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Fletching Leveling Guide OSRS

Fletching in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is one of the fastest skills to train, offering players the ability to craft ranged weapons and ammunition while potentially making a profit. Whether you’re aiming for the coveted level 99 skill cape or just want to unlock key ranged gear, this guide covers the most efficient methods to level Fletching from 1 to 99. From low-level quests to high-intensity dart crafting, we’ll explore profitable, fast, and AFK-friendly approaches to suit all playstyles.
Fletching is a versatile skill that enhances your ranged combat capabilities and opens up money-making opportunities. It’s a “buyable” skill, meaning you can purchase materials from the Grand Exchange to speed up training, though costs vary by method. Here are some key reasons to train Fletching:
- Fast Experience Rates: Fletching offers some of the highest XP rates in OSRS, with methods like dart crafting yielding up to 1.5M XP per hour.
- Passive Training: You can fletch while doing other activities like questing, agility training, or farm runs, making it a “zero-time” skill.
- Profit Potential: Crafting items like longbows or tipping bolts can be profitable, especially at higher levels.
- Quest and Diary Requirements: Fletching is required for quests like Dragon Slayer II (level 70) and achievement diaries, such as the Elite Western Provinces Diary (level 95).
Getting Started with Low-Level Fletching (Levels 1–30)
Early Fletching levels are quick to achieve, especially with quests and simple crafting methods. This section covers the best ways to kickstart your Fletching journey.
Questing for Early Levels
Completing specific quests can grant enough experience to skip the grind up to level 30. These quests have low requirements and are ideal for new players:
- Animal Magnetism: Requires 18 Slayer, 19 Crafting, 30 Ranged, and 35 Woodcutting. Rewards 1,000 Fletching XP.
- Big Chompy Bird Hunting: Needs 5 Fletching, 30 Cooking, and 30 Ranged. Grants 262 Fletching XP.
- Zogre Flesh Eaters: Requires 4 Smithing, 8 Herblore, 30 Ranged, and completion of Big Chompy Bird Hunting and Jungle Potion. Yields 2,000 Fletching XP.
- Temple of Ikov: Needs 42 Thieving, 40 Ranged, and the ability to defeat a level 84 enemy. Awards 8,000 Fletching XP.
- The Fremennik Trials: Requires 25 Fletching, 40 Woodcutting, and 40 Crafting. Provides 2,812 Fletching XP.
Completing these quests grants a total of 14,074 XP, boosting you to level 30 with minimal effort.
Making Headless Arrows (Levels 1–15)
For players who prefer skilling over questing, crafting headless arrows is a fast and potentially profitable method. Combine arrow shafts (made by using a knife on logs) with feathers at a 1:1 ratio. Each headless arrow grants 1 XP, and you can craft up to 45,000 per hour, yielding around 45,000 XP per hour.
- Materials Needed: 13,363 arrow shafts and 13,363 feathers to reach level 15.
- Cost: Approximately 60,000 GP profit at current Grand Exchange prices.
- Time: About 20 minutes to level 15.
Tip: Use stackable materials to train while running or doing other activities, as headless arrows take minimal inventory space.
Bronze Arrows (Levels 15–30)
Once you hit level 15, switch to crafting bronze arrows by attaching bronze arrowtips to headless arrows. This method offers 55,000 XP per hour and is slightly less profitable than headless arrows but still efficient.
- Materials Needed: 87,213 headless arrows and bronze arrowtips to reach level 30.
- Cost: Roughly breaks even or incurs a small loss depending on market prices.
- Time: Around 2 hours from level 15 to 30.
Pro Tip: Use the “Make-X” option in the crafting menu to automate 10 sets of 15 arrows for less clicking.
Fastest Path to 99: Dart Crafting (Levels 30–99)
For players with a large budget and a need for speed, fletching darts is the fastest way to reach level 99, with potential XP rates of 1.5M per hour. This method is click-intensive and expensive but unbeatable for efficiency.
Steel Darts (Levels 30–65)
At level 37, you can start crafting steel darts, which require steel dart tips and feathers. This method is costly but offers high XP rates.
- XP per Dart: 7.5 XP.
- Materials Needed: Approximately 174,426 steel dart tips and feathers to reach level 65.
- Cost: Around 10–15M GP, depending on Grand Exchange prices.
- XP Rate: Up to 700,000 XP per hour with optimal clicking.
- Time: About 4–5 hours from level 37 to 65.
Note: Buy materials in bulk due to Grand Exchange buy limits (13,000 dart tips every 4 hours). Mobile players can use two-finger tapping to craft faster.
Dragon Darts (Levels 65–99)
From level 95 (or 91 with a dragonfruit pie boost), crafting dragon darts is the fastest method in OSRS. Each dart yields 25 XP, and with rapid clicking, you can achieve 1.5M XP per hour.
- Materials Needed: 170,515 dragon dart tips and feathers to reach level 99.
- Cost: Approximately 400–450M GP, though boosting with dragonfruit pies can save 20M by skipping rune darts.
- Time: 8–10 hours from level 65 to 99.
Tip: Dragonfruit pies boost Fletching by +4 for 4 minutes, allowing you to craft dragon darts at level 91. Use Preserve prayer to extend the boost.
Profitable and AFK Methods: Bows and Bolts
If you’re looking to save money or prefer a more relaxed training pace, crafting bows and bolts offers profitable or break-even methods that are semi-AFK.
Stringing Maple Longbows (Levels 55–70)
Stringing maple longbows is a profitable, semi-AFK method that yields 58.25 XP per bow and around 166,000 GP per hour.
- Materials Needed: 4,881 maple longbows (unstrung) and bowstrings.
- XP Rate: Approximately 100,000 XP per hour.
- Profit: Around 800,000 GP to level 70.
- Time: 3–4 hours.
Use bank presets to swap 14 unstrung bows and 14 bowstrings quickly for efficient banking.
Magic Longbows (Levels 85–99)
At level 85, stringing magic longbows becomes highly profitable and offers decent XP rates. Each bow grants 91.5 XP.
- Materials Needed: 53,420 magic longbows (unstrung) and bowstrings.
- XP Rate: Around 150,000 XP per hour.
- Profit: Approximately 10–15M GP to level 99.
- Time: 60–70 hours.
High Alchemy can further increase profits, as magic longbows have a high alch value of 1,536 GP.
Tipping Bolts (Levels 65–99)
Tipping bolts, such as diamond or onyx bolts, is a cheaper alternative to darts with moderate XP rates and potential profits.
Bolt Type | Level Required | XP per Bolt | XP per Hour | Profit per Hour |
---|---|---|---|---|
Diamond Bolts | 65 | 7 | 210,000 | ~1M GP |
Onyx Bolts | 73 | 9.5 | 285,000 | ~500,000 GP |
Combine adamant bolts with bolt tips for diamond bolts or runite bolts with onyx tips. This method is click-intensive but profitable.
Ironman Fletching Tips
Ironman accounts face unique challenges due to the inability to buy materials freely. Focus on gathering resources while training other skills.
Banking Resources
Store logs from Woodcutting, feathers from birdhouse runs (after Bone Voyage), and gems from Mining or PvM for bolt tips. This “banked XP” strategy ensures a steady supply of materials.
Broad Arrows and Bolts
At level 52, unlock broad arrow fletching from a Slayer master (300 points) for 11 XP per arrow. Broad arrows are untradeable but efficient for Ironmen, with 150,000 XP per hour. At level 55, craft broad bolts for 30 XP per set of 10.
Tips for Efficient Fletching
Maximize your Fletching efficiency with these strategies:
- Use Bank Presets: Set up presets for quick material swaps, especially when stringing bows.
- Train Passively: Fletch darts or bolts during downtime in activities like Agility, Farming, or Wintertodt.
- Check Prices: Use a Fletching calculator to monitor GP/XP costs, as prices fluctuate.
- Mobile Optimization: Enable two-click dart fletching in settings and use two-finger tapping for faster crafting.
- Boost with Dragonfruit Pies: Save millions by boosting to access dragon darts early.
With these methods, you can tailor your Fletching journey to your budget, playstyle, and goals. Whether you’re chasing the fastest 99 or looking to make a profit, Fletching is a rewarding skill that enhances your OSRS experience. Start crafting today and watch your levels soar!