Welcome to the ultimate 1-99 Woodcutting guide for OSRS! Woodcutting is a fundamental skill in Old School RuneScape, allowing players to gather logs for Firemaking, Fletching, Construction, and even profitable ventures. Interestingly, Everdred was the first player to achieve level 99 Woodcutting in RuneScape, reaching this milestone on August 28, 2001, less than 8 months after the game’s initial release.
This guide will provide you with everything you need to efficiently train Woodcutting, from the very beginning to level 99. We’ll cover the fastest methods, AFK approaches, profitable techniques, and even Free-to-Play (F2P) strategies. Furthermore, we’ll dive into the Forestry update, a significant addition that has changed the way we train Woodcutting in OSRS.
Quick Navigation
1-99 Woodcutting Guide
- Low Level Training (1-15)
- Fastest Way To 99 Woodcutting
- Fast Woodcutting Methods
- AFK Woodcutting Methods
- Profitable Woodcutting Methods
- F2P Woodcutting Guide
Complete Forestry Guide
If you prefer a visual guide, feel free to check out the video version linked above. Otherwise, keep reading for the comprehensive text guide to mastering OSRS Woodcutting!
Changes To Woodcutting
The Woodcutting skill in OSRS received a significant update in 2023 with the introduction of Forestry. This update brought group woodcutting activities, forestry events, and new tree mechanics, changing how players interact with trees and train the skill.
Tree Timers: Most trees now operate on a timer system. Instead of a fixed 1 in 8 chance of a tree being cut down with each chop, trees now have a set duration before they are depleted. This timer scales with the tree level. For example, Oak trees have a shorter timer of 27 seconds, while Redwood trees boast a much longer timer of 4 minutes and 24 seconds.
The tree timer begins only after you successfully obtain the first log. You can continue to chop logs from the tree until the timer reaches zero. After the timer expires, the next log you receive will cause the tree to be cut down. This timer mechanic means you can generally AFK for a duration longer than the listed tree timer, as time is spent between logs, especially for the first and last logs.
Forestry Events: While woodcutting, random Forestry Events can occur nearby. There are nine unique events, each offering different experience rates and requiring specific strategies to maximize efficiency. These events can significantly boost your Woodcutting XP rates, potentially by 40% or more if you actively participate in them. Examples include identifying odd symbols or pollinating flowers.
Group Woodcutting Bonus: Chopping a tree alongside other players now provides a beneficial boost. You receive an invisible Woodcutting level boost of +1 for each additional person chopping the same tree, up to a maximum of +10 when ten or more players are present. This encourages collaborative woodcutting and makes training in populated areas more efficient.
Woodcutting Mechanics
Understanding the core mechanics of Woodcutting is essential for efficient training. Let’s delve into the details.
Log Acquisition: When you chop a tree, you have a chance to obtain a log every 4 game ticks, which translates to 2.4 seconds in real-time. This interval is the base rate for log acquisition.
Axe and Level Influence: The type of axe you wield and your Woodcutting level significantly impact your success rate in obtaining logs. A higher tier axe and a higher Woodcutting level both increase your chances of successfully cutting a log within the 4-tick interval.
Axe Tier Comparison: Using a Rune Axe, for instance, is approximately three times more effective at cutting logs compared to a Bronze Axe. This demonstrates the substantial benefit of upgrading to better axes as you progress.
The Crystal Axe, obtainable after completing the Song of the Elves quest, surpasses even the Dragon Axe and is over four times faster than the Bronze Axe. For the absolute fastest Woodcutting experience, the Crystal Felling Axe takes the crown, although it requires Crystal Shards and Forester’s Rations to use.
Tick Manipulation: Advanced players can utilize tick manipulation techniques to potentially obtain logs more frequently. It’s possible to reduce the log acquisition interval to 3 ticks, 2 ticks, or even 1.5 ticks. The fastest Woodcutting XP rates in OSRS are achieved through 1.5-tick manipulation methods. We’ll delve deeper into these advanced techniques later in the guide.
Axes & Equipment
Choosing the right axe and equipment is crucial for maximizing your Woodcutting efficiency.
Axe Progression: Always strive to use the best axe available to you, up to the Dragon Axe. Upgrading your axe significantly boosts your XP rate.
Crystal Axe: After completing the Song of the Elves quest, the Crystal Axe becomes available. It offers a roughly 4.5% speed increase over the Dragon Axe, making it a worthwhile upgrade for dedicated trainers.
Felling Axes: Felling axes are two-handed axes that can be purchased on the Grand Exchange or crafted using an Axe Handle from the Forestry Rewards shop. On average, they are about 10% faster than regular axes.
To use a Felling Axe, you need Forester’s Rations, consuming one ration with each XP drop. Rations can be bought on the Grand Exchange, or Ironmen can create them using leaves and cooked food. Felling axes also have a 20% chance to not yield a log, making them slightly more AFK as you won’t fill your inventory as quickly.
Infernal Axe: With level 61 Woodcutting and 85 Firemaking, you can wield the Infernal Axe. It has a 33% chance of burning the log you chop, granting half the Firemaking experience in addition to Woodcutting XP. This can be a useful option for training both skills simultaneously.
Lumberjack Outfit: The Lumberjack Outfit is a valuable skilling outfit to obtain for both regular accounts and Ironmen. The full set provides a 2.5% boost to Woodcutting experience. It’s acquired from Temple Trekking and typically takes around 30 minutes to obtain, especially with recent updates increasing the spawn rate of the Undead Lumberjacks event.
Low Level Training (1-15)
Starting your Woodcutting journey involves getting the right tools and finding efficient training spots.
Acquiring Axes: At the beginning, your primary concern is obtaining axes. Regular accounts can easily purchase axes from the Grand Exchange. Ironmen can buy axes up to Steel from Bob’s Brilliant Axes in Lumbridge. Defeating Tree Spirits can also be a viable way for Ironmen to acquire higher-tier axes early on, until you reach level 60 Woodcutting and can access the Woodcutting Guild.
The Woodcutting Guild, accessible at level 60 Woodcutting, features a shop that sells axes up to Rune, making it a convenient place to purchase high-tier axes.
Questing for Early Levels: To bypass the initial slow levels of Woodcutting, consider completing quests that offer Woodcutting experience. Completing quests like Tourist Trap, The Depths of Despair, Fairytale I – Growing Pains, and Tree Gnome Village can boost you from level 1 to 28 Woodcutting.
For a quicker start, the Monk’s Friend quest rapidly gets you from level 1 to 14. Afterward, cutting just 9 regular logs will get you to level 15, unlocking the Ribbiting Tale quest, a very short quest that rewards 2,000 Woodcutting experience.
Traditional Training (Level 1-15): If you prefer traditional training, cutting regular trees is the way to go. From level 1 to 15, you’ll need to cut approximately 161 regular trees.
Regular trees are abundant throughout RuneScape. Good locations include behind Lumbridge Castle or just outside Varrock. For Ironmen, fletching or burning the logs can be beneficial for early Firemaking or Fletching training. However, for main accounts focusing on speed, simply dropping the logs is faster. Remember to always use the best axe you can wield to maximize your chop rate.
Oak Trees (Level 15-35): Once you reach level 15 Woodcutting, Oak trees become accessible. They offer the fastest experience rates until around level 35.
For Forestry events with Oak trees, World 301 in Draynor Village, east of the bank, is a popular location. For regular training, the Oak trees near Varrock West Bank are convenient. Leveling from 15 to 35 at Oak trees requires cutting approximately 534 Oak logs.
Willow Trees (Level 30+) vs. Oak Trees: While Willow trees unlock at level 30, Oak trees remain superior for experience until level 35.
Teak Trees (Level 35+): At level 35, you unlock Teak trees, which become one of the fastest Woodcutting methods in the game, leading us to the fastest ways to reach level 99.
Fastest Way To 99 Woodcutting
For players aiming for the absolute fastest 99 Woodcutting, efficiency is key.
Early Questing: On a fresh level 3 account, starting with the Monk’s Friend quest is the fastest initial boost. While completing all the Woodcutting XP quests takes longer than traditional training, it’s efficient if you are also aiming for a Quest Cape.
Traditional Fast Start: Without questing, the fastest early progression involves cutting regular trees, then transitioning to Oak trees, as outlined in the low-level training section.
2-Tick Oak Trees (Level 15+): For the absolute fastest experience at level 15, 2-tick Oak trees can achieve over 100k XP per hour at higher levels.
This method involves luring two rats from Falador Farm to the Falador city entrance. By alternating clicks between the tree and the ground in sync with the rats’ attacks, you can achieve significantly faster XP rates. This method peaks at around 111k XP per hour above level 60 Woodcutting with a Rune Axe, where you have a 100% success rate when cutting Oaks.
Teak Tick Manipulation (Level 35+): For the fastest methods overall, tick manipulation with Teak trees is the answer. While extremely click-intensive, these methods offer the highest possible XP rates.
There are three main types of Teak tick manipulation: 3-tick, 2-tick, and 1.5-tick. Let’s explore each of these methods.
3-Tick Teaks
3-tick Woodcutting utilizes a 3-tick action, such as using herbs on tar, to speed up your training by approximately 33%. You need to initiate the 3-tick action every 1.8 seconds, then click the Teak tree, and repeat the cycle.
At level 35, 3-tick Teaks provide competitive XP rates, reaching up to 93k XP per hour at level 99. However, for a 33% XP increase, the extra clicking might not be worth it for everyone, and 2-ticking is generally considered more efficient.
Forestry 3-Tick Teaks: However, 3-ticking on a Forestry world can be very effective due to the Forestry events that spawn, further boosting your XP rates. Locations like Prifddinas or Soul Wars Island are popular for finding groups of players 3-ticking Teaks on Forestry worlds.
2-Tick Teaks
2-ticking effectively doubles the speed of Woodcutting, as it reduces the standard 4-tick action to 2 ticks. Similar to 2-tick Oaks, 2-tick Teaks require an NPC to attack you every 2 ticks, resetting the Woodcutting action and allowing for faster log acquisition.
To set up 2-tick Teaks, equip any shortbow without arrows and turn on auto-retaliate. This allows you to retaliate and reset the ticks when attacked.
The best location for 2-tick Teaks is in the Ape Atoll jungle. Tag two Jungle Birds using a weak weapon or spells like Confuse or Weaken to gain their aggression. Position them to ensure they attack you every 2 ticks. 2-ticking is generally considered easier than 3-ticking, although it still requires clicking every game tick.
Easier 2-Tick Method (Moving Method): There is an easier 2-tick method available if you plant your own Teak trees. This method involves simply moving after each chop, leveraging the game mechanic where you sometimes receive two logs at once.
Essentially, this is still 4-tick Woodcutting, but you get two logs at a time, effectively making it a 2-tick rate in terms of logs gained. Click the tree, then click a tile away, click the tree again, and repeat.
Both 2-tick methods can achieve up to 215k XP per hour at high levels. Even at level 35, you can already get around 78k Woodcutting XP per hour, which is impressive for a relatively low-level method.
1.5-Tick Teaks
The absolute fastest Woodcutting method is 1.5-tick Teaks. This method is only achievable on trees you have planted through Farming. It combines 3-ticking with the moving 2-tick method. You perform a 3-tick action while simultaneously using the moving 2-tick technique, giving you a chance at two logs every 3 ticks, hence 1.5-tick.
This method is extremely click and focus intensive, but it yields massive Woodcutting XP. At level 35, you can already reach close to 100k XP per hour, scaling up to 235k XP per hour at higher levels, making it the fastest Woodcutting method currently available in OSRS.
Fast Methods
Forestry Training: Training with Forestry is an excellent balance of speed and engagement, offering high XP rates with periods of downtime during events.
Here’s a breakdown of average XP rates on Forestry worlds for different tree tiers:
From level 15, Oak trees are the first Forestry-compatible tree. Teak and Yew trees are particularly competitive for XP if you actively participate in Forestry events.
Best Forestry Locations:
- Oak Trees: Draynor Village or Varrock West Bank.
- Willow Trees: Draynor Village.
- Teak Trees: Castle Wars, Soul Wars Island, or Prifddinas.
- Maple Trees: Seers’ Village.
- Yew Trees: Outside Seers’ Village Church.
- Magic Trees: Near the Ranging Guild or Myths’ Guild.
Sullicuep Mushrooms (Level 65+): Introduced in 2017, Sullicuep Mushrooms offer competitive Woodcutting XP rates and were the fastest non-tick manipulation method before Forestry.
Unlocked at level 65 Woodcutting and requiring access to Fossil Island, Sullicuep Mushrooms provide XP rates ranging from 55k to over 100k per hour, with decent AFK intervals. You’ll need a rake and an axe, and it’s recommended to bring prayer-boosting items, a strong defensive shield, poison cures, and good food due to aggressive Spores.
The training method involves finding an active Sullicuep Mushroom, cutting it down, and moving to the next active mushroom in a pattern, as shown on the map.
AFK Methods
For players preferring a more relaxed training experience, AFK Woodcutting methods are ideal.
Woodcutting Guild (Level 60+): The Woodcutting Guild is an excellent location for AFK training, providing an invisible +7 Woodcutting level boost, increasing your success rate and reducing interruptions.
With the new tree despawn timers, higher-level trees offer longer AFK intervals. The Tree Despawn Timer RuneLite plugin is highly recommended to visualize these timers.
Maple Trees (Level 45+): Maple trees in the Woodcutting Guild offer a good balance between AFK time and XP. They provide approximately 1 minute of AFK time while maintaining a decent chop rate.
Yew Trees (Level 60+): Yew trees allow for around 2 minutes of AFK time, providing about 30k XP per hour when unlocked.
Magic Trees (Level 75+): Magic trees extend the AFK interval to 4 minutes, offering a more relaxed training experience.
Redwood Trees (Level 90+): The most AFK Woodcutting method is Redwood trees, unlocked at level 90. They offer up to 80k XP per hour and allow for AFK intervals of about 4.5 minutes. Many players choose Redwoods from 90 to 99 due to their ease and low effort.
Blisterwood Trees (Level 62+): Blisterwood trees in Darkmeyer, requiring the Sins of the Father quest, are another decent AFK option.
These trees use the old-school mechanic with a 1 in 8 chance of stopping your chopping, leading to variable AFK intervals ranging from a few seconds to over 40 seconds depending on RNG. Blisterwood provides around 60k XP per hour at lower levels, scaling up to 80k at higher levels. However, Redwood trees are generally preferred for AFK training above level 90.
Profitable Methods
Woodcutting can also be a profitable skill, especially with the right methods.
Forestry Event Camping: The most profitable Woodcutting method is actively camping Forestry events. By focusing solely on completing announced Forestry events and hopping between areas, you can obtain over 2,500 Anima Bark per hour.
Converting Anima Bark into Felling Axe Handles can yield over 700k GP per hour at higher Woodcutting levels. This method requires joining a “Forestry” chat to track event announcements.
Mahogany Logs (Level 50+): Chopping Mahogany logs is a consistently profitable method, yielding around 200k GP per hour. The best locations are Tai Bwo Wannai and Prifddinas.
Unlocked at level 50 Woodcutting, Mahogany logs provide around 140k GP per hour at that level.
Yew and Magic Logs (Level 60+/75+): Cutting Yew and Magic logs can also be profitable, each generating roughly 150k GP per hour. However, their XP rates are slower compared to other fast training methods.
Forestry Guide
Forestry offers a dynamic and social way to train Woodcutting, starting at level 15 with Oak trees and accessible to Free-to-Play players.
Forestry Basics
To begin Forestry, visit a Friendly Forester in Draynor Village, Seers’ Village, or Prifddinas and obtain a free Forestry Kit.
This kit stores items you find during Forestry events. To participate in Forestry, simply start cutting any Forestry-compatible tree on an official Forestry world. World 444 is the most popular Forestry world for members, while World 301 is designated for Free-to-Play Forestry. Note that Forestry events do not occur in the Woodcutting Guild or with Blisterwood trees.
Best Forestry Locations
Popular Forestry locations are concentrated on Forestry worlds. Refer to the “Fast Methods” section of this guide for a detailed list of optimal locations for each tree type.
Forestry Plugins
RuneLite offers several plugins to enhance your Forestry experience.
Default Woodcutting Plugin: Enable notifications and highlights for all Forestry events within the default Woodcutting plugin settings. This will alert you to nearby events.
Tree Despawn Timer: The Tree Despawn Timer plugin, mentioned earlier, helps visualize tree timers in Forestry as well.
Tree Count: The “Tree Count” plugin displays the number of players chopping a tree, useful for maximizing the group Woodcutting boost.
Entity Hider: The Entity Hider plugin can be helpful for clearing visual clutter and easily interacting with Forestry events, especially in crowded areas.
Forestry Events Explained
Forestry events randomly spawn while you are woodcutting. There are nine distinct events, some offering rare rewards. Completing events grants bonus Woodcutting XP, further accelerating your training.
Rising Roots
The Rising Roots event spawns roots on the ground. Chop the roots with green veins for the best rewards and XP.
Flowering Bush
In the Flowering Bush event, eight bushes appear. Identify the two bushes that can pollinate each other and repeatedly pollinate them. The correct bushes change periodically, requiring you to relocate them.
Beehives
The Beehives event requires you to build a beehive. Click on the unfinished beehive and add logs to it for Woodcutting and Construction experience.
Struggling Sapling
For the Struggling Sapling event, collect three materials and feed them to the sapling. The correct combination varies, so try taking three of each material type until you find the right combination. Public chat is often helpful as players announce successful combinations.
Poachers
Poachers event involves disarming fox traps placed by poachers. Disarm the traps for Woodcutting and Hunter experience.
Enchantment Ritual
The Enchantment Ritual event is indicated by colored shapes on the ground. Stand on the “odd one out” shape that doesn’t share a color or shape with any other marking.
Friendly Ents
Friendly Ents appear and speak dialogue. Trim them according to their dialogue. Refer to online resources for the correct trimming actions for each dialogue option.
Pheasant Control
When nests and pheasants appear in the Pheasant Control event, take eggs from unguarded nests (nests without a pheasant on top) and bring them to the Freaky Forester.
Leprechaun
The Leprechaun event features a Leprechaun NPC who can bank your logs directly, providing convenience during Forestry training.
Completing Forestry events rewards you with Anima Bark, which can be spent in the Forestry Rewards shop.
Forestry Rewards Shop
The Forestry Rewards shop offers various useful items purchasable with Anima Bark.
Notable Rewards:
- Clothes Pouch Blueprint: Allows you to gain the Lumberjack Outfit XP boost without wearing the full outfit, saving inventory space.
- Twitcher’s Gloves: Increases your chance of obtaining bird nests while Woodcutting, useful for bird nest potions and birdhouse runs.
- Felling Axe Handle: Essential for Ironmen to create Felling Axes.
- Sawmill Vouchers: Useful for Ironmen to save GP on Construction training.
- Cape Pouch (99 Woodcutting): A decent upgrade for players with 99 Woodcutting, offering extra inventory space.
F2P Woodcutting Guide
For Free-to-Play players, Woodcutting training options are more limited, but efficient methods still exist.
Here’s a recommended F2P Woodcutting progression path:
Fastest F2P Method: 2-Tick Oaks: The fastest F2P Woodcutting method is 2-tick Oaks, achieving over 100k XP per hour, although it requires high focus and precise clicking. The setup is the same as described in the “Fastest Way To 99” section, utilizing rats near Falador.
Forestry Willow Trees (3-Tick): Cutting Willow trees with Forestry, while 3-ticking, is another very fast F2P method. It can achieve over 70k XP per hour, slightly slower than 2-tick Oaks but still excellent for F2P.
Maple Trees (AFK F2P): Maple trees were recently added to F2P and provide a great AFK training option, offering a more relaxed way to train Woodcutting in F2P worlds.
This concludes the comprehensive OSRS Woodcutting guide. Whether you are aiming for the fastest 99, a relaxed AFK experience, or profitable woodcutting, this guide provides the knowledge to master the skill. Happy Woodcutting in Gielinor!
