OSRS Stealing Artefacts vs Blackjacking: 99 Thieving Guide

Game screenshots and facts are cited from the Old School RuneScape Wiki (strategy, equipment, drops, and related pages). Writing is original editorial, not a copy of the wiki article.

Every main account eventually faces the Thieving grind. You need level 99 for the cape, you need high Thieving for elite clues, and you need certain Thieving milestones for diaries and quests. But the path you choose changes everything: your wrists, your profit, and the number of hours until the cape. Two methods dominate the conversation: stealing artefacts in Port Piscarilius and blackjacking in Pollnivneach. One is relaxed and almost afk-adjacent; the other is one of the fastest training methods in the entire game. This guide breaks down both, including XP rates, profit, unlocks, common mistakes, and the honest time-saving options that many players overlook.

If you are deciding between these two, you are probably already at least level 49 or planning to be soon. Both methods are viable all the way to 99, but they optimize for different things. Stealing artefacts is gentle, repeatable, and rewards Kourend favour. Blackjacking is brutal, profitable, and rewards raw speed. Neither is strictly better, but one is almost certainly better for your account, your schedule, and your tolerance for clicking.

Why Thieving Needs a Plan, Not Just a Method

Thieving is an odd skill. At low levels it feels trivial; at high levels it becomes a game of optimizing clicks and avoiding stuns. On a main, you have the luxury of choosing your method based on your real-world attention. That means the best plan isn't always the highest XP/hour; it's the one you can sustain for dozens of hours. Stealing artefacts and blackjacking sit at opposite ends of the attention spectrum, and mixing them is often the smartest play.

If you want to see how blackjacking stacks up against another common alternative, our blackjacking vs Ardougne knights guide covers the pickpocket-focused side of the skill.

Before You Start: Requirements and Loadout

Both methods have low entry requirements, but the surrounding unlocks make a measurable difference. The Ardougne diary is the biggest one because it increases your success rate while pickpocketing and raises your coin pouch cap. The hard diary extends the 10% success boost across the entire game, not just Ardougne, which matters for blackjacking and any future pickpocketing. The elite diary pushes your coin pouch limit to 140, which means fewer interruptions opening pouches.

Rogue equipment is worth mentioning even though it does not increase XP. Wearing the full set guarantees double loot from pickpockets, which can turn blackjacking from a small earner into a more serious hourly profit. If you plan to blackjack for money, spend the time at Rogues' Den to collect the set after level 50.

Stealing Artefacts: The Low-Intensity Favour Grind

Stealing artefacts is a Thieving method tied to Port Piscarilius and the Piscarilius favour system. You begin by speaking to Captain Khaled in the residential district. He assigns you a specific house, and your job is to enter, loot artefacts from various containers, fill your satchel, and return it to him. The loop is simple: identify the house, run to it, click the sparkling objects, and run back. There is no failure chance, no stun, and no combat, which makes it one of the most forgiving training methods in the game.

The XP rates are moderate. At level 49, you can expect a decent pace, but it won't compete with blackjacking. Many players use this method from 49 to 65 or even all the way to 99 when they want a second-screen activity. The profit is small — artefacts give a low coin reward per turn-in — and the main non-XP benefit is early Piscarilius favour. If you are already maxed on Kourend favour or plan to train Thieving after completing the favour grind, stealing artefacts is purely an XP method.

Supplies to bring:

• Graceful outfit or weight-reducing gear to keep run energy high
• Stamina potions for longer runs (if you're not using a teleport)
• A teleport to Port Piscarilius: Kharedst's memoirs, Book of the Dead, or Lovakengj minecart network
• Optional: none required beyond the level and the assignment

Blackjacking: The Click-Intensive Profit and XP Method

Blackjacking is the exact opposite. It requires you to be actively clicking non-stop, often using a specific rhythm: pickpocket twice, knock out, pickpocket twice, repeat. At the highest level, you'll be doing this for hours with almost no downtime. The method starts at level 45 with Menaphite Thugs in Pollnivneach, then upgrades to Bandits at level 65 and becomes hyper-efficient at 91+ with the right NPCs and your rapidly increasing success rate.

The XP per hour is among the fastest Thieving methods in OSRS. At lower levels you'll see solid gains, but as you unlock higher NPCs and your success rate climbs, the rates become exceptional. The cost is that every second of lag, every misclick, and every moment of distraction reduces your XP. Blackjacking also produces consistent profit from coin drops and occasional items, making it a rare method that pays you while training one of the fastest skills.

How the blackjacking rhythm works:

1. Acquire a blackjack (willow for lower levels, maple for later) after The Feud.
2. Stand next to your chosen NPC and enable left-click pickpocket via settings.
3. Pickpocket the thug/bandit twice. If you fail and get stunned, wait for the stun to end, then continue.
4. After two successful pickpockets, use the blackjack to knock out the NPC, then immediately pickpocket twice more.
5. Repeat until your inventory is full of coin pouches (check your diary tier for max pouches). Open pouches as needed.

Method Comparison Table

The table makes the choice obvious if you have a clear preference. But many mains use a hybrid approach: blackjack when they can focus, steal artefacts when they cannot. That way you never waste time.

Unlocking Faster Rates: Diary, Outfit, and Jewellery

The base methods are good, but the real speed comes from stacking unlockable bonuses. The hard Ardougne Diary is non-negotiable for any pickpocketing method because it improves success rate everywhere. The medium diary only boosts success inside Ardougne, so if you plan to blackjack in Pollnivneach, the hard diary is the one that matters.

• Hard Ardougne Diary: +10% pickpocket success globally, 84 coin pouch limit
• Elite Ardougne Diary: 140 coin pouch limit, less time opening pouches
• Dodgy necklace: 25% chance to avoid being stunned while pickpocketing; consumes a charge each time it prevents a stun
• Shadow Veil (Arceuus spell): reduces the chance of being stunned while pickpocketing for a duration when near banks; requires 47 Runecraft
• Rogue equipment: doubles loot from pickpockets, no XP change (useful if profit matters)

Common Mistakes That Cost You Hours

• Skipping the Ardougne Diary before starting the big grind. The success boost and pouch cap save more time than you think.
• Using blackjacking at the wrong NPC tier. If you're 65, move from Thugs to Bandits or you'll leave massive XP on the table.
• Not resetting aggressiveness when blackjacking. If the NPC stays aggressive, the method breaks; knowing when to reset is part of the skill.
• During stealing artefacts, ignoring the fastest house routes. Every second of running is time not gaining XP; learn the layout or use a map.
• Wearing rogue equipment expecting extra XP. It only affects loot, not experience, so don't sacrifice better gear for it unless profit is the goal.
• Forgetting coin pouches. If your pouches are full, you can't pickpocket, which stalls both methods. Open them early, especially with a lower diary tier.

These sound small, but over a 100-hour grind, each mistake repeats thousands of times. Fix them early and your effective XP/hr jumps without changing your core method.

Time and Cost Tradeoffs: XP, GP, and Your Sanity

The math is sobering. From level 49 to 99 you need roughly 13 million Thieving XP. If you blackjack at an average of 150,000 XP/hr — a reasonable rate for an attentive player across the level range — that's about 87 hours. Stealing artefacts at 70,000 XP/hr takes about 186 hours. The difference is nearly 100 hours of your life. That's the core tradeoff.

Now factor in profit. Blackjacking can add a steady stream of coins, while stealing artefacts pays almost nothing. If you're a main who values gold, blackjacking can earn you a few million GP over the grind. But if your wrists are already tired from work, those 87 hours might be impossible to sustain. In that case, the extra 100 hours of low-intensity training is the better investment.

The honest way to bridge this gap is to buy some of the supplies that make the more intense methods bearable: staminas, dodgy necklaces, and even a graceful recolour won't change XP but improve quality of life. Or, if time is more valuable than in-game currency, consider paying for gold or a Thieving service to skip part of the grind.

Buying Gold or a Boost: The Honest Shortcut

We run a marketplace because we believe your time is worth something. Buying OSRS gold to fund supplies or a Thieving boost service is a legitimate time-saver for players who can't spare 100+ hours. It doesn't break your account, but you should always choose a reputable provider with secure delivery and understand the risks of account sharing if you go the service route. Never share your login details unless you trust the service completely, and always follow Jagex's rules to keep your account safe.

If you want to buy gold to pay for staminas, dodgy necklaces, or just to have a cash stack while you train, check live gold rates. For a deeper comparison of another Thieving path, see our blackjacking vs Ardougne knights guide.

Step-by-Step Next Actions

1. Complete The Feud if you haven't, and buy a blackjack.
2. Work toward the hard Ardougne Diary. Even medium is a start if you're within Ardougne.
3. Get to level 49 Thieving via quests or early methods (check the wiki for the fastest path).
4. Try stealing artefacts for 30 minutes. Note your XP and whether the attention level suits you.
5. Try blackjacking for 30 minutes. Note your XP and whether you can sustain the clicking.
6. Choose your main method, then mix in the other when your attention changes.
7. Set a daily XP goal and track your progress. 99 is a marathon, not a sprint.

Sources

• Thieving training - OSRS Wiki
• Port Piscarilius - OSRS Wiki
• Stealing artefacts image - OSRS Wiki
• Reset aggro blackjacking weapon image - OSRS Wiki