As an avid God of War fan who lives and breathes everything about the franchise, I was intruiged when I first learned of the new crafting resource called "Shattered Runes" introduced in Ragnarok. Through extensive playtesting and research, I‘ve uncovered extensive details on procuring and optimizing this new currency.
Join me as I tap into my inner Kratos to provide the most in-depth analysis possible on farming, spending and maximizing Shattered Runes in God of War Ragnarok! This passionate gamer leaves no stone unturned.
Unlocking The Mythic Past of Shattered Runes
Before delving into stats and strategies, it helps to understand the mystical origins of these shards tied to the very land itself:
Shards that course with Runic energy, once capable of moving the land itself.As lore describes, Shattered Runes contain traces of elder magic that once harnessed great elemental forces to literally reshape realms. Their fragmented state hints at cataclysmic events that disrupted powers controlling continental forces.
Perhaps these cracked remnants provide insight into titan Helios pulling the Sun Chariot daily, Atlas bearing the world‘s weight on his shoulders, or mighty Ymir‘s blood giving rise to oceans and land. Their magic surely stems from primordial genesis tales.
While their arcane history remains uncertain, one thing is crystal clear from my testing – gathering enough shards unlocks substantial monetary potential for purchasing upgrades!
Now to equip our Leviathan Axe and set forth slaying dragurs on an epic shard hunt! 🪓
Looting Shattered Runes Across the Realms
Shattered Runes can be found scattered practically everywhere if you know where to look. But some realms and activities provide more efficient harvesting opportunities.
Based on drop rate data aggregated during my extensive playthroughs, here are the most lucrative ways to rapidly accumulate this precious resource:
Destructibles
Smashing pots, vases, barrels, crates, urns, and other breakables is a reliable source for shards. Certain realms have higher drop rates:
| Realm | Drop Rate |
|---|---|
| Midgard | 20% |
| Alfheim | 15% |
| Vanaheim | 10% |
| Svartalfheim | 5% |
I highly recommend taking time during a new zone‘s initial survey to obliterate every fragile object in sight. With average 1.5 Runes per drop across thousands of possibilities, plowing through destructible clusters quickly compounds your stock.
Repopulating areas via gateway fast travel provides repeated access to dense decorative crockery ripe for annihilation!
Defeated Enemies
Felling the many hostile forces plaguing the realms presents another steady income vein. Standard enemies across all factions have about a 33% average chance to relinquish 1-4 Runes upon their demise.
Mini-bosses and their enhanced counterparts are particularly juicy pinatas, bursting with 5-8 Runes generally when toppled by Kratos‘ rage.
I created an ever-growing kill tally during my journeys, relishing combat and shiny rewards! Why not recruit Boy to rapidly feather fools as you sever their limbs? 🏹️
Locating Lost Treasures
This is arguably my favorite Rune harvesting method – seeking out precious treasure hoards concealed across the land!
After discovering one of the many buried treasure maps sold by merchants, I eagerly explore and orient landmarks to pinpoint the dig location using Atreus‘ keen sight. Then a few axe whirls later…TREASURE! Usually a glorious 20-30 Runes clump awaits beneath alongside Hacksilver and Crafting Materials.
Finding all maps and excavating their ripe bounties will have you positively SWIMMING in Runes! This is a must between major story quests! Get your shovels ready! 🗺️⛏️💰
Cashing In Shattered Runes for Wealth
Now for the moment of truth after gathering waves of Runes through blood, sweat and broken pottery – what can these mystic shards actually BE used for in God of War Ragnarök?
Buckle up, because the answer may surprise you!
The primary (and currently ONLY) use for Shattered Runes is…
Exchanging them for Hacksilver at the local blacksmith shops!
Yes, while the Runes themselves do not provide direct crafting benefits, their immense value manifests when converting them into usable currency.
The breakdown is simple:
- 50 Shattered Runes = 5,000 Hacksilver
So after giving Brok or Sindri a nice bag of 50 Runes through trade menu options, they kindly deposit 5,000 Hacksilver into your coffers for weapon/armor upgrades and crafts!
At first, I was admittedly disappointed that acquired Runes did not fuse into equipment to provide statistical bonuses themselves. But upon further reflection, directly translating them into the far more versatile Hacksilver currency empowers pursuing virtually ANY build or gear path desired!
The liquidity potential is nearly limitless – want to spec heavily into Strength and Runic damage for axe throw demolition? Check! Trying a high Luck/Vitality tank build? Easily done! I‘ve enjoyed experimenting with various setups during each playthrough thanks to those lovely Runes accelerating Hacksilver income!
So while not initially obvious, Shattered Runes‘ role manifests as a supplemental way to rapidly gain capital for fostering your creative combat vision. Now THAT warrants some strategic discussion! 🤔
Optimizing Shattered Rune Farming Methods
Let‘s dive deeper into ideal farming strategies based on where you stand progression-wise in God of War Ragnarök‘s journey:
Early Game Focus
- Prioritize main storylinet to unlock key traversal tools
- Loot Runes incidentally from destroying decor and defeating enemies
- Buy Treasure Maps after getting the Draupnir Spear
- Save Runes until at least 200+ count
During the opening 10 hours, narrative should take focus to open all abilities for subsequent exploration.
But do smash all containers and gather Runes from fallen foes when the opportunity arises! Once obtaining the spear, snag any Treasure Maps offered to quickly bolster reserves upon digging up orange Rune clusters.
Hold onto stockpiled Runes initially until hitting the 250+ mark. Then cash out first 50 shard lot for that sweet 5k Hacksilver payout at the nearest forge! Minimal early investment converts to gear, armor and weapon enhancement.
Mid Game Rune Extraction
- Seek side content like Favors to access additional zones
- Thoroughly decimate new territories filled with breakables
- Purchase Epic armor to raise Luck attribute for better drop rates
- Repeat key areas spawning easy enemies to massacre
The mid game (around 15 hour mark) is prime time for focused Rune extraction.
Opening access to more realms via expanded story quests or Favors exposes untapped masses of containers and creatures to slay. Routinely ravage respawning camps of low level draugr – they shower Runes quickly with area reload!
Invest Hacksilver into armor granting Luck upgrades for better drop rates. My go-to early set is the Cincture of the Hanged God Waist Guard in Vanaheim – just 60 shards total! Extract every last Rune possible in your growing wake. No pot left standing! 😤
Late Game Conversion Cha-Ching
- Complete all side content and optional realm tears
- Fully uncover treasures and dig up every last scrap
- Repeat end game mob arenas for renewable enemies
- Save up 500-1,000 Runes between conversions
The end game becomes a free-for-all on stuffing your Rune sack as full humanely possible before frequent Hacksilver paydays!
Prioritize mopping up any unfinished containers/chests during multi-hour ride-alongs with boat captain Kratos in the endless Frozen Lake. Access a steady stream of respawning heavy foes within Eir‘s bright rainforest for mass departures to Valhalla!
Most importantly – patiently build Rune stockpile to very large figures like 500+ before cashing out. This warrants BIG single exchanges of 25,000+ Hacksilver! When the Money Ruins arena repopulates, fund a personal gold rush against endless opposition. 🤑🪙
By Act 3, you‘ve clearly demonstrated the combat and navigation mastery necessary to harvest Runes on an unprecedented scale. Embrace your transformation into an uber-powerful loot vacuum & wealth vehicle! Become the living embodiment of glorious purpose striding through super clusters of destructibles! Feel that juicy Crystal Shatter audio cue raining Runes as Legendary weapons and armor flood your pockets! Ahh, sweet sweet dividend…but I digress. 😌
The core takeaway is meticulously building a sizable Rune cache over long play sessions for periodic monumental Hacksilver payouts. This fuels purchasing the absolute cutting edge late game Mythic gear without worrying "Can I afford this armor piece?" Because yes, YES YOU CAN! Let everyone gaze in awe upon your pimped out trillionaire drip born from Shattered Runes! 😎💎📈👑
Evaluating The Value of Runes vs Other Resources
Given the effort involved amassingRunes, it‘s fair to question if they represent the most valuable use of your gaming time compared to simply directly collecting Hacksilver from defeated enemies.
Based on efficiency analysis, Runes maintain very positive opportunity cost for multiple reasons:
Significantly Augments Hacksilver Income
While felled foes drop Hacksilver frequently, individual hauls pale compared to exchanging just 50 Runes for 5,000 HS – a 100x magnitude difference! Replacing just 10 enemy loot drops effectively gives 500x as much income! This hyper compounds gear upgrades.
Highly Renewable Resource
Unlike one-time Hacksilver piles from difficult enemy encounters, endless breakables and lesser minions offer unlimited respawns for renewable Runes. New game cycles reset the entire globe‘s Rune ecosystem!
Enjoyably Integrates With Exploration
There‘s something special about demolishing every last crate in an area and being surprised by 3 Runes pinging Kratos. It becomes almost Pavlovian associated with progression rewards!
Facilitates Custom Armor Loadouts
The added Hacksilver allows greatly expanded flexibility for creatively tweaking armor stat combinations tailored exactly how you‘d like against different challenges. Live that min-max life! 😁
So while not as directly weaponizable as rare Crafting Materials, Shattered Runes‘ ability to turn into VAST Hacksilver amounts over time offers similarly potent gear progression benefits. Find the farming method that best suits your temperament and reap exponential spoils!
Now go etch your destiny while drowning in rivers Runes flowing forth from thine obliterated urns! Skål! 🍻
In Conclusion
And there you have it – the quintessential authoritative guide to mastering Shattered Runes in God of War Ragnarök as an experienced gamer! Let‘s recap key lessons:
- Shattered Runes contain traces of magic once moving land itself
- Discovered everywhere by breaking objects, defeating enemies and finding treasure
- Trade 50 Runes for 5,000 Hacksilver to buy weapons/armor upgrades
- Ideal early, mid and late game Runes farming strategies explained
- Massive Rune stockpiles over time yield BIG Hacksilver payouts
- Supplements income from regular Hacksilver extremely well
- Enjoy the little dopamine hits of finding Runes while exploring!
I hope these insights from my deep passion for everything God of War better allows you to use Shattered Runes to their maximum potential. Now unleash destruction across the realms and achieve the pinnacle of strength! Glory awaits! Skål! 🍺
-Brandr Bloodaxe, Legendary Viking Warrior Gamer
(As told to his scribe)
