OSRS Ironman early game guide: first steps, quests and goals

What makes Ironman mode different?

Ironman mode in OSRS is a restricted game mode that removes trading, the Grand Exchange, and loot from other players. Every item you use must be obtained, crafted, or looted by your own character. This fundamentally changes how you approach the game — you cannot buy a dragon scimitar from the GE; you must complete Monkey Madness I and smith or loot the required materials yourself.

The early game is the hardest part of an Ironman account. You have no starting cash, no gear, and no supplies. Every resource must be gathered from scratch. However, this also makes the mode deeply rewarding — every upgrade feels earned, and the game's content is experienced in a completely new way.

The key to Ironman efficiency is stacking goals. For example, training Agility at the Canifis rooftop course gives you marks of grace (for graceful outfit), while also providing the Agility level needed for quests and shortcuts. Every action should serve multiple purposes.

First steps: leaving Tutorial Island

After Tutorial Island, your first goal is to build a foundation of supplies and early quest completions. The optimal first few hours of an Ironman look like this:

1. Complete the easy quests in Lumbridge and Varrock: Cook's Assistant, Sheep Shearer, Misthalin Mystery, and The Restless Ghost. These give you early quest points, some XP, and access to key areas.

2. Train to 10 Agility at the Gnome Stronghold course for the graceful set grind. Then head to Wintertodt at 50 Firemaking. Wintertodt is the single most important early Ironman activity — it provides: massive Firemaking XP, supply crates (seeds, gems, ores, logs, fish), and the warm clothing and tome of fire.

3. After Wintertodt (aim for 85+ Firemaking), move to Tempoross for fishing XP and food supplies. Tempoross provides cooked fish that will sustain you through the early questing and skilling phases.

4. With a supply base established, begin the quest grind. Start with Waterfall Quest (no requirements, massive combat XP), then follow the optimal quest order.

Essential Ironman quests and their order

The optimal quest order for Ironman accounts follows the same principle as the regular optimal quest guide but with a few adjustments. Here are the most critical quests for Ironman progression:

Waterfall Quest (no requirements) — 13,750 Attack and Strength XP. This is your first stop. It takes you from level 1 to 30+ Attack and Strength.

The Knight's Sword (10 Mining) — 12,725 Smithing XP. Blasts you to 29 Smithing, unlocking important anvil locations and the ability to make mithril weapons.

Tree Gnome Village (no requirements) — 11,450 Attack XP. Unlocks Spirit Tree network and pushes Attack towards 40.

Fight Arena (no requirements) — 12,150 Attack XP. Combined with the above, this gets you to 40 Attack for the dragon scimitar.

The Grand Tree (25 Agility) — 18,400 Attack XP, 2,150 Magic XP. The single largest XP reward in the early game. Also unlocks the Tree Gnome Stronghold teleport.

Monkey Madness I — rewards the Dragon scimitar, your first major weapon upgrade. This is the most important quest goal for early Ironman combat.

Recipe for Disaster — the ultimate early-game goal. Completing all subquests rewards Barrows Gloves, the best-in-slot gloves until late-game content.

Key skilling milestones for Ironman accounts

Agility: Full graceful outfit is the single most important skilling unlock for Ironmen. It reduces run energy drain by 30% and provides a weight reduction of 20 kg. Grind this at the Canifis rooftop course (40-60 Agility) and Seers' Village (60+ Agility).

Fishing/Cooking: Tempoross provides high-volume cooked fish. Aim for 65+ Fishing for Monkfish, then 82+ for sharks. Karambwans are also excellent for combo eating.

Mining/Smithing: Motherlode Mine to 70+ Mining, then blast furnace for steel bars. Smithing is important for quest requirements and for making your own armour and weapons.

Runecraft: Guardians of the Rift is essential for Ironmen. It provides runes that would otherwise be costly to buy, and the Abyssal Needle and Lantern upgrades are worth the grind.

Farming: Start bird house runs immediately for bird nests (for Saradomin brews later). Do herb runs for herblore supplies. Tree runs for Farming XP.

Herblore: The most difficult skill to train on an Ironman. Start herb runs early and never stop. Kingdom of Miscellania is essential for passive herb and log supplies.

Equipment progression from early to mid-game

Your equipment progression on an Ironman follows a clear path. Start with quest rewards and basic crafted gear, then work towards mid-game unlocks.

Early game: Rune scimitar (from Fire Giants or the Legends' Guild chest), Dragon scimitar (Monkey Madness I), Helm of Neitiznot (The Fremennik Isles), Climbing boots (from the Death Plateau quest), Power amulet or Strength amulet.

Mid-game unlocks: Barrows Gloves (Recipe for Disaster), Fighter Torso (Barbarian Assault — 10 hours of BA), Dragon defender (Warriors' Guild), Berserker ring (Dagannoth Kings), Fire cape (Fight Caves), and the Trident of the Seas (for magic).

The transition to mid-game is marked by your first bossing. Barrows is the natural starting point — it provides tank armour and runes. From there, you can move to Sarachnis, Crazy Archaeologist, and the Dagannoth Kings.