### **Deep Analysis of Flarefrost Boots in RuneScape 3** #### **Overview of the Item** Flarefrost Boots are level 85 Mage tank boots introduced into RuneScape 3 as a mid-to-high-tier option in combat setups. Categorized under the Elder God Wars Dungeon rewards (post-**Croesus release**, September 27, 2021), these boots offer significant bonuses geared toward players seeking damage mitigation with Mage combat styles. As part of the Raksha loot table, their accessibility comes down to PvM grind RNG or direct purchase through the Grand Exchange. - **Added via**: Elder God Wars content (Post-Croesus meta shake-up) - **Rarity**: Moderately rare, as part of Raksha-related drops. - **Generally Accessible By**: Skillful PvM players or affluent merchants/players leveraging market trends. #### **Historical Price Activity and Events Behind Fluctuations** 1. **Price Dips Early On:** - In **early 2023**, they plummeted to as low as **8M-22M** GP following the **700B/hour scrimshaw dupe incident (January 2023)**. This undermined the circulating GP value by flooding the market with artificially generated gold, which hurt item stability and incentivized dumping of mid-tier gear for liquidity. - **February 2023 spikes** (to ~22M) were associated with recovery from exposed endpoint hacks, where a significant number of players retrieved GP and items after bans/dev intervention. 2. **Steadier Growth Mid-2024:** - By **mid-2024**, Flarefrost Boots stabilized through consistent demand before spiking dramatically in **June 2024** to over **27-29M GP** due to disruption caused by the **Max Cash glitch (May 2024)**. With trillions of GP dumped into the economy, wealthy players could freely overbid on lucrative mid-tier PvM gear still relatively affordable compared to rarer, endgame items. - The price surge hovers **27-29M GP** as of **June 2024**, correlating strongly with gear demand during the **upcoming "Sanctum of Rebirth" boss update** (July 2024), where players anticipate content requiring Mage tank setups. #### **Long-Term Price Forecast** Given the item's historical performance and the factors driving item inflation: - **Short-Term (2-4 Months)** - Predicted price: **38-45M GP** by October-November 2024. - The **Mining/Smithing rework (August 2024)** adds incentives for long PVM grinds requiring higher consistency in Mage defensive setups, benefiting Flarefrost's usage. - The **GIM bank bug** (November 2024), if similar in impact to past dupes, will likely harm stability but slowly, due to niche demand for the boots. - **Long-Term** - Moderate stagnation may occur after **Winter 2025** content updates, where new high-tier Mage gear niche items may replace it for more specialized encounters. #### **Market Flipping Margins** On average, Flarefrost Boots offer **3-4% realistic flipping margins** during stable price windows, rising to **5-10% during market volatility**. For instance: - You might buy for 27M GP during market calm and average sales could fetch 29.5M GP within hours during speculative purchase waves driven by patchnotes/content previews. Typical flips: - Buy in bulk at downturns at ~27M. - Sell during PvM hype/content updates closer to ~30M. #### **Complementary Items to Buy** If investing in Flarefrost Boots, consider diversifying with: 1. **Glaiven Wingtip Boots** (Mage power-tier equivalent, smaller capital risk). 2. **Frostwalkers (Raksha Range boots)**—as demand for these increases alongside Flarefrost during new bosses prioritizing offensive Range builds. 3. **Cryptbloom Helmet/Gloves**—Endgame PvM purchases grow frequently in proportion to mid-tier surge items like Flarefrost. #### **Seasonal Market Trends** ##### **Positive Price Factors** - **Summer-Autumn (July-September):** Playerbase returns for fresh updates (like Sanctum of Rebirth), driving PvM gear investments. - **Winter Holidays (December):** Cash influx (gift cards/bonds) boosts overall marketplace activity, including Mage tank gear demand. ##### **Negative Price Factors** - **Post-Content Lulls (March-May):** Typically sees price dips following major content exhaustion. Players liquidate mid-level items for upcoming Treasure Hunter promotions or endgame purchases. - **Dupes/Exploits:** Items like Flarefrost crash hard during gold surpluses (e.g., post-rollback dupes and max cash exploits), making them undesirable unless flipping opportunities arise. ### **Final Recommendations** Invest modestly in Flarefrost Boots for short-term spikes driven by the **Sanctum of Rebirth meta**. Hedge your risks by pairing buys with cheaper, frequently traded Mage-related items (like Ganodermic Staves or tier-85 defenders for Mage users). Timing your exits around seasonal play return (late summer/early autumn) offers the best yields as the market self-corrects. Be on high alert for potential duplications or exploits that may disrupt projected trends.