OSRS Melee Gear Guide

01.06.2024 - 16:31:26
Game Guides , Runescape

OSRS Melee Gear Guide

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A lot of players prefer melee combat in OSRS because it's much easier. If you're not prepared, however, you can end up getting overwhelmed by the monsters in the game. Having the right gear for melee combat is a must, needless to say. There's a variety of armor in the game that you should consider getting if you really want this combat style.

In this guide, you'll see the best melee gear in OSRS. Focusing on getting these gear as you progress in the game will make it much easier for you to take on even the toughest challenges and bosses that OSRS will put on your plate.

What Are Set Items For Melee Gear In OSRS

First, we'll move on to discussing set items. These are pieces of gear that make up an entire set. It's vital that you understand what these are first.

Medium Helmets:

Out of all the headgear in OSRS, the most versatile are medium helmets. They don't give the full defensive capabilities of other helmets in the game, however, they're balanced in the sense that they don't limit your combat choices. Whereas other helmets are geared for Melee combat, medium helmets can also be used by those who want Ranged or Magic.

osrs_melee_gear_guide_img1

 

While medium helmets are great, they're not always fit for heavy-duty melee combat due to their lack of defences so bear that in mind as well.

Full Helmets:

Full helmets provide the most benefits for melee combat. These include bonuses to Strength and other related Skills. On the other hand, helmets like these can also impose strict penalties for Ranged and Magic combat. When it comes to creating tank builds, full helmets are typically preferred due to the defenses they give.

These helmets typically have the highest defense bonuses compared to all other headgear in the game. This comes at the expense of these helmets offering little to no room for adjusting to various builds.

osrs_melee_gear_guide_img2

Chainbodies:

Moving on to body wear, we're going to talk about chain bodies first. Chainbodies are typically more capable of taking hits from Slash and Crush attacks compared to other weapons in the game. On the other hand, these armor are pretty much bad when used against stab attacks.

osrs_melee_gear_guide_img3

 

Another downside to chainbodies is that they are significantly lacking when it comes to Magic Defense. That doesn't mean these don't have any though. However, they have the lowest to offer in this regard compared to every other armor in the game.

Platebodies:

osrs_melee_gear_guide_img4

 

These are heavier armor that can provide significantly better defenses for slash, ranged, and stab-type damage. On the other hand, they're not good when it comes to taking damage from crush and magic-type damage.'

This type of armor provides amazing bonuses wherever they excel at and it often makes them the perfect choice of chest pieces when it comes to creating Pures or even hybrid tank builds in OSRS.

Platelegs and Plateskirts:

osrs_melee_gear_guide_img5

 

These are leg slot items that provide the second-highest defense of all the slots in the game. They're bested only by the chest pieces. These are heavy armor that all armor sets have. Again, these are also essential gear when it comes to creating tanks for OSRS.

Square Shields:

There are actually a few types of shields in OSRS and each one offers distinct benefits and downsides. Square shields for instance, have good melee and ranged bonuses. On the other hand, they're weak when going up against crush attacks.

osrs_melee_gear_guide_img6

 

To make up for that, square shields also have lesser penalties when it comes to Ranged and magic attacks. Square shields aren't a good choice for tank builds because of their limited defenses but they're good when creating damage-focused builds for range.

Kiteshields:

While square shields are more focused on offense, these shields are best suited for defense. They offer better defense bonuses but are weak against stab attacks. Additionally, they also have penalties when it comes to magic and ranged combat so they're not good for non-melee damage builds.

osrs_melee_gear_guide_img7

Metal Gloves:

osrs_melee_gear_guide_img8

 

These are placed in the hand slots and usually offer good protection from almost all attack styles. Many of these gloves offer Strength bonuses which make them ideal for melee damage builds as well. As an added bonus, metal gloves don't degrade over time.

Defenders:

Defenders are placed in the shield slot as well. Unlike shields, these don't offer any defensive bonuses but they are better used for getting a bit more damage in. In many cases, players use defenders as a means to round out damage buiilds.

osrs_melee_gear_guide_img9
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OSRS Melee Armor Sets

While you're free to mix and match armor pieces on your own, there are also armor sets in the game. Some armor sets come with exclusive bonuses when worn together. Most sets come with gear for the head, legs, body, and shield.

If you want a simpler way to progress through melee armor in the game, it's best to go through each of the sets as you level up. On a typical progression, here's how your gear would look like.

Defense Level

Armour

Defence Bonus

Other

StabSlashCrushMagicRangeTotalPrice On Grand ExchangeWeight
1
Bronze armour
323324-123110833927.214
1
Iron armour
46 36-124516261327.214
5
Steel armour
717260-12702612,26627.214
10
Black armou
919277-12903386,94027.214
20
Mithril armour
10110289-12993796,03823.131
30
Adamant armour
144146129-1214254918,61230.842
40
Rune armour
207209192-12205801133,27027.214
0
Dragon armour
278281259-122751,081164,637,37829.213

These armor sets in the game are actually very easy to get or create. If you're struggling at your current level and you have weak defenses, it might be wise to go for the armor sets above first. They're made to accommodate players to a certain point. While they don’t have set bonuses unlike others, the protection you get from them is still top-notch.

Other Melee Sets In The Game

There are a few other melee sets in the game that you should look for. These sets below are much harder to obtain but what you get in return is worth it. Aside from the defences, you're also getting some unique passives in some of these sets which can benefit your melee build.

3rd Age;

To get this set, you'll need to complete Treasure Trails from Hard and above difficulties. For that reason, this set is regarded as one of the rarest in the game so far. That doesn't mean that it's the best melee gear however but it does have considerably good bonuses.

It's weaker than the Justiciar Armor in terms of defence bonuses but it's right up there with Bandos armor. In most cases, the 3rd Age set is simply worn as a status symbol in the game.

Item

Attack Bonuses

Defence Bonuses

Other

StabSlashCrushMagicRangedStabSlashCrushMagicRangedStrength

Magic

Damage

Range

Damage

PrayerWeight
3rd age full helmet
3rd age full helmet000-5-2474943-34800%000.907
3rd age platebody
3rd age platebody000-20096108113-49700%009.979
3rd age platelegs
3rd age platelegs000-25-2787683-57500%002.721
3rd age kiteshield
3rd age kiteshield000-10-4636561-363<00%002.721

Totals

000-60-8284298300-1528300%0016.328

Justiciar Set

This is considered one of the best melee sets in the game. Considering that you'll have to get it as a rare drop from the Theatre of Blood, the stats and the sheer power of Justiciar’s armor, the title sounds about right.

It currently has the best Melee and Ranged defence bonuses in the game right now. To make it even better, it can reduce the damage of your target as part of its passive bonuses. It provides a decent Prayer bonus. The only downside, aside from being hard to get, is that it has the worst penalties for Ranged and Magic attack bonuses. However, if you're looking for a melee-focused build, these shouldn't be a big deal.

Item

Attack Bonuses

Defence Bonuses

Other

StabSlashCrushMagicRangedStabSlashCrushMagicRangedStrength

Magic

Damage

Range

Damage

PrayerWeight
Justiciar faceguard
Justiciar faceguard000-6-2606359-66700%022.721
Justiciar chestguard
Justiciar chestguard000-40-20132130117-1614200%049.979
Justiciar legguards
Justiciar legguards000-31-17959293-1410200%049.071

Totals

000-77-39287285269-3631100%01021.771

Bandos Set

This is the second best armor to choose if you want to stack up on Strength bonuses. It has pretty solid Defence bonuses as well. You can get pieces of the armor by beating General Graardor and his bodyguards in the Godwars Dungeon.

Item

Attack Bonuses

Defence Bonuses

Other

StabSlashCrushMagicRangedStabSlashCrushMagicRangedStrength

Magic

Damage

Range

Damage

PrayerWeight
Bandos chestplate
Bandos chestplate000-15-109893105-613340%0112
Bandos tassets
Bandos tassets000-21-7716366-49320%018
Bandos boots
Bandos boots000-5-317181901500%016

Totals

000-41-20186174190-1024160%0326

Torva Set

This set is up there when it comes to defensive bonuses. You can only get pieces of it by beating Nex. However, pieces are dropped in an unusable state and must be repaired using equipment from dismantled Bandos chest pieces and tassets.

Item

Attack Bonuses

Defence Bonuses

Other

StabSlashCrushMagicRangedStabSlashCrushMagicRangedStrength

Magic

Damage

Range

Damage

PrayerWeight
Torva full helm
Torva full helm000-5-5596062-25780%012.721
Torva platebody
Torva platebody000-18-14117111117-1114260%019.979
Torva platelegs
Torva platelegs000-24-11877879-910240%019.071

Totals

000-47-30263249258-22301180%0321.771

Barrows Gear

There are a total of four gear sets that you can get from doing the Barrows minigame. Four of them - Torag, Verac, Dharok and Guthan’s sets are melee-based. Both are beloved by the community. Guthan's set in particular is loved by players and is even used in many raids or endgame bosses in the game.

Dharok's set provides the Wretched Strength bonus. This will allow you to do more damage, the lower your health is. At 1 HP, you can deal 98% more damage. The set's high-risk, high-reward gameplay is very popular. The good news is that you can protect yourself with potions and Prayers once your health reaches 1.

Item

Attack Bonuses

Defence Bonuses

Other

StabSlashCrushMagicRangedStabSlashCrushMagicRangedStrength

Magic

Damage

Range

Damage

PrayerWeight
Dharok's helm
Dharok's helm000-3-1454844-15100%001.814
Dharok's platebody
Dharok's platebody000-30-10122120107-613200%009.979
Dharok's platelegs
Dharok's platelegs000-21-11858283-49200%009.071
Dharok's greataxe
Dharok's greataxe-410395-400000-11050%003.175

Totals

-410395-58-22252250234-112741050%0024.039

Guthan's set gives you an Infestation. This simply gives you a 25% chance to heal yourself when dealing damage. If you have weapons that have a high attack speed, you can have a constant source of healing through the passive. This self-sustainability makes Guthan’s a good choice for most situations.

Item

Attack Bonuses

Defence Bonuses

Other

StabSlashCrushMagicRangedStabSlashCrushMagicRangedStrength

Magic

Damage

Range

Damage

PrayerWeight
Guthan's helm
Guthan's helm000-6-2555854-16200%002.721
Guthan's platebody
Guthan's platebody000-30-10122120107-613200%009.979
Guthan's chainskirt
Guthan's chainskirt000-14-1175773-48200%008.164
Guthan's warspear
Guthan's warspear7575750077700750%002.267

Totals

757575-50-23259257241-11276750%0023.131

Torag's set gives you access to Corruption. Each strike you deal has a chance to lower your target's run speed. This passive is mostly used in PvP and is actually very popular. Especially in activities like Bounty Hunter.

Item

Attack Bonuses

Defence Bonuses

Other

StabSlashCrushMagicRangedStabSlashCrushMagicRangedStrength

Magic

Damage

Range

Damage

PrayerWeight
Torag's helm
Torag's helm000-6-2555854-16200%002.721
Torag's platebody
Torag's platebody000-30-10122120107-613200%009.979
Torag's platelegs
Torag's platelegs000-21-11858283-49200%009.071
Torag's hammers
Torags hammers-4-485-4000000720%003.628

Totals

-4-485-61-23262260244-11286720%0025.399

Wearing Verac's set enables the Defiled passive. This gives you a 25% chance to ignore a target's defenses and even prayers. This is one of the least popular among all of the melee Barrows armor but it's still a pretty decent set to have.

Item

Attack Bonuses

Defence Bonuses

Other

StabSlashCrushMagicRangedStabSlashCrushMagicRangedStrength

Magic

Damage

Range

Damage

PrayerWeight
Verac's helm
Verac's helm000-6-255585405600%031.36
Verac's brassard
Verac's brassard000-6-281958508100%054.989
Verac's plateskirt
Verac's plateskirt000-21-1185828308400%044.535
Verac's flail
Verac's flail68-2820000000720%062.267

Totals

68-282-33-152212352220221720%01813.151

Moon Sets

The moon equipment is some of the latest armor sets to come to OSRS. You can acquire pieces of the set from the Moons of Peril bosses. Like in the Barrows, you can only get pieces of the set depending on which boss you're fighting.

There are three moon sets and each of them is considered melee gear. Blood Moon is pure melee, Blue Moon is melee/magic, and Eclipse Moon is melee/range. Wearing each set entirely gives you access to powerful passive bonuses.

osrs_melee_gear_guide_img10

 

All three sets are very popular in PvP currently because they're really easy to use. Passive bonuses grant a lot of advantages against players. The only downside is that the sets leave little to no room for customization as you have to wear the complete gear selection to take advantage of the bonuses.

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Inquisitor's Set

If you're looking to create a crush-build in OSRS, then you should look no further than the Inquisitor's set.

Wearing a complete set of the armor will increase your crush damage and accuracy by 2.5%. To cap it all off, the entire set has decent defensive bonuses as well. Some players use this primarily for PvP as the burst damage from the crush attack style can take out most low-defense players.

You can get each piece of the set as a rare drop from The Nightmare Boss. This set is one of the most essential armors for melee players so it's highly recommended to work for this when you have the chance.

Item

Attack Bonuses

Defense Bonuses

Other

StabSlashCrushMagicRangedStabSlashCrushMagicRangedStrength

Magic

Damage

Range

Damage

PrayerWeight
Inquisitor's great helm
Inquisitor's great helm-2-28-5-519102101240%012.721
Inquisitor's hauberk
Inquisitor's hauberk-3-312-11-1067557103540%029.979
Inquisitor's plateskirt
Inquisitor's plateskirt-3-312-9-542304902220%029.071

Totals

-8-832-25-201289514106900%0521.771

Void Knight

The Void Knight equipment is one of the most versatile sets out there. It boosts all of your defense attributes equally and it doesn't lower your attack bonuses to boot. This set can be considered as a mage or range equipment as well because of its stat distribution.

To wear the gear, you should have at least level 42 on all Combat stats and have level 22 Prayer as well. If that's not enough, getting the Void Knight armor is hard as you can only get it by using commendation points from Pest Control.

The Void Knight set has bonuses which change depending on what helmet you're wearing. If you have the melee helm, you're getting a 10% bonus to melee damage and accuracy.

Item

Attack Bonuses

Defence Bonuses

Other

StabSlashCrushMagicRangedStabSlashCrushMagicRangedStrength

Magic

Damage

Range

Damage

PrayerWeight
Void melee helm
Void melee helm000006666600%000.453
Void knight top
Void knight top00000454545454500%006.803
Void knight robe
Void knight robe00000303030303000%008.164
Void knight gloves
Void knight gloves000006664600%000.453

Totals

00000878787858700%0015.873

There's an improved version of the top and robe called the Elite. It has the same defensive bonuses but there's an additional +3 to Prayer. To get this, you'll have to beat the Western Provinces Hard Diary.

Best P2P Melee Builds

This time, we're going to help you build your melee gear sets so that you don't have to worry about it anymore.

Best Stab-focused Equipment Setup:

Head Slot: Fighter Hat

  • Stab Bonus: +5
  • Requirements: Defence 45 to wear. Must also have 275 Honour points in each role from the Barbarian Assault minigame.

Neck Slot: Amulet of Torture

  • Stab Bonus: +15
  • Requirements: Hitpoints 75 to wear.

Feet Slot: Boots of Brimstone<

  • Stab Bonus: +3
  • Requirements: Ranged 70, Defence 70, Magic 70, and Slayer 44 to wear.

Cape Slot: Ardougne Cloak 4

  • Stab Bonus: +6
  • Requirements: Requires completion of the Elite Ardougne Diary.

Shield Slot: Avernic Defender

  • Stab Bonus: +30
  • Requirements: Requires a dragon defender and avernic defender hilt, Attack 70, and Defence 70.

Hands Slot: Ferocious Gloves

  • Stab Bonus: +16
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 80 and Defence 80 to wear.

Ring Slot: Treasonous Ring (i)

  • Stab Bonus: +8
  • Notes: The treasonous ring initially gives +4 stab bonus. However, players can imbue their ring via Soul Wars or the Nightmare Zone to double the ring's bonuses to +8.

Weapon Slot: Osmumten's Fang

  • Stab Bonus: +105
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 82 to wield.

2h Slot: Zamorakian Spear

  • Stab Bonus: +85
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 70 to wield.

Total Stab Bonus: +188 (or +138 if using a Zamorakian spear)

Estimated Cost:

  • Zamorakian Spear Setup: 79,725,327 coins
  • Osmumten's Fang and Avernic Defender Setup: 180,143,804 coins

Best Slash-focused Equipment Setup:

Head Slot: Warrior Helm

  • Slash Bonus: +5
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 45 and completion of The Fremennik Trials. Note: The fighter hat from Barbarian Assault gives the same slash attack bonus, increases stab and crush attack, but has lower Defence bonuses.

Neck Slot: Amulet of Torture

  • Slash Bonus: +15
  • Requirements: Requires Hitpoints 75 to wear.

Feet Slot: Primordial Boots

  • Slash Bonus: +2
  • Requirements: Requires Strength 75 and Defence 75 to wear.

Cape Slot: Infernal Cape

  • Slash Bonus: +4
  • Requirements: Requires completion of the Inferno.

Shield Slot: Avernic Defender

  • Slash Bonus: +29
  • Requirements: Requires a dragon defender and avernic defender hilt, Attack 70, and Defence 70.

Hands Slot: Ferocious Gloves

  • Slash Bonus: +16
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 80 and Defence 80 to wear.

Ring Slot: Bellator Ring

  • Slash Bonus: +20
  • Requirements: Requires completion of Desert Treasure II - The Fallen Empire to wear.

Weapon Slot: Blade of Saeldor

  • Slash Bonus: +94
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 80 to wield.

2h Slot: Soulreaper Axe

  • Slash Bonus: +134
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 80 and Strength 80 to wield.

Total Slash Bonus: +196 (or +185 if using a Blade of Saeldor and an Avernic Defender)

Estimated Cost:

  • Soulreaper Axe Setup: 478,859,603 coins
  • Blade of Saeldor and Avernic Defender Setup: 358,670,459 coins

Best Crush-focused Equipment Setup:

Head Slot: Inquisitor's Great Helm

  • Crush Bonus: +8
  • Requirements: Requires Strength 70 and Defence 30 to wear.

Neck Slot: Amulet of Torture

  • Crush Bonus: +15
  • Requirements: Requires Hitpoints 75 to wear.

Body Slot: Inquisitor's Hauberk

  • Crush Bonus: +12
  • Requirements: Requires Strength 70 and Defence 30 to wear.

Legs Slot: Inquisitor's Plateskirt

  • Crush Bonus: +12
  • Requirements: Requires Strength 70 and Defence 30 to wear.

Feet Slot: Primordial Boots

  • Crush Bonus: +2
  • Requirements: Requires Strength 75 and Defence 75 to wear.

Cape Slot: Mythical Cape

  • Crush Bonus: +6
  • Requirements: Requires completion of the Dragon Slayer II quest.

Shield Slot: Avernic Defender

  • Crush Bonus: +28
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 70 and Defence 70 to wield.

Hands Slot: Ferocious Gloves

  • Crush Bonus: +16
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 80 and Defence 80 to wear and the completion of Dragon Slayer II.

Ring Slot: Tyrannical Ring (i)

  • Crush Bonus: +8
  • Notes: The Tyrannical ring initially gives +4 crush bonus. However, players can imbue their ring via Soul Wars or the Nightmare Zone to double the ring's bonuses to +8.

Weapon Slot: Inquisitor's Mace

  • Crush Bonus: +95
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 80 to wield. Note: The dragon warhammer has an identical crush bonus, but has less strength bonus and is slower.

2h Slot: Elder Maul

  • Crush Bonus: +135
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 75 and Strength 75 to wield.

Total Crush Bonus: +214 (or +202 if using an Inquisitor's Mace and an Avernic Defender)

Best Stab-focused Defensive Equipment Setup:

Head Slot: Justiciar Faceguard

  • Stab Bonus: +60
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to be worn.

Neck Slot: Amulet of Fury

  • Stab Bonus: +15

Body Slot: Justiciar Chestguard

  • Stab Bonus: +132
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to be worn.4587

Legs Slot: Justiciar Legguards

  • Stab Bonus: +95
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to be worn.

Feet Slot: Guardian Boots

  • Stab Bonus: +32
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to wear.

Cape Slot: Infernal Cape

  • Stab Bonus: +12
  • Requirements: Requires completion of the Inferno.

Shield Slot: Ancient Wyvern Shield (Fully Charged)

  • Stab Bonus: +72
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 and Magic 75 to wield.

Hands Slot: Barrows Gloves

  • Stab Bonus: +12
  • Notes: Barrows gloves may take a while to get as it requires completion of Recipe for Disaster, along with a minimum of 175 Quest points.

Ring Slot: Ring of Suffering (i)

  • Stab Bonus: +20
  • Notes: The Ring of Suffering initially gives +10 Defence bonus. However, players can imbue their ring via Soul Wars or the Nightmare Zone to double the ring's bonuses to +20. Requires Hitpoints 75 to wear.

Weapon Slot: Zaryte Crossbow

  • Stab Bonus: +14
  • Requirements: Requires Ranged 80 to wield. Unlike other crossbows, the Zaryte Crossbow grants defensive bonuses. It also has a passive effect that strengthens the effects of enchanted bolts by 10%.

2h Slot: Dinh's Bulwark

  • Stab Bonus: +106
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 75 and Defence to wield.

Total Stab Bonus: +484 (or +464 if using a Zaryte Crossbow and an Ancient Wyvern Shield)

Best Slash-focused Defensive Equipment Setup:

Head Slot: Justiciar Faceguard

  • Slash Bonus: +63
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to be worn.

Neck Slot: Amulet of Fury

  • Slash Bonus: +15

Body Slot: Justiciar Chestguard

  • Slash Bonus: +130
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to be worn.

Legs Slot: Justiciar Legguards

  • Slash Bonus: +92
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to be worn.

Feet Slot: Guardian Boots

  • Slash Bonus: +32
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to wear.

Cape Slot: Infernal Cape

  • Slash Bonus: +12
  • Requirements: Requires completion of the Inferno.

Shield Slot: Ancient Wyvern Shield (Fully Charged)

  • Slash Bonus: +80
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 and Magic 75 to wield.

Hands Slot: Barrows Gloves

  • Slash Bonus: +12
  • Notes: Barrows gloves may take a while to get as it requires completion of Recipe for Disaster, along with a minimum of 175 Quest points.

Ring Slot: Ring of Suffering (i)

  • Slash Bonus: +20
  • Notes: The Ring of Suffering initially gives +10 Defence bonus. However, players can imbue their ring via Soul Wars or the Nightmare Zone to double the ring's bonuses to +20. Requires Hitpoints 75 to wear.

Weapon Slot: Zaryte Crossbow

  • Slash Bonus: +14
  • Requirements: Requires Ranged 80 to wield. Unlike other crossbows, the Zaryte Crossbow grants defensive bonuses. It also has a passive effect that strengthens the effects of enchanted bolts by 10%.

2h Slot: Dinh's Bulwark

  • Slash Bonus: +109
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 75 and Defence to wield.

Total Slash Bonus: +485 (or +470 if using the Zaryte Crossbow and Ancient Wyvern Shield)

Best Crush-focused Defensive Equipment Setup:

Head Slot: Justiciar Faceguard

  • Crush Bonus: +59
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to be worn.

Neck Slot: Amulet of Fury

  • Crush Bonus: +15
  • Notes: The gnome amulet (+13) is an accessible alternative.

Body Slot: Justiciar Chestguard

  • Crush Bonus: +117
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to be worn.

Legs Slot: Justiciar Legguards

  • Crush Bonus: +93
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to be worn.

Feet Slot: Guardian Boots

  • Crush Bonus: +32
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 to wear.

Cape Slot: Infernal Cape

  • Crush Bonus: +12
  • Requirements: Requires completion of the Inferno.

Shield Slot: Elysian Spirit Shield

  • Crush Bonus: +75
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 75 and Prayer 75 to wield. The Ancient Wyvern Shield also gives +75 crush defence when fully charged.

Hands Slot: Barrows Glovesv

  • Crush Bonus: +12
  • Notes: Barrows gloves may take a while to get as it requires completion of Recipe for Disaster, along with a minimum of 175 Quest points.

Ring Slot: Ring of Suffering (i)

  • Crush Bonus: +20
  • Notes: The Ring of Suffering initially gives +10 Defence bonus. However, players can imbue their ring via Soul Wars or the Nightmare Zone to double the ring's bonuses to +20. Requires Hitpoints 75 to wear.

Weapon Slot: Maple Blackjack(d)

  • Crush Bonus: +24
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 30 and Thieving 30 to be equipped.

2h Slot: Dinh's Bulwark

  • Crush Bonus: +109
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 75 and Defence to wield.

Total Crush Bonus: +469 (or +459 if using a Maple Blackjack(d) and an Elysian Spirit Shield)

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Best F2P Melee Builds

Now, we're doing the same for F2P players.

Best Stab-focused Equipment Setup:

Neck Slot: Amulet of Power

  • Stab Bonus: +6
  • Notes:

Weapon Slot: Rune Sword / Rune Longsword

  • Stab Bonus: +38
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 40 to wield. Both give the same stab bonus, but the Rune Sword is faster.

Total Stab Bonus: +44

Best Slash-focused Equipment Setup:

Neck Slot: Amulet of Power

  • Slash Bonus: +6
  • Notes:

2h Slot: Rune 2h Sword

  • Slash Bonus: +69
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 40 to wield.

Total Slash Bonus: +75

Best Crush-focused Equipment Setup:

Neck Slot: Amulet of Power

  • Crush Bonus: +6
  • Notes:

2h Slot: Hill Giant Club

  • Crush Bonus: +65
  • Requirements: Requires Attack 40 to wield. The Barronite Mace has higher DPS due to faster attack intervals but offers less Crush bonus and with that a lower max hit.

Total Crush Bonus: +71

Best Stab-focused Defensive Equipment Setup:

Head Slot: Rune Full Helm

  • Stab Bonus: +30
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 to wear.

Neck Slot: Amulet of Defence

  • Stab Bonus: +7
  • Notes: The Amulet of Power offers +6 Defence bonus but also gives offensive bonuses.

Body Slot: Rune Platebody

  • Stab Bonus: +82
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 and the completion of Dragon Slayer I to wear.

Legs Slot: Rune Platelegs/Rune Plateskirt

  • Stab Bonus: +51
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 to wear. Both give the same bonuses.

Feet Slot: Decorative Boots (Gold)

  • Stab Bonus: +10
  • Obtained from: Castle Wars Ticket Exchange.

Shield Slot: Rune Kiteshield

  • Stab Bonus: +44
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 to wear.

Hands Slot: Gilded D'hide Vambraces

  • Stab Bonus: +3
  • Requirements: Requires Ranged 40 to wear.

Weapon Slot: Staff

  • Stab Bonus: +2
  • Notes: The Magic staff and the elemental staves also give the same Melee Defence.

Total Stab Bonus: +229

Best Slash-focused Defensive Equipment Setup:

Head Slot: Rune Full Helm

  • Slash Bonus: +32
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 to wear.

Neck Slot: Amulet of Defence

  • Slash Bonus: +7
  • Notes: The Amulet of Power offers +6 Defence bonus but also gives offensive bonuses.

Body Slot: Rune Platebody

  • Slash Bonus: +80
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 and the completion of Dragon Slayer I to wear.

Legs Slot: Rune Platelegs/Rune Plateskirt

  • Slash Bonus: +49
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 to wear. Both give the same bonuses.

Feet Slot: Decorative Boots (Gold)

  • Slash Bonus: +11
  • Obtained from: Castle Wars Ticket Exchange.

Cape Slot: Black Cape

  • Slash Bonus: +1
  • Notes: All team capes, all colors of the normal cape, and the cabbage cape give the same defensive bonuses and have the same weights.

Shield Slot: Rune Kiteshield

  • Slash Bonus: +48
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 to wear.

Hands Slot: Green D'hide Vambraces/Gilded D'hide Vambraces

  • Slash Bonus: +2
  • Requirements: Requires Ranged 40 to wear. Both give the same bonuses.

Weapon Slot: Staff/Rune Longsword

  • Slash Bonus: +3
  • Notes: The staff, magic staff, and elemental staves all give the same Melee Defence. Longswords all give the same Defence.

Total Slash Bonus: +233

Best Crush-focused Defensive Equipment Setup:

Head Slot: Rune Full Helm

  • Crush Bonus: +27
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 to wear.

Neck Slot: Amulet of Defence

  • Crush Bonus: +7
  • Notes: The Amulet of Power offers +6 Defence bonus but also gives offensive bonuses.

Body Slot: Rune Chainbody

  • Crush Bonus: +78
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 to wear.

Legs Slot: Rune Platelegs/Rune Plateskirt

  • Crush Bonus: +47
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 to wear. Both give the same bonuses.

Feet Slot: Decorative Boots (Gold)

  • Crush Bonus: +12
  • Obtained from: Castle Wars Ticket Exchange.

Cape Slot: Black Cape

  • Crush Bonus: +1
  • Notes: All team capes, all colors of the normal cape, and the cabbage cape give the same defensive bonuses and have the same weights.

Shield Slot: Rune Kiteshield

  • Crush Bonus: +46
  • Requirements: Requires Defence 40 to wear.

Hands Slot: Gilded D'hide Vambraces

  • Crush Bonus: +4
  • Requirements: Requires Ranged 40 to wear.

Weapon Slot: Rune Longsword

  • Crush Bonus: +2
  • Notes: Longswords all give the same Defence.

Total Crush Bonus: +224

Gear Up!

Getting the right gear in OSRS will make or break those hard bosses and raids. Hopefully, you're able to make good use of this guide in the future.

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