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OSRS Crafting Guide Ironman

Training Crafting as an Ironman in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a rewarding yet challenging journey due to the self-sufficient nature of the game mode. Unlike regular accounts, Ironmen cannot rely on the Grand Exchange to buy supplies, making resource gathering a key part of the process. This comprehensive guide covers the most efficient methods to train Crafting, from early levels to 99, tailored specifically for Ironman accounts. Whether you’re aiming for teleportation jewelry, dragonhide armor, or just maxing the skill, this guide will help you navigate the grind with practical strategies.
Crafting is essential for Ironmen because it unlocks critical items like teleportation jewelry (e.g., Amulet of Glory, Ring of Dueling), dragonhide armor, and high-level birdhouses for passive Hunter experience. It’s also a requirement for many quests and diaries, such as the Fremennik Diary for battlestaff purchases or Lunar Diplomacy for spellbook access. Since Ironmen must gather all materials themselves, efficient training methods and resource collection are crucial to minimize time and effort.
Key Items Crafted by Ironmen
- Teleportation Jewelry: Rings, necklaces, and amulets for fast travel (e.g., Amulet of Glory at level 80).
- Dragonhide Armor: Ranged gear like Green D’hide Bodies (level 40+).
- Battlestaves: Profitable and decent XP (level 54+).
- Birdhouses: Passive Hunter XP (level 34+).
Early Game Crafting (Levels 1–40)
The early levels of Crafting can be skipped or accelerated through quests and low-requirement methods. Since Ironmen start with limited resources, focusing on free or easily accessible materials is key.
Questing for Quick XP
Completing quests with Crafting experience rewards is the fastest way to bypass the slow early grind. Most of these have low or no skill requirements, making them accessible for fresh accounts.
Quest | Crafting XP | Requirements |
---|---|---|
Elemental Workshop I | 5,000 | 20 Mining, 20 Smithing |
Elemental Workshop II | 7,500 | 30 Magic, 20 Crafting |
Murder Mystery | 1,400 | None |
Sheep Shearer | 150 | None |
By completing these, you can reach level 20–30 quickly, unlocking better training methods like glassblowing. Check the OSRS Wiki for a full list of Crafting XP quests.
Spinning Flax
For players without quest access, spinning flax into bow strings (level 10) is a solid early method. Flax can be collected south of Seers’ Village, and the spinning wheel in the village is nearby. Completing Murder Mystery boosts you to level 11, enough to start this method. It’s low-effort but slow, offering around 15,000 XP per hour.
Mid-Game Crafting (Levels 40–70)
Once you hit level 40, more efficient methods like glassblowing and gem cutting become available. These require gathering specific resources, but they offer significantly better XP rates.
Glassblowing
Glassblowing is the go-to method for Ironmen due to its low cost and accessibility. You’ll need a glassblowing pipe, buckets of sand, and soda ash to craft molten glass, which is then turned into items like unpowered orbs or lantern lenses.
- Resource Gathering: Farm Giant Seaweed on Fossil Island (requires Bone Voyage) for soda ash. Two seaweed patches yield 30–70 seaweed every 40 minutes, converting to 180–420 soda ash when cooked. Buckets of sand can be bought from charter ships (e.g., Port Khazard) near a bank or deposit box.
- XP Rates: Crafting unpowered orbs (level 46) yields up to 180,000 XP per month with minimal effort. Lantern lenses (level 49) offer 98,000 XP per hour, while empty light orbs (level 87) can hit 118,000 XP per hour.
- Tip: Use the Fishing Trawler minigame teleport (level 15 Fishing) to reach Port Khazard quickly. Wear the Graceful outfit to reduce running time.
Gem Cutting
Cutting gems is another fast method, especially if you’re already mining for other skills. Gems like sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and diamonds are obtained from mining gem rocks in Shilo Village (requires Karamja Medium Diary and 40 Mining).
- XP Rates: Cutting gems yields up to 40,000 XP per hour, with mining providing 60,000 Mining XP per hour.
- Setup: Use a chisel and mine 300–800 gems per hour, depending on your Mining level. A charged Amulet of Glory boosts mining speed.
- Bonus: Craft cut gems into jewelry for additional XP and useful teleportation items.
Late-Game Crafting (Levels 70–99)
At higher levels, you can focus on faster XP methods or profitable ones that align with other goals, like making money or gear upgrades.
Battlestaff Crafting
Crafting battlestaves (level 54+) is profitable and offers decent XP. You’ll need unpowered orbs and battlestaves, which can be sourced efficiently with diary rewards.
- Resources: Buy noted battlestaves daily from Zaff’s barrel in Varrock after completing Varrock Diary tasks (7,000 coins each). Water orbs drop from Moons of Peril or can be charged manually at the Water Obelisk.
- XP Rates: Around 100,000 XP per hour, with good profit from alching or selling to NPC shops.
- Tip: Charge orbs one-by-one for faster XP, but it’s more click-intensive.
Dragonhide Crafting
Crafting dragonhide armor (level 57–84) is ideal if you’re killing dragons for Prayer or Slayer. Green, blue, red, and black dragonhides are obtained from monsters like green dragons or Vorkath.
- Process: Tan hides at the Crafting Guild or use the Tan Leather spell (requires Lunar Diplomacy). Craft into bodies or shields and high alch for profit.
- XP Rates: Up to 80,000 XP per hour, but resource-intensive.
- Tip: Combine with Slayer tasks for efficient hide collection.
Alternative and Passive Methods
If you prefer less intensive methods or want to multitask, there are slower but viable options that provide Crafting XP alongside other benefits.
Shades of Mort’ton Minigame
Repairing the temple in Shades of Mort’ton offers 5,000–6,000 Crafting XP per hour, plus 15,000 Prayer XP and 240,000 coins per hour. It’s low-effort and self-sustaining, ideal for AFK training.
Guardians of the Rift
The Guardians of the Rift minigame provides passive Crafting XP through mining dense essence blocks. You’ll gain around 15,000 Crafting XP per 100,000 Runecraft XP when crafting blood runes. It’s engaging and profitable, with rewards like the colossal pouch.
Birdhouse Runs
Regular birdhouse runs (level 34+) provide small amounts of Crafting XP that add up over time. This is a passive method best combined with Hunter training.
Tips for Efficient Crafting
To maximize your Crafting training as an Ironman, follow these strategies:
- Plan Resource Gathering: Use calculators like OldSchool.tools to determine how many materials you need for your target level.
- Combine Skills: Mine gems or kill dragons to gather materials while training Mining or Slayer.
- Use Diaries: Complete Varrock and Karamja Diaries for access to battlestaves and gem rocks.
- Optimize Teleports: Use Amulet of Glory, Fairy Rings, or minigame teleports to reduce travel time.
- High Alch Products: Alch crafted items like dragonhide bodies or battlestaves to fund other skills.
Training Crafting as an Ironman requires careful planning and resource management, but with the right methods, you can reach 99 efficiently. Start with quests to skip early levels, transition to glassblowing or gem cutting for mid-game progress, and use battlestaves or dragonhide for late-game XP and profit. Passive methods like Guardians of the Rift or Shades of Mort’ton can supplement your training for a more relaxed approach. With persistence, you’ll unlock powerful jewelry, armor, and quest requirements to push your Ironman account further in OSRS.