Water rune running
Water rune running (also known as Water running) is the interaction between two groups of players - crafters (also known as assisters), who create from between 1x Water runes to 6x Water runes and runners, who bring rune essence to the crafters at the Water altar.
Both parties benefit in different ways. The runecrafters gain fast, free experience, while the runners get their essence turned into Water runes. On 9 September 2009, Jagex had a shop update which removed the price cap on water runes allowing them to increase to above 40 coins each. This allowed Water rune running to be more profitable than Air rune running. There are three banks near to the Water altar, Draynor Village, Al Kharid and Lumbridge. All are close and are the most common method of running water runes. While there are no official Water rune running worlds, runners and assisters can be found in the Air rune running world, World 16. The operation has also been found to take place on World 1.
Requirements
- Water talisman (or water tiara) - Tiaras and talismans are not needed if you use the Abyss.
- Rune essence, unnoted. Pure essence can be used, but it is more expensive and it is only profitable if you use rune essence. (It is recommended that you bring at least 25)
- Pouches - Optional; can only be used when water rune running takes place on a Members world, and increase the amount of essence which can be carried per trip. A Small Pouch holds 3 essence, a Medium Pouch carries 6 essence, a Large Pouch carries 9 essence, and a Giant pouch carries 12 essence.
- Some kind of teleport - Optional; to allow you to do more trips in less time. A Glory amulet can be used on members world to teleport back to Draynor Village, or the Lumbridge teleport spell (level 31 Magic required) can be used to teleport back to Lumbridge.
Standard practice
Runners will need rune essence in unnoted form to begin. Rune essence can be mined from the rune essence mine (Rune Mysteries Quest required), or purchased from other players.
Once players have the essence, the final task is to enter the Water altar.
To request assistance from crafters already standing there, players should look for crafters that are standing around saying "open" or "assisting", and they should then proceed right clicking on the crafter and choosing the "req assist" option. After the crafter has accepted the assistance request, the player may then proceed to the water altar to craft water runes, giving experience points to the assister.
Trading Information
The Math
- The calculations use real-time prices from the Grand Exchange Market Watch. For more information, see Grand Exchange Market Watch/Runecrafting.
This example assumes that the Runner is carrying 25 Rune essence to the Runecrafter. It also assumed that the assister can make 6x Water runes (level 95 Runecrafting required).
- Runner: 25 Rune essence at Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "[". ea = Expression error: Unexpected < operator. coins
- Runecrafter: 6 x 25 Water runes at Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "[". ea = Expression error: Unexpected < operator. coins
- Wealth transfer (to runner): Expression error: Unexpected < operator. coins
Or you can ask them to assist you.
- See Grand Exchange Market Watch/Runecrafting for current prices, or to update outdated prices.
Selling Water Runes
Water runes are always in demand, due to their use in casting spells as well as giving charges to the Enchanted water tiara (a members item allowing players to not take damage while wandering the desert). While market price is constantly fluctuating, Water runes currently sell for Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "[". coins in the Grand Exchange. The table below shows the profit runecrafters can make in Water Running.
| Runecrafting Multiplier | Runecrafter Level | Profit per trip with 28 Rune Essence | Profit per trip with 25 Rune Essence | Profit per trip with 25 Rune Essence * | Profit per 1000 Rune Essence | Profit per 1000 Rune Essence * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1x | 5+ | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. |
| 2x | 19+ | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. |
| 3x | 38+ | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. |
| 4x | 57+ | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. |
| 5x | 76+ | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. |
| 6x | 95+ | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Expression error: Unexpected < operator. |
* These columns assume that you mine the rune essence yourself.
Methods of Transport
Walk - Draynor Village
This method is the most common. Run to the Water Altar through Lumbridge Swamp. Craft the runes and run back to the Draynor Village bank.
Walk - Lumbridge
This method is similar to Walking from Draynor Village. Run to the Water Altar through Lumbridge Swamp. Craft the runes and run back to the Lumbridge bank in Lumbridge Castle.
Cabbage-Port - Draynor
Required:
- Completion of Medium tasks for Lumbridge/Draynor Area
After walking from Draynor Village to the Altar like in the top method, one would cabbage-port using the Explorer's Ring 3 or 4, walk or run back to Draynor, use the bank, and repeat as nessecary.
Fairy Rings
Required:
- Completion of the quest Fairytale I - Growing Pains and partial completion of Fairytale II - Cure a Queen
- Dramen/Lunar staff
Find a fairy ring near a bank, the one near Edgeville seems to work well. Equip the staff, (optional if you have completed Fairy Tale III - Orks Rift) and go into the fairy ring.
Go to the altar, then get back to Zanaris, to the fairy ring, insert the code for the ring where you came from (D-K-R for Edgeville), bank and repeat.
Alternative:
It's also pretty fast to bank at Zanaris, as long as the path is followed, not through the grass.
Tablets
Required:
- A Runecrafting level of 50 to gain access to the Runecrafting Guild.
- A Water talisman, Water tiara, or Water talisman staff for access to the water altar. (The tablets only teleport you outside of the altar.)
Suggested:
- Although you will most likely use less than 20% energy per trip, it would be nice to wear some weight reducing gear.
- A form of teleportation to a location close to a bank. (Usually Amulet of Glory or Explorer's ring 3 to teleport to the nearby cabbage patch.)
Using the water altar tablet to teleport right outside the altar. These can be purchased from the The Great Orb Project. This is by far the fastest method, even considering the time it takes to earn more tablets.
- Since there is not always Water runners there won't always be people waiting to assist crafters at the altar. It is suggested to check into a water running clan to see if there is an assistant or runners available, and the names of these can be found on the RuneScape forums.