Smithing catalyst

Smithing catalyst
Released							8 June 2022 (Update)
Members							Yes
Quest item							No
League region							Desert✓
Properties
Tradeable							No
Equipable							No
Stackable							No
Options							Drop
Examine							This makes smithing easier and more rewarding.
Values
Value							100 coins
High alch							60 coins
Low alch							40 coins
Weight							0.028 kg
Advanced data
Item ID							27017

Smithing catalyst is a consumable item purchased from the Giants' Foundry reward shop for 15 Foundry Reputation.

They are used when smelting bars at a furnace, or using the Superheat Item spell, to halve the amount of coal required per bar, whilst simultaneously providing double experience per bar consuming the catalyst in the process. The catalyst only works for bars that are produced using coal. The experience doubling effect works at the Blast Furnace, but it does not reduce the amount of coal needed any further.

Based on the opportunity cost of using Foundry Reputation to buy catalyst instead of Kovac's grog to sell on the Grand Exchange, each Smithing catalyst costs 3,124.8 coins.

Smelting experience

It should be noted that the catalyzed section only takes into account the opportunity cost of buying Kovac's grog instead. As acquiring the catalyst requires playing the Giants' Foundry instead of spending that time smelting metals, another opportunity cost applies not only to gold earnings, but to experience earnings as well.

Bar		Level	Regular Furnace			Blast Furnace			Catalyzed
			XP	Profit/Loss	GP/XP	XP	Profit/Loss	GP/XP	XP	Profit/Loss	GP/XP
	Elemental	20	8	−608	-76.00	N/A			16	−3,732.80	-233.30
	Steel	30	17.5	8	0.46	17.5	160	9.14	35	−2,964.80	-84.71
	Lovakite	45	20	−304	-15.20	N/A			40	−3,276.80	-230.12
	Mithril	50	30	−91	-3.03	30	213	7.10	60	−2,911.80	-48.53
	Adamantite	70	37.5	−60	-1.60	37.5	396	10.56	75	−2,728.80	-36.38
	Runite	85	50	226	4.52	50	834	16.68	100	−2,290.80	-22.91

Optimal Inventory Setup

Smelting some of the higher ores leave several free inventory spaces. Due to the amount of inventory space taken up by smithing catalysts the number of bars produced is limited to 13, and smelting some bars may not require a full coal bag.

Normal furnaces without a Coal Bag

Bar Type		Coal Needed	Primary Ore	Catalyst Needed	# of Free Inventory Spaces	Bar Yield	Smithing Experience
	Steel	9	9 Iron ore	9	1	9	315
	Lovakite	9	9 Lovakite ore	9	1	9	360
	Mithril	14	7 Mithril ore	7	0	7	420
	Adamantite	15	5 Adamantite ore	5	3	5	375
	Runite	16	4 Runite ore	4	4	4	400

Normal furnaces with a Coal Bag

Bar Type		Coal Needed (In Bag+In Inventory=Total)	Primary Ore	Catalyst Needed	# of Free Inventory Spaces	Bar Yield	Smithing Experience
	Steel	13 + 0 = 13	13 Iron ore	13	1	13	455
	Lovakite	13 + 0 = 13	13 Lovakite ore	13	1	13	520
	Mithril	26 + 0 = 26	13 Mithril ore	13	1	13	780
	Adamantite	27 + 3 = 30	10 Adamantite ore	10	4	10	750
	Runite	27 + 9 = 36	9 Runite ore	9	0	9	900

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