Mining

There are few skills as important to your runescape bank balance than mining, since it provides you with raw material for smithing or to sell to other smithing players. After completeing the Rune Mysteries quest, you can also mine rune essence for runecrafting or trade, and this easily mined material typically trades at 2000 GP per 100 ess (noted) at the east Varrock bank.

It is also worth taking on Doric's Quest early, as you can usually find the required two iron ores dropped by other players, and the other materials can be mined at the lowest level. The increase in level will help you to mine faster, and enable you to use the Steel pick.

Pickaxes
The pickaxe cannot be smithed by players. Bronze ones may found in several places, or purchased from a general store if you lose the one you were supplied with. Higher grade pickaxes are sold by Nurmorf (the dwarf in blue), in the northeast corridor of the Dwarven Mine.

Your mining level determines the grade of pickaxe you can mine with. A higher level and a better pickaxe enables you to mine faster, while your attack level may enable you to wield it as a weapon, saving an inventory space for another ore.

Ores to mine
Apart from rune essence, there is competition for all rocks - the first one to succeed is the only one who gets the ore.

You can increase your mining by one level for a short time by drinking a Dwarven Stout, available from the Rising Sun bar in Falador, but unless you desperately require a higher ore, the extra experience does not compensate for the increased time it takes. Even at "guild level", coal still usually takes more than one strike of a Rune pick, while Iron takes only one. Coal is essential though, if you wish to smith steel or above.

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