Diablo 4: All Runewords and How to Use

In Diablo 4, Runewords are powerful combinations of Runes that augment your gear with new abilities and bonuses. Here's everything you need to know about Runewords and how to efficiently use and farm them.

How to Unlock Runewords

You unlock Runewords as part of the Vessel of Hatred expansion during the Madman, Crowned quest. Here's how to unlock and start using them:

Progress in the Main Questline: Once you've reached the point in the quest where you're sent to speak to Ormus in the Council Chambers, you'll unlock the Runewords mechanic.

Speak to Ormus: After speaking with him, you will receive an introduction to the Runewords system, along with an initial set of runes to begin experimenting with.

How to Use Runewords

To craft a Runeword, you need to combine two specific types of Runes:

Rune of Ritual: Often linked to enhancing your character's overall power, defense, or resource generation.

Rune of Invocation: Usually tied to boosting offensive capabilities or adding special effects to your abilities.

Once you have the required runes:

Find Socketed Gear: You need to have an item that has open sockets for Runewords to work. You can use a piece of equipment with one or more sockets.

Socket the Runes: Place one Rune of Ritual and one Rune of Invocation into the available sockets on your gear. The exact placement may vary depending on the Runeword, but for most, you can place them in any order.

Activate the Runeword: Once the runes are socketed, the Runeword will activate and grant you the corresponding bonuses.

How to Get Runewords

Runes are the core components for creating Runewords, and you can obtain them through various methods in the game. Here are the best ways to farm Runes:

Whisper Caches: These guaranteed drops often yield at least one Rune when you complete certain Whisper objectives. They're a great way to get started with Runewords early on.

World Bosses: Defeating World Bosses rewards you with three Runes, making them an excellent source for obtaining a variety of runes.

Strongholds: When you clear a Stronghold for the first time, you'll receive at least one Rune as a reward.

Campaign Bosses: Defeating certain campaign bosses will drop at least one Rune as part of the reward.

Kurast Undercity Runs: Completing Kurast Undercity runs with Rune Tributes will help you farm additional Runes.

Crafting at the Jeweler: You can craft Runes at the Jeweler by combining three of the same type of Rune to generate a random Rune of the same rarity. This is a great way to farm specific Runes that you need to complete a Runeword.

All Runewords in Diablo 4

Here are some examples of Runewords you can unlock in Diablo 4:

Runeword of Firestorm:

Runes: Rune of Ritual (Fire) + Rune of Invocation (Explosion)

Effect: Adds Fire Damage to your attacks and causes explosive damage after every few hits.

Runeword of Shielding:

Runes: Rune of Ritual (Defense) + Rune of Invocation (Protection)

Effect: Increases your defensive stats and grants a temporary shield after every critical hit.

Runeword of Unholy Fury:

Runes: Rune of Ritual (Corruption) + Rune of Invocation (Power)

Effect: Adds Poison Damage and enhances your critical strike chance when attacking poisoned enemies.

Runeword of the Phoenix:

Runes: Rune of Ritual (Revival) + Rune of Invocation (Fire)

Effect: Resurrects you upon death with a burst of Fire damage around you.

Runeword of the Storm:

Runes: Rune of Ritual (Storm) + Rune of Invocation (Chaos)

Effect: Deals Lightning damage and has a chance to cause Chain Lightning on hit.

Tips for Farming Runes Efficiently

Focus on Activities with High Elite Density: Areas like Helltides, Nightmare Dungeons, and Strongholds with Elite enemies have a higher chance of dropping Runes. Consider using Seething Opals to further boost material drop rates.

Use Seething Opals: Seething Opals can increase your material drop rates for Runes. These can be acquired during Realmwalker Events and used to boost your farming efficiency.

Diversify Your Activities: Instead of sticking to one area, vary your activities to ensure you're farming Runes from World Bosses, Strongholds, Whisper Caches, and Nightmare Dungeons to maximize your returns.

Crafting: When in need of a specific Rune, craft them at the Jeweler. This can be a good way to complete your Runewords if you're only missing one or two specific Runes.

Conclusion

Runewords are a powerful new mechanic in Diablo 4, adding more depth and strategy to your build customization. By unlocking them through the Vessel of Hatred expansion and farming Runes from various in-game activities, you can create unique gear combinations that suit your playstyle. Focus on Helltides, Nightmare Dungeons, Strongholds, and World Bosses to farm the necessary Runes, and use Seething Opals to increase your farming efficiency. Combining these techniques will allow you to craft potent Runewords that boost your abilities and make you a stronger force in the game.

When you start combining these Runewords into your gear, you'll notice significant boosts to your abilities, helping you tackle even the toughest challenges. And if you're ever in need of Diablo 4 gold or more Diablo 4 items, just let me know - I've got all the info you need to make your journey even smoother.