For current online trading, choose Gold—not Rubies. The official Hero Siege wiki says direct trades can contain Gold or items, while the marketplace accepts Gold and runes.1 The marketplace charges a 1% listing fee and a 10% fee when Gold from a sale is collected.2 For an NPC purchase, however, use only the currency named on that vendor’s live screen; the available sources do not establish one universal currency for every special shop.
These rules were checked for the global game on August 31, 2026. Hero Siege’s August 28 patch notes identify the live version as 7.0.5, and the Season 10 announcement notes another Tarethiel Market filter rework.4 That makes an old Ruby screenshot or guide a poor basis for a current transaction.
Gold and Rubies at a glance
| Decision field | Gold | Rubies |
|---|---|---|
| Tarethiel Market | Documented for buying and selling; runes can also price listings.1 | Not listed as a current market currency; the 2023 overhaul replaced Ruby with Gold.3 |
| Direct player trade | Can be offered with items after another player accepts a trade request.1 | Not included in the current official wiki description of direct trading.1 |
| Marketplace fees | 1% to list; 10% when collecting Gold from a sale.2 | No current Ruby marketplace fee documented because Ruby is not listed as a market payment option.23 |
| NPC and special shops | Gold is the game’s basic currency, but acceptance still depends on the specific vendor screen.5 | No universal current shop use established; confirm the displayed label before obtaining Rubies. |
| Online requirement | The marketplace operates while playing online.12 | No current marketplace role documented.13 |
| Evidence status | Current official-wiki descriptions plus recent official market notes.14 | Legacy marketplace use only in the cited material.3 |
Why older Ruby advice no longer settles the question
Hero Siege’s 2023 marketplace overhaul explicitly removed Ruby as a marketplace currency, replaced it with Gold, and allowed sellers to request runes instead.3 Current official-wiki entries still describe the market in terms of Gold and runes and direct trades in terms of Gold and items.1 Older material showing Rubies in either route describes a previous economy, not evidence that a present screen accepts them.
Do not confuse the retired marketplace role with similarly named current objects. The official wiki describes Magic Rubies and a Ruby Key in connection with the Ruby Garden; those names do not establish a spendable Ruby balance for the market or direct trade.6
Identify the screen before choosing currency
- Ordinary NPC vendor: read the price label beside the exact item. Do not infer the currency from another vendor.
- Special shop or machine: check its own requested resource, quantity, and eligibility conditions.
- Tarethiel Market Gold listing: compare the displayed price with your Gold balance and account for any fee shown by the interface.
- Tarethiel Market rune listing: match the exact rune and quantity; the official overhaul stated that market taxation did not apply to rune-priced listings.3
- Direct player trade: confirm that the accepted trade window shows the agreed item and Gold amount before either party accepts.1
Marketplace listing or direct player trade?
| Field | Tarethiel Market | Direct player trade |
|---|---|---|
| Payment shown | Listing can request Gold or runes.13 | Accepted trade can contain Gold or items.1 |
| Other player needed now | No live coordination described; the listing is presented through the market. | Both players must be in a lobby, and the recipient must accept the trade request.1 |
| Fees | 1% listing fee and 10% on collected Gold.2 | No direct-trade fee stated on the cited official-wiki feature page. |
| Price evidence | The current market can show suggested and recent selling prices, according to the Season 9 announcement.4 | The parties agree the amount; check the final trade window. |
| Choose instead when | Use direct trade if you need to coordinate a specific item and both players can meet in the same lobby. | Use the market when the exact item and payment are already visible and you do not need live coordination. |
The market offers clearer listing evidence, but its displayed history is not a promise that another copy will remain listed. Direct trade allows coordination, but you must verify the counterparty, item, and Gold amount together in the final window.
Choose by scenario
- For a Gold-priced market item, use Gold if the exact listing remains visible and its character context matches. Choose the rune-priced or direct-trade alternative if the displayed payment differs.
- For a rune-priced listing, obtain the named rune and quantity rather than Gold or Rubies. Leave the listing if the unit or quantity is unclear.
- For a direct player trade, use Gold only when the accepted window shows the agreed item and amount. Use the market instead when you cannot coordinate with the intended player.
- For an NPC purchase, follow that vendor’s displayed currency. Do not obtain Rubies merely because an old guide associates them with shops.
- For any screen still showing Rubies, pause and identify the game version, mode, and exact shop before acting; the currently cited market and trading descriptions do not support Rubies for those routes.13
Currency names can hide different functions in other action RPGs too. The distinction between a trade payment and a crafting resource is explained in the next comparison.
compare trade and crafting currencies in Path of ExileIf another player must receive the item, platform and recipient compatibility deserve a separate check before the price.
check what must match for a player-to-player item tradeStop before paying when
- The only evidence for Ruby use is an old guide, patch note, or cropped screenshot.
- The currency icon, unit, or quantity is hidden.
- The listing disappeared or changed while you were comparing options.
- The character’s Seasonal or Non-Seasonal status, Softcore or Hardcore mode, or online context does not match the proposed route.
- Someone promises an unsupported Gold-to-Ruby conversion.
- A seller asks for account credentials instead of using the game’s visible transaction flow.
Make the final choice on the live screen
- Open the exact NPC vendor, Tarethiel Market listing, or accepted trade window.
- Confirm online or offline context and the recipient character.
- Match Seasonal or Non-Seasonal and Softcore or Hardcore status where the transaction depends on them.
- Read the currency name or rune, icon, unit, quantity, and total price.
- Check every displayed tax or fee and keep enough balance for the shown total.
- Recheck the item and price immediately before the final action; do not share login credentials.
Gold is the supported choice for a current Gold marketplace listing or direct trade. Use runes when the market listing specifically requests them. Treat Rubies as unsuitable for those routes unless your current game screen explicitly shows otherwise, and let an NPC vendor’s own price label decide shop purchases.
Check current Hero Siege Gold options