The Fastest Way to Train Prayer in OSRS: A Comprehensive Guide

The Fastest Way to Train Prayer in OSRS: A Comprehensive Guide


Prayer is one of the most valuable skills in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), offering powerful combat buffs like protection prayers, Piety, and Rigour. However, it’s also notoriously expensive and time-consuming to train. If you’re looking for the fastest way to train Prayer in OSRS, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll explore the most efficient methods to level up Prayer quickly, whether you’re a main account, Ironman, or F2P player. From gilded altars to the Chaos Altar, we’ll break down the best strategies to hit 99 Prayer in record time.

Prayer is a cornerstone of OSRS combat, providing essential buffs that can make or break boss fights, PvP encounters, and slayer tasks. But why prioritize speed? The faster you train Prayer, the sooner you unlock game-changing prayers like Protect from Melee (level 43), Piety (level 70), or Augury (level 77). Plus, higher Prayer levels mean more prayer points restored per potion, saving you time and resources in the long run.

Key Benefits of High Prayer Levels

  • Combat Advantage: Protection prayers block damage, while offensive prayers boost your stats.
  • Efficiency: More prayer points per dose of potion.
  • Quest and Diary Requirements: Level 70 Prayer unlocks Piety and completes tough Achievement Diaries.

Fastest Prayer Training Methods for P2P Players

F2P 199 Prayer Guide for OSRS OldSchool RuneScape

For pay-to-play (P2P) players with access to OSRS gold and resources, the fastest Prayer training methods revolve around using high-experience bones at specialized altars. Let’s dive into the top options.

Gilded Altar: The Gold Standard

The gilded altar in a player-owned house (POH) is widely regarded as the fastest way to train Prayer in OSRS. When both incense burners are lit, it offers 350% experience per bone—meaning a dragon bone (72 XP when buried) yields 252 XP. With superior dragon bones, you can achieve over 1 million XP per hour.

How to Use a Gilded Altar:

  1. Build a gilded altar in your POH (requires 75 Construction, boostable).
  2. Light both incense burners with marrentill herbs and a tinderbox.
  3. Use noted bones on Phials in Rimmington to un-note them.
  4. Enter a house with a gilded altar (World 330 is a popular choice).
  5. Spam-click bones on the altar for maximum speed.

Chaos Altar: High Risk, High Reward

Located in level 38 Wilderness, the Chaos Altar offers the same 350% XP as a gilded altar but with a twist: there’s a 50% chance the bone isn’t consumed. This makes it incredibly cost-effective, though you’ll face the risk of player killers (PKers). With efficient banking via the nearby Elder Chaos Druid, you can hit 500k–700k XP per hour.

Tips for Chaos Altar Success:

  • Gear: Wear cheap defensive gear (e.g., monk robes) and bring a teleport like a burning amulet.
  • Inventory: Carry noted bones, un-note them with the Elder Chaos Druid (50 gp per note), and offer them.
  • Safety: Scout for PKers and keep prayer points for Protect Item.

Bone Shards and Libation Bowl (Varlamore Method)

Introduced with Varlamore, this method involves mining bone shards, blessing jugs of wine, and offering them at the Libation Bowl in Ralos’ Rise. With superior dragon bones and spam-clicking, you can exceed 1 million XP per hour, though mining time reduces the effective rate to 400k–600k XP/hr.

Steps for Bone Shards Method:

  1. Mine bone shards at Varlamore’s quarry (99 Mining yields 45k–50k Mining XP/hr).
  2. Bless jugs of wine at a temple (requires Prayer level).
  3. Spam-click the Libation Bowl with shards and wine in your inventory.

Prayer Training for Ironmen

Ironmen can’t buy bones from the Grand Exchange, so their fastest Prayer training methods rely on gathering resources themselves. The Chaos Altar shines here due to its bone-saving mechanic, but other options exist too.

Chaos Altar with Green Dragon Bones

For Ironmen, killing green dragons and using their bones at the Chaos Altar is the fastest route to 99 Prayer. Green dragons are accessible in the Wilderness, and each bone offers 252 XP at the altar (with a 50% chance to save it). Expect 400k–500k XP per hour with good gear and teleports.

Ensouled Heads: Multi-Skill Efficiency

Reanimating ensouled heads with the Arceuus spellbook provides Prayer XP while also training Magic and combat. Ensouled dragon heads (1,040 XP each) can push rates to 300k+ Prayer XP per hour at high Magic levels, making this a macro-efficient choice.

F2P Prayer Training: The Fastest Free Methods

Free-to-play (F2P) players face limited options, but there are still ways to train Prayer quickly without membership. These methods are click-intensive and costly, so patience is key.

Power Burying with Big Bones and Ashes

The fastest F2P method involves burying big bones (15 XP each) and scattering vile ashes (25 XP each) simultaneously. With optimal clicking, you can hit around 100k XP per hour, though it costs upwards of 275 million gp to reach 99.

Ruins of Camdozaal: Low-Effort Alternative

After completing Below Ice Mountain, offer prepared fish at the altar in the Ruins of Camdozaal. This yields 2,400–2,700 Prayer XP per hour with 33 Fishing and Cooking—slow, but semi-AFK and free.

Cost and XP Comparison of Prayer Methods

To choose the fastest method that fits your budget, here’s a breakdown of the top options. Prices fluctuate, so check the Grand Exchange for current rates.

Method XP per Hour Cost per XP (Approx.) Best Bones
Gilded Altar 1M+ 12–15 gp Superior Dragon Bones
Chaos Altar 500k–700k 6–8 gp Dragon Bones
Bone Shards 400k–600k Varies (Mining Time) Superior Dragon Bones
F2P Burying 100k 20–25 gp Big Bones + Vile Ashes

Which Method Should You Choose?

  • Main Accounts (P2P): Gilded Altar for pure speed; Chaos Altar for cost savings.
  • Ironmen: Chaos Altar with green dragon bones or ensouled heads for efficiency.
  • F2P Players: Power burying if you have gp; Camdozaal if you’re broke.

Tips to Maximize Prayer Training Speed

Regardless of your method, these tips will help you train Prayer faster and more efficiently.

Optimize Your Setup

Use the RuneLite plugin “Menu Entry Swapper” to make “Use” the default left-click option for bones on altars. Move your inventory close to the altar to reduce mouse travel time.

Leverage Quests for Early Levels

Complete quests like The Restless Ghost (1,125 XP), Priest in Peril (1,406 XP), and Holy Grail (11,000 XP) to jumpstart your Prayer level to 30+ without grinding.

Use Beasts of Burden

For Chaos Altar or gilded altar runs, bring a Pack Yak or War Tortoise to carry extra bones, boosting XP per trip.

Training Prayer in OSRS doesn’t have to be a slow grind. Whether you’re splashing cash on superior dragon bones at a gilded altar or braving the Wilderness at the Chaos Altar, the fastest methods can get you to 99 in under 20 hours with the right setup. Pick your strategy, optimize your clicks, and watch those Prayer levels soar. Happy training, and may the gods of Gielinor bless your journey!