Rsorder How the Sailing Skill Will Reshape the OSRS Economy: A Guide to Smart Pre-Update Item Planning
Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2025 10:41 pm
With the Sailing beta now live in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), players are finally getting a firsthand look at the new mechanics, systems, and—most notably—the new items that are entering the game. This update has the potential with OSRS gold to reshape the in-game economy, and knowing what items to watch—both before and after the update officially launches—can give players a major edge. Whether you're preparing your main or looking to buy OSRS Accounts to jump straight into the action, having access to well-positioned characters can make all the difference. In this article, we'll walk through the Sailing blog post, discuss what stood out, and break down speculative—but strategic—economic plays you can consider.
Disclaimer: Sailing is still in beta. Everything discussed is subject to change.
The Big Reveal: Sailing Supplies
The first notable glimpse of new content came from the Sailing supplies screenshot in the blog. It offered us a rare look at specific items expected to launch alongside the skill.
Cannonball Varieties
One of the most eye-catching elements was the wide variety of cannonballs shown. Previously, OSRS only used steel cannonballs for the Dwarf Cannon. Now we're seeing:
Bronze
Iron
Steel (the current standard)
Mithril
Adamant
Dragon
This suggests a tiered cannonball system-and possibly more diverse and specialized ship-to-ship combat. According to Mod Kieren, the system could change, but the amount of development shown makes it seem likely to stay.
What this means for the economy:
Ore and metal bars will likely surge in demand.
The Ammo Mold from the Dwarf Cannon quest will remain key.
Cannonballs may be made via furnaces using metal bars, so stockpiling bars (especially mithril and adamant) could be smart.
Additional sources of cannonballs are teased, possibly via Sailing content drops, but pre-update demand will favor craftable supplies.
Speculative Play: Start collecting bronze through dragon bars. Even if Jagex adds cannonballs as a drop, player-crafting will likely be a consistent option. Flippers should look at trading cannonballs early on when demand spikes.
Repair Kits and the Rise of Planks & Nails
Another economic opportunity revealed in the blog is the Repair Kit. These are used mid-sail to repair your ship-working like food heals during combat.
Each Repair Kit will require:
Planks
Nails
Swamp Paste
This alone brings new life to what were once niche or slow-selling items.
Which materials to watch:
Planks: Regular, teak, and mahogany have all been spotted, suggesting existing varieties will be used.
Logs and Steel Bars: Base materials for both planks (via Sawmill) and nails (via Smithing).
Jagex originally stated that only new planks would be used, but the recent visuals suggest otherwise-making current wood types more relevant than ever.
Speculative Play:
Rather than investing in planks, consider logs, which are higher-volume and more liquid.
Steel bars (F2P-friendly) are solid long-term plays-especially for free-to-play alt accounts.
Use multiple F2P accounts to spread investment and conserve your main's GE slots.
Sailing Investment Tips
If you're planning to ride the Sailing hype to GP gains, here are some golden rules:
1. Think Critically
Don't follow advice blindly.
Challenge every assumption: Why might this item fail?
Look at both the upside and the risk.
2. Avoid All-In Bets
Do not dump your entire bank into a single item.
Sailing's full release is months away-your cash stack could be tied up unnecessarily.
You'll often profit more through short-term flips than long holds.
3. Diversify Your Portfolio
Spread your gold across different item types:
O Bars
O Logs
O Swamp paste
O Cannonballs
O Ammo molds
This hedges against sudden blog or beta changes.
Final Thoughts
The Sailing skill brings more than exploration and naval warfare—it's ushering in a new economic frontier in OSRS. Whether you're a high-level merch flipper, a casual GE warrior, or someone looking to Buy OSRS Fire Cape to round out your combat readiness before tackling new Sailing content, understanding what's coming and planning ahead gives you a serious edge.
Here's a quick recap of items to watch:
Ore and Bars (for cannonballs)
Logs and Steel Bars (for planks and nails)
Ammo Molds with cheap OSRS gold (crafting cannonballs)
Swamp Paste (used in Repair Kits)
What are you investing in for Sailing?
Until next time-happy flipping, and smooth sailing.
Disclaimer: Sailing is still in beta. Everything discussed is subject to change.
The Big Reveal: Sailing Supplies
The first notable glimpse of new content came from the Sailing supplies screenshot in the blog. It offered us a rare look at specific items expected to launch alongside the skill.
Cannonball Varieties
One of the most eye-catching elements was the wide variety of cannonballs shown. Previously, OSRS only used steel cannonballs for the Dwarf Cannon. Now we're seeing:
Bronze
Iron
Steel (the current standard)
Mithril
Adamant
Dragon
This suggests a tiered cannonball system-and possibly more diverse and specialized ship-to-ship combat. According to Mod Kieren, the system could change, but the amount of development shown makes it seem likely to stay.
What this means for the economy:
Ore and metal bars will likely surge in demand.
The Ammo Mold from the Dwarf Cannon quest will remain key.
Cannonballs may be made via furnaces using metal bars, so stockpiling bars (especially mithril and adamant) could be smart.
Additional sources of cannonballs are teased, possibly via Sailing content drops, but pre-update demand will favor craftable supplies.
Speculative Play: Start collecting bronze through dragon bars. Even if Jagex adds cannonballs as a drop, player-crafting will likely be a consistent option. Flippers should look at trading cannonballs early on when demand spikes.
Repair Kits and the Rise of Planks & Nails
Another economic opportunity revealed in the blog is the Repair Kit. These are used mid-sail to repair your ship-working like food heals during combat.
Each Repair Kit will require:
Planks
Nails
Swamp Paste
This alone brings new life to what were once niche or slow-selling items.
Which materials to watch:
Planks: Regular, teak, and mahogany have all been spotted, suggesting existing varieties will be used.
Logs and Steel Bars: Base materials for both planks (via Sawmill) and nails (via Smithing).
Jagex originally stated that only new planks would be used, but the recent visuals suggest otherwise-making current wood types more relevant than ever.
Speculative Play:
Rather than investing in planks, consider logs, which are higher-volume and more liquid.
Steel bars (F2P-friendly) are solid long-term plays-especially for free-to-play alt accounts.
Use multiple F2P accounts to spread investment and conserve your main's GE slots.
Sailing Investment Tips
If you're planning to ride the Sailing hype to GP gains, here are some golden rules:
1. Think Critically
Don't follow advice blindly.
Challenge every assumption: Why might this item fail?
Look at both the upside and the risk.
2. Avoid All-In Bets
Do not dump your entire bank into a single item.
Sailing's full release is months away-your cash stack could be tied up unnecessarily.
You'll often profit more through short-term flips than long holds.
3. Diversify Your Portfolio
Spread your gold across different item types:
O Bars
O Logs
O Swamp paste
O Cannonballs
O Ammo molds
This hedges against sudden blog or beta changes.
Final Thoughts
The Sailing skill brings more than exploration and naval warfare—it's ushering in a new economic frontier in OSRS. Whether you're a high-level merch flipper, a casual GE warrior, or someone looking to Buy OSRS Fire Cape to round out your combat readiness before tackling new Sailing content, understanding what's coming and planning ahead gives you a serious edge.
Here's a quick recap of items to watch:
Ore and Bars (for cannonballs)
Logs and Steel Bars (for planks and nails)
Ammo Molds with cheap OSRS gold (crafting cannonballs)
Swamp Paste (used in Repair Kits)
What are you investing in for Sailing?
Until next time-happy flipping, and smooth sailing.