So I’ve been doing ZMI runs for months now, and honestly I had no clue if I was making decent money or just wasting my time. You know how it is with Runecrafting, right? Everyone says it’s garbage for profit until you’re like level 90 or something.
Then my buddy Steve showed me this ZMI profit calculator he’d been using. Game changer, seriously. You just plug in your RC level, pick your inventory setup, select your pouches, and it spits out your expected profit per hour.
I tried it for the first time last week when I was level 63 RC. Turns out I was making around 195k per hour with my current setup. Not amazing, but way better than the 80k I was getting from cutting yews.
The Setup Options Actually Matter
Here’s where I screwed up for the longest time. I was just bringing pure essence and whatever pouches I had unlocked, thinking that was the “right” way to do ZMI.
This calculator shows you three different inventory setups:
Pure Essence Only – The basic approach most people use Mixed Essence – Pure essence plus some daeyalt when you can afford it Pure Essence + Teleports – The tryhard method for maximum trips per hour
I’d been doing pure essence only because I’m cheap. But the calculator showed me that mixed essence actually makes more money long-term because you level faster and get access to better rune drops.
Switched to mixed essence last week and my profits jumped from 195k to 240k per hour at the same level. The daeyalt costs more but pays for itself through better rune rolls.
Pouch Upgrades Hit Different
Before using this calculator, I put off getting new pouches because the quests seemed annoying. Big mistake.
My profit increases after each pouch upgrade:
- Got medium pouch: +18k per hour
- Got large pouch: +35k per hour
- Got giant pouch: +31k per hour
That large pouch upgrade alone was worth more than an extra combat level for slayer. Wish I’d known this earlier.
The calculator shows exactly how much each pouch is worth at your level. Makes those tedious quests feel way more worthwhile when you see the GP increase.
Level Breakpoints Are Real
Through messing around with the calculator at different levels, I noticed some interesting patterns:
Level 44-55: Okay money, nature runes start showing up regularly Level 56-65: Pretty good profits, law runes become common Level 66-75: Really solid money, death runes and bloods possible Level 76+: Best ZMI profits available
The jump at level 56 was huge for me. Suddenly I was getting way more law runes per trip, and those things are worth decent money. Went from 180k per hour to 240k per hour just from leveling up.
My Actual ZMI Numbers
Let me give you some real data from my recent sessions:
Level 63 RC, Large Pouch, Mixed Essence:
- Made about 9,200 GP per trip
- Did 24 trips in an hour (I’m not super efficient)
- Total profit: 221k per hour
Level 68 RC, Giant Pouch, Pure Essence + Teleports:
- Made about 10,800 GP per trip
- Did 29 trips in an hour
- Total profit: 313k per hour
The level 68 session was when death runes were expensive, so that boosted things. But even on average days, the profits were solid.
Why I Actually Like ZMI Now
Used to hate Runecrafting because every guide said you lose money until blood runes. This calculator proved that wrong. ZMI can be decent money starting in the 50s if you do it right.
What changed my mind:
- Realized I was making 200k+ per hour while getting XP
- Understood that pouch upgrades were actually worth doing
- Learned that inventory choice affects profits way more than I thought
- Started timing my sessions around rune prices
Now I actually do ZMI sessions for money, not just XP. Wild concept for Runecrafting.
Market Timing Matters More Than I Thought
One thing this calculator taught me is how much rune prices affect everything. Death runes, law runes, and nature runes make up most of your profit at mid levels.
Best times for ZMI that I’ve noticed:
- After big updates when people need lots of runes
- During PvP tournaments when death rune demand spikes
- Weekend evenings when more people are playing
- When new bosses or content require specific runes
I’ve seen my hourly profits swing from 200k to 380k just because death runes went up in price. The calculator adjusts for current prices, so you can see when it’s worth doing ZMI vs other money makers.
Mistakes I Made Before This Calculator
Looking back, I wasted so much time and money on ZMI before finding this tool:
Mistake 1: Used small pouches until level 58 because I was too lazy to do quests.
Mistake 2: Never tried daeyalt essence because I thought it was a waste of money.
Mistake 3: Did ZMI during dead hours when rune prices were terrible.
Mistake 4: Didn’t realize how much my setup was costing me in potential profits.
Each of these probably cost me millions of GP over the months I was doing ZMI wrong.
Comparing ZMI to Other Money Methods
The calculator helps you figure out if ZMI is actually worth your time compared to other things you could be doing.
At my level 68 RC:
- ZMI: 280k per hour + great RC XP
- Gargoyles: 320k per hour + combat XP
- Blast furnace: 450k per hour + smithing XP
- Green dragons: 200k per hour + combat XP
So ZMI isn’t the best money available, but it’s competitive while giving progress toward better RC methods later.
When I was level 58, ZMI was actually better than most of the PvM I could do. Made more sense to do ZMI than struggle with low-level bossing.
My Current ZMI Strategy
These days I check this calculator before every ZMI session. Takes like 20 seconds to see if the profits look decent.
If rune prices are good, I’ll knock out a few hours. If they’re trash, I’ll do something else or wait for prices to recover.
My typical ZMI routine now:
- Check calculator for current profit rates
- Buy supplies if numbers look good
- Do 75-120 trips depending on my mood
- Compare actual results to what calculator predicted
The predictions are usually pretty close, maybe 10-20% off my actual results. Close enough to be useful for planning.
The Essence Choice Dilemma
This calculator really opened my eyes to the essence decision. I always thought pure essence was obviously better because it’s cheaper.
Pure essence: Cheaper per trip, lower XP, slower progression Daeyalt essence: More expensive, better XP, faster level ups Mixed approach: Balance of cost and progression
I tested all three approaches at level 65:
Pure essence only: 240k per hour profit Mixed essence: 220k per hour profit short-term, but faster leveling Daeyalt heavy: 180k per hour profit, fastest XP gains
The mixed approach won out for me. Slightly lower profits in the short run, but I hit level 70 way faster and now my profits are higher overall.
Real Talk About ZMI Expectations
This calculator doesn’t make ZMI into Vorkath-level money. Let’s be realistic here. But it does show that ZMI can be solid money for mid-level accounts while giving great XP.
My ZMI profit progression:
- Level 50: 140k per hour
- Level 60: 210k per hour
- Level 70: 320k per hour
- Level 75: 380k per hour
The progression is real. Each level makes a difference, and the calculator shows you exactly what to expect.
Why This Tool Is Actually Useful
Most RC calculators focus on XP rates or assume you’re doing single rune types. This one actually cares about ZMI profit, which is what most people want to know.
It factors in current rune prices, your exact setup, and gives realistic profit estimates. No more guessing whether ZMI is worth your time.
Best part? It updates with market prices. So when death runes spike, you can see immediately that ZMI just became way more profitable.
Bottom Line on ZMI Profits
This calculator proved that ZMI isn’t just an XP waste with terrible money. Done right, it’s actually decent profit while giving some of the best RC XP rates in the game.
The key is optimizing your setup and timing your sessions. Pure essence when you’re broke, mixed essence for balanced progression, teleports when you want maximum efficiency.
ZMI went from something I tolerated for XP to something I actually look forward to. Making 300k per hour while getting great XP feels pretty good compared to most other RC methods.