Want to train your combat efficiently in old school Runescape? You came to the right article! Here we cover the most efficient osrs combat training methods.
This osrs combat training guide is beginner-friendly but also applies to more advanced players.
Melee Training Attack Styles
What does attack do in osrs?
Leveling your attack increases your accuracy and gains you access to higher-level weaponry
What does strength do in osrs?
Levelling your strength influences your MAX HIT
What does defence do in osrs?
Leveling your defence decreases the odds of you getting hit by an opponent or monster. This means it decreases the accuracy and not the max hit. You also gain acces to higher level armour.
In which order should you train melee?
Since defence doesn’t do anything towards your max hit or your accuracy it shouldn’t be a priority while training melee. Instead you should always prioritize strength and attack since those will affect your accuracy and damage.
Most players will aim to have their strength a couple of levels higher than attack to achieve a higher max hit.
Best in Slot Weaponry For OSRS Combat Training
The faster the weapon, the faster you’ll wind up leveling which is why scimitars are favored by most players to train with.
Levels 1 – 40: Scimitars
| Attack Level | Scimitar |
|---|---|
| Level 1 attack | Iron Scimitar |
| Level 5 attack | Steel Scimitar |
| Level 10 attack | Black Scimitar |
| Level 20 attack | Mithril Scimitar |
| Level 30 attack | Adamant Scimitar |
| Level 40 attack | Brine Sabre / Rune Scimitar |
At level 40 members should opt for the Brine Sabre instead of the rune scimitar as this weapon gives a +2 str & attack bonus. F2P players should continue to use the rune scimitar to train their combat all the way to max.
Levels 50 – 60 Granite Weaponry
At level 50 members should switch to granite weapons. You can choose between the granite hammer or the longsword, the hammer is slightly better but more expensive.
The leaf-bladed sword is also an option at level 50 and it is even better than the granite hammer, however, the leaf-bladed sword requires 55 slayer to equip. Ironman tend to go for the leaf-bladed sword as this is far easier to obtain than granite weaponry.
Levels 60 – 70 Dragon Weaponry
At level 60 you should train with dragon weaponry, specifically the dragon scimitar. If you don’t want to complete Monkey Madness you can opt for the dragon sword instead which is far better than the dragon longsword.
Levels 70 – 99
At level 70 you gain access to weapons such as the abyssal whip, the abyssal bludgeon, abyssal dagger and saradomin sword.
At level 75 you gain access to the Ghrazi Rapier which is the best in slot weapon for attack, strength and defence training all the way to max combat.
The Ghrazi Rapier paired with the avernic defender is best in slot for training combat from level 75. Obviously most players won’t be able to afford this combo so they can instead train with the abyssal whip with dragon defender (for attack/defence) or the blessed Saradomin Sword/abyssal bludgeon (for strength training).
Best in slot armour for combat training
Helmet slot
Neitiznot Faceguard/Helm of Neitiznot > Berserker Helm > Obsidian Helm
All three helmets give you a +3 strength bonus, the neitiznot faceguard gives a +6 strength bonus.
*When doing slayer, the slayer helmet will always be best-in-slot.
Body slot
Bandos Chestplate > Fighter Torso > Obsidian Body
Both the fighter torso and bandos chestplate offer a 4+ strength bonus. You really don’t need the bandos chestplate unless you’re fighting high-level monsters.
The obsidian body is a really nice and cheap alternative that offers a 3+ strength bonus.
Leg slot
Bandos Tassets > Obsidian Platelegs
Obsidian Platelegs are cheap and offer a +1 strength bonus, bandos tassets are expensive and offer a +2 strength bonus.
shield slot
Avernic/Dragon Defender > Tokz-Ket-Xil
Defenders should always be used in combat training as these increase your max hit and accuracy. If you don’t have a defender you can use a Tokz Ket Xil instead which gives a nice +5 str bonus.
Cape Slot
Infernal > Fire Cape > Mythical Cape > Obsidian Cape
Necklace Slot
Amulet of Torture > Amulet of Fury > Amulet of Glory > Amulet of Strength
Gloves Slot
Ferocious gloves > RFD Gloves > Regen Bracelet > Combat Bracelet
Apart from ferocious gloves, barrows gloves and other recipe for disaster gloves are best in slot for combat training. If you haven’t done the recipe for disaster quests you can use a regen bracelet or combat bracelet if you’re on a budget.
Boots Slot
Primordials > Dragon Boots > Granite Boots
Players with 75 Strength and Defence and a good cash stack should use primordial boots for combat training. Otherwise use dragon boots which are cheap or granite boots if you have lower than 60 defence.
Ring Slot
Berserker Ring /(i) > Warrior Ring /(i)
Berserker ring is best in slot for combat training, you can use a warrior ring if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on your ring slot. You can imbue your ring for 650,000 NMZ points which doubles its stats.
Set Bonusses
Obsidian Set
When the full obsidian set is equipped, the player will receive a 10% boost in accuracy and strength which stacks with the berserker necklace. The berserker necklace gives a 20% damage boost to any obsidian weapon.
This makes the use of the full obsidian armor + necklace + weapon a really good combination for melee training at the nightmare zone.
Dharok Set
Dharoks is great for strength training because you can hit very highly when the full set is equipped and you’re below 10 hp.
Dharok is commonly used at the nightmare zone.
Void Set
Wearing full void melee gets you a 10% accuracy and damage boost. Combining this with an avernic/dragon defender can be really beneficial while training at lower level monsters where you don’t need high defence bonuses.
Combat Training Quests
Quests often provide a more efficient training path, this is no different when training your combat in osrs. There are some really good quests that will instantly boost your attack, strength, and defence.
| Quest | Experience |
|---|---|
| Waterfall Quest | 13,750 attack/strength exp |
| Fight Arena | 12,175 attack exp |
| Tree Gnome Village | 11,450 attack exp |
| The Grand Tree | 18,400 attack exp |
| Holy Grail | 15,300 defence exp |
| Dragon Slayer | 18,650 strength/defence exp |
Many new players instantly complete Waterfall Quest which has no requirements and can be done on a fresh account. Completion will instantly bring you to 30 attack and strength, skipping a lot of manual training.
Most Efficient Way To Train Melee
So what is the most efficient way to rain your melee in osrs? The most efficient path always starts with waterfall quest.
Levels 1 – 30 attack/strength Waterfall Quest
Completing Waterfall Quest will instantly put you at level 30 attack and strength. This is the best way to start off a fresh account in osrs.
Levels 30 – 60/70 Crabs
From levels 30 to 60/70 you should be fighting crabs. These have a high amount of hitpoints, don’t hit very high and are aggressive. Meaning you can AFK them and not worry about dying.
You can go old school and fight rock crabs in Relekka which are pretty abandoned these days or you can be more efficient and train at sand crabs in hosidius.
Players who have completed Bone Voyage can fight the Ammonite Crabs on Fossil Island which are even more efficient than sand crabs.
*Crabs become unaggressive every 10 minutes at which point you should run out of the area and come back.
Levels 60/70 – 99 Slayer
Of course, the most effective way to play old school Runescape and train your combat is by doing slayer alongside your combat training. This won’t give you the fastest combat training EXP Rates but it will be a more efficient style of playing, especially if you want to max your account.
It’s advised to wait until 70 combat so you can access Chaeldar slayer master. You’ll also have access to better weapons and armour.
Training slayer at a low combat level will be very slow.
Levels 60/70 – 99 Nightmare Zone
The nightmare zone is unique to old school runescape and not as appreciated by a wide part of the player base. The reason being: it is too easy to train your combat. Yep you read that right, training at the nightmare zone can be done 100% AFK.
So if you want to train your combat while you watch netflix, play on an ALT account or simply do you work/homework the nightmare zone is the best place to be.
To access the nightmare zone you have to unlock a minimum of 5 quest bosses. The best quest bosses for nightmare zone are:
- Lost City
- Fight Arena
- Tree Gnome Village
- Vampyre Slayer
- The Grand Tree
Summary: OSRS Combat Training Guide
I hope the tips in this osrs combat training guide can help you pick and create your own path to advancing your combat level in Old School Runescape.
For those who want to be ultra-efficient: you have to start with waterfall quest. You’ll also want to complete the other quests on the list ASAP.
Crabs are a great spot to start out on and once you reach level 60/70 you should start training your combat with slayer.
Alternatively if you’re feeling lazy you can AFK the nightmare zone while you watch netflix or work.
