How To Get Zombie Axe in OSRS: Complete Guide

The Zombie Axe is one of those weapons in Old School RuneScape that many players overlook, even though it punches way above its weight. This one-handed crush weapon offers impressive damage for its tier and fills a perfect gap between early-game melee gear and high-end Slayer weapons. It’s especially appealing for Ironmen who don’t have access to an Abyssal Whip yet, as well as players looking for a strong crush option for specific bosses and training methods. In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how to get the Zombie Axe, what you need to do to repair it, its stats and strengths, and why it’s worth adding to your loadout if you want solid melee performance without heavy requirements.

How To Obtain Zombie Axe In OSRS

To get your hands on a Zombie Axe, the first step is obtaining a broken zombie axe, which is dropped by Armoured Zombies. These enemies are only accessible after progressing through the Defender of Varrock quest, so make sure that’s completed before you start farming. Once the broken version drops, the rest of the process is simple but requires a solid Smithing level.

To repair the weapon, take the broken zombie axe to any anvil and use it with 70 Smithing. No extra materials are needed beyond the axe itself. The repair action is quick, taking just under five seconds, and rewards you with 500 Smithing experience, making it a nice bonus on top of unlocking the weapon. After repairing it, you’ll receive a fully usable Zombie Axe ready for combat.

From a money standpoint, repairing zombie axes can also be profitable. The broken axe usually costs less than the finished version, meaning players with 70 Smithing can flip them for steady profit even after Grand Exchange tax. While prices fluctuate, the margin is often strong enough to make this a worthwhile side activity alongside normal gameplay. Overall, whether you’re upgrading your own gear or repairing axes for profit, this method is straightforward, fast, and very rewarding for the requirements involved.

Zombie Axe Combat Stats

The Zombie Axe’s strength comes purely from its offensive power, and its combat stats reflect that perfectly. As a one-handed weapon, it delivers extremely high damage output, especially for players who don’t yet have access to late-game Slayer gear. The axe provides a +105 Slash attack bonus, a strong +90 Crush bonus, and an impressive +107 Strength bonus, which is where most of its damage potential comes from. It offers no bonuses to Stab, Magic, or Ranged, and it doesn’t provide any defensive stats at all.

While the lack of defensive bonuses might look like a downside on paper, it barely matters in practice. The Zombie Axe is designed to hit hard and fast, and that massive strength bonus allows it to compete with — and sometimes outperform — much more popular melee weapons in the same tier. For mid-level bosses, Slayer tasks, and any content weak to crush or slash, the raw damage output easily makes up for the zero defense, turning the Zombie Axe into one of the strongest budget melee weapons in Old School RuneScape.

Zombie Axe Attack Styles And Combat Info

The Zombie Axe uses a 5-tick attack speed, meaning it swings once every three seconds. While it’s slightly slower than weapons like the Dragon Scimitar, the higher max hits help balance that out, especially on targets that are weak to crush or slash damage. The axe offers multiple combat styles, making it flexible for different training goals.

Its Chop style uses Slash accuracy and grants Attack and Hitpoints experience, along with a +3 Attack boost, which is ideal for players looking to level accuracy while still dealing solid damage. Hack also uses Slash damage but switches to an aggressive stance, awarding Strength and Hitpoints XP with a +3 Strength bonus, making it the go-to option for increasing max hits. For enemies that are weak to crush, Smash is the standout choice, offering Crush damage with the same aggressive Strength and Hitpoints experience and a +3 Strength boost. Finally, the Block style focuses on defense training, using Slash damage while granting Defence and Hitpoints XP with a +3 Defence bonus.

This range of attack styles makes the Zombie Axe useful not just for raw damage, but also for targeted melee training, letting players efficiently work on Attack, Strength, or Defence without needing to swap weapons.

Conclusion

The Zombie Axe is a standout melee weapon that flies under the radar but delivers serious value, especially for mid-level players and Ironmen looking for strong damage without extreme requirements. Between its high strength bonus, useful crush option, and flexible attack styles, it fills a perfect gap between early-game weapons and late-game staples like the Abyssal Whip. While getting one does require some prep through quests, Smithing levels, and farming armoured zombies, the payoff is well worth it. If you want a hard-hitting, versatile melee weapon that performs far better than most people expect, the Zombie Axe is absolutely worth adding to your OSRS arsenal.