Ultimate 2025 F2P 1-99 Mining & Smithing Strategy Guide for OSRS

With AFK Bonus Methods & Updated Market Tips

---

Introduction

Ready to level Mining and Smithing from 1 to 99 in Old School RuneScape as a free-to-play (F2P) hero in 2025? This guide is your all-in-one blueprint, meticulously updated for the modern meta.

We’ll cover the fastest power-mining methods, in-depth ore banking tactics, efficient Smithing training for both main and Ironman accounts, new AFK training paths, and shrewd market strategies for maximizing profit or minimizing GP loss.

Whether you’re hunting high XP rates, making bank, or seeking the chillest way to 99, you’re in the right place.

---

Video Introduction: Your 2025 F2P OSRS Mining & Smithing Roadmap

Welcome to your 2025 F2P Old School RuneScape Mining & Smithing journey, as outlined by The Lumbridge Knight and backed by the latest community- and expert-driven strategies.

This comprehensive roadmap ensures:

• Fastest and most efficient 1-99 Mining & Smithing methods
• AFK training options for low-intensity skillers
• Ironman and main account optimization
• Market-smart Smithing approaches (profit paths and cost savings)
• Clear item and quest requirements
• AFK advancements that reshape the F2P landscape

You’ll learn when to power-mine vs bank, how to accelerate early levels with quests, which tools to upgrade and when, and the best ways to maximize efficiency with plugins and world-hopping.

Whether you’re starting from scratch, on a tight budget, or gunning for top XP rates, this guide will have you smashing through 99s with pride.

---

Essential Quests, Early XP Boosts & Item Setup (2025 Edition)

Building a strong foundation is now easier—and more important—than ever in F2P.

The early grind is fastest when jump-started with two key quests:

• Doric’s Quest:
  Reward: 1,300 Mining XP (enough for level 10 from scratch)
  Time: A few minutes (GE-friendly, or Ironman can self-mine)
  Why: Instantly skips the slowest levels.

Essential for all paths.

• The Knight’s Sword:
  Reward: 12,725 Smithing XP (level 1 to 29 in one quest)
  Requirement: 2 iron bars (buy or monster drop for Ironman)
  Why: Catapults Smithing ahead, saves 1–2 hours of low-XP crafting.

Optional:

• X Marks the Spot gives a 300 XP lamp for any skill.

While helpful, it’s better spent elsewhere unless you’re maximizing all possible XP sources.

Pickaxe and Utility Setup

• Pickaxe Progression:
  Always use the best you can for your Mining level:

  • Bronze/Iron (level 1/1)
  • Steel (6)
  • Mithril (21)
  • Adamant (31)
  • Rune (41)

  Mains and Ironmen can buy pickaxes from the Dwarven Mines or GE. Wielding pickaxes (need 40 Attack) saves an inventory slot, but wielding isn’t required.

• Useful Items:

  • The Chronicle: Teleport cards cut travel times, especially if banking ore.
  • Dwarven Stout: Boosts Mining & Smithing by +1.

Use for early iron mining, endgame rune smithing, or to access better anvils/items 1 level early.

• Stamina/Energy potions (optional): Speed up running between mines and banks—helpful but not mandatory for F2P.

Community Wisdom

Veteran advice is clear: Don’t skip these quests.

Burnout is all but guaranteed otherwise.

These quests, plus smart gear upgrades, are the proven path in both the main account and Ironman metas.

---

Efficient F2P Mining: Power Leveling and Banking Methods (1-99)

Mining to 99 F2P can be fast XP, profitable, or both—depending on your chosen method and dedication.

Here’s how to hit your Mining peak in 2025.

Power-Mining: Fast XP, No Banking

Iron Ore (Level 15+):

• Locations:
  • Al Kharid Mine (best for power-mining three iron rocks; up to 75k XP/hr tick manipulation, 50k/hr standard)
  • Varrock South-West Mine (good, slightly more crowded)
  • Mining Guild (level 60+; private worlds for smoother cycles)
• Method:
  • Drop ores as you mine (use 'shift-drop' via RuneLite plugin).
  • Tick manipulation (for advanced players) can push XP rates higher.
  • Iron Needed: ~371,236 for 1-99 (if pure power-mining)

Banking Methods: Long-Term Smithing & Ironman Stockpiling

If you plan to train Smithing, mine and bank your ores.

• Best Mines for Banking:
  • Al Kharid (to Al Kharid bank, or teleport with Chronicle)
  • Mining Guild (bank nearby in Falador)
  • Varrock SW (Varrock West bank with Chronicle teleports for speed)

RuneLite World-Hopping & XP Plugins:

• Tracking ore respawns, minimizing downtime, and maximizing XP per hour are crucial.
• Use world hopping to avoid crowds, especially in peak hours.

Alternative Mining Tactics

• Rune Essence (after Rune Mysteries):
  Super-AFK, but XP is slow (~5–10k/hr).

Good for truly passive training.

• Barronite Shards (Camdozaal, Below Ice Mountain quest):
  Fun, low-intensity mining—up to 15k XP/hr.

Good for Ironmen and very casual play.

Pickaxe Upgrades

Upgrade your pickaxe at levels 6 (steel), 21 (mithril), 31 (adamant), and 41 (rune) for optimal mine speed.

Ironmen should prioritize shops in the Dwarven Mines.

---

Smithing Like a Pro: Fastest Platebody Smithing, Manual Alternatives, & Money-Saving Tips

Smithing in F2P is about balancing XP rates, cost, and workflow—aligning with your account and 2025’s GE prices.

Fastest Path to 99 Smithing (With Bought Bars/GE Access)

1. Start:
   • Complete The Knight’s Sword for 12,725 XP.

Instantly reach level 29 Smithing. 2. Platebody Progression:

• 29–33: Bronze platebodies (~450 bars, minor loss)
• 33–48: Iron platebodies (~2,600 bars, greater loss)
• 48–68: Steel platebodies (~13,900 bars, big cost unless market dips)
• 68–88: Mithril platebodies (~75,600 bars, expensive—cost fluctuates)
• 88–99: Adamant platebodies (~119,000 bars, usually profitable in 2025; check GE first)

3. Endgame:
   • 98–99: Use Dwarven Stout to +1 boost for rune items (rune plateskirt/legs/2h sword); rune platebodies often most profitable in 2025 (~5.9m+ profit possible).

Market Trends (2025 snapshot)

• Bronze/Iron: Losses expected.

Minimize time spent here.

• Steel/Mith: Only smith during bar price dips.
• Adamant: Consistently profitable (5–20 GP/bar).

Smith for profit and quick XP.

• Rune (98/99): Use Dwarven Stout.

Rune platebodies/skirts/2H: top profits (up to 1k GP/bar).

Ironman/No-GE Path: Manual Mining, Smelting & Platebodies

• Ore: Mine ~347,245 iron ore for 1–99.
• Smelting:
  • Use Ring of Forging for 100% iron bar success.

Each ring = 140 iron bars.

• Smelt at Edgeville (closest furnace to bank); smith at Varrock West (closest anvil).
• Smithing: Focus on iron platebodies, then switch to steel/adamant as your account allows.
• Ring of Forging: Get from Port Sarim, enchant ruby rings yourself.

Ironman-friendly.

• Profits: Platebodies can be sold to Horvik for better margins.

Time to 99:

• Turbo bought-bar method: ~65-75 hours.
• Full manual: 200+ hours (but almost zero cost).

Smithing Efficiency & AFK/Alternative Training

• Edgeville is the best all-around furnace in F2P.
• Platebody Smithing XP/hr:
  • Steel: Up to 50k+
  • Mithril: Up to 140k
  • Adamant: Up to 240–300k
  • Rune: 210–300k at endgame (with boosts)
• AFK Smelting:
  • Smelt large batches for up to 81 seconds per inventory (even longer with gold/silver).
  • Camdozaal (Barronite) for extremely slow, super-passive XP.

Extra Expert Tips

• Always check GE prices before smithing expensive bars.
• Smith platebodies for XP; switch to plateskirts late for profit if prices align.
• Energy pots boost XP/drop rates—use when pushing efficiency.
• Sell to Horvik (or High Alch) for best GP, not always directly to the GE.

---

Bonus Section: AFK Training, Wilderness Mines & Pro Plugins

Low-Intensity, AFK & Hybrid Routes

Camdozaal (Below Ice Mountain):

• Barronite mining & smithing: ~15k Mining XP/hr, very AFK.

Good for Ironmen or as a break from grinding.

Rune Essence Mining:

• Ultra-AFK, minimal input required.

Very low XP rates—good for true side-training only.

Motherlode Mine (P2P):

• The premier chill mining option—53k XP/hr, passive pay-dirt, Prospector set bonus.

Shooting Stars (F2P & P2P):

• Find and mine Crashed Stars with FCs or Discord servers.

Up to 30.8k XP/hr, very AFK-friendly.

Amethyst (P2P, 92+ Mining):

• Up to 25k XP/hr, huge profits, and extremely low click rate.

Top-tier endgame AFK.

Wilderness Mining: High Risk, High Reward

• Runite/Adamant Ores: Most profitable F2P ores, but hazardous.
• Safety Tips:
  • Bring only essentials (pickaxe, noted food).
  • Mine during off-peak.
  • World hop liberally.
  • Scout with an alt or watch minimap for PKers.

Pro RuneLite Plugins & Efficiency Setups

• Mining Plugin: Visualizes ore respawns, enables shift-dropping, and improves world hopping—vital for maximizing XP and minimizing clicks.
• Inventory Plugins: Remap drops, set drop patterns, and automate inventories for minimal downtime.
• World-Hopping Plugin: Speed-hop between empty worlds for uninterrupted mining.
• Superheat Item (P2P): Not F2P, but for hybrids: smith bars on the go while mining, reducing bank trips and maximizing workflow.

Advanced Example Training Paths

• Ironman AFKer:
  Focuses on Camdozaal and Motherlode, stockpiling resources and training passively.
• Hardcore XP Grinder:
  Power-mines iron at Al Kharid with tick manipulation, world hopping, and optimized plugin setups.
• Hybrid Bar Smelter:
  Mines iron and coal, smiths with Superheat Item between trips or at mining sites, chaining XP and minimizing wasted runs.

Expert Takeaway:
"Iron…offers the highest possible XP rate for smithing in F2P… offset by the speed of smelting the bars."
RuneLite has moved from “nice-to-have” to “essential” status for modern Mining efficiency.
Wilderness mining is more rewarding, but also riskier than ever in 2025—be prepared, plan routes, and never AFK here!

---

Conclusion

However you choose to reach 99 Mining and 99 Smithing in F2P OSRS, the cutting-edge strategies in this 2025 guide offer a surefire route—tailored to your goals, risk tolerance, and available playtime.

Jumpstart with Doric’s Quest and The Knight’s Sword for unparalleled early gains.

Power-mine iron for XP, bank ore for Smithing, or blend both for balanced progress.

Watch markets for profitable smithing moments, utilize AFK Camdozaal or Shooting Stars for low-intensity progress, and never underestimate the power of RuneLite plugins and world-hopping.

Adjust your approach to fit your style—main, Ironman, or chill skiller—and keep the community vibrant by sharing your own strategies.

Now, arm yourself with your best pickaxe and hammer—Gielinor is waiting.

Make us proud, and may your anvils ring with the sound of mastery!

---

Happy skilling, and see you at the anvils!