After nearly a year of iteration, we're finally ready to pull the first class out of the forge. Say hello to the Guardian — RuneBound's immovable object, built to anchor your party while the fight reshapes around them.
A class, not a role
We didn't want to build a boring tank. The Guardian is a class with real identity: someone who chooses when the fight starts, where it starts, and who gets dragged into it. Their kit is a set of tools for controlling space — not a stat sheet with high armour.
- Bulwark Stance — trade mobility for damage reduction and a pulsing threat aura.
- Rune-Anchor — plant a banner that forces nearby enemies to prioritise you.
- Breakline — a short-range shield bash that interrupts casts and resets your stance.
- Last Stand — when you'd fall below 1 HP, instead surge: 2s of invulnerability on a long cooldown.
Why we started here
RuneBound has always been about parties. Every design discussion ends with the same question: 'what does this feel like with three friends?' The Guardian was the natural first class because every party needs an anchor — and because building their kit forced us to answer hard questions about aggro, line-of-sight and grouping long before the flashier classes arrive.
Huge thanks to everyone in the closed playtest that shaped the Guardian into what it is today. See you in the Emberwood.