RSorder OSRS: Understanding Ironman Modes

Before jumping into strategy, it's important to RuneScape gold know the three variations of Ironman mode:

Ironman: The standard mode—no trading, no Grand Exchange, complete self-sufficiency.

Hardcore Ironman (HCIM): Same restrictions as standard Ironman, but with one life. A single death reverts your account to regular Ironman.

Ultimate Ironman (UIM): The most extreme version—no access to banks. You carry everything on your character or store items in your player-owned house.

This guide focuses primarily on standard Ironman gameplay but offers tips that benefit all three variations.

Questing: Your Fast Track to Progression

In Ironman mode, quests are your best friend. They provide vital experience, unlock useful tools and areas, and often reward you with valuable items that would otherwise take hours to obtain through grinding.

Essential Early Quests:

Cook's Assistant – Unlocks basic cooking functionality and introduces you to farming and food prep.

The Restless Ghost – Grants early Prayer XP, essential for unlocking Protect Prayers.

Doric's Quest – Provides a nice boost to Mining and grants access to a convenient anvil location.

Imp Catcher – A quick Magic XP reward that helps you unlock early combat spells.

Rune Mysteries – Unlocks Runecrafting, a skill vital for making your own runes.

Waterfall Quest – MASSIVE Attack and Strength XP without any combat requirements. Do this early.

Grand Tree / Tree Gnome Village – Unlocks the Spirit Tree transportation network and boosts Attack.

Focus on quests that give you early access to utility areas and fast XP in combat, Magic, Prayer, and Crafting.

Early Resource Gathering Priorities

Without access to the Grand Exchange or trading, you'll need to collect and process everything yourself. Prioritizing early resource collection and skilling is critical.
Key Gathering Skills to Train:

Woodcutting & Firemaking: Chop logs to train Firemaking and unlock quests like Wintertodt. Aim for Willow logs early, and later Yew for Fletching.

Fishing & Cooking: Essential for generating your own food supply. Start with Shrimp, then move to Trout and Salmon in Barbarian Village.

Mining & Smithing: Craft your own armor and weapons. Start with Bronze and Iron, and move toward Steel and Mithril.

Crafting: Collect cowhides from cows in Lumbridge or near Al Kharid. Tanning and crafting leather armor boost both Crafting and combat readiness.

Runecrafting: Start with Air runes using the Rune Mysteries quest. This helps train early Magic and allows for basic combat spells.

Efficiently training gathering skills early ensures you're not constantly starving for materials down the road.

Early Combat Training: Start Smart

Combat is essential in OSRS, especially for Ironmen who can't rely on other players for protection or boss kills. The early game is your chance to build up a reliable combat base.
Recommended Low-Level Combat Targets:

Chickens & Cows: Chickens drop feathers and bones, and cows give hides for Crafting. Bury bones to train Prayer.

Goblins: Easy XP and the occasional armor or coin drop. Located conveniently near Lumbridge.

Stronghold of Security: A must-do for Ironmen. Offers free 10,000 coins, combat training, and access to decent food drops.

Make sure to RS gold rotate between Melee, Ranged, and Magic to keep your stats balanced. For Magic, create your own runes through Runecrafting or loot them from early-game monsters.