Path of Exile 2: How Runeforging and Runic Ward Defensive Gear Works

Patch 0.5 for Path of Exile 2 added the ability to apply a Runic Ward to your defensive gear, which means it’s important to know how Runeforging works.

Essentially, this allows you to have more ways to mitigate damage. It has no penalty either, until you get to item level 55 and beyond! So, it’s great for helping new players survive the early stages of the campaign.

In this guide, I’ll tell you how to unlock and use Runeforging and the Runic Ward.

Unlocking Runeforging and Runic Ward

Meeting with Farrow

To unlock Runeforging, you’ll need to start the “Runeseeker” quest. You can start it by talking to Farrow at Clearfell in Act 1. He’s the NPC shown above.

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To encounter Farrow, you’ll first need to find and interact with a Ezomyte Remnant. These runic stones, like the one shown above, allow you to select various Runeshape Combinations.

Each one of these Runeshape Combinations gives you a different reward, which is listed next to the combination. The more Runeshapes the combination uses, the better the reward will be. But that also means a tougher challenge!

The moment you select your Runeshape Combination, groups of foes will spawn around the Ezomyte Remnant. Again, longer combinations mean stronger foes. Defeat them all to clear the encounter and get your chosen rewards.

The first time you do this, Farrow will be near the Ezomyte Remnant. Talk to him and complete the Ezomyte Remnant encounter. Farrow will then move to the Clearfell Encampment. That’s the first step done!

Enter the Runic Vault

Next, talk to Farrow at the Clearfell Encampment. He will introduce you to two things: a currency known as Verisium and the new Verisium Anvil feature.

However, you can’t do much with these things currently. Instead, you’ll need to find 3 different sets of Runestones in Act 1. They look like the example above, and here are all of their locations in Act 1:

• The Grim Tangle
• Hunting Grounds
• Oghan Farmlands

Note that, just in case, Farrow will also show up to let you know where you’re in a location with Runestones. How thoughtful of him, right?

Once you’ve checked out all 3 Runestones, Farrow will tell you about the Lost Catacombs near The Grelwood. You simply need to follow him to the spot he tells you about to enter the Lost Catacombs.

Go through the Lost Catacombs and you’ll reach a Runic Vault with Liquid Verisium. Farrow will appear once again, talk to him to finish this part of the quest.

Now, with all of that done, talk to Farrow at the Clearfell Encampment once again. This time, he will give you access to the Verisium Anvil. This allows you to use Verisium for Runeforging your defensive gear.

Do note, Farrow will also give you quests to find Runestones in later Acts. I recommend doing them to get more Verisium and unlock more features and Runeshape Combinations, but they aren’t required to unlock Runeforging itself.

Applying Runic Ward to Defensive Gear

To make use of the Verisium Anvil, talk to Farrow and choose to start Runeforging. You can still find Farrow at the Clearfell Encampment early on, but he should also appear in later Acts’ hubs.

Now you can drag any defensive gear (meaning not weapons or jewels) into the Runeforging window. This will tell you how much Verisium you need for Runeforging and will give you a preview of the changes.

Do note that gear above item level 55 will lose some of its defensive properties when you apply Runic Ward. For example, they will lose Evasion or Energy Shield to gain the Runic Ward. You can preview this before confirming, so weigh the pros and cons carefully.

You’ll also need regular Verisium for non-Unique gear, while Unique gear will require the much-rarer Exceptional Verisium.

Anyway, the main thing Runeforging does is add the new Runic Ward mechanic to the equipment. This acts as a sort of final defensive barrier for you. It’ll appear as a rune-shaped gauge on top of your Health, as shown above.

The primary purpose of the Runic Ward is to serve as a last line of defense. It’ll protect you from death when your Health and Energy Shield are low. Additionally, it can be spent to use Kalguuran skills.

So, there you have it! That’s all you need to know about how Runeforging and the Runic Ward system for defensive gear works in Path of Exile 2. Make use of it to protect yourself and gain access to powerful skills.