Runestone Shards are Hytale’s rune fragments: the only material used to craft the 15 runes added in Update 7 (version 0.7). They drop from specific enemies in the goblin breaches and The Deepworks, never from chests in the normal world. Here you’ll find which enemies drop them and how many each one gives, how to farm them without wasting time, how many you need to get every rune (22) and which workbench crafts them.
Names are given in English, as they appear in the game. For what each rune does and how to combine them, check out our Hytale runes guide.
What Runestone Shards are
Runestone Shards are a Rare-quality material that arrived with Chapter I. Their internal ID is Ingredient_Rune_Shard. According to the official patch notes, every rune is crafted with them:
- Ability Runestones: 2 shards each.
- Modifier Runestones: 1 shard each.
These costs are as of October 20, 2026, on version 0.7.2, and may change with patches. The community wiki says they stack to 25, but another database says 500, so the stack size isn’t confirmed.
Where Runestone Shards drop
Every known source is inside The Guttering Hollows, the biome you reach through a Goblin Breach, or in The Deepworks. We haven’t found any source that places them in chests, hunt rewards or the normal world.
| Source | What it is | Shards |
|---|---|---|
| Gobliterator | Final boss of The Deepworks | 4, always |
| Void Fiend | Void creature | 2, always |
| Goblin Glutton | Goblin | 2, always |
| Revenant Guardian | Elite skeleton | 2, always |
| Goblin Burner | Goblin | 1, with a 50% chance |
| Shiny Scrap Pile | Minable block | 0 or 1 per block; the exact chance isn’t confirmed |
Loot data as of October 20, 2026 (version 0.7.2), subject to change with patches. Three cases are still unclear:
- Gobliterator hard mode. One source mentions special shards as a reward and another says hard mode gives nothing extra. It isn’t confirmed; according to community databases, the 4 shards are the same in both modes.
- Goblin Feastmaster. A launch-day guide lists it as a source, but the community wiki doesn’t include shards in its loot. Don’t count on it.
- Salvaging runes. According to a community database, salvaging an Ability Runestone gives you shards back. It doesn’t say how many, and we haven’t been able to confirm it.
How to get to The Guttering Hollows
Since almost all shards come from there, step one is getting in. There are two ways:
Through a goblin breach
Repair the Goblin Power Generator in the Goblin Lab with 10 Scraps (as of October 20, 2026, version 0.7.2; may change with patches). From then on, breaches open in the world, with a «BREACH IN PROGRESS» warning, a yellow beam and a marker on the map. According to a server host’s guide, there’s a chance of a breach every 30 minutes. We explain it in our Goblin Lab guide.
With The Guttering Hollows key
If you don’t want to wait for a breach to open, you can craft the Fragment: Orbis – The Guttering Hollows key and use it on an Ancient Gateway. Recipes as of October 20, 2026 (version 0.7.2), subject to change with patches:
| Item | Where | Recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Fragment: Orbis – The Guttering Hollows | — | 15 Scraps, 10 Essence of the Void and 5 Iron Ingot |
| Ancient Gateway | Arcanist’s Workbench, after restoring 100 memories | 30 Cobblestone, 10 Thorium Ingot, 10 Essence of Life and 10 Essence of the Void |
Essence of the Void drops from, among others, the bears in hunts: 6 to 10 each. We haven’t been able to confirm whether entering with a key has the same time limit as a breach.
How to farm Runestone Shards
What follows is our own method, worked out from the loot tables. It isn’t an official route:
- Go after the 2-shard enemies. Void Fiends, Goblin Gluttons and Revenant Guardians always drop them. A Burner gives you half a shard on average; don’t go out of your way for one, but kill it if it’s in your path.
- Mine Shiny Scrap Piles along the way. You need a copper pickaxe or better. They give you Scraps, which you’ll need for everything, and sometimes a shard.
- Extend the breach. Goblin Breach Console upgrades take you from 10 to 14 minutes. According to a community database, if you extend the time, a Void storm with a Void Fiend shows up around minute 13: that’s 2 more shards and a Voidheart.
- Repeat the Gobliterator. It’s 4 shards per win, the biggest source. The Deepworks key costs a Voidheart and the boss drops another; we cover it in our Voidheart guide.
- Clear fast. In breaches, time is what matters most. Crowd runes like Ground Slam or Chain Hook and the Bangstick help you clear goblin hordes; the gadgets are in Hytale goblin gadgets.
To give you an idea, by our math: the 22 shards for every rune equal 11 two-shard enemies, or 6 wins against the Gobliterator (24 shards).
How many shards you need: 22 for every rune
Recipes as of October 20, 2026 (version 0.7.2). Several sources give the same numbers and they match the official cost, but they may change with patches:
| Type | Runes | Shards per rune | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ability | Chain Hook, Charged Shot, Enrage, Fireball, Ground Slam, Imbue Poison and Wind Strike (7) | 2 | 14 |
| Modifier | Colossal, Enduring, Quickening, Rebound, Rend, Splinter, Thrift and Wither (8) | 1 | 8 |
| Total | 15 runes | — | 22 |
The total of 22 is our own calculation based on the recipes.
You don’t need all 22 to get started
According to the community wiki and other guides, the Runebinder’s Lattice has 2 ability slots and 4 modifier slots, 2 per ability. That means a full loadout costs 2 × 2 + 4 × 1 = 8 shards (as of October 20, 2026, version 0.7.2); that’s our own calculation and it may change if the recipes change. Our recommendation is to craft those 8 first and leave the rest for when you want to try out combinations. Not every modifier works with every ability; you’ll find the compatibility table in our runes guide.
Which workbench crafts runes
Runes are crafted at the Goblin Tinkerer’s Workbench, in its Runestones tab. It’s in the Goblin Lab of the Forgotten Temple, against the right wall, and to get in you first have to repair the Goblin Power Generator.
What isn’t clear is when the recipes unlock. Some guides say they’re all available once you repair the generator; others say the modifiers also require repairing the Compressor. It isn’t confirmed. If you have shards and the modifiers don’t show up, check which machines you’re still missing.
Once crafted, runes are slotted into the Runebinder’s Lattice, which is also in the Forgotten Temple. According to a server host’s guide, it’s on the right, just before the memory shrine, and it’s marked on the map.
Frequently asked questions
How many Runestone Shards do you need for every rune?
Twenty-two: 14 for the 7 ability runes (2 each) and 8 for the 8 modifiers (1 each), based on recipes as of October 20, 2026 (version 0.7.2). For a full loadout of 2 abilities and 4 modifiers, 8 is enough.
What’s the fastest way to get Runestone Shards?
Beating the Gobliterator, which drops 4, and killing Void Fiends, Goblin Gluttons and Revenant Guardians in The Guttering Hollows, which drop 2 each.
Do Runestone Shards drop from chests?
We haven’t found any reliable source that says so. Every known source is an enemy, the final boss or Shiny Scrap Piles.
Is a Runestone Shard the same as a Void Crystal Shard?
No. Runestone Shards are only used for runes. Void Crystal Shards are a different chapter material, used for example for the Dubious Assembly and to upgrade the Goblin Breach Console. We explain where they come from in our Goblin Lab guide.