Best Ways to Farm Elite Clues in OSRS: Your Ultimate Guide

Best Ways to Farm Elite Clues in OSRS: Your Ultimate Guide


If you’re an Old School RuneScape (OSRS) player looking to farm elite clue scrolls, you’re in for a rewarding yet challenging adventure. Elite clues are the second-highest tier of Treasure Trails, offering some of the game’s most coveted rewards like 3rd age items, gilded armor, and more. But getting your hands on these elusive scrolls can feel like a grind. In this guide, we’ll explore the best ways to farm elite clues in OSRS, breaking down methods for mains and ironmen alike, with tips to maximize efficiency. Whether you’re after profit, XP, or just the thrill of the hunt, we’ve got you covered.

Before diving into the methods, let’s talk about why elite clues are worth your time. These scrolls sit between hard and master clues in difficulty, requiring a mix of combat, skilling, and questing prowess. Completing them rewards you with an elite casket, which can contain rare loot worth millions of GP. Plus, after 200 completions, you unlock the heavy casket—a nice bonus for dedicated clue hunters. The catch? Elite clues are rare drops, so knowing the best farming methods is key to minimizing downtime and maximizing rewards.

Understanding Elite Clue Drop Mechanics

Elite clue scrolls drop from various sources—monsters, bosses, minigames, and even skilling activities. Drop rates vary, and some methods are faster but costlier, while others are slower yet profitable. Your choice depends on your account type (main or ironman), combat level, and goals. Most methods benefit from the elite combat achievements, which boost elite clue drop rates by 5% from applicable sources.

Top Methods to Farm Elite Clues

Farm Elite Clues Whilst Making AFK Bank Loot Fom 12 Hours of Feline

Here’s where the real fun begins. Below are the most effective ways to farm elite clues in OSRS, ranked by speed, accessibility, and additional benefits like profit or XP.

1. Barrows: The All-Rounder Choice

Barrows is a fan-favorite for farming elite clues, offering a 1/33 chance per chest when all six brothers are killed (1/200 per brother). It’s accessible to mid-to-high-level players and doubles as a solid money-maker.

  • Requirements: Decent combat stats (70+ recommended), Priest in Peril quest
  • Gear: Magic or melee setup (e.g., Trident, Barrows gear)
  • Kills per Hour: ~6-8 runs (faster with high stats/gear)
  • Pros: Profitable (~1-2M GP/hour), consistent clue rate
  • Cons: Requires prayer potions, some setup time

Tip: Use the Strange Old Lockpick to speed up runs by unlocking doors faster. Expect an elite clue every 1-2 hours on average.

2. Skotizo: High Drop Rate, Low Effort

Skotizo, the demonic boss in the Catacombs of Kourend, boasts a 1/5 drop rate for elite clues—among the best in the game. The catch? You need a Dark Totem, assembled from totem pieces dropped by Catacombs monsters.

  • Requirements: 70+ combat, totem pieces (1/400 from low-HP monsters like skeletons)
  • Gear: Mid-tier melee/magic (e.g., Whip, Mystic robes)
  • Kills per Hour: Limited by totem farming (~1-2 kills/hour)
  • Pros: 100% hard clue drop too, decent loot (e.g., ancient shards)
  • Cons: Totem farming is slow for mains

Tip: For ironmen, camp low-HP monsters like skeletons (1/478 chance) to gather totems while training Slayer. Mains can buy totems off the GE for faster access.

3. Sarachnis: Budget Bossing for Clues

Sarachnis, the spider boss in the Forthos Dungeon, offers a 1/60 drop rate for elite clues (1/50 with elite combat achievements). It’s beginner-friendly and provides hard clues (1/40) as a bonus.

  • Requirements: 70+ combat, Forthos Dungeon access
  • Gear: Melee (e.g., Dragon Scimitar) or Ranged (e.g., Crossbow)
  • Kills per Hour: 30-40 (up to 60 with high-end gear)
  • Pros: Easy to kill, decent loot (~500k GP/hour)
  • Cons: Slower clue rate than Barrows

Tip: Use a cannon to speed up kills if you’re comfortable with the extra cost.

4. Shades of Mort’ton: Multi-Skill Farming

Cremating Urium Shades in the Shades of Mort’ton minigame yields an effective ~1/176 elite clue rate via gold key chests. It’s a unique method that combines Firemaking, Prayer, and clue hunting.

  • Requirements: 95 Firemaking, Shades of Mort’ton quest
  • Gear: Tinderbox, Urium remains, logs
  • Clues per Hour: ~1-2 (stackable keys for later runs)
  • Pros: Profit (~1M GP/hour), Firemaking/Prayer XP
  • Cons: High skill requirement, slower pace

Tip: Stockpile keys over time for a bulk clue-opening session—great for multitasking with Netflix!

5. Dragon Implings: The Pay-to-Win Option

For mains with deep pockets, opening Dragon Impling jars is the fastest way to farm elite clues, with a 1/50 drop rate. It’s costly but requires zero effort beyond buying and opening jars.

  • Requirements: 83 Hunter (to catch, optional), lots of GP
  • Cost: ~500k GP per jar (~25M GP per clue on average)
  • Clues per Hour: As many as you can afford
  • Pros: Instant clues, no combat needed
  • Cons: Massive GP sink, not viable for ironmen

Tip: Pair with a Luck of the Dwarves ring (RS3 item, not OSRS) if you’re chasing rare loot from caskets, though it’s overkill for just farming clues.

Comparing Elite Clue Farming Methods

Not sure which method suits you? Here’s a quick comparison table to help you decide:

Method Drop Rate Clues/Hour Profit Requirements
Barrows 1/33 0.5-1 High 70+ combat
Skotizo 1/5 1-2 (totem-limited) Moderate Totem farming
Sarachnis 1/60 0.5-1 Moderate 70+ combat
Shades of Mort’ton ~1/176 1-2 High 95 Firemaking
Dragon Implings 1/50 Unlimited (GP-based) Loss High GP

Note: Clues/hour estimates assume average RNG and optimal setups.

Tips to Optimize Your Elite Clue Farming

Regardless of your chosen method, these tips will boost your efficiency and make the grind more enjoyable.

Gear and Inventory Setup

For combat methods, bring a mix of DPS gear (e.g., Bandos, Void) and utility items like teleports (e.g., Royal Seed Pod). For Shades, pack extra logs and a tinderbox. Always leave inventory space for clues and loot.

Use Boosts and Perks

Complete the elite combat achievements for that 5% drop rate boost. If you’re in the Wilderness (e.g., lava dragons), an imbued Ring of Wealth halves some drop rates (e.g., 1/125 to 1/62.5 for elites).

Multitask for Efficiency

Pair clue farming with other goals. Barrows offers GP, Shades gives Firemaking XP, and Skotizo ties into Slayer. This keeps the grind from feeling repetitive.

Alternative Methods for Ironmen

Ironmen face unique challenges since they can’t buy implings or totems. Here are tailored options:

Wilderness Bosses (Callisto, Vet’ion, Venenatis)

These bosses drop elite clues at 1/50 with an imbued Ring of Wealth. They’re risky but rewarding, especially with a team.

  • Drop Rate: 1/50
  • Pros: High-value loot (e.g., dragon pickaxe)
  • Cons: PKer risk

Corrupted Gauntlet

A 1/20 chance for an elite clue makes this a solid pick for high-level ironmen chasing the Blade of Saeldor.

Final Thoughts on Farming Elite Clues

Farming elite clues in OSRS is a grind, but the payoff—both in loot and satisfaction—is worth it. Barrows strikes the best balance of speed and profit for most players, while Skotizo shines for its high drop rate if you can handle totem farming. Sarachnis is great for beginners, Shades offers a skilling twist, and Dragon Implings cater to the wealthy. Pick a method that fits your playstyle, optimize your setup, and enjoy the hunt. Which method will you try first? Let the Treasure Trails begin!