Guardians of the Rift/Strategies

Although the Guardians of the Rift minigame can be completed with varying levels and equipment, the general strategy remains consistent. Those without access to the larger essence pouches may have to convert more guardian essence and make more frequent trips through the runic altars.

General tips

• If a barrier breaks, the Great Guardian's power will rapidly drop, especially at later stages. Repair them as soon as possible, requiring 10 guardian essence per barrier. Prioritize using essence to repair the tile over crafting runes.
• If a round ends (enters its grace period) more than 95 seconds after the last portal spawned, an additional portal will spawn during the grace period. This 'grace portal' allows mining essence as soon as the next round begins, increasing efficiency significantly.
  • To maximize the likelihood of this, wait to redeem your final set of guardian stones until 95 seconds. Without a timer, simply redeem during the grace period.
• 2-4 guardians are recommended at the start of each round. Having an inadequate number of guardians will allow the abyssal creatures to quickly overwhelm and destroy the barriers.
• Avoid contributing weaker cells to the guardian cap after the first phase, as this will severely limit the damage output of the guardians on the battlefield. Weaker cells are generally best spent healing barriers as barrier contributions stack, whereas guardian constructions do not.
• When building a barrier at the start of a game, stand on the barrier side of the cell tile. This will knock your character through the barrier after it's built, giving you a head start at running to a mining spot.
• Points and experience are based on the amount of essence crafted - not the tier of the altar. It's not efficient to wait for desired altars to become active.
• Mining level directly influences how many shards can be obtained per swing - approximately 25% more shards can be mined at 99 Mining compared to 41 Mining.
• Lower level players can spend the time between rounds crafting guardians for additional experience.

Combination rune tips

Crafting combination runes produces polyelemental guardian stones, giving an additional elemental point per essence. With Magic Imbue and binding necklaces this can result in up to 50% more elemental points, at the cost of some inventory space, more attention, and the preceding requirements.

For optimal points, one should bring a stack of air runes, and cast Magic Imbue before using them on another elemental altar, while crafting catalytic runes when the air portal is active, as air produces the weakest cell. Use care when depositing runes to retain this stack. If using a rune pouch, filling it with cosmic, astral, and steam runes allows for casting both Magic Imbue and NPC Contact without requiring additional inventory space, and can store crafted steam runes. Each binding necklace should last 2 rounds, and some may wish to bring a spare in the event it breaks mid-round, or simply craft runes normally until obtaining a fresh one.

Crafting combination runes from water runes alternatively produces significantly more valuable runes on average, at the cost of marginal cell points. By replacing steam runes inside a rune pouch with smoke runes, no additional inventory space is required. When crafting only at the earth and fire altars, and crafting catalytic when water or air are active, the average cells are no weaker, and it is easier to achieve an even point distribution per round.

Recommended equipment

Recommended equipment for Runecrafting

Slot	Item (most effective → least effective)
	Hat of the eye	Prospector helmet	N/A	N/A
	Binding necklace	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Max cape/Runecraft cape	Mining cape	N/A	N/A
	Robe top of the eye	Varrock armour	Prospector jacket	N/A
	Robe bottoms of the eye	Prospector legs	N/A	N/A
	Crystal pickaxe	Dragon pickaxe	Rune pickaxe	Adamant pickaxe
	Abyssal lantern (redwood logs)	Abyssal lantern (yew logs)/Abyssal lantern (oak logs)	Abyssal lantern (magic logs)/Abyssal lantern (blisterwood logs)	Tome of fire
	Ghommal's lucky penny	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Boots of the eye	Prospector boots	N/A	N/A
	Celestial ring/Celestial signet	Lightbearer	N/A	N/A

Inventory

• Chisel if assembling rune guardians.
  • Optional on mass worlds where guardians are ample.
• Essence pouches up to your available Runecraft level.
  • Upgrade to the colossal pouch after acquiring the Abyssal needle with 85 Runecraft and 56 Crafting.
• Rune pouch to repair pouches using NPC Contact (requires access to the Lunar spellbook and 67 Magic.)
  • Can also be used to store runes or omitted if players have a means to stop pouch decay, such as an Abyssal lantern lit with redwood logs or a Runecraft cape.

Making combination runes efficiently requires 82 Magic, completion of Lunar Diplomacy, and an equipped binding necklace.

• Chisel if assembling rune guardians.
  • Optional on mass worlds where guardians are ample.
  • Since the pouches can store 2 times 15, omitting the chisel in masses can help with inventory management. Alternatively, dropping received runes whenever a talisman is received can have the same effect.
• Essence pouches up to your available Runecraft level.
  • Upgrade to the colossal pouch after acquiring the Abyssal needle with 85 Runecraft and 56 Crafting.
• (Optional) an extra binding necklace to save on trips to the bank.
  • Each equipped binding necklace lasts about 2 games when pursuing even points.
  • Low-charge necklaces can be destroyed to save inventory space.
• Rune pouch to repair pouches using NPC Contact (requires access to the Lunar spellbook and 67 Magic) and cast Magic Imbue.
  • When using an Abyssal lantern lit with redwood logs or a Runecraft cape, store fire, water, and astral runes.
    • If using water runes on the altar, a third type of rune can be stored to save space.
• Air runes, with steam runes in the rune pouch, or water runes, with smoke runes, to make combination runes.
  • The basic rune must be used on the altar, so it cannot be stored in the rune pouch.
  • To prevent these being deposited when depositing runes, consider using bank fillers.

Rune choice

Crafting mist and mud runes, with water in the inventory and smoke/fire in the pouch, produces the most profit. Crafting smoke and dust runes, with air in the inventory and steam in the pouch, is slightly less profitable, but allows crafting at the water altar.

Players who craft their own combination runes can alternate as needed (only about 30-60 smoke or steam runes are needed to start).

• Chisel if assembling rune guardians.
  • Optional on mass worlds where guardians are ample.
• Rune pouch to repair pouches using NPC Contact (requires access to the Lunar spellbook and 67 Magic.)
  • Can also be used to store runes or omitted if players have a means to stop pouch decay, such as an Abyssal lantern lit with redwood logs or a Runecraft cape.

Requires a colossal pouch, 82 Magic, Lunar spellbook access, and binding necklaces.

• Chisel if assembling rune guardians.
  • Optional on mass worlds where guardians are ample.
• (Optional) an extra binding necklace to save on trips to the bank.
  • Each equipped binding necklace lasts about 2 games when pursuing even points.
• Rune pouch to repair pouches using NPC Contact (requires access to the Lunar spellbook and 67 Magic) and cast Magic Imbue.
  • If NPC Contact is not required, cosmic runes can be omitted and smoke runes replaced with fire runes, with the free slot used for storage.
  • With Divine rune pouch the free slot can be used for storage.

Methodology

For even points, prioritize crafting at the blood and death altars, followed by fire and earth. When none of these are active, craft at whichever type you have the fewest points for.

Rune types

Overcharged cells are the maximum cell tier.

Level	Type		Tier		Alignment
1		Air		Weak		Elemental
5		Water		Medium		Elemental
9		Earth		Strong		Elemental
14		Fire		Overcharged		Elemental
2		Mind		Weak		Catalytic
20		Body		Weak		Catalytic
27		Cosmic		Medium		Catalytic
35		Chaos		Medium		Catalytic
44		Nature		Strong		Catalytic
54		Law		Strong		Catalytic
65		Death		Overcharged		Catalytic
77		Blood		Overcharged		Catalytic

General strategy

This strategy allows upwards of 8 points, split between elemental and catalytic, with a colossal pouch and slightly less for other set-ups.

Overview (in seconds)

Time	Phase
-30		Take a weak cell and several uncharged cells
0		Round begins; create barrier/guardian
15		Reach remains, begin mining
85		Stop mining, begin crafting essence (~120 frags)
135		Second altar rotation; use altar
160		First portal spawns; mine until full
190		Redeem stones/cell, then use altar
220		Deposit runes, craft essence
270		Redeem stones/cell, then use altar
300		Second portal spawns
350		Redeem stones/cell, then use altar
380		Deposit runes, craft essence
420		Redeem stones/cell, then use altar
440		Third portal spawns
Etc.		Repeat as necessary until round ends

Step-by-step

Before the start of the round, grab a weak cell and 5-10 uncharged cells.

1. Create barriers if needed, or a guardian if others are at cell tiles
2. Run down the east slope to the large remains
3. Mine between 140-180 fragments
4. Craft essence until the second altar rotation, then use an altar
5. Go through the portal and mine your maximum
6. Redeem your stones and charged cell
7. Use an altar, redeem stones/cell, and deposit runes
8. Craft ~40 essence, then use another altar
9. Repeat the steps in bold until the round is complete.

Between rounds, take runes from the bank to cast NPC Contact and repair your pouches as needed. Those with a lantern lit with redwood logs, or without any pouches, can remain inside the barrier. A rune pouch with the necessary runes can achieve the same result, at the cost of an inventory slot.

Additional notes

• The initial altar timing varies, but portal timing is consistent every 160 seconds.
• The unbolded lines are based on a 50s crafting window and 70s initial mining window
  • This is achievable with huge/colossal pouches and rune/dragon pickaxes.
• If you find yourself running out of essence, mine for longer and craft less before the 135 altar.
• In the event of an inter-round portal, first fill with essence, then mine fragments until the first altar rotation. After crafting runes at the first altar, the first portal of the round should be immediately accessible.

Reference notes

Solo strategy

This strategy allows upwards of 10 points, split between elemental and catalytic, with a colossal pouch and slightly less for other set-ups. However, there's a small chance of failure due to bad luck.

Overview (in seconds)

Time	Phase
-30		Grab 10 uncharged cell and a weak cell
0		Mine 80 guardian fragments at the large guardian remains
60		Place a barrier in between the fire and nature portals
70		Grab a weak cell and create a weak elemental guardian
85		Grab a weak cell and place a barrier in between the fire and blood portals
95		Grab a weak cell and place a barrier in between the blood and law portals
105		Grab a weak cell and begin crafting guardian essence
115		Stop crafting guardian essence and recharge the middle barrier
120		Enter the highest level altar and craft guardian stones
135		If you have a strong cell or an overcharged cell then create a guardian
135		If you have a weak cell or a medium cell then recharge or strengthen a barrier
140		Power up the great guardian, enter the highest level altar, and craft guardian stones
155		If you don't have two guardians then create another guardian
160		Enter the huge guardian remains portal and mine a full pouch and inventory of guardian essence
190		Power up the great guardian, optionally strengthen a barrier, enter the highest level altar, and craft guardian stones
220		Deposit runes, create a guardian, and craft essence until an overcharged portal opens or we have a full pouch and inventory
290		Power up the great guardian, optionally strengthen a barrier, enter the highest level altar, and craft guardian stones
320		Enter the huge guardian remains portal and mine a full pouch and inventory of guardian essence
Etc.		Repeat steps till victory, and after the great guardian reaches 60% charge prioritize repairing barriers

Alternatively, try: Solo GOTR guide - 100%* win rate and 10+ points per game on average

Mass strategy

This strategy assumes the usage of a Colossal pouch and should guarantee 8+ points, catalytic and elemental combined, every round depending how fast you are.

Mass strategy with Colossal pouch

Game State	Cycle	Instruction
Before rift opens	0		Repair pouches with NPC Contact spell
			Grab 10 Uncharged cell
			Grab 1 weak cell
			Wait by empty cell tiles or by a guardian if you have a chisel
Rift opens (game starts):	0		Build a barrier or create a guardian with the weak cell
			Run to the Large Guardian Remains on the eastern side of the arena
			Mine 165-170 essence fragments
	1		Chisel only 30 fragments
			Runecraft
	2		Power-up and heal barrier + Deposit Runes
			Portal (Full inventory + pouch)
			Runecraft
	3		Chisel full inventory + pouch
			Power-up and heal barrier + Deposit Runes
			Runecraft
	4		Power-up and heal barrier + Deposit Runes
			Portal (Full inventory + Pouch)
			Runecraft
	5		Power-up and heal barrier + Deposit Runes
			Chisel any remaining essence fragments until Portal
			Portal (Full inventory + pouch)
			Runecraft
	6		Power-up and heal barrier + Deposit Runes
If you start round inside portal (portal open >95%)	0		Portal (Full inventory + pouch)
			Exit the portal; Run to the mine on the east side. (Make sure to have 1 empty inventory slot for the fragments)
			Mine until you have 125-130 essence fragments Once you have 130 fragments continue until the timer reaches 0 (first portal opens)
			Runecraft
			Continue from cycle 2

Reference notes