OSRS High Alchemy Guide — Complete Breakdown
What is High Alchemy in OSRS?
High Alchemy (High Alch) is a level 55 Magic spell that converts items into coins at their "high alch value" - a fixed GP amount set by Jagex. The spell requires 1 Nature rune and 5 Fire runes per cast (or just 1 Nature rune with a fire staff equipped). High Alch gives65 Magic XP per cast and can be cast every 3 seconds (5 game ticks), making it a popular AFK magic training method.
How to Calculate High Alch Profit
Profit per cast = High Alch Value - Item Buy Price - Nature Rune Cost
GP/XP = Profit per cast ÷ 65 XP
Break-even price = High Alch Value - Nature Rune Cost
Example: Air Battlestaff has 9,300 GP high alch value. If you buy for 8,800 GP and Nature runes cost 180 GP:
Profit = 9,300 - 8,800 - 180 = +320 GP per cast
GP/XP = 320 ÷ 65 = +4.9 GP/XP (you MAKE money while training!)
Most Profitable Items to Alch in 2026
Profitable alch items change daily based on GE prices. Here are historically reliable items:
- Air Battlestaves (9,300 alch): Often 200-400 GP profit. Buy from Zaff daily for guaranteed profit.
- Water Battlestaves (9,300 alch): Similar to air, check GE margins.
- Rune Items (varies): Rune platelegs, rune 2h, rune plateskirt occasionally profitable.
- Black D'hide Body (8,100 alch): Sometimes break-even or small profit during market dips.
- Rune Longsword (20,000 alch): Crafted from Smithing, can be profitable for ironmen.
- Onyx Bolt Tips (varies): High-value alchs for bulk training with minimal clicks.
Pro tip: Buy from Zaff in Varrock (15-120 battlestaves/day based on diary) for guaranteed profit alchs. With Varrock Elite diary, that's 120 × 320 GP = 38k+ profit/day for 2 minutes of alching.
High Alch XP Rates & Magic Training
XP per cast: 65 Magic XP
Casts per hour: ~1,200 (one cast every 3 seconds)
XP per hour: ~78,000 Magic XP/hr
Time to 99 Magic: ~165 hours from level 55 (alch-only method)
High Alch is slower than burst/barrage methods (200k+ XP/hr) but offers AFK training and potential profit. Many players alch while doing other activities: Agility courses, Fishing, Woodcutting, or even watching Netflix. This makes the "real" time investment much lower.
GP/XP Cost Analysis
Profitable alchs (negative GP/XP): You MAKE money while training. Battlestaves often achieve -3 to -6 GP/XP.
Break-even alchs (0 GP/XP): Free magic training. Find items where buy price + nature rune = alch value.
Loss alchs (positive GP/XP): Fast training but costs money. Acceptable if you value time over GP.
Comparison to other magic training:
High Alch: -5 to +2 GP/XP, 78k XP/hr, very AFK
Bursting/Barraging: 5-10 GP/XP, 200-300k XP/hr, intensive
Stun-alching: 3-5 GP/XP, 120-150k XP/hr, moderate intensity
Fire Strike splashing: 0 GP/XP, 13k XP/hr, pure AFK (nerfed, not recommended)
How to Find Profitable Alch Items
Method 1 - Manual checking: Use this calculator with live GE prices. Check OSRS Wiki for item high alch values, then plug into calculator with current GE buy price and nature rune cost.
Method 2 - GE Tracker: Use our GE Price Tracker to find items with high alch value listed. Filter by price range and calculate margins manually.
Method 3 - Community resources: OSRS Wiki Money Making page lists current profitable alchs updated by community. Reddit r/2007scape often discusses alch profit items.
Method 4 - Buy limit arbitrage: Some items have low GE buy limits (e.g., 125 for many items). If you can buy below break-even, you can alch for profit repeatedly throughout the day.
Tips for Efficient Alching
1. Equip fire staff: Saves 5 fire runes per cast (900 GP saved per 1k alchs at 180 GP/nature rune).
2. Use Rune Pouch: Store nature runes for quick access. Less banking = more XP/hr.
3. Alch while skilling: Alch between Agility obstacles, while fishing, or during bankstanding skills.
4. Check GE margins daily: Profitable items change frequently. What's +300 GP today might be -100 GP tomorrow.
5. Avoid GE tax on flips: If you buy items to alch, you avoid the 2% GE sell tax, making marginal profits worthwhile.
6. Buy from shops: Zaff battlestaves, rune shops (Varrock, Wizard Guild), and specialty stores often have below-market prices.
7. Craft your own items: Ironmen can craft battlestaves, smith rune items, or make jewelry for profitable alchs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Buying at market price without checking margins. Always check current buy/sell spread before mass buying.
Mistake 2: Forgetting nature rune cost. A 100 GP margin becomes -80 GP loss after nature runes.
Mistake 3: Not accounting for GE buy limits. You can't buy 10k battlestaves instantly - there's a 4-hour limit.
Mistake 4: Alching valuable items accidentally. Double-check you're alching the right item - accidents happen!
Mistake 5: Ignoring alternative magic training. If you have money, bursting/barraging is 3x faster XP.