OSRS Best Bones for Prayer XP Ultimate Guide

Prayer is a cornerstone skill in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), offering powerful combat buffs like protection prayers and stat boosts. However, training Prayer can be a grind, and choosing the right bones is key to maximizing experience points (XP) while balancing cost and efficiency. This guide dives into the best bones for Prayer XP in OSRS, covering their XP rates, costs, and training methods to help you reach your goals, whether you’re aiming for level 43, 70, or even 99. We’ll also explore altars, strategies, and tips to optimize your Prayer training.

Prayer enhances your combat prowess, making it essential for PvM, PvP, and even skilling. From Protect from Melee to Piety, higher Prayer levels unlock abilities that can turn the tide in tough battles. But Prayer training is notoriously expensive and click-intensive, especially in free-to-play (F2P). Selecting the best bones and methods can save you millions of GP and hours of time.

Understanding Prayer XP Mechanics

Prayer XP is primarily gained by burying bones, offering them at altars, or using alternative methods like ensouled heads. The XP per bone varies based on the bone type and the training method—burying gives the least XP, while altars like the Gilded Altar or Chaos Altar multiply XP significantly. For example, a dragon bone buried gives 72 XP, but at a Gilded Altar with both burners lit, it yields 252 XP.

Best Bones for Prayer XP

Not all bones are created equal. Below, we rank the top bones for Prayer XP based on their efficiency, availability, and cost, focusing on pay-to-play (P2P) methods since F2P options are limited.

Superior Dragon Bones

XP per Bone: 150 (525 at Gilded Altar, 1050 at Chaos Altar)

Superior dragon bones are the cream of the crop for Prayer training. Dropped by high-level bosses like Vorkath and requiring level 70 Prayer to use, these bones offer unmatched XP rates. At a Gilded Altar, you can hit up to 1,000,000 XP per hour, and the Chaos Altar pushes it even higher due to its 50% chance to not consume bones. However, they’re pricey, often costing 10,000-12,000 GP each, making them a premium choice for players with deep pockets.

Dragon Bones

XP per Bone: 72 (252 at Gilded Altar, 504 at Chaos Altar)

Dragon bones strike a balance between cost and XP efficiency. Dropped by dragons like green, blue, and red dragons, they’re widely available and cost around 2,000-3,000 GP each. At a Gilded Altar, expect 400,000-500,000 XP per hour with manual clicking. They’re the go-to for most players aiming for 99 Prayer without breaking the bank.

Wyvern Bones

XP per Bone: 72 (252 at Gilded Altar, 504 at Chaos Altar)

Wyvern bones, dropped by skeletal and fossil wyverns, match dragon bones in XP but are slightly cheaper, typically 1,800-2,500 GP. They’re a solid alternative if dragon bone prices spike. XP rates mirror dragon bones, making them interchangeable for most training methods.

Dagannoth Bones

XP per Bone: 125 (437.5 at Gilded Altar, 875 at Chaos Altar)

Dagannoth bones, dropped by Dagannoth Kings and Rex, offer a middle ground between dragon and superior dragon bones. Priced at 6,000-8,000 GP, they’re costlier than dragon bones but cheaper than superior ones. They’re ideal for players who want faster XP than dragon bones but can’t afford superior dragon bones en masse.

Big Bones

XP per Bone: 15 (52.5 at Gilded Altar, 105 at Chaos Altar)

Big bones are the budget option, dropped by giants and ogres and costing 200-300 GP each. While their XP is low, they’re viable for F2P players or Ironmen collecting bones through combat. They’re slow for high-level training, with Gilded Altar rates around 100,000 XP per hour, but they’re dirt cheap.

Comparing Bones and Costs

Choosing the right bone depends on your budget, goals, and training method. Below is a table summarizing the top bones, their XP, and approximate costs (based on 2025 Grand Exchange prices).

Bone Type	Base XP (Bury)	Gilded Altar XP	Chaos Altar XP	Approx. Cost (GP)	XP/Hour (Gilded)
Superior Dragon Bones	150	525	1050	10,000-12,000	~1,000,000
Dragon Bones	72	252	504	2,000-3,000	~500,000
Wyvern Bones	72	252	504	1,800-2,500	~500,000
Dagannoth Bones	125	437.5	875	6,000-8,000	~800,000
Big Bones	15	52.5	105	200-300	~100,000

Cost vs. Speed Trade-Off

Superior dragon bones are the fastest but cost 5-6 times more than dragon bones. For 99 Prayer (13,034,431 XP), you’d need roughly 24,828 superior dragon bones at a Gilded Altar, costing 250-300M GP. Dragon bones require 51,656 bones, totaling 100-150M GP. Big bones, while cheaper at 20-30M GP, take five times longer, making them less efficient unless you’re extremely GP-constrained.

Best Prayer Training Methods

The bones you choose pair with your training method. Here’s how to maximize XP using the best bones.

Gilded Altar

Why It’s Great: Gilded Altars in player-owned houses (POH) grant 350% XP per bone with both incense burners lit. World 330 (Rimmington) is the hub for public altars, where you can unnote bones at Phials for 5 GP each.

• Setup: Bring noted bones, GP, and teleport runes (or a house teleport tablet). Manually click each bone for 400,000-500,000 XP/hour with dragon bones, or up to 1M with superior dragon bones.
• Tip: Use a plugin like Runelite’s Menu Entry Swapper to avoid accidentally burying bones.

Chaos Altar

Why It’s Great: Located in level 38 Wilderness, the Chaos Altar offers 350% XP with a 50% chance to preserve bones, effectively doubling XP to 700%. The Elder Chaos Druid unnotes bones for 50 GP each.

• Risk: It’s a PKer hotspot. Bring minimal gear (e.g., burning amulet, bulwark) and expect occasional deaths.
• XP Rates: 700,000-900,000 XP/hour with dragon bones, 1.5M+ with superior dragon bones.
• Tip: Train during off-peak hours to reduce PKer encounters.

Varlamore Prayer (Blessed Bone Shards)

Why It’s Great: Introduced with Varlamore, this method uses blessed bone shards at the Teomat’s libation pool, yielding 290-340 XP per dragon bone equivalent with blessed sunfire wine.

• Requirements: 30 Prayer, Children of the Sun quest.
• XP Rates: Comparable to Gilded Altar but safer than Chaos Altar. Up to 1.7M XP/hour with optimized sunfire wine setups.
• Tip: Pre-prepare jugs of blessed sunfire wine for maximum efficiency.

Ectofuntus

Why It’s Great: Offers 400% XP per bone, slightly more than Gilded Altars, but it’s slower due to grinding bones and collecting slime.

• Setup: Grind bones into bonemeal, collect buckets of slime, and worship the Ectofuntus. Requires Ghosts Ahoy for Ectophial teleport.
• XP Rates: 200,000-300,000 XP/hour with dragon bones.
• Tip: Use infernal ashes to skip grinding, boosting efficiency.

Tips for Efficient Prayer Training

Maximize your Prayer grind with these strategies:

• Quest First: Complete quests like The Restless Ghost (1,125 XP) and Priest in Peril (1,406 XP) for early levels.
• Ironman Strategy: Farm dragon bones from green dragons or use the Chaos Altar to stretch resources. Varlamore’s bone shards are also excellent.
• Bank Efficiently: Use PvP worlds for Gilded Altar training to access the Camelot bank chest, cutting travel time.
• Monitor GE Prices: Bone prices fluctuate. Check the Grand Exchange for deals on dragon or wyvern bones.
• Combine Methods: Use big bones for early levels, then switch to dragon bones at 43 Prayer for protection prayers.

F2P Prayer Training

F2P players face tougher choices. Big bones are the best option, offering 15 XP when buried or 52.5 at a player’s altar (if you have membership access temporarily). Scattering vile ashes while burying big bones can hit 100,000 XP/hour, but it costs 180M GP to 99. The Bone Yard in the Wilderness provides free bones, yielding 6,000-9,000 XP/hour with tick manipulation.

Ensouled Heads Alternative

For P2P players, ensouled heads (e.g., dragon heads) offer a cheaper but slower alternative. Reanimating and killing them grants Prayer XP, with rates around 145,000-300,000 XP/hour at high Magic levels. They’re macro-efficient, boosting Magic and combat skills, but require 60% Arceuus favor and runes.

Whether you’re a main account splurging on superior dragon bones or an Ironman grinding wyvern bones, the right bones and method can make or break your Prayer training. For most players, dragon bones at a Gilded Altar offer the best balance of speed and cost. If you’re flush with GP, superior dragon bones at the Chaos Altar will get you to 99 fastest—just watch out for PKers. Happy training, and may Guthix bless your grind!