runewords

[aztrozombiez]

i don't get everything about runewords.... i have no experience with it and i'm looking at the rune words index at the arreat summit... so bear with me, I have a few questions. =/

i've never seen 4 or 5 socketed items, and it is in some of the formulas. And i've never seen runes like zod, hex, ber etc. are these only available on ladder or is it just really hard to find them??

and im not exactly sure how to make these items with the runes.. i mean i was reading about it but.. do you just need the item, and then put in the runes or do you craft it in the horadric cube??

i'm sooo lost. =[

[ProfessionalBerg]

Runes Vex+ are called "High Runes" (HR's for short), an are called thus because they cannot drop from Hell Hellforge (Runes from El up to and including Gul can drop from various Hellforges). They are EXTREMELY rare (like, one HR in a few years of playing. I still haven't found one). However, if you play on closed realms, the HR's are heavily duped (made illegal copies of, using hacks and game bugs), and are thus not extremely expensive, like one might think them to be.

Items with 4 or more sockets VERY seldom drop in Normal difficulty (thanks to the low item level). You are bound to encounter some in the later difficulties, though.

To make a runeword:

1. Choose the correct item type. For this, check Arreat summit first (http://battle.net/diablo2exp/items/runewords.shtml). For example, Spirit Runeword (ladder only) can only be made in Shields and Swords. Thus, you cannot make it in, say, a mace. Also, notice the difference between HAMMERS, CLUBS, MACES and SCEPTERS. These often vary from Runeword to Runeword - check on Arreat Summit what each of these item classes includes.

2. Make sure the item is of NORMAL quality - it's name must be white. It can be also Superior, or Cracked/Low Quality etc. But white.

3. Make sure you have enough sockets in the item. For example, you need 4 socket shields and swords to make the Spirit runeword (Ladder only). If you use a 5-socket sword, and use 4 sockets to try and make a runeword, you will fail.

4. Get the correct runes for the runeword. With spirit, it's Tal, Ort, Thul and Amn. Make sure you use THESE runes. One wrong rune, and you've screwed your runeword up.

5. Insert the runes in the CORRECT ORDER. This is extremely important. The order for the Spirit runeword is "Tal+Thul+Ort+Amn". If you put, say, Thul first, and then Tal, you will mess up. Always take note of the correct order for runes!

Example:

Spirit runeword
(Shields and Swords with 4 sockets)
(Tal+Thul+Ort+Amn)

You find a 4-socket normal sword, for example a 4-socket broadsword (it's name should be in gray, actually). Then, you find the 4 runes Tal, Ort, Thul and Amn, and then drop the runes into the sword in the order of Tal -> Thul -> Ord -> Amn. There, you have a Spirit sword!

Two last things:

a) Make sure you don't try to make Ladder Only runewords in Non-Ladder/Single Player. Waste of runes (although if you use the RWM, Runeword Mod, you can make Ladder Only RW's in Singleplayer as well, but not on Non-Ladder).

b) If you need, say, a powerful melee weapon, don't make it in some weird type of item. If you want a "Breath of the Dying" runeword, don't go about making it in some flimsy normal item, better get an elite axe or something (Ethereal 6-socket Berserker Axe here is best).

[aztrozombiez]

wow thanks! that cleared up things for me. =]

one more question. Is a javelin a melee weapon, or a missile? I mean it could be both i guess, but when i looked at the AS, the javelin wasn't listed.

[omgwtfbbqpwned]

All throwing weapons cannot be socketed. This includes javelins, Amazon javelins, and throwing weapons.

So technically, you can't even make a runeword out of them in the first place. :smiley:

[aztrozombiez]

aww. =[ oh well. thanks.

[ProfessionalBerg]

There are plenty powerful Javelins out there, even without the Runewords. Titan's Revenge is the most obvious one - it's Amazon specific, but it has just all the right mods.