Meister_Luck

Flag holding is not cheating, but under the circumstances of Castle Wars, it is hard to counter, almost to the point of unfairness. Once you've entered a portal, you're with unfamiliar people who have no strategies to execute. They rampage through the battlefield, with no particular goal except to capture or defend the flag. You don't just sit down with your teammates and have a discussion on what to do. Most of them will run out of the castle and kill whatever they see. The lack of organization just makes it difficult to formulate a plan to defeat the flag holder. You could lead your teammates to where the flag holder is, but without a proper army, you'll just get slaughtered one by one. This lack of communication is further reinforced by the time limit. Once a game is over, you're with new teammates with different personalities. Flag holders aren't exactly organized either. I'd imagine that once a person got their own team's flag, they'll run back to their castle for shelter. They'll pass the flag to the highest combat level person they can find, then they'll barricade the person near the castle. It's the obvious thing to do in Castle Wars. You don't need a team of highly organized experts to do this. You just need a few competent people around to help. Organization is rare in Castle Wars, unless you're in a clan. You can't really blame on the lack of organization of the losing side, because communication in Castle Wars is poor in the first place and the fact that you have to team up with strangers. Flag holding also works the other way. Just inform the other team that you'll be holding their flag, and they'll be invincible. You'll be safe on the other side and your teammates can't take the flag from you. Flag holding is essentially a double-edged sword. It is unfair for those who futilely tries to gather people to attack the flag holder. It is also unfair to those who fight with the fact that the enemy flag is being held by your own teammate. Flag holding only creates disproportionate advantages or stalemates. Sure, it's legal strategy, but is it fair to others? I don't see why flag holding should remain in the game.

If you're asking for a list of quests which gives you Herblore xp, then go here.

It depends. Mining iron is a reliable source of income, but you'll have to compete with other miners. Smelting Steel bars earns a steady income, but it can be quite slow. Runecrafting Air runes can earn quick profits, but the amount might be smaller compared to the other two. There are several factors you have to take into consideration. How long will you be staying as F2P? How much time do you have? How much money do you have to spend on materials? If you're looking for ways to earn money at a lower level specifically, then I'd suggest mining Rune essence and making Air runes. If you can obtain 2k Coal and 1k Iron ore, then I'd suggest smelting Steel bars.