How to Unlock Ammonite Crabs in OSRS: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Unlock Ammonite Crabs in OSRS: A Step-by-Step Guide


If you’re an Old School RuneScape (OSRS) player looking to level up your combat skills efficiently, Ammonite Crabs are one of the best training spots in the game. Found exclusively on Fossil Island, these crabs offer high hitpoints, low combat stats, and an AFK-friendly training experience. However, unlocking access to them requires completing specific quests and meeting certain requirements. In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to unlock Ammonite Crabs in OSRS, from prerequisites to travel methods, ensuring you can start training as soon as possible.

Before diving into the unlocking process, let’s explore why Ammonite Crabs are worth your time. These creatures are a step up from other popular training spots like Rock Crabs and Sand Crabs, offering unique advantages for players of all levels.

High Hitpoints for Better XP

Ammonite Crabs have 100 hitpoints, significantly more than Sand Crabs (60 HP) or Rock Crabs (50 HP). This means each kill rewards you with 400 XP, making them ideal for faster combat experience gains, especially at higher levels.

AFK Training Made Easy

Like other crabs in OSRS, Ammonite Crabs are aggressive for about 10 minutes before becoming tolerant. With auto-retaliate enabled, you can stand in one spot and let your character handle the combat, making it a low-effort training method perfect for multitasking.

Exclusive Fossil Island Benefits

Training at Ammonite Crabs also gives you access to Fossil Island’s unique drops, like numulites and unidentified fossils, which can be used for profit or additional XP at the Varrock Museum. Plus, you’re already on the island for birdhouse runs or other activities, adding efficiency to your gameplay.

Prerequisites to Unlock Ammonite Crabs

Destroying the New Ammonite Crabs For Massive Melee EXP Road to 1 Bil

To access Ammonite Crabs, you’ll need to unlock Fossil Island, which involves completing a specific quest and gathering some prerequisites. Here’s what you need to do.

Complete the Bone Voyage Quest

The key to unlocking Ammonite Crabs is completing the Bone Voyage quest, which grants access to Fossil Island. This quest is relatively short but has its own set of requirements:

  • Quest Prerequisite: You must complete The Dig Site quest first. This is a beginner-friendly quest that introduces you to archaeology in OSRS.
  • Kudos Requirement: You need at least 100 Kudos with the Varrock Museum. Kudos are earned through various activities tied to the museum, which we’ll cover next.
  • Skill Requirements: There are no strict skill requirements for Bone Voyage, but having 30+ Construction can help with travel later (optional).

Gathering 100 Kudos

Earning 100 Kudos is the biggest hurdle for most players. Here’s how to achieve it efficiently:

  1. Complete The Dig Site Quest: This awards 5 Kudos automatically.
  2. Clean Finds: After The Dig Site, clean unidentified finds at the Varrock Museum for 5 Kudos each. You’ll need to clean around 15-20 finds (75-100 Kudos total), depending on luck.
  3. Answer Quiz Questions: Speak to Orlando Smith in the museum basement and complete his natural history quiz for 28 Kudos.
  4. Optional Quests: Quests like Natural History Quiz (included above) or delivering fossils from other activities can supplement your Kudos if needed.

With The Dig Site completed and some cleaning, you’ll hit 100 Kudos fairly quickly. Check your progress by talking to the museum staff or viewing the Kudos display upstairs.

Step-by-Step Guide to Unlocking Ammonite Crabs

Now that you understand the prerequisites, here’s a detailed walkthrough to unlock Ammonite Crabs in OSRS.

Step 1: Start with The Dig Site Quest

Head to the Varrock Dig Site east of Varrock and begin The Dig Site. You’ll need a few items like a rope, gloves, and a trowel, but it’s a straightforward quest. Completing it unlocks the museum activities needed for Kudos and sets you up for Bone Voyage.

Step 2: Earn 100 Kudos

After finishing The Dig Site, go to the Varrock Museum. Clean finds from your quest rewards or dig site trips, and don’t skip the natural history quiz in the basement. Aim to exceed 100 Kudos to ensure eligibility for Bone Voyage.

Step 3: Begin Bone Voyage

With 100 Kudos, travel to the Varrock Museum and speak to Curator Haig Halen. He’ll direct you to the barge north of the Dig Site. Talk to the Lead Navigator there to start Bone Voyage. You’ll need to gather materials like planks and nails, but the quest is short and involves a fun trip to Fossil Island.

Step 4: Arrive on Fossil Island

Once Bone Voyage is complete, you’ll arrive on Fossil Island. Ammonite Crabs are now accessible along the island’s coastlines and in the Wyvern Cave. Congratulations—you’ve unlocked one of the best training spots in OSRS!

How to Get to Ammonite Crabs

After unlocking Fossil Island, you’ll need a reliable way to reach Ammonite Crabs. Here are the best travel methods, depending on your resources and skills.

Method 1: Digsite Pendant Teleport

The fastest way is using a Digsite Pendant, which teleports you near the barge to Fossil Island. Here’s how to get one:

  • Craft It: Enchant a ruby necklace with the Level-3 Enchant spell (requires 49 Magic).
  • Requirements: Completion of The Dig Site quest to use it.
  • Pro Tip: At 82 Construction, mount a Digsite Pendant in your player-owned house for unlimited teleports.

From the teleport spot, run north to the barge and sail to Fossil Island.

Method 2: Manual Travel

If you don’t have a pendant, start at Varrock, run east to the Dig Site, then north to the barge. It’s slower but requires no items or skills beyond quest completion.

Method 3: Mushroom Teleport

Once on Fossil Island, use the Magic Mushtree network (unlocked during Bone Voyage) to quickly hop between key areas like the Mushroom Forest, where Ammonite Crabs spawn aplenty.

Best Spots and Training Tips for Ammonite Crabs

With access unlocked, it’s time to optimize your training. Here are the top spots and tips to maximize your experience at Ammonite Crabs.

Top Ammonite Crab Locations

Location Description Crab Count
Mushroom Forest Beach (West) Near the Magic Mushtree, by the seashell. 3
Mushroom Forest (Northeast) Close to hardwood farming patches. 3-4
North Wyvern Cave (Entrance) Safe from wyverns, near the cave entry. 2-3
Volcanic Beach (South) Quiet spot south of the volcano. 2-3

Training Tips

  • Use RuneLite: Enable the NPC Aggression Timer plugin to track when crabs stop being aggressive (every 10 minutes) and reset by running south briefly.
  • Gear Up: Bring affordable gear like Rune armor for melee or Black D’hide for ranged. Avoid degradable items to save costs.
  • Bring Food: Low-level players should pack some food (e.g., lobsters) to extend trips, though high-defense players rarely need it.
  • Maximize XP: Position yourself to aggro 3+ crabs at once for optimal XP rates—up to 80k/hr for ranged or melee at higher levels.

XP Rates by Combat Style

Here’s what you can expect based on your training method and level:

  • Melee: 20k-60k XP/hr (levels 40-99).
  • Ranged: 30k-80k XP/hr (levels 70-99).
  • Magic: 40k-70k XP/hr (levels 60-99 with autocast).

With these spots and tips, you’ll be grinding levels in no time while enjoying the laid-back vibe of Ammonite Crab training.

Unlocking Ammonite Crabs in OSRS is a straightforward process once you break it down: complete The Dig Site, earn 100 Kudos, finish Bone Voyage, and travel to Fossil Island. Whether you’re a pure, an ironman, or a casual player, these crabs offer a fantastic way to boost your combat stats with minimal effort. Start your journey today, and enjoy the AFK training bliss that Ammonite Crabs provide!