The Runecrafting skill has a reputation in Old School RuneScape for being notoriously time-consuming to train. Unlike other skills in the game, there is no one easy way to train Runecrafting - but there are many methods that you can choose from, even at low levels, and what you decide to do will depend on how you want to play the game.

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Lots of methods of training Runecrafting are able to take you all the way to level 99 from low levels, meaning that choosing the right method is all the more important. You should consider if you're willing to lose money to gain XP rates and also what sort of gameplay experience you're looking for. Here, we'll go over a few popular training methods to help you get started.

Questing For Experience

Training Runecrafting at low levels is either very costly or very slow; there is no perfect method until at least level 23. Because of this, the recommended way of plowing through those early levels with ease is by completing quests, which can take you from level one all the way to level 34 if you're dedicated enough.

Good beginner-level quests that grant Runecrafting xp include:

• Enter The Abyss - granting 1,000xp and also entry into the Abyss for further Runecrafting training.
• Ascent Of Arceuus - granting 500xp.
• The Eyes Of Glouphrie - granting 6,000xp but requiring 46 Magic among other levels.
• Lunar Diplomacy - granting 5,000xp, although it has very high level requirements.

Finally, completing Temple Of The Eye gives the player a total of 9,210xp and unlocks the Guardians Of The Rift minigame, a great interactive Runecrafting training method that can take you from its level 27 requirement all the way to level 99.

For more information about this quest, check out our very own Temple Of The Eye walkthrough.

Crafting Lava Runes

Once you hit level 23 Runecrafting, you can start crafting Lava Runes at the Fire Altar in Al Kharid for solid xp rates at a small cost: roughly two to three gp per xp point gained. Make sure you're wearing a Fire Tiara so that you can enter the altar without a Fire Talisman taking up a precious inventory slot. In addition, you'll want to bring weight-reducing clothing to speed up your trips between the altar and the bank. The fastest way to bank your essences between trips is to use a Ring of Dueling to travel between the Duel Arena (near the altar) and the Castle Wars arena (for bank access).

To craft Lava Runes, you need to have an Earth Talisman in your inventory, one Earth Rune for each Lava Rune crafted, and as much Pure Essence as you can carry on each trip. Make sure to use as many Essence Pouches as you can get your hands on to maximise experience gain per trip.

If you've completed Lunar Diplomacy and have level 82 Magic, you can cast the Magic Imbue spell just before you make your runes to allow you to make them without an Earth Talisman to hand.

Guardians Of The Rift

If you fancy a break from your Lava Rune runs, or if you want to earn some sweet minigame rewards, the Guardians Of The Rift is the minigame for you. As well as being a fun, team-based minigame, Guardians Of The Rift has reasonable xp rates, which can be boosted by bringing Essence Pouches as if you were doing regular altar runs.

If you've completed Lunar Diplomacy and have level 67 Magic, you can cast the NPC Contact spell to talk to the Dark Mage (Abyss), who will repair your broken pouches.

To take your xp rates even further, you can complete various quests to unlock more types of rune:

Notable rewards include the Abyssal Needle - which is used to sew your Essence Pouches together to create a hefty Colossal Pouch - and the Rainments Of The Eye, a clothing set that increases your rune yield whenever you complete an altar run.

Runecrafting In The Abyss

Completing the Enter The Abyss quest quite fittingly unlocks the Abyss, which essentially acts as a hub connecting many of the major Runecrafting altars. This is the Abyss' main advantage: quick and efficient access to many of the game's altars while being able to quickly teleport back to a nearby bank. Moreover, although the Abyss provides lower xp rates than the above methods, it provides much better profit margins - so it is good for players on a budget.

The entrance to the Abyss is located in the Wilderness, so be wary of player killers and bank your valuable items before starting runs. Moreover, it is recommended to wear Dragonhide armour to reduce damage from the Abyssal creatures inside, who will attack you on sight. Be sure to bring a pickaxe - preferably a light one such as the Bronze Pickaxe - and carry as much Pure Essence as you can between your Essence Pouches and your spare inventory slots.

Running through the Wilderness lots of times makes this a risky training method, but you can mitigate this by using an Amulet of Glory to teleport you back to Edgeville for quick banking once you've finished a run.

NEXT: Old School RuneScape: Magic 1-99 Leveling Guide