OSRS Wintertodt Guide: Conquering the Cold

The Wintertodt is a unique, skilling-based boss in Old School RuneScape, offering one of the most popular and efficient methods for training Firemaking. Located in its prison north of the Wintertodt Camp in Great Kourend, players assist Pyromancers in subduing this frigid entity by maintaining sacred braziers.

Important Note: Despite being a skilling activity, the Wintertodt prison is dangerous. Dying here functions like a normal dangerous death (items go to a grave, Hardcore Ironmen lose status).

Requirements & Getting There

  • Skill: 50 Firemaking (Required). Higher Woodcutting helps chop roots faster. Construction (POH needed), Herblore (Druidic Ritual needed), and Fletching levels grant bonus XP for relevant actions but don't affect speed.
  • Items: An Axe, a Tinderbox (or Bruma Torch reward). Warm Clothing (4 pieces highly recommended). Hammer & Knife (optional, for bonus XP/points).
  • Location: Wintertodt Camp, Northern Tundras, Great Kourend.
  • Travel:
    • Games Necklace (Wintertodt Camp teleport).
    • Fairy Ring (CIS) + run West.
    • Lovakengj Minecart Network (Northern Tundras stop).
    • Arceuus Home Teleport + run North.

There's a bank chest just outside the entrance (Doors of Dinh).

Understanding the Fight: Warmth & Energy

  • Objective: Help the Pyromancers drain the Wintertodt's Energy from 100% to 0% by keeping the four Braziers lit.
  • Warmth Meter: This acts as your health inside the prison. It depletes over time due to passive cold damage (reduced by warm clothing and lit braziers) and Wintertodt's attacks. Reaching 0% Warmth results in death.
  • Restoring Warmth:
    • Eat food (heals 35% warmth per bite healing >= 4 HP).
    • Drink Rejuvenation Potions (30% warmth per dose). Unfinished pots and Bruma Herbs are available inside; combine them (requires Druidic Ritual) or ask Brew'ma.
    • Passive regeneration (aided by warm clothing, HP Cape, Regen Bracelet, Rapid Heal prayer).
  • Wintertodt's Energy: Drained by Pyromancers when braziers are lit. Regenerates slowly if all braziers are out.

Core Activities & Points

Players contribute by performing these actions, earning points and XP:

  1. Lighting Braziers (25 points): Use a Tinderbox/Bruma Torch on an unlit brazier. Grants Firemaking XP (6x FM level). Essential to keep the fight progressing.
  2. Chopping Bruma Roots (0 points): Use an axe on the roots near braziers to get Bruma Roots. Grants Woodcutting XP (0.3x WC level).
  3. Feeding Braziers (Roots - 10 points): Add raw Bruma Roots to a lit brazier. Grants Firemaking XP (3x FM level).
  4. Fletching Kindling (0 points): Use a Knife on Bruma Roots to create Bruma Kindling. Grants Fletching XP (0.6x Fletch level). Takes time, reducing FM XP/hr but increasing points/reward potential.
  5. Feeding Braziers (Kindling - 25 points): Add Bruma Kindling to a lit brazier. Grants more Firemaking XP than roots (3.8x FM level) and more points.
  6. Repairing Braziers (25 points): Use a Hammer on a shattered brazier. Grants Construction XP (4x Con level, requires POH).
  7. Healing Pyromancers (75 points): Use a Rejuvenation Potion dose on an incapacitated Pyromancer (red hat icon). Grants Herblore XP (0.1x Herb level) and allows their brazier to be re-lit.

Goal: Reach at least 500 points per round to qualify for rewards and the large end-of-round Firemaking XP drop (100x FM level).

Wintertodt's Attacks

  • Standard Cold Damage: Periodic damage to Warmth. Reduced by warm clothing and lit braziers. Interrupts fletching/feeding. More frequent at high Wintertodt energy.
  • Area Attack (Snowfall): 3x3 area damage. Avoid the falling snow graphic. Won't target tiles adjacent to obstacles. Less frequent at high Wintertodt energy.
  • Brazier Attacks (Heavy/Light): Damages/extinguishes a brazier. Heavy attack damages players nearby. More frequent at low Wintertodt energy.
  • Pyromancer Attack: Damages a Pyromancer. More frequent at low Wintertodt energy.

Safe Zone: The area near the entrance is safe from all attacks, but you cannot fletch there.

Strategy Insights

  • Warm Clothing: Equip 4 pieces for maximum damage reduction. Clue hunter outfit, Pyromancer outfit, Santa suit, etc., all count. See the Wiki/data dump for a full list.
  • Group Strategy (Mass Worlds - e.g., W309):
    • Focus on lighting braziers and feeding roots/kindling.
    • Fletching = More points/rewards, Slower FM XP.
    • Not Fletching = Fewer points/rewards, Faster FM XP.
    • Healing Pyromancers gives good points if you can click fast.
    • Repairing braziers is hard due to speed but gives Con XP.
    • Aim for 500+ points efficiently.
  • Solo/Small Group Strategy:
    • More control, potentially more points/rewards per hour than mass fletching.
    • Requires managing all braziers and healing pyromancers yourself.
    • Damage is lower due to fewer players scaling the fight.
    • Can take much longer per round (15-20+ mins vs ~5 mins in mass).
    • See data dump for detailed solo strategies.
  • World Hopping (Max XP): Advanced method. Finish a round, hop to another official world where Wintertodt is >40-50% energy, get 500 points quickly, repeat. Requires focus and good timing. Potentially doubles kills/hr.

Experience Rates

XP rates vary greatly by level, strategy, and efficiency. See the data dump/strategy guide for detailed tables. General estimates:

  • Firemaking: 150k-350k+/hr (Group, no fletch), 140k-290k+/hr (Group, fletch), potentially up to 450k+/hr (World Hopping). Solo rates are generally lower per hour but higher per game.
  • Other Skills: Modest passive XP in Woodcutting, Fletching, Construction, Herblore depending on actions performed.

Rewards

Claim rewards from the Reward Cart outside after achieving 500+ points. Each 500 points guarantees extra rolls, with partial points giving a chance. Rewards scale with relevant skill levels (Farming for seeds, Mining for ores, etc.).

  • Unique Rewards:
    • Pyromancer Outfit (Pieces): Grants bonus Firemaking XP (2.5% set bonus).
    • Bruma Torch: Functions as an inextinguishable Tinderbox and Axe (up to Rune equivalent). Counts as warm clothing.
    • Tome of Fire (Empty): Equippable shield slot item. Charged with Burnt Pages to act as unlimited Fire Runes and boost Fire spell damage.
    • Warm Gloves: Warm clothing for hand slot.
    • Phoenix Pet: Rare Firemaking pet.
    • Dragon Axe: Rare drop.
  • Common Rewards: Logs, Ores, Herbs, Seeds, Gems, Fish, Coins.

Conclusion

Wintertodt provides an engaging, rewarding, and highly efficient way to train Firemaking, especially from level 50 onwards. Understanding the mechanics of warmth, energy drain, and the different activities allows players to tailor their strategy for either maximum experience, maximum reward points, or a balance between the two, all while braving the cold to subdue the frosty menace.

Looking to quickly reach level 99 Firemaking or obtain the full Pyromancer set? Explore our OSRS Skilling Services for efficient Wintertodt grinding!