League of Legends' Rune Paths Explained Before Upcoming PBE Debut

09/20/2017 07:17 pm EDT

The date for the new League of Legends runes and their corresponding rune paths to be tested on the PBE is quickly approaching, but before that date comes, Riot Games has broken down the specifics of the rune paths.

With a projected release date of "fairly soon," the new runes are going to be staying on the PBE for a longer time than prospective changes typically do since the overhaul is so massive. Expected to be one of the biggest changes in many seasons, players bring six runes with them into each battle that fit into two chosen rune paths, four runes in the primary path and two in the secondary.

Each primary path will contain one of the powerful Keystone Runes that have been previewed over recent weeks as well as three additional runes. A moderate stat bonus also comes from your chosen primary rune path, but the stats that each ones modify haven't been fully revealed yet. The secondary rune path draws from the same set of five rune paths as the primary and allows for two more runes.

The themes and functions as well as Keystone Rune examples of each path have been outlined below by Riot Fearless in the rune page post on the League boards:

Sorcery

• Theme - Harness wild magic to empower your abilities and discover limitless reserves of energy.
• Function - Amp spellcasting and ability power, and find ways to cheat out a few extra casts.
• Examples: Meteor Keystone Recap

Resolve

• Theme - Become an unbreakable behemoth that controls the line of battle.
• Function - Concentrated durability along with ways to leverage that durability into other forms of power.
• Examples: RKT Keystone Recap

Precision

• Theme - Outclass your opponents with overwhelming barrages and deft strikes.
• Function - Augment auto attacks and amplify consistent damage patterns.
• Examples: Berserk Keystone Recap

Domination

• Theme - Hunt your prey and revel in the glory of the kill.
• Function - Track, chase, and execute your targets with mobility and burst damage.
• Examples: Blood Moon Keystone Recap

Inspiration
Not like the others - Inspiration is a Path focused on providing unique options that map to player preferences, not class functionality.

• Theme - Cheat the rules to outwit your enemies.
• Function - Bend the rules of the game to your advantage and capitalize on new options, play patterns, or game knowledge.
• Examples: Summoner Specialist and Hextech Freezray

For an example of the way that picking your rune path will work, you'll probably want to go with Resolve as your primary path if you're a tanky champion. It'll grant you access to some resilient Keystone Runes and a stat increase that likely deals with defenses or health. After that, you'll pick a secondary rune path, perhaps Inspiration to help counter some of your mobility weaknesses or Domination if you're confident in your kill pressure.

The runes and their paths are still heavily work-in-progress, so expect plenty of changes before and during their PBE time while they're tested prior to a widespread release.

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