Besides owning the right Monsters in Summoners War, runes are an essential aspect of success and progression. Many new players and even more experienced ones still make a lot of mistakes when it comes to rune monsters right, what they do, or how to get them.
As of today (May 17th,2020), I have played Summoners War for over 1899 days, so it was exactly for 5,2 years. Over the years, Com2us, the game creator, added a lot more Runes sets and monsters to the game, making it even better.
This guide explains the Rune system of Summoners War in detail, and I will show you the best Rune sets for a lot of monsters later. But enough with the introduction and let us start!
How do runes work in Summoners War?
Runes are items that can be obtained by clearing dungeons, missions, or through the daily login bonus. They get equipped on monsters, to make them much stronger and durable. Depending on the rune set, we can gain an extra bonus effect, like increased Atk.
Each monster has six rune slots, and depending on which sets you to equip, a monster can receive up to three bonus effects. Rune sets like Energy, Guard, or Will only require two runes to activate their effect, instead of four like with Rage, Violent, Fatal, or Despair.
Runes also share a star system like monsters, so we can get 1-6-star runes. Also, they are divided into different tiers, ranging from normal, up to legendary. These can also be powered up by spending mana.
Increasing the level of a rune increases its stats massively, and also shows us which runes have potential, and which ones should be sold immediately.
Rune types in Summoners War:
In version 5.3.4, there are 21 different rune types in the game. Some of them are excellent for beginners, like Fatal, Blade, and Energy, and some are for more end game. However, not all of the 21 sets can be obtained by farming only one dungeon, as you have to be able to farm all three of them (Giants, Dragons, Necropolis) to get all of them.
Here’s a list of which types of runes can be farmed in specific dungeons:
| Giant’s Keep: | Dragon’s Lair: | Necropolis: |
| Despair | Violent | Rage |
| Energy | Focus | Will |
| Fatal | Guard | Nemesis |
| Blade | Endure | Vampire |
| Swift | Shield | Destroy |
| – | Revenge | – |
In dungeons like Hall of Fire/Water/Wind/Light/Dark, Secret Dungeon, Hall of Heroes, Rainbow Garden, or Angel Garden, you can not get any runes.
Each rune set gives us a special bonus if we complete the set (of 2 or 4 pieces), and some of them can be stacked too. For example, to get as much defense as you can, you can rune a monster with x3 Guard. Take a look down below to see what each rune exactly does what they are good for:
| Rune Name: | Required Pieces: | Set Effect: | Acquired: | Description: | What they are good for: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 2 | HP +15% | Garen Forest Giant’s Keep Crafting |
Grants an increase of 15% HP per set (max +45%) | Excellent beginner runes, or to get a lot of HP on a monster |
| Despair | 4 | Stun Rate +25% | Giant’s Keep Crafting |
Allows a monster to stun with a chance of 25% | Great for TOA/H, and PvP content. Works best on monsters that can hit multiple enemies with one attack |
| Fatal | 4 | Attack Power +35% | Mt. Siz Giant’s Keep Crafting |
Grants an increase of 35% ATK based on the monsters ATK | Works fantastic on Bombers, or early damage builds |
| Blade | 2 | Critical Rate +12% | Kabir Ruins Giant’s Keep Crafting |
Increases the Critical Rate 12% per set (max +36%) | Great off-set, especially if you lack critical rate |
| Swift | 4 | Attack Speed +25% | Mt. White Ragon Giant’s Keep Crafting |
Adds extra speed of 25% based on the monsters base spd | Extremely useful for PvP content. Good swift runes are required in higher tiers of Arena and Guild War |
| Violent | 4 | Get Extra Turn +22% | Dragon’s Lair Crafting |
Allows a monster to get an additional turn with a chance of 22% | Probably one of the strongest sets in the game. Works on almost every monster, but better sub-stats are required |
| Focus | 2 | Accuracy +20% | Telain Forest Dragon’s Lair Crafting |
Increases the accuracy stat of a monster by 20% (max +60%) | Great off-set for monsters that need ACC, like Baretta or Verad. But it should be replaced if possible |
| Guard | 2 | Defense +15% | Hydeni Ruins Dragon’s Lair Crafting |
Adds 15% of defense based on the base defense (max +45%) | Great rune type, and works best of DEF monsters. |
| Endure | 2 | Resistance +20% | Tamor Desert Dragon’s Lair Crafting |
Increases the resistance stat of a monster by 20% (max +60%) | Best for supporters and healers, but not quite as good on damage dealers |
| Shield | 2 | Ally Shield 3 turns (15% of HP) | Vrofagus Ruins Dragon’s Lair Crafting |
Creates a shield on all allies, based on the monsters HP (which has this set equipped!) | Great off-set for supporter/healer. Can make dungeon runs much safer |
| Revenge | 2 | Counterattack +15% | Faimon Volcano Dragon’s Lair Crafting |
Enables a monster to counterattack with a chance of 15%, when it gets attacked (max +45%) | Does not work on every monster, but great on monsters that deal a lot of damage with their first skill |
| Rage | 4 | Critical Damage +40% | Necropolis Crafting |
Increases the critical damage by 40% | End-game rune set. Requires much better sub-stats than Fatal, but enables us to deal high damage |
| Will | 2 | Immunity +1 turn | Aiden Forest Necropolis Crafting |
Gives a monster immunity for one turn at the beginning of a fight (max 3 turns) | End-game rune off-set. Also requires better sub-stats, but excellent for PvP content |
| Nemesis | 2 | ATK Gauge +4% (for every 7% HP lost) | Ferun Castle Necropolis Crafting |
Increases the ATK gauge by 4% every 7% HP lost (max 12% with 3 sets) | Good alternative off-set for healers or specific damage dealers |
| Vampire | 4 | Life Drain +35% | Mt. Runar Necropolis Crafting |
Attacks of monsters now leach health based on damage dealt | Fantastic for farmers or specific monsters like Rakan, Ramagos, or Laika |
| Destroy | 2 | 30% of the damage dealt will reduce up to 4% of the enemy’s Max HP | Chiruka Remains Necropolis Crafting |
Destroys enemies HP of the damage dealt | Can be used on a lot of monsters, and works fantastic on monsters like Camilla, or Rina |
| Fight | 2 | Allies’ ATK +8% | Rift Dungeon Crafting |
Increases the Atk of all allies by 8% | Excellent off-set for supporters to improve dungeon times |
| Enhance | 2 | Allies HP +8% | Rift Dungeon Crafting |
Increases the HP of all allies by 8% | Good set for supporters, but not as good as Fight runes |
| Accuracy | 2 | Allies ACC +10% | Rift DungeonCrafting | Increases the Acc of all allies by 8% | Not really needed in PvP or PvE |
| Tolerance | 2 | Allies RES +10% | Rift Dungeon Crafting |
Increases the Res of all allies by 8% | Can be useful for R5 teams, but not really needed for PvP or PvE |
| Determination | 2 | Allies DEF +8% | Rift Dungeon Crafting |
Increases the Def of all allies by 8% | Can be used on units like Imesety to get even more Def |
These are the effects and usages of each rune that we can get from the dungeons. However, there are also a few ones that we can only craft, like Fight or Tolerance runes.
When we want to rune our monsters, we can only equip specific rune types on each slot. The primary slots 2/4/6 are commonly used for HP %/Crt Dmg % /Atk %/Spd, and slots like 1/3/5 can only hold Atk+ /Def +/HP +.
| Slot 1: | Atk |
| Slot 2: | Atk/Atk (%) / Def/Def (%) / HP/HP (%) / Spd |
| Slot 3: | Def |
| Slot 4: | Atk/Atk (%) / Def/Def (% )/ HP/HP (%) / Crit Rate (%) / Crit Dmg (%) |
| Slot 5: | HP |
| Slot 6: | Atk/Atk (%) / Def/Def (%) / HP/HP (%) / Resistance (%) / Accuracy (%) |
In dungeons, we can not only find %-runes but even runes that have flat stats. Most of the time, players sell such flat runes, as they are much weaker than %-runes. However, some players still hold them if they have excellent sub-stats (Spd/Crt Rate/Atk/Crt Dmg).
What are rune sub-stats?
Besides their primary stat, runes also have sub-stats, which we can see listed below the main stat. These stats can range from Atk to Resistance or Accuracy. Getting runes with decent sub-stats can take a long time, depending on how fast you can farm dungeons.
Sub-stats also come with percentages (+6% ATK) or flat-stats like (+256 HP), which have a chance to increase while we level up a rune. Runes can be powered up to level 15, and on level 3/6/9/12, a random sub-stat gets increased.
Besides regular sub-stats, runes can also have in-built prefix stats located right under the main stat. These can not be changed or powered-up, so most players sell runes that have such in-built prefix stats if they are not good enough. Usually, runes with prefix stats also come with a specific title:
| Stat: | Title: | Bonus: |
|---|---|---|
| HP+ | Strong | 52-355 |
| HP% | Tenacious | 1-8% |
| Atk+ | Ferocious | 2-16 |
| Atk% | Powerful | 1-8% |
| Def+ | Sturdy | 2-17 |
| Def% | Durable | 1-8% |
| Spd+ | Quick | 1-6 |
| Crt Rate % | Mortal | 1-7% |
| Crt Dmg % | Cruel | 1-7% |
| Resistance % | Resistant | 1-8% |
| Accuracy % | Intricate | 1-8% |
Optimizing runes:
Luckily, even if a rune is not perfect, there is still some potential. By using Reappraisal Stones, we can reset all the sub-stats randomly on a rune. However, this will remove all the existing sub-stats, and you can not turn it back. But this enables us to collect even worse 6-star runes, to reset them later on.
If you get a decent rune from the dungeons, you can improve or change its sub-stats by using Grindstones and Enchanted Gems. These can only be found in the Rift of Worlds as a reward drop by defeating the boss.
With Grindstones, you can significantly enhance one sub-stat to increase its number, depending on the grade of the used Grindstone. However, only the main stats like Atk/Def/HP/Spd can be enhanced with Grindstones.
On the other hand, Enchanted Gems are used to change one sub-stat, into another one. The new sub-stat will depend on the Gem itself, so it can take a while to get the stat you want. Also, a rune has to be at least on level 12, to change its sub-stats.
Which runes to craft in Summoners War?
To craft runes in Summoners War, go to the main screen, and click on the Crafting Shop. In the shop, we can select from four different rune rarities, ranging from low to high. If you want to craft runes, I only recommend focusing on the main sets Swift, Violent, Vampire, and Rage. These sets can help you to progress in the game, and you can easily fill up the other empty slots.
Later in the game, you should also craft Fight runes to improve your dungeon times.
Cost of upgrading runes:
As already mentioned, runes can be powered-up, to increase their main-, and sub-stats. Increasing the level of a 1-Star rune is much cheaper than upgrading a 6-Star legendary rune, but they still share the same success rate.
Take a look at the table below, to see the cost of powering-up a rune. But this is not the final cost to max out a rune, as we can spend (potentially) millions of mana to reach level 15.
| Rune Level: | 1-Star Runes | 2-Star Runes | 3-Star Runes | 4-Star Runes | 5-Star Runes | 6-Star Runes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 150 | 225 | 330 | 500 | 750 |
| 2 | 175 | 300 | 475 | 680 | 950 | 1,475 |
| 3 | 250 | 450 | 725 | 1,030 | 1,400 | 2,200 |
| 4 | 400 | 700 | 1,075 | 1,480 | 1,925 | 3,050 |
| 5 | 550 | 950 | 1,425 | 1,930 | 2,450 | 3,900 |
| 6 | 775 | 1,275 | 1,875 | 2,455 | 3,175 | 4,875 |
| 7 | 1,000 | 1,600 | 2,325 | 2,980 | 3,900 | 5,850 |
| 8 | 1,300 | 2,025 | 2,850 | 3,680 | 4,750 | 6,975 |
| 9 | 1,600 | 2,450 | 3,375 | 4,380 | 5,600 | 8,100 |
| 10 | 2,000 | 3,000 | 4,075 | 5,205 | 6,600 | 9,350 |
| 11 | 2,400 | 3,550 | 4,775 | 6,030 | 7,600 | 10,600 |
| 12 | 2,925 | 4,225 | 5,600 | 6,980 | 8,850 | 11,975 |
| 13 | 3,450 | 4,900 | 6,425 | 7,930 | 10,100 | 13,350 |
| 14 | 4,100 | 5,700 | 7,375 | 9,130 | 11,600 | 14,850 |
| 15 | 4,750 | 6,500 | 8,325 | 10,330 | 13,100 | 16,350 |
Rune recommendations for Monsters:
To give you a small insight on how monsters can be runes, I took 12 popular monsters of each attribute (4-Stars or higher), and give you two rune builds. One is an early game build that is suitable for accounts without high-end runes. On the other hand, there is also an end-game build, to get the most out of a monster.
Please note that you will have to grind a lot to get even one decent rune build. Most of the top players in Summoners War spend a lot of money every month to get better runes and new monsters. Check out this article if you want to read more about the P2W aspect of Summoners War.
Fire Monsters:
| Monster: | Early-Set: | Late Game Set: |
|---|---|---|
| Hwa (Rakshasa) | Swift/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Violent/Blade (or Focus) Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Harmonia (Harp Magician) | Swift/Energy (or Endure) Spd/HP/HP (or Def) |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP (or Def) |
| Shaina (Charkam Dancer) | Fatal/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Violent/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Raoq (Inugami) | Fatal/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Violent/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Verdehile (Vampire) | Swift/Blade (or Revenge) Spd/Cri Rate/Hp (or Atk) |
Violent/Revenge Spd/Cri Dmg/Hp (or Atk) |
| Baretta (Sylph) | Despair/Focus (or Energy) Spd/Hp/HP (or Def/Acc) |
Despair/Focus (or Energy) Spd/Hp/HP (or Def/Acc) |
| Daphnis (Fairy King) | Fatal/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Rage/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Vanessa (Valkyrja) | Swift/Endure (or Energy/Guard) Spd/HP/HP (or Def) |
Violent/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/HP |
| Perna (Phoenix) | Fatal/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Violent/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Velajuel (Archangel) | Swift/Guard (or Energy/Endure) Spd/HP/Def |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/Def |
| Rakan (Chimera) | Swift/Blade Spd/HP/Atk |
Vampire/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/HP |
| Masha (Beast Rider) | Swift/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Swift/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Water Monsters:
| Monster: | Early-Set: | Late Game Set: |
|---|---|---|
| Galleon (Pirate Captain) | Swift/Focus Spd/Hp/Acc |
Violent/Will (or Fight) Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Xiao Lin (Kung Fu Girl) | Fatal/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Vampire/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Lapis (Magic Knight) | Fatal/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Vampire/Revenge Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Sabrina (Boomerang Warrior) | Fatal/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Violent/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Talia (Chakram Dancer) | Fatal/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Violent/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Tyron (Sylph) | Swift/Focus Spd/Hp/Acc |
Despair/Focus Spd/HP/HP |
| Theomars (Ifrit) | Fatal/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Violent/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Verad (Dragon) | Swift/Guard Spd/Def/HP (or Def) |
Violent/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/Def |
| Bastet (Desert Queen) | Swift/Focus Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Sigmarus (Phoenix) | Fatal/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Rage/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Mo Long (Panda Warrior) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/(Vampire)/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
| Bolverk (Lightning Emperor) | Swift/Shield Spd/HP/HP |
Shield/Will/Focus Spd/HP/HP |
Wind Monsters:
| Monster: | Early-Set: | Late Game Set: |
|---|---|---|
| Chasun (Sky Dancer) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP (or Def) |
Violent/Energy Spd/HP/HP (or Def) |
| Lushen (Joker) | Fatal/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Rage/Will Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Skogul (Giant Warrior) | Energy/Energy/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will HP/HP/HP |
| Briand (Death Knight) | Swift/Endure Spd/HP/HP |
Despair/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
| Triana (Harp Magician) | Swift/Endure (or Energy/Guard) | Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Hraesvelg (Barbaric King) | Swift/Blade Spd/Atk/HP |
Violent/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Hp |
| Seara (Oracle) | Fatal/Focus Spd/Atk/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/Atk/HP |
| Feng Yan (Panda Warrior) | Swift/Guard Spd/Def/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/Def/Def |
| Ritesh (Beast Monk) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/HP |
| Taranys (Druid) | Swift/Guard Spd/HP/HP (or Def) |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Hathor (Desert Queen) | Swift/Focus Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Ethna (Hell Lady) | Swift/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Despair/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/HP |
Light Monsters:
| Monster: | Early-Set: | Late Game Set: |
|---|---|---|
| Halphas (Lich) | Energy/Energy/Endure HP/HP/HP |
Energy/Energy/Will HP/HP/HP |
| Molly (Mermaid) | Swift/Guard Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Hwadam (Taoist) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Iona (Epicon Priest) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Armana (Anubis) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Illianna (Neostone Agent) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Akroma (Valkyrja) | Swift/Guard Spd/Atk/HP |
Vampire/Guard Spd/Cri Dmg/HP |
| Tian Lang (Panda Warrior) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Jeanne (Paladin) | Swift/Endure (or Energy) Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Elsharion (Ifrit) | Swift/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Violent/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Artamiel (Archangel) | Swift/Guard Spd/HP/Def |
Despair/Will Spd/Def/Def |
| Jager (Dragon Knight) | Fatal/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Vampire/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/HP |
Dark Monsters:
| Monster: | Early-Set: | Late Game Set: |
|---|---|---|
| Grego (Lich) | Fatal/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Violent/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Icares (Sylphid) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Frigate (Pirate Captain) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Isabelle (Assassin) | Fatal/Blade Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Rage/Will Atk/Cri Dmg/Atk |
| Trasar (Giant Warrior) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Betta (Mermaid) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Ragdoll (Dragon Knight) | Swift/Blade Spd/Atk/HP |
Vampire/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/HP |
| Giana (Oracle) | Swift/Focus Spd/HP/Atk |
Violent/Will Spd/Atk/HP |
| Vivachel (Harp Magician) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
| Zeratu (Chimera) | Swift/Blade Spd/Cri Dmg/Atk |
Violent/Will Spd/Cri Dmg/HP |
| Veromos (Ifrit) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
| Nephthys (Desert Queen) | Swift/Energy Spd/HP/HP |
Violent/Will Spd/HP/HP |
FAQs
How important are runes in Summoners War?
Runes are essential for success and progression in Summoners War. They significantly enhance the stats of your monsters and provide various bonus effects. Having well-optimized runes can make a huge difference in battles and help you tackle tougher content.
Where can I obtain runes?
Runes can be obtained by clearing dungeons, missions, or through daily login bonuses. Each dungeon (Giants, Dragons, and Necropolis) drops specific sets of runes. You can also craft runes in the Crafting Shop using various materials.
What are some recommended rune sets for beginners?
For beginners, some recommended rune sets include Energy (for increased HP), Fatal (for increased attack power), and Swift (for increased attack speed). These sets are easily accessible and can provide a significant boost to your early-game monsters.
How should I prioritize upgrading runes?
Prioritize upgrading your 2/4/6 slots with main stats that are most beneficial for your monsters. Slot 2 is typically used for speed or attack, slot 4 for crit rate or crit damage, and slot 6 for HP, defense, or attack. Sub-stats should also be considered, focusing on increasing relevant stats for your monster’s role.
How can I level up my runes faster?
To level up runes faster, focus on farming dungeons that drop the desired rune sets. Giants, Dragons, and Necropolis dungeons are essential for obtaining different rune sets. Ensure your team is strong enough to efficiently clear these dungeons to increase your chances of getting better runes.
Are flat sub-stats on runes useful?
Flat sub-stats, such as flat HP or flat attack, are generally considered less desirable compared to percentage-based sub-stats. However, if a rune with flat sub-stats has excellent additional sub-stats, it can still be valuable, especially early on when optimizing runes is more challenging.
What are some recommended rune sets for late-game players?
For late-game players, some recommended rune sets include Violent (for additional turns), Will (for immunity), and Rage (for increased critical damage). These sets require better sub-stats and are more suitable for advanced strategies and PvP content.
