group ironman, everything you need to know about the upcoming gamemode

Now that Group Ironmanmode has been officially released (as of October 6th 11:00 BST), we can finally enjoy the group variant of the beloved ironmanmode and play OSRS from scratch with friends.

This Guide will teach you everything you need to know about the group ironmanmode as well as help you out start your very own.

Our Group Ironman Starters Guide will help you get started.

Navigate this Guide:
What is Group Ironman
How Group Ironman Works
⚙️ How to become a Group Ironman
Tips for choosing your team
Group Ironman vs Hardcore Group Ironman
Ironman Group Roles
👉 Group Ironman Starters Guide 👈
How to Make Money as a Group Ironman
Tips for Group Ironman Accounts

Group Ironman Release: when is it coming to osrs?

Group Ironmanmode is officially released on October 6th (11:00 AM BST).

On August 3rd, 2021, in a Group Ironman Keynote, Mod Kieren revealed that group Ironman is coming to OSRS in early to mid-autumn/fall. You can watch the Keynote below.

What is group ironman? 

Group ironman is a group-based game mode based on the regular ironman gamemode. 

Group ironman will be almost identical to regular ironman but instead, you will be playing in groups ranging from 2 to 5 players. 

This means you will still only be able to obtain items through drops or by creating them yourself. So you will have to train skills to get ahead in the game. However, since you are playing in groups, you will be able to trade with your fellow members. 

This way, you can delegate certain tasks such as one person can train crafting, another trains runecrafting, herblore, and so on. This way you will be able to obtain high-level amulets, get access to runes, potions, and more through playing as a group. 

This means a lot of different strategies will be used by group ironman teams in order to get to end-game content such as chambers of xeric, theatre of blood, and the nightmare of ashihama. 

Just like regular ironman mode, group ironman will be played on regular osrs servers. So you will play amongst other group ironman, regular ironman and even regular osrs players but you will not be able to trade with anyone besides players from your own group. 

How group ironman Works

Group ironman will consist out of teams between two and five players. Every single player who wants to participate in the group ironman game mode will have to start a completely fresh account.

This means you will not be able to transfer a regular ironman into a group ironman. This gives everyone a fair chance once group ironman is finally released into osrs. 

Every group will consist out of 1 leader who will be in charge of adding or removing new group members. The removal of a group member will be done through vote, which only the leader can intiate. 

If you get kicked out of a group ironman, you will not be able to join another. Instead, if you want to continue playing, you will have to start your own team and invite new members. 

Group Combat

Group Ironmen will be able to PVM together. Just like in regular PVMing, the member with the most damage dealt will get the drop.

However, just like regular ironman accounts, you will NOT receive the drop if you are crashed by a non-ironman.

For example, if your group is fighting General Graardor and non-ironman land a hit, the drop will either go to them or disappear.

Group Ironmen will be able to participate in raids such as Theatre of Blood and Chambers of Xerics with non-group members.

If you want to keep your Group Prestige Status (more on that later), you will have to limit all activities such as Chambers of Xerics and Theatre of Blood to your own group. You can still do those events with other players but you will instantly lose prestige status.

Group Ironman Trading

GIM members will be able to trade with other members of their group. This way they can help each other get quest items, trade bossing drops, and generally help each other unlock content a lot faster.

Obviously, Group Ironman will not be able trade with regular players or other Ironman Groups.

Shared Storage

Your Ironman Group will have a shared storage accessible from the regular bank (through a new icon).

Thus, members of your group will not be able to access your own bank but you will be able to share items in that shared storage.

Group ironman hiscores

Every group ironman team-size will participate in a different hiscores bracket. This means that upon the release of group ironman, we will have 4 extra hiscores added to the game. 

One for 2 players, one for 3 players, and so on, up until 5 players. 

While you can go up in brackets, you will never be able to go down in a bracket. So if you kick someone out of a 3-man team you will still remain in that specific bracket. 

However if instead, you add another person in your 3-man team, you will now be participating in the 4-man hiscore brackets. 

The Ranks of GIM hiscores will be determined by the total skill level of your group. Then, by the combined total experience.

One big caveat: Only the experience gained while in the group counts towards the total experience. This means that when a new member joins the group, their experience WILL NOT COUNT towards the total experience of the group.

Group Prestige

Every Ironman Group will have Prestige Status. This is a star icon visible in the game and hiscores and it means that the original Group is in tact.

group ironman prestige icon in the clanchat

Group Prestige can only be achieved if everyone joins at the same time at The Node.

  • Players who are added later, will destroy your prestige status.
  • You will also lose Prestige Status if you participate in Raids (COX/TOB) with NON-GROUP players.

This is to prevent any kind of boosting from happening in GIM.

Individual players will have prestige as well. This is marked with a star icon next to your name. You will lose your individual prestige if you join a new group.

Changes to the Group

The leader can step down (7 day grace period).

If leader is inactive for 30 days, the first player who joined becomes the new leader. The original leader will be demoted, they remain part of the group.

You can leave a group by speaking to the Iron Tutor on the Node. For this process, there is also a 7 day grace period. Once you’ve left a group, you can join another or create your own.

How to become a Group Ironman

Group Ironman accounts are started at The Node, a small island just underneath the tutorial island.

In order to become a group ironman, you will have to talk to one of the Iron Tutors on Tutorial Island.

These are the same tutors where you can go to become a regular ironman.

Once you talk to them, you will be able to choose between regular group ironman or hardcore group ironman.

how to become a group ironman account in the tutorial island of osrs

Keep in mind that you need to do this BEFORE you leave the tutorial island in order to become a group ironman account.

If you skip this step, your account will not be able to become a group ironman.

Once you finish tutorial island, there will be a boat that takes you to The Node.

how to get to The Node in osrs to become a group ironman

Obviously, no existing accounts (even ironman accounts) can become a group ironman.

Creating a Group

Once you arrive at The Node, you will be able to create your own Ironman Group and start recruiting.

how to create a group ironman

Here’s how you can create your group:

  • Click on ‘Create Group’
  • Pick whether you want Group Prestige or not
  • Right-Click on players at the Node and press the ‘invite’ option.
  • Pick your Group Name (is only saved once the group is confirmed)
  • Select confirm (only when everyone is invited to maintain prestige)

Group names are shared with clan names. This means you cannot give your group a name that already belongs to an existing clan in osrs.

If you plan to join a group instead, skip this step and wait for someone to invite you. Don’t click on the Create Group button!

Recruiting Process

Once a group is created, you will be able to recruit others in the Node.

Jagex will set up dedicated worlds for this to make it easier to recruit or get recruited.

Recruiting will be easy, simply right-click on potential candidates to invite them to your group.

Once your group is complete, select confirm.

Make sure you only confirm once your group is full as you won’t be able to change the group size afterward.

Ready to get started? 👉 Skip to our Group Ironman Starters Guide.

Hardcore Group Ironman

Group Ironman mode wouldn’t be an ironman mode without a hardcore variant, right?

Luckily, there will be such a version!

Hardcore Group Ironman (HCGIM) will function similarly to regular Group Ironman with one big difference:

  • You will have a dedicated set of lives that correlates with your group count (e.g. 4 group members = 4 total lives)

Should your group lose ALL of their lives, the group will be demoted to a regular group ironman.

Hardcore Group Ironman also won’t have any safe deaths inside Chambers of Xerics or the Theatre of Blood.

Should you pick Group Ironman or Hardcore Group Ironman?

Hardcore Group Ironman (HGIM) is a more high-stakes version of regular Group Ironman (GIM). So why not just start with that? After all, what is there really to loose?

Well, a lot, actually.

First of all, playing HGIM is A LOT harder. Because you will have to avoid death at all costs, you will be playing a lot less efficiently.

Thus your progress will be a lot slower than an ordinary ironman group.

On top of that, you will get attached to that Hardcore status, very quickly.

So much so, that you might not even want to continue playing if you ultimately lose that status. You wouldn’t be the first hardcore ironman to start over again after their hardcore account died.

If you don’t plan to take it seriously, just start a regular Ironman Group, you’ll have a lot more fun that way. Don’t just start the hardcore gamemode for the state of ‘giving it a shot’.

If you’re dead set on starting the hardcore group mode, by all means go for it!

Why play group ironman?

The ironman game modes have always been pretty lonely. While you do still play on the original osrs servers, you are unable to really play with these other players. (with the exception of chambers of xeric and theatre of blood) 

Everyone loves a good group-game and group ironman will be exactly that. You will be able to delegate the work so while you still play a harder game mode than a regular account, you will be able to advance more quickly through trading within your team. 

I expect many, many youtubers and twitch streamers to participate in the group ironman mode so I’m excited for the lots of content it will produce. I also firmly believe (and have been proven right on reddit and twitter) that many, many players will return to osrs for the arrival of group ironman.

The combination of nostalgia and team-play will do wonders to the osrs player count, mark my words! 


How to choose your Group Ironman team

One of the most difficult things about Group Ironman mode is undoubtedly picking your teammates.

Do you go with your best mates or do you join a random team at The Node?

Here are four golden rules that you should consider when picking your group ironman team:

  • Discuss each others priorities and make sure everyone has the same goal
  • Make sure everyone in your team is evenly ambitious
  • Play with a team that is at the same level as you
  • Start a group ironman only with players in the same timezone as you

First of all, you need to make sure that everyone in the team has the same end-goal as yourself. You also need to make sure that your priorities are different, so that your team can be as efficient as possible. If everyone in your team wants to grind their way to a max-house, that kind of defeats the purpose of starting a group ironman. So make sure your priorities are different but your end goal is the same.

Next, you want to join a group ironman team with members that are just as ambitious as you are. Are you a casual player? Then join a casual team. But if you know yourself to be a real grinder, don’t convince your casual mates to join your team. You will regret it later on.

Another important matter to consider is the level you are at. Are you a veteran with a maxed main and in possession of an infernal cape? Then don’t play with rookies that have no experience of COX, TOB or even the fight caves. Similarly, if you’re a bit of a noob, play with other noobs. No shame in that! You’ll have more fun as you won’t feel like you’re being a bottleneck to your team.

Finally, play with others that are in the same timezone. Or at least, a similar timezone. The point of group ironman is that you can do activities together and make the lonely ironman mode less lonely. If you’re asleep while the other half of your team is out grinding, that’s not a great setup!

So those are the points that you should seriously consider when choosing a team for group ironmanmode.


Group Ironman Roles

Having a team means that Group Ironman accounts can unlock content a lot faster than regular ironman accounts can.

For example, in the early game, only one person in the group needs to complete Death to the Dorgeshuun for everyone else to unlock to be able to use the crossbow for ranged training.

Similarly, only one group member really needs to have a max house that everyone can use. Another person could be the dedicated crafter that makes all the Zenyte Jewelery and yet another person could make potions.

This way, everyone has their field of focus and together you guys can unlock events in the game as fast as possible.

Here are some examples of roles for ironman groups:

Gatherer

This person focuses knocking out skills such as fishing and cooking as fast as possible to unlock food for the team. This member could also be in charge of mining and other useful skills.

Herblorist

The Herblorist is the potion maker of the team. Potions are incredibly important in the end game when bossing comes into play.

Crafter

This person focusses on maxing out their crafting level as quickly as possible so they provide Zenyte Jewelry for the team.

Constructionist

This group member will work their way to a max house as fast as possible. This way, group members can use that house to speed up bossing and other activities.

Slayer

This player focusses on getting 84 slayer as quickly as possible to get Abyssal Whips for the team.

Rune Crafter

This players focusses on training rune crafting to feed runes to the rest of the team.


Group Ironman Starters Guide

For the most efficient Ironman gameplay, you can follow our OSRS Ironman Efficiency Guide. That guide follows Oziris’ method (albeit a bit more noob-friendly).

If you’re instead looking for something more casual, are some ideas of how you can start off your early game.

Most Ironman Groups will want to get to Wintertodt as quickly as possible. Wintertotd will allow them to get a cash stack, get quest items, items for skilling, as well as some skilling experience out of the way.

Alternatively, you can rush to the Agility Pyramid as well, where you can make up to 250k gp per hour.

You could delegate tasks between group members. For example have 3 players rush Wintertodt and 2 players rush the Agility Pyramid.

Rush to Wintertodt
Rush to Agility Pyramid
Useful Quests
For the most efficient gameplay, follow Oziris’s Efficient Ironman Guide

Rush to Wintertodt

These steps will let you rush your way to Wintertotd as soon as possible.

Then, you will pick up planks from the Barbarian Assault spawn and train your construction until 20 so that you can get more experience at Wintertodt. Finally, you will train your Firemaking to 50 at the Castle Wars Teak Tree.

On your way you will use the logs above the castle to get firemaking and fletching experience. You will also complete X Marks The Spot (simply because it’s on the way) and Monk’s Friend (for the Woodcutting Experience). Afterwards, you will pick up cluehunter gear around Ardougne (to keep warm at Wintertodt) and train your thieving to get food from cake stalls (and cash from silk).

This Wintertodt Rush follows a similar path to our efficient Ironman Guide but with less steps so you can get to Wintertodt as fast as possible (day 1 for some of you!). If you would prefer to play completely efficiently, you’d be better off following our Efficient Ironman Guide.

Speak with Count Check in the Lumbridge graveyard and ask him to teleport you to the Stronghold of Security. Complete it until you have your 10k cash.
Teleport back to Lumbridge using the Home Teleport.
Purchase a spade from the general store.
Start X Marks the Spot by speaking with Veos in the Sheared Ram Pub
Go up to the Lumbridge castle and pick up every single item that spawns in the kitchen and the basement. Fill the jug with water.
[Optional] Start Rune Mysteries by speaking with Duke Horatio on the 1st floor.
Light the logs on top of the Lumbridge Bank, hop around worlds. Do this until you have 15 firemaking. Pick up ashes for later quests and keep one log in your inventory.
Next, fletch the same logs into arrow shafts until you have 1000.
Dig up the clue behind Lumbridge Castle.
Pickpocket some men downstairs to get 5 thieving. Use the money to buy a steel axe from Bob’s Axe Shop.
Dig up the clue next to Bobs’ Axe Shop.
[Optional] Start the Restless Ghost by speaking with Feather Aereck
Next, teleport to Castle Wars (through clan wars) and walk towards Yanille.
Make sure you have this in your inventory: steel axe, coins, jug of water, 1 log, spade and a tinderbox.
Run Towards Yanille. Dig up the cluehunter piece. [Locations here]

While you pass by, trade with the hunter salesman as part of the Ardougne Diary. Next, buy a pie dish from the cooking shop.
Run to the Ardougne Monastery and start and finish Monk’s Friend Quest. (Quick Guide)
After the quest, you’ll have 13 Woodcutting. Now chop some regular logs until 15 Woodcutting.
Next, chop Oak logs until 35 woodcutting. Light all your logs with your tinderbox.
Go into the Ardougne Marketplace and steal cake until 20 thieving (stand underneath baker to avoid detection). Bank them as you’ll need them for food later. Bank at least 15 bread as well.
Steal Silk until 25 thieving. Bank them and sell them back to the trader later (keep some for quests)
It takes 30 minutes for the silk trader to no longer recognize you as a thief so in the mean time you can complete two quests:
Sea Slug (Quick Guide)
Sheep Herder (Quick Guide)
Dig up the cluehunter piece North of Ardougne. [Locations here]
Travel to Tree Gnome Stronghold and purchase 1000 bronze arrowtips from Gulluck and sons. (you can get 10 agility using the agility course while you are there).

[optional] While you are there, you can start The Grand Tree until you need to give stuff to the bark sample and book to Hazelmere.
Travel to Barbarian Assault and pick up 130 planks just north of the agility course.
While you are there, follow the tutorial to unlock the mini game teleport.
Next, take the boat from Ardougne to Brimhaven. Run to the Harpie Bug Swarms (bring food) and Pick up cluehunter piece. [Locations here]
Then take the boat to Port Sarim.
Run towards Draynor Village and purchase ‘the chronicle’ from Diango. Buy some teleport pages as well.
Go to the pig pen in the draynor market and dig up the Ancient Casket (2 tiles north of the fence)
Dig up the clue (4 tiles removed from the plant before the wheat field)
Run back to Port Sarim and speak with Veos on the docks to complete X Marks the Spot quest. Use the XP lamp on Construction.
Teleport to Varrock using your Chronicle.
Run to the estate shop and start Daddy’s home mini quest. (Quick Guide)
Run all the way to the Sawmill Operator and purchase 600 bronze nails, 5 bolt of cloth, saw (if you don’t have one).
Finish Daddy’s home mini quest.
Teleport to Lumbridge and bank. Grab: bronze nails, cash stack, noted planks, hammer, un-noted planks.
Run towards Port Sarim and buy 1000 feathers from the Port Sarim from the Fishing shop.
Next, move to Rimmington and enter your house. Train Construction until you have 20. Use Phials (located in the general shop next door) to un-note your noted planks for you.
Teleport to Castle wars (once again through Clan Wars) and run to the Teak Tree south-west of Castle Wars.
Alternatively, there are 3 teak trees located in the Isle of Souls (soul wars teleport) as well.
Chop down the tree and light the logs until you have 50 firemaking.
Next, head back to Port Sarim. Travel to The Great Kourend through by speaking with Veos.
While you run to Wintertodt, fletch your arrow shafts, bronze arrowtips and feathers into bronze arrows. Also pick up the final cluehunter piece. [Locations here]

Rush to Agility Pyramid

A great money-maker for group ironman that can be unlocked in the early-game is the Agility Pyramid.

At the Agility Pyramid you can make around 200k per hour (at 65 Agility) and 250k per hour (at 75+ agility).

Therefore its very beneficial for your team to have one member rush to the Pyramid as soon as possible.

Rushing to the Pyramid from level 1 agility should take approximately 12 hours following the steps below:

1 – 20 Gnome Stronghold Agility Course (Complete Tree Gnome Village while you’re there).
Use the Lever in Edgeville to get there (walk North from Ardy) or take the boat from Rimmington to Ardy. (You can train thieving while in Ardy to get some food)
20 – 30 Al Kharid Agility Course
30 – 40 Varrock Agility Course
40 – 60 Canifis Agility Course
60 – 65 Seers’ Village Agility Course

Group Ironman Money Making

Here are some early game money making methods for ironman groups.

Wintertodt (Early Game)

Wintertodt is a great early game money maker. Not only will you gain experience in Firemaking, Fletching, and Construction, thanks to the rewards you will gain money and items which are useful for both skilling and quests.

You can grind out the requirements for Wintertodt (50 firemaking and ideally 20 fletching/20 construction) on day one.

Wintertodt is still the best early-game activity to do as a Group Ironman.

Agility Pyramid (Early Game)

The Agility Pyramid is an amazing money-maker for ironman groups as you can make up to 250k per hour here.

This is the second best early game activity you can do just behind Wintertodt which is slightly better simply because you get other resources as well.

It could still be very beneficial to have one or more group members rush to the Agility Pyramid to gain money for the group.

Last Man Standing (Early Game)

Playing the Last Man Standing minigame can be a great money maker for ironman account as well.

What you do is you buy rune arrows with your reward points and then sell them to the general store.

If you’re good at this mini game (or just good at pking), this can be a great money maker.

Here’s a Guide for LMS if you’re interested.


Tips for Group Ironman Accounts

1. Always combine your quests for maximum efficiency.

Since you won’t be teleporting around as smoothly as you would on a main account, its better to combine quests.

Some examples of quests that can be combined are:

  • The Restless Ghost and Rune Mysteries
  • Doric’s Quest, Druidic Ritual and Goblin Diplomacy
  • Vampire Slayer and Pirate’s Treasure
  • Shield of Arrav, Demon Slayer, Romeo and Juliet, Gertrude’s cat, Priest in Peril and the Varrock museum mini quiz. For maximum efficiency, do them while you are in Varrock Rune Mysteries.
  • Waterfall, Fight Arena, The Grand Tree, Tree Gnome Village

2. Knock out Diaries while doing quests

Most of the Achievement Diary Tasks can easily be done while running around Gielinor to complete Quests. If you plan to create your own Ironman Path, you should take a look at the steps for the easy diaries on the OSRS Wiki and try to combine them with your quests.

If you follow our Efficiency Guide, we tell you exactly where the Diary tasks are when you are there.

3. Always collect items during quests

Since you won’t have access to the Grand Exchange and will rely on shops for a large chunk of your GIM journey, you should collect quest items as you are making your way through Gielinor for other quests.

ALWAYS BUY EXTRA FOR YOUR GROUP.

The Efficiency Guide follows this to the T.

4. Get food ASAP

In order to get your early game food, we recommend you steal from cake stalls in Ardougne.

While on Karamja, you can buy Swordfish from the bar.

Later in the game, you can also get great food from the Warrior’s Guild Food Shop.

Of course, you should have a gatherer on your team that gets food for you guys ASAP.

5. Think Like a Team

You’re not on your own. Everything you do, should benefit your team and vice versa.

Try to be as efficient as possible and delegate tasks among group members.

Make sure you always carry extra items for your group members as well. At the same time, encourage your group members to do the same.

6. Getting Around

Here are some ways you can get as an early game group ironman account.

  • Buy a Chronicle from Diango + Teleport Pages. This will teleport you to the Champions Guild in Varrock
  • Use the Mini Game Teleport Menu to teleport to mini games. (clan wars, fishing trawler, etc)
  • Use the new Ship in Rimmington to Travel to Ardougne for 30gp
  • Use Wizard Mind Bombs (Falador Pub) to temporarily boost your magic level for teleports

Conclusion

That’s everything you need to know about Group Ironman.

Hopefully, you can use our Group Ironman Starters Guide to get the best possible start for you and your team.

I’ll see you at the Node.

Read also: Efficient Ironman Quest Order

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