In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), melee combat is one of the most popular ways to level up and train your character. Whether you’re grinding experience to hit a new combat milestone, chasing your next high-level boss, or working on your Slayer tasks, having a solid strategy for melee training is essential. OSRS provides a variety of ways to train your melee stats (Attack, Strength, Defence), each with their own benefits and requirements. This guide will provide comprehensive tips and tricks to help you level up your melee skills effectively in OSRS gold.
Melee Skills Overview
In OSRS, melee training revolves around three primary combat stats:
Attack: Determines your ability to land accurate hits with melee weapons. Training this skill increases your accuracy and allows you to use higher-level weapons and armour.
Strength: Increases the amount of damage dealt with melee attacks. The higher your Strength level, the more damage you deal in combat.
Defence: Determines how much damage you take from melee attacks. A higher Defence level means you’ll receive less damage from enemies, making it essential for survivability.
Melee combat also includes two secondary stats: Hitpoints (which increase as you take damage and heal) and Prayer (which provides powerful combat boosts). Effective training of these stats, especially alongside your primary combat skills, will optimize your training efforts.
General Tips for Melee Training
Use the Right Gear
Gear choice is paramount when training melee. The right setup will significantly impact your training speed, efficiency, and survivability. Some general tips include:
Weapon Choice: Choose the best weapon you can use based on your Attack level. Early on, scimitars (e.g., the Rune Scimitar) are an excellent choice due to their high attack speed and solid damage output. As you level up, you can switch to more powerful weapons like the Abyssal Whip, Karil’s crossbow (for strength training), or Chaotic weapons from the Dungeoneering skill.
Defensive Gear: As you train, you’ll need gear that offers both offensive and defensive benefits. Barrows armor (such as Karil’s, Verac’s, or Dharok’s) can be great for high Defence. Void Knight gear is ideal for training with high damage output as well. For training with aggressive bosses or in dungeons, consider Dragon or Torva armor for added protection.
Prayer Gear: As Prayer plays a critical role in boosting your melee training efficiency, items like the Armadyl chestplate and prayer-boosting amulets will help maintain longer trips while training.
Food and Potions
While training melee combat, the longer your training session, the more you will need food or healing methods:
Food: High-healing food like Sharks, Karambwan, and Monkfish are essential for longer training sessions. If you’re working on Defence training (against stronger enemies), bringing saraswords and brews can be beneficial.
Potions: Potions that increase your Strength, Attack, and Defence levels will significantly speed up your melee training. Use Super Strength Potions, Super Attack Potions, and Super Defence Potions to enhance your combat prowess. Prayer Potions are essential for maintaining overhead protection prayers (like Protect from Melee), especially when training on high-level monsters or bosses.
Use the Right Combat Style
OSRS features three combat styles—Accurate, Aggressive, and Defensive—which correlate directly to your Attack, Strength, and Defence stats. As a general rule:
For Attack training, use the Accurate combat style, as it improves your accuracy.
For Strength training, use Aggressive to maximize damage output.
For Defence, use Defensive style to minimize damage taken and protect yourself during long training sessions.
Efficient XP Routes
The key to fast and efficient melee training lies in using the best XP-per-hour (XP/hr) training methods. Below are several popular and effective methods for each stat.
Training Attack
Training Attack is all about maximizing your accuracy and allowing you to hit targets consistently. To train this stat efficiently, you should:
Abyssal Whip Training: The Abyssal Whip is one of the best weapons for Attack training, offering a good balance of accuracy and speed. It can be used in places like the Abyssal Demons in the Abyssal Slayer Dungeon, where you can earn decent Slayer XP while training Attack.
Nightmare Zone: For AFK and high XP/hr training, Nightmare Zone offers excellent opportunities for leveling Attack. By selecting the right set of bosses (e.g., Demon, Troll, or Giant bosses), you can continuously train Attack without having to engage manually with each fight. Utilizing a TDS potion can further boost XP.
Stronghold of Security: If you’re looking for cost-efficient options, the Stronghold of Security in Varrock offers a safe spot where you can train against Minotaurs or Security Guards. It’s a low-cost method that’s effective for low to mid-level players.
Training Strength
Strength training focuses on increasing your damage output. To maximize XP, you should:
Abyssal Demons: An excellent choice for training Strength, as these monsters are often paired with Slayer tasks. Abyssal Whips provide great offensive power, allowing you to clear waves of Abyssal Demons with high damage.
Nightmare Zone: Much like Attack training, the Nightmare Zone is an excellent choice for Strength XP as well. You can select the Fight Cave or Fremennik Trials for some of the most effective XP rates while training Strength.
Slayer Tasks: Some Slayer monsters, like Ankous and Nechryaels, are fantastic for training Strength. Superior Slayer bosses also provide additional chances for strength training at a higher difficulty level.
Training Defence
Defence focuses on reducing damage and increasing tankiness. For optimal XP rates, you should:
Abyssal Demons and Greater Demons: These monsters are great for passive training while you’re working on other stats. When training Defence, it’s important to use the Defensive combat style, which increases your chances of avoiding damage.
Nightmare Zone: Nightmare Zone offers training with minimal risk, providing the perfect opportunity for Defence training in a controlled environment.
ZGS Bossing: For high-level players, ZGS (Zgs Godsword) is one of the best methods for combatting powerful enemies and providing highly efficient training for Defence.
Tips for Training Melee Efficiently
Use Prayer: When training against high-level monsters, don’t forget to use overhead Protection Prayers (e.g., Protect from Melee). This will reduce damage and make your sessions more efficient.
Take Advantage of Bonus XP: If you’re close to level milestones, make sure to take advantage of any Bonus XP you might have from Bonus XP weekends or events.
Train During AFKable Time: Focus on AFKable or semi-AFKable methods during peak times or when you’re not able to actively play for long periods. This includes Nightmare Zone, Slayer tasks, and Abyssal Demons.
Level up Prayer: Raising your Prayer level can offer additional boosts to your combat performance, especially if you’re using the Piety prayer (for increased Strength, Defence, and Attack).
Use Experience-Boosting Gear: The Bonus XP gear, including items like Max Cape or Amulet of the Damned, will significantly increase XP rates during combat training.
Conclusion
Levelling your melee stats in cheap RuneScape gold takes time, dedication, and the right strategy. By using the tips and tricks outlined in this guide, you’ll be able to optimize your training efforts for Attack, Strength, and Defence, allowing you to reach your goals much faster. Whether you’re grinding in the Nightmare Zone, working on Slayer tasks, or seeking out high-XP monsters, there are numerous ways to train efficiently in melee combat. Use the right gear, stay prepared with food and potions, and take advantage of powerful prayers to maximize your XP per hour. Keep practicing and tweaking your setup, and soon you’ll see your combat stats soar! Happy training!