LoL Runes Explained: Trees and Keystones (2026)

5 trees, 17 keystones
Primary 4 + secondary 2
3 stat shards
Pages from level 10

Runes are the nine choices you make before every game that shape how your champion plays: a keystone that defines your fights, smaller runes that cover weaknesses, and three stat shards. Patch 26.9 changed the Sorcery tree in 2026, and most rune guides online still list Phase Rush. This guide explains how a rune page is built on patch 26.21, what each tree and keystone is for, which shards to take, and how to build a page for your role — with Riot's own rune icons. Checked 2026-10-25 against Riot's Data Dragon 16.21.1.

Short answer: a rune page is a primary tree (one keystone plus one rune from each of its three rows), two runes from a secondary tree (from two different rows), and three stat shards. There are five trees and 17 keystones on patch 26.21. Accounts below level 10 can't edit pages; you start with 2 and can own up to 25.

Key takeaways

Nine choices: keystone + 3 primary runes + 2 secondary runes + 3 shards.
Five trees: Precision, Domination, Sorcery, Resolve and Inspiration.
Patch 26.9: Phase Rush became Stormraider's Surge; Deathfire Touch joined Sorcery.
Secondary runes come from two different rows — never the keystone.
Extra pages: 590 RP or 6,300 Blue Essence each.

How a rune page is built

Choose a primary tree and its keystone.
The keystone is the big effect your fights are built around — Conqueror for long fights, Electrocute for burst, Grasp for lane trades.
Pick one rune from each of the primary tree's three rows.
These cover sustain, scaling and damage in that tree's style.
Choose a secondary tree and two runes.
Any two of its three rows — one rune per row. Keystones are primary only.
Set three stat shards.
One from each row: Offense, Flex and Defense.

How a League of Legends rune page is built: a primary tree with a keystone and one rune from each of three rows, a secondary tree with two runes from two different rows and never the keystone, and three stat shards for offense, flex and defense; the five trees are Precision for long fights, Domination for burst and picks, Sorcery for abilities and poke, Resolve for durability and crowd control and Inspiration for creative tools — **Nine choices, every game.** Four from your primary tree, two from the secondary, three shards.Graphic: BoostPirate

The five trees and every keystone

Precision

For sustained damage and long fights.

Press the Attack
Lethal Tempo
Fleet Footwork
Conqueror

Row 1: Absorb Life, Triumph, Presence of Mind
Row 2: Legend: Alacrity, Legend: Haste, Legend: Bloodline
Row 3: Coup de Grace, Cut Down, Last Stand

Domination

For burst damage and picking off targets.

Electrocute
Dark Harvest
Hail of Blades

Row 1: Cheap Shot, Taste of Blood, Sudden Impact
Row 2: Sixth Sense, Grisly Mementos, Deep Ward
Row 3: Treasure Hunter, Relentless Hunter, Ultimate Hunter

Sorcery

For empowered abilities and poke.

Summon Aery
Arcane Comet
Stormraider's Surge
Deathfire Touch

Row 1: Axiom Arcanist, Manaflow Band, Nimbus Cloak
Row 2: Transcendence, Celerity, Absolute Focus
Row 3: Scorch, Waterwalking, Gathering Storm

Resolve

For durability and crowd control.

Grasp of the Undying
Aftershock
Guardian

Row 1: Demolish, Font of Life, Shield Bash
Row 2: Conditioning, Second Wind, Bone Plating
Row 3: Overgrowth, Revitalize, Unflinching

Inspiration

For creative tools and rule-bending.

Glacial Augment
Unsealed Spellbook
First Strike

Row 1: Hextech Flashtraption, Magical Footwear, Cash Back
Row 2: Triple Tonic, Time Warp Tonic, Biscuit Delivery
Row 3: Cosmic Insight, Approach Velocity, Jack Of All Trades

Which keystone for which champion

Keystone	Tree	Typical users
Conqueror	Precision	Fighters in long fights — Darius, Sett, Fiora
Lethal Tempo / Press the Attack	Precision	Auto-attack carries and duelists
Fleet Footwork	Precision	Carries who need sustain and escape in lane
Electrocute	Domination	Burst mages and assassins
Dark Harvest	Domination	Champions who finish low-health targets
Hail of Blades	Domination	Quick all-ins, some supports and junglers
Summon Aery / Arcane Comet	Sorcery	Poke mages and enchanters
Stormraider's Surge	Sorcery	Burst champions who need to run in or out (it replaced Phase Rush)
Grasp of the Undying	Resolve	Tanky top laners who trade often
Aftershock / Guardian	Resolve	Engage tanks / protective supports
First Strike / Glacial Augment	Inspiration	Poke champions / champions who slow often

"Typical users" is general guidance, not Riot data — the in-client recommended pages are a good starting point for any champion.

Stat shards

Row	Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Offense	Adaptive Force (5.4 AD or 9 AP)	10% attack speed	8 ability haste
Flex	Adaptive Force (5.4 AD or 9 AP)	2% movement speed	10–180 health (scales with level)
Defense	65 health	10% tenacity and slow resist	10–180 health (scales with level)

A safe default: Adaptive Force in Offense and Flex, then health in Defense — scaling health against a lane bully, the flat 65 health early, or tenacity and slow resist against heavy crowd control. Attack-speed champions take attack speed in Offense; ability-haste builds take the 8 ability haste.

Your keystone is your plan. A burn mage, a duelist and a tank want three different trees.Splash art: Riot Games via Data Dragon

Rune changes in 2025 and 2026

Patch 26.9 · 28 April 2026Sorcery shake-up
Phase Rush removed; Stormraider's Surge (movement speed and slow resist after dealing 25% of a champion's max health in 3 seconds) and Deathfire Touch added to Sorcery; Arcane Comet and Hail of Blades reworked.
Patch 25.S1.1 · January 2025New ward runes
Sixth Sense, Grisly Mementos and Deep Ward replaced Zombie Ward, Ghost Poro and Eyeball Collection.

How to build a page for your role

Top

Conqueror or Grasp, with Resolve or Inspiration secondary for sustain and boots. Scaling health shards into bullies.

Jungle

Conqueror, Electrocute, Dark Harvest or Aftershock depending on the champion; Domination's hunter row speeds up items and roams.

Mid

Electrocute or Arcane Comet for burst and poke; Sorcery or Inspiration secondary.

Bot and support

Lethal Tempo or Press the Attack for carries; Guardian, Aery or Aftershock for supports, often with Inspiration secondary.

Help with runes and builds

Pages for your pool: 1-on-1 coaching — from $22.00 an hour.
Read next: summoner spells explained and the best role to climb.

Right runes, wrong games? A Master+ coach builds your pages and your game plan together — or skip ahead with a Solo/Duo boost.

Sources

Riot — Data Dragon runesReforged.json 16.21.1 (trees, runes and icons) · Patch 26.9 notes (28 Apr 2026)
Official League of Legends wiki — Rune (page rules, shards, pages). Checked 2026-10-25. Rune icons © Riot Games.

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FAQ

Common questions

How do runes work in League of Legends?

A rune page has nine choices: a primary tree (one keystone plus one rune from each of its three rows), two runes from a secondary tree (from two different rows), and three stat shards. Accounts below level 10 can't create or edit rune pages.

How many keystones are there in LoL?

17 on patch 26.21: Precision has four, Domination three, Sorcery four, Resolve three and Inspiration three. Patch 26.9 replaced Phase Rush with Stormraider's Surge and added Deathfire Touch.

What are stat shards?

Three small bonuses next to your trees — one Offense (Adaptive Force, attack speed or ability haste), one Flex (Adaptive Force, movement speed or scaling health) and one Defense (health, tenacity and slow resist, or scaling health).

How many rune pages can you have?

New accounts get 2 pages; you can own up to 25. Extra pages cost 590 RP or 6,300 Blue Essence.

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