Mining

Mining is a skill that is very important on an Ironman account at later levels but it often not trained early on. I recommend that you mine copper and tin from levels 1-10 at the Lumbridge mine turning each inventory into bronze bars as you go and then banking. This will take some time, but it is worth it.

Remember that you can purchase upgraded pickaxes from Nurmof in the Dwarven Mines near Varrock. Never mine without the highest pickaxe you can use (if you cannot wield it, just keep it in your inventory and it will be used automatically).

Next, you will want to head to Varrock, and mine iron, banking between each trip at the East Varrock bank (the one above Aubury's Rune shop). At level 30, mine about 1,000 pure essence after the completion of the Rune Mysteries quest.

I highly recommend completing the 'Abyss' minigame which is started by talking to the Mage of Zamorak (the guy wearing red clothes) at Level 7 wilderness just north of Edgeville. Be careful of PKers. An important thing to note about the Abyss is that if you wear meele armour, you will receive huge amounts of damage, so always use the best leather armour you can use (eg. leather body, dragonhide armour, etc).

If you are able to complete the Death to the Dorgeshuun quest, you can quickly mine iron by going to the Dorgeshuun stronghold and then banking at the Recipe for Disaster chest in the Lumbridge cellar. This is much quicker than mining Iron at Varrock.

At level 45 mining or so, head over to Camelot and start using the coal trucks (pictured above) to mine coal, and then teleport to Camelot and bank, emptying all the coal and repeating. I'd get to about level 55 mining and you should be good. When you make steel bars with your iron and coal ores, you have a few options:

1.) Train smithing with the highest item you can make
2.) Make steel platebodies (which you can high alch)
3.) Make cannonballs (which are useful after the Dwarf Cannon quest). But honestly on an Ironman account, using a cannon is not very XP-efficient.

First Steps

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Create Your Account

When you create your account, proceed through Tutorial Island as normal, but I highly recommend getting level 3 in each stat that you can (woodcutting, smithing, etc.). When you get to the end of Tutorial Island, talk to either Adam or Paul, and ask them to change your Ironman options. You are given the option of a permanent or a PIN-protected Ironman account, but I recommend a permanent one.

When you then arrive in Lumbridge, head right outside the gates of Lumbridge (right next to the Lumbridge guides). Talk to Adam or Paul and ask for your Ironman armour. This has the same stats as iron armour, and thus is very helpful early on. Also, walk a short distance away, drop your mind and air runes on the ground, and get new mind and air runes from the mage, then walk back to your runes and take them back.

Now, I'd recommend setting up the Authenticator as well as setting a PIN on your bank upstairs in the Lumbridge castle. Put all of your items in the bank, and take out your small fishing net, your bronze ax, and your tinderbox. Head down to the river south of Lumbridge and start fishing for shrimp. When you get 24 fish, go chop one log in the swamp nearby (there is a tree near the hut that is next to the frogs). Cook the shrimp, drop the burned ones, and fish more and repeat. Bank two full inventories of cooked shrimp.

What you now want to do, is withdraw your Ironman armour, your crude wood shield, your bronze sword, six cooked shrimp, and go downstairs below the kitchen in the Lumbridge castle, and take the leather boots on the floor. Now, head over to the cows that are north east of Lumbridge. Remember that if you get confused about what east or west are, remember that 'west' rhymes with 'left' and east does not rhyme with left. So therefore, west = left.

Set your combat style to defensive, and train defense to level 5. Then train attack to level 5. Then defense to level 10. Now train strength to level 10, and then attack to level 20. During this time, collect every cowhide and bone you get (ignore the raw beef). Bury every bone, but bring the cowhides back to the Lumbridge bank and restock your shrimp for more health. But once you are level 10 defense, you won't need to worry about food too much anymore.

Now it is time to do a few quests. I recommend using the OSRS Wiki for guides as it is the most updated guide available. Do the following quests, in any order:

- The Restless Ghost
- Sheep Shearer'
- Imp Catcher (this quest could take 2+ hours, but is very worth it)
- Black Knight's Fortress
- Ernest the Chicken
- Doric's Quest
- Rune Mysteries
- Cook's Assistant

You will now have finally finished the basic things that will make your life as an Ironman significantly more enjoyable. I recommend that if you have not done so already, that you now purchase membership.