OSRS Hardest Skills to Train: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering the Toughest Challenges
Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a game that thrives on its grind, but some skills take that challenge to another level. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a newcomer, training certain skills can feel like an uphill battle due to their time-intensive nature, high resource demands, or sheer complexity. In this guide, we’ll dive into the hardest skills to train in OSRS, exploring why they’re so tough, how to tackle them, and tips to make the grind bearable. From Runecrafting to Slayer, let’s break down the skills that test your patience and dedication.
Not all skills in OSRS are created equal. Factors like slow experience rates, high costs, or the need for constant attention make certain skills notoriously difficult. The hardest skills often require a mix of preparation, strategy, and persistence, pushing players to their limits. Below, we’ll explore the top contenders for the most challenging skills to train and what makes them stand out in the grind-heavy world of Gielinor.
Factors That Define Difficulty
Several elements contribute to a skill’s difficulty:
- Slow XP Rates: Some skills offer painfully low experience per action, stretching the journey to 99.
- Resource Intensity: High costs in gold or materials can gate progress.
- Attention Demand: Click-intensive or complex methods drain focus.
- Level Requirements: Prerequisites or quests can delay training.
Runecrafting: The King of Grinds
Runecrafting often tops the list as the hardest skill to train in OSRS—and for good reason. With its sluggish experience rates, repetitive nature, and reliance on essence, it’s a skill that demands unwavering commitment. Even at higher levels, the grind doesn’t let up, making that level 99 cape a rare sight.
What Makes Runecrafting So Tough?
The core challenge lies in its mechanics. You’re ferrying rune essence or pure essence to altars, crafting runes, and repeating the process ad nauseam. Early levels offer tiny XP rewards—air runes grant just 5 XP each—while the best methods, like lava runes, require intense focus and coordination.
Best Methods to Train Runecrafting
- Levels 1-23: Craft air and mind runes for early gains.
- Levels 23-44: Switch to fire runes with the Duel Arena altar.
- Levels 44-99: Lava runes via the Fire Altar offer 40-70k XP/hour but demand stamina potions and precise clicks.
Tip: Complete the “Enter the Abyss” miniquest for the Abyss method, cutting travel time significantly.
Slayer: A Test of Patience and Combat
Slayer isn’t just about combat—it’s a marathon of task management, gear optimization, and RNG. While it’s a fan-favorite skill, reaching 99 can feel like an eternity due to its reliance on task assignments and the need to juggle combat efficiency with XP gains.
Why Slayer Feels Endless
Unlike pure combat skills, Slayer’s XP is tied to specific monster kills assigned by masters. Early tasks are slow, and even at higher levels, you’re at the mercy of RNG for profitable or XP-heavy assignments. Plus, the skill often requires decent stats in Attack, Strength, and Defense to tackle tougher foes.
Strategies to Conquer Slayer
- Use Duradel: At 100 combat, this Shilo Village master offers the best tasks.
- Block/Skip Wisely: Save points to avoid slow tasks like suqahs.
- Cannon and Burst: Speed up tasks with a dwarf cannon or ancient magicks.
Pro Tip: Pair Slayer with bossing (e.g., Cerberus) for profit alongside XP.
Agility: Click-Intensive Torture
Agility is the poster child for click-intensive skills. Running laps around obstacle courses might sound simple, but the repetitive nature, combined with modest XP rates, makes it a grind few enjoy. It’s essential for shortcuts and stamina, yet the journey to 99 is a slog.
The Agility Struggle
Low-level courses like Gnome Stronghold yield under 10k XP/hour, and even the best method—Prifddinas at 75 Agility—tops out at 66k XP/hour. Add in the risk of failing obstacles (especially pre-70) and the constant need to click, and you’ve got a recipe for frustration.
Top Agility Training Spots
| Course | Level | XP/Hour |
|---|---|---|
| Gnome Stronghold | 1 | 8k |
| Canifis Rooftop | 40 | 18k |
| Prifddinas | 75 | 66k |
Tip: Use the graceful outfit to reduce energy drain and boost efficiency.
Mining: Slow and Steady Pain
Mining might seem straightforward—whack a rock, get an ore—but its slow XP rates and competition for resources make it a contender for the hardest skill to max. From copper rocks to amethyst, the grind is real, and even AFK methods can’t fully ease the pain.
Why Mining Tests Your Resolve
Early levels offer 17.5 XP per copper ore, and while methods like Motherlode Mine (30-50k XP/hour) help, the top-tier Volcanic Mine (up to 90k XP/hour) requires group coordination and high risk. Resource scarcity in crowded worlds adds another layer of difficulty.
Mining Training Breakdown
- Levels 1-15: Mine copper/tin in Lumbridge.
- Levels 30-70: Motherlode Mine for steady XP and profit.
- Levels 70-99: Amethyst mining (60k XP/hour) or Volcanic Mine (90k XP/hour).
Tip: Equip a dragon pickaxe (61 Mining) for faster ore gathering.
Herblore: The Gold Sink Skill
Herblore turns your GP into XP, and that’s its biggest hurdle. Crafting potions is fast once you have materials, but gathering herbs, secondaries, and the cash to fund it all makes this skill a financial nightmare for many players.
The Cost of Herblore Mastery
A single prayer potion at level 38 costs hundreds of GP for 25 XP, and high-level potions like super combats can run millions to mass-produce. Without a fat bankroll or Farming to supply herbs, Herblore’s grind is brutal.
How to Train Herblore Efficiently
- Quest Boosts: Complete “Druidic Ritual” and “Jungle Potion” for early levels.
- Farming Synergy: Grow ranarrs and snapdragons for profit and XP.
- Endgame Push: Make saradomin brews or extended antifires for 150-200k XP/hour.
Tip: Buy supplies during off-peak Grand Exchange hours to save GP.
Honorable Mentions and Final Thoughts
While Runecrafting, Slayer, Agility, Mining, and Herblore take the crown for difficulty, other skills like Construction (costly planks) and Fishing (slow early gains) deserve a nod. Each tough skill has its own flavor of challenge, whether it’s time, money, or focus.
Comparing the Hardest Skills
| Skill | Main Challenge | Max XP/Hour |
|---|---|---|
| Runecrafting | Slow XP, repetitive | 70k |
| Slayer | RNG tasks | 80k |
| Agility | Click-intensive | 66k |
| Mining | Slow early gains | 90k |
| Herblore | High cost | 200k |
Training the hardest skills in OSRS isn’t just about reaching 99—it’s about mastering the grind. Whether you’re banking runes at the Ourania Altar, slaying abyssal demons, or leaping across rooftops, the journey builds character (and carpal tunnel). Pick your poison, plan your approach, and embrace the challenge. Which skill do you find toughest? Let us know as you conquer Gielinor’s most grueling tests!