swapping that for Weighty Terms, given how many Mantras you're running.Any reason you're not building with an Axe on swap? A melee option is handy and it has plenty of condi and burn to work with.