7 Old School RuneScape Ironman Grinds That Aren’t as Bad as You Think
Playing as an Iron Man in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) means every item you use must be earned, gathered, or crafted by your own hand. This self-sufficiency makes some grinds feel daunting, and the community often labels certain tasks as tedious or unbearable. While other players might choose to buy OSRS gold to bypass difficult grinds, Ironmen have to tackle everything themselves. But after spending countless hours on my own Iron Man, I’ve realized many of these “dreaded” grinds aren’t nearly as bad as they’re made out to be. Here are seven Iron Man grinds that turned out to be surprisingly manageable-and sometimes even fun.
1. Gathering Seaweed and Sand for Crafting
At first, I avoided gathering seaweed and sand for glass-blowing because it sounded awful. Instead, I parked myself at Shooting Stars for months, mining stardust for gem bags to level Crafting. That worked… until higher levels slowed progress.
Once I finally gave seaweed and sand a chance, I was shocked at how easy it was. Planting seaweed spores near Fossil Island after birdhouse runs is quick and efficient. Mining sandstone at the desert grinder also makes banking buckets of sand painless. Best of all, the Superglass Make spell lets you bankstand and convert resources into molten glass for hours. What seemed like a nightmare grind turned into one of the most straightforward crafting methods available.
2. Training Herblore with Mixology
Herblore has a notorious reputation on Ironman accounts, but recent updates like Mixology make it much more approachable. At level 60, you can start the activity, which works like “Mahogany Homes for herbs”-you get bonus XP for every herb used.
It’s not perfect-you don’t want to waste rare herbs here-but it’s fantastic for making use of leftover herbs that usually gather dust in your bank. Plus, the rewards are excellent. I unlocked potion storage first, granting 40 extra bank slots, which was a huge quality-of-life upgrade. Mixology might not remove the grind entirely, but it turns one of the hardest skills into something far more manageable.
3. The Corrupted Gauntlet
The Corrupted Gauntlet has a reputation as one of the toughest and most hated pieces of Ironman content. While the prep phase can feel long and going dry for drops is frustrating, I actually found the grind fun.
The boss fight itself is engaging and rewarding, and the loot feeds directly into other skills like Construction. Even if you go dry on the Bow of Faerdhinen (Bofa), the GP you earn sets up your account for life. The trick is to pace yourself-alternate Gauntlet runs with other activities to avoid burnout. With the right mindset, this grind isn’t the prison many players make it out to be.
4. Moonlight Moths for Prayer Potions
Prayer restoration is one of the most important resources for Ironmen, and many players hoard prayer potions for bosses. I used to avoid them and constantly teleport to recharge at altars, but then I discovered moonlight moths.
By catching these moths in jars, you essentially create instant one-dose prayer potions. Adding hunter meat upgrades them into two-dose pots. This small trick changed my gameplay entirely-I could stockpile hundreds in under an hour and use them for bosses like Zulrah, Demonic Gorillas, or even raids. They’re an underrated alternative to traditional prayer pots.
5. Expert Mining Gloves
Most players dread the grind for Expert Mining Gloves, which requires tons of unidentified minerals. Power-mining iron for hours is brutal, but there’s an alternative: mining amethyst.
While amethyst is slower, it’s extremely AFK-friendly, and since you’ll need it eventually for arrows or darts, it doubles as progress toward future goals. Yes, it adds extra hours, but for patient players, this turns a painful grind into a background task.
6. Unlocking the Rune Pouch
The Rune Pouch is essential for inventory management, but many Ironmen dread grinding Slayer points or competing in Last Man Standing (LMS). When I attempted LMS, I actually found it easier than expected-bots used to flood the mode, and even with no PvP experience, I earned my pouch quickly.
Even now, with fewer bots, it’s still worth trying. Plus, Jagex has added more ways to obtain the pouch, including the Mage Training Arena, making it less intimidating than before.
7. Slayer Training
Slayer isn’t usually flagged as an “Ironman grind,” but some players complain about the scarcity of resources. In truth, Slayer is one of the best skills for account progression. Nearly every task has safe-spotting options, letting you train Magic or Ranged safely.
Tasks like Demonic Gorillas or Tormented Demons also give huge XP boosts, sometimes up to 1,000 XP per kill. The key is patience-Slayer is slow by design, but it naturally builds your account’s combat stats, gear, and drops along the way.
Final Thoughts
Being an Iron Man is all about embracing the journey. Many grinds that the community labels as “terrible” turn out to be straightforward, even enjoyable, once you approach them with the right mindset. Whether it’s turning seaweed into glass, experimenting with Mixology, or discovering alternatives like moonlight moths, the key is to play in a way that feels rewarding to you. Unlike accounts that rely on cheap RuneScape gold to skip ahead, Ironmen thrive by finding satisfaction in the grind itself. Efficiency is useful, but fun is what keeps you logging back in.