Early Ironman Quests OSRS: The Essential Order
Prioritise unlocks over XP. Fairy rings, spirit trees, and Ardougne cloak should be your first targets. Then grab the big XP quests (Waterfall, Witch's House) to skip early combat training entirely.
Knowing which early ironman quests to prioritise in OSRS makes a huge difference to your account’s progression. They give massive XP at low levels, unlock essential content, and skip tedious early training. Get the order right and you’ll have fairy rings, spirit trees, and base 40s combat without grinding a single mob.
Philosophy: Unlocks First, XP Second
The best quests aren’t necessarily the ones with the most XP. Unlocks that save time forever beat one-time XP rewards.
Fairy rings alone save thousands of hours over an account’s lifetime. Spirit trees, Ardougne cloak, and graceful (via agility for quest requirements) compound that further. Get these first, then hoover up XP quests.
The Critical Unlocks
These should be your first priorities, regardless of which guide you follow:
Fairy Rings
Quests: Fairytale I, start Fairytale II (don’t need to finish)
Teleports to almost anywhere in the game. You’ll use these constantly forever. No other early unlock comes close to the time saved.
Requirements: Can boost from 46 Farming with a pie
Spirit Trees
Quest: Tree Gnome Village
Another essential teleport network. Pairs with fairy rings for complete map coverage.
Requirements: None (can be done immediately)
Ardougne Cloak 1
Quest: Complete easy Ardougne diary
Unlimited teleports to the Ardougne monastery. Useful for fairy ring access (nearby) and prayer restore.
Requirements: Various easy skills, a few quests
Graceful
Not a quest, but you’ll naturally get the Agility levels for quest requirements. Aim for full graceful (~60 Agility) early — the run energy is essential.
High-Value Early Quests
Once you have the critical unlocks, these quests give massive XP rewards that skip early training:
Combat XP Quests
| Quest | XP Reward | Requirements | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterfall Quest | 13,750 Attack, 13,750 Strength | None (can die to skip fights) | Instantly 30 Attack/Strength |
| Witch’s House | 6,325 Hitpoints | None | Massive early HP |
| Fight Arena | 12,175 Attack | None | Stack with Waterfall |
| Tree Gnome Village | 11,450 Attack | None | Also unlocks spirit trees |
| The Grand Tree | 18,400 Attack, 7,900 Agility | Tree Gnome Village | Big Attack XP |
| Vampire Slayer | 4,825 Attack | None | Quick and easy |
| Death Plateau | 3,000 Attack | None | Also unlocks Trollheim |
Other Essential Early Quests
| Quest | Unlock/Reward | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Priest in Peril | Morytania access | Opens Barrows, Slayer Tower, etc. |
| Lost City | Zanaris, dragon weapons | Fairy ring hub, dragon dagger |
| The Dig Site | Kudos, Fossil Island access | Leads to Bone Voyage |
| Bone Voyage | Fossil Island | Birdhouses, volcanic mine, herbiboar |
| Druidic Ritual | Herblore skill | Can’t train Herblore without it |
| Rune Mysteries | Runecrafting skill | Can’t train RC without it |
| Client of Kourend | Kourend favour | Access to Zeah content |
| X Marks the Spot | Lumbridge diary step | Quick and gives clue scroll |
Quest Chains to Start Early
Some quest lines have many prerequisites. Start these chains early so you’re not blocked later:
Recipe for Disaster
Barrows gloves are a major mid-game goal. The subquests have varied requirements — chip away at them as your account progresses. Don’t leave it all until you want the gloves.
Desert Treasure
Ancient Magicks are essential for bursting Slayer. Requirements include 50 Firemaking, 53 Thieving, and several quests. Start the prerequisite quests early.
Monkey Madness I
Dragon scimitar is your main weapon for a long time. Requires The Grand Tree and some agility/combat.
Lunar Diplomacy
Lunar spellbook has useful utility (NPC Contact, Vengeance). Requires decent Magic and several quests.
The Efficiency Guides
If you want a complete step-by-step quest order optimised for efficiency, these community guides are the gold standard:
Oziris’ Guide
The classic efficiency guide. Focuses on a Corrupted Gauntlet rush — getting to CG as fast as possible for Bowfa (Bow of Faerdhinen). Very optimised but quite intense.
Oziris’ Ironman Guide (Archive)
BRUHSailer’s Guide
More up-to-date with current meta (Varlamore, etc.). Generally considered friendlier while still being efficient.
Quests to Avoid Early
Some quests give rewards that scale with level or have negative consequences:
| Quest | Why Wait |
|---|---|
| A Soul’s Bane | Gives combat XP — do before you want specific levels |
| Shadow of the Storm | 10k Combat XP reward — choose carefully |
| Dragon Slayer | Unlocks dragons for Slayer — only do when ready |
| Cabin Fever | Starts getting Mos Le’Harmless pirates as Slayer tasks |
Sample Early Quest Order
This isn’t prescriptive — adjust based on what you enjoy. But if you want a starting point:
- Tutorial Island → Lumbridge
- Immediate: Druidic Ritual, Rune Mysteries (unlock skills)
- Fairy rings: Fairytale I → start Fairytale II
- Spirit trees: Tree Gnome Village
- Combat XP: Waterfall Quest, Witch’s House, Fight Arena
- More combat: The Grand Tree, Vampire Slayer, Death Plateau
- Access quests: Priest in Peril, Lost City, Client of Kourend
- Fossil Island: The Dig Site → Bone Voyage
- Start RFD chain: Goblin subquest, Dwarf subquest, etc.
From here, continue working toward quest cape while doing Slayer and skilling.
Related Guides
- Early Game Roadmap
- Varlamore Guide — New content with good early unlocks
- Prayer Training — Quest XP for early prayer levels