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Melee Combat Guide
Guide Links
Introduction The Skills & Levelling Abilities Armour and Shields Weaponry Armour and Weapon Sets Gloves Boots Jewellery Capes Combat Achievement Capes Credits ![]()
"There are two basic rules in combat. Rule number one: Do not die! Rule number two: Defeat your opponent!" - Lady
Deathknell
IntroductionCombat is arguably the largest part of Runescape with players able to fight against monsters ranging from the humble chicken right up to the mighty Kalphite King. In addition to fighting monsters, players can also fight amongst themselves in various activities and in the Wilderness. Every skill in the game is, in some way, linked to combat whether it be mining the ores used to create metal bars and ultimately armour or using herblore to create potions to help players in combat. This in turn drives a large part of the Runescape economy with people constantly buying and selling supplies needed for combat. When you are engaged in combat any damage dealt will appear on the screen as a hit-splat, this damage is deducted from your life points. Your current life points are displayed near the minimap and are also represented by a bar above you and your opponent: the more red there is in the bar, the fewer life points remain. Should you be unfortunate enough to die you will instantly re-spawn in your chosen area (Lumbridge is the default, however members can choose Falador, Camelot or Edgeville). You can also choose to respawn in your last current "hub" (i.e., respawn in Falador if you died fighting the Giant Mole). Upon death a gravestone will appear where you died with your items underneath (unless you die in the Wilderness) For more information regarding death in game, check our death section in our Beginner's Guide.
Return to TopThe Skills & LevellingAlmost all skills in the game are linked into combat either through supporting the player (ie making potions, armour etc) or being directly involved in combat. The specific combat skills all have different uses when engaging in combat and it is a good idea to train them all to maximise your effectiveness.
In addition to the combat skills listed above there are two more which, while not required for combat, can be useful and are worth training:
Levelling CombatLevelling combat is fairly straightforward and for most combat skills is levelled through fighting (magic, prayer and summoning are the exceptions). Killing monsters across Gielinor generally (there are some exceptions to this) rewards players with combat experience which is awarded to their chosen combat skill. To choose which type of experience you gain, look under Combat Settings on the Powers interface. See the illustration below. ![]() A player's combat level is determined by their highest combination of stats in melee, ranged, and magic combat, as well as Prayer and Summoning. The formula is somewhat involved, but more details can be found on our Combat Calculator page. If you find that levelling up a particular combat skill is not increasing your combat level, it is likely because one of the other two categories are higher than the class you are currently training. For example, if you have very high melee stats and a low Ranged level, gaining Ranged levels will probably not affect your combat until it is on par with your melee stats. Jagex has only changed the combat formula a few times in the history of RuneScape, most notably to make the maximum combat 200, presumably to coincide with their 200M account celebration. For historical purposes, the old formula is given below: The lowest combat level currently possible for a player is 3 while the maximum for a player is 126 on a free world or 138 on a members' world. Return to TopAbilitiesAbilities play an important role in all forms of combat, although they are particularly useful for fighting boss monsters and other players. Each ability has its own requirements as well as cooldown period to prevent players from using the same ability over and over again. Abilities are split into three categories: Basic, Threshold, and Ultimate. Basic abilities require no adrenaline and on average have the shortest cooldown period. At the other end, ultimate abilities require 100% adrenaline and generally have the longest cooldown period. Some abilities have requirements to use, which you can see by hovering over them. For example, in the below picture you can see that the Smash ability requires you to wield a two-handed melee weapon and have at least 20 Strength. You can also toggle abilities that you cannot use yet (due to not meeting one of these requirements) by clicking the toggle in the top-right corner, also pictured below. ![]() ![]() It is worth noting that in most situations it is still possible to rely on auto-retaliate, however in player vs player and player vs boss situations you will need to utilise the Ability feature as well as capitalise on an opponent's weakness. For more detailed information on abilities, consult our Ability Book guide. Return to TopArmour and ShieldsQuick Links Metal ArmourMetal armour is the staple armour of the game, it is the first armour new players will come across and the majority of it can be smithed by other players (except for White, Black and Dragon armour). Most metal armour is also dropped by a wide variety of monsters and can be bought from specialist stores.
For information on the stats of the various pieces of metal armour, consult our Smithing Tables. As White/Black and Dragon armour cannot be smithed, their stats can be found below. White and Black ArmourWhite and Black armour, both requiring 25 defence, have identical stats except when it comes to Prayer Bonus where all white items have a prayer bonus of 1 and black items offer no prayer bonus. There are also white gloves but currently there is no matching item in the black armour. White armour can be purchased from the White Knight's Armoury or from other players. Black armour can be obtained from treasure trails, as drops or from other players. The White Knights' Armoury becomes available to you after the completion of the Wanted! quest. Speak to Sir Vyvin in order to access it. You will only be able to buy certain items based on your rank within the White Knights. This rank is determined by the number of Black Knights you have killed since completing the quest.
Dragon ArmourDragon armour is mostly used as a statement of wealth rather than for its stats due to how expensive it is when compared to its stats. That is not to say the armour is useless, but there are better options and better uses for one's money. Most Dragon items are either obtained as drops or from speciality shops which can only be accessed after completing certain quests.
God Wars ArmourGod wars armour is amongst the best armour in the game and can be obtained as drops from the God's most powerful of followers within the dungeon. Bandos armour is dropped by General Graardor and his minions and Torva armour is dropped exclusively by Nex.
Tetsu ArmourTetsu armour is obtained from the Player Owned Ports minigame and is some of the best armour in the game. Superior tetsu armour is untradable, however it has slightly better stats than its tradable counterpart.
Obsidian ArmourObsidian armour is made from turning obsidian shards from the Fight
Cauldron minigame into obsidian bars and then smithing them into armour (90 smithing required to make all items). These
armour pieces degrade after a certain number of hits are taken, soak some damage and provide an accuracy bonus when fighting
TzHaar or TokHaar. However, when worn in any area of RuneScape other than the TzHaar area the armour will splinter and cause
the player to take triple damage.
The Toktz-ket-xil is not part of the obsidian armour set, however it is still classed as obsidian armour. This shield can be obtained from killing TzHaar or by purchasing it from other players.
Hybrid ArmourHybrid armour offers some of the best defences in the game and is only obtainable by winning a game of either Castle Wars, Fist of Guthix, Soul Wars, Pest Control or the TzHaar Fight Pits. The items themselves are rewarded randomly and are very rare, so do not expect to get a full set quickly. Each of the minigames only gives a certain piece of each of the three sets: Castle Wars (helms), Fist of Guthix (gloves), Pest Control (boots), Soul Wars (legs) and TzHaar Fight Pits (robes). The boosts of any Hybrid armour will not stack with those of the Castle Wars armour sets. Hybrid armour is untradeable.
Third Age ArmourThird age armour can only be obtained through completing treasure trails or by purchasing it from other players.
Chaotic KiteshieldThe Chaotic kiteshield is a reward from dungeoneering and can be purchased from the Daemonheim Rewards shop for 200,000 dungeoneering tokens. There is also a Lucky version of this kiteshield obtainable as a rare prize from Treasure Hunter with identical stats (and requirements). The degrade mechanic works in exactly the same way.
Rock-Shell ArmourOn Waterbirth Island, powerful beasts reign over the island. The fearsome Giant Rock Crab may drop pieces of its shell when you kill it. These can be taken to Skulgrimen in the southwest of Fremennik Village to be made into the powerful Rock-shell armour.
Quest Armour
Other Armour
Return to TopWeaponryQuick LinksMetal Weaponry Defenders God Wars Weaponry Gravite/Chaotic Weaponry Obsidian Weaponry Drygore/Noxious Weaponry Quest Weaponry Other Weaponry Metal WeaponryMetal weaponry are generally the first weapons new players will come across and the majority of it can be smithed by other players (except for White, Black and Dragon weapons). Most metal weapons are also dropped by a wide variety of monsters and can be bought from specialist stores.
For information on the stats of the various pieces of metal weapons, consult our Smithing Tables. As White/Black and Dragon weapons cannot be smithed, their stats can be found below. HalberdsHalberds can be bought from the Quartermaster's stores in Tyras camp upon starting the Regicide quest.
White and Black WeaponsWhite and Black weapons, both requiring 25 Attack, have identical stats except when it comes to Prayer Bonus where all white items have a prayer bonus of 1 and black items offer no prayer bonus. White weapons can be purchased from the White Knight's Armoury or from other players. Black weapons can be obtained from treasure trails, as drops or from other players. The White Knights' Armoury becomes available to you after the completion of the Wanted! quest. Speak to Sir Vyvin in order to access it. You will only be able to buy certain items based on your rank within the White Knights. This rank is determined by the number of Black Knights you have killed since completing the quest.
Dragon weaponryDragon weapons require level 60 attack to wield and the completion of various quests. For information on which quests are required for a specific item, click on the item name.
DefendersDefenders are off-hand weapons which provide attack bonuses as well as slight defence bonuses. Defenders require the same level to wield in both Attack and Defence. They can be obtained at the Warriors' Guild.
God Wars WeaponryGod Wars weaponry can only be obtained by trading with other players, or killing the bosses in the God Wars Dungeon. Each of the Godswords also have unique passive effects.
Gravite/Chaotic WeaponryGravite and Chaotic weapons are some of the most powerful weapons available to both free to play, and member players. Only obtainable with tokens earned by Dungeoneering, they degrade after 10 hour of combat, and require cash, or a mix of cash and tokens to recharge. There are also Lucky versions of Chaotic weaponry with identical stats (and requirements) to their regular Chaotic counterparts. The degrade mechanic works in exactly the same way.
Obsidian WeaponryObsidian weaponry can be obtained as rare drops from TzHaar monsters, purchased in the TzHaar city with Tokkul, or purchased by other players. Wearing a Berserker necklace increases the damage done when wielding an obsidian melee weapon by 20%.
Drygore/Noxious WeaponryDrygore weaponry and Noxious weaponry are amongst the best in the game and it requires level 90 in attack to wield. Drygore is dropped exclusively by the powerful Kalphite king and Noxious by the spider boss Araxxor. Drygore weaponry has three sets of main and offhand variants, whereas Noxious is two handed.
Quest Weaponry
Other Weaponry
Return to TopArmour and Weapon SetsQuick LinksBarrows Armour Castle Wars Armour Void Knight Armour Sacred Clay Armour Barbarian Assault Armour Wilderness Armour Barrows ArmourOne of the most powerful armour sets in the game is that of the seven ancient brothers, now buried in the Barrows. This archaic armour was designed to aid the strength of these great warriors, and the bonuses reflect it. Because of its age, however, the barrows armour decays. Every 15 hours, it decays to a point at which it can no longer be used. At this point it needs to be repaired, either in a player-owned house or by a number of NPCs qualified to repair it. Each set of Barrows armour has its own effect which can only activate if you are wearing every item from the set which makes them more useful in some combat situations.
Castle Wars ArmourThe very popular minigame Castle Wars has a number of rewards you can purchase with your tickets. During the Castle Wars minigame, you receive additional bonuses for wearing a matching set of Platebody, Platelegs, and Shield these bonuses are:
Void Knight ArmourMany find the challenges of Pest Control quite exciting, and they can put the points they earn towards physical rewards. Players who have amassed enough points can wear the entire Void Knight outfit. Wearing three void items and a helmet (Mace not required) will give you 10% more Attack and Strength. In addition to the armour of these powerful Knights, players can purchase the Void Knight Mace, capable of casting the spell Claws of Guthix.
After you have completed The Void Stares Back quest, you can get an updated version of the Void armour, known as Elite void. To do this you will need to talk to Commodore Tyr on the Void Knight outpost about swapping your Void knight robe for the elite version. You will need a "Void knight robe" and 100 commendations to exchange them. The colour of your elite armour will depend on your decisions in the Void quest series. If you wish to change the colour, talk to Commodore Tyr and pay 100k. You can choose between white (guardian), grey (justiciar) or black (executioner).
Sacred Clay ArmourThe Stealing Creation minigame has some special melee equipment available as a reward. For a while, you will receive double the normal combat experience while wearing this armour. This armour will degrade based on the amount of extra experience you gain by using it. Once it has run out of extra experience, it will continue to function, but cannot transform or give you extra experience. A set is the sum of its' parts, so each item has a set amount of possible experience gained by use, rather than the set as a whole.
Barbarian Assault ArmourBarbarian Assault, offers a number of rewards should you be able to conquer the penance. If you wear a full penance set (a helm, torso, skirt, gloves and boots), your prayer points will be restored by 30 every minute.
Wilderness ArmourWilderness armour refers to the five armour sets that can be obtained as drops from Revenants in the Forinthry dungeon. Statius and Vesta's sets are very powerful for their levels, however they do disintegrate after 60 minutes of use. Their corrupt equivalents disintegrate after only 20 minutes of use so they are impractical for most combat situations. Corrupt Dragon armour is available to free players and has the same stats as normal dragon armour, however it disintegrates after 30 minutes of use.
Vesta's armour sets are focussed on dealing maximum damage as quick as possible, Vesta's spear is one of the most powerful weapons available in the game. Unlike normal weaponry, Vesta's weapons have critical damage bonuses making them that little bit more deadly.
Statius's armour sets are focussed on defence rather than offence, the armour pieces offer some of the best defensive stats in the game. Unlike normal weaponry, Statius's warhammer offers a critical damage bonus, making it that little bit more deadly.
Return to TopGlovesThere are a number of different gloves available in game for players of all levels which provide small armour and life bonuses.
The Culinaromancer gloves can be purchased from the Culinaromancer's Chest in Lumbridge basement. You can purchase increasingly advanced versions depending on your progress in the Recipe for Disaster quest. The metal gauntlets can be purchased using Fist of Guthix tokens, which can be obtained during the Fist of Guthix minigame. They will degrade to 0 upon death, at which point you can restore them by paying Fist of Guthix tokens. Return to TopBootsThere are a number of different boots available in game for players of all levels which provide small armour and life bonuses.
All the metal boots can be obtained by killing various Slayer monsters while the Fancy and Fighting boots can be obtained from completing the Stronghold of Security. Steadfast boots are a drop from Glacors. Return to TopJewelleryJewellery is available to both free players and members. Most of the jewellery can be made using the crafting skill and enchanted using magic. Jewellery primarily provides critical damage bonuses, however some offer small armour bonuses in addition.
In addition to the amulets and necklaces, there are a variety of rings available to members which offer critical damage bonuses and small armour bonuses. Rings with (i) in their name are imbued rings from the Mobilising Armies minigame.
Return to TopCapesThere are a small number of capes available to members which give critical damage bonuses as well as small armour bonuses.
Return to TopCombat Achievement CapesOnce you have mastered the attack, strength, defence, or constitution skill and reached level 99, you may want to buy yourself a skill cape to show your achievement.
Return to TopCreditsOriginal Guide by: BloodAngel Special thanks to: Dragonkng198 Thanks to: Baffler, Octarine, Saradomin_Mage, Xena_Dragon Last updated by: Arceus Last updated on: 30-Nobember 2014
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