Runes and Soul Cores
Last Updated:January 8, 2025|Changelog
Runes and Soul Cores are key to having a properly geared build. Filling every socket is an important step in your build's progression, but choosing the correct Rune or Soul Core to socket can be daunting. This article covers the basics including typical uses for Runes in the early Campaign, then details the Soul Cores you use in the endgame.
As the early access continues, expect updates to this article as with new information on the best Runes and Soul Cores to use. Pin this post to be notified as soon as something new is added!
Early Game Runes
In Path of Exile 2 you can find items with empty Sockets. Fill these with Runes or Soul Cores to add additional stats to your items. Most Martial Weapon builds have access to 7 Sockets, casters have access to 6 with a Focus and Wand, or if using a Staff only 5 Sockets. It's important to make the correct choice in filling these, because you cannot change your mind afterwards!
- Helmets, Gloves, Boots, One-Handed Martial Weapons, Shields and Foci can have 1 Socket
- Body Armours and Two-Handed Martial Weapons can have 2 Sockets.
Melee builds also have access to an extra 2 Sockets if Dual Wielding with Giant's Blood.
One problem you may encounter is how to get an empty Socket onto Equipment that doesn't have one. Simply take some Gear with Sockets to the Salvage Bench (Unlocked in Act 1). Every Socketed item Salvaged and destroyed at this bench awards an Artificer's Shard, with 10 of them combining into an Artificer's Orb. Use the Artificer's Orb to add an empty Socket to your gear. When using a Vaal Orb to corrupt your items, one of the random Corruption outcomes is an additional Socket on your Socketable items. This ignores the usual limit of Sockets so good luck Corrupting!
Check out our Permanent Stats Guide to make sure you unlock the Salvage Bench and key stats from the Campaign.
The most important Runes to utilize during the campaign are Glacial Rune, Desert Rune and Storm Rune. These basic Runes add a tremendous amount of survival to your build by allowing you to cap your Resistances. Remember that 75% is the cap on Resistances, you lose 10% elemental Resistances with each Act, and monster damage is balanced around this cap once you're into maps!
One last tip for the campaign! If you find yourself with extra Artificer's Orbs or Sockets on your Martial Weapons, feel free to use a few of the Elemental Runes to add some Flat Elemental damage. In Cruel difficulty and onwards the flat Elemental damage is outclassed by an Iron Rune Socketed in a Weapon with good a flat Physical damage mod so check the vendors and keep your eyes out for Weapon upgrades!
Runes
If you'd like some additional help with defences and what Resistances to prioritize during the campaign, check out our Defences guide here.
Endgame Rune Options
Body Armours and Physical Martial Weapons can gain quite a bit from the correct Rune choices! Lucky for you the best choices for these slots are the very same Iron Rune. Most builds use their Body Armour to obtain a ton of their core Defence stat. In the example below, the Body Armour has an extra 40% increased Evasion and Energy Shield from the 2 Socketed Iron Runes. This combined with Spectral Ward and Lead me through Grace… provides a Monk with some much needed Energy Shield and Spirit!
The Iron Rune is just as important on Physical Martial Weapons too, with the ability to add extra increased Physical Damage. This is combined with the other local Physical Damage modifiers and Quality on your Weapon to even more damage to your build.
Most builds want a high Flat Physical damage, and some increased Physical Damage since the damage from these mods combined are larger than their Elemental counterparts, especially on skills that convert Physical Damage.
Soul Cores
Once you are DEEP in the endgame you may begin considering Soul Cores, a much more rare and difficult to obtain version of a Rune. Just like Runes, these can be put into Empty Sockets on gear. But unlike Runes, you do not find these out in the world. You must complete the Trial of Chaos to obtain these valuable rewards, so use them with much consideration! It's recommended to use these on very good pieces of gear and Uniques you don't plan to replace soon.
Many of these Soul Cores can be quite rare and expensive so keep your eyes out when running your Trials of Chaos, you might get a lucky jackpot and score something really good!
Currently a popular use of Soul Cores is to stack Soul Core of Azcapas with Morior Invictus and Mahuxotl's Machination to obtain a ton of Rarity. Some other popular options are Soul Core of Cholotl or Soul Core of Zantipi to reduce Attribute needs for Giant's Blood. Or Soul Core of Zalatl on Archmage builds to stack tons of Mana. Soul Core of Citaqualotl and Soul Core of Tacati are nice for some extra Resistances if needed.
Martial Weapon Critical Hit builds should consider socketing weapons with Soul Core of Ticaba instead of Iron Runes. This is because the +12% Critical Damage Bonus is added to your Base Critical Damage Bonus and is then increased by all your sources of increased Critical Damage Bonus.
Soul Cores
For your specific build and choices, it would be best to check your build guide or ask someone playing your build what they've used. These are choices that are locked in forever, so taking some extra time to think before throwing them in is always a good choice!
Summary
- Utilizing Glacial Rune, Desert Rune and Storm Rune during the campaign for Resistances to make bosses much easier.
- Salvage items with Sockets at the Salvage Bench (unlocked in Act 1) to obtain Artificer's Shard that combine into an Artificer's Orb. Use Artificer's Orbs to add Sockets to your gear.
- Runes and Soul Cores are permanent and cannot be changed after they're socketed, so choose the carefully!
- Iron Runes are great to use on Physical Martial Weapons and Body Armours later in the campaign or endgame.
- Soul Cores are found through completion of the Trial of Chaos, and are a more powerful (and expensive) version of Runes.
- Using a Vaal Orb can bypass the usual Socket limit, adding an additional Socket to your items. Just make sure you choose the "lucky" one from your stash ;)
Written by: Tripolarbear
Content Reviewed by: Cptn Garbage
Language Reviewed by: Tenkiei
