Range in OSRS is an ordinary but vital skill to train. From safe-spotting high-level monsters for loot to taking down melee players in PvP situations, it's crucial to keep up with the best-ranged training methods in OSRS. This 2021 Old School RuneScape Range Guide will provide you with the best F2P and P2P ranged training methods.
Why You Should Train Ranged
In OSRS, there are three combat skills you can choose from. Among them, the safest one is Ranged, for apparent reasons. It's also easy to pick up, but it can be quite the grind if you don't know where to level up. Aside from that, you can also make money out of it. To help you out with that, here is our Ranged Training OSRS guide.
The Three OSRS Ranged Styles
There are three ranged styles or attack options that you should know about:
Accurate
Accurate gives a +3 unwritten bonus to the Ranged level to increase accuracy when using this style. For every point of damage dealt, 4 XP in Ranged and 1.33 XP in Hitpoints are earned.
Rapid
As the name suggests, the Rapid style grants a higher rate of fire at the cost of accuracy, meaning you are more likely to miss. The experience given is the same as the Accurate style per damage dealt.
Longrange
The Longrange style increases the distance from which you can attack. It also grants an invisible +3 Defence bonus. For every point of damage dealt, 2 XP in Ranged, 2 XP in Defence, and 1.33 XP in Hitpoints are earned.
What are quick and easy training methods for Members and F2P?
What you'll need to get started:
- Full ranged equipment sets
- Food
- Lots of arrows/knives
The Method
While there are countless ways to train Ranged skills, most of them require jumping through many hoops first. Never fear! We've put together some tried-and-true methods to get you from 1 to 99 with as little wasted time as possible. Note that for both members and F2P, you should always try to use the highest-level gear you can afford.
Level 1 to 20
You'll be back home in Lumbridge at (you guessed it) the chicken coop! At level 10, you'll move over to the cows. These levels will fly by, and because both locations are usually busy, you'll be able to pick up a lot of feathers and cowhide to supplement your costs.
Level 20
At level 20, you should stop and invest in some new gear if you haven't already. Grab some food and head to the Stronghold of Security, where you'll fight minotaurs. Depending on your level, you might have to look for a safe spot from behind rocks. Luckily, there are plenty to choose from. Get cozy because you'll be here for a while.
Level 40
At level 40, it's recommended to move on to Hill or Moss Giants for better loot and GP. Members may prefer killing Rock Crabs in Glielinor for a better experience per hour. You will fare pretty well killing Giants until up to level 80 Ranged if you don't want to location hop any more than you must.
Level 50
Members should take the time around level 50 to complete the Animal Magnetism quest if they haven't already. This cape slot item will boost your ranged attack stat and recover ammo for you. It is worth the time investment. F2P players can continue with Moss Giants until level 60 or so.
Level 60-80
You may also want to take this opportunity to grab yourself a Rune Crossbow for level 61. This is the preferred weapon for most players until you reach about 85.
For the players who want a challenge and some much better loot than giants, kill lesser demons in Karamja. There are also demons trapped in the Wizard's tower if you'd prefer. Use the best arrows you can afford to buy. These beasts are a much more formidable opponent, but they drop far better loot and can be more fun than mindless giant-killing. These will keep you occupied up to level 80 as well.
Level 85-99
Ankou provides some great experience per hour at the expense of good loot drops from level 80 upward. It's really up to you how you'd like to train to 99 based on a balance of exp, gold, and your skill level. Lesser demons and Ankou are the most common options for F2P players.
Members looking for the fastest experience per hour might prefer fighting hordes of maniacal monkeys in the Ape Atoll Dungeon. You'll need plenty of Red Chinchompas, which are a costly investment, but this method will give you the best experience in the game.
This also requires the player to reach Chapter 2 of the Monkey Madness II quest. After grinding almost 80 Ranged levels, this quest can be a much-needed break. Ultimately, you'll make up for any lost time when you begin training again.
Alternate Method for P2P
Levels 1-32 - Questing
Finish the quests Shadow of the Storm, Death to Dorgeshuun, and Horror from the Deep. The Range experience earned from these quests will boost you from level 1 to 32 without grinding out the levels by killing low-level mobs.
Levels 33-55/70 - Killing Rock Crabs
From here on, you can kill Rock Crabs near Rellekka. The following weapons will provide you with good experience:
- Darts, up to adamant
- Dorgeshuun Crossbow (level 28)
- Highest-level throwing knife you have
- Rune Crossbow and broad bolts
Levels 45+ - Throwing Chinchompas on Ape Atoll
Throwing Chinchompas at maniacal monkeys on Ape Atoll is the fastest way to level Range in OSRS. Wear gear to boost Range, and you'll be at 99 in no time at all.
Levels 75+ - Cannoning Dagonnoths under the Lighthouse
If you get bored throwing Chinchompas, try Cannoning Dagonnoths under the Lighthouse while using a blowpipe to get your skill up to 175,000 exp per hour!
Level 75+ - Nightmare Zone
Using a blowpipe and steel darts at the Nightmare Zone is an affordable alternative to chinchompas. Using Mithril darts, the Sharp Eye Prayer, and Necklace of Anguish can earn you up to 110,000 exp per hour.
A Bonus method for High-Level Members (Huge GP and Exp/Hour)
What you'll need to get started:
- High Defense
- High Magic
- A Dwarven Cannon and Cannonballs
- Lots of food!
- Be able to start (or have finished) the Contact! Quest
- A light source – we recommend the Bullseye lantern
- Tinderbox
Recommended:
- Level 40 Prayer (to use Protect from Missiles)
- Knives or a crossbow and bolts for bonus XP
- Alchemy Runes
The Method
Our favorite way to train ranged is when you've already invested lots of time and effort into your character. It requires many prerequisites and a good amount of GP to start. Suppose you can hold your own against some level 93 Scarab Mages and level 98 Ranging Scarab Riders, and you've completed your Dwarf Cannon quest. In that case, you will love the great GP and exp/hour this training method provides.
Head to Sophanem and begin if you haven't already completed it. It isn't necessary to finish the quest now, but it will give you access to the bank and make depositing your loot a piece of cake. Starting this quest will allow you access to the dungeon in the abandoned building north of Sophanem. Head down the ladders into the catacombs and pick a place to set up shop with your cannon.
Using the prayer Protect from Missiles is highly recommended for this method as you'll be protected from the Ranging Scarab Riders. There is an altar in the city to recharge when you need to. This leaves you with only the Mage and Melee Scarabs to concern yourself with. Try finding a location with only Range and Mage Scarabs spawning, and voila: you potentially only have one kind of enemy to fight. At the same time, your cannon does all the heavy lifting.
The method can be used with any ranged level from 1 to 99. Still, your exp/hour will be best if you're using the highest level ranged equipment in addition to the cannon. If you're having trouble, use the Protect from Missiles prayer to battle the relatively weak Mages with your favorite combat skill. For us, the best attraction about this method was the crazy amount of GP we earned!
The Results
With this method, we averaged 76,000 exp per hour and 700K GP per hour, but we've heard rumors these numbers can get boosted even higher with potions, a gem bag, and an herb sack. If you do any better than we did in this OSRS Range Training guide, let us know below.
Other Money-Making Methods With Ranged
It's not recommended to make money out of combat skills, but here are the top five ways in case you have to. These are arranged by profit.
- Killing Vorkath (Dragon Hunter crossbow) – 3,520,000 Gold
- Chambers of Xeric (recommended 90+ Ranged) – 2,821,000 Gold
- Killing Demonic Gorillas (recommended 75+ Ranged) - 2,182,000 Gold
- Killing the Abyssal Sire (recommended 85+ Ranged) – 1,834,000 Gold
- Killing Zulrah (recommended 80+ Ranged) – 1,769,000 Gold.
The Best Ranged Gear
What's the top Ranged Gear for F2P players?
- The best range gear is green D'hide with a Maple Bow
- You must be level 40 ranged to equip it
- You need roughly 10K gold to purchase the gear
- There are no other requirements
The offering of range gear for F2P players is quite limited. Like melee gear, you will reach the cap at level 40. Any higher-level equipment is exclusive to P2P members.
Once you reach level 40 ranged, you should purchase the following gear for a rough total price of 10K.
- Coif
- Cape
- Amulet of power
- Maple bow
- Green hide body
- Green d'hide chaps
- Green d’hide vambraces
- Leather boots
At this level, all of the gear is incredibly cheap. You should opt for a standard cape over a team cape. It offers the same benefits, but the standard cape weighs nothing, as opposed to the 0.4kg weight of the team cape.
You should use adamant arrows at this level – it's the best available option for F2P players. Each projectile costs roughly 70 gold, so this could easily be the most expensive part of your gear. Even if you buy 1,000 arrows, you'll still be looking at a total price under 100K.
Another thing to remember is that there are no rings that offer any ranged benefits, so this slot will be empty if you are a F2P player. There isn't any alternative gear for F2P players, and at such a low cost, there's no reason to look for a different range gear to purchase.
What's the top Ranged Gear for P2P players?
- The best Ranged equipment is Armadyl with extra gear
- Extra gear Includes Pegasian Boots, Twisted Buckler, Barrows Gloves, and Necklace of Anguish
- You must be level 75 ranged and defense to wear this gear
- You need roughly 180 million gold
- A cheaper option for 1.3 million is available
- There are a variety of other requirements for some gear
If you are a P2P player, your options for range gear are expanded massively. The particular set explained below is the best option. You can purchase most equipment from the Grand Exchange, but some items have other requirements.
First, we'll look at the gear you can purchase straight from the Grand Exchange without any requirements.
- Necklace of Anguish – 16M
- Dragonstone dragon bolts (e) – 1.6K each
- Armadyl Crossbow – 32M
- Armadyl Chestplate – 42M
- Armadyl Chainskirt – 34M
- Armadyl helmet – 4.5M
- Pegasi Boots – 36.5M
- Twisted Buckler – 10M
The total cost for this gear without accounting for the bolts is 175 Million. Admittedly, that's an exorbitant price.
If you are low on money, a cheaper alternative is provided below. Take note that this gear is essentially two tiers below the one above. You need 40 Defense, and 70 Ranged to equip this gear.
- Guthix Coif – 75K
- Guthix Dragonhide – 130K
- Guthix Chaps – 90K
- Guthix Bracers – 6K
- Guthix d’hide boots – 900K
- Amulet of Glory – 12K
- Black d'hide Shield – 18K
- Rune crossbow – 10K
The total cost for this gear is 1.3M, making it more than ten times cheaper than the first option.
Once you have one of the base gear sets provided above, the next step is to get the remaining gear. The gear below has different requirements.
- Ava's Assembler
- Barrows Gloves
- Archers Ring (i)
High-Level Range and Defense Veterans
The Ranged skill line is the best bet for players who want the most potent stat bonuses. You'll have the maximum available stat bonus of the three combat skills. Despite the longstanding confusion and discrepancy over the comparative benefits of Ranged Strength vs. Ranged Attack, it's generally best to lean toward maximum Attack with faster attacks at a slight strength decrease.
Your accuracy from the high Ranged Attack bonus and the faster attack speed of a rapid stance will offset the decreased power and fare best against most opponents. This comes with a caveat of a lower maximum hit. For the best overall Attack and Strength combo, go to this:
Head: Armadyl helmet
Necklace: Necklace of Anguish
Ring: Archers' ring (imbued)
Chest: Armadyl Chestplate
Legs: Armadyl Chainskirt
Cape: Ava's Assembler
Boots: Pegasian boots
Gloves: Barrows gloves
Weapon Option 1: Twisted buckler and Armadyl crossbow
Weapon Option 2: Heavy ballista
The gear set above is popularly considered the "best" for Ranged users by most metrics. It lends a whopping 239 Ranged Attack bonus with the Heavy ballista equipped or 232 when using the Armadyl crossbow with the Twisted buckler.
Those players looking to go all out might wish to purchase both and use mouse keys to switch between them in combat. However, know that much of this gear requires at least a level 70 Defense stat to use, and to use all of the items, a character will need a level 75 Defense. Ava's assembler may only be equipped when a player has completed Dragon Slayer 2 and Vorkath's head.
To imbue the Archers' ring, you'll need 650,000 Nightmare Zone points, and the bonus will only jump from 4 to 8, so many players forgo this. Finally, these items cost some considerable GP on the Grand Exchange. You shouldn't expect to spend any less than 12 million on your whole set at the time of writing. Still, for the perfectionists out there, it doesn't get any better than this. We have a few other more feasible options for everyone else to try.
The Best (Common) OSRS Range Gear
Head: Archers' helmet
Necklace: Amulet of Glory
Ring: Archers' ring (imbued)
Chest: Black D'hide
Legs: Black D'hide
Cape: Obsidian cape
Boots: Blessed D'hide boots
Gloves: D'hide vambraces
Offhand: Book of Law or Dragonfire Shield
Weapon: Magic short bow (i)
This setup is ideal for players who are still training their ranged or using it casually for dungeon running or questing. It balances cost with some solid attack and defense bonuses to ensure you can hold your own against high-attack and high-defense opponents. Furthermore, all of these items can be obtained on the Grand Exchange at a reasonable price – we bought them all for 2.4 million in total.
If you use prayer often, you may wish to opt for Blessed D'hide instead of regular Black D'hide, but this is a bit more expensive of an option. As for prerequisites, your character will only need a defense level of 40 to equip all the listed items. No quests are required to acquire any of these items.
This makes this gearset much more accessible to the average player and still grants some respectable stat bonuses. If nothing else, it's good to keep these items for backup if you want to go Range in an area that might be too risky to carry your more expensive gear.
A Range Pure With No Defense
Head: Robin Hood Hat
Necklace: Amulet of Fury or Amulet of Glory
Ring: Archers' ring (imbued)
Chest: Rangers tunic
Legs: Black D'hide
Cape: Ava's Accumulator or Obsidian
Boots: Ranger boots or Blessed D'hide boots
Gloves: Combat Bracelet
Offhand: Book of Law
Weapon: Magic short bow (i)
With only a few tweaks to account for your level 1 Defense, this setup will still grant you similar stat bonuses as the best Common gear layout. As a drawback, some of these items can be a bit more expensive, such as the Ranger boots.
However, the great thing about the Ranged gear sets is that you can always swap these out for a comparable and significantly cheaper item. Go with D'hide or Snakeskin boots for a budget instead of the Ranger boots. The Book of Law can be replaced with either the Dragonfire shield or even a regular old Anti-Dragon shield if you're really balling on a budget. No matter how you mix and match the items, you'll enjoy playing with these OSRS Range Gear sets.
