Forging a complete base set of elder rune equipment requires a specific investment of refined metal bars across multiple smithing components. Players seeking to craft or upgrade these tier 80 melee armor pieces must manage raw materials carefully. Understanding the total bar requirements helps streamline training sessions and resource gathering at the anvil.
Understanding Elder Rune Forging Requirements
Base Armor Set Breakdown
Constructing the fundamental tier 80 gear pieces demands a distinct sum of metal depending on the exact item being hammered out at the forge. The helmet platelegs and body each require a designated allocation of materials to finish initial creation. Blacksmiths must also account for boots gloves and the kite shield or 2h sword components. Every single item contributes directly to the cumulative tally needed before any upgrade process can even begin. Proper planning ensures that no player finds themselves stranded halfway through crafting a full protective outfit due to sudden metal shortages.
Upgrading Through Plus Levels
Beyond the initial zero level creation craftsmen can continue hammering their gear up to plus five tiers for superior combat statistics. Each individual upgrade step demands another infusion of metal bars to reinforce the structural integrity of the metal plates. This means the total metal cost multiplies significantly if you intend to push your equipment all the way to maximum potential. Many high level artisans find that gathering resources for higher tiers takes considerably longer than the base set. Tracking these incremental additions prevents unexpected delays during intensive smithing marathons at the workshop.
Role in Masterwork Production
Complete elder rune gear serves a much grander purpose than acting as simple tier 80 combat protection for mid game warriors. Crafting the legendary trimmed or regular masterwork melee armor sets explicitly mandates having full sets of elder rune items. These finished precursor pieces are folded directly into the advanced smithing process alongside other rare ores and components. Consequently calculating your total bar requirements often means looking ahead toward ultimate endgame equipment goals. Skipping minor reinforcement steps along the way can halt your entire progression toward elite smithing milestones.
Metal Smelting and Ores
Transforming raw ores into usable metal bars requires substantial amounts of banite and dark animica before the hammering can start. The smelting phase demands high furnace levels and careful inventory management to turn raw minerals into the proper alloy. Blacksmiths frequently balance their mining time between gathering dark animica rocks and melting down secondary components. Missing any single part of the smelting ratio breaks the rhythm of production in the workshop. Knowing how many bars you need allows for an exact calculation of raw ore quantities ahead of time.
Calculating Your Complete Inventory Investment
Acquiring the complete total of bars involves adding up every individual piece of armor and any weapon you plan to smith during the session. Detailed guides on the RuneScape Wiki outline that a full base set requires a specific baseline number before enhancements.
| Item Category | Base Bars Required | Total Bars for Plus Five |
|---|---|---|
| Platebody and Platelegs | Nine Bars Total | Fifty Four Bars Each |
| Full Helm and Gauntlets | Five Bars Total | Thirty Bars Each |
| Kiteshield and Boots | Five Bars Total | Thirty Bars Each |
| Two Handed Swords | Ten Bars Total | Sixty Bars Each |
Essential Smithing Preparation Steps
- Gather all required dark animica and banite ores before beginning your continuous smithing session.
- Ensure your smithing hammer and stamina potions are ready near the high heat forge.
- Calculate total bar counts twice to avoid running out of metal mid upgrade.
- Store finished armor pieces safely inside your bank before starting weapon production cycles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many total bars make a full base set?
A complete base set of tier eighty elder rune armor requires a predictable number of refined metal bars for all primary slots. As documented on the RuneScape Wiki assembling the basic pieces takes a moderate initial investment.
Why do plus five upgrades cost so many bars?
Each incremental enhancement level from plus one up to plus five demands a fresh batch of metal to reinforce the plating. This cumulative requirement ensures that reaching maximum tier status remains a significant achievement for dedicated blacksmiths.
Can you reclaim bars from degraded elder rune armor?
Elder rune equipment degrades over time during active combat and can be repaired at an anvil using fewer bars or coins. However completely melting down finished gear does not return a full one hundred percent refund of original bars.
Conclusion
Mastering the metal requirements for elder rune gear transforms a daunting metallurgical project into a manageable routine. Double check your overall bar totals and head straight to the nearest anvil to begin your forging session today.
