At level 10, complete Temple of the Eye, which introduces Guardians of RuneScape gold the Rift and boosts your Runecrafting level to 27 while awarding a medium pouch.

This questing route is by far the fastest and least painful way to start the skill.

Guardians of the Rift: Core Training Method

Guardians of the Rift (GotR) is one of the best additions to Runecrafting in OSRS history. It offers strong XP rates, massive rune rewards, and essential upgrades.

In the minigame, players:

Mine essence fragments

Convert them into essence

Craft runes via portals

Feed guardian stones to power the Great Guardian

Every action generates elemental or catalytic points, which are used to roll rewards.

Key Rewards

Abyssal Pearls - used to buy the Raiment of the Eye outfit

Abyssal Needle - combines pouches into the Colossal Pouch

Abyssal Lantern - powerful GotR passive bonuses

The Raiment of the Eye outfit increases runes crafted per essence, up to 60% extra runes with the full set, making it mandatory for profit-focused Runecrafting.

Iron accounts are strongly encouraged to train GotR until at least level 85, if not all the way to 99.

Fastest XP Methods

Lava Runes (Highest Click Intensity)

Lava rune crafting remains the fastest XP method in the game.

Requirements include:

Lunar spellbook

Magic Imbue

Binding necklaces

Fire tiara

Essence pouches

Using daeyalt essence, lava runes can reach 125,000 XP per hour at a relatively low OSRS GP cost. This method is extremely click-heavy and best suited for players who want 99 as fast as possible.

Essence Runners

For players with excess GP, hiring essence runners provides the fastest XP rates available. Runners trade essence directly to you at the altar, allowing nonstop crafting. This method is expensive but unmatched in speed.

ZMI (Ourania Altar)

The ZMI altar offers a strong balance of XP and effort. XP scales with level since higher tiers unlock better runes. With quality-of-life updates like inventory locking and extended render distance, ZMI is one of the most comfortable mid-to-high-level methods.

Profitable Runecrafting Methods

Most Runecrafting methods are profitable once you leave combination runes behind.

Astral Runes (40+) - Consistent profit and solid XP, especially with sailing teleports

Nature Runes (44+, 91 for double) - Extremely profitable at high levels

Death Runes (65+) - Moderate XP, strong rune supply for irons

Blood Runes (77+) - Excellent GP/hour with blood essence

Wrath Runes (95+) - Among the most profitable methods in the game

Ethereal Runes (90+) - High XP combo rune method with strong profit

Completion of quests like Sins of the Father, Dragon Slayer II, and Desert Treasure II unlocks advanced altars and bonus mechanics that dramatically increase returns.

Lower-Intensity (AFK-Style) Training

While Runecrafting is never truly AFK, Zeah Runecrafting offers the lowest-intensity option.

Blood Runes (77+) - ~37k XP/hr, ~700k GP/hr

Soul Runes (90+) - ~42k XP/hr, ~700k GP/hr

Mining essence blocks is the most AFK part, making this method ideal for long sessions.

A final passive alternative comes from cheap OSRS gold Sulphur Nagua, which drops sulphurous essence used for small Runecrafting XP gains while training combat.