How Do Ironmen Use Osrs Thieving Leveling Efficiently?

If you're grinding hard clue scrolls in 'Old School RuneScape', the time to finish one can swing a lot depending on what steps it tosses at you and how prepared you are. Hard clues generally come with a handful of steps—think map clues, coordinate digs, emote steps, and the occasional puzzle. Some of those are instant if you’re standing on the right tile or have the emote gear ready; others force you to cross the map or even head into risky areas like the Wilderness. On average, I’d say an experienced tracer who’s got teleports, a spade, and a bank preset will knock a typical hard clue out in roughly 3–8 minutes. For more casual players or unlucky RNG moments, a single hard clue can easily stretch to 10–20 minutes, especially if it drops you on a remote island or requires running across several regions. One of the biggest time sinks is travel. If a coordinate pops up in a tucked-away spot (some coastal islands or remote Wilderness coordinates), you either need the right teleport, a set of boats, or a chunk of run time. Map clues that need an emote might only take a minute if you’re standing where you need to be; they can take longer if the map is cryptic and sends you on a small scavenger hunt. Puzzles and ciphers are usually quick if you use the community wiki or have a little practice, but there are those rare moments where a tricky puzzle adds several minutes. If you chain multiple hard clues back-to-back, you’ll naturally get faster — I’ve done runs averaging around 4–5 minutes per casket once I had a bank preset and a teleport setup, but my first few in a session always take longer while I round up gear and restore run energy. Practical tips that shave minutes: bring a spade and teleport jewelry (ring of dueling, amulet of glory, games necklace, etc.), stock teleport tabs for odd spots, use house teleports or mounted glory teleports if your POH is handy, and set up a bank preset if you have membership so you can instantly gear for emotes or wear weight-reducing equipment. Knowing a few common clue hotspots and having access to fairy rings or charter ships makes a massive difference — teleporting straight to Draynor, Varrock, or a clue-specific tile is game-changing. Also, keep a couple of spare inventory slots for clue tools and a decent amount of run energy or stamina potions while you’re doing longer runs. Bottom line: expect anywhere from about 3–8 minutes if you’re optimized and comfortable navigating the map, up to 10–20 minutes if you hit awkward coordinates or are underprepared. I love the variety though — the little micro-adventures are what keep treasure trails fun, and nothing beats that moment you dig up a casket and wonder what goofy or valuable item you’ll get next.

Treasure-hunt vibes guide time: I treat grabbing a cheap granite maul in 'Old School RuneScape' like stalking a rare spawn — patient and a little bit obsessive. My first move is always the Grand Exchange; it's the safest and usually the cheapest long-term route. I keep an eye on the GE price using the in-client tracker or the RuneLite/OSBuddy plugins so I can spot dips. If the current sell offers are high, I place a buy offer a bit below market and leave it overnight — often someone with a slotted sell order just needs to move their stock and my buy pops. That method takes time, but saved coins snowball, especially if you're flipping other items while waiting. When I'm impatient, I'll cruise trade worlds and check Reddit's r/2007scape and Discord trading servers for people dumping gear cheaper than the GE. Be wary of quick-trade deals; always use the GE for safety unless you're confident the other player has a solid rep. Also watch for peak times — prices can spike when PvP events or streamer hype hits, so buy on off-hours or weekends when fewer buyers are online. Personally, snagging one for a tidy discount feels like winning a little PvP lottery — and then I get to test it out in the next skull-and-teleport scramble, which is the best part.

I get a real kick out of comparing these two because they almost feel like opposites in playstyle. The granite maul is all about raw, bursty damage and clutch moments — it gives you a huge single-hit potential and a special that lets you land a near-instant smack to finish someone off. That makes it a go-to for last-second PvP kills, food-saving clutch plays, and those brief windows where you need to turn a fight around. Mechanically, granite maul trades sustained accuracy for big strength-packed hits; it’s not the weapon you bring for long fights, but when you need a one-shot or huge follow-up, it shines. The abyssal whip, by contrast, is the glue of many combat builds: fast, accurate, and excellent for sustained DPS and training. It offers strong slash attack bonuses that lead to reliable hits and better accuracy against a wide range of monsters and players. Because the whip lacks a strength-boosting special, its strength contribution is lower than a maul’s, but its consistent hit-rate makes it superior for long fights, Slayer tasks, and bossing where accuracy matters more than a single huge hit. In short: whip = steady, accurate DPS and training utility; maul = burst, finishers, and PvP mayhem. Personally, I keep both in my bank depending on whether I’m grinding Slayer for hours or sneaking into the Duel Arena for a risky, satisfying knockout.

If you want the cheapest super restores in 'Old School RuneScape', your first stop should be the Grand Exchange — hands down. The GE gives you live buy and sell prices, lets you compare trends over days and weeks, and it's the most liquid place to move stacks of potions fast. I check the GE every time before buying to avoid overpaying, and I use the historical price graph to see whether the market is peaking or dipping. Beyond the GE, I scout community markets: the subreddit trades, Discord trading servers, and clanmates can sometimes offer bulk deals that beat the GE fees if you’re buying thousands. If you have decent Herblore, making super restores yourself can be cheaper after factoring ingredient cost — so compare the cost-per-dose on the GE vs. crafting. Finally, use tools like the RuneLite Grand Exchange plugin or 'GE Tracker' and the 'OSRS Wiki' price page to get accurate numbers. Personally I mix GE buys with a few trusted player trades when I need massive supplies; it saves me coins and the hassle.

I get a kick out of talking slayer logistics, so here’s the short, practical list I use in-game: Mazchna — you need to have completed 'Priest in Peril' to access Canifis where he lives; Chaeldar — you must have finished 'Lost City' to get into Zanaris and reach her; Morvran — requires completion of 'Song of the Elves' because he’s based in Prifddinas; and Konar quo Maten — you need to have unlocked the Kebos/Great Kourend area (which effectively means doing the quests and favour needed to access Mount Karuulm). Those are the big ones that gate you behind quest progress or region access in 'Old School RuneScape'. If you’re planning a slayer grind, sort those quests out first so you can farm higher-tier masters and task variety — it saved me a lot of travel time and annoying teleports later on.

I genuinely love little QoL items in this game, and the imbued heart is one of those things I slip into my pocket when I'm tackling long runs across the map. In plain terms: the imbued heart restores run energy passively while it's equipped (pocket slot). It doesn’t give you an instant refill the way a stamina potion does; instead it quietly tops up your run energy over time, letting you stretch out long walking or skilling trips without needing to chug potions constantly. From my experience, the heart works alongside the game's normal energy-recovery mechanics — so your agility level and carried weight still matter — but it provides an extra layer of regeneration that keeps you moving for longer. It's not a replacement for stamina in high-intensity situations (bossing or speed-running minigames), but for things like clue scroll runs, questing, or skilling trips across the map it’s brilliant. It’s also really handy when you want to avoid potion cooldowns or conserve supplies; I often pair it with weight-reducing gear and a graceful outfit to maximize the benefit. Overall, it’s subtle but delightfully effective for everyday play, and I find myself reaching for it way more than I expected.

I get a little giddy thinking about efficient loot routes, and for the imbued heart the blunt truth I tell people in my crew is: if you can afford it, buy it. The Grand Exchange is the single fastest, least time-consuming way to get one — you dump coins and it’s in your bank within minutes. That’s perfect when you just want to use the item rather than grind for it, and it frees you up to spend your playtime on content you actually enjoy instead of repetitive farming. If buying isn’t your style, you’ll want to farm the activity or boss that drops the heart and optimize every minute. That means bringing the fastest gear loadout you’re comfortable with, using familiar movement and rotation shortcuts, and grouping up when the content scales well for teams. I prioritize high kills-per-hour, using bursts of focused play rather than long slow sessions. Also, always keep an eye on the market price while you farm — sometimes selling other drops will fund your purchase faster than grinding forever. Personally I usually weigh time versus GP and pick the route that gives me the most fun per hour, not just raw efficiency.

I've flipped the idea of buying an imbued heart in 'Old School RuneScape' around in my head a hundred times, and honestly it comes down to how you value time versus GP. For me, the imbued heart is less about raw profit and more about quality-of-life: fewer trips, less downtime, and a tiny reduction in the busywork that kills the groove during long skilling sessions. If your skilling method hinges on frequent teleports or bank runs, anything that shaves minutes per trip compounds fast and can be worth the sticker price even if it never literally pays for itself in GP. If you're a casual player who logs a few hours a day, the math is simple — it might not be cost-effective purely on GP/hour, but it can be worth it for enjoyment. If you're grinding competitive XP rates or doing long, repetitive sessions (like massive runecrafting or high-level fishing/woodcutting), that time saved becomes meaningful: more XP in the same playtime and less fatigue. Consider tradeoffs too: the market price fluctuates, and alternative tools or teleports might cover part of the same benefit for cheaper. Personally I treat items like an imbued heart as a lifestyle purchase for my playstyle. If I’m in the mood for a marathon skilling day, I’ll buy convenience to stay focused and avoid breaking the loop for mundane chores. It’s not always strictly cost-effective on paper, but it keeps me playing longer and happier, which for me is priceless.