RuneScape: The Guide to F2P Furnaces

RuneScape players can refine ores and make jewelry using a furnace. RuneScape players training smithing will spend considerable time at a furnace, so it helps to know which furnace is best. Five furnaces are located in F2P territory, but the Edgeville furnace is members-only. That leaves F2P RuneScape players with four furnaces.

RuneScape F2P furnace, Al Kharid: The Al Kharid furnace is located directly north of the bank. One click on the minimap is usually enough to get the RuneScape player in clicking distance of the furnace. General consensus among RuneScape players is that this furnace is the closest to a bank in F2P RuneScape. The furnace is also closer to the scorpion mine than a bank, so players who mine there can smelt en route to the bank. The disadvantage of this is that, with there being only two coal rocks in the mine, RuneScape players are likely only to smelt iron, silver, and gold this way.

RuneScape F2P furnace, Falador: The furnace in Falador is close to the west Falador bank and also relatively close to the east Falador bank. RuneScape players mining coal, mithril, and adamantite in the mining guild may find the Falador furnace more convenient than traveling to Al Kharid to smelt the ore.

RuneScape F2P furnace, Lumbridge: There is a furnace in Lumbridge north of Lumbridge castle but the bank in Lumbridge castle is further from the furnace in addition to being on the third floor. This furnace may be useful for place utility if walking by and have ores in hand but otherwise the distance makes this furnace less than desirable.

RuneScape F2P furnace, Wilderness Ruins: This furnace is far from a bank and there are no nearby mines. Although this furnace is slightly closer to a bank than the Lumbridge furnace, the risk of reverants makes this furnace the worst option.

Furnaces are primarily used for smelting ore. Bronze (one copper and one tin ore) is needed to reach level 15 unless the player does the Knight's Sword Quest which jumps the player to level 29 smithing. Iron provides better experience but is actually slower to smelt than bronze because it requires twice the amount of time.

Steel, Mithril, Adamantite, and Runite require coal while smelting. These ores provide faster smithing experience per smelt but require frequent trips to the furnace. The recent Run Update allows for faster run recharge and rest breaks, so smithing these ores in F2P can be accomplished faster.

Silver and gold can be smelted in a furnace also, but unlike the rest of the ores, silver and gold cannot be smithed on an anvil. Smelting silver and gold, like iron, is a 28-smelt per load job (27 if crafting into silver/gold items with mould in inventory.) One method of maximizing time is to smelt the ores that require running and smelt a few 28-smelt loads when run is low so it can recharge.

If crafting the silver, it is helpful to bring 27 silver ores and one holy symbol or tiara mould to smelt and craft in one trip. Likewise with gold, bring 13 gems, one ring, necklace, or amulet mould, and 14 gold ore (or 27 gold ore and a mould for plain gold jewelry) to smelt and craft in one trip, saving energy. Smelting 28 gold ore and returning with bars and gems would average out to half a trip extra per load in exchange for one less smelt gold furnace click sequence, not worthwhile.

Smithing can be a source of RuneScape gold. RuneScape players who want to make a profit can smelt steel, mithril, adamant, and rune bars from ore and turn a profit. In a good economy, RuneScape players can make over 100k an hour in F2P.

For a slideshow of the F2P RuneScape furnace locations in game and on map, visit RuneScape F2P Furnace Slideshow.

Source: RuneScape F2P Furnace guide by Hartford RuneScape Examiner.