Best OSRS Melee Gear for Dominating Combat in 2025

Old School RuneScape (OSRS) thrives on its intense melee combat, where the right gear can make or break your battles against monsters, bosses, or players. Whether you’re slashing through Slayer tasks or tanking in PvP, equipping the best melee gear optimizes your damage, defense, and survivability. This guide dives into the top-tier melee equipment in 2025, covering armor, weapons, and accessories to help you excel. Let’s explore what gear you should grind for to become a melee powerhouse.

Melee combat relies on three core skills: Attack, Strength, and Defence. Your gear directly boosts these stats, improving accuracy, damage, and protection. Choosing the right setup depends on your playstyle—whether you prioritize raw damage (DPS), tanking, or a hybrid approach for PvM or PvP. High-quality gear also enhances prayer bonuses and special effects, critical for prolonged fights against tough bosses like those in the God Wars Dungeon or Theatre of Blood.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Gear

Before diving into specific items, consider these factors:

• Stat Bonuses: Look for gear that maximizes Strength for damage or Defence for survivability.
• Cost vs. Benefit: Some items, like the Avernic Defender, offer huge boosts but cost millions.
• Requirements: High-end gear often requires specific combat levels or quest completions.
• Playstyle: PvP builds may favor speed, while PvM tanks need durability.

Top Melee Armor Sets for Every Scenario

Armor forms the backbone of your melee setup, balancing offensive and defensive stats. Below are the best armor sets for different situations, ranked by effectiveness and accessibility.

Justiciar Armor Set

The Justiciar Armor Set is the ultimate choice for tanking, offering unmatched defensive bonuses. With +287 stab, +285 slash, +265 crush, and +311 ranged defense, it’s ideal for soaking damage in high-pressure PvM like raids or boss fights. Its passive effect reduces incoming damage, making it a lifesaver against heavy-hitting enemies. However, it requires 75 Defence and costs tens of millions, so it’s an endgame investment.

Torva Armor Set

For players seeking a balance of offense and defense, Torva Armor reigns supreme. Dropped in the Nex encounter, it provides massive Strength bonuses (+6 on the chestplate alone) alongside stellar defensive stats. It’s perfect for DPS-focused PvM, like slaying Cerberus or tackling Chambers of Xeric. You’ll need 80 Defence, and its price tag often exceeds 500 million gold, but its power justifies the grind.

Bandos Armor

Bandos Armor (Chestplate and Tassets) is a mid-to-high-tier staple, accessible at 65 Defence. It offers +6 Strength bonus when paired, boosting damage significantly. Dropped by General Graardor, each piece costs around 30 million gold, making it more affordable than Torva or Justiciar. It’s a go-to for Slayer tasks and mid-level bossing due to its versatility.

Armor Set	Defence Req.	Strength Bonus	Approx. Cost	Best Use
Justiciar	75	+0	50M+	Tanking PvM
Torva	80	+14 (full)	500M+	DPS PvM
Bandos	65	+6	60M (set)	Slayer, Mid-tier Bossing

Best Melee Weapons for Maximum Damage

Weapons define your melee DPS, with choices varying by attack style (stab, slash, or crush) and speed. Here’s a breakdown of the top melee weapons to wield in 2025.

Scythe of Vitur

The Scythe of Vitur is the king of melee weapons, excelling in multi-target scenarios. Its unique area-of-effect attack hits up to three enemies, making it perfect for Slayer tasks like Nechryaels or boss fights with minions. Requiring 80 Attack and 90 Strength, it’s a Theatre of Blood drop costing over 1 billion gold, but its slash-focused power is unmatched.

Osmumten’s Fang

For single-target DPS, Osmumten’s Fang shines. Its passive effect boosts accuracy against high-defence targets, ideal for bosses like Zulrah or Corporeal Beast. Requiring 82 Attack, it’s a Tombs of Amascut drop, priced around 100 million gold. Its stab attack makes it a must-have for precision builds.

Ghrazi Rapier

The Ghrazi Rapier is a versatile one-handed stab weapon, rivaling the Fang for single-target damage. With 94 Attack required, it’s another Theatre of Blood drop, costing 80-100 million gold. Pair it with a defender for maximum DPS in PvM or PvP scenarios.

Essential Accessories for Melee Builds

Accessories like capes, gloves, and rings can tip the scales in combat. These items provide critical boosts to Strength, accuracy, or utility.

Infernal Cape

Earned by conquering the Inferno, the Infernal Cape is the best melee cape, offering +4 Strength and +12 to all defenses. It’s a grueling challenge with no stat requirements, but its bonuses make it essential for endgame PvM. The Fire Cape (+4 Strength, +11 defenses) is a solid alternative for those not yet ready for the Inferno.

Ferocious Gloves

Ferocious Gloves dominate the glove slot with +16 to stab, slash, and crush attack, plus +16 Strength. Dropped by the Alchemical Hydra, they require 80 Attack and Strength. Priced at around 8 million gold, they outshine Barrows Gloves for pure melee DPS, though they lack defensive bonuses.

Avernic Defender

The Avernic Defender is the top off-hand for DPS, providing +30 stab, +29 slash, +27 crush defense, and +8 Strength. Upgraded from the Dragon Defender with a Theatre of Blood hilt, it requires 70 Attack and Defence. At 65 million gold, it’s a game-changer for one-handed weapon users.

Bellator Ring

The Bellator Ring offers the highest slash attack bonus (+20) in the game, perfect for Scythe or Rapier users. Crafted after defeating the Whisperer, it requires 90 Magic and 80 Crafting. Its 10-15 million gold price makes it a worthwhile investment for slash-focused builds.

Budget-Friendly Melee Gear Options

Not everyone can afford Torva or a Scythe, so here are cost-effective alternatives for newer or mid-level players.

Fighter Torso

Obtained from Barbarian Assault, the Fighter Torso matches Bandos Chestplate’s +4 Strength bonus for free, requiring only time and teamwork. With 40 Defence, it’s a budget DPS staple for Slayer or early bossing.

Obsidian Armor

The Obsidian Armor set boosts melee damage by 10% when paired with a Berserker Necklace, rivaling Bandos for far less cost (around 2 million gold total). At 60 Defence, it’s great for low-budget DPS builds, though its defensive stats are weaker.

Dragon Scimitar

For early-game players, the Dragon Scimitar is a fast, slash-based weapon requiring 60 Attack. Priced under 100k gold, it’s perfect for training or low-level PvM after completing Monkey Madness I.

Key Budget Gear Tips:

• Focus on Strength bonuses over Defence for faster kills.
• Use the Grand Exchange to snag deals on mid-tier items like Rune armor.
• Complete quests like The Fremennik Trials for access to affordable helms like the Berserker Helm.

Investing in the best OSRS melee gear transforms your combat experience, whether you’re a PvM veteran or a PvP rookie. From the tanky Justiciar set to the devastating Scythe of Vitur, these items offer unmatched power for their price—though budget options like the Fighter Torso keep you competitive without breaking the bank. Prioritize gear that fits your combat level, budget, and goals, and you’ll be dominating Gielinor in no time. Happy grinding!