Rune Tree Guide
On this page
- Rune Tree Overview
- How Much Gold the Rune Tree Costs
- Best Rune Unlock Order
- All 6 Rune Branches Explained
- Awakening Rune
- Best Gold Spending Strategy for Mid-Game
Rune Tree Overview
The Rune Tree is TBH's permanent upgrade system — a tech tree with 197 nodes spread across 6 branches. Every node provides a permanent bonus that applies to all your heroes. Rune bonuses are class-agnostic: a Knight, Priest, and Hunter all benefit from rune upgrades equally.
Gold is the currency for the Rune Tree, and gold is not scarce in TBH — your heroes farm it continuously. The question isn't "can I afford this?" but "what should I buy first?" The order matters enormously for progression speed.
Golden Rule: Utility > Defense > Offense. A hero slot is worth more than any stat node. Auto-open chests is worth more than +5% attack. Fix your quality of life first, then scale.
How Much Gold the Rune Tree Costs
Rune nodes get progressively more expensive. Early nodes cost thousands of gold. Late nodes cost millions. The full tree completion costs approximately:
| Branch | Nodes | Approx. Total Gold (to max) |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | ~35 | 1M → 50M+ |
| Defense | ~35 | 1M → 50M+ |
| Utility | ~40 | Varies |
| Economy | ~25 | Varies |
| Special (Awakening) | ~30 | Varies |
| Convenience | ~32 | Varies |
Best Rune Unlock Order
Follow this exact order for maximum progression efficiency. Deviations slow you down.
| Order | Node | Branch | Why First |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2nd Hero Slot | Utility | Two heroes > one hero. The single biggest power spike in the game. |
| 2 | 3rd Hero Slot | Utility | Three heroes complete your party. Unlock as soon as Knight + Priest are stable. |
| 3 | Auto-Open Chests | Convenience | Without this, chests pile up unopened — you literally lose loot while AFK. |
| 4 | Bag Expansion | Convenience | More inventory space = longer AFK sessions without wasted drops. |
| 5 | Offline Time + | Convenience | Extends the 8-hour offline cap. Each node adds ~2 hours. |
| 6 | Exp Boost | Convenience | Levels = skill points. More XP = faster power growth. |
| 7 | Gold Drop Rate | Economy | More gold = faster rune progression. Pay for itself quickly. |
| 8 | Item Drop Rate | Economy | More drops = more gear = more Steam Market sales. High ROI. |
| 9+ | Attack / Defense nodes | Attack/Defense | Now that QoL is handled, scale your stats. Attack for farming speed, Defense for pushing. |
All 6 Rune Branches Explained
1. Attack Branch
| Main Stats | Attack Power, Crit Rate, Crit Damage, Attack Speed |
| Cost Range | 1M → 50M+ (full branch) |
| When to Invest | After all QoL and Economy nodes are comfortable. Attack speeds up farming. |
2. Defense Branch
| Main Stats | HP, Armor, Resistance, HP Regen |
| Cost Range | 1M → 50M+ (full branch) |
| When to Invest | When you're dying too often during idle farming. Enough defense to survive > more attack. |
3. Utility Branch
| Key Nodes | Hero slots, skill slots, formation slots |
| Priority | Highest. Hero slots are the best investment in the game. |
| Note | 4th hero slot is expensive but enables advanced party compositions (Knight + Priest + Hunter + Slayer). |
4. Economy Branch
| Key Nodes | Gold Drop Rate, Item Drop Rate, Chest Quality |
| Priority | Medium-High. Pays for itself over time. |
| Note | Gold Drop Rate should be invested early — it accelerates all future rune purchases. |
5. Special Branch (Awakening Runes)
| Key Nodes | Skill slot unlocks, awakening bonuses |
| Priority | Medium. More skill slots = more active abilities equipped. |
| Note | Each hero starts with 2 skill slots. Unlocking a 3rd and 4th slot lets you equip more leveled skills. |
6. Convenience Branch
| Key Nodes | Auto-Open Chests, Bag Expansion, Offline Time, Exp Boost |
| Priority | Highest (after hero slots). These are QoL features disguised as rune nodes. |
| Note | Auto-Open Chests is effectively mandatory for idle play. Get it as soon as you have your 3-hero team. |
Awakening Rune
The Rune of Awakening is a game-changing node in the Rune Tree. Once unlocked, every hero can equip a second active skill, fundamentally changing each character's combat capabilities. Since the game currently allows at most two skill slots, you'll need to make strategic trade-offs about which skills to equip.
Unlock Cost & Location
| Location | Rune Tree, near the 3rd formation slot |
| Cost | 50,000 gold |
| Value | Extremely high — effectively doubles your team's active skill options |
When to Unlock — Priority Order
The recommended timing for the Awakening Rune:
- First: Hero Slot 3 (150,000 gold) — party size is the single most impactful upgrade in the game.
- Second: Awakening Rune (50,000 gold) — a second skill slot for every hero is the next biggest power spike.
- Third: Auto-Open Chests and other QoL nodes — convenience features that keep your idle farming efficient.
Priority mantra: 3rd hero slot > Awakening Rune > other QoL nodes. Once you have both the 3rd slot and the Awakening Rune unlocked, you've officially entered the mid-game.
Recommended Second Skill by Class
Each class benefits from different second active skills. Here are the community-recommended pairings:
| Class | Main Skill | Recommended 2nd Skill | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knight | Shield / Active skill | Indomitable Will or Attack Enhancement | Increased survivability or damage output |
| Ranger | Triple Shot → Rain of Arrows (late) | Crit Enhancement or Rapid Fire | Amplifies single-target damage |
| Priest | Heal | Blessing Of Might | +90% party attack damage is the highest team priority in the game |
| Hunter | Frost Bolt | Explosive Bolt | Strongest elemental combo; massive AOE burst |
| Sorcerer | Ice Bolt / Blizzard | Fire Hydra or Blizzard | Adds sustained damage from an extra source |
| Slayer | Slayer active | Crushing Blow | Maximum burst damage output |
Critical tip: Maxing out Blessing Of Might on the Priest is the single highest priority use of skill points across all classes. That +90% party damage bonus cannot be overstated — it applies to every hero in your formation.
Best Gold Spending Strategy for Mid-Game
Around the time you have 3 heroes, auto-open chests, and bag expansion, you'll face a choice: push deeper into Attack/Defense nodes or invest in Economy for faster future growth.
Our Recommendation: Economy First
Gold Drop Rate and Item Drop Rate nodes pay for themselves. The faster you get them, the more total gold and items you accumulate. A 20% gold boost today is worth more than a 10% attack boost today, because the gold boost accelerates everything you buy tomorrow.
When to Go Offense
Switch to Attack nodes when you're farming comfortably but clearing stages too slowly. Faster clears = more drops per hour. Defense nodes when your party wipes more than once per hour during idle farming — surviving with lower damage beats dying with higher damage.