Ever find yourself desperately clicking away, health rapidly dwindling, as a Hill Giant relentlessly pummels you? Or maybe you’re just trying to level your skills efficiently, but constantly running back to Lumbridge for more shrimp is getting tedious. If you’re a free-to-play (F2P) player in Old School Runescape, you know this struggle all too well: choosing the right food can make or break your experience. This article aims to be your comprehensive guide to navigating the world of F2P sustenance, helping you choose the most effective and efficient food options available in Old School Runescape.
Food is the lifeblood of any Runescape adventurer, but its importance is amplified for those restricted to the free-to-play world. It’s not just about staying alive; it’s about maximizing your training time, completing quests, and ultimately progressing through the game. The “best” food isn’t necessarily the one that heals the most. Instead, factors such as availability, healing potential, cost-effectiveness, and how easy it is to get your hands on it are all crucial. Let’s delve into the delicious details of F2P feeding.
Understanding Food Mechanics in F2P OSRS
Before we dive into the specifics, let’s establish some fundamental concepts about food in Old School Runescape. Understanding these basics will help you make informed decisions about what to eat and when.
The most important aspect of food is its healing per bite. This indicates how many hitpoints the food restores when consumed. A higher number generally means more survivability, allowing you to withstand more damage before needing to eat again. However, don’t be fooled into always thinking higher is better, sometimes the effort to get a high healing food can be less efficient than getting a lower healing one in bulk.
While it’s not explicitly stated in-game, Runescape operates on a tick-based system. This impacts the rate at which you can eat. While a deep dive into ticks isn’t needed, just know that there’s a slight delay between eating one item and eating the next. The higher your hitpoints, the less you need to think about this.
Finally, stackability is a key consideration. Food items that stack take up only one inventory slot, allowing you to carry more sustenance for longer adventures. This is crucial when exploring deeper into dungeons or undertaking lengthy training sessions.
Top F2P Food Choices: Ranked & Detailed
Now for the main course! Here’s a breakdown of the top F2P food options, considering all the factors mentioned above. We’ll explore their strengths, weaknesses, and optimal uses:
Cooked Shrimp
This humble crustacean is where most F2P players start. Cooked Shrimp is easily obtainable. You can find fishing spots near Lumbridge, or purchase them at the market. They offer a small amount of healing.
The appeal of Cooked Shrimp lies in its accessibility. It’s great for very low-level players just starting out. However, its low healing potential quickly becomes a disadvantage. As you level up, you’ll need to move on to more substantial options.
Cooked Sardine
A slightly better choice than shrimp, Cooked Sardine is another common fish you can catch in the early game. You can find them in similar fishing locations as shrimp, and they are also fairly cheap to buy.
Cooked Sardines provide a touch more healing than shrimp. The added healing is appreciated, but it still suffers the same issue: you will quickly outlevel it.
Cooked Herring
While still not amazing, Cooked Herring starts to approach usefulness. It’s another fish that is available via fishing or the grand exchange. Cooked Herring is a solid choice for low levels.
The extra healing is useful while your character is growing. However, it too is quickly outclassed.
Cooked Trout
Cooked Trout represents a significant step up in healing potential. However, to self-supply, you’ll need to reach level fifteen in fishing and firemaking. You can buy it on the grand exchange as well.
Its decent healing makes it a valuable resource for mid-level F2P players. Being able to catch and cook it yourself can save you money in the long run.
Cooked Salmon
Cooked Salmon is very good for F2P for the price. You do need to be level thirty in fishing and firemaking to get it yourself, but it heals a respectable amount. It is also available on the grand exchange.
While slightly expensive, the extra healing makes it worth it if you can afford it.
Baked Potato
Baked Potatoes are very cheap and easy to obtain, but you can’t eat them on their own! You can find them from the Farming Guild, or purchase them in the Lumbridge Market.
Because you cannot eat them on their own, these are only useful in tandem with the next food.
Baked Potato with Butter
Baked Potato with Butter is one of the best choices for F2P. You can buy both potatoes and butter in the Lumbridge Market. The healing is amazing for a decent price.
Having to buy two items and then combine them in the inventory is the only downside.
Food Acquisition Strategies
Now that you know what to eat, the question becomes: how do you get it? There are several effective strategies for acquiring food in F2P Old School Runescape:
- Fishing: This is the classic method for obtaining food. Start with shrimp and sardines near Lumbridge. As you level up your Fishing skill, move on to trout and salmon in locations like Barbarian Village. Experiment to find the most efficient fishing spots. Remember to consider bank proximity for quick deposit and retrieval.
- Cooking: Leveling your Cooking skill is essential for turning raw fish into edible food. Use ranges in Lumbridge or Al Kharid. Don’t be discouraged by burning food initially; it’s a natural part of the process. As your skill increases, you’ll burn less food and become a more efficient cook.
- Buying from the Grand Exchange (GE): The Grand Exchange is a bustling marketplace where players buy and sell items. Buying food from the GE can be convenient, but be mindful of price fluctuations. Consider the cost of buying versus the time it would take to gather the food yourself. If you’re short on time, buying might be the better option.
- Quest Rewards: Keep an eye out for F2P quests that offer food as rewards. These can provide a welcome boost to your supplies, especially early in the game. Quests like Cook’s Assistant is essential and provides benefits to cooking forever after.
Optimizing Food Usage
Having the right food is only half the battle; you also need to use it effectively. Here are some tips for optimizing your food usage in OSRS:
- When to Use Each Type of Food: Don’t waste expensive salmon on low-level monsters. Save it for challenging encounters or when training skills that put you at risk. Use shrimp and sardines for the very early levels, then transition to trout and salmon as your hitpoints and combat level increase.
- Inventory Management: Balance your food supply with other essential items like potions and runes. A good rule of thumb is to dedicate a significant portion of your inventory to food, but leave enough space for necessary gear.
- Safe Spots and Evasion Tactics: Learn to identify safe spots where monsters can’t reach you. Use these spots to heal without taking damage. Evasion tactics, such as running behind obstacles or using long-range attacks, can also help you conserve food.
- Prayer Usage: While prayer points can be limited in F2P, using prayers like Protect from Melee can significantly reduce damage taken, allowing you to conserve food.
Considerations for Different Activities
The best food choice often depends on the activity you’re undertaking. Here are some recommendations for common F2P activities:
- Training Melee (e.g., Hill Giants): Cooked Salmon or Baked Potato with Butter are excellent choices due to their healing potential. Equip the best melee armour you can afford and focus on maximizing your damage output to kill the giants quickly.
- Training Ranged (e.g., Chickens): Since ranged combat allows you to attack from a distance, you might be able to get away with using Cooked Trout. Prioritize staying out of melee range to minimize damage taken.
- Training Magic: Similar to ranged, magic users can often maintain distance from enemies. Cooked Trout or Salmon will be your go-to options.
- Questing: Bring a variety of food options to cover different situations. Cooked Salmon and Baked Potato with Butter are always good staples.
- Minigames: If you’re participating in F2P minigames like Castle Wars (when it’s available), bring the best food you can afford to maximize your survivability.
Beyond Basic Food: Potential Food Additions (If Applicable)
While basic food items are the mainstay of F2P sustenance, keep an eye out for any items that might alter food mechanics. In F2P there are not many ways to get food to heal more.
Conclusion
Choosing the best F2P food in Old School Runescape is a delicate balance between cost, availability, and healing potential. While Cooked Shrimp might be your starting point, exploring options like Cooked Salmon and Baked Potato with Butter will significantly enhance your survivability and training efficiency.
Remember to consider the specific activity you’re undertaking and adjust your food choices accordingly. Experiment with different strategies to find what works best for your playstyle.
With a little planning and the right food choices, you can conquer the challenges of F2P OSRS and embark on countless adventures. So, grab your fishing rod, fire up the range, and prepare for the ultimate F2P feast!
