The Fastest Way to 99 Prayer in OSRS: A Comprehensive Guide

Reaching level 99 Prayer in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a coveted milestone for many players. Prayer is a crucial combat skill, offering powerful buffs like protection prayers, stat boosts, and even Hitpoint regeneration. However, it’s also one of the most expensive and time-intensive skills to train. Whether you’re a main account holder or an Ironman, this guide will walk you through the fastest methods to hit 99 Prayer in OSRS, optimized for speed, efficiency, and practicality. Let’s dive into the best strategies to max out your Prayer skill as quickly as possible!

Prayer isn’t just about flexing that shiny skill cape—it’s a game-changer in combat. High-level prayers like Piety, Rigour, and Augury can drastically improve your performance in PvM, PvP, and even skilling scenarios. But the road to 99 is paved with costly bones and hours of dedication. So, why bother? Here’s why:

• Combat Advantage: Unlock overhead protection prayers (level 43) and powerful boosts like Piety (level 70).
• Efficiency: Higher Prayer levels mean more prayer points per potion dose, saving you time and resources.
• Prestige: That Prayer cape isn’t just a status symbol—it’s a testament to your grind.

In this blog post, we’ll focus on the fastest methods, balancing speed with cost where possible, so you can decide what works best for your account.

The Gilded Altar Method: Speed Meets Efficiency

The Gilded Altar in a Player-Owned House (POH) is one of the most popular and fastest ways to train Prayer in OSRS. With the right setup, you can achieve jaw-dropping XP rates, making it a go-to for players aiming for 99 in record time.

How the Gilded Altar Works

A Gilded Altar requires a POH with a chapel room (level 45 Construction) and two lit incense burners. Offering bones on the altar with both burners lit grants 350% of the base XP per bone—massively boosting your rates compared to burying them. Here’s the setup:

• Requirements: 45 Construction (or use someone else’s POH), marrentill herbs, and a tinderbox.
• Location: World 330 (Rimmington) or World 331 (Yanille) for hosted altars.
• Process: Light the burners, use bones on the altar, and bank nearby.

Best Bones for Gilded Altar Training

The type of bone you use directly impacts your XP per hour and cost. Here’s a breakdown of the fastest options:

Bone Type	XP per Bone (Gilded)	Approx. XP/Hour	Cost per XP (GP)
Dragon Bones	252	400k–500k	~12
Dagannoth Bones	437.5	600k–700k	~15
Superior Dragon Bones	525	800k–1M	~20

Superior Dragon Bones are the king of XP, offering up to 1 million XP per hour if you manually click each bone on the altar. However, they require level 70 Prayer to use, so start with Dagannoth Bones (unlocked at level 1) until you hit 70, then switch for maximum speed.

Tips for Max Efficiency

• Use a nearby bank chest (e.g., Camelot PvP world) for quick trips.
• Manually use each bone on the altar instead of waiting for the auto-offer animation.
• Bring noted bones and cash to un-note them via an NPC at hosted houses.

With this method, 99 Prayer can take as little as 10–12 hours with Superior Dragon Bones, though the cost can soar past 200M GP. If budget’s a concern, Dragon Bones still offer a solid 400k–500k XP/hour at a lower price point.

Chaos Altar in the Wilderness: The Risky Rocket to 99

For those willing to brave the Wilderness, the Chaos Altar in level 38 Wilderness offers the fastest Prayer XP rates in OSRS—potentially halving your costs while maintaining Gilded Altar speeds. It’s a high-risk, high-reward option that’s especially popular among Ironmen and budget-conscious players.

Chaos Altar Mechanics

Located in the Chaos Temple southwest of the Lava Maze, this altar provides the same 350% XP boost as a Gilded Altar with two burners. The kicker? There’s a 50% chance that a bone isn’t consumed, effectively doubling your bone efficiency.

• Requirements: None (just courage!).
• Teleport Options: Burning Amulet (Lava Maze), Ghorrock Teleport.
• Risks: Multi-combat area with PKers lurking.

Optimizing Chaos Altar Runs

To hit the fastest XP rates (up to 700k–1M/hour with Superior Dragon Bones), follow these steps:

1. Teleport in with a Burning Amulet.
2. Bring noted bones and GP to un-note them via the Elder Chaos Druid.
3. Use bones on the altar until your inventory’s empty.
4. Escape via teleport (e.g., Ring of Wealth) or die intentionally to bank via Lumbridge.

Gear and Safety Tips

PKers are a constant threat, so minimize risk:

• Gear: Wear cheap defensive items (e.g., monk robes) and a Phoenix Necklace to avoid combos.
• Inventory: Only bring what you’re willing to lose—bones, GP, and a teleport.
• Escape Plan: Keep Protect Item prayer active if carrying a valuable teleport item.

This method can get you to 99 in 10 hours or less with Superior Dragon Bones, and the 50% bone-saving chance slashes costs to around 100M–120M GP—half the Gilded Altar price. It’s the fastest budget-friendly option if you can handle the heat.

Ensouled Heads: A Slower but Macro-Efficient Alternative

If you’re looking for a less click-intensive method that also trains Magic and combat, reanimating Ensouled Heads at the Dark Altar in Arceuus is a solid contender. While not as fast as altars, it’s a multi-skill training option that shines for Ironmen or players short on cash.

How Ensouled Heads Work

Using the Arceuus spellbook, cast reanimation spells on Ensouled Heads near the Dark Altar. Kill the spawned monster for Prayer XP. Here’s what you need:

• Requirements: 60% Arceuus favor, Magic level (varies by head), combat gear.
• Teleport: Fairy ring (CIS) or Arceuus Library teleport.
• XP Rates: 145k–300k/hour depending on head type and combat stats.

Best Ensouled Heads for Speed

Higher-tier heads offer more XP but require more Magic:

• Ensouled Troll Heads: 46 Magic, ~780 XP each, 150k–200k XP/hour.
• Ensouled Bloodveld Heads: 72 Magic, ~1,040 XP each, 200k–250k XP/hour.
• Ensouled Dragon Heads: 93 Magic, ~1,560 XP each, 250k–300k XP/hour.

With Ensouled Dragon Heads and a cannon, you could push 300k+ XP/hour, though it’ll take 33–40 hours to hit 99—slower than altars but cheaper (around 60M–70M GP total).

Bone Shards in Varlamore: The Ironman-Friendly Method

Introduced with Varlamore, Bone Shards offer a unique Prayer training method that’s especially viable for Ironmen. It’s not the absolute fastest, but it’s safe and sustainable for accounts that can’t buy bones in bulk.

Bone Shards Explained

After completing the Children of the Sun quest, bless bones into shards at Ralos’ Rise, then sacrifice them with blessed wine at the Libation Bowl. XP scales with bone type:

• Dragon Bones: ~252 XP/shard sacrifice.
• Superior Dragon Bones: ~525 XP/shard sacrifice.
• XP Rates: 300k–400k/hour with efficient blessing.

How to Maximize Speed

Boost your rates with these steps:

• Complete Twilight’s Promise for faster blessing.
• Mine shards directly (45k Mining XP/hour) or chisel blessed bones.
• Use Superior Dragon Bones post-70 Prayer for peak XP.

This method takes 20–25 hours to 99 but shines for Ironmen who can gather bones themselves, keeping costs near zero beyond time investment.

Which Method is the Fastest to 99 Prayer?

Here’s the final verdict on speed:

• Gilded Altar (Superior Dragon Bones): 10–12 hours, 1M XP/hour, ~200M GP.
• Chaos Altar (Superior Dragon Bones): 9–11 hours, 1M XP/hour, ~100M–120M GP.
• Ensouled Heads (Dragon): 33–40 hours, 300k XP/hour, ~60M GP.
• Bone Shards (Superior): 20–25 hours, 400k XP/hour, minimal GP for Ironmen.

The Chaos Altar reigns supreme for sheer speed and cost-efficiency, hitting 99 in as little as 9 hours if you’re uninterrupted. Gilded Altar follows closely, offering a safer but pricier alternative. Ensouled Heads and Bone Shards lag behind but cater to specific playstyles like Ironmen or multi-skill trainers.

Final Tip: Stock up on bones during price dips, use XP-boosting events, and consider the Zealot’s Robes (5% bone-saving chance) to stretch your GP further. Now, get out there and pray your way to 99—Gielinor awaits your divine mastery!