Old School RuneScape is the 2013 fork of a 2007 backup of RuneScape, and it is not a mode inside RuneScape 3. Separate servers, separate accounts, separate membership, separate high scores. Steam app 1343370 is Jagex's official client for it rather than a distinct game, and the client is free while membership is not. Jagex polls new content to paying members and needs 70 percent yes to pass, a bar lowered from 75 percent at the end of 2022, which is why the game still plays like 2007 with two decades of member approved additions layered on.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Lumbridge | Twenty four skills, every one capped at 99 basics | Ranged training | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Varrock | Content polls needing 70 percent yes mastery | Ranged training | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Great Kourend | Tick based combat on a 0.6 second tick + gear | Melee training or Ranged training | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Varlamore | Build optimization | Melee training | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | The Wilderness | Min-max | Melee training or Ironman and Group Ironman | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Lumbridge)
The starting town and the free to play tutorial area. Cows, chickens and goblins here are the first training ground, and the respawn point sits in the castle.
Level/Difficulty: Combat levels 3 to 20 Key Rewards: Early quests, basic gear and the free to play skill introduction
What to Do in Lumbridge
- Learn Twenty four skills, every one capped at 99. There is no level 120 and no Invention here. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Ranged training as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Do not follow RuneScape 3 guides. Old School has no Evolution of Combat, no Invention, no Necromancy and no level 120 skills. RS3 gear names, ability bars and training methods do not exist here, and applying them will waste days.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Toxic blowpipe or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Twenty four skills, every one capped at 99 fundamentals
- Ranged training selected and functional
- Lumbridge main content cleared
- Ready for Varrock
Phase 2: Early Game (Varrock)
The largest free to play city, holding a Grand Exchange entrance, banks and several early quest lines. Most accounts move here once Lumbridge stops giving useful experience.
Level/Difficulty: Combat levels 20 to 60 Key Rewards: Grand Exchange access, mid tier quests and the closest thing to a free to play hub
What to Do in Varrock
- Work on Content polls needing 70 percent yes. Members vote on proposed content and a proposal needs 70 percent approval to enter the game. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Toxic blowpipe if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Quests unlock more than experience does. Several bosses, teleports and skill methods are locked behind quests, so a mid level account that has ignored questing will hit walls a lower level account with the same quests never notices.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Great Kourend.
- Consider whether Melee training might suit your playstyle better than Ranged training.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Content polls needing 70 percent yes integrated into gameplay
- Toxic blowpipe acquired
- Varrock fully cleared
- Ready for Great Kourend
Phase 3: Mid Game (Great Kourend)
The Zeah landmass added in 2015 with its own five house favour system, the Wintertodt firemaking boss and the Chambers of Xeric raid.
Level/Difficulty: Members content from roughly combat level 60 upward Key Rewards: Chambers of Xeric drops, Wintertodt for early Firemaking, Woodcutting Guild and the favour rewards
What to Do in Great Kourend
- Master Tick based combat on a 0.6 second tick. The game runs on a fixed 0. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Abyssal whip. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Sailing is members only and launched on 19 November 2025. It runs Raft at level 1, Skiff at 15 and Sloop at 50, with 56 docking points and 27 islands reachable no other way, and it is the only skill that exists in Old School and not in RuneScape 3.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Grand Exchange trading and bonds for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Tick based combat on a 0.6 second tick mastered
- Abyssal whip acquired or in progress
- Great Kourend fully cleared
- Ready for Varlamore
Phase 4: Late Game (Varlamore)
The newest major region, delivered in parts across 2024 and 2025. It brought Amoxliatl and The Hueycoatl, the latter a group boss for up to 20 players with a 50,000 coin fee for a private instance.
Level/Difficulty: Members content, mid to high level Key Rewards: Hueycoatl and Amoxliatl drops, new agility and thieving content, and the region's quest line
What to Do in Varlamore
- Finalize your build. You should be running Melee training or Ranged training with optimized gear.
- Abyssal whip should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Bonds are Jagex's only route into the game economy. You can buy one with real money and sell it on the Grand Exchange, or buy one with coins to pay for membership. There are no loot boxes, no purchasable experience and no gear store.
- Account modes including Ironman and Group Ironman optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into The Wilderness.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Abyssal whip upgraded to max
- Varlamore fully cleared
- Ready for The Wilderness
Phase 5: Endgame (The Wilderness)
The open PvP zone that runs north from Edgeville. Deeper wilderness means a wider range of players who can attack you, and death means dropping everything you carried.
Level/Difficulty: Any combat level, but realistically 70 or above to survive Key Rewards: High value resource spots, wilderness bosses and the only PvP loot in the game
What to Do in The Wilderness
- The Wilderness tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Track bond prices before committing. A bond traded around 12 million coins on the Grand Exchange in August 2026, down from a summer range closer to 13 million, and that price moves with membership pricing and player supply.
- The endgame loop: run The Wilderness, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Ironman and Group Ironman for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Account modes including Ironman and Group Ironman mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- The Wilderness fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Treating this as the same game as RuneScape 3 and expecting shared accounts, membership or high scores.
- Paying for the Steam client, which is free; membership is the separate cost.
- Training combat past the bracket you wanted before deciding on a PvP build.
- Carrying valuable gear into the Wilderness, where death drops everything.
- Skipping quests in favour of raw levels, then finding half the content locked.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Do not follow RuneScape 3 guides. Old School has no Evolution of Combat, no Invention, no Necromancy and no level 120 skills. RS3 gear names, ability bars and training methods do not exist here, and applying them will waste days.
- Quests unlock more than experience does. Several bosses, teleports and skill methods are locked behind quests, so a mid level account that has ignored questing will hit walls a lower level account with the same quests never notices.
- Sailing is members only and launched on 19 November 2025. It runs Raft at level 1, Skiff at 15 and Sloop at 50, with 56 docking points and 27 islands reachable no other way, and it is the only skill that exists in Old School and not in RuneScape 3.
- Bonds are Jagex's only route into the game economy. You can buy one with real money and sell it on the Grand Exchange, or buy one with coins to pay for membership. There are no loot boxes, no purchasable experience and no gear store.
- Track bond prices before committing. A bond traded around 12 million coins on the Grand Exchange in August 2026, down from a summer range closer to 13 million, and that price moves with membership pricing and player supply.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Old School RuneScape Guides
- Old School RuneScape Old School RuneScape Overview
- Old School RuneScape Best Builds
- Old School RuneScape Tier List
- Old School RuneScape Beginner's Guide
- Old School RuneScape Tips & Tricks
- Old School RuneScape Weapons Guide
- Old School RuneScape Combat Guide
- Old School RuneScape Boss Guide
- Old School RuneScape Maps & Locations
- Old School RuneScape Crafting Guide
- Old School RuneScape Classes & Characters
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