OSRS 1-99 Combat Guide Fast and Efficient Training

Welcome to the ultimate guide for leveling combat from 1 to 99 in Old School RuneScape (OSRS). Whether you’re a new player or a veteran looking to max out your melee, ranged, or magic skills, this guide provides a clear, step-by-step path to success. Combat in OSRS is split into Attack, Strength, Defence, Hitpoints, Ranged, Magic, and Prayer, all contributing to your combat level. We’ll focus on efficient methods, gear progression, and strategies to make your grind as fast and enjoyable as possible, tailored for both free-to-play (F2P) and pay-to-play (P2P) players.

Before diving into training, let’s break down the core combat skills and their roles. Each skill affects your performance in unique ways, and balancing them wisely can speed up your leveling process.

Melee Skills Attack Strength and Defence

Melee combat revolves around three skills:

• Attack: Increases your accuracy, letting you hit more often and wield better weapons.
• Strength: Boosts your maximum hit, increasing damage per attack for faster XP.
• Defence: Reduces how often you’re hit, improving survivability in tough fights.

Training melee is often the go-to for new players due to its simplicity and accessibility in F2P and P2P worlds.

Ranged and Magic Overview

Ranged and Magic offer alternatives to melee, ideal for safespotting or specific PvM scenarios:

• Ranged: Improves accuracy and damage with bows, crossbows, or thrown weapons. Great for safe training.
• Magic: Enhances spell accuracy and damage, with utility for teleports and skilling.

Hitpoints and Prayer Roles

These skills support all combat styles:

• Hitpoints: Determines your health pool, leveling naturally as you deal damage.
• Prayer: Offers buffs like protection prayers or damage boosts, trained via bones or quests.

Balancing these skills shapes your combat level, which caps at 126 in P2P or 123 in F2P.

Early Game Combat Training Levels 1-40

The early levels are about building a foundation with low-risk, high-reward methods. Focus on enemies with high hitpoints and low attack power to maximize XP while staying safe.

Best Low-Level Training Spots

Here are top spots for levels 1-40, accessible for F2P and P2P players:

• Chickens (Levels 1-20): Found in Lumbridge or Farmer Fred’s coop, chickens have 3 hitpoints and drop feathers for profit. Perfect for beginners.
• Cows (Levels 10-30): In Lumbridge fields, cows offer decent XP and cowhides for early cash.
• Monks (Levels 20-40): At Edgeville Monastery, monks heal you on request, saving food and allowing extended training.

Questing for Quick XP

Quests can skyrocket your early levels, especially in P2P. Complete these for big XP rewards:

Quest	XP Reward	Skills Boosted
Waterfall Quest	13,750	Attack, Strength
Vampyre Slayer	4,825	Attack
Tree Gnome Village	11,450	Attack
Fight Arena	12,175	Attack

Waterfall Quest alone can jump you to level 30 Attack and Strength from level 1, saving hours of grinding.

Gear and Weapon Choices

Use the best gear you can afford and equip:

• F2P: Iron or Steel armor, upgrading to Mithril by level 20. Wield a Black scimitar for speed and damage.
• P2P: Aim for Adamant armor and a Rune scimitar by level 40 Attack. Amulet of Strength boosts max hits.

Train Strength primarily for higher damage, as it speeds up kills and XP rates.

Mid-Game Combat Training Levels 40-70

At this stage, you’ll transition to more efficient methods like Sand Crabs or Slayer tasks. Your gear improves, and combat opens up to PvM and minigames.

Sand Crabs and Ammonite Crabs

Sand Crabs (Hosidius, Zeah) and Ammonite Crabs (Fossil Island, P2P) are AFK-friendly with high hitpoints and low aggression:

• XP Rates: Up to 60k XP/hour depending on gear and stats.
• Setup: Stand near spawn points, reset aggro every 10 minutes by running 30 tiles away.
• Access: Sand Crabs are free post-Depths of Despair quest; Ammonite Crabs need Bone Voyage.

These are ideal for melee training up to level 70, balancing effort and reward.

Slayer for Combat XP

Start Slayer at level 40 combat to train combat while earning profit. Early tasks like trolls or banshees offer decent XP and loot. Use a Black Mask (P2P) for a 16.67% damage and accuracy boost on-task, speeding up kills.

Gear Upgrades

Upgrade your equipment to match your stats:

• Melee: Rune armor, Dragon scimitar (level 60 Attack), or Abyssal Whip (level 70 Attack, P2P).
• Ranged: Green d’hide armor, Magic shortbow with steel arrows.
• Magic: Mystic robes, Staff of Fire for Fire Bolt (Chaos Gauntlets boost damage).

Defenders from Warriors’ Guild (level 40 Attack) or Helm of Neitiznot (post-Fremennik Isles) add offensive bonuses.

High-Level Combat Training Levels 70-99

The final stretch to 99 requires optimized methods like Nightmare Zone or bossing. You’ll need strong gear and a strategy to maintain high XP rates.

Nightmare Zone (NMZ)

NMZ, north of Yanille, is the fastest melee training method, offering up to 120k XP/hour:

• Mode: Rumble mode with absorption potions for AFK training.
• Setup: Use Dharok’s set at low HP (with rock cake) for massive hits, or Obsidian armor with Berserker Necklace for consistent damage.
• Bosses: Choose quests like Lost City or Vampire Slayer for easy bosses.

NMZ also rewards points for imbues, making it profitable.

Bossing for XP and Profit

Bossing combines high XP with loot. Try these at level 70+:

• General Graardor: Bandos boss, melee-focused, needs 70 Strength.
• Zulrah: Hybrid Ranged/Magic, great for XP and drops.
• Vorkath: Post-Dragon Slayer II, offers 80k+ XP/hour with Ranged or Melee.

Bring high-tier gear like Bandos armor or Void Knight equipment for efficiency.

Ranged and Magic Alternatives

For Ranged, train at Chinning (Maniacal Monkeys) with bone bolts for 300k+ XP/hour (P2P, expensive). For Magic, High Alchemy or Bursting at Ape Atoll yields 150k+ XP/hour while covering costs.

Free-to-Play Combat Path to 99

F2P players can still hit 99 with dedication, though options are limited compared to P2P.

F2P Training Spots

Stick to these for steady progress:

• Giant Frogs (Levels 40-60): Lumbridge Swamp, decent hitpoints, low defence.
• Giant Spiders (Levels 60-99): Stronghold of Security, level 3. AFK for 10 minutes, 50k XP/hour.
• Moss Giants (Levels 70-99): Varrock Sewers, high hitpoints, some loot.

F2P Gear Progression

Maximize damage with:

• Weapons: Rune scimitar (level 40 Attack) or Rune 2h sword for high hits.
• Armor: Rune full helm, platebody, and legs. Use Green d’hide for Ranged.
• Accessories: Amulet of Strength for melee, Amulet of Power for balanced stats.

F2P lacks NMZ or Slayer, so focus on high-hitpoint enemies and stock up on food like lobsters.

Tips for Faster Combat Leveling

Maximize your grind with these strategies:

Prayer and Potions

Use Prayer and potions to boost performance:

• Prayer: Piety (level 70, P2P) or Ultimate Strength (level 31, F2P) for damage buffs.
• Potions: Super combat potions (P2P) or Strength potions (F2P) increase max hits.

Balancing Skills

Prioritize Strength for faster kills, but keep Attack and Defence within 10 levels to equip better gear. Train Hitpoints naturally through combat, and boost Prayer via quests like Holy Grail.

AFK vs Active Training

AFK methods like Sand Crabs or NMZ save time, but active bossing or Slayer can be more engaging and profitable. Mix both to avoid burnout.

Final Thoughts: Reaching 99 combat in OSRS is a marathon, but with the right methods—quests, Sand Crabs, NMZ, or bossing—you’ll get there efficiently. Tailor your approach to F2P or P2P, balance your skills, and upgrade gear as you progress. Happy grinding, and may your scimitar always strike true!