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OSRS Mermaid Tears Per Hour Ultimate Guide
In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), Mermaid Tears are a unique currency found in the underwater section of Fossil Island. They’re earned through the Underwater Agility and Thieving activity, offering players a chance to train skills, gather rewards, and potentially profit. This comprehensive guide dives into how many Mermaid Tears you can collect per hour, strategies to maximize efficiency, and tips to make the most of this niche activity. Whether you’re aiming for experience points or items like the Merfolk Trident, we’ve got you covered.
Mermaid Tears are a form of currency exclusive to the underwater area of Fossil Island, obtained by looting chests and clams during the Underwater Agility and Thieving activity. They can be spent at Mairin’s Market on items like the Merfolk Trident, unidentified fossils, seaweed spores, and bowls of fish. Alongside Mermaid Tears, players also collect Glistening Tears, which can be exchanged for Agility and Thieving experience. The activity requires managing oxygen levels, adding a strategic layer to the grind.
Why Collect Mermaid Tears?
- Skill Training: Gain Agility and Thieving experience simultaneously.
- Rewards: Purchase unique items like the Merfolk Trident for drift net fishing.
- Fossils: Occasionally obtain unidentified fossils for the Varrock Museum.
- Profit Potential: Items like the Merfolk Trident have Grand Exchange value.
How Many Mermaid Tears Can You Get Per Hour?
The number of Mermaid Tears you can collect per hour depends on your Agility and Thieving levels, familiarity with the activity, and efficiency in managing oxygen. On average, players can expect to gather 170–230 Mermaid Tears per hour, alongside an equal number of Glistening Tears.
Factors Affecting Tears Per Hour
- Skill Levels: Higher Agility and Thieving levels improve success rates and experience scaling.
- Oxygen Management: Efficient use of pufferfish and air bubbles prevents drowning, which costs 10–20 tears.
- Equipment: Flippers increase swim speed, allowing faster navigation to active chests and clams.
- Focus: The activity is click-intensive and RNG-based, requiring attention to maximize efficiency.
Experience Rates at Level 99
| Training Option | Agility XP/Hour | Thieving XP/Hour |
|---|---|---|
| Both Skills | 38,800 | 142,300 |
| Agility Only | 58,200 | 0 |
| Thieving Only | 0 | 213,400 |
Note: These rates assume 220 tears per hour and level 99 in both skills. Lower levels yield less experience.
How to Collect Mermaid Tears Efficiently
To maximize your Mermaid Tears per hour, preparation and strategy are key. The activity takes place in the eastern underwater section of Fossil Island, accessible after completing the Bone Voyage quest. Here’s how to optimize your grind.
Preparation Checklist
- Requirements: Complete Bone Voyage and Skippy and the Mogres quests to access the area and obtain flippers.
- Recommended Levels: 70+ Agility and Thieving for decent success rates.
- Equipment: Equip flippers to swim faster. Optionally, bring a Merfolk Trident to store pufferfish for oxygen.
- Inventory: Keep space for tears and pufferfish. A fishbowl helmet is removed during the activity.
Step-by-Step Strategy
- Enter the Area: Travel to Fossil Island, row to the small island, and dive underwater. Remove your fishbowl helmet at Mairin’s request.
- Locate Active Targets: Every minute, a chest or clam opens, marked by a blinking red or yellow arrow on the minimap. Focus only on these.
- Loot Repeatedly: Search active chests or clams until they close (1 minute). Each successful search (1/8.5 chance) yields one Mermaid Tear and one Glistening Tear, plus a chance for numulites or fossils.
- Manage Oxygen: Catch pufferfish (15% oxygen restore) or use air bubbles (5% every few seconds) before oxygen drops below 20%. Store pufferfish in a Merfolk Trident for convenience.
- Avoid Drowning: If oxygen hits 0%, you lose 10–20 Mermaid Tears and return to the surface.
Pro Tip: Swim closer if the minimap arrow points to the wrong target, as it may briefly glitch.
Maximizing Rewards from Mermaid Tears
Once you’ve collected Mermaid Tears, spend them at Mairin’s Market for rewards. Glistening Tears can be traded for experience, but choosing the right items or experience allocation can make or break your grind’s value.
Mairin’s Market Rewards
| Item | Cost (Mermaid Tears) | Notable Use |
|---|---|---|
| Merfolk Trident | 400 | Drift net fishing, Grand Exchange value (~3.3M coins) |
| Seaweed Spores | 20 | Farming giant seaweed for Crafting |
| Bowl of Fish | 30 | Random fish for Cooking or Fishing XP |
| Unidentified Fossils | 100–300 | Varrock Museum displays |
Note: The Merfolk Trident offers the best coin-to-tear ratio, with each tear worth ~8,235 coins based on its Grand Exchange price.
Glistening Tear Options
- Both Skills: Best overall value, balancing Agility and Thieving XP (176.4 Agility and 646.8 Thieving XP per tear at level 99).
- Agility Only: 264.6 XP per tear at level 99, ideal for slow-to-train Agility.
- Thieving Only: 970.2 XP per tear at level 99, great for faster Thieving gains.
Warning: Only exchange up to 700 Glistening Tears at once, as excess tears are discarded.
Tips and Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The Underwater Agility and Thieving activity is focus-intensive and RNG-dependent, but these tips can help you avoid common mistakes and boost your Mermaid Tears per hour.
Top Efficiency Tips
- Use Flippers: They significantly increase swim speed, letting you reach targets faster.
- Charge the Merfolk Trident: Store up to 10 pufferfish for quick oxygen restoration.
- High Levels Matter: At 99 Agility and Thieving, you’ll see better success rates and XP.
- Bank Regularly: Deposit tears to avoid losing more than Rettung 20 if you drown.
Common Pitfalls
- Ignoring Oxygen: Don’t let oxygen drop below 20% without a plan to restore it.
- Looting Closed Targets: Only loot active chests or clams to save time.
- Overstocking Tears: Exchanging more than 700 Glistening Tears at once wastes them.
- Low Levels: Below 70 Agility/Thieving, success rates and XP drop significantly.
Troubleshooting Issues
If the minimap arrow points to the wrong chest or clam, wait a moment or swim closer to stabilize it. Check the OSRS news for hotfixes if issues persist.
With these strategies, you can hit the upper end of 170–230 Mermaid Tears per hour, making your time underwater both rewarding and efficient. Dive into Fossil Island’s depths, collect those pearls, and enjoy the unique grind!