Diablo 4 Season 9’s Best Rune Farming Route is Virtually Unbeatable

Diablo 4 players who have purchased the Vessel of Hatred expansion have access to a game-changing mechanic in the form of Runes. Drawing inspiration from their Diablo 2 incarnation, Diablo 4‘s Runes are a socketable item that can trigger some invaluable buffs when paired strategically. Runes come in two forms: Runes of Ritual, which detail the requirements for activating the effect, and Runes of Invocation, which detail the effect that will occur after the trigger has been activated.

In Season 9, these Runes are more important than ever, since they can make the difference between an endgame build’s success in activities like Infernal Hordes, the Pit of the Artificer, and Escalating Nightmares. However, farming for Runes is not as straightforward as it is for some of Diablo 4‘s other drops. While Runes can drop from just about anywhere, only one source remains consistently reliable in Diablo 4 Season 9.

Diablo 4’s Most Reliable Rune Farming Route in Season 9 Lies in the Kurast Undercity

Using a Tribute of Harmony in the Kurast Undercity Can Maximize the Runes Earned

With Diablo 4 Season 9 putting a renewed emphasis on the importance of Nightmare Dungeons, players are likely finding themselves with numerous Kurast Undercity Tributes. The Tributes are a common reward for completing a Nightmare Dungeon, and Diablo 4‘s Escalating Nightmares tend to offer them in spades. For players looking to farm Runes, stocking up on Tributes of Harmony is ideal since they can drastically increase the number of Runes found by delving into the Undercity dungeon.

• Tribute of Harmony Affixes
  • Rewards Upgrades: Runes
  • Starting Time: 75 Seconds
  • Time Bonus Penalty: -25%
  • Potion Drop Penalty: -30%
• Completing the dungeon with at least Attunement Rank 1 will reward guaranteed Runes.

Although this Rare Tribute is only usable on Diablo 4‘s Torment difficulty tiers, players really won’t find themselves in need of Runes until they reach that point. Offering this Tribute before starting a run of the Undercity allows players to scale the number of guaranteed Runes they will earn, with each Attunement Rank granting a greater number of Runes. It may seem a little convoluted to farm Nightmare Dungeons for Tributes of Harmony only to then use that Tribute to farm the Undercity for Runes, but this route provides the most consistent drop rate for Runes, especially considering how often players will be spending time in Nightmare Dungeons in Season 9 already.

Other Options for Rune Farming Can Be Inconsistent

While running the Kurast Undercity with a Tribute of Harmony is the most reliable way to farm Runes, there are other methods that some Diablo 4 players may find success with as well:

• Lair Bosses
• Helltide Chests
• Tree of Whisper Caches
• Augment Caches

Defeating Diablo 4‘s bosses always has a chance to drop Runes, so farming Lair Bosses in Diablo 4‘s endgame may be a solid strategy for Rune farming since they also offer other beneficial rewards, such as Unique gear. Players who frequently spend time in Helltides can potentially find Runes by opening Helltide Chests, and the same can be said for completing Whispers and earning caches from the Tree of Whispers. Augment Caches can be another fairly consistent source of Runes, but unlocking them for purchase within the Mercenary’s Den requires players to reach tier 8 rapport with Aldkin.

Why Runes Are So Crucial to Diablo 4 Season 9’s Endgame

In addition to providing players with socketable augments for their gear, Runes are also a key ingredient for crafting Diablo 4‘s Mythics. Most Mythics require players to spend 2 Resplendent Sparks along with 6 Magic Runes, 6 Rare Runes, and 6 Legendary Runes. Earning enough Legendary Runes to craft a Mythic is arguably as difficult as getting a Mythic to drop organically, so having a reliable farming route in the Undercity with a Tribute of Harmony is a necessity.

Diablo 4

9/10

Released

June 6, 2023

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language

Engine

Proprietary Engine