OSRS Giants Foundry Strategy Guide for Maximum XP and Rewards

The Giants’ Foundry in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a dynamic Smithing minigame that offers players a fun and rewarding way to train their Smithing skill. Introduced after the Sleeping Giants quest, this minigame tasks you with forging massive swords for Kovac, earning Smithing XP, gold, and Foundry Reputation along the way. Whether you’re an Ironman or a main account player, mastering the Giants’ Foundry can significantly boost your Smithing levels while keeping your bank account healthy. This guide dives into the best strategies to optimize your experience, covering everything from gear setups to alloy choices and gameplay tips.

Before diving into advanced strategies, let’s cover the essentials. The Giants’ Foundry, located beneath the Giants’ Plateau, requires completion of the Sleeping Giants quest and a minimum Smithing level of 15. You’ll work with Kovac to craft swords by selecting molds, smelting bars, and refining preforms using various tools. Your goal is to produce high-quality swords to maximize rewards.

Key Requirements

• Quest: Complete Sleeping Giants (short and beginner-friendly).
• Smithing Level: 15 (boostable via quests like The Knight’s Sword for quick early levels).
• Items: Metal bars (bronze to rune, depending on your level) or smithed items, plus a bucket or Ice Gloves for handling preforms.

How It Works

The process involves several steps:

1. Commission: Speak to Kovac to receive a sword commission (e.g., “broad and spiked”).
2. Mold Selection: Choose a mold that matches the commission for a higher mold score.
3. Crucible: Fill the crucible with 28 bars or equivalent smithed items.
4. Pouring: Pour molten metal into the mold to create a preform.
5. Refinement: Use tools (Trip Hammer, Grindstone, Polishing Wheel) to refine the preform within specific temperature ranges.
6. Delivery: Hand the finished sword to Kovac for XP, gold, and reputation.

Optimizing Gear and Inventory

Your gear and inventory setup can make or break your efficiency in the Giants’ Foundry. Since the minigame involves running between stations, weight reduction and specific equipment are key.

Recommended Gear

Smiths’ Uniform: This set, purchasable with Foundry Reputation, is a game-changer. Each piece gives a 20% chance to speed up progress per machine tick, and the full set guarantees it, boosting XP by about 15%. Combine Smiths’ Gloves with Ice Gloves for seamless preform handling.

Weight-Reducing Clothing: While Kovac restores 50% run energy after each sword, wearing lightweight gear like the Graceful outfit helps if you’re carrying heavier preforms or have lower Agility. At 75 Agility, you can wear up to 15 kg of gear without energy issues, but Graceful is still useful for lower levels.

Inventory Setup

A typical inventory might include:

• Metal Bars: 28 bars per sword (e.g., 14 mithril + 14 steel for mid-level players).
• Ice Gloves or Bucket: Ice Gloves are preferred for convenience.
• Optional: Extra bars or smithed items (e.g., platebodies) for Ironmen using loot from Slayer or PvM.

Pro Tip: Avoid smithed items unless they’re “free” (e.g., from Slayer drops). Using bars directly yields more XP and saves time compared to smithing items first, which reduces bar value in the crucible.

Choosing the Best Alloys

The alloy you use—combinations of two metal bars—directly impacts your sword’s quality, XP, cost, and difficulty. Balancing these factors is crucial for efficiency.

Alloy Selection Strategy

Sword quality is determined by mold score plus metal score (10–199 range). Higher quality means more XP and rewards but increases difficulty (more refinement phases). Here’s a breakdown of popular alloys:

Alloy	Metal Score	Difficulty	XP per Sword (Avg)	Cost (GE, Apr 2025)	Best For
14 Steel + 14 Mithril	~59	Medium	~10,500	~12,000 GP	Mid-level (40–60 Smithing)
19 Steel + 9 Mithril	~59	Medium	~10,500	~10,000 GP	Cost-conscious players
14 Adamant + 14 Rune	~90	High	~14,000	~50,000 GP	High-level (70+ Smithing)
18 Mithril + 10 Adamant	~70	Medium-High	~12,000	~20,000 GP	Balanced XP and cost

Tips for Alloy Choice

• Mid-Level Players: Stick to 14 steel + 14 mithril or 19 steel + 9 mithril for a good balance of XP (up to 85k/hr) and affordability.
• High-Level Players: Use 14 adamant + 14 rune for maximum XP (up to 100k/hr), but expect higher costs and click intensity.
• Ironmen: Use bars from Mining or PvM drops (e.g., mithril from Motherlode Mine, adamant from Slayer). Avoid smithing items first, as it’s less efficient.
• Low Difficulty Preference: Alloys with a metal score below 120 (e.g., steel/mithril mixes) reduce phases, making refinement easier with larger error margins.

Warning: Don’t smith bars into armor/weapons before using them in the Foundry. For example, smithing 42 steel and 42 mithril bars into platelegs yields ~21,697 XP (including Foundry use), but using the bars directly gives ~27,033 XP in less time.

Mastering the Refinement Process

The refinement phase is where skill and strategy shine. You’ll use three tools—Trip Hammer, Grindstone, and Polishing Wheel—to shape the preform, each requiring the sword to be at a specific temperature range. Mistakes (wrong tool or temperature) deduct 10 quality points, lowering rewards.

Temperature Control

Each tool operates best in a temperature range:

• Trip Hammer: High heat (red zone, use lava pool to heat).
• Grindstone: Medium heat (yellow zone, use waterfall to cool).
• Polishing Wheel: Low heat (green zone, use waterfall to cool further).

Strategy: Don’t aim for the exact temperature edge—it’s riskier and can reduce quality. Give yourself a buffer (e.g., slightly above the minimum for each range). Switch tools proactively as the temperature shifts, especially since grinding naturally cools the sword.

Perfect Hits and Crits

Occasionally, the interface border flashes yellow, signaling a chance for a “perfect hit.” Clicking the tool within two cycles during this window skips a refinement phase, saving time and boosting efficiency. With practice, you can hit these consistently, shaving minutes off each sword.

Phase Management

Higher-quality alloys create swords with more phases (up to 7), increasing difficulty. For faster runs, aim for 6-phase swords (e.g., steel/mithril alloys), which take ~4 minutes each and yield solid rewards. For example, a 6-phase sword with a 14:14 steel/mithril alloy can net ~183 reputation points, compared to a 7-phase sword’s marginal gain for more effort.

Maximizing Rewards and Efficiency

Beyond XP, the Giants’ Foundry offers gold and Foundry Reputation, which you can spend in Kovac’s reward shop. Here’s how to get the most out of your runs.

Reward Breakdown

• Smithing XP: Scales with sword quality (up to 14k per sword for high-quality alloys).
• Gold: Deposited directly to your bank (Ultimate Ironmen get it in inventory). Higher quality = more GP.
• Foundry Reputation: Equals sword quality (metal + mold score, minus 5 per mistake). Spend it on molds, Smiths’ Uniform, or unique items like the Colossal Blade.

Reward Shop Priorities

Prioritize these purchases:

1. Smiths’ Uniform: Full set (Gloves, Boots, Top, Bottoms) for 100% bonus progress chance. Gloves first, as they combine with Ice Gloves.
2. Molds: Unlock higher-level molds (e.g., Chopper Forte, Defender Base) to boost mold scores, but skip redundant ones post-78 Smithing.
3. Colossal Blade: Nice for collection logs, but sell it back if you’re grinding reputation for other items.

Efficiency Tips

• Menu Entry Swapper: Use a Runelite plugin to swap right-click options for faster heating/cooling and hand-in interactions.
• Batch Runs: Stockpile bars (e.g., buy steel plates from Al Kharid for low levels) to minimize banking time.
• Ironman Strategy: Use PvM drops like adamant platebodies from Slayer. For early levels, buy mithril claws from Jatizso or steel warhammers near Konar for a 14:14 ratio.
• Practice Crits: Mastering perfect hits can push your hourly XP from 80k to 100k+ with high-level alloys.

By combining the right gear, alloys, and refinement techniques, you can turn the Giants’ Foundry into a Smithing powerhouse. For mid-level players, focus on steel/mithril alloys and the Smiths’ Uniform to hit 85k XP/hr affordably. High-level players can push for 100k XP/hr with adamant/rune, while Ironmen can leverage PvM loot for steady progress. Keep practicing, and you’ll be forging epic swords like a pro in no time!