Best Melee Weapons in Old School RuneScape for 2025

Best Melee Weapons in Old School RuneScape for 2025

Melee combat remains a cornerstone of Old School RuneScape (OSRS), offering players a thrilling way to tackle monsters, bosses, and PvP encounters. With a vast array of weapons available, choosing the best melee weapon can be daunting. This guide dives into the top melee weapons in OSRS for 2025, covering their stats, uses, and how to get them. Whether you’re a seasoned warrior or a new adventurer, we’ll help you pick the perfect blade, mace, or axe to dominate Gielinor.

Melee weapons are the backbone of close-quarters combat, excelling in direct, high-damage encounters. Unlike ranged or magic, melee doesn’t require ammunition or runes, making it cost-effective for prolonged fights. The Attack, Strength, and Defence skills determine your melee prowess, with weapons varying in attack styles (stab, slash, crush) and speed. Choosing the right weapon depends on your combat level, budget, and the enemies you face, as each weapon shines in specific scenarios.

Key Factors for Choosing a Melee Weapon

  • Attack and Strength Bonuses: Higher bonuses mean better accuracy and damage.
  • Attack Speed: Faster weapons deal damage more frequently, increasing DPS.
  • Special Attacks: Unique abilities can turn the tide in tough fights.
  • Cost and Accessibility: Some weapons are affordable, while others require significant grinding or gold.

Top Melee Weapons for High-Level Players

OSRS The 10 Best Melee Weapons Ranked Gaming Gorilla

For endgame content like raids, bossing, and PvP, high-level melee weapons are essential. These weapons boast superior stats and often come with powerful special attacks, making them ideal for tackling Gielinor’s toughest challenges.

Scythe of Vitur

The Scythe of Vitur is widely regarded as the most powerful melee weapon in OSRS. Its unique area-of-effect attack hits up to three targets, making it a beast in multi-combat scenarios like the Theatre of Blood or Nightmare of Ashihama.

  • Stats: +75 Slash, +110 Strength
  • Requirements: 80 Attack, 90 Strength
  • How to Get: Rare drop from the Theatre of Blood
  • Best For: High-damage bossing and multi-target fights

Despite its lower slash bonus compared to other weapons, the Scythe’s passive effect triples its damage output against larger enemies, cementing its status as a must-have for serious PvM players.

Blade of Saeldor

The Blade of Saeldor is a top-tier one-handed slash weapon, tied with the Ghrazi Rapier for the highest single-handed weapon stats. Its speed and accuracy make it excellent for general PvM and Slayer tasks.

  • Stats: +94 Slash, +55 Strength
  • Requirements: 80 Attack
  • How to Get: Dropped in The Gauntlet or Corrupted Gauntlet
  • Best For: Slayer, mid-to-high-level bossing

You can make it non-degradable with 1,000 crystal shards, but this renders it untradeable, a trade-off many players weigh carefully.

Ghrazi Rapier

The Ghrazi Rapier is a stab-focused weapon with identical stats to the Blade of Saeldor, making it a favorite for enemies weak to stab attacks, like dragons or certain bosses.

  • Stats: +94 Stab, +55 Strength
  • Requirements: 80 Attack
  • How to Get: Theatre of Blood drop
  • Best For: Stab-weak enemies, PvM

Its pinpoint accuracy shines in encounters like Zulrah or Vorkath, where stab is the optimal attack style.

Best Melee Weapons for Mid-Level Players

Not everyone has access to endgame gear, but mid-level players can still wield powerful weapons that pack a punch without breaking the bank. These options are great for Slayer, training, and early bossing.

Abyssal Whip

The Abyssal Whip is an iconic one-handed weapon known for its speed and versatility. It’s a staple for players training combat or tackling mid-level content.

  • Stats: +82 Slash, +82 Strength
  • Requirements: 70 Attack
  • How to Get: Dropped by Abyssal Demons (85 Slayer) or bought for ~1.5M GP
  • Best For: Slayer, training, PvP

Its special attack, Energy Drain, boosts accuracy by 25% and drains run energy in PvP, making it a solid all-rounder.

Dragon Scimitar

The Dragon Scimitar is a budget-friendly slash weapon ideal for players just hitting 60 Attack. Its fast attack speed makes it a go-to for strength training.

  • Stats: +67 Slash, +66 Strength
  • Requirements: 60 Attack, completion of Monkey Madness I
  • How to Get: Bought from Daga on Ape Atoll
  • Best For: Training, low-to-mid-level Slayer

Its special attack, Sever, boosts accuracy and damage, offering a reliable option for early-game adventurers.

Specialized Melee Weapons for Unique Scenarios

Some melee weapons excel in niche situations, offering unique mechanics or bonuses that make them indispensable for specific tasks.

Soulreaper Axe

The Soulreaper Axe is a two-handed powerhouse with a stacking mechanic that boosts strength with each hit, at the cost of 8 hitpoints per swing.

  • Stats: +134 Slash, +121 Strength
  • Requirements: 80 Attack, 80 Strength
  • How to Get: Crafted from four components dropped by Desert Treasure II bosses (~300M GP)
  • Best For: High-defence bosses, PvM

It’s perfect for fights where you can afford the health trade-off, like against Bandos or Corporeal Beast.

Inquisitor’s Mace

The Inquisitor’s Mace dominates crush-based combat, offering unmatched accuracy and strength for enemies weak to crush, such as those in the Chambers of Xeric.

  • Stats: +95 Crush, +52 Strength
  • Requirements: 80 Attack
  • How to Get: Dropped in Nightmare of Ashihama
  • Best For: Crush-weak enemies, raids

Pair it with Inquisitor’s armor for a set bonus that further boosts crush accuracy.

Budget and Free-to-Play Options

For free-to-play (F2P) players or those on a tight budget, there are still solid melee weapons that deliver great performance without requiring millions of gold or high-level quests.

Rune Scimitar

The Rune Scimitar is the best F2P melee weapon, offering excellent DPS for its tier and accessibility for low-to-mid-level players.

  • Stats: +45 Slash, +44 Strength
  • Requirements: 40 Attack
  • How to Get: Bought from Zeke’s Scimitar Shop or dropped by Fire Giants
  • Best For: F2P combat, early Slayer

Its fast attack speed makes it a favorite for training and general combat in F2P worlds.

Saradomin Sword

The Saradomin Sword is a two-handed weapon with a unique special attack, Saradomin’s Lightning, which deals magic-based damage, adding versatility to melee builds.

  • Stats: +82 Slash, +82 Strength
  • Requirements: 70 Attack
  • How to Get: Dropped by Commander Zilyana in God Wars Dungeon
  • Best For: Strength training, hybrid fights

It’s a great middle ground for players transitioning to member content.

Comparing the Best Melee Weapons

To help you choose, here’s a comparison of the top melee weapons based on key stats and use cases.

Weapon Attack Bonus Strength Bonus Speed Requirements Best Use
Scythe of Vitur +75 Slash +110 5 ticks 80 Attack, 90 Strength Bossing, multi-target
Blade of Saeldor +94 Slash +55 4 ticks 80 Attack Slayer, PvM
Ghrazi Rapier +94 Stab +55 4 ticks 80 Attack Stab-weak enemies
Abyssal Whip +82 Slash +82 4 ticks 70 Attack Training, PvP
Rune Scimitar +45 Slash +44 4 ticks 40 Attack F2P, early game

How to Choose Your Weapon

Your choice depends on your goals:

  • Max DPS: Scythe of Vitur for multi-target, Blade of Saeldor or Ghrazi Rapier for single-target.
  • Training: Abyssal Whip or Dragon Scimitar for speed and efficiency.
  • Budget: Rune Scimitar for F2P or Dragon Scimitar for early members.
  • Niche: Soulreaper Axe for high-defence targets, Inquisitor’s Mace for crush-heavy fights.

With these weapons in your arsenal, you’ll be ready to conquer any challenge in Old School RuneScape. Equip wisely, train hard, and may your hits always land true!