OSRS Pickaxe Guide Varrock Mining Essentials

OSRS Pickaxe Guide Varrock Mining Essentials

In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), the pickaxe is your trusty companion for mining adventures, and Varrock is a central hub for miners of all levels. Whether you’re a newbie swinging a bronze pickaxe or a seasoned player wielding a dragon pickaxe, Varrock offers mines, shops, and diaries that make it a key location for leveling up your Mining skill. This guide dives into everything you need to know about pickaxes in Varrock, from where to buy them to how they tie into the Varrock Diary rewards. Let’s get digging!

Pickaxes are the heart of mining in OSRS, used to extract ores, gems, and other resources from rocks across Gielinor. In Varrock, they’re especially important due to the city’s accessible mines and proximity to key shops like the Grand Exchange. Choosing the right pickaxe can boost your mining speed, experience rates, and profits, while Varrock’s infrastructure makes it a perfect base for miners.

Pickaxe Basics

Pickaxes come in various tiers, from bronze to dragon, each requiring a specific Mining level to use and Attack level to wield. Higher-tier pickaxes mine faster, increasing your efficiency. For example, a rune pickaxe (requiring 41 Mining) is the best free-to-play option, while the dragon pickaxe (61 Mining) is a premium choice for members. Wielding a pickaxe frees up inventory space, letting you carry one extra ore—a small but valuable perk when mining in Varrock’s busy mines.

Varrock’s Mining Appeal

Varrock’s south-east and south-west mines are beginner-friendly, packed with copper, tin, and iron rocks. These spots are ideal for leveling up early Mining skills or completing Varrock Diary tasks, like mining iron in the south-east mine. Plus, the Grand Exchange is a short walk away, making it easy to buy pickaxes or sell your haul.

Where to Get Pickaxes in Varrock

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Varrock itself doesn’t have a dedicated pickaxe shop, but nearby locations and the Grand Exchange make acquiring one a breeze. Here’s how to gear up for your mining journey.

Grand Exchange: The Easy Option

The Grand Exchange, located in north-west Varrock, is the go-to spot for buying any pickaxe, from bronze to rune, at market prices. For regular accounts, this is often the fastest way to grab a pickaxe without trekking across Gielinor. Prices fluctuate, but as of recent trends, a bronze pickaxe costs around 100-200 GP, while a rune pickaxe can run 20,000-30,000 GP. Check the Exchange for real-time pricing to snag a deal.

Nurmof’s Pickaxe Shop (Dwarven Mine)

Just a short trip south of Varrock, Nurmof’s Pickaxe Shop in the Dwarven Mine sells every tradeable pickaxe except the dragon, gilded, black, crystal, and 3rd age variants. It’s one of only two shops in OSRS offering rune pickaxes for non-members, priced at 32,000 GP. To get there, head to the mine entrance north-east of Falador, accessible via the Varrock-Falador road. Nurmof also buys pickaxes, so you can offload spares for some quick coins.

Other Nearby Shops

For members, shops like Yarsul’s Prodigious Pickaxes in the Mining Guild (south-west of Varrock) or Toothy’s Pickaxes in Lovakengj offer additional options. However, these require specific quests or Mining levels, making Nurmof’s or the Grand Exchange more practical for most Varrock-based players.

Varrock Mines and Pickaxe Strategies

Varrock’s mines are perfect for both low-level grinders and those chasing Varrock Diary rewards. Here’s how to make the most of them with your pickaxe.

South-East Varrock Mine

The south-east mine, near Varrock’s east gate, is a hotspot for beginners. It contains:

  • 3 copper rocks
  • 4 tin rocks
  • 9 iron rocks

This mine is ideal for power mining iron (dropping ores for fast XP) or banking ores for Smithing. Use a steel pickaxe (6 Mining) or higher to speed things up. It’s also the location for the Varrock Easy Diary task: “Mine some iron in the south-east Varrock mine.” Completing this grants Varrock Armour 1, which gives a 10% chance to mine two ores at once up to coal.

South-West Varrock Mine

Located near the Varrock Champion’s Guild, the south-west mine is quieter but still useful, offering:

  • 3 copper rocks
  • 2 tin rocks
  • 3 iron rocks
  • 3 clay rocks

It’s great for early Mining levels or gathering clay for Crafting. A bronze or iron pickaxe works fine here, but upgrading to steel or mithril (21 Mining) boosts efficiency. Bank your ores at Varrock’s west bank for a quick loop.

Power Mining vs. Banking

Your pickaxe choice depends on your goal:

  • Power Mining: Drop ores immediately for max XP. A higher-tier pickaxe like mithril or adamant (31 Mining) shines here, especially at the south-east mine’s iron rocks.
  • Banking: Collect ores for profit or Smithing. Use Varrock’s banks for quick deposits. A rune pickaxe is ideal for faster mining cycles.

For iron rocks, three-rock clusters in the south-east mine let you mine without moving, maximizing XP with a dragon pickaxe if you’ve got 61 Mining.

Varrock Diary and Pickaxe Perks

The Varrock Achievement Diary ties directly to mining and pickaxes, offering rewards that enhance your mining efficiency. Here’s how it works with your pickaxe in Varrock.

Easy Diary: Getting Started

The Easy Varrock Diary requires you to mine iron in the south-east Varrock mine, a task achievable with a bronze pickaxe at 15 Mining. The reward, Varrock Armour 1, boosts mining by giving a 10% chance to mine two ores at once for copper, tin, iron, and coal. This stacks with your pickaxe’s speed, making low-level mining more profitable.

Medium to Elite Diaries

Higher diary tiers offer even better rewards:

Diary Tier Mining-Related Reward Pickaxe Synergy
Medium Varrock Armour 2: 10% chance of double ores up to mithril Use a mithril pickaxe (21 Mining) or higher to mine mithril efficiently.
Hard Varrock Armour 3: 10% chance of double ores up to adamantite Pair with an adamant pickaxe (31 Mining) for adamantite rocks elsewhere.
Elite Varrock Armour 4: 10% chance of double ores up to runite Dragon pickaxe (61 Mining) maximizes runite mining speed.

Claim rewards from Toby behind Varrock’s General Store. Each tier requires completing the previous one, so start with the Easy Diary to build up.

Diary Requirements Involving Pickaxes

Besides the Easy Diary’s iron mining task, other tiers don’t directly require a pickaxe but benefit from Mining levels boosted by better pickaxes. For example, the Medium Diary requires 40 Mining to mine coal, where a rune pickaxe speeds up the process. Always upgrade your pickaxe as your Mining level grows to tackle these tasks faster.

Advanced Pickaxe Tips for Varrock Miners

Once you’ve mastered the basics, take your Varrock mining to the next level with these pickaxe strategies.

Upgrading to a Dragon Pickaxe

The dragon pickaxe, requiring 61 Mining and 60 Attack, is a game-changer for serious miners. It’s 5.88% faster than a rune pickaxe and has a special attack, “Rock Knocker,” boosting your Mining level by 3 for one swing (usable every 5 minutes). While it’s not sold in shops, you can buy it at the Grand Exchange for around 1-2 million GP or hunt for it as a rare drop from Chaos Dwarves or Giants. In Varrock’s mines, it’s overkill for iron but perfect for power mining or diary prep.

Crystal Pickaxe for Elite Miners

For members who’ve completed Song of the Elves, the crystal pickaxe (71 Mining) is the ultimate tool, 10% faster than the dragon pickaxe. Craft it with a dragon pickaxe, 120 crystal shards, and a crystal tool seed at a singing bowl in Prifddinas. It’s costly (around 1.6 million GP for materials), but its speed makes it worth it for high-level mining outside Varrock’s low-tier mines.

Maximizing XP with Tick Manipulation

Advanced players can use tick manipulation (3-tick mining) with any pickaxe to nearly double XP rates. In Varrock’s south-east mine, pair a dragon pickaxe with 3-tick methods on iron rocks for up to 60,000-70,000 XP per hour at high levels. This requires precise timing—start a 3-tick action (like herb cleaning) before clicking a rock—but it’s a powerful way to grind Mining while staying close to Varrock.

Stacking Varrock Armour and Pickaxe Bonuses

Varrock Armour’s double-ore chance combines beautifully with a high-tier pickaxe’s speed. For example, using a rune pickaxe with Varrock Armour 2 in the south-east mine gives you faster iron mining plus occasional double ores, boosting both XP and profit. At 61 Mining, swap to a dragon pickaxe with Varrock Armour 4 for runite elsewhere, maximizing returns.

Key Takeaways:

  • Start Simple: Use bronze or steel pickaxes in Varrock’s south-east mine for early levels.
  • Upgrade Wisely: Grab a rune pickaxe from the Grand Exchange or Nurmof’s for mid-level mining.
  • Diary Power: Complete Varrock Diary tasks to unlock Varrock Armour, enhancing your pickaxe’s efficiency.
  • Go Big: Invest in a dragon or crystal pickaxe for endgame mining, even if Varrock’s mines become less relevant.
  • Stay Local: Varrock’s banks and Grand Exchange keep your mining loop tight and efficient.

Varrock is your mining gateway in OSRS, blending accessibility with opportunity. Whether you’re swinging a humble bronze pickaxe or a shiny dragon one, the city’s mines and diaries set you up for success. So, head to the south-east mine, complete that Easy Diary task, and start building your Mining empire. Happy mining, adventurers!