OSRS Ironman Guide: Six Modes, the Right Early Order and Whether to Buy One
Old School RuneScape has six Ironman modes, and all of them share one rule: no trading and no Grand Exchange, so you earn every item yourself. You pick the mode on Tutorial Island, and you can only remove the rules later, never add them back.
The six Ironman modes
Talk to the Ironman tutor before the Magic Instructor sends you to the mainland. That is your only chance to start with the rules in place.
| Mode | What changes |
|---|---|
| Ironman | No trading, no Grand Exchange, no drops from monsters other players attack |
| Hardcore Ironman | One life: a dangerous death turns you into a regular Ironman |
| Ultimate Ironman | You cannot use the bank |
| Group Ironman | 2 to 5 players play as one team and can share items |
| Hardcore Group Ironman | A group with Hardcore stakes |
| Unranked Group Ironman | A group that stays off the hiscores |
If you are unsure, start as a regular Ironman. Removing rules later is always possible, so a regular Ironman keeps every door open.
Early game: quests before grinding
Quests train skills faster than any early grind. Instead of killing chickens for hours, finish Waterfall Quest and The Feud, then train with an adamant scimitar. Many quest bosses can be safespotted, which gives quick early progress. Most quests need membership, so sort that out first.
Start with Learning the Ropes, then Cook's Assistant, Sheep Shearer and The Restless Ghost. Each one trains a skill and sets you up for a later quest.
Two quests matter more than the rest:
Bone Voyage opens Fossil Island: birdhouses for Hunter, ultracompost for farm runs and Ammonite Crabs as a low-level combat spot.
Lost City opens Zanaris, the dragon dagger, the Cosmic Altar and the Slayer master Chaeldar. Fairy rings need one more quest, Fairytale I: Growing Pains.
Getting around without teleports
You start with almost no teleports, so run energy is your first bottleneck. Agility raises your refill speed and slows the drain, and it unlocks shortcuts. Weight drains energy too, so work toward the Graceful outfit, which cuts weight and speeds up the refill. It costs 260 marks of grace from rooftop courses, which gets you to around 60 Agility.
Skills that pay you back
Because you cannot buy supplies, favour training that returns supplies while it gives experience: Wintertodt, Tempoross and Barbarian Fishing. Once those are up, move to Slayer, Barrows and Moons of Peril for your combat gear. Each piece has to come from a task, a minigame or a boss.
Mid and late game goals
Slayer is the backbone of the mid game: tasks pay combat experience, coins, supplies and weapon upgrades, and lead to the abyssal whip and the trident of the seas. After that come the quest cape (sold by the Wise Old Man in Draynor Village for 99,000 coins), the Corrupted Gauntlet and the raids. Expect these to take months, each building on the last.
Should you buy an Ironman account instead?
Ironman is a long road, and the first stretch is the slowest. Buying an account skips it, but be honest about the trade: selling or buying accounts is against Jagex's rules, so there is always some risk. You can reduce it by using a marketplace with buyer protection and by changing the login details right after delivery. If you want to compare the options first, read our breakdown of buying versus building a high combat account, and the buyer's checklist for safe account purchases.
Already own an account you want to sell? Check what it is worth with our OSRS account value calculator.
Where to get Old School RuneScape accounts and gold
Gold and items do not help a real Ironman, who cannot trade, so they are for your main account.
FAQ
Can an Ironman trade or use the Grand Exchange?No. Ironmen cannot trade or use the Grand Exchange, and they get no drops from monsters other players attack.
Can I change my Ironman mode later?Only in one direction. You can remove the rules later, but you cannot add them back.
What is the difference between Hardcore and Ultimate Ironman?Hardcore gives you one life: a dangerous death turns you into a regular Ironman. Ultimate removes your bank.
Which quests should an Ironman do first?Learning the Ropes, Cook's Assistant, Sheep Shearer and The Restless Ghost, then Bone Voyage and Lost City.
Is buying an Ironman account allowed?No, account trading breaks Jagex's rules, so weigh the risk and use a protected marketplace.
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