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Melee Money Making in OSRS: Top Methods for 2025
Old School RuneScape (OSRS) offers a variety of ways to stack gold, and melee combat remains one of the most engaging and profitable approaches. Whether you’re swinging a scimitar or wielding a godsword, melee money making combines the thrill of combat with solid GP gains. In Updated for 2025, this guide dives into the best melee-based money-making methods, perfect for players looking to maximize profits while slashing through Gielinor’s toughest foes. From low-level grinds to endgame bosses, we’ve got you covered with strategies, requirements, and profit estimates to help you build your bank.
Melee combat is a cornerstone of OSRS, offering a straightforward yet rewarding way to earn gold. Unlike skilling or ranged/magic methods, melee lets you get up close and personal, often yielding high-value loot from monsters and bosses. It’s ideal for players who enjoy fast-paced action and want to level combat stats alongside their wealth. Plus, with the right gear and tactics, melee can rival or even outpace other methods in hourly profits.
Benefits of Melee Money Making
- High Profit Potential: Bosses like Vorkath and Theatre of Blood drop loot worth millions.
- Combat XP: Earn Attack, Strength, and Defence XP while you profit.
- Accessibility: Options exist for all levels, from Hill Giants to endgame raids.
- Engagement: Active combat keeps you immersed in the game.
Challenges to Consider
Melee isn’t without its hurdles. High-level methods require significant gear investment and skill, while some areas (like the Wilderness) carry PKer risks. Still, with preparation, these challenges become manageable.
Top Melee Money Making Methods for All Levels
Here’s a breakdown of the best melee money-making methods in OSRS, sorted by difficulty and profit potential. Whether you’re a newbie or a maxed-out veteran, there’s something here for you.
Low-Level Melee: Hill Giants (300K-500K GP/Hour)
For beginners, Hill Giants in the Varrock Sewers are a classic. They’re easy to kill with basic melee gear and drop big bones, limpwurt roots, and occasional rares like the Giant Key.
- Requirements: 20+ Attack/Strength, Brass Key (400 GP from GE).
- Gear: Rune armor, scimitar.
- Tips: Bring a looting bag to extend trips.
Mid-Level Melee: Green Dragons (800K-1M GP/Hour)
Green Dragons in the Wilderness offer solid profits with dragon bones and hides. They’re simple to kill with melee, though PKers are a threat.
- Requirements: 50+ combat stats, anti-dragon shield.
- Gear: Dragon scimitar, rune armor.
- Tips: Stick to level 20 Wilderness or below for safer teleports.
High-Level Melee: Vorkath (2M-3M GP/Hour)
Dubbed the “money dragon,” Vorkath is a melee favorite. Post-Dragon Slayer II, this boss drops consistent loot like dragon bones, hides, and rares like the Draconic Visage.
- Requirements: 80+ Attack/Strength/Defence, Dragon Slayer II completed.
- Gear: Bandos armor, Dragon Hunter Lance, Salve Amulet (ei).
- Tips: Use a BGS special attack to lower its defense, then switch to Lance.
Endgame Melee: Theatre of Blood (6M-8M GP/Hour)
Theatre of Blood (ToB) is a raid requiring a team, but its melee-heavy fights reward you with loot like the Scythe of Vitur. Profits scale with team efficiency.
- Requirements: 90+ combat stats, team of 3-5.
- Gear: Scythe of Vitur, Bandos, Inquisitor’s Mace.
- Tips: Master roles like tanking to boost kills per hour.
Gear and Setup for Melee Money Making
Your gear can make or break your profits. Here’s a tiered guide to melee setups, from budget to BiS (Best-in-Slot).
Budget Setup (Under 10M GP)
| Slot | Item |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Dragon Scimitar |
| Armor | Rune Set |
| Amulet | Amulet of Strength |
Mid-Tier Setup (10M-50M GP)
| Slot | Item |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Abyssal Whip |
| Armor | Bandos Chestplate/Tassets |
| Amulet | Amulet of Fury |
Endgame Setup (50M+ GP)
| Slot | Item |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Scythe of Vitur |
| Armor | Inquisitor’s Set |
| Amulet | Torture |
Essential Supplies
- Prayer Potions: For Protect from Melee/Magic.
- Food: Sharks or better for sustained trips.
- Teleports: House tabs or jewelry for quick banking.
Maximizing Profits with Melee Tactics
Technique matters as much as gear. Here’s how to squeeze every GP out of your melee sessions.
Prayer Switching
For bosses like Vorkath or Demonic Gorillas, switch prayers based on attack styles (Melee, Ranged, Magic). RuneLite’s attack style plugin can help track switches.
Safe Spotting
Monsters like Green Dragons can be lured to safe spots, reducing damage taken and boosting efficiency.
Team Coordination
In raids like ToB, assign roles (e.g., tank, DPS) and practice to cut down clear times, directly increasing hourly GP.
Comparing Melee to Other Money Making Methods
How does melee stack up against skilling or ranged/magic? Let’s break it down.
Melee vs. Skilling
Skilling (e.g., mining Amethyst) offers 250K-500K GP/hour but lacks the excitement and XP of melee. High-end melee methods like ToB dwarf skilling profits.
Melee vs. Ranged/Magic
Ranged excels at bosses like Zulrah (2M-3M GP/hour), but melee shines in team content like ToB and offers better DPS with gear like the Scythe. Magic lags behind unless paired with melee (e.g., Barraging).
Profit Comparison Table
| Method | Type | GP/Hour |
|---|---|---|
| Vorkath | Melee | 2M-3M |
| Zulrah | Ranged/Magic | 2M-3M |
| Mining Amethyst | Skilling | 250K-350K |
| Theatre of Blood | Melee | 6M-8M |
Verdict: Melee dominates at the high end, offering unmatched profits for skilled players, though it requires more effort than AFK skilling.
Melee money making in OSRS is a goldmine for those willing to gear up and fight. From slaying Hill Giants at level 20 to raiding ToB with a maxed account, there’s a method for every player. Start small, upgrade your setup, and master your tactics—your bank will thank you. What’s your favorite melee money maker? Drop it in the comments and let’s keep the GP flowing!