RuneScape Mining and Smithing Progression and Training Guide

Do not train Mining and Smithing with the goal of crafting combat gear. Because Tier 40 Rune equipment requires Level 99 Smithing to forge on an anvil, traditional production cannot keep pace with combat progression. Treat both skills strictly as requirement gates for quests, Achievement Diaries, and utility unlocks. Target Level 70 Smithing as your primary stopping point, using minigames and quests rather than slow anvil smithing.

The Production Bottleneck and PvM Resource Shift

The core issue in legacy metalworking is the tier mismatch between combat defense and crafting levels. Rune armor is entry-level equipment surpassed early in account progression, yet forging a Rune Platebody requires the maximum standard skill level of 99.

Simultaneously, monster drop tables have replaced traditional gathering as the primary source of raw materials. Bosses such as Vorkath, Zulrah, and Muspah drop noted ores, metal bars, and finished alchable armor in quantities that far exceed the yield of standard mining nodes. Because combat supplies raw materials faster than swinging a pickaxe at stationary rocks, training Mining to feed Smithing is economically inefficient.

Recommended Smithing Progression Route

To level Smithing without losing millions of coins crafting redundant armor, follow this streamlined path:

1. Complete The Knight's Sword: Finish this quest early to skip levels 1 through 29 Smithing immediately, bypassing bronze and iron anvil forging.
2. Smelt at the Blast Furnace: Located in Keldagrim, this facility cuts coal requirements in half when smelting higher-tier bars like Steel, Mithril, and Adamantite.
3. Transition to Giants' Foundry at Level 50: Train from Level 50 onward by combining pre-smelted bars into alloys (such as Steel with Mithril, or Mithril with Adamantite). This minigame provides high experience rates per bar without dumping resources into low-value anvil items.
4. Limit standard anvil smithing: Reserve traditional anvil hammering strictly for utility items like Dart Tips for Fletching, or for specific Achievement Diary requirements.

Key Account Milestones and Stopping Points

Anchor your training around concrete account gates rather than grinding toward Level 99:

• Level 70 Smithing: This is the primary target for mid-to-late game progression. It unlocks the requirements for the Song of the Elves quest and satisfies multiple Hard Achievement Diaries.
• Level 71+ Smithing: Pushing past Level 70 yields diminishing returns. Only continue toward higher levels if you are actively working on Elite Achievement Diaries (such as Lumbridge or Western Provinces) or pursuing the Max Cape.
• Motherlode Mine unlocks: Direct your Mining time toward Motherlode Mine to collect Golden Nuggets. Spend these on permanent account upgrades: the Coal Bag, the Gem Bag, and the Prospector outfit.
• Avoid speculative hoarding: Community and design discussions regarding a "Reforged" tier realignment propose shifting Rune equipment down to level 40 and introducing high-level alloy tiers. However, because drop tables and alchemy values are not yet restructured, do not stockpile vast quantities of raw high-tier ores in anticipation of future changes. Level what you need for current milestones.