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OSRS Giants' Foundry Guide: Smithing Minigame Explained
Master the Giants' Foundry Smithing minigame in OSRS! Learn gameplay, refinement mechanics, optimal alloys, moulds, rewards (Colossal Blade), and XP rates.
OSRS Giants' Foundry Guide: Forging Giant Swords
The Giants' Foundry offers an engaging and often cost-effective way to train Smithing in Old School RuneScape. Located beneath the Giants' Plateau, players assist the giant Kovac by forging massive swords to his specifications, earning Smithing experience, coins, and Foundry Reputation in the process. Access requires completion of the introductory quest, Sleeping Giants.
Getting Started & Gameplay Loop
- Location: Giants' Plateau, south-east of Al Kharid. Use Amulet of Glory (Al Kharid), Ring of Dueling (Emir's Arena), Grouping Teleport, or Gnome Glider.
- Commission: Speak to Kovac to receive a commission (e.g., "Broad", "Spiked"). This determines the ideal sword shape.
- Mould Setup: Interact with Kovac's Mould Library. Select Forte, Blade, and Tip moulds that best match the commission's description for higher starting quality. Unlock better moulds with Reputation.
- Crucible: Fill the crucible with 28 bars worth of metal. You can use metal bars directly or smithable metal items (armour/weapons, bronze-rune, worth 1 less bar than their smithing cost). Using alloys (mixing two metal types) yields significantly better results than pure metals.
- Pour: Pour the molten metal into the mould to create a preform (unfinished sword).
- Refinement: This is the core gameplay. Take the preform and use the various machines, keeping the sword within the correct temperature range indicated on the HUD:
- Trip Hammer: Hot temperature (Yellow/Orange). Slow, large progress chunks. Cools sword.
- Grindstone: Medium temperature (Green). Heats sword.
- Polishing Wheel: Cold temperature (Blue/Purple). Cools sword quickly.
- Waterfall: Cools the preform rapidly (Quench) or slowly (Cool).
- Lava Pool: Heats the preform rapidly (Dunk) or slowly (Heat).
- Sweet Spots: Occasionally, the HUD border glows yellow. Click the active machine again within ~6 seconds for a large progress boost (border turns green).
- Mistakes: Using the wrong tool or working outside the correct temperature damages the sword, reducing its final quality (-10 points per mistake). If quality hits 0, the commission fails.
- Hand In: Once the progress bar reaches 100%, hand the completed sword to Kovac. You receive Smithing XP, coins, and Foundry Reputation based on the final quality. Kovac also restores 50% run energy.
- Repeat: Get a new commission and start again!
Key Concepts: Quality & Difficulty
- Quality: Determines your rewards (XP, coins, Reputation). Starts based on Metal Score + Mould Score. Decreases with mistakes.
- Metal Score: Based on the type and ratio of metals used. Alloys (e.g., 14 Adamant + 14 Rune) give much higher scores than pure metals. Higher scores lead to higher potential quality but also higher difficulty. (See data dump for score formula/examples).
- Mould Score: Based on how well your chosen Forte, Blade, and Tip match Kovac's commission. Higher scores increase starting quality. Unlock better moulds from the Reward Shop. (See data dump for best combinations).
- Difficulty: Determined only by the Metal Score. Higher scores mean more refinement steps (3-7 sections) and narrower temperature ranges, making refinement trickier.
- Alloy Choice: Using optimal high-tier alloys (like 14 Adamant/14 Rune) gives the best XP but is expensive and difficult (7 sections). Using slightly lower-score alloys (like 9 Rune/19 Adamant) can make the process easier (6 sections), significantly cheaper, and nearly as good for Reputation gain, while only sacrificing a small amount of XP/hr. (See data dump strategy section for detailed alloy comparisons).
Materials: Bars vs Items
- Bars: Simple, readily available on the GE. The standard method.
- Smithable Items: Using items like platebodies, platelegs, etc., bought from the GE or shops (Aneirin in Prifddinas, Blacksmith in Fortis) can be significantly cheaper than using bars, as they recycle for almost their full bar value. Check GE prices and buy limits. Claws are generally impractical due to low trade volume. Smithing items yourself specifically for the Foundry is generally not recommended as it's slower XP overall.
Rewards: Foundry Reputation
Spend Reputation earned from commissions at the Reward Shop:
- Moulds: Purchase better Forte, Blade, and Tip moulds to increase starting sword quality (crucial for better rewards). See data dump for optimal unlock order.
- Colossal Blade (5000 Rep): A powerful 2-handed sword, particularly effective against large monsters.
- Smiths' Uniform (15000 Rep total): Set providing a chance (guaranteed with full set) for bonus progress per machine tick, increasing XP rates (~15%). Smiths gloves (3500 Rep) can be combined with Ice Gloves.
- Kovac's Grog (300 Rep): Tradable item, often bought for profit.
- Double Ammo Mould (2000 Rep): Smelt 2 cannonballs at once. Requires Dwarf Cannon quest.
- Ore Pack (200 Rep): Contains various ores.
- Smithing Catalyst (15 Rep): Speeds up Blast Furnace smelting.
Conclusion
Giants' Foundry offers a dynamic and rewarding alternative for training Smithing. By understanding the interplay between alloys, moulds, and the refinement process, players can achieve excellent experience rates, potentially turn a profit, and earn unique rewards like the Colossal Blade and Smiths' Uniform. Master the heat, perfect your timing, and forge some truly giant swords!
Need help grinding out Reputation for that Colossal Blade or Smiths' Outfit? Our OSRS Skilling Services can speed up the process. Want to try the high-XP Adamant/Rune method? Secure the necessary bars with OSRS Gold.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Giants' Foundry is a Smithing minigame located beneath the Giants' Plateau (south-east of Al Kharid). Players forge giant swords for Kovac using metal bars or smithable items, earning Smithing XP, coins, and Foundry Reputation. It requires completion of the Sleeping Giants quest.
Completion of Sleeping Giants quest and at least level 15 Smithing (to use Iron). Higher Smithing levels unlock better alloys and moulds, improving XP and rewards. You'll need metal bars (Bronze to Rune) or equivalent smithable metal items.
XP rates depend heavily on the alloy used, mould quality, and player efficiency. It can range from ~85k XP/hr (low-tier alloys) up to ~275k+ XP/hr (Adamant/Rune alloy), offering a more engaging alternative to traditional smithing, often at a lower cost or even profit. Check our OSRS Smithing Guide for comparisons.
The main reward is the Colossal Blade (5000 Reputation), a 2-handed weapon effective against large monsters. Other rewards include the Smiths' Uniform (bonus progress chance), Kovac's Grog (tradable item), Double Ammo Mould, Smithing Catalysts, and Ore Packs. Our OSRS Skilling Services can help you grind reputation fast.
