Old School RuneScape: Melee Combat 1-99 Guide

Melee combat is a fundamental aspect of Old School RuneScape, embodying the game’s core dynamics and offering access to a wide array of activities, from PvP battles and Slayer tasks to Bossing adventures. For many players, achieving level 99 in melee skills is a significant milestone that provides substantial advantages throughout the game.

In Old School RuneScape, melee combat proficiency is divided into three separate skills: Attack, Defence, and Strength. Excelling in these skills doesn’t just require dedication; it also requires a strategic approach to training. Unlike a singular skill climb, you’ll need to triple your efforts to achieve level 99 in all three areas, each skill enhancing different facets of your melee capabilities.

In this guide, we will explore essential strategies and tips to efficiently elevate your Attack, Defence, and Strength from novice to master, providing you with the necessary knowledge to excel in melee combat and enhance your overall gaming experience. Let’s dive into the basics and set you on your path to becoming a melee combat expert in Old School RuneScape.

Key Concepts of Melee Skills in OSRS

In Old School RuneScape, mastering melee combat is pivotal to excelling in the game. Melee skills, split into Attack, Strength, and Defence, each play a crucial role in shaping your combat effectiveness. Here’s how they impact your performance:

• Attack: This skill determines your accuracy in hitting an opponent. The higher your Attack, the more likely you are to land a blow on your enemy.
• Strength: This skill affects your maximum hit potential—the highest damage you can inflict in a single attack. Prioritizing Strength can significantly enhance your experience gain, as dealing more damage translates directly into faster leveling.
• Defence: This skill reduces the frequency with which you receive hits from enemies. While it doesn’t reduce the damage per hit, it’s essential for survivability, especially in prolonged fights.

Training Strategies and Equipment Choices

Switching between different weapon styles is a common method to balance training across these three skills. Most players focus on enhancing their Strength early on due to its direct impact on damage output and experience rates. As you progress, leveling Attack becomes crucial to wield higher requirement weapons effectively.

Selecting the Right Weapon and Equipment

• Weapon Speed and Type: Optimal weapons have a faster attack speed—typically an attack speed of four ticks. Faster weapons like scimitars offer higher DPS (damage per second), thus accelerating experience gains. Heavy, slower weapons like 2h swords are generally less efficient for training.
• Gear and Accessories: The right choice of armor and accessories is critical. Items like the Berserker Ring, which boosts Strength without any level prerequisites, can be game-changers. As you level up, it’s advisable to upgrade to the best gear available to maximize your stat bonuses. However, in the higher levels, where equipment can become exorbitantly expensive, it’s essential to weigh the cost against the marginal stat improvements they offer.

By strategically focusing on these aspects of melee training—skill prioritization, weapon selection, and gear upgrades—you can effectively enhance your combat capabilities in Old School RuneScape. This approach not only makes you formidable in combat but also streamlines your path to achieving the coveted level 99s in Attack, Strength, and Defence.

Low-Level (1-40)

When starting out in Old School RuneScape, the early melee levels (1-40) can progress quite quickly compared to the higher levels. During this initial phase, your focus should be on selecting enemies that combine high hit points with low attack power, as they provide consistent, low-effort training opportunities.

Optimal Low-Level Training Targets:

• Chickens
• Minimum Level: 1
• Location: Farmer Fred’s chicken coop, northeast of Lumbridge
• Benefits: Chickens have just 3 hit points each, making them easy to defeat but requiring active engagement due to frequent clicking. Ideal for very early levels (up to 20), and accessible for free-to-play players.
• Monks
• Minimum Level: 1
• Location: Edgeville Monastery
• Benefits: Monks offer the advantage of healing you upon request, eliminating the need for food. With higher hit points, they provide a good training option well past level 20 and are also free-to-play friendly.
• Sand Crabs
• Minimum Level: 10
• Location: Beach south of Hosidius, Crabclaw Isle
• Benefits: Popular for their high hit points and low defense, Sand Crabs are an excellent choice for both mid and high-level training due to their aggressive nature, making the training largely AFK.
• Ammonite Crabs
• Minimum Level: 10
• Location: Fossil Island (requires completion of the Bone Voyage quest)
• Benefits: Similar to Sand Crabs but offer even better training due to higher hit points. Their location on Fossil Island adds an additional requirement but is well worth the effort for the efficiency they provide.

Recommended Gear and Quests:

Throughout these levels, wielding the highest level scimitar you can manage—starting with basic ones and progressing to an Adamant Scimitar by level 35—will maximize your efficiency. Complement this with matching armor sets, such as full Adamant armor at level 35, to enhance your defensive capabilities.

To accelerate your leveling, engage in quests that grant substantial melee XP rewards. For instance, completing the “Waterfall Quest” can propel your Strength and Attack levels from 1 to 30 immediately, offering a significant leap forward without any pre-requisites.

By strategically choosing your training targets and leveraging quest rewards, you can streamline your early melee training and set a strong foundation for advancing to higher levels in Old School RuneScape.

Mid-Level (41-70)

As you transition into the mid-level range of Melee training, continuing to target high-hitpoint enemies will ensure a consistent XP gain. While the foundational enemies like Sand Crabs and Ammonite Crabs remain effective, it’s beneficial to diversify your training with additional foes to enhance both experience and profit.

Recommended Mid-Level Training Targets:

• Sand Crabs and Ammonite Crabs
• Minimum Level: Refer to the previous section.
• Location: Previously detailed.
• Notes: These crabs remain excellent training options throughout the mid-levels due to their high hitpoints and low attack, allowing for extended, largely AFK training sessions.
• Moss Giants
• Minimum Level: 40
• Location: Varrock Sewers
• Benefits: Not only do these giants provide good XP, but they also drop Big Bones which can be sold for a profit, adding a financial incentive to your training routine. Accessible for free-to-play players.
• Flesh Crawlers
• Minimum Level: 40
• Location: Stronghold of Security, Level 2
• Notes: Perpetually aggressive, Flesh Crawlers allow for AFK training similar to Crab methods. They are also free-to-play friendly.

Upgrading Your Equipment:

As you progress through these levels, upgrading your equipment becomes crucial:

• Weapon: Upon reaching level 60 in Attack, the Dragon Scimitar becomes available. This weapon is highly favored for its balance of cost and effectiveness, making it a popular choice up to level 99.
• Defensive Gear: Consider switching from a basic shield to a Defender to significantly boost your attack bonuses. The transition to more aggressive equipment will help increase your DPS and XP rates.
• Armor: At level 55 Defence, the Helm of Neitiznot becomes available, providing excellent defensive stats and a strength bonus. Completing the Fremennik Isles quest to access this helmet is highly recommended due to its long-term benefits.
• Accessories: Enhance your stats further with amulets. The Amulet of Glory offers well-rounded bonuses, while the Amulet of Torture, if affordable, provides the highest melee bonuses available.

By carefully selecting your training targets and progressively upgrading your gear, you can maximize your training efficiency during these mid-levels. These strategies will not only expedite your journey to level 99 but also enhance your overall combat effectiveness in Old School RuneScape.

High-Level (71-99)

As you progress into the high-level melee brackets in Old School RuneScape, the game truly opens up with a diverse array of training opportunities. While continuing to defeat regular monsters like Green Dragons and Rune Dragons in the Wilderness remains a viable option, there are now faster and more lucrative methods to consider for achieving level 99.

Optimal High-Level Training Methods:

1. Nightmare Zone: Located just north of Yanille, this minigame offers the quickest route to level 99. In Rumble mode, a barrage of enemies, including potentially massive bosses like The Inadequacy, aggressively target you. Utilizing Absorption Potions to absorb damage allows for significant AFK periods similar to training on Sand Crabs, albeit with much higher XP gains.
2. Bossing: Engaging in boss fights is not only thrilling but also extremely rewarding both in terms of XP and potential profits. Some notable bosses include:
• Giant Mole (Level 70): Located under Falador Park in the Mole Lair, this boss is accessible with basic gear. A light source is needed to navigate the lair.
• Cerberus (Level 80): Found in Cerberus’ Lair within Taverley Dungeon and requires 91 Slayer. This boss is particularly vulnerable to Crush attacks.
• Vorkath (Level 90): Part of the Dragon Slayer II quest and situated near Rellekka. Familiarity with his diverse attack strategies is crucial as some can be fatal in a single hit.

Equipment Upgrades for High Levels:

As you near the top levels, upgrading your equipment becomes essential to maximize your training efficiency and effectiveness in combat:

• Abyssal Whip: At 70 Attack, the Abyssal Whip is a superior choice for training Attack and Defence, offering better performance than the Dragon Scimitar.
• Strength Training Weapons: For Strength training, consider alternatives like Toktz-xil-ak due to the Abyssal Whip’s limitation in training Strength.
• Obsidian Armour Set: This set boosts melee accuracy by 10% when the full set is worn, providing substantial benefits, especially when paired with the right weapons.

While the baseline gear can carry you through many levels, investing in high-quality equipment and exploring engaging and profitable training methods like bossing or participating in the Nightmare Zone can significantly enhance your late-game experience. Whether you’re streamlining your path to 99 or seeking thrilling combat challenges, these high-level strategies offer a rewarding journey for any ambitious melee combatant in Old School RuneScape.

Conclusion

Mastering melee combat in Old School RuneScape from levels 1 to 99 is a journey that spans simple beginnings to complex endgame challenges. Whether you’re just starting out with chickens and monks, progressing through mid-levels with crabs and giants, or tackling high-level content like bossing and the Nightmare Zone, each phase of your training offers unique strategies and rewards. By carefully selecting your battles and upgrading your equipment as you progress, you can efficiently enhance your melee skills and enjoy a rich, rewarding experience in the game. This guide provides a comprehensive roadmap to help you navigate through the levels, making each swing of your sword not only effective but also a step closer to achieving the coveted level 99 in Attack, Strength, and Defence. Remember, success in melee combat opens up a multitude of opportunities within Old School RuneScape, from engaging in high-stakes PvP to conquering formidable bosses.