Melee combat training in Old School RuneScape involves improving your Attack, Strength, and Defence levels. Effective training focuses on maximizing experience points (XP) per hour through optimal gear, monsters, and methods.
Core Principles of Melee Training
- Attack Level: Increases your accuracy, determining how often you hit an opponent.
- Strength Level: Increases your maximum hit, directly impacting damage output and XP rates. Prioritizing Strength is generally recommended for faster training.
- Defence Level: Reduces damage taken and unlocks better defensive armour.
- Gear: Crucial for both offence and defence. Focus on items providing Strength bonus, followed by Attack bonus.
- Monster Selection: Choose monsters with low defence and high hitpoints relative to their combat level for consistent XP. Aggressive monsters allow for AFK training.
Early Game Training (Levels 1-40)
Questing provides substantial early XP, often bypassing the slowest initial levels.
- Key Quests for XP: Waterfall Quest, Fight Arena, Tree Gnome Village, The Grand Tree, Vampire Slayer.
- Low-Level Monsters:
- Chickens/Cows: Levels 1-10. Good for absolute beginners.
- Sand Crabs/Rock Crabs/Ammonite Crabs: Levels 10/20+. Excellent AFK options due to high health and low defence. Ammonite Crabs (requires Bone Voyage quest) are generally the best.
- Gear: Progress from basic weapons to Steel, Black, Mithril, and Adamant scimitars or equivalent. Prioritize Strength-boosting amulets if affordable.
Mid Game Training (Levels 40-70)
Access to better gear and more diverse training spots opens up.
- Gear Progression: Rune Scimitar (after completing Monkey Madness I for Dragon Scimitar access around level 60), Helm of Neitiznot, Fighter Torso, Dragon Boots, Berserker Helm (if affordable and quested).
- Training Locations:
- Crabs (Sand, Rock, Ammonite): Continue to be highly effective for AFK training.
- Experiments (Experiment No.2): Located in Port Phasmatys, good XP but require partial Creature of Fenkenstrain quest.
- Slayer Tasks: Begin training Slayer. While initial tasks might be slow, it becomes very efficient and profitable later.
- Nightmare Zone (NMZ): Unlockable after completing several quests. Offers highly AFK training with good XP rates using absorption potions.
Late Game Training (Levels 70+)
Focus shifts to maximizing XP/hr, efficient Slayer, and bossing preparation.
- Optimal Gear:
- Weapon: Abyssal Whip (shared XP), Saradomin Sword (Strength training), Ghrazi Rapier, Blade of Saeldor, Scythe of Vitur.
- Armour: Bandos Armour, Avernic Defender, Ferocious Gloves, Primordial Boots, Amulet of Torture, Berserker Ring (i).
- Training Methods:
- Nightmare Zone (NMZ): Remains a top AFK method with optimal setups (e.g., Dharok's set at low HP, Overload potions).
- Slayer: Highly recommended for its profitability and access to powerful monsters like Gargoyles, Kurasks, Nechryaels, and boss tasks.
- Catacombs of Kourend: Offers multi-combat areas with aggressive monsters like Dagannoths or Dust Devils (with a facemask).
- Defensive Training: Can be done by setting attack style to "Defensive" or through methods like bursting/chinning Nechryaels/Dust Devils in multi-combat areas if training Defence alongside Magic/Ranged.
Optimizing Melee XP Rates
- Potions: Use Super Attack, Super Strength, and Super Defence potions. Combat potions or Overloads (in NMZ or Raids) provide the best boosts.
- Prayer: Utilize offensive prayers like Piety (requires 70 Prayer) for significant boosts to Attack, Strength, and Defence. Protect from Melee can extend trips at aggressive monster locations.
- Attack Styles:
- Aggressive: +3 Strength levels, trains Strength XP.
- Accurate: +3 Attack levels, trains Attack XP.
- Controlled: +1 to Attack, Strength, and Defence, trains all three.
- Defensive: +3 Defence levels, trains Defence XP.
Prioritize training Strength first for higher max hits, then Attack for accuracy, followed by Defence.
- Special Attacks: Weapons like the Dragon Dagger (p++), Crystal Halberd, or Dragon Claws can speed up kills, especially on higher HP monsters or Slayer bosses.
- Slayer Helmet (i): Provides a 16.67% damage and accuracy boost on-task against melee-vulnerable monsters, making Slayer highly efficient for melee training.
