OSRS Prayer Leveling Guide Fastest and Cheapest Methods to 99

OSRS Prayer Leveling Guide Fastest and Cheapest Methods to 99

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 one of the most expensive and click-intensive skills to train. Whether you’re a main account, Ironman, or free-to-play (F2P) player, this comprehensive guide covers the fastest and cheapest methods to level Prayer from 1 to 99, with tips to save gold and time. Let’s dive into the best strategies to maximize your Prayer XP while keeping costs low.

Prayer enhances your combat effectiveness by unlocking abilities that boost stats, protect against damage, or regenerate hitpoints. Reaching key milestones like level 43 (protection prayers) or 70 (Piety) can make bossing, PvP, and questing significantly easier. However, training Prayer requires bones, ashes, or other remains, which can cost millions of gold. This guide balances speed, cost, and accessibility to suit different playstyles.

Early Prayer Levels Through Quests

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Before grinding bones, complete quests to skip the early levels for free. These quests provide Prayer XP with minimal requirements, saving you time and gold.

Recommended Quests for Prayer XP

  • The Restless Ghost: Rewards 1,125 XP, boosting you to level 9 instantly. No requirements, perfect for new accounts.
  • Priest in Peril: Grants 1,406 XP. Requires defeating a level 30 enemy, accessible with basic gear.
  • Recruitment Drive: Gives 1,000 XP. Needs completion of Druidic Ritual and Black Knights’ Fortress.
  • Holy Grail: Provides 11,000 XP, enough to reach level 30 from level 1 when combined with the above. Requires 20 Attack and Merlin’s Crystal.

Completing these quests yields 14,531 XP, taking you to level 30 without burying a single bone. For F2P players, The Restless Ghost is a must, while members should prioritize all four for a strong head start.

Fastest Prayer Training Methods for P2P

Pay-to-play (P2P) players have access to the most efficient Prayer training methods, offering high XP rates but varying costs. Below are the top options, ranked by speed and practicality.

Gilded Altar

The gilded altar in a player-owned house (POH) is the fastest way to train Prayer, providing 350% XP per bone when both incense burners are lit. Dragon bones or superior dragon bones are the most popular choices due to their balance of cost and XP.

  • Requirements: Access to a POH with a gilded altar (level 75 Construction or use another player’s house, e.g., World 330 Rimmington).
  • Setup: Light both incense burners with marrentill herbs (requires level 30 Firemaking). Use the Menu Entry Swapper RuneLite plugin to set “use” as the default bone action.
  • XP Rates: Up to 500k XP/hour with dragon bones, 1M XP/hour with superior dragon bones.
  • Cost: Around 100-200M gold to 99 with dragon bones, depending on Grand Exchange prices.

Tip: Use a bank chest in a PvP world near Camelot Castle for quick banking, then teleport to the POH. This method is ideal for mains with gold to spend.

Chaos Altar

Located in level 38 Wilderness, the Chaos Altar offers the same 350% XP as a gilded altar but with a 50% chance to preserve the bone, effectively doubling XP per bone to 700%. It’s cheaper but riskier due to PKers.

  • Requirements: Ghorrock teleport or burning amulet, low-value gear to minimize loss.
  • Setup: Bring noted bones and un-note them with the Elder Chaos Druid for 50 coins per note. Use RuneLite plugins like Player Indicators to spot PKers.
  • XP Rates: 200-300k XP/hour with dragon bones, lower than gilded altars due to travel and PKer interruptions.
  • Cost: Roughly 50-75M to 99, nearly half the gilded altar cost.

Tip: Bring small inventories (e.g., 4-8 bones) to reduce risk. World-hop frequently and avoid peak hours to minimize PKer encounters.

Ensouled Heads

Reanimating ensouled heads with Arceuus spells is a slower but cheaper alternative. You cast a spell to summon a monster, kill it, and gain Prayer XP.

  • Requirements: Access to Arceuus spellbook, Magic level (varies by head, e.g., 93 for dragon heads), combat gear.
  • Setup: Buy ensouled heads from the Grand Exchange, teleport to the Dark Altar (fairy ring code CIS), and reanimate near a bank like Edgeville.
  • XP Rates: 145-300k XP/hour, depending on head type and combat efficiency.
  • Cost: 30-50M to 99 with dragon heads, saving 70% compared to gilded altars.

Tip: Use dragon heads for the best XP-to-cost ratio. This method also trains Magic and combat, making it macro-efficient.

Prayer Training for Ironman Accounts

Ironmen can’t buy bones from the Grand Exchange, so they rely on gathering remains through combat or alternative methods. Here are the best options for Ironman Prayer training.

Chaos Altar with Dragon Bones

Dragon bones from green or blue dragons paired with the Chaos Altar are the go-to for Ironmen. The bone preservation chance reduces the grind significantly.

  • Strategy: Kill green dragons east of the Chaos Altar for bones, then offer them immediately. Use a safespot to avoid PKers while killing.
  • XP Rates: 200-250k XP/hour, depending on kill speed and interruptions.
  • Requirements: 70 Agility for shortcuts, decent combat stats (60+ recommended).

Tip: Store bones in a looting bag to extend trips. This method is risky but efficient for mid-to-high-level Ironmen.

Ectofuntus

The Ectofuntus in Morytania offers 400% XP per bone, the highest multiplier, but it’s slower due to the grinding process. It’s great for early-game Ironmen.

  • Requirements: Completion of Ghosts Ahoy for Ectophial teleport, empty pots, and buckets.
  • Setup: Grind bones into bonemeal upstairs, collect slime downstairs, and worship the Ectofuntus.
  • XP Rates: 50-70k XP/hour with dragon bones.
  • Cost: Free, assuming you gather bones from PvM.

Tip: Use blue dragon bones from the Ogre Enclave (Watchtower quest) for a steady supply. This method suits low-level Ironmen with limited combat options.

Varlamore Prayer Training

Introduced with Varlamore, offering blessed bone shards at the Teomat’s libation bowl is a safe, decent XP method for Ironmen.

  • Requirements: Level 30 Prayer, access to Varlamore, jugs of blessed wine.
  • Setup: Convert bones into blessed bone shards, fill the libation bowl with wine, and sacrifice shards (drains 2 Prayer points per action).
  • XP Rates: 100-150k XP/hour with manual clicking.

Tip: Recharge Prayer at the Shrine of Ralos to sustain offerings. This is slower than the Chaos Altar but safer and viable for mid-level Ironmen.

F2P Prayer Training Methods

F2P Prayer training is notoriously slow and expensive, with limited options. However, combining methods can make it manageable.

Power Burying

Burying big bones while scattering vile ashes is the fastest F2P method, doubling XP per tick.

  • Requirements: Gold to buy big bones and vile ashes from the Grand Exchange.
  • XP Rates: Up to 100k XP/hour with perfect clicks.
  • Cost: 150-200M to 99, assuming current prices.

Tip: Use a high-traffic world like 301 to reduce banking time. This method is click-intensive, so take breaks to avoid fatigue.

Bone Yard in Wilderness

The Bone Yard north of Varrock spawns bones and big bones for free, ideal for F2P Ironmen or budget players.

  • Requirements: Basic armor, food to tank level 25 skeletons.
  • XP Rates: 9-10k XP/hour burying bones on-site.
  • Cost: Free, but risky due to PKers.

Tip: Wear cheap gear and bring only what you’re willing to lose. Run to Varrock to bank if you want to save bones.

Camdozaal Altar

Offering fish at the Ruins of Camdozaal is a low-effort F2P method, requiring Fishing and Cooking.

  • Requirements: Level 7 Fishing/Cooking, completion of Below Ice Mountain.
  • Setup: Catch fish, prepare them with a knife, and offer at the altar. Tetra fish (level 33 Fishing/Cooking) give the most XP.
  • XP Rates: 2-3k Prayer XP/hour, plus Fishing/Cooking XP.

Tip: Buy the Fishing and Preparation buffs from Ramarno’s Shard Exchange for slight XP boosts.

Method XP/Hour Cost to 99 (M) Best For
Gilded Altar 500k-1M 100-200 Mains with gold
Chaos Altar 200-300k 50-75 Budget mains, Ironmen
Ensouled Heads 145-300k 30-50 Low-budget mains
Ectofuntus 50-70k Free (PvM) Low-level Ironmen
Power Burying (F2P) 100k 150-200 F2P mains

Final Tips: Prioritize quests early, choose methods based on your budget, and use RuneLite plugins to streamline training. For Ironmen, focus on safe bone sources like dragons. F2P players should consider membership for faster methods if affordable. With these strategies, you’ll hit 99 Prayer efficiently, ready to tackle Gielinor’s toughest challenges.