Correspondent - Woodcutter's Guide

Runescape - Correspondent Woodcutter's Guide

MMORPG.com Correspondent Mike Balent writes this guide for woodcutters in the popular game, Runescape.

Woodcutting is one of the many non-combat skills in Runescape. Woodcutting, obviously, consists of cutting down trees and retrieving the logs. One of the main goals of this guide was to make it so both members and nonmembers could follow it (although I have added some member pieces in here as well). To woodcut, you need an axe and a tree; then you're ready for action! I hope you enjoy the guide.

Trees and Axes:

The two main parts of woodcutting are the axe and the tree itself. As a player reaches a higher woodcutting level, they will have the ability to cut better, profitable trees, as well as having the ability to use stronger axes. The axe that a player uses is very important, especially if they are cutting a higher level tree. The better axe you have, the quicker you will cut logs. You need a certain woodcutting level to use each axe; just like you need a certain woodcutting level to cut a certain tree.

The axes go in this order (from lower to higher level): Bronze, steel, black, mithril, adamant, rune, and dragon.

The 'original' trees (the more popular ones which players cut and make a profit on): regular, oak, willow, maple, yews, and magic.

Why Woodcutting? :

Woodcutting is a great skill to level up for several reasons:

1. Simple: It is simple to learn, simple to do, and it only takes patience.
2. Profit: Woodcutting is a great way to make a profit. Maple, yew, and magic logs sell very well on the market, since there is a pretty large demand for them. It takes patience to get a large amount of logs, but once the profit comes in you will be pleased.
3. Cheap: Leveling woodcutting is extremely cheap; it hardly takes any money on the player's part. All a player needs is a decent axe, and they're ready to cut away.

Guide to Leveling Woodcutting:

To begin, one must have a bronze axe and an open inventory. Most of this guide will take place in Lumbridge. Why Lumbridge? I found Lumbridge to be a great spot, since there are plenty of trees around there (for most levels). It is also a place where 'noobs' can easily get to by using "Home Teleport"; as well as there being a bank close to the trees.

Levels 1-15

At level one, a player uses a bronze axe and cuts regular trees. These regular trees go down after a player retrieves one log from the tree (unlike the others). The bank is located at the third floor of Lumbridge Castle. Below is a map showing the directions where players can train from level 1-15 woodcutting:

Yellow: The yellow would lead you right outside to toll gate leading you into Al Kharid. There some trees here, but not a lot.

Blue: Do NOT go here. There are only a few trees near the end of the swamp, and it is a far walk to the bank. This is the worst place to level woodcutting.

Red: This is where I trained to level 15 woodcutting, and I highly recommend going here. The trees are plentiful and it is close to the bank. It can be a bit crowded, but there will still be trees for you; it is also a great place to meet people if you are new to the game.

Mike's Tips:

• I would recommend you just drop the regular logs, they are pretty much useless. Unless of course, you are interested in fire making. If so, just bring a tinderbox, use it with a log, and you have made a fire.
• If you would like to bank, as stated before, the bank is at the third floor of Lumbridge Castle. For all levels of woodcutting, it is important to have a bank nearby.

Levels 15-30

When level 15 comes around, you can move onto oaks. Oaks, unlike regular trees, give more than one log when they are cut down. For instance, if I begin cutting an oak, I might get ten logs from the tree. The next time I may get one log; it's pretty random.

Yellow Dots: The yellow dots show exactly where the oak trees are. There are approximately 15 oaks in this area of the map.

Red Line: The red line shows one combination of oaks where a player could go. These trees are usually more crowded with players (which is not a good thing because people may take the logs). If it's empty then that would be the place; but if it's crowded then there are other spots you should go to.

White Line: The white line leads you to the oaks all the way at the top. It's a good back-up place if other spots are crowded.

Green Line: The green line leads you to the largest amount of oaks trees. This is where I got from levels 15-30, so I would recommend training here.

Blue Line: The blue line is yet another possible place where a player could cut oak trees. It' right near the gate, and still pretty close to the bank at Lumbridge Castle.

Mike's Tips:

• Any of the oak trees on that map would work fine. Some are a little farther from the bank than others, but it really doesn't make a huge difference.
• Just like most of the other skills in Runescape, you're going to want to stay away from other players. They will end up taking the logs you are trying to get; and the tree will go down faster. The lonelier you are the better.
• Whether or not you sell the logs depends on how much money you have. If you are very poor, you could sell them for a little bit of coin to the general store. It won't be a lot, but it will help you slowly save up.
• I would recommend continuing using the bronze axe until level 30. Even though a player can wield iron, steel, black, or mithril, it is just cheaper to use your bronze until you actually need a better one. I leveled to 30 using a bronze axe, and it didn't take that long.
• You can easily get by if you only use one tree. Since oaks don't take that long to respawn, you just have to be a little patient until they come back; there is no need to be around more than one tree.
• Once you are completed to 30 woodcutting, sell your oaks and buy a steel axe (unless you already have one or can afford a better axe than steel).

Level 30-45 Woodcutting:

Once you hit level 30 woodcutting, you can move to willows. Willows are a great way to train, and some players use willows to level all the way to the top (level 99). Below is a map of where you can woodcut willows in Lumbridge:

Green Line: These are the willow trees closest to the bank; so if no one is at them, I recommend you use them. These are usually pretty crowded though.

Red Line: These are the trees I used to level up woodcutting once I reached level 30. These trees are usually less crowded of the three, and there are six there, so there won't be as much competition. It is a longer walk to and from the bank, but it is worth it.

Blue Line: I do NOT recommend using these willows.. Even though there are five, they are extremely crowded, and a lot of the higher leveled woodcutters are there (which means they will get more willows than you if you are both cutting the same tree). If you were to use the blue line, then you would use the Draynor Bank (where the arrow points).

Mike's Tips:

• Avoiding other players is a key thing to do here on out. With oaks it wasn't too big of a deal, but now that there are willows, it becomes much more of a challenge. It is best to avoid other players while woodcutting.
• If you are not interested in fletching, fire making, or you are poor, I recommend you sell your willows. They don't sell great, but they should be helpful if you are just starting out.
• Once you can afford one, buy a rune axe. Your steel axe will be fine, but once you hit level 41 I highly recommend you sell your willows and buy yourself a rune axe.

Level 45-60 Woodcutting:

Once you reach level 45 woodcutting, you have a choice: You can either continue cutting willows or move onto maples. If you are wealthier, then you should cut willows and use the same technique you have used from levels 30-45 (since you level quicker cutting willows).

The Poor Man's Way: If you are less wealthy, then I highly recommend cutting maples. While you do gain experience slower than if you were cutting willows, maples sell for more gold than willows. If you do plan on cutting maples, you MUST be a paying member to do so (as maples are one of the many perks of being a member). Below is a map if you are planning to cut maple logs:

This map takes place in Seer's Village, a member's only area.

Red Line: Usually this area is more crowded and, since other players will end up taking your logs, this is not a good thing. Being closer to a bank is nice, but it is not worth competing with other players for logs. So, unless the place isn't crowded, then you should go somewhere else.

White Line: The same as the red line; it's usually crowded and should not be used unless the area is empty.

Blue Line: I would recommend here or the green line to woodcut. The blue line has a good amount of trees, so you won't be sitting around waiting for them to respawn; you can just move on to the next.

Green Line: While the green line is a longer walk to and from the bank, it is filled with maples just begging to be cut. You will find yourself getting a full inventory of full maples here faster than you would at the red or white lines.

Mike's Tips:

• If you have not purchased a rune axe, then you will need one now.
• While some trees are farther than others, it is worth the walk to the bank. I cannot stress this enough! Competing with other players isn't worth it; just take the longer walk to and from the bank. You will find it goes much faster (especially if you have a lower woodcutting level).
• As said before, avoid other players. Competition for logs isn't worth the time.
• It's all up to the player on what kind of way you would like to train woodcutting. If you're looking for quicker leveling, then you should go with cutting willows. If you are looking for making a profit more than leveling faster, then you should cut willows.

Level 60-75 Woodcutting:

At last, all of your hard work woodcutting has paid off and now you are ready to make some real gold. Fortunately, that's where yews kick in. They sell very well, and the demand is high due to fletchers.. Again, cutting willows is the quickest way to level, so if you are looking for quicker experience continue to cut willows. If you are looking to make a profit then you should cut yews. Now, since I have found several great spots for cutting yews, I will show both of the maps:

This map takes place in Lumbridge. Lumbridge can really be a great place for woodcutting if you know where to go.

Yellow Dots: The yellow dots indicate the yew trees in the area.

Green Line: The green line leads to the more popular area of yews in Lumbridge. This area is usually more crowded, so I would not recommend it unless the area is empty.

Blue Line: This place is off and on when it comes to being crowded. More than not players know about it; but if you're lucky it will be empty.

Red Line: The yew tree in the red line, surprisingly, isn't usually that crowded. I would recommend this place over them all; unless there are other people there.

Above is a map of Varrock. I chose Varrock because it is where I go to my 'secret woodcutting spot'.

Green Line: Because the map can only be a certain size, I couldn't fit in where the green arrow was leading to. The arrow leads to three yew trees which are often very crowded. I wouldn't recommend this place unless it is empty or almost empty.

Red Line: I highly recommend this place; it is a fantastic place to train on yews. Even though there is only one tree and the bank is a little farther, there was absolutely no competition for the logs. It's worth the longer walk.

Mike's Tips:

• To cut yew logs, I used the red line on the second map. I would recommend going there and trying it out.
• Just because there is only one tree doesn't mean it's a bad place to train. While it can get a little bothersome that you have to wait for it to respawn, it is much better than just running after each tree in competition for the logs with other players.
• Getting a dragon axe would be optional, I never found the need for it while cutting yews. Your rune axe should be fine.
• Out of them all, I would highly recommend the red line on the map of Varrock, as this is where I woodcut yews.

Levels 75-99 woodcutting:

Now that you have reached level 75 woodcutting, you can now cut magic logs; the most expensive log on the market. It's all about your priorities, though. If you are looking for leveling without as much profit, then you should cut willow trees (they are quickest way to level). Or, if you're looking for something in between, you could cut yew logs. But, if you're up for the high competition, then you should cut magic logs (but you must be a paying member to do so). Below is a map for cutting magic logs:

Above is a map of Seer's Village. Seer's Village is one of the few places where magic logs are remotely close to a bank, so I chose here.

Yellow Line: The yellow line leads to the magic logs. It's close to the bank, which is nice, but usually there is a lot of competition for logs between players. I don't recommend cutting magic trees until you're at least level 80.

Mike's Tips:

• Don't get a dragon axe until you plan on woodcutting for awhile to come and if you are going to cut magic trees. Dragon axes are expensive, so choose wisely.
• I would recommend cutting yews if you are looking for a mix of both good experience and money.

Mike's General Tips for Woodcutting (1-99):

• If there are other players around, just switch worlds. The great thing about RS is that you are not glued to one server; you can switch servers at will.
• Try the German servers. Usually they are less crowded, which means there won't be nearly as much competition for logs.
• Try traveling the lands. The great thing about Runescape is how you never know what you will come by. You might wander off one day and find a field of yew trees.
• Woodcutting can also be great for fletching. If you cut your own logs, you save a lot more money than if you would have to buy them. This means you get more profit from your fletched items.
• I know I've said it before, but this is important: It's worth the longer walk to avoid competition. It's just simpler and you get full inventories much quicker.
• If you are woodcutting where there is only one tree; be patient and wait for it to respawn. Usually when there is one tree it is less crowded.
• If a tree starts to shake, stop cutting it. If you do not stop then you will break your axe (it is one of Jagex's ways to stop bots).
• If you break your axe, do NOT buy a new one. You can get your axe fixed.
• Willows are the fastest way to getting 99, but I would recommend using yews so you get a good amount of experience and profits.

Conclusion:

I hope this guide has helped you through the long, tedious steps of woodcutting. It is a very helpful skill when it comes to making money. Having gold in RS is very important, and woodcutting can help!

Until next time!