Ironman Mode/Strategies

Introduction


Ironman mode denies access to the Grand Exchange as well as trading with other players. This means many of the skilling supplies used have to be obtained by bossing or gathering. A lot of the strategies in this guide are not useful in terms of account progression for a normal account, but instead catered to Ironman/Hardcore Ironman accounts. Quests play a big part in the early game, as many of experience rewards allow the player to jump multiple levels at a time. This guide will show many of the skilling and combat techniques required for effective Ironman progression.

Due to Ironman players not having access to the Grand Exchange, gold does not have a huge role in obtaining items. However, gold is still needed to cover instance fees, deposit money into the coffer for Managing Miscellania, purchase spirit shards for summoning, convert logs into planks, etc. It is recommended to unlock High Level Alchemy as quick as possible, and to unlock the ability to enter the nature altar as early as possible. Although the main source of money comes from high alching, many items such as rune arrows or rune javelins have a lower alch value. It is recommended to sell items like these to a general store.

Early money making
Skills such as Summoning and Construction require money to level efficiently. Other things, such as boss instances and Miscellania will also come in handy for the future. Some of the no-requirement money-making methods are going to be used here, as ironmen cannot access the Grand Exchange.
 * Opening the Stronghold of Security chests for the first time for 10,000 gp.
 * Killing level 1 trolls in the Abandoned Burthorpe mine. These monsters drop a drape, which sells for 75 coins in the store, along with bronze 2h swords, and chainbodies. This is a good place to start training, as you can kill the trolls fast, along with getting a cape with designated stats.
 * Corpse Spiders (Level 4) can be killed in the Lumbridge Catacombs for their spider silk, which can be crafted into spider silk robe bottom at 23 Crafting and sold to the General store for 450 coins, or high alched for 900 coins.

Mid-level money making

 * Slayer contracts are an excellent source of money and a small amount of slayer exp.
 * Gargoyles are a fantastic moneymaker, with many alchables, averaging 300,000 coins and over, along with noted bars, providing a good source of smithing experience, but requiring 75 slayer.
 * Aberrant spectres are a great source of seeds, herbs, and alchables.
 * Turoth are a fast slayer task, consisting of adamant alchables, herbs, seeds, and uncut gems.
 * Mountain trolls are a good source of nature runes for high alching, along with seeds, and occasionally a granite shield.
 * Aquanites are a good, constant source of medium to high level seeds, herbs, water battlestaves and occasionally sirenic scales.
 * Exiled kalphite guardians have a great Blue charm drop rate, along with many alchables and herbs.

Dailies
These are the recommended dailies for an ironman account:


 * [[File:Daily Challenge map icon.png]] Daily Challenges Extended Herblore > Construction > Dungeoneering > Smithing > Runecrafting > Crafting.
 * [[File:Jack of trades aura.png]] It is highly recommended to unlock the Jack of Trades aura. Use on Herblore > Smithing > Agility > Runecrafting.
 * Fungal growth.png Nemi Forest - 9 different nodes granting experience in Mining, Farming, Prayer, and Dungeoneering. This has no starting requirements.
 * [[File:Stardust.png]] Shooting Star - Collecting and redeeming 200 Stardust grants Mining experience, 50,000 coins and some other useful supplies.
 * [[File:Vis wax.png]] Vis wax - using runes from shops and Barrows. Vis wax requires 50 Runecrafting.
 * [[File:Wicked hood.png]] Wicked hood - Withdrawing up to 175 pure essence at Runecrafting altars and crafted for runes without banking. ([[File:Omni-talisman.png]] Omni-talisman requires at least 101 slayer, completion of Mourning's End Part II, and The Lord of Vampyrium quests. Mud runes > Nature runes > Blood runes
 * [[File:Air rune.png]] Rune shops - Buy runes for vis wax and teleportation/spells. Prioritise elemental runes and soul runes
 * [[File:Feather.png]] Feathers - for training Fletching with Broad arrowheads. 11,000 a day, costing
 * [[File:Broad arrowheads.png]] Buy broad arrowheads from Taverley slayer masters. Bandit Camp's Noterazzo, and slayer masters do not share a shop stock. 9000 arrowheads a day, costing
 * Death chathead.png Soul Reaper task - Requires 50 Combat. Very good slayer experience at lower levels. Points needed for hydrix jewellery.
 * Potion flask.png Potion flask and Crystal flask.pngal flask - Requires 81 Mining and 89 Crafting, completion of As a First Resort for potion flasks; crystal flasks requires Plague's End and As a First Resort.
 * [[File:Incandescent energy 1000.png]] Guthixian Cache for all Divination experience.
 * [[File:Grenwall spikes 5.png]] Big Chinchompa for early Hunter experience, and Grenwall quota tickets
 * [[File:Raw wobbegong.png]] Uncharted Isles - Free travel to your claimed Island, up to 7 Contracts. Woodcutting > Fletching > Fishing > Divination > Cooking.

[[File:Smithing-icon.png]] Smithing

 * Levels 1-29 can be obtained from The Knight's Sword
 * Levels 29-60 can be done in Artisans Workshop with iron or steel burial armour. If only using iron ingots, 60 Smithing requires 2,584 iron ore. Coal can be obtained from Managing Miscellania or Heart of Gielinor.
 * Levels 60-70 can be done with mithril burial armour. Mithril ore can be transmuted from coal requiring 63 Divination, 2 vibrant energy and 3 coal.

Superheat Form at concentrated gold is the standard method of training Smithing as an ironman. This should be done with perfect juju mining potion, goldsmith gauntlets, lava titan and an augmented crystal pickaxe, perked with Honed 5 and  Furnace 3


 * Extend adamant or runite ceremonial sword daily challenges. 

[[File:Mining-icon.png]] Mining

 * Levels 15-49 - Mine 2,584 iron ore underneath Falador for iron/steel ingots. Used in Artisans Workshop. Can also be obtained from the crystal chest in Taverley.
 * At 45 Mining, granite can be mined, and should be banked (5kg only), as granite is required to make granite lobsters, which are used for Summoning. Around 30,000 granite (500g) is required, if done only through granite lobsters.
 * Levels 50-77 - Mine concentrated sandstone rocks.
 * Levels 77-80 - Mine concentrated coal rocks.
 * Levels 80-99 - Mine concentrated gold rocks with Superheat form.

If you achieve 99 Smithing through means other than Living Rock Caverns, you can finish 99 Mining at seren stones or alaea crabs.

[[File:Prayer-icon.png]] Prayer

 * Levels 1-40 - can be obtained from The Nexus. It is recommended to do The Restless Ghost as early as possible.
 * Levels 40-75 - Nemi Forest and monthly God Statues
 * Levels 75-99 - A combination of vyres, dragon bones (from Vindicta), airut bones (from Liberation of Mazcab), Hefin cleansing crystals and Hefin Agility Course during Hefin Voice of Seren, Nemi Forest and God Statues.

[[File:Farming-icon.png]] Farming
Levels 1-47 - Nemi Forest. Alternatively, you can purchase seeds from Head Farmer Jones, up to strawberry.
 * ''Supercompost can be created from pineapples bought from Arhein's Store in Catherby, or picked from pineapple plants north of Karamja lodestone.


 * Levels 47-51 - Grow watermelons using seeds from Temple Trekking.
 * Levels 51 - After completing Plague's End, you can purchase pineapple saplings from Coeden in the Crwys district.
 * Levels 75 - Grow magic trees from seeds that you get from high-end bosses.


 * Grow any herb seeds you get, prioritizing herbs used in overload potions

[[File:Crafting-icon.png]]Crafting

 * Levels 1-9 - Spin flax into bowstring
 * Levels 9-23/99 - Craft protoleather bodies from Protomastyx hide from the Smuggler in Dungeoneering. High alch charms and other drops for rusty coins.
 * Levels 23-75 - Craft tiaras from silver bars awarded from Temple Trekking
 * Levels 75-99 - Play harps in Prifdinnas during Ithell Voice of Seren

[[File:Construction-icon.png]]Construction
''Complete Throne of Miscellania and Royal Trouble as early as possible, putting 10 subjects into hardwood. Mahogany logs are more construction exp per day, but cost a lot more. If money is not an issue, it is highly suggested to pick mahogany. Converting mahogany logs into planks costs 155,500 more than teaks, but grant 1,470 more experience. After 114 Invention, mahogany logs can be converted to planks at a very small cost of divine charges, making mahogany logs a very viable option for every ironman that will get 114 Invention before 99 Construction. Complete the Deadliest Catch and Monkey Madness Quests
 * Levels 1-5 Complete The Jack of Spades quest.
 * Levels 5-16 Complete Eyes of Glouphrie and Darkness of Hallowvale quests.
 * Levels 16-20 Complete Perils of Ice Mountain, Bringing home the bacon, and Tower of life quests.
 * Levels 20-22 Sculpt God statues or create oak chairs.
 * Levels 22-33 Construct Oak dining tables.
 * Levels 33-38 Construct Oak larders.
 * Levels 38-63 Construct Teak tables.
 * Levels 63-99 Construct Driftwood prawnbrokers
 * Levels 73-99 Construct Flotsam prawnbrokers
 * Extend mahogany flatpack daily challenges. 

Where to gather ingredients/items

 * [[File:Coal.png]] Coal - Managing Miscellania or Heart of Gielinor.
 * [[File:Snape grass.png]] Snape grass - Killing waterfiends > aberrant spectres > fungal magi.
 * Red spiders' eggs.png Red spiders' eggs - Spidines (Get sardines from Port Sarim), killing vyres.
 * [[File:Limpwurt root.png]] Limpwurt root - corporeal beast, Iorwerth workers, vyres.
 * [[File:Raw shark.png]] Raw shark - Heart of Gielinor, fishing in the Fishing Guild, waterfiends (for The Fremennik Trials).
 * [[file:Raw rocktail.png]] Raw rocktail - Telos > Rise of the Six > Vorago > Raids > Divine rocktail bubbles > fishing rocktails.
 * [[File:Crushed nest.png]] Bird's nest - Telos > Nihils > Kree' arra > Meilyr worker > Managing Miscellania > giant mole bits.
 * [[File:Bucket of sand.png]] Bucket of sand - Moss golems > 120 free buckets of sand from Bert after Ardougne Elite Tasks, seaweed from waterfiends. Use the Superglass Make lunar spell.
 * [[File:Bowstring.png]] Bowstring - Temple Trekking > Cadarn worker > spinning flax.
 * [[File:Silver bar.png]] Silver bar - Temple Trekking (For 74 Crafting and under).
 * [[File:White berries.png]] White berries - Corporeal beast, white berry bushes.
 * [[File:Magic seed.png]] Magic seed - Araxxor > Nex > Bird's nests > Kalphite King.
 * [[File:Potato cactus.png]] Potato cactus - Fungal Magi, up to 40 noted potato cacti can be obtained daily from the Weird Old Man, depending on Desert Tasks completion.
 * [[File:Dragon scale dust.png]] Dragon scale dust - Meilyr worker
 * [[File:Pure essence.png]] Pure essence - Capsarius in Sunken Pyramid > abyssal demons > black demons > greater demons. Check the rune chest in Wizards' Tower for free pure essence every Runecrafting level.
 * [[File:Vial of water.png]] Vial of water - Meilyr Clan Store and Noterazzo sell Vial of water packs

Invention components

 * [[File:Simple parts.png]] Simple - maple logs from Managing Miscellania, gold bars from Living Rock Caverns
 * [[File:Powerful components.png]] Powerful - spirit terrorbird pouches, insulated boots
 * [[File:Swift components.png]] Swift - claws and knives from Martin Thwait, smithing claws
 * [[File:Subtle components.png]] Subtle - scimitars from smithing or shops, smithing scimitars
 * [[File:Crafted parts.png]] Crafted - broad arrows, spirit terrorbird pouches, spears
 * [[File:Base parts.png]] Base - swords in Varrock and Falador
 * [[File:Strong components.png]] Strong - fletch shieldbows
 * [[File:Dextrous components.png]] Dextrous - fletch shortbows, sword shop in Varrock
 * [[File:Evasive components.png]] Evasive - Dragonhide chaps
 * [[File:Enhancing components.png]] Enhancing - slayer rings
 * [[File:Precious components.png]] Precious - slayer rings
 * [[File:Protective components.png]] Protective - Dragonhide chaps, mithril platebodies, adamant chainbodies

Stores with a lot of armour and weapons in stock
 * White Knight Master Armoury ''(1300 Black knight kills after Wanted! highly recommended)
 * Warriors' Guild Armoury
 * Lowe's Archery Emporium

Summoning Ingredients

 * (46)[[File:Pyrelord pouch.png]]Tinderbox - Stock of 60,000 tinderboxes from Ignatius's Hot Deals south of Seers' Village.
 * (49)[[File:Bloated leech pouch.png]]Raw beef - Stock of 100 raw beef from Rufus's Meat Emporium in Canifis.
 * (52)[[File:Spirit terrorbird pouch.png]]Raw bird meat - Stock of 6 raw bird meat packs (300 raw bird meat) from Chargurr in Oo'glog.
 * (64)[[File:Stranger plant pouch.png]]Bagged plant 1 - Stock of 1000 from Garden Centre in Falador
 * (70)[[File:Ravenous locust pouch.png]]Pot of flour - Stock of 500 from Wydin's Food Store
 * (88)[[File:Unicorn stallion pouch.png]]Unicorn horn - Commander Zilyana or killing Unicow under the Tower of Life.
 * (96)[[File:Pack yak pouch.png]]Yak-hide - Stock of 1,000 from Vanligga Gastfrihet on Jatizso.
 * (99)[[File:Steel titan pouch.png]]Steel platebody- Celestial dragons, Salawa akhs, and a stock of 10 from Horvik's Armour Shop.
 * [[File:Gold charm.png]] Gold charm - - Hellhounds
 * [[File:Crimson charm.png]] Crimson charm - Waterfiends
 * [[File:Green charm.png]] Green charm - Mithril dragons
 * [[File:Blue charm.png]] Blue charm - Exiled kalphites

Mort myre fungus detail.png Mort myre fungus gathering

 * Deadliest Catch and Nature Spirit quest and Medium Morytania Tasks required


 * 1) Wield an ivandis flail/silver sickle (b) and Morytania legs 2, bring 2 prayer renewal flask/prayer flasks.
 * 2) Teleport to Morytania via fairy ring code  and running west, or by opening the gate south-west of Canifis and running south.
 * 3) Stand just south of the deposit chest in between the rotten logs (as pictured) and cast Bloom.
 * The sickle and Ivandis flail can be keybound on the ability bar

This can be up to 2500 Mort myre fungus an hour.

Papaya fruit detail.png Papaya fruit gathering

 * Fruit bats are summoning familiars that require 69 summoning to create and summon

Papayas are used in creating adrenaline potions or for protecting palm trees.
 * 1) Create fruit bat pouchs, and convert some of them into scrolls.
 * It is recommended to create atleast 20 times more scrolls than pouches


 * 1) Teleport to Mazcab via Grouping System interface, Mazcab Teleport spell, or by simply walking to Wizard Chambers.
 * 2) Run to Kanatah (East) and stand near the banker (as pictured).
 * 3) Summon a fruit bat and cast Fruitfall
 * 4) You can buy summoning potions to replenish summoning points
 * 5) Buying all the potions can be very useful for making extreme potions and ultimately overloads
 * ''Buying every potion from the shop costs an hour

This can be up to 600 papaya fruits an hour

Teak logs detail.png Cutting teak logs

 * Deadliest Catch and Monkey Madness quest required, as well as 35 Woodcutting. It is highly recommended to have the highest tiered hatchet available to you.
 * Alternative to Deadliest Catch, the Evil Tree Distraction and Diversion log-banking bonus can be used instead.

A teak tree grants 85 Woodcutting and 90 Construction experience per log cut.
 * 1) Bring a hatchet, preferably an augmented crystal hatchet with Refined and Polishing perks
 * 2) A beaver familiar with extra pouches (and super restore), decorated woodcutting urns, lumberjack clothing and lumberjack aura are also very helpful.
 * 3) After a full inventory, run to the bank chest and deposit the logs. The area running back to the trees is a straightway allowing full surge capability.
 * 4) There is a small chance that you will cut a special teak log. Two of these special teak logs can be exchanged to a sawmill operator along with 26 normal teak logs for 26 teak planks, for free.

Vyrelord.png Killing vyres
Vyres are essential to an ironman account, as it is a great supply of Herblore supplies and money, as well as combat, Prayer, Firemaking, Farming (with seedicide), and Invention experience.

For lower levels For free prayer and health restoration, you can run to the bank and prayer altar to the north.
 * 1) Equip a Blisterwood weapon or Sunspear and your Darkmeyer disguise.
 * 2) Find and kill stray vyres (possible locations marked by red squares).
 * 3) Stand in the middle of the 3 vyres that spawn east of the tree.
 * 4) Prioritise AoE abilities such as hurricane (melee), bombardment (range), and dragonbreath (magic).
 * 5) It is recommended to enable auto-retaliate and area looting
 * This method is around 85,000 prayer experience an hour.

For higher levels These experience rates are assuming Soulsplit and Morytania legs 4 are used
 * 1) Set up your seedicide to crush seeds like belladonna seeds, poison ivy seeds, and cactus seeds. Other seeds are optional.
 * 2) Stand on the tile north-west of the tree as pictured (this is so all 6 vyres can reach you).
 * 3) Prioritise AoE's such as corruption blast or hurricane.
 * 4) It is recommended to enable auto-retaliate and area looting.
 * It is important to not move from the square. In order to pick up loot, drop an item below you and area loot your item back, along with surrounding loot.
 * This method is around 320,000 Prayer experience an hour.

Recommended Equipment

 * Sunspear (melee).png Augmented Sunspear - Cheap, hybrid, augmentable, easily replaceable and the highest tier weapon for vyres make this a popular choice for Invention training and mid-level slayer.
 * Berserk blood essence.png Berserk blood essence - good pocket slot item for boosting offensive stats, used before overloads.
 * Holy wrench.png Holy wrench - main pocket slot item while slaying, for preserving prayer and super restore potions.
 * [[File:Morytania legs 4.png]] Morytania Elite Tasks - 50%+ increase in Prayer experience
 * [[File:Corruption aura.png]][[File:Salvation aura.png]][[File:Harmony aura.png]] Corruption, savation, and harmony auras - Every 500 prayer experience gained, 3-10% (depending on tier) of prayer points are restored.
 * Perks - Aftershock 3  Precise 5 Scavenging 3  Biting 3


 * Fire and Nature runes in rune pouch for high alchemy

[[File:Decorated fishing urn.png]]Creating decorated urns
Urns can be a great way of augmenting skilling experience per hour, and a recent update to the Ithell Voice of Seren allowed the soft clay rock to never deplete, allowing quick soft clay gathering. Additional items and bonus's such as Bracelet of clay, Varrock armour 4, and Perfect juju mining potion allow even greater yield to soft clay. The stone spirit has a 10% chance of spawning a stone spirit, and when spawned, automatically sends the soft clay to the bank for the next 30 seconds. An additional ore is sent to the bank, ranging from copper to runite, runite being the rarest. On top of banking for 30 seconds and an extra ore, charges for the bracelet of clay are not consumed. It is recommended to bring 10 bracelets with you, and dropping any soft clay you get with your action bar, only keeping the soft clay that has been sent to the bank.

This can be up to 4000 soft clay an hour, and depletes about 10 bracelets of clay.

After the soft clay has been gathered, it is now time to create urns. Down below is a calculator, which will tell you approximately how many urns you need to create for the inputted goal level (automatically set to 99). The calculator does not take into account any bonus experience you may have, such as a skilling outfit or the wise perk.

It is highly recommended to make Cooking, Fishing, Runecrafting, Farming and Woodcutting urns first before any other urns.

Urn calculator
Type in any skill level and you will see a list of all the highest tiered urns and the amount needed to achieve your goal level.

Dungeoneering Crafting
Up to 100k Crafting experience an hour along with 100k Dungeoneering experience, with some experience in a multitude of skills such as Woodcutting, Fishing, Fletching, Summoning and combat. It is recommended to buy the Scroll of dexterity as early as possible to save hides while doing this method.


 * 1) Start a complexity 6 small floor and complete the dungeon while picking up drops, cutting trees, fishing, opening the chests, and infusing/high alching summoning pouches.
 * 2) Make as many rusty coins as possible. This is to purchase Protomastyx hide from the Smuggler
 * 3) Purchase some thread and an inventory of Protomastyx hide. Craft 5 Protoleather body and resell to the Smuggler, repurchasing another inventory.
 * The hide can be keybound to the ability bar speeding up the process of crafting a large quantity of hides at a time.

Runecrafting air runes
=Equipment=

=Boss strategies= Ironmen can't purchase most of their equipment so they may kill bosses outside of the recommended stats and gear. To make up for this, different strategies are sometimes used.

Dagannoth Rex
Out of all the Dagannoth Kings, Dagannoth Rex is the easiest to safe-spot. This makes it possible for lower levels to get easy kills. His notable drops are, warrior ring, berserker ring, some pieces of rock-shell armour, and mithril plateskirt which is used for clue scroll (medium). Not only those drops, but all Dagannoth Kings drop dragon hatchet, and dagannoth hide. Recommended gear
 * Magic power armour
 * Fire spells
 * High Level Alchemy
 * Shield for Resonance
 * Emergency teleport (Ectophial recommended)
 * Couple logs, for cremating the dagannoth bones

To start a Dagannoth Kings instance, it's recommended to use the fastest spawn speed as only one of the Kings is to be killed. Upon entering the instance, quickly move to spot 1, surging along the way. Attack Dagannoth Rex when he spawns with Combust, and move back into spot 1, wait, and use Resonance to heal off his first, and hopefully only successful hit. Move into spot 2 once Rex is in range, indicated by his hitting the player. Kill him without worry, as the other Kings won't come into attack range. Once Rex is dead, collect the loot and either wait in the complete safety of spot 2 for around 10 seconds then move to spot 1, or move directly into spot 1. Either way, before Rex spawns again, use Regenerate to convert your remaining adrenaline into health, or stall your adrenaline for the next kill by killing the minions in the water or using Anticipation, Freedom, and Preparation. If done right you shouldn't end up using any food besides the occasional agro by one of the other two Kings. If that does happen, it's advised to quickly exit via the entrance while using protect from ranged, or protect from magic if the more damaging, Dagannoth Prime happens to attack on the way out.

Kiting Bosses
Kiting is when you run away from a melee-based opponent being out of reach of the target, resulting in them being unable to attack you. This is most effective when used at bosses that only melee, but still can be used on bosses that attack with multiple styles. An under-geared Ironman would want to do this because it allows them to continue to kill a boss for extended periods of time with minimal supply use, albeit slower kills due to the inability to take full advantage of abilities such as Sunshine or Asphyxiate. Popular bosses to kite as a low level Ironman are:
 * Barrows Brothers
 * Beastmaster Durzag
 * General Graardor
 * K'ril Tsutsaroth
 * Commander Zilyana

Beastmaster Durzag's primary method of attacking is by throwing melee punches and slams, increasing enrage to the aggression holder if multiple hits are dealt. He can also send range attacks to many of the players in the arena, including to the person holding aggression if the beastmaster can't hit them, but these attacks do not increase enrage. A player can take advantage of this by running around the arena to substantially decrease the enrage stack gain. If the player has not been hit by a melee attack for more than 15 seconds, the enrage resets back to 0. This allows a single player to tank Beastmaster Durzag for a long period of time without the need of a backup tank.

Recommended gear

 * An armor piece augmented with Enhanced Devoted 3 perk.
 * An armor piece augmented with Mobile perk.
 * High defence armor, like or
 * Oo'glog spa infinite run energy boost
 * A mint cake [[File:Mint cake.png]].
 * Arcane spirit shield or any other Spirit shield equivalent, in conjunction with Penance aura.
 * High healing food, such as and.