OSRS Ironman Supply Management: Tips for Banking Herbs, Seeds, and More

One of the unique challenges (and sometimes frustrations) of playing an Ironman in Old School RuneScape is managing the sheer volume of resources you accumulate. Without the Grand Exchange to quickly buy or sell supplies, your bank can quickly become cluttered with herbs, seeds, ores, logs, monster drops, quest items, and everything in between.

Effective supply management is crucial for efficient skilling, questing, and overall progress. Here are some essential tips for keeping your Ironman bank organized and your supplies accessible.

(Note: Ultimate Ironmen face entirely different challenges and strategies not covered here!)

1. Organize Your Bank Early & Often

Don't wait until your bank is a chaotic mess. Start organizing from day one:

• Utilize Bank Tabs: Assign specific tabs for different categories (e.g., Combat Gear, Skilling Outfits, Runes/Teleports, Potions/Food, Herbs/Seeds/Farming, Ores/Bars/Smithing, Logs/Bows/Fletching, Quest Items, Loot Tab).
• Use Placeholders: Enable bank placeholders (Settings -> Bank -> Placeholders). This keeps an item's spot reserved even when you withdraw the entire stack, maintaining your organization. Essential!
• Consistent Layout: Arrange items within tabs logically. Place related items together (e.g., all types of logs, all tiers of pickaxes).
• Regular Cleanouts: Periodically review tabs (especially the loot tab) and process items – alch drops, store quest items in your POH, process resources, etc.

2. Managing Herbs, Seeds & Secondaries

Herblore is vital but generates tons of items:

• Grimy vs. Clean Herbs: Decide if you want to clean herbs as you get them or store them grimy. Cleaning gives small Herblore XP but takes time/bank space if storing both. Many Ironmen store grimy until they are ready for a dedicated cleaning/potion-making session.
• Seed Storage: Store seeds in your seed vault (Farming Guild). Keep only actively used seeds (e.g., Ranarr, Snapdragon) readily accessible if needed. Bank the rest.
• Secondaries Tab: Create a dedicated space or sub-section for secondary ingredients (Eyes of Newt, Limpwurt Roots, Mort Myre Fungi, Red Spiders' Eggs, etc.). Keep track of quantities needed for your herb stacks.
• Potion Management: Store finished potions (usually 4-dose) together. Consider decanting into flasks later if needed, but 4-dose is standard for storage.

3. Ores, Bars, and Smithing Supplies

Mining and Smithing generate bulky resources:

• Ore Box: Useful for storing ores while actively mining, but doesn't help with bank storage itself.
• Dedicated Tab: Keep all your ores and bars together, possibly organized by tier (Bronze/Iron/Steel, Mithril/Adamant/Rune).
• Process Ores: Smelt ores into bars when you have the coal and levels to free up space, unless you plan on using specific ores for something else (e.g., gold ore for Crafting XP).

4. Handling Loot and Monster Drops

Your "loot tab" can quickly become overwhelming:

• Process Regularly: Don't let valuable alchables, runes, herbs, or seeds sit in your loot tab for weeks. Process them frequently.
• Stackable vs. Unstackable: Prioritize banking stackable drops. Manage unstackable drops (like armour/weapons) by alching, disassembling (if Invention existed!), or deciding if you truly need them.
• Clue Scroll Items: Keep common STASH unit/emote clue items organized, perhaps in a dedicated tab or section. Use your Player Owned House (POH) storage extensively!

5. Utilize Your Player Owned House (POH)

Your POH is essential for Ironman storage:

• Costume Room: Stores dozens of holiday items, random event outfits, capes, clue scroll outfits, Graceful pieces, skilling outfits, and more. Build and upgrade storage units ASAP.
• Workshop: Stores tools like hammers, saws, trowels, etc.
• Study: Can store specific teleport crystals/scrolls.
• Armour Stand/Magic Wardrobe: Stores certain armour sets.

6. Consider Resource Collection Services (When Needed)

Sometimes, despite good management, the sheer volume of resources needed becomes the bottleneck. If gathering thousands of a specific secondary or ore is holding you back and burning you out, remember that OSRS Ironman Collecting Services exist. Tons of XP offers 100% Hand-Trained services to gather these resources for you safely, letting you focus on using them.

Conclusion: Organization is Power

A well-managed bank saves you time, reduces frustration, and makes your Ironman journey smoother. Implement these tips early, stay consistent, and adapt your system as your account progresses. Happy banking!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: How many bank spaces do Ironmen get? A: Ironmen start with the same number of bank spaces as regular accounts (400) and can purchase additional slots up to the maximum (currently 1200+ with authenticators and bank boosters). You'll likely need to buy more space as you progress.

Q2: What are the most important POH storage units for an Ironman? A: The Armour Case, Cape Rack, Fancy Dress Box, Magic Wardrobe, and Treasure Chest (for clue items) in the Costume Room are incredibly valuable for freeing up bank space. Tool Stores in the Workshop are also very useful.

Q3: Should I drop low-value items to save space? A: Be cautious! Many seemingly "junk" items are needed for quests, diaries, or specific training methods later. Always check the OSRS Wiki before dropping unfamiliar items. Only drop genuinely worthless items or things you are certain you can easily re-obtain if needed.