Diving Straight into the Forge of Smithing
Picture the glow of a furnace in Varrock, where every hammer strike echoes your progress—it’s not just a skill in Old School RuneScape; it’s a relentless pursuit that can turn raw ore into a badge of honor. As someone who’s spent countless nights melting bars and crafting weapons, I’ve seen players transform from novices fumbling with anvils to masters wielding 99 Smithing like a finely honed blade. This guide cuts through the noise, offering a roadmap packed with actionable steps, real-world examples from the game, and tips that could shave hours off your grind. Whether you’re eyeing that shiny cape or just want to bolster your gear, let’s stoke the flames and get forging.
Grasping the Basics: What Makes Smithing Tick
Smithing in OSRS isn’t merely about bashing metal; it’s a symphony of resource management and timing, where every bar smelted feeds into your XP tally. Think of it as constructing a bridge—one bar at a time, until you’re crossing vast in-game distances with ease. To hit 99, you’ll need to understand XP rates, which can range from a modest 20k per hour at low levels to over 200k once you’re deep in the endgame. I always advise starting with iron bars for their accessibility, but don’t overlook the efficiency of higher-tier metals as you climb.
Key to this is your setup: a reliable furnace like the one in Edgeville for quick banking, and a smelter for turning ore into bars. From my own runs, I recall the frustration of early levels where every mistake feels like a crack in your armor—miss a click, and you’re back at square one. But push through; by level 40, you’ll unlock steel, and that’s when the real momentum builds, like a river gathering speed before a waterfall.
Actionable Steps to Level Up Your Smithing Game
Let’s break this down into digestible phases. Start small and scale up, because rushing can lead to burnout faster than a poorly timed Superheat spell. Here’s a step-by-step approach I’ve refined over years of play:
- Gear up for the early grind: At levels 1-20, focus on bronze items. Grab a pickaxe, mine copper and tin ore, then smelt and smith bars into daggers or medium helms. Aim for about 2,000 XP per hour by staying near a bank—Varrock works wonders here. I once hit level 15 in a single session by chaining this loop, and it felt like unlocking a hidden chest of motivation.
- Bridge the mid-game gap: From 20-50, shift to iron bars. This is where quests like “The Knight’s Sword” shine, offering a XP boost that can catapult you forward. Smelt iron in bulk and craft items like platebodies; it’s tedious, sure, like polishing a stubborn shield, but the XP jumps to 40k per hour. A unique example: Pair this with the Blast Furnace in Keldagrim for a 2x speed-up, but only if you can afford the fees—it’s a game-changer I wish I’d discovered sooner.
- Power through to the elite levels: 50-70 is your steel and mithril phase. Here, efficiency means everything. Use the Superheat Item spell if you’re a mage, turning ore directly into bars and saving trips. Target about 100k XP per hour by mass-producing platebodies. Remember that time I experimented with mithril darts? It netted me an extra 10k XP in a session, proving that variety keeps the grind from feeling like endless echoes in a cave.
- Conquer the final stretch: From 70-99, dive into adamant or rune bars. This is high-stakes territory, where every bar feels like forging a key to the endgame. Aim for rune platebodies at the Anvil in Varrock for peak XP rates. It took me 200 hours total, but incorporating the Dwarf Cannon quest rewards made it fly by, turning what could be a slog into a triumphant march.
Throughout, track your progress with tools like the OSRS Wiki or apps that log XP gains—it’s like having a compass in a foggy forest, guiding you without second-guessing.
Real-World Examples from the Anvils of Adventure
To make this tangible, let’s look at a few non-obvious scenarios. Take my friend who hit 99 by focusing on gold bars for jewelry; it wasn’t the fastest route, but it funded his PVM gear, turning a skill grind into a profitable side quest. Another example: During a double XP weekend, I swapped to adamant bars and gained five levels in one go—it was exhilarating, like catching a wave just right in the game’s endless ocean. Or consider the player who combined Smithing with Mining, creating a self-sustaining loop that minimized downtime; it’s a strategy that feels subversive, almost like sneaking past a guard with a cleverly disguised weapon.
These stories highlight how flexibility pays off. I once stalled at level 60 because I ignored the Blast Furnace’s quirks—learning its mechanics was my breakthrough, a moment that shifted my perspective from frustration to flow.
Practical Tips to Forge Ahead Without Breaking
Now, for the nuggets that keep you sane: Always stockpile ores during downtime; it’s like building a reserve army for your XP battles. If you’re questing, prioritize those that reward Smithing XP, such as “Family Crest,” which can give you a leg up without the monotony. And here’s a subjective take: I prefer the rhythmic clink of smithing in a quiet world over chaotic multiplayer spots—it’s more meditative, helping me push through those inevitable slumps.
Avoid common traps, like over-relying on gold bars early; they might seem shiny, but they’re slower than iron for pure XP. Experiment with plugins if you’re on a private server; one I used visualized XP bars like a growing vine, making milestones feel more rewarding. Finally, take breaks—step away when the hammer starts feeling heavy, and return refreshed, ready to strike true.
Wrapping Up the Heat: Your Path to Mastery
As you near 99, that first sight of the cape will hit like a perfectly timed critical hit—pure satisfaction after the sweat and strategy. This guide isn’t just steps; it’s a companion for your journey, blending my hard-won insights with the game’s vast possibilities. Now, grab your hammer and make some sparks fly.