Smithing Strategies?

Total Plox · **Posted:** March 3rd, 2008, 5:03 pm

So I've recently returned from a long break from Runescape, and I'm not sure how to start back up Smithing. I used to buy Iron Ore and Rings of Forging and smelt it myself, and then make Iron Knives for a little profit. I'm not too sure about the prices anymore, but I don't think that strategy would be very cost efficient these days.

I've heard some talk about Bolts a couple months ago, but I don't know if the Grand Exchange has destroyed that strategy or not. So any help would be great. Please though, do not suggest Cannonballs or Gold Ore, I have reasons for not doing those. I also do not want to mine anything myself, so please include if I will make a profit or loss by your strategy.

I'm level 84 right now.

Thanks.

Adbot · **Posted:** March 3rd, 2008, 5:03 pm

Kenny · **Posted:** March 4th, 2008, 12:50 am

Ummm, I think people still buy steel platebodies, not very much profit though. Although I think that addy bolts are good xp and they sell for quite a lot when enchanted too.

gun_hippy · **Posted:** March 4th, 2008, 1:54 pm

Steel plates are a gigantic drain to your bank. I recently got 75-85 smithing on them, and trust me, i lost a lot of cash :] somewhere in the 30m region, and that's after making my own nats and alching some back. Unless you have a -lot- of spare cash, don't bother with it (fast xp though).

The iron/knives method used to rock, but these days it's difficult to sell iron knives from what i've heard, since bronze knives are only one less range att yet can be bought for a pittance from the rogues den's infinate stock.

The best method really is bolts like you said, mith or addy. If you buy addy bars and smith them you lose a little bit, depending on what price you pay it's a few gp per xp. I heard mith is able to let you break even, if you buy the ores, blast furnace them into bars, and smith bolts - and it's not poor xp at all. So imo the best thing to do is either addy bars to bolts if you have some cash, or mith ores+coal to botls if you really don't want to lose.

Of course there's always the grudgingly slow xp of cannonballs if you just want to make some cash for smithing.

If i where to smith now personally, i would buy either mithril bars or addy bars, and smith them into bolts. The fletching part can be a chore, but you can do that running from the bank and back or -try- to shift them unflighted (might not be easy).

Humus · **Posted:** March 6th, 2008, 2:28 pm

Well, you can still atleast double your profits by just buying iron ore or mining it and smelting into bars and selling but you probably won't get much smithing xp at all.

Marcinbu · **Posted:** March 6th, 2008, 6:28 pm

Mith arrowheads or bolts might be the right way for you to go. Otherwise good ol' cannon balls are good, you'll make alot of cash like that.

jake the cat · **Posted:** March 8th, 2008, 2:29 pm

Well...

One thing you didn't say was how patient you were. Hard to tell from the post. Not wanting to mine says you want to go fast, but not wanting to do gold ore (to bars)... that's rejecting a fast method.

I know you said you have reasons for not wanting to do that, but the changes since your return (e.g., ge) may cause you to reconsider.

Currently, I'm doing gold ore. I buy ore for 450 and the sell bars for 180 (both on ge). That comes to about 5 gc per exp. point.

And... I reply to posts like this while I'm waiting for my load to smelt. ;-)

Adbot · **Posted:** March 8th, 2008, 2:29 pm

Total Plox · **Posted:** March 8th, 2008, 10:40 pm

The reason why I don't want to do Gold Ores is simply the lack of funds. It costs way too much, and I hate losing that much money on my way to 99. While Cballs do make you a bit of cash, I also don't care about profit. I know there are better ways to Smithing than Cballs, and it seems Cballs are more of a moneymaker.

I have a huge amount of patience, I just hate it when I can be training faster while breaking even instead of making a profit. That's why I liked Iron Knives. They provided more EXP per hour than Cballs, while letting me break even, and sometimes giving me a little profit.

Mining just slows down the whole process, when I'd only like to train Smithing, not Mining.

I'm going to look into the Addy or Mith bolts, like how easy they are to sell.

Rodsay · **Posted:** March 9th, 2008, 2:43 am

I found it hard to sell plain knives but once I poisoned them they went very quicly.

Might be worth doing a batch poisoned and a batch plain to check the logistics though.

I can make poison potions, if you can't then it might turn out expensive.

Ye Olde Smoo · **Posted:** March 9th, 2008, 3:05 am

Depending on your level, mithril or abby bolts are the best.

You will normally brake even or even make a profit when doing this plus the experience is even better.

jake the cat · **Posted:** March 9th, 2008, 3:59 am

Have you considered soloing the Blast Furnace? Don't know if you left before it came out. It's billed as a team (cooperative) mini-game, but it can be solo'ed very easily.

It goes fairly fast (especially with mith, since you don't have to smelt 5 at a time). And, for mith, you can break even by selling the stuff you make right there, and using the funds to buy more ore right there.

I can take you up there some time and show you how to get started if you like.

Total Plox · **Posted:** March 9th, 2008, 6:56 am

I've heard from a couple different people that since the release of the GE, Blast Furnace prices have sky-rocketed, and that the old method of making Mith Plates, Alching, then buying more ores, is no longer efficient.

I'm planning on looking into this all right when I'm done Thieving.

Thanks for all the ideas people, it has given me somewhere to start.

jake the cat · **Posted:** March 9th, 2008, 11:14 am

Yeah, that could be. I haven't been up there since GE came out. When you go, create a post and let us know what you find out.