Legendary Runes are the second currency on the upgrade screen in Enshrouded 1.0. You need them on top of ordinary Runes for the last upgrade levels of legendary gear.
Quick answer: Kill bosses. The Fell Wispwyvern and Fell Dragon Youngling drop 12-16 each and Vorgoth drops 25-35. After you pick up your first one, trade 25 Runes for 1 at the Blacksmith.
What Legendary Runes are used for
Legendary Runes are a Legendary-rarity item, and the game spells out what they do in the item text:
“Legendary runes are infused with an immense amount of magical energy. These rare and powerful artifacts are required to enhance legendary weapons, shields, armors and rings, unlocking their full potential.”
Spending them is permanent. The item text continues with “Once used, legendary runes become an integral part of the imbued equipment and cannot be recovered. Choose wisely, for the power they bestow is both extraordinary and irreplaceable.” The quest Salvage And Enhance adds the other half of the rule: “Legendary and rare weapons require Legendary Runes.”
They don’t show up on every level, though. On a Legendary weapon, ordinary Runes cover the early levels and Legendary Runes join the cost only on the last ones. The Dragon Sword, a Legendary One-Handed Sword at Level 16/21, shows how that plays out on the Item Upgrades tab at the Blacksmith, Oswald Anders.
| Dragon Sword level | Cost | Damage | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 17 | 200 Runes | 34 to 38.5 | +3.5 Cutting Damage |
| Level 20 | 200 Runes + 25 Legendary Runes | 34 to 52 | +1 Renewal |
| Level 21 | 200 Runes + 25 Legendary Runes | 34 to 53.3 | +5% Critical Strike Chance |
Level 20 carries a Blacksmith label under its cost. Its Renewal bonus reads “Defeat an enemy to restore Durability”, and the level is marked “Requires Previous Level”, so you have to buy the levels in order.
Fenrig’s Axe, a Rare One-Handed Axe at Level 6/9, costs 89 Runes each for Level 7 and Level 8, with no Legendary Runes. Level 8 raises Damage from 19 to 24.2 and adds +4% Critical Strike Chance.
Which crafter upgrades your gear
Upgrades happen at three different craftspeople, split by class:
- Blacksmith: Warrior equipment, One-Handed Axe, Club and Sword, Two-Handed Axe, Club, Hammer and Greatsword, Tools and Construction Tools
- Hunter: Ranger gear, plus bows and daggers
- Alchemist: Mage gear, plus staffs and wands
The Blacksmith’s Item Upgrades tab opens on the list of categories it can upgrade.
Bosses that drop Legendary Runes
Every boss in the Flame order drops Legendary Runes on every kill. Counts are per kill.
| Boss (Flame order) | Region | Trophy upgrades Flame | Legendary Runes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Scavenger Matron | Springlands | Level 2 to 3 | 4-8 |
| 2. Fell Wispwyvern | Revelwood | Level 3 to 4 | 12-16 |
| 3. Fell Monstrosity | Nomad Highlands | Level 4 to 5 | 4-8 |
| 4. Fell Sicklescythe | Kindlewastes | Level 5 to 6 | 4-8 |
| 5. Fell Cyclops | Albaneve Summits | Level 6 to 7 | 4-8 |
| 6. Fell Dragon Youngling | Albaneve Summits | Level 7 to 8 | 12-16 |
| 7. Hydrak’Dal | Veilwater Basin | Level 8 to 9 | 4-8 |
| 8. Vorgoth, the Wanderer’s Vessel | Cinder’s Cradle | Level 10 to 11 | 25-35 |
For sheer drop totals, three bosses lead the way. Vorgoth, the last boss in the Flame order at Cinder’s Cradle, drops 25-35, enough for at least one 25-Rune upgrade level with each kill. In Revelwood, the Fell Wispwyvern is the order’s second boss and yields 12-16, or about half a Legendary level per defeat. The Fell Dragon Youngling in the Albaneve Summits has an equal drop range of 12-16.
Every boss is marked on the interactive Enshrouded map:
Other enemies that drop Legendary Runes
These enemies drop 4-8 Legendary Runes on every kill:
- Scavenger Grizzler Matron and Scavenger Tyrant
- Fell Critter Queen and Fell Crimson Critter Queen
- Ancient S.P.D.R. Construct
- Cyclops and Hollow Cyclops
- Hollow Wispwyvern
- Vukah Brawler
A larger group only has a chance to drop them. When they do, the count depends on the enemy:
| Enemies (chance drop) | Legendary Runes when dropped |
|---|---|
| Fell Thunderbrute, Armored Fell Thunderbrute, Fell Striker, Hollow Titan | 4-8 |
| Fell Banshee, Fell Shackled Banshee, Drak’Dal Chieftain, Hollow Reaper, Shroud Stalker | 3-6 |
| Vukah Bonebreaker, Vukah Bonehunter, Vukah Ranger | 3-6 |
| Scavenger Butcher, Scavenger Miner, Scavenger Pyreblade, Scavenger Scab, Scavenger Scalper, Scavenger Scrapshield | 3-6 |
| Fell Marksman, Fell Scout, Fell Sentinel | 1-3 or 3-6 |
| Fell Defender, Fell Lancer, Fell Squire | 1 |
Trading Runes for Legendary Runes at the Blacksmith
The Blacksmith has a recipe called Legendary Runes that turns 25 Runes into 1 Legendary Runes. The recipe unlocks once you know Legendary Runes, which means your first ones have to come from a drop. Kill any boss from the table above, pick up the Legendary Runes, and the recipe becomes available at the Blacksmith.
The trade is expensive. A single Legendary level that asks for 25 Legendary Runes works out to 625 Runes through the Blacksmith, on top of the level’s normal Runes cost.
Salvaging weapons, shields, armors, or rings returns Runes, but not Legendary Runes. After you spend Legendary Runes on a gear piece, you can never get them back.
That makes salvaging your main source of Runes for the trade, while boss kills, especially Vorgoth, the Fell Wispwyvern and the Fell Dragon Youngling, remain the cheaper way to fill the last upgrade levels on a Legendary weapon.
To spend them, follow how to upgrade weapons at the Blacksmith; to pick the weapon worth them, see the best weapons by Flame level.
