Weapon runes can be inscribed upon a hand weapon or great weapon (whatever form it takes). A model cannot have more than three Weapon runes, no matter how many weapons it carries. A weapon with one or more runes inscribed upon it is a magic weapon (as described in the Warhammer: the Old World rulebook) and automatically gains the Magical Attacks special rule.
The secret of this rune was preserved in the Rundrokikron, an ancient tome kept in the treasure troves of Karak Kadrin.
A weapon inscribed with the Master Rune of Smiting gains the Multiple Wounds (D6) special rule.
Runesmith Skalf forged many hammers of great might, and some maintain that even the hammer of Sigmar, Ghal Maraz itself, was his work.
When making a roll To Wound with a weapon inscribed with the Master Rune of Skalf Blackhammer, a roll of 2+ is always a success, regardless of the target's Toughness.
Alaric the Mad forged the famous Runefangs for the Elector Counts of the Empire before meeting an unknown fate.
No armour save is permitted against wounds caused by a weapon inscribed with the Master Rune of Alaric the Mad (Ward and Regeneration saves can be attempted as normal).
With this mighty rune the Dwarfs have slain many great wyrms and foul creatures of Chaos.
When making a roll To Wound against an enemy whose troop type is behemoth with a weapon inscribed with the Master Rune of Dragon Slaying, a roll of 2+ is always a success, regardless of the target's Toughness.
A weapon with this rune moves like quicksilver to block the attacks of the enemy.
Any enemy model that directs its attacks against a model wielding a weapon inscribed with a Rune of Parrying during the Combat phase suffers a -1 modifier to its rolls To Hit.
Runesmiths take pride in seeing the inferior works of other races break beneath a hammerblow.
Any magic weapon carried by an enemy model that suffers one or more unsaved wounds from a weapon inscribed with the Master Rune of Breaking is destroyed and cannot be used for the remainder of the game.
Note that even if their magic weapon is destroyed, the model is still considered to be armed with a hand weapon.
This cunning rune has been used to surprise the Dwarfs' foes from afar since the world was young.
Hand weapon only. Once per turn, during the Shooting phase, a weapon inscribed with the Master Rune of Flight can be thrown with the following profile (which may be modified by additional runes):
| Range | Strength | Armour Piercing | Special Rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12" | S | - | - |
This rune was first struck by Thurgrom the Hermit, the last runesmith to study Elven crafts.
The wielder of a weapon inscribed with the Master Rune of Swiftness gains the Strike First special rule.
First crafted in the days of the Ancestor Gods, the touch of this potent rune is anathema to the creatures of Chaos.
Enemy models with the Warp-spawned special rule cannot make any Ward saves against hits caused by a weapon inscribed with the Rune of Banishment.
A Rune of Fury is an emblem of the anger all Dwarfs feel towards the enemies of their ancestors.
For each Rune of Fury inscribed upon a weapon, its wielder has a +1 modifier to their Attacks characteristic.
Grudge Runes seek out the enemies of the Dwarfs with unerring accuracy.
For each Grudge Rune inscribed upon a weapon, its wielder may re-roll a single roll To Hit of a natural 1 made during the Combat phase.
A weapon inscribed with Runes of Might can fell a Giant in a flurry of blows.
For each Rune of Might inscribed upon a weapon, its wielder has a +1 modifier to their Strength characteristic.
This rune was first made for mining tools, to allow them to break through rock with ease.
Hand weapon only. For each Rune of Cleaving inscribed upon a weapon, its Armour Piercing characteristic is improved by 1.
A weapon with this rune moves to strike the foe's most vulnerable area with an uncanny precision.
For each Rune of Striking inscribed upon a weapon, its wielder has a +1 modifier to their Weapon Skill characteristic.
Struck whilst the weapon glows white-hot, a Rune of Fire forever binds the heat of the forge.
The wielder of a weapon inscribed with a Rune of Fire gains the Flaming Attacks special rule.
This rune enhances its bearer's awareness and quickness, catching unwary enemies by surprise.
Hand weapon only. For each Rune of Speed inscribed upon a weapon, its wielder has a +1 modifier to their Initiative characteristic.