OSRS Best Gear Per Level: Your Ultimate Gear Progression Guide

Old School RuneScape (OSRS) offers a vast world of combat, quests, and adventures, but to succeed, you need the right gear at every level. Whether you’re training melee, ranged, or magic, gear progression can make or break your efficiency. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best gear per level in OSRS, covering all combat styles and key milestones. From humble bronze armor to endgame Torva sets, we’ve got you covered with practical, level-appropriate recommendations to optimize your journey.

Gear in OSRS isn’t just about looking good—it directly impacts your damage output, survivability, and training speed. As you level up your combat stats (Attack, Strength, Defence, Ranged, and Magic), new equipment becomes available, unlocking higher-tier content. Picking the right gear at each stage ensures you’re maximizing experience rates and gold efficiency, whether you’re slaying monsters, completing quests, or tackling bosses.

Understanding Combat Stats and Gear Requirements

Melee relies on Attack, Strength, and Defence, while Ranged and Magic focus on their respective skills, often with Defence as a secondary requirement. Gear typically has level prerequisites, so your progression depends on balancing these stats. For example, Rune armor requires 40 Defence, while the Twisted Bow demands 75 Ranged. This guide aligns gear with these milestones.

Balancing Cost and Performance

High-end gear like the Scythe of Vitur or Ancestral robes can cost millions, but early-game options like Rune or Black Dragonhide are affordable and effective. We’ll highlight budget-friendly choices alongside best-in-slot (BiS) items, so you can progress without breaking the bank.

Melee Gear Progression: Levels 1–99

OSRS Fire Cape Guide How to Kill Jad Fight Caves

Melee is the backbone of OSRS combat, offering versatility for PvM, PvP, and Slayer. Here’s the best melee gear per level, focusing on weapons, armor, and accessories.

Levels 1–20: Starting Out

New players begin with basic metal gear, available from shops or low-level monster drops.

Weapon: Iron Scimitar (5 Attack) – Cheap and effective for early training.
Armor: Iron Armor (1 Defence) – Full set from Varrock’s armor shop.
Accessories: Amulet of Strength – Boosts Strength for higher hits.

Train on cows or goblins to quickly hit 20 Attack and Defence.

Levels 20–40: Mid-Tier Upgrades

At this stage, you’ll unlock Rune gear, a significant step up in stats.

Weapon: Rune Scimitar (40 Attack) – Best affordable weapon until 60 Attack.
Armor: Rune Armor (40 Defence) – Requires Dragon Slayer I quest for the platebody.
Accessories: Amulet of Glory – Offers combat bonuses and teleports.

Consider the Fighter Torso from Barbarian Assault for a +4 Strength bonus if you’re willing to grind minigames.

Levels 40–70: Specialization Begins

Here, you can choose between DPS or tank setups.

Weapon: Dragon Scimitar (60 Attack) – Top-tier until 70 Attack, requires Monkey Madness I.
Armor: Void Knight Armor (42 Attack, Strength, Defence) – Boosts damage and accuracy; great for Slayer.
Off-Hand: Dragon Defender (60 Defence) – Earned from Warriors’ Guild, adds +6 Strength.
Accessories: Berserker Ring – Affordable +4 Strength bonus.

Obsidian Armor (60 Defence) is an alternative for Strength-focused builds, offering a 10% damage boost with Obsidian weapons.

Levels 70–99: Endgame Power

Endgame melee gear is expensive but unmatched in power.

Weapon: Ghrazi Rapier (75 Attack) – BiS stab weapon from Theatre of Blood.
Armor: Full Torva (80 Defence) – Max Strength and Defence from Nex.
Off-Hand: Avernic Defender (70 Defence) – Upgraded Dragon Defender with +8 Strength.
Accessories: Amulet of Torture (+15 Strength), Ferocious Gloves (+14 Strength), Primordial Boots (+5 Strength).

The Infernal Cape (+4 Strength) from the Inferno is the ultimate melee cape, though the Fire Cape (+4 Strength) is a solid alternative.

Ranged Gear Progression: Levels 1–99

Ranged offers linear progression, with accuracy and damage scaling with the Ranged skill. It’s ideal for safe-spotting and bossing.

Levels 1–30: Early Ranged Training

Start with basic leather gear and bows.

Weapon: Shortbow with Iron Arrows (1 Ranged) – Fast and cheap.
Armor: Leather Armor (1 Defence) – Full set from Al Kharid.
Accessories: Ava’s Attractor (post-Animal Magnetism) – Saves arrows.

Train on chickens or low-level NPCs.

Levels 30–50: Mid-Tier Ranged

Dragonhide becomes the go-to armor here.

Weapon: Magic Shortbow (50 Ranged) – Fast attack speed with Rune Arrows.
Armor: Green Dragonhide (40 Defence) – Solid Ranged bonus.
Accessories: Ava’s Accumulator (50 Ranged) – Upgraded arrow saver.

The Magic Shortbow’s special attack is great for burst damage.

Levels 50–70: Stepping Up

Unlock powerful weapons and better armor.

Weapon: Toxic Blowpipe (50 Ranged) – High DPS from Zulrah, requires darts and scales.
Armor: Black Dragonhide (70 Ranged, 40 Defence) – Affordable BiS until endgame.
Accessories: Archers Ring – Boosts Ranged accuracy.

Ranger Boots (40 Ranged) add a +8 Ranged bonus if you can snag them from Treasure Trails.

Levels 70–99: Endgame Ranged

Ranged shines in late-game PvM with these BiS items.

Weapon: Twisted Bow (75 Ranged) – Unrivaled against high-Magic foes, from Chambers of Xeric.
Armor: Masori Armour (80 Ranged, 80 Defence) – Top-tier from Tombs of Amascut.
Accessories: Necklace of Anguish (+15 Ranged), Zaryte Vambraces (+18 Ranged).

Ava’s Assembler (70 Ranged) from Vorkath maximizes ammo efficiency.

Magic Gear Progression: Levels 1–99

Magic gear focuses on accuracy over raw damage, making it unique. It’s key for utility spells and bossing.

Levels 1–20: Beginner Magic

Start with basic robes and staves.

Weapon: Staff of Air (1 Magic) – Free air runes for Wind Strike.
Armor: Wizard Robes (1 Magic) – Cheap from Varrock.
Accessories: Amulet of Magic – Minor Magic bonus.

Splash low-level spells on monsters for early XP.

Levels 20–50: Mid-Tier Magic

Mystic gear offers a noticeable boost.

Weapon: Iban’s Staff (50 Magic) – Powerful Iban Blast after Underground Pass.
Armor: Mystic Robes (40 Magic, 20 Defence) – Decent Magic bonus.
Accessories: God Cape (60 Magic) – From Mage Arena I.

Train with teleports or Slayer tasks for variety.

Levels 50–70: Advanced Magic

Unlock stronger staves and armor.

Weapon: Trident of the Seas (75 Magic) – Charged with runes, great DPS.
Armor: Ahrim’s Robes (70 Magic, 70 Defence) – BiS from Barrows for mid-game.
Accessories: Occult Necklace (70 Magic) – +10% Magic damage.

The Slayer Helmet (i) is ideal for Magic-based Slayer tasks.

Levels 70–99: Endgame Magic

Magic peaks with these elite items.

Weapon: Sanguinesti Staff (75 Magic) – BiS from Theatre of Blood, heals on hit.
Armor: Ancestral Robes (75 Magic, 65 Defence) – Max Magic bonus from Chambers of Xeric.
Accessories: Tormented Bracelet (+10 Magic), Imbued God Cape (+15 Magic).

The Kodai Wand (75 Magic) offers unlimited water runes and a chance to save runes.

Gear Progression Table: Quick Reference

Here’s a concise table summarizing the best gear per level range for each combat style.

Level Range	Melee	Ranged	Magic
1–20	Iron Scimitar, Iron Armor	Shortbow, Leather Armor	Staff of Air, Wizard Robes
20–40	Rune Scimitar, Rune Armor	Magic Shortbow, Green D’hide	Iban’s Staff, Mystic Robes
40–70	Dragon Scimitar, Void Armor	Toxic Blowpipe, Black D’hide	Trident of the Seas, Ahrim’s
70–99	Ghrazi Rapier, Torva	Twisted Bow, Masori	Sanguinesti Staff, Ancestral

Tips for Efficient Gear Upgrades

To make the most of your gear progression:

Quest Early: Unlock gear like the Dragon Scimitar or Iban’s Staff via quests.
Use Slayer: Earn gold and gear drops while training combat.
Farm Gold: Bosses like Vorkath or Zulrah fund endgame purchases.
Check Grand Exchange: Prices fluctuate—buy low, sell high.