Air rune crafting
Craft air runes at the Falador altar. Available from Runecraft 1 and one of very few free-to-play Runecraft options.
Air runecrafting is profitable for one reason: at higher Runecraft levels each essence produces multiple runes, and that multiplier is what turns a worthless craft into a workable one.
Air runes are the cheapest rune in the game, so the profit is entirely a volume business. The margin per rune is trivial and the rate comes from how many you make.
It is available in free-to-play, which is most of why it still appears on lists like this. In members there are better altars almost immediately.
The essence cost is the whole input. If pure essence rises and air runes do not, the method stops working — check both before buying a large stack.
What you actually do
- 1Buy or mine pure essence and bring it to the Air Altar south-west of Falador.
- 2Craft air runes at the altar — multiple runes per essence at higher levels.
- 3Bank and repeat.
Getting the most from it
- The multiple-rune bonus at higher Runecraft levels is what turns this from unprofitable into worthwhile.
- Air runes are the cheapest rune in the game, so the profit comes from volume rather than margin.
- It is a free-to-play method, which is most of why it is still used.
Similar methods
Herb runs
Plant herb seeds across every patch you have unlocked, then return around 80 minutes later to harvest.
- Est. GP/hr
- 1m–4m
- Starting GP
- 500k
- Attention
- Very AFK
- Requirements
- 32 Farming
Ardougne knight pickpocketing
Pickpocket knights in East Ardougne for a steady coin income while training Thieving.
- Est. GP/hr
- 300k–800k
- Starting GP
- None
- Attention
- Moderate attention
- Requirements
- 55 Thieving
Black chinchompa hunting
Trap black chinchompas in the Wilderness. Excellent GP and Hunter experience, with genuine risk of being killed by other players.
- Est. GP/hr
- 800k–1.8m
- Starting GP
- 50,000
- Attention
- Hands-on
- Requirements
- 73 Hunter