How to get runes as an Ironman

Early game: shops

• Elemental, mind, chaos and death runes

  Betty in Port Sarim, Aubury in Varrock and the Void Knight magic store sell them. Chaos and death runes stock only 250, so hop worlds.

• Ali Morrisane

  The Rogue Trader miniquest adds runes to his Al Kharid shop. Solve the large casket puzzle for about 100 each of nature, law, blood and soul runes per world.

  Needs: The Feud · Rune Mysteries

• Wizards' Guild rune store

  Sells every standard rune except cosmic, astral and wrath, with 250 each of law, nature, blood and soul runes.

  Needs: 66 Magic (boostable)

• Cats for death runes

  Use a grown cat on a civilian in West Ardougne for 100 death runes, or 200 after the easy diary.

Mid game: making your own

• Guardians of the Rift

  The core Ironman rune source, and it makes its own essence. Extra altars need quests: Lost City (cosmic), Troll Stronghold (law), Mourning's End Part II (death) and Sins of the Father (blood).

  Needs: Temple of the Eye · 27 Runecraft

• Raiments of the Eye

  Each piece adds 10% bonus runes and the full set adds 60%. Buy the cheapest pieces first.

• Tomes of fire, water and earth

  Each charged tome replaces one elemental rune. Pages charge them: burnt from Wintertodt, soaked from Tempoross, soiled from the Hueycoatl.

  Needs: 50 Magic

Late game and passive runes

Claim daily runes with your other dailies. The planner's Today tab lists them.

• Arceuus blood runes

  Mine dense essence, darken it at the Dark Altar and craft blood runes, or soul runes at 90 Runecraft. No essence supply needed. The elite Kourend & Kebos diary adds 10% more blood runes.

  Needs: 77 Runecraft · 38 Mining · 38 Crafting

• Barrows

  The chest pays mind, chaos, death and blood runes. The hard Morytania diary adds 50% more.

  Needs: Priest in Peril

• Wilderness diary runes

  Lundail gives 40, 80, 120 or 200 random catalytic runes a day by diary tier.

• Hardcore note

  Lundail is in the Mage Arena bank. The bank is safe, but the route crosses deep Wilderness, so risk nothing.

Best monster drops

The monsters that drop the most per kill, from the wiki's drop data. Plenty of these are bosses you'd kill anyway, so the supplies come on top of the gear.

Drop data from the Old School RuneScape Wiki (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0), fetched 2026-10-01.

Questions

What is the best way to get runes as an Ironman?

Buy from shops early, then switch to Guardians of the Rift after Temple of the Eye.

How do Ironmen get blood runes?

Barrows and shops cover small amounts. From 77 Runecraft, Arceuus is the usual long-term source.

Where can an Ironman buy astral runes?

Baba Yaga on Lunar Isle sells 250 per world after Lunar Diplomacy. You can also craft them from 40 Runecraft.