What's Runes, Sigils, Relics and Infusions ?

Before we dive into the topic, I just want to take a moment to give a huge, heartfelt thank you to all of you, my amazing readers, who have contributed so much to the growth and progress of my site. Seriously, you guys rock. And hey, if you also subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me there YusKing , I promise I’ll keep bringing you even higher-quality content and more useful tips. So, thank you in advance—you’re the real MVPs!

Alright, let’s get into the game. I just started, so I’m slowly taking on quests, trying to hit level 80, and at the same time, I’m making progress in the main story. Now, if you’re doing the same, that means you’re fresh, brand-new players. And that’s great! If your goal is to complete these early tasks and quests, then you’re on the right path. Keep it up because you’re doing perfectly.

Now, here’s the part where things start getting a little more interesting. Once you hit level 80 and you’re like, “Okay, I want to start diving into PvE content seriously,” that’s when it’s not just about armor and weapon sets anymore. A few additional enhancements come into play, and trust me, they make a huge difference. So, I’m going to explain them one by one in a way that’s easy to follow. You’ll learn what they are, what they do, whether it’s necessary to use them, and if you skip them, what you might be missing out on. Or maybe the game wants you to use a specific rune, but you put on a different one—don’t worry, I’ve got you. I know a lot of questions might pop into your head, but I’m here to break it all down for you. Seriously, I’m glad you’re here reading this.

Runes:

Runes are basically stones that you slot directly into your armor sets. There are over 100 runes in the game, each giving different stats and effects. Don’t worry, I’ll list the ones that are most commonly used at the end of this section so you know what’s popular. These stones are equipped on armor in sets of six. Some boost your power, some increase your critical chance, some give health and toughness, and some offer bonus or different stats. The effect depends on your role: if you’re playing DPS, your damage will increase; if you’re support, your skills become more effective; and if you’re playing as a tank, runes help boost both your health and toughness.

The most popular runes for PvE are:

• Power – Superior Rune of the Scholar

• Precision – Superior Rune of the Thief

• Condition Damage – Superior Rune of the Firebrand, Superior Rune of the Trapper, Superior Rune of Balthazar

• Ferocity – Superior Rune of the Dragonhunter

• Healing – Superior Rune of the Monk

Since I haven’t played as a tank, unfortunately, I can’t tell you which ones tank players prefer. ☹

So, how do you get these runes? Some of them can be bought directly from the Trading Post (TP). Others aren’t sold, so you’ll need to craft them yourself. Keep in mind, to craft runes, you need to have at least a level 400 crafting profession. Don’t worry, I’ll make a fully detailed guide about crafting and professions soon, so stay tuned.

Sigils:

Sigils work on the same principle as runes, but they’re a bit different. You don’t need six of them because they are equipped on weapons instead of armor. Depending on the weapon, you can equip up to four sigils, or sometimes only two. For example, one-handed weapons get one sigil, while two-handed weapons get two different ones. There are over 100 sigils in the game, too. And just a reminder, I’m explaining this for PvE purposes. PvP usage is different, and WvW is also another story.

Most sigils can be purchased, although updates and patches sometimes change them slightly. But what exactly do sigils and runes do? Let’s break it down:

Classic bonuses:

• Stats boosters

• Condition damage enhancers or additional buffs based on the type of condition damage. For example, if your skills deal burning damage, a sigil could increase that burning damage by 10%.

• Some extend the duration of condition effects on targets. Notice the difference? It doesn’t increase raw damage but makes a 10-second effect last 15 seconds.

• Direct power boosters

• Critical damage boosters

• Some give you power stacks as you defeat enemies

• Some activate when you swap weapons

• Some provide special effects like interrupts, or even invisibility when using certain skills on a target

Relics:

Relics are another type of enhancement that boosts your strength and power. Remember the EoD DLC introduced Jade Pots? Those were buffs. The SoT DLC introduced the Relic system, which works similarly to sigils and runes. They really have a noticeable impact, especially if you equip the wrong relic—your damage could drop significantly or even become ineffective. Playing without relics? Same problem applies.

So how do you get relics? While progressing through the story, you’ll receive a few. On SoT maps, some can be purchased from NPCs. Some are unlocked via achievements, and some come from WvW. If you’re heading into raids, fractals, or strikes, make sure your sigils, runes, and relics are appropriate for the content.

Infusions:

Infusions can be applied to armor, weapons, and accessories like back items and rings. Their main function is to give us Agony Resistance (AR). Usually, by slotting +9 infusions into everything, we can reach 150 AR, sometimes even 153, which allows entry into tier 4, level 100 fractals. Yes, you heard that right—AR is only needed for fractals. In fractals, there’s constant area damage, so infusions are necessary to reduce that damage. As you progress, higher-tier fractals require higher-level infusions. They start at +1 and go up to +22 or +23. But just having full +9 Agony infusions is enough to complete all fractal tiers.

Now, those fiery, black-smoke, or blue-glow outfits you see around maps? Those are infusion effects. Regular infusions just provide AR, but some give visual effects and are very expensive—some costing over 10k gold, others around 6–8k. You can get them from meta events. Wear them to shine, or sell them for gold—it’s totally up to you.

And how rare are these drops? Very rare! These items don’t drop constantly for everyone, so their value stays high.

My advice? Run meta events, farm infusions, and get rich while you’re at it. :D

Chak Infusion  8400 Gold 69 Silver 69 Copper Chak Gerent meta event in Tangled Depths.

Queen Bee Infusion  4595 Gold 02 Silver 13 Copper         Vinewrath Chest after Mordrem Vinewrath meta event in The Silverwastes.

Festive Confetti Infusion 6950 Gold 00 Silver 00 Copper Reward from Stop the choya piñata before it gets away! event in Crystal Oasis.

Echo of the Dragonvoid Glob of Dragonvoid Aether 6488 Gold 00 Silver 00 Copper Bounty of Dragon's End — from Dragon's End meta event and other sources.

Bloodstone Infusion Chunk of Pulsing Bloodstone  2149 Gold 00 Silver 00 Copper From Mount Balrior raid challenge mote encounters.

Imperial Everbloom Imperial Everbloom Sprout 3998 Gold 99 Silver 98 Copper From challenge modes of EoD strike missions.

Jotun Infusion   Vial of Cosmic Energies 3885 Gold 00 Silver 00 Copper   From challenge mode of Cosmic Observatory.

Possession Infusion Jar of Dangerous Spirits 3199 Gold 86 Silver 86 Copper From challenge mode of Temple of Febe. Account bound infusion purchased from Nikki the Lost after completing the challenge mote once.

Thanks so much for reading! I really hope this guide helps you and gives you some insight into how to optimize your PvE gameplay. Take care of yourselves, and have fun in-game!