Unearthing the Fastest Path: Maximizing Mining XP per Hour in OSRS
The quest for optimal experience per hour (XP/hr) is a cornerstone of efficient training in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), and mining is no exception. If you’re aiming to quickly reach level 99 or simply looking to boost your XP rates, understanding the fastest methods is crucial. So, what is the fastest mining XP/hr in OSRS? The pinnacle of mining efficiency is achieved through 3-tick granite mining, capable of yielding 125,000 – 130,000 XP/hr at level 99 when employing precise tick manipulation. However, this method requires significant dedication and mastery of timing and game mechanics. Without tick manipulation, the fastest mining method generally yields around 63,000 XP/hr.
The Power of Tick Manipulation: Granite Mining
The previously mentioned 3-tick granite mining method exploits the game’s tick system. It involves timing actions perfectly to maximize the number of granite rocks mined per game tick. This highly advanced technique is performed at the desert quarry and, while the most effective, requires considerable practice to achieve consistently. It’s also important to remember that the numbers discussed are at level 99 with the mining cape perk; at level 45, even with tick manipulation, you’ll still only reach around 70,000 XP/hr.
Tick Manipulation: What it is and Why it Matters
Tick manipulation involves performing actions that occur within a single “tick”, a unit of time in OSRS (0.6 seconds). By utilizing the game’s mechanics, players can execute multiple actions within that single tick to bypass certain limitations. For mining, this means manipulating your actions between mining the rock, dropping the ore, and repeating. This results in a higher rate of mining, and therefore, more XP. This form of training is often considered very tedious and requires extensive focus.
Alternative Fast Methods
While granite is the best experience for most of the 99 journey, many people prefer to use other methods for various reasons.
Power Mining
For those who don’t want to bother with tick manipulation, power mining offers a viable alternative. This method is simple to understand: you mine ore and then immediately drop it, never banking it. This is fastest to start at lower levels, and at the mining guild, you can quickly reach 60,000-70,000 XP/hr depending on your level and gear. This eliminates travel time to banks and increases the amount of ore you are mining and therefore experience gained.
Volcanic Mine
The Volcanic Mine is a cooperative mining activity that provides decent experience rates. It scales with your mining level, so expect approximately 40,000 XP/hr at level 50 and up to 85,000 – 95,000 XP/hr at level 99 with well-coordinated gameplay. While not as fast as tick-manipulated granite, it offers a good balance of fun and reward, and the chance for rare rewards. The more coordinated the group of people in the mine is, the faster you will get experience.
Gem Mining
Gem mining is another decent option, particularly at higher levels. Using tick manipulation, you can achieve 105,000 – 115,000 XP/hr at level 99 in the underground section of the mine, in addition to earning a decent amount of profit. The gems have a good average value and give mining XP. This is a popular choice for players looking to make a profit while training.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the fastest way to get Mining XP in F2P?
In Free-to-Play (F2P), the fastest way to train Mining is by power mining iron ore. Find a location with three iron rocks surrounding a single tile to minimize travel and maximize mining time. By dropping the ores, you can expect to reach 35 experience per rock mined.
2. How much XP per hour is MLM (Motherlode Mine)?
Motherlode Mine (MLM) offers a more relaxed training method. You can expect around 20,000 – 35,000 XP/hr, as well as a chance to obtain the prospector’s outfit, which grants a mining XP boost. It is low effort and can be a good method for lower level players.
3. Does the Mining Cape boost mining XP?
Yes, the Mining Cape perk is crucial for maximizing XP rates. It provides an invisible boost to mining speed while worn, and for the purpose of this article, the mining cape will be worn to achieve the fastest methods. This is essential for achieving top-tier XP rates.
4. Is the Crystal Pickaxe better than the Dragon Pickaxe?
Yes, the Crystal Pickaxe provides a 3.03% increase in overall mining speed compared to the Dragon Pickaxe, and a 9.09% increase compared to the Rune pickaxe. This minor difference matters when attempting to reach the fastest XP rates possible, making it important to use.
5. Does the Varrock Armor help with mining?
The Varrock Armor 1 offers a 4% chance of mining two ores simultaneously for copper, tin, iron, or coal, which slightly increases your XP and ore gains. Each upgrade to the armour provides additional benefits, and at the higher tiers are beneficial to your mining training.
6. What ore gives the most XP in OSRS?
In terms of base XP per ore, Diamond Ore provides the highest XP. However, they are rare and difficult to find, and are not commonly used in mining for experience purposes. Most common high-xp ores will be granite and gems.
7. How much XP per hour is gold ore?
At high levels with full attention, you can reach upwards of 420,000 XP/hr mining gold using the 3-tick method. A more average rate can be 250,000 to 350,000 XP/hr for gold using regular techniques. This is typically done in the mining guild, but it is often much more click intensive and harder to maintain than other methods.
8. Do bombs give mining XP?
Yes, the use of bombs to destroy rocks does provide mining experience. You also gain the same experience if monsters break the rocks.
9. Is Mining one of the hardest skills to level in OSRS?
Yes, Mining is often considered one of the harder skills to reach level 99. It’s time-consuming and requires consistent effort. Other hard skills to 99 are construction, fishing, runecrafting, and agility.
10. Is Fletching the fastest skill to 99 in OSRS?
Yes, Fletching is considered the fastest skill to 99 in OSRS. Using efficient dart fletching methods, players can reach level 99 in under 4 hours. It is significantly faster than the time needed to 99 mining.
11. What is the fastest skill to 99 in F2P?
In F2P, superheating using the magic skill is the fastest way to reach 99. This is often done at the blast furnace. The large amount of runes it requires is the downside to this method.
12. Does agility still work in F2P OSRS?
Yes, Agility does work in F2P. It still affects your run energy restoration rate, even without a membership.
13. How do you grind XP fast in Minecraft?
While this article is about OSRS, similar principals apply in Minecraft. Efficient ways to grind XP in Minecraft include mob farms, villager trading, destroying Sculk, and mining Nether Quartz.
14. What is the highest skill level in Runescape?
The highest skill level in most skills is 99. However, some skills like Dungeoneering, Invention, Slayer, Herblore, Farming, Archaeology, and Necromancy have a maximum level of 120, which is achieved at 104,273,167 experience.
15. Does mining gold give XP?
Yes, mining gold gives experience. It also provides credits at the end of missions and has the additional benefit of providing bonus experience.
Conclusion
While tick-manipulated 3-tick granite mining offers the absolute highest XP/hr in OSRS, the complexity of it can lead many players to choose other methods. Power mining, Volcanic Mine, and Gem mining each provide their own benefits and viable rates of experience. By understanding all these options, and using the right equipment such as the mining cape and best pickaxe available, you can optimize your journey to level 99 and beyond in the world of Gielinor. Remember that consistency and effort are key to achieving your mining goals.