With the release of New World: Aeternum and its continued meta-evolution, the addition of Rune Gr eaves has significantly changed the mobility of tanks and warriors on the battlefield. These heavy boots not only provide attribute bonuses, but also bring a unique tactical advantage: after using the Heart Talisman, your speed will be explosively increased. This guide will take a deep dive into the full potential of Rune Greaves, including how to use it, how to obtain it, the best match, and strategy in PvP in the dungeon.
What Are Runic Greaves?
The Runic Greaves are a pair of heavy boots imbued with a powerful glyph system that provides mobility to an otherwise slow-moving role. Built for tanks and bruisers, they offer a temporary burst of movement speed after activating a Heartrune — a unique mechanic tied to the game's new ultimate abilities.
Expeditious Effect
Trait: Expeditious
Effect: Activating a Heartrune grants +33% Move Speed for 7 seconds
Gem Slot: Yes, fully socketable
Source: Burnable through the PvP Reward Track
This makes the boots an ideal choice for bruiser-style Great Axe/War Hammer users, heavy spear-wielders, or tank builds that need a window to reposition, chase, or disengage.
How to Get Runic Greaves
The Runic Greaves are exclusive to the PvP Reward Track, making them a piece of gear that must be earned through active PvP participation.
Steps to Obtain:
Engage in PvP activities:
PvP Arenas
Outpost Rush
War
Open-world PvP with PvP Flag enabled
Influence Races and Territory Control Fights
Gain PvP XP and Azoth Salt to fill your PvP Reward Track.
Completing challenges and objectives increases your track progression.
Once you reach the appropriate tier, Runic Greaves will appear as a claimable reward — either as a selectable item or a reward chest.
Track Rotation:Gear on the reward track rotates periodically. If you don't see the Runic Greaves, keep progressing — they will eventually return to the claim pool.
Best Builds for Runic Greaves
1. Great Axe / War Hammer Bruiser
Role: AoE damage, CC frontline
Gear: Heavy Armor (Runic Greaves), Resilient + Freedom + Shirking Fort
Heartrune: Brutal Heartrune of Stoneform or Detonating
Playstyle:
Use Gravity Well or Maelstrom to engage
Pop Stoneform for CC immunity and instantly gain 33% speed
Charge into clusters or peel for backline
The Runic Greaves help this build close the gap without needing to rely on Charge or boots with Refreshing Evasion.
2. Sword and Shield / Greatsword Tank
Role: Point-holding, taunt bot, team anchor
Gear: Full Heavy, Block-centric
Heartrune: Cunning Heartrune of Stoneform or Grasping Vines
Playstyle:
Engage with Shield Rush or Leaping Strike
Activate Heartrune and reposition to support team
Use speed to body block or cut off rotations
This build benefits from the boots by making tanking more dynamic. You're no longer a static wall — you're a mobile frontline disrupter.
3. Spear / Greatsword Skirmisher Bruiser
Role: Anti-dive, 1vX specialist
Gear: Medium or Heavy (Runic Greaves still useful)
Heartrune: Cunning Grasping Vines or Brutal Detonate
Playstyle:
Stick to backline divers
Use speed boost to chase or disengage
Combine mobility with Bleed pressure and stagger loops
This hybrid bruiser build uses the Greaves to maintain tempo and dominance in melee duels or isolate key targets in a brawl.
Tips for Using Runic Greaves Effectively
1. Time Your Heartrune Smartly
Don't use your Heartrune immediately in combat unless the mobility is essential. Saving it for the mobility window can be game-changing.
For example, popping Stoneform just for the speed boost and cleanse can be better than saving it as a panic button.
2. Sync With Team Pushes
If your team is about to push a capture point or rotate in Outpost Rush, your burst of speed can help you reach the front before enemies get into position.
3. Pair With Freedom and Shirking Fortification
The burst speed works well with Freedom, reducing crowd control duration and letting you take full advantage of your brief mobility window.
Shirking Fortification helps offset any defense loss if you're leaving a position to chase or disengage.
PvP Mode Synergy: Where Runic Greaves Shine Most
Outpost Rush:
Great for dynamic 15v15 combat.
Use the speed to get to Baroness before the enemy.
Chase down players with Brute buffs who are trying to retreat.
Arenas:
In small 3v3 matches, every movement matters.
Use the burst to rotate angles, avoid pressure, or surprise a flank.
Wars and Influence Races:
Runic Greaves are massive in influence zerg fights, letting you disengage from big clumps or catch squishy players trying to flee.
Gem Slot Suggestions
Runic Greaves come with a slotable gem socket. Here are the best gems depending on your role:
Tanks: Onyx (Physical Resist) or Malachite (Hybrid Resist)
Bruisers: Opal (for conditional increased damage on dodge or low stamina)
Void Gauntlet Off-tanks: Amethyst (Void Damage boost)
Always tailor your gem choice to the comp you're facing — full Dex comps (bows/muskets) may require different resistance gems than fire-staff heavy groups.
Final Thoughts
Rune Greaves are one of the most revolutionary PvP equipment in New World: Aeternum. Whether you are locking down control points in War Mode or fighting in an outpost assault, adding Rune Greaves to your equipment can give you an extra advantage! If you want to get Rune Greaves quickly, you can buy New World Coins through MMOEXP, improve your combat power, and quickly complete tasks to redeem them! Happy adventure!
MMOexp New World Team