Help me understand Runes...plz - Guild Wars Forums

achill3z · Sep 06, 2005, 12:25 PM // 12:25

Ok, so I went up to the rune trader, and was looking through the runes right? Well, it said for one particular rune, "Increases Marksmanship" or something...but it also said -50 Health....Why would I want to buy this? I don't want -50 Health! Also, what do I apply these to? Armor, weapons?

Akimb0 · Sep 06, 2005, 12:31 PM // 12:31

armour, and +2 to skills comes at a price, use a rune of major vigor to counter this. ( +50 life. ) you can only use one vigor rune however, so unless really rich or lucky, you wont want to use superior runes. ( unless you have a lame build 55 monks 27 necro. )

Kamatsu · Sep 06, 2005, 12:56 PM // 12:56

The reason to buy the major or superior runes is if you want to increase that attribute by 2 or 3 points. This can let you get that attribute quite highe - and this will effect all skills by adding greatly to them. A skill that has ranging values tied to an attribute will give better results from having 16 in that attributre than 12.

The other reason is again to raise attributes up, but to save you attribute points. Say you have 8 in an attribute and want 10.. you can either use 19 attribute points to raise the skill up (which might mean dropping another sttribute down.. which you might not want to do) or buy a major rune, get the +2 to that attribute all at the cost of 50 health. btw, 19 attribute points can gte you 5 in an attribute (assuming it starts at base level).

So basically, apart from the low hp mon/necro builds, people buy and use major/superior runes to either get 15 or 16 in an attribute, or to save attribute points so as to spend them on other attributes other than the attribute the rune raises.

You apply runes to your armor - you can have a max of 5 runes applied. Note that runes of the same attribute don't stack - only the highest positive value will apply while all negative health effects will apply. (ie you have 5 superior Runes of Fire Magic .. you will get +3 to Fire Attribute and -375 health!). Also you can only have 1 rune in each piece of armor, and shield's/focii don't count as "armor" when relating to runes.

morgothstark · Sep 06, 2005, 01:56 PM // 13:56

GW is all about balance

First of all runes goes on armor.
Each class have it's own runes with one exception: Vigor.

Second of all
You cannot receive bonuses in this game without some penelty.
You can get minor rune that will add 1 point to specific attribute and it won't reduce your HP.
Major runes reduce 50 HP but add 2 points to specific attribute
Superior runes reduce 75 HP but add 3 points to specific attribute

To balance this, you can use Vigor rune that increase your HP but even the best Vigor rune will add only 50 HP.

Why would you like to put rune that reduce health?
Example:
If you are a trapper ranger - you are not comming in contact with your foes, and you want to boost the dmg made by your traps, you get superior rune of wilderness survival.
You now have less health, but your foes will never get close to you since they will die from the traps.

Sep 06, 2005, 12:25 PM // 12:25	#1
achill3z Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Sep 2005 Profession: W/Mo	Help me understand Runes...plz Ok, so I went up to the rune trader, and was looking through the runes right? Well, it said for one particular rune, "Increases Marksmanship" or something...but it also said -50 Health....Why would I want to buy this? I don't want -50 Health! Also, what do I apply these to? Armor, weapons?

Sep 06, 2005, 01:56 PM // 13:56	#4
morgothstark Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Israel Guild: Megalodon Riders Profession: W/E	Balance Balance GW is all about balance First of all runes goes on armor. Each class have it's own runes with one exception: Vigor. Second of all You cannot receive bonuses in this game without some penelty. You can get minor rune that will add 1 point to specific attribute and it won't reduce your HP. Major runes reduce 50 HP but add 2 points to specific attribute Superior runes reduce 75 HP but add 3 points to specific attribute To balance this, you can use Vigor rune that increase your HP but even the best Vigor rune will add only 50 HP. Why would you like to put rune that reduce health? Example: If you are a trapper ranger - you are not comming in contact with your foes, and you want to boost the dmg made by your traps, you get superior rune of wilderness survival. You now have less health, but your foes will never get close to you since they will die from the traps.

Sep 06, 2005, 12:31 PM // 12:31	#2
Akimb0 Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Jul 2005 Profession: Rt/N	armour, and +2 to skills comes at a price, use a rune of major vigor to counter this. ( +50 life. ) you can only use one vigor rune however, so unless really rich or lucky, you wont want to use superior runes. ( unless you have a lame build 55 monks 27 necro. )

Sep 06, 2005, 12:56 PM // 12:56	#3
Kamatsu Moderator Join Date: May 2005 Location: Australia	The reason to buy the major or superior runes is if you want to increase that attribute by 2 or 3 points. This can let you get that attribute quite highe - and this will effect all skills by adding greatly to them. A skill that has ranging values tied to an attribute will give better results from having 16 in that attributre than 12. The other reason is again to raise attributes up, but to save you attribute points. Say you have 8 in an attribute and want 10.. you can either use 19 attribute points to raise the skill up (which might mean dropping another sttribute down.. which you might not want to do) or buy a major rune, get the +2 to that attribute all at the cost of 50 health. btw, 19 attribute points can gte you 5 in an attribute (assuming it starts at base level). So basically, apart from the low hp mon/necro builds, people buy and use major/superior runes to either get 15 or 16 in an attribute, or to save attribute points so as to spend them on other attributes other than the attribute the rune raises. You apply runes to your armor - you can have a max of 5 runes applied. Note that runes of the same attribute don't stack - only the highest positive value will apply while all negative health effects will apply. (ie you have 5 superior Runes of Fire Magic .. you will get +3 to Fire Attribute and -375 health!). Also you can only have 1 rune in each piece of armor, and shield's/focii don't count as "armor" when relating to runes.