Weapons are wieldable items that a player can use to inflict damage in Combat.
All players wield weapons in their right hand. If a player is using a two-handed weapon, such as a bow or a two-handed sword, they may not have any items equipped in the Shield slot at the same time, thus two-handed weapons are held in both hands preventing the use of a shield. In the case of thrown weapons, which are stackable, multiples of the same thrown weapon may be equipped in the Weapon slot at once. A player may also equip a pickaxe or a Woodcutting hatchet in the weapon slot so that they may hold more ore or logs, respectively.
Basic melee weapons[]
These weapons are more commonly used than the other weapons available because they don't have to be replaced unless upon death, and they do not require ammunition to use unlike most Magic or Ranged weapons. Most types of basic Melee weapons come in eight different kinds of metal.
Most weapons have a primary attack mode in all three attack styles and a secondary mode in the Aggressive or Controlled style. The secondary mode is normally weaker, but it may be more appropriate to your target.
Chainmail armour is weaker against stabbing; platemail is weaker against crushing, while the slash attack is highly effective against cloth, leather or unarmoured targets. Against monster hide, the most effective style varies. The only absolute Defence against a particular attack is the Protect from Melee prayer, or the occasional NPC that requires something special to kill them, so you will still hit with the "wrong" attack and weapon, just not as often and with less damage (or not even at all, in the case of monsters like vampires).
Weapon groups[]
The whole idea of having multiple weapon types is that one weapon type should not be all-conquering, or there would be not much point having the others. Overall, there are three attack styles: Stab, Slash, and Crush.
Weapon | Stab | Slash | Crush |
---|---|---|---|
Dagger | |||
Sword | |||
Longsword | |||
Scimitar | |||
Mace | |||
Battleaxe | |||
Warhammer | |||
Two-handed sword | |||
Spear/Hasta | |||
Halberd | |||
Claws | |||
Axe | |||
Pickaxe | |||
Maul | |||
Whip |
Weapon characteristics[]
There are also a variety of 'novelty weapons' available. They deal out very little, if any, damage.
The various groups of weapons are summarised below. The level of Strength in each class is not definitive.
Weapon | Speed/Strength | Primary/Secondary | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Dagger | Fast/Weakest | Stab/Slash | A dagger is the first item that can be smithed in any metal. Generally (but not always), it has higher stats than a sword of the weaker metal. A dagger is tied in speed with the scimitar and shortsword. Daggers are primarily stabbing weapons although they have a decent slash attack. Members can poison daggers to great effect. Dragon daggers are discoloured upon poisoning, making the tip of the dagger a bright green colour. A Dragon dagger (p++) is a very popular special attack weapon in general fighting and PvP combat. |
Axe | Medium/Weak | Slash/Crush [1] | Intended for Woodcutting, but it can be used as a weapon. |
Pickaxe | Medium/Weak | Stab/Crush [1] | Intended for Mining, but it can be used as a weapon. Nurmof's Pickaxe Shop sells pickaxes up to rune. |
Sword | Fast/Medium | Stab/Slash | Swords are able to hit higher than a dagger at the same attack speed although it cannot be poisoned. This makes it unpopular. However, players can find it useful as a sword is a cheap alternative to scimitars for Rune and lower metals. |
Mace | Medium/Medium | Crush/Stab | The crush attack is better against platemail, and the Prayer bonus can be useful. Maces are slightly slower than the Shortsword and slightly weaker. It also features a Controlled stabbing attack. The Dragon mace is mainly used in player killing due to its special attack. |
Scimitar | Fast/Medium | Slash/Stab | A scimitar is an excellent slashing weapon against cloth or leather and average against chainmail, but it is weak against platemail. It can hit just as fast as a shortsword or dagger, and it deals slightly more damage than shortswords but less than longswords. The secondary stabbing attack is rather inefficient against some armour, but better against chainmail. It is in the controlled style and yields equal experience to Attack, Strength, and Defence. The Dragon scimitar is one of the most popular weapons for PKing along with the Abyssal whip and Dragon dagger (p++), and it's considered one of the most versatile combat weapons in the game although it doesn't have a very good Strength bonus. Nonetheless, the Rune scimitar is considered to be one of the best training weapons for Melee in a free world, and the Dragon scimitar is one of the best training weapons for members whereas the whip lacks a way to train Strength. |
Longsword | Medium/Strong | Slash/Stab [1] | A longsword is slower than a scimitar, shortsword, and dagger, but it has higher Strength and Attack bonuses, especially in terms of its controlled stab attack. Considered to be worse than the scimitar due to its lower speed, it has a considerably higher Strength bonus and higher slash and stab bonuses. It is described as the "warrior's best friend" on the RuneScape website. It was once considered the best weapon type before the scimitar's popularity outbreak although many high-levelled players still use the Dragon longsword due to its better stats than the Dragon scimitar and its substantially better special attack. |
Warhammer | Slow/Strong | Crush | It is an uncommon crushing-only weapon with no specialist store open to non-members. It's right in the middle of the Smithing scale for any metal. This weapon is good to dent other warriors' platemail. Warhammers are not commonly used because of their low speed and mediocre Strength bonuses. They offer the same damage as their slashing cousins, the battleaxes. |
Battleaxe | Slow/Stronger | Slash/Crush [1] | It provides a better Strength bonus than the warhammer but not as effective in the secondary crush attack. Battleaxes are stronger than longswords yet slower. A battleaxe is considered to be a rather effective PKing weapon, but a quicker weapon, such as a Dragon scimitar or Abyssal whip, fares better; the store is located in Port Sarim. |
Two-handed sword | Slowest/Second Strongest | Slash/Crush | A 2h sword is the most powerful of the basic weapons, but it is also the slowest. Furthermore, as its name suggests, the two-handed sword cannot be used with a shield. It may be a good secondary weapon for the Ranged fighter as his/her bow cannot be used with a shield anyway. |
Halberd | Slowest/Third Strongest | Stab/Slash | A halberd is equally about as slow as the two-handed sword and slightly less powerful. |
Spear | Medium/Medium | Stab/Slash/Crush [1] | The stabbing equivalent of a two-handed sword, this two-handed members-only weapon is one of only two classes in the game that can use all three attack styles. The spear has an average attack speed, features controlled style for each attack style, and all spears, excluding the Zamorakian spear, can be poisoned. Its bonuses are not as high as other weapons', and the only way to train Attack or Strength with it is to use one of the controlled styles. |
Hasta | Medium/Medium | Stab/Slash/Crush [1] | This weapon is identical to the spear in every way except that it is a one-handed weapon compared to the two-handed spear and that it has negative Defence bonuses although this can be countered by wearing a shield. This weapon may also be poisoned except the Zamorakian hasta. |
Claws | Fast/Medium | Slash/Stab | A members-only weapon that is similar to the shortsword, except that it is two-handed and is primarily a slashing weapon. It cannot be poisoned. |
Maul | Slow(est)/Strongest | Crush | Does not follow the standard metal scale (Bronze-Dragon). It is also is two-handed. You usually get them either in granite or obsidian. |
Abyssal Whip | Fast/Strong | Slash | Does not follow the standard metal scale (Bronze-Dragon). The Abyssal Whip has a high experience rate in training Attack and Defence but the only way to train Strength is to use the controlled style. They can be used with a shield. It's often used with a Rune defender or Dragonfire shield. |
Weapon requirements[]
level | Icon | Weapon | Degrades? | Other skills/ requirements |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bronze weapons | No | None | |
1 | Iron weapons | No | None | |
5 | Steel weapons | No | None | |
10 | Black weapons | No | None | |
20 | Mithril weapons | No | None | |
30 | Adamant weapons | No | None | |
40 | Rune weapons | No | None | |
50 | Granite maul | No | 50 | |
60 | Dragon weapons | No | None | |
60 | Obsidian weapons | No | 60 for Tzhaar-ket-om [1] | |
60 | Barrelchest anchor | No | 40 | |
65 | Third-age longsword | No | ||
70 | Abyssal whip | No | None | |
70 | Saradomin sword | No | None | |
70 | Zamorakian spear/hasta | No | None | |
70 | Barrows weapons | Yes; 15 hours in Combat | 70 for Torag's hammers and Dharok's greataxe | |
75 | Godswords | No | ||
75 | Abyssal tentacle | No | None |
The table above shows what level is needed to wield a certain metal and some specific weapons. The foot notes indicate additional skills and/or requirements as followed:
Weapons are made of different metals, some stronger and more expensive than others. Higher Attack levels allow wielding weapons of better metals. For example, a player needs an Attack level of 10 to wield a black weapon, whereas the player would need level 20 to wield a mithril weapon. Almost all metal weapons can be smithed, except for halberds, and any Black, White, Dragon, or Barrows weapons.
Weapons table[]
Bronze | Iron | Steel | Black | White | Mithril | Adamant | Rune | Dragon | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dagger | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sword | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Scimitar | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mace | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Longsword | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Axe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Battleaxe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Warhammer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Two-handed sword | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pickaxe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Spear | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Claws | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Halberd | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Other melee weapon types[]
TzHaar[]
- Toktz-xil-ak (Obsidian sword)
- Tzhaar-ket-em (Obsidian mace)
- Tzhaar-ket-om (Obsidian maul)
- Toktz-xil-ek (Obsidian dagger)
Barrows[]
- Dharok's greataxe
- Guthan's warspear
- Verac's flail
- Torag's hammers
Miscellaneous[]
- Granite maul
- Barrelchest anchor
- Ancient mace
- Mjolnir
- Decorative sword
Fun weapons[]
Fun weapons[]
- Darklight
- Barrelchest anchor
- Ancient mace
- Rapier
Fun weapons[]
- Flowers
- Rubber chicken
- Butterfly net
- Mouse Toy
- Scythe
- Undead chicken
Magic weapons[]
The weapons listed below are Magic weapons. While they can be used in Melee, they are more powerful when used to cast spells in Combat.
Weapon requirements[]
Level | Type |
---|---|
1 | Staff, Magic staff, Elemental staves (air, fire, earth, water), Skull sceptre, Rod of ivandis |
30 | Battlestaves (with 30 Attack), Pharaoh's sceptre (with 30 Attack ) |
40 | Mystic staves (with 40 Attack) |
50 | Apprentice wand, Ancient staff |
55 | Teacher wand |
60 | Toktz-mej-tal (Obsidian staff), Master wand, God staves |
65 | Lunar staff, 3rd age wand |
70 | Ahrim's staff (with 70 Attack) |
75 | Staff of the dead (with 75 Attack), Trident of the seas |
Weapon groups[]
Battlestaves[]
- Battlestaff
- Air battlestaff
- Earth battlestaff
- Fire battlestaff
- Water battlestaff
- Mud battlestaff
- Lava battlestaff
- Steam battlestaff
Mystic staves[]
- Mystic air staff
- Mystic earth staff
- Mystic fire staff
- Mystic water staff
- Mystic mud staff
- Mystic lava staff
- Mystic steam staff
God staves[]
- Guthix staff
- Saradomin staff
- Zamorak staff (Staff of the Dead)
Wands[]
- Beginner wand
- Apprentice wand
- Teacher wand
- Master wand
Other[]
Ranged weapons[]
Ranged weapons are used for Ranged attacks.
Weapon requirements[]
Weapon groups[]
Shortbow[]
- Shortbow
- Oak shortbow
- Willow shortbow
- Maple shortbow
- Yew shortbow
- Magic shortbow
Longbows[]
- Longbow
- Ogre bow
- Oak longbow
- Willow longbow
- Maple longbow
- Yew longbow
- Magic longbow
- Dark bow
Crossbows[]
- Crossbow
- Phoenix crossbow
- Bronze crossbow
- Iron crossbow
- Steel crossbow
- Mithril crossbow
- Adamant crossbow
- Rune crossbow
- Karil's crossbow
- Armadyl crossbow
Composite bows[]
- Willow composite bow
- Ogre composite bow
- Yew composite bow
- Magic composite bow
All composite bows (excluding the composite ogre bow) has some of the speed of a shortbow and some of the power of a longbow.
Thrown weapons[]
Darts[]
- Bronze dart
- Iron dart
- Steel dart
- Black dart
- Mithril dart
- Adamant dart
- Rune dart
- Dragon dart
Throwing knives[]
Throwing knives are poisonable, and can be forged by players from Bronze, Iron, Steel, Mithril, Adamantite, and Rune. Each metal bar yields five Throwing Knives. Black Throwing Knives are only dropped by Shadow Warriors, Imperial Guard members, ankous, and cyclopes in the warrior's guild.
- Bronze knife
- Iron knife
- Steel knife
- Black knife
- Mithril knife
- Adamant knife
- Rune knife
Thrownaxes[]
Thrownaxes come in Bronze, Iron, Steel, Black, Mithril, Adamantite, and Rune. They can only be bought from a shop in the Ranging Guild. The rune thrownaxe has a special attack ("Chain Hit") that, when activated in a multicombat zone with multiple enemies nearby, will bounce from enemy to enemy up to 10 times(10% special bar used per enemy hit).
- Bronze thrownaxe
- Iron thrownaxe
- Steel thrownaxe
- Mithril thrownaxe
- Adamant thrownaxe
- Rune thrownaxe
Javelins[]
Javelins are stackable and made out of Bronze, Iron, Steel, Black, Mithril, Adamantite, and Rune. Javelins can be found as drops from defeated monsters and can also be purchased inside the Ranging Guild. Javelins are notoriously slow and are generally considered to be the most unpopular out of the one-handed Ranging weapons.
- Bronze javelin
- Iron javelin
- Steel javelin
- Mithril javelin
- Adamant javelin
- Rune javelin
Chinchompas[]
- Chinchompas
- Red chinchompas
- Black Chinchompa
Miscellaneous[]
- Toktz-xil-ul (rings)
Other[]
- Dwarf multicannon
Ammunition[]
Arrows are used as ammunition for bows, and bolts are used as ammunition for crossbows. The better the arrow/bolt, the higher damage a player can deal. However, players require certain bows to use certain arrows. All arrows except for Training Arrows can be made using the Fletching skill.