Bulwark Runes secondary skill – Horn of the Abyss

Author: Liso1 January 4, 2026 0 Comments

The Horn of the Abyss (HotA) mod continues to evolve with its latest version 1.8.0, released as a New Year’s update. Alongside the long-anticipated Bulwark faction, one of the most exciting gameplay additions is the new secondary skill: Runes.

Unlike traditional skills that grant static bonuses, Runes enable units to accumulate Rune Levels during combat, enhancing their performance over the course of a fight.

How Runes work

When a hero has the Runes skill, their units can gain Rune Levels in battle based on their actions:

• +1 Rune Level when a unit attacks,
• +2 Rune Levels when it takes damage, and
• +3 Rune Levels when it assumes a defensive stance.

Basic Runes

allows the hero’s units to accumulate up to 3 Rune Levels in combat. Each rune Level gives bonuses to their creatures’ stats:

• Rune Level 1: +2 Attack,
• Rune Level 2: +2 Defense,
• Rune Level 3: +1 Speed.

Advanced Runes

allows the hero’s units to accumulate up to 6 Rune Levels in combat. Each rune Level gives bonuses to their creatures’ stats:

• Rune Level 1: +2 Attack,
• Rune Level 2: +2 Defense,
• Rune Level 3: +1 Speed,
• Rune Level 4: +2 Attack,
• Rune Level 5: +2 Defense,
• Rune Level 6: +1 Speed.

Expert Runes

allows the hero’s units to accumulate up to 9 Rune Levels in combat. Each rune Level gives bonuses to their creatures’ stats:

• Rune Level 1: +2 Attack,
• Rune Level 2: +2 Defense,
• Rune Level 3: +1 Speed,
• Rune Level 4: +2 Attack,
• Rune Level 5: +2 Defense,
• Rune Level 6: +1 Speed.
• Rune Level 7: +2 Attack,
• Rune Level 8: +2 Defense,
• Rune Level 9: +1 Speed.

Yeti Runemaster: possesses the effect of Expert Runes; this effect is doubled if a hero also has Runes.

While Runes are tied to the Bulwark faction, other heroes can learn the skill as long as they meet certain conditions:

• Any hero with Scholar skill can learn Runes from special object – Sieidi of the Runes.
• Heroes belonging to Bulwark such as Chieftain or Elder may learn Runes without needing Scholar.