How to Make Air Runes in OSRS: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

How to Make Air Runes in OSRS: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners


Old School RuneScape (OSRS) offers players a rich world filled with skills to master, and Runecrafting is one of the most rewarding yet challenging ones. Among the various runes you can craft, air runes are the simplest and most accessible, making them the perfect starting point for beginners. In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to make air runes in OSRS, from gathering materials to optimizing your crafting process. Whether you’re a free-to-play (F2P) player or just starting your Runecrafting journey, this blog post will help you get going with tips, tricks, and efficient methods.

Air runes are one of the four basic elemental runes in OSRS, alongside water, earth, and fire runes. They’re essential for casting a wide range of spells, including combat and teleportation spells in the standard spellbook. Because of their frequent use, air runes are always in demand, making them a great way to level up your Runecrafting skill while potentially earning some gold. For F2P players, crafting air runes is one of the earliest and most practical ways to dip your toes into this skill.

Benefits of Crafting Air Runes

  • Low Entry Level: You only need Runecrafting level 1 to start.
  • Easy Access: The Air Altar is conveniently located near Falador, a major F2P hub.
  • Profit Potential: While not as lucrative as higher-level runes, air runes can still net you a small profit or save you money on spellcasting.
  • Experience Gains: Each air rune crafted grants 5 Runecrafting XP, a solid foundation for leveling up.

Requirements for Making Air Runes

Before you can start crafting air runes, you’ll need to gather a few key items and meet some basic prerequisites. Fortunately, the requirements are minimal, making this an accessible activity for new players.

What You’ll Need

  • Rune Essence or Pure Essence: The raw material used to craft runes. Rune essence is available to F2P players, while pure essence (usable for higher-level runes) requires a Mining level of 30 and membership.
  • Air Talisman or Air Tiara: An air talisman lets you enter the Air Altar, while an air tiara (worn on your head) frees up an inventory slot. You get an air talisman for free by completing the Rune Mysteries quest.
  • Pickaxe (Optional): If you plan to mine your own essence instead of buying it.

Recommended Quests

While not strictly required, completing the Rune Mysteries quest is highly recommended. This short and simple quest unlocks Runecrafting and rewards you with an air talisman, saving you the hassle of buying one from the Grand Exchange or hunting for a drop.

Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Air Runes

Now that you have your materials, let’s dive into the process of making air runes in OSRS. Follow these steps to start crafting efficiently.

Step 1: Obtain Rune Essence

You’ll need rune essence to craft air runes. Here’s how you can get it:

  • Mining: Teleport to the Rune Essence mine by speaking to NPCs like Aubury in Varrock, the Wizard Sedridor in the Wizards’ Tower, or Brimstail in Gnome Stronghold (members only). Use your pickaxe to mine essence from the rocks.
  • Purchasing: Buy rune essence from the Grand Exchange for around 10-15 GP each. This is faster if you have some starting gold.

Step 2: Locate the Air Altar

The Air Altar is located southwest of Falador, just south of the city’s southern gate and northwest of the first T-junction. To find it:

  • Right-click your air talisman and select “Locate” to get directions.
  • Look for the Mysterious Ruins, which mark the entrance to the altar.

Step 3: Enter the Air Altar

Once you’re at the Mysterious Ruins:

  • With an Air Talisman: Use the talisman on the ruins to teleport inside.
  • With an Air Tiara: Simply click “Enter” on the ruins while wearing the tiara.

Inside, you’ll see the Air Altar at the center of the ruins.

Step 4: Craft the Air Runes

With your inventory full of rune essence:

  • Click on the Air Altar to automatically convert all your essence into air runes.
  • Each essence yields 5 Runecrafting XP and one air rune (more at higher levels—see the table below).

Step 5: Bank and Repeat

After crafting, exit the altar via the portal, run to the nearest bank (Falador East Bank is closest), deposit your air runes, withdraw more essence, and head back to the altar. Repeat this loop to keep leveling up.

Optimizing Your Air Rune Crafting Efficiency

To maximize your experience and rune output, consider these optimization tips. Efficiency is key in OSRS, especially for a skill like Runecrafting that involves a lot of running.

Use an Air Tiara

Crafting an air tiara is a game-changer. Combine your air talisman with a regular tiara (bought from the Grand Exchange) at the Air Altar to create one. This frees up an inventory slot, letting you carry 28 essence instead of 27, boosting your output per trip.

Reduce Weight for Faster Running

Runecrafting involves a lot of travel between the bank and altar, so keeping your weight low helps you run longer:

  • Boots of Lightness: Obtained during the Temple of Ikov quest, these reduce your weight by 4.5 kg.
  • Graceful Outfit: If you’re a member, this set increases run energy regeneration and reduces weight significantly.

Teleportation Shortcuts

For faster trips, use teleportation methods:

  • Falador Teleport: Requires 37 Magic, 3 air runes, 1 water rune, and 1 law rune. Teleports you near the Falador bank.
  • Skull Sceptre: Teleports you to Barbarian Village, a short run from the altar (requires charges from Stronghold of Security).

Leveling Milestones and Rune Multipliers

As your Runecrafting level increases, you’ll craft more air runes per essence. Here’s a breakdown:

Runecrafting Level Air Runes per Essence
1 1
11 2
22 3
33 4
44 5
55 6
66 7
77 8
88 9
99 10

This multiplier makes higher levels much more rewarding, both in XP and rune production.

Tips for F2P Players and Beyond

Free-to-play players have fewer resources, but crafting air runes is still highly viable. Here’s how to make the most of it, plus some extras for members.

F2P-Specific Strategies

  • Stockpile Essence: Mine your own essence to save gold and build a reserve for longer crafting sessions.
  • Sell or Use: Sell excess air runes at the Grand Exchange for a small profit (around 4-5 GP each) or keep them for training Magic.
  • Bank Proximity: Stick to the Falador East Bank for quick trips, as it’s the closest F2P option.

Members-Only Boosts

If you’re a member, you can take air rune crafting to the next level:

  • Essence Pouches: Obtained from the Abyss or monster drops, these let you carry extra essence (up to 52 with all pouches).
  • Abyss Access: After the Mage of Zamorak miniquest, use the Abyss to reach the Air Altar instantly, though it’s riskier due to PKers.
  • Combination Runes: Craft mist, dust, or smoke runes at the Air Altar with additional runes and talismans (50% success rate, 100% with a binding necklace).

Making a Profit

While air runes aren’t the most profitable, F2P players can buy essence cheap (10-15 GP) and sell air runes for a slight markup. At higher levels, the multiplier effect makes this more worthwhile. For example, at level 44, you’d craft 5 runes per essence, turning a 10 GP investment into 20-25 GP worth of runes.

Crafting air runes in OSRS is a fantastic way to start your Runecrafting journey. It’s simple, accessible, and lays the groundwork for more advanced rune crafting as you level up. Whether you’re banking XP, saving runes for Magic, or grinding for a bit of gold, this guide has you covered. Grab your talisman, head to the Air Altar, and start crafting today!