+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Rune FAQ|
***************************************
Author: Kulaguy
=================
|Table of Contents|
=================
1. [VH] Version History
2. [IN] Introduction
3. [RB] Rune Basics
4. [SR] Sword Runes
5. [BR] Bow Runes
6. [DR] Dagger Runes
7. [RF] Rune and Mirian Farming
8. [EG] Epic Rune Duplication Glitch
9. [LI] Legal Info
10. [CI] Contact Info
11. [CS] Credits
When searching for a specific section, please use the Control+F function and
type in the shortcuts located next to the section name, including the brackets.
====================
|[VH] Version History|
====================
Version 1.10 (October 7, 2014): Discovered the Epic Rune Duplication glitch,
and that Epic Runes stack.
Version 1.00 (October 4, 2014): FAQ began, completed and submitted to GameFAQs.
To do list
----------
*Complete descriptions of Exclusive Epic Runes once they are released.
*See if there are anymore Epic Runes I have yet to find. Unlikely since I've
farmed dozens of Death Threatened Warchiefs, but I'll still need to find a
confirmation from developers somewhere.
After spending dozens of hours playing Shadow of Mordor, I got into a habit of
farming for the best runes in the game, and since there were no guides I could
find in the internet, I decided to make one. Hope this helps!
What are runes?
---------------
Runes are modifiers for the three weapons in your game: the sword Urfael, the
bow Azkar, and the dagger Acharn. They are picked up as drops from killing the
various Captains and Warchiefs in Mordor on your quest to avenge your family.
Their level is based on the level of the Captain or Warchief you killed, plus
various level modifiers. There are special runes called Epic Runes that have
great abilities that are also different from the normal runes in the game.
Epic Runes do not have levels.
What are the Rune Level Modifiers?
----------------------------------
The level rune you obtain is based on the Captain/Warchief's Level plus these
modifiers.
Vengeance (+1): Killing a Captain/Warchief that had previously killed you.
This is represented with a red upside triangle over the Uruk's head in the
Sauron's Army screen.
Death Threat (+1): By branding any orc, you can have them send Death Threats
to any Captain. By branding a Captain or Warchief, they can send Death Threats
to any other Captain or Warchief. Sending a Death Threat raises that Uruk's
level by 5, and they will have more orcs around them, so they will be a bit
more difficult to kill. You can only send one death threat to each Uruk, so
you can't continuously send them Death Threats to have them quickly reach the
max Uruk level of 20, sadly enough. Also, Death Threats significantly increases
the chance of an Epic Rune being dropped.
War Chief (+2): If you kill a Warchief, the rune they drop is automatically
given a +2 level bonus.
Fear/Hate Exploited (+1): If the Captain/Warchief has a Fear or Hate, exploit
it and the rune will get an extra level boost. Usually the hardest to
achieve since orcs lose Fears/Hates as they level up.
Knowing Weakness (+1): If you Gain Intel on a Captain/Warchief, then you'll
learn their weakness and gain an extra level for the rune they drop.
Do rune effects stack?
----------------------
Normal rune effects stack. Epic Runes also stack, but the only way to get
multiple Epic Runes is to exploit a glitch. You can check your total modifier
by pressing Y on the weapon select screen.
How many Epic Runes are there in the game to be dropped?
--------------------------------------------------------
So not countings Epic Runes gained from outside the game, from what I have
discovered, there are 22 Epic Sword Runes, 9 Epic Bow Runes, and 12 Epic
Dagger Runes. That makes a total of 43 Epic Runes capable of dropping.
What's the max level a rune can be?
-----------------------------------
From what I've seen, the max level is 26. You get this by killing a level 20
Warchief and using the above mentioned modifiers for a bonus six levels.
There is no difference in modifiers between a level 25 and level 26 rune. For
some reason, the level 26 rune acts as a level 25 rune when calculating the
modifier, so a level 25 rune is just as good as a level 26 one. I confirmed
this by collecting a level 26 and level 25 Sylvan Doom Dagger Rune. They
both had a modifier of 35%, so the level 26 rune was pretty much just to show
off that you completed all the bonus level modifiers. Hence the level 25 rune
works just as well.
How do I guarantee that a rune is for a specific weapon?
--------------------------------------------------------
First you must gain intel on that Uruk. If that Uruk has a vulnerability,
exploiting that weakness will guarantee a rune of that type. For Sword Runes,
Combat Vulnerabilities. For Bow Runes, Range Vulnerabilities. For Dagger Runes,
Stealth Vulnerabilities.
What the rune colors mean?
--------------------------
Yellow runes are Epic Runes. White and blue runes are normal runes. I don't
really know what the difference is between the white and blue ones, but it
doesn't seem like there is any.
What's the maximum number of runes I can have?
----------------------------------------------
A total of 120 runes across all three weapons, not including what is already
equipped. So 40-40-40, 60-30-30, etc.
What happens when I reach the max?
----------------------------------
Talion won't pick up the rune if you've reached max inventory. You can convert
runes into Mirian to purches Attribute upgrades for Talion. Epic Runes convert
into 50 Mirian each and normal runes convert into 25 Mirian each, no matter the
level or color. Exclusive Epic Runes cannot be converted into Mirian, so you
don't have to worry about accidentally getting rid of those special pre-order
bonus runes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Blade of Gondolin | Combat finishes recharge the Storm of Urfael at double |
| | the normal rate. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Bones of the Earth | Recover +3 Elf-shot on a Flurry Kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Burning Pitch | 15% Chance to ignite enemies on a Counter Y. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Cold as Stone | Increases stun and knockdown duration on Countered |
| | enemies by 50%. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Dread Visage | 33% Chance to cause an Uruk's head to explode when they|
| | are killed by Wraith Flash or Wraith Burn. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Drive them Back | Countering enemies restores +3 Health. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Elven Grace | 50% Chance to reduce melee damage received by 50%. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Evenstar | Recover full Focus when the Hit Streak becomes charged.|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Foe Hammer | Recover +2 Elf-shot on combat Execution kills. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Glorious Charge | 20% Chance to deal 10x damage on a Shoulder Charge. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Gnawing Fear | Increase the terror caused by Execution Kills. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Hidden Power | Increases duration of Last Chance. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Life for Death | Recover +10 Health on combat Execution kills. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Mighty Rage | Increases the stun and knockdown durations on melee |
| | attacks. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ruination | Increases the Storm of Urfael duration by +10 seconds. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Stand and Fight | Increases all sword damage by 100% when Talion's health|
| | is below 25%. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Storm of Battle | Increases all sword damage by 50%. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| The Bright Host | Recover +1 Elf-shot for each Wraith Flash kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| The End Comes | Uruk's heads will explode on Wraith Blast kills. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| The Undying | Recover all Focus and Elf-shot on any Last Chance |
| | success. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Tower of Defense | Increases Hit Streak Reset Time +10 seconds. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Wrath and Ruin | Increases the sun and knockdown durations on Wraith |
| | Flash. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
|Normal Runes|
------------
The X in the description is defined as the level of the rune. The formulas
were estimated by comparing different levels of the same rune. Level 26 runes
are treated as level 25 runes when calculating the modifier, so a level 25
rune is just as good as a level 26 one.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Betrayer | Increases all weapon damage by (X + 10)% when |
| | hitting an enemy from behind. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Blade Master | (3X + 25)% Chance to recover full Health when Hit |
| | Streak reaches 30. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| For Vengeance | Increases melee damage by (X + 10)% at high Hit |
| | ranges (30+). |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Grim Resolve | (X)% defense versus ranged attacks. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Know No Pain | (X + 10)% Chance to recover +5 Health on any kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Power of the Earth | Recovers (3X + 25)% focus on ground execution. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Quick to Anger | (X + 10)% Chance to recover +5 Health on each |
| | Critical Strike. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Savage Onslaught | Increases melee damage by (X + 10)% at mid Hit |
| | Streak ranges (15 to 29). |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Smite | Recover (3X + 25)% Focus on a Flurry Kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Strength from Courage | Recover (X)% Health on a Flurry Kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------
|Exclusive Epic Runes|
--------------------
You get these Epic Runes from various sources outside of the game.
Flame of Anor
-------------
Description: Sword is ignited after a high enough combo count (exact
description unknown).
How to get: Pre-order bonus from Best Buy, or comes with the Season Pass.
Gravewalker
-----------
Description: Enemies flee after killing Captains (exact description unknown).
How to get: Sign in to the Palantir app (only on iOS) with your WBID.
Orc Slayer
----------
Description: Increased damage from special attacks (exact description unknown).
How to get: Pre-order the game from Steam, or comes with the Season Pass.
Rising Storm
-------------
Description: Unlocks the Storm of Urfael (exact description unknown).
How to get: Pre-order the game from Wal-Mart, or comes with the Season Pass.
==============
|[BR] Bow Runes|
==============
Here is a list of Bow Runes found in the game.
----------
|Epic Runes|
----------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ascendant | Reduces the Focus depletion rate by 50%. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Bow Master | Increases Bow damage by 50%. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Explosive Demise | 20% Chance an area blast will happen around a charged |
| | bow headshot on Uruks or Ghuls. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Fell Handed | A headshot kill recharges the Flame of Azkar at double |
| | the normal rate. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Fire Storm | Adds a powerful blast to Fire Arrow. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Foresight | Increases the bow distract range by 50%. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Knight of Eregion | Recover +1 Elf-shot on Shadow Strike kills. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Stand Fast | Increases all bow damage by 100% when Talion's Health |
| | is below 25%. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Wrath of the Eldar | Increases the duration of the Flame of Azkar by +10 |
| | seconds. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
|Normal Runes|
------------
The X in the description is defined as the level of the rune. The formulas
were estimated by comparing different levels of the same rune. Level 26 runes
are treated as level 25 runes when calculating the modifier, so a level 25
rune is just as good as a level 26 one.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Aura of Dismay | (X + 25)% Chance unaware Uruks near a headshot kill will |
| | flee. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Broken Mind | (X + 25)% Chance to recover +4 Elf-shot on a Drain or |
| | Brand. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Howling Storm | All weapon damage increased by (X + 25)% while riding a |
| | monster. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Keen Eyed | Recover (X + 25)% Focus for killing with the bow from |
| | stealth. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Nature's Wrath | (X + 10)% Chance to recover +2 Elf-shot on any kill while|
| | riding a monster. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Renewed | (X + 25)% Chance to recover +5 Health on bow kills. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| River of Arrows | (X)% Chance to recover one Elf-shot after firing the bow.|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Sylvan Arrow | (X + 25)% Chance to recover +30 Focus for a headshot kill|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Unbreakable Bond | Recover (3X + 25)% Focus after immobilizing an enemy |
| | with the Pin in Place ability. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Will of the West | (X + 25)% Chance to recover +10 Health on a headshot kill|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Wind Rider | Recover (X + 25)% Focus on any Shadow Strike move. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------
|Exclusive Epic Runes|
--------------------
You get these Epic Runes from various sources outside of the game.
Deadly Archer
-------------
Description: Headshots do more damage against Captains (exact description
unknown).
How to get: Pre-order the game from Amazon, or comes with the Season Pass.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Balefire | Recover +2 Elf-shot for a head explosion kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Bane of Mordor | Increases the duration of the Shadow of Acharn by +10 |
| | seconds. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Bright Fury | 10% Chance to stun enemies near a Throwing Dagger or |
| | Brace of Daggers hit. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Fell Voices | Recover all Focus and all Health for killing a Captain |
| | or Warchief. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Forge of War | Recover +4 Elf-shot for each Drain or Brand. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Heart of Mearas | Doubles Elven Swiftness speed burst duration. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Hunter's Instinct | Increases the range of Attract. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Light of the Valar | 15% Chance Uruks, Ghuls, or Caragors can ignite when |
| | hit by Throwing Dagger or Brace of Dagger. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Lure of Power | 33% Chance any enemy near a Stealth Brand target will |
| | also be branded. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Oathbreaker | A stealth kill recharges the Shadow of Acharn at |
| | double the normal rate. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| One With Nature | Immune to Poison. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Spell of Ruin | Recover +1 Elf-shot on Wraith Burn ot Dispatch kills. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
|Normal Runes|
------------
The X in the description is defined as the level of the rune. The formulas
were estimated by comparing different levels of the same rune. Level 26 runes
are treated as level 25 runes when calculating the modifier, so a level 25
rune is just as good as a level 26 one.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Bare as Bones | (X + 25)% Chance to get an automatic Critical Strike on |
| | the first hit in a Hit Streak chain. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Breath of Light | Recover (X + 10)% Health on a stealth kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Chill Soul | (3X + 25)% Chance to recover +50 Focus on a head |
| | explosion kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Choking Horror | (3X + 25)% Chance to terrify more than two Uruks on a |
| | Brutalize kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Favor of the Lady | Recover (X + 10)% Health when completing a Drain or |
| | Brand. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Harbinger of Doom | (3X + 25)% Chance to recover +50 Health for each Drain |
| | from above or Brand from above. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rule Through Fear | Recover (3X + 25)% Focus on a stealth kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Sylvan Doom | (X + 10)% Chance to recover +5 Elf-shot from a |
| | Brutalize kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| To the Death | Recover (3X + 25)% Focus for grab shank kills. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Worm's Tooth | (3X + 25)% Chance to recover +25 Health on a head |
| | explosion kill. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------
|Exclusive Epic Runes|
--------------------
You get these Epic Runes from various sources outside of the game.
Hidden Blade
------------
Description: Deal extra damage with stealth attacks against Captains (exact
description unknown).
How to get: Pre-order bonus from Gamestop or comes with the Season Pass.
Orc Hunter
-----------
Description: Brutalize stealth kills cause additional terror.
How to get: Connect your WBID to the game at the Main Menu.
The Wolf's Head
---------------
Description: Increased knockdown chance on Throwing Daggers or Brace of
Daggers.
How to get: Complete the Guardians of the Flaming Eye Warband Mission from the
Season Pass.
============================
|[RF] Rune and Mirian Farming|
============================
There are two ways to go about this: with or without the Season Pass. If you
have the Season Pass, Rune Farming is extremely faster because of the Challenge
Maps included with it. I believe first run copies came with a free code for
the Test of Power, so generally the same strategy works, but the Uruks in the
Test of Power are at a lower level than the ones in the Test of Wisdom or
Endless Challenge, so it takes a bit more time to get level 25 runes, but
you can still easily farm Epic Runes in it by just sending Death Threats to
all the Warchiefs and killing them.
Branded orcs are also capable of dropping level 25/26 runes, but it is a bit
harder to level them up if you've branded them at a lower level since you
cannot have them repeatedly kill you. Also, you cannot send, for example,
Branded Orc B to challenge Orc A and then kill Orc B because Orc A is already
branded. This is why I recommend to not brand orcs you are trying to farm
level 25/26 runes from.
Any excess runes you get, and you will get a lot using my method, just sell
them for sweet, sweet Mirian to upgrade your Attributes if you haven't done
so already!
Without the Season Pass
-----------------------
So without the season pass, you're stuck with farming orcs in the main
campaign. This might be difficult since you may have orcs you do not wish to
kill, so that's less orcs to exploit, and more time to raise new ones
specifically for rune farming since they join at low levels.
For farming Epic runes, just send death threats to any Warchief you are okay
with killing and then kill them. If you got the code for the Test of Power
Trial that came with all first run new copies of the game, I recommend you do
your Epic Rune farming there instead since it's a different set of orcs that
you can kill countless times. Once you've collected all the Epic runes listed
in this FAQ, you can more easily farm level 25 runes.
Thankfully, level 26 runes still act as level 25 runes, so you can ignore one
of the modifiers for leveling up a rune. I chose the Fear/Hate exploit since it
is a lot more difficult to raise an orc to level 20 and have him keep that
certain Fear/Hate you want to exploit. Orcs have a chance to gain/lose
Strengths/Weaknesses when leveling up, which includes Fears/Hates.
1. Gain Intel on all Uruks. [+1 Rune Level]
1a. Find an Uruk with a Vulnerability you wish to exploit to guarantee
the type of Rune given.
2. Let him kill you to get the Vengeance bonus. [+1 Rune Level]
3. Send him a Death Threat to give him a +5 level boost and get the Death
Threat Bonus. [+1 Rune Level]
4. Raise him to level 20 by helping him in his missions or having him kill you
multiple times. My strategy is usually to brand a Captain I don't care for
and have him attack the Captain I'm raising. Then during the mission, I
Dispatch my branded Captain and the one I'm raising gains a level easily.
5. Make him Warchief. [+2 Rune Levels]
6. Start his mission and then kill him, or kill him with his vulnerability
(if he has one) to guarantee the rune type dropped.
And there you go! A level 25 rune for the taking.
If for some reason you want to farm level 26 runes, I guess for bragging
rights or whatever since they don't have any increase in effect, it's a bit
more difficult, but here's the general strategy:
1. Gain Intel on all Uruks. [+1 Rune Level]
2. Find an Uruk with a Fear or Hate you can easily exploit, hopefully one that
is already at a high level so there's less of a chance he will lose the
specific Fear/Hat you're trying to exploit. [+1 Rune Level]
2a. Find an Uruk with a Vulnerability you wish to exploit to guarantee
the type of Rune given.
3. Let him kill you to get the Vengeance bonus. [+1 Rune Level]
4. Send him a Death Threat to give him a +5 level boost and get the Death
Threat Bonus. [+1 Rune Level]
5. Raise him to level 20 by helping him in his missions or having him kill you
multiple times. My strategy is usually to brand a Captain I don't care for
and have him attack the Captain I'm raising. Then during the mission, I
Dispatch my branded Captain and the one I'm raising gains a level easily.
6. Make him Warchief. [+2 Rune Levels]
7. Start his mission, exploit his Fear/Hate, and then kill him, or kill him
with his vulnerability (if he has one) to guarantee the rune type dropped.
Do those steps and you're guaranteed to get a level 26 rune!
Here's a list of Fears and Hates I've discovered:
Betrayal
Caragors
Fire
Ghuls
Graugs
Gravewalker (Talion)
Morgai Flies
Rival (Specifies a captain/Warchief he's afraid of)
The ones easily exploitable are Fire, Caragors, Gravewalker, and Betrayal,
so try to raise orcs with those traits to easily get the bonus.
With the Season Pass
--------------------
The season pass is great for farming runes because it contains a separate set
of orcs from the main campaign. This way, you don't have to worry about
ruining/killing the orcs you've specifically raised in the main game.
Buying the season pass gives you access to the following four trials:
Test of Speed
Test of Power
Test of Wisdom
Endless Challenge
The first three tests each have a specific set of orcs with a specific set
of strengths and weaknesses that do not change when you replay it. Endless
Challenge on the other hand is randomized orcs every time you play. You can
only play one trial at a time, but progress is saved separately from the main
czampaign. In addition, any runes you did not pick up in any of the trials
remain in their dropped location from game to game, and even appear in the
main game. So you can kill orcs in a trial, and then go back to story mode
to pick up your prizes if you didn't wanna waste time picking them up in the
trial. Reaching the time limit in a trial disqualifies you from the Elite
Leaderboards, but you can still continue playing until you complete the
trial's goal, or start a new trial.
Here are the levels of the orcs in each of the trials.
---------------------------------------------------------
| Trial | Warchief | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
=========================================================
| Test of Speed | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| Test of Power | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Test of Wisdom | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 |
---------------------------------------------------------
So, obviously, if you wish to farm Epic Runes quickly and easily, play the
Test of Speed. Just send Death Threats to each Warchief so that the drop rate
increases. Make sure not to kill too many Captains in this trial or it will
end.
If you want to farm level 25/26 Runes, I recommend you do so after you've
collected all the Epic Runes. This way you can send Death Threats to Warchiefs
to give them a quick level boost and get that +1 level bonus for the Death
Threat. Once you've collected all the Epic Runes, you won't have to worry
about anymore dropping with Death Theatened Warchiefs.
So for farming high level runes, you would want to play either Test of Wisdom
or Endless Challenge. Test of Wisdom has a specific set of orcs, so the Intel
is already done for you. Endless Challenge on the other hand gives you a
random set of orcs every time you play, so you'll have to gain Intel on your
own.
The same general strategy applies.
Thankfully, level 26 runes still act as level 25 runes, so you can ignore one
of the modifiers for leveling up a rune. I chose the Fear/Hate exploit since it
is a lot more difficult to raise an orc to level 20 and have him keep that
certain Fear/Hate you want to exploit. Orcs have a chance to gain/lose
Strengths/Weaknesses when leveling up, which includes Fears/Hates.
1. Gain Intel on all Uruks. [+1 Rune Level]
1a. Find an Uruk with a Vulnerability you wish to exploit to guarantee
the type of Rune given.
2. Let him kill you to get the Vengeance bonus. [+1 Rune Level]
3. Send him a Death Threat to give him a +5 level boost and get the Death
Threat Bonus. [+1 Rune Level]
4. Raise him to level 20 by helping him in his missions or having him kill you
multiple times. My strategy is usually to brand a Captain I don't care for
and have him attack the Captain I'm raising. Then during the mission, I
Dispatch my branded Captain and the one I'm raising gains a level easily.
5. Make him Warchief. [+2 Rune Levels]
6. Start his mission and then kill him, or kill him with his vulnerability
(if he has one) to guarantee the rune type dropped.
And there you go! A level 25 rune for the taking.
If for some reason you want to farm level 26 runes, I guess for bragging
rights or whatever since they don't have any increase in effect, it's a bit
more difficult, but here's the general strategy:
1. Gain Intel on all Uruks. [+1 Rune Level]
2. Find an Uruk with a Fear or Hate you can easily exploit, hopefully one that
is already at a high level so there's less of a chance he will lose the
specific Fear/Hat you're trying to exploit. [+1 Rune Level]
2a. Find an Uruk with a Vulnerability you wish to exploit to guarantee
the type of Rune given.
3. Let him kill you to get the Vengeance bonus. [+1 Rune Level]
4. Send him a Death Threat to give him a +5 level boost and get the Death
Threat Bonus. [+1 Rune Level]
5. Raise him to level 20 by helping him in his missions or having him kill you
multiple times. My strategy is usually to brand a Captain I don't care for
and have him attack the Captain I'm raising. Then during the mission, I
Dispatch my branded Captain and the one I'm raising gains a level easily.
6. Make him Warchief. [+2 Rune Levels]
7. Start his mission, exploit his Fear/Hate, and then kill him, or kill him
with his vulnerability (if he has one) to guarantee the rune type dropped.
Do those steps and you're guaranteed to get a level 26 rune!
Here's a list of Fears and Hates I've discovered:
Betrayal
Caragors
Fire
Ghuls
Graugs
Gravewalker (Talion)
Morgai Flies
Rival (Specifies a captain/Warchief he's afraid of)
The ones easily exploitable are Fire, Caragors, Gravewalker, and Betrayal,
so try to raise orcs with those traits to easily get the bonus.
What is this glitch?
--------------------
This glitch takes advantage of how the game calculates which Epic Rune will
drop when Death Theatened Uruks are killed. As of October 6, 2014, this glitch
was working for me. Hopefully the devs won't patch it out.
How long does it take?
----------------------
I've done it once, and it took me about two to three hours because of setting
everything up. It'll probably go by faster if you are a pro at branding and
initiating captains as bodyguards.
So how do you do it?
--------------------
1. Make sure you have the Dispatch ability.
2. Make sure you have collected ALL 43 possible Epic Rune drops in the game.
3. Have 20 Captains alive. Easily done when playing Test of Wisdom or
Endless Challenge, available with the season pass. You obviously don't need
all of them, but the more Captains you have branded, the greater the chance
you'll duplicate an Epic Rune.
4. Pick a Warchief that you'll brand later.
5. Death Threaten every single Captain and the Warchief you want to brand.
6. Brand that Warchief.
7. Brand all 20 Captains.
8. Command them all to Initiate as a Bodyguard to your branded Warchief.
9. Now that you have all 20 Captains under one Warcheif, summon that Warchief.
10. IMPORTANT!! Find the Epic Rune you want to duplicate and convert it to
Mirian (i.e. delete it). You should now have 42/43 of the droppable Epic
Runes.
11. Dispatch your followers. Now all 20 Captains and that Warchief will die
and drop multiples of that Epic Rune you are missing, hopefully. Death
Threatening increases the odds of dropping an Epic Rune, and having all 20
Captains plus that Warchief branded and Death Threatened maximizes your
chances of each of them dropping that Epic Rune.
12. Congrats! You can do this with other Epic Runes too! But if you wish to do
it again for a certain rune you already duplicated, you'll probably have
to delete all the copies before trying again since the game will note you
already have the rune. Hopefully more copies drop next time. It's all up
to the RNG.
Why does this work?
-------------------
From what I theorize, the way that Dispatch handles Orc kills is the reason
the glitch occurs. Dispatch kills all the orcs at the same time, so the game
calculates the Epic Rune drop based on the rate before they were all killed,
rather than calculating the drop rate after each had died.
For example, you have 42/43 Epic Runes. What happens is that when you use
Dispatch, the game calculates each Epic Rune drop rate for all 21 orcs based
on the fact you have 42/43 Epic Runes, even if any of those Uruks dropped
that last one you needed, because they all died at the exact same time.
What I think should happen is that if Dispatch didn't kill them all at the
exact same time, then it would calculate each drop given that the previous drop
had occurred. This would take into the fact if one of the uruks had already
dropped that last epic rune, and then base all uruk drop rate calculations
after it to be that 43/43 Epic Runes have been collected.
Is there a video of this?
-------------------------
Yes! Go to Youtube, search for my channel "Kulaguy" and do a search for
"Epic Rune Duplication Glitch." It shows proof of the method working, plus
the fact that Epic Rune effects stack.
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