Hit delay

Hit delay is measured in game ticks and is the amount of time an attack will be queued to an entity (player or NPC) without doing damage. Specifically, hit delay measures the amount of ticks an attack is processed on an entity without damaging it. Melee attacks damage an entity the very first tick that they are processed, and as such, are defined to have a hit delay of 0.

The hit delay of distance attacks is typically variable based on the Chebyshev distance between the entity dealing the attack and the entity receiving the attack. The distance is typically measured edge-to-edge in game squares, using the same edge for both entities. I.e. distance will be calculated using an NPC's closest edge to the player, and the player's furthest edge from the NPC. However, barrage spells are a notable exception in that they calculate distance from the player to an NPC's south-west tile, which causes abnormally long hit delay when attacking a large NPC from the north or east.

Processing order delay

Attacks will hit on different ticks depending on whether the attacking or defending entity is processed first in a tick. If the entity receiving the hit is processed earlier than the entity dealing the hit, then the hit will be delayed by an additional one tick.

NPCs are processed earlier than players each tick, so this effect will make all hits on NPCs delayed by an additional one tick compared to the numbers listed in this article.

In the case of PvP, PID will be the determining factor whether or not processing order delay will delay attacks by one tick.

Melee

When attacking using a melee weapon, with few exceptions such as the dragon claws special attack, the hit delay is 0 game ticks.
This also applies to salamanders, even when using their Flare (Ranged) and Blaze (Magic) attack styles.

Ranged

Bows and crossbows

Bow and crossbow projectiles, with the exception of the dark bow's second projectile, follow this table:

Distance (squares)	Hit delay (game ticks)
1	1
2	1
3	2
4	2
5	2
6	2
7	2
8	2
9	3
10	3

This delay follows this formula:

${\mathit {BowDelay}}=1+\left\lfloor {\frac {3+{\mathit {Distance}}}{6}}\right\rfloor$

The special attacks of the Armadyl crossbow and Zaryte Crossbow always have a hit delay of 2.

The first hit of special attack of the webweaver bow always has a hit delay of 1; the subsequent 3 hits land one tick later.

Dark bow

The dark bow has a unique hit delay defined for its second projectile, and its two projectiles follow this table:

Distance	Hit delay (1st projectile)	Hit delay (2nd projectile)
1	1	2
2	1	2
3	2	2
4	2	3
5	2	3
6	2	3
7	2	4
8	2	4
9	3	4
10	3	5

The first projectile follows the standard bow projectile delay formula:

${\mathit {BowDelay}}=1+\left\lfloor {\frac {3+{\mathit {Distance}}}{6}}\right\rfloor$

The second projectile follows a formula very similar to the magic formula:

${\mathit {DarkBowDelay}}=1+\left\lfloor {\frac {2+{\mathit {Distance}}}{3}}\right\rfloor$

Chinchompas and thrown category weapons

Chinchompas and thrown weapons (knives, darts, thrownaxes, and the toxic blowpipe) have the following hit delay:

Distance (squares)	Hit delay (game ticks)
1	1
2	1
3	1
4	1
5	1
6	2
7	2
8	2
9	2
10	2

This delay follows the formula:

${\mathit {ThrownDelay}}=1+\left\lfloor {\frac {\mathit {Distance}}{6}}\right\rfloor$

Ballistae

Ballistae have the following hit delay:

Distance (squares)	Hit delay (game ticks)
1	2
2	2
3	2
4	2
5	3
6	3
7	3
8	3
9	3
10	3

Tonalztics of Ralos

The tonalztics of ralos has a fixed hit delay of 2 ticks regardless of distance.

Dwarf multicannon

The dwarf multicannon, despite being able to attack targets at distances as far away as 19 tiles, does not have any hit delay.

Magic

Most magic projectiles, including spells and projectiles from self-powered staves (with exception to Tumeken's shadow, see below), follow this table.

Distance (squares)	Hit delay (game ticks)
1	1
2	2
3	2
4	2
5	3
6	3
7	3
8	4
9	4
10	4
11	5
12	5
13	5
14	6
15	6

This gives this likely formula:

${\mathit {MagicDelay}}=1+\left\lfloor {\frac {1+{\mathit {Distance}}}{3}}\right\rfloor$

However, grasp and demonbane spells from the Arceuus spellbook, as well as the special attacks of the volatile and eldritch nightmare staves, have a hit delay of 2 ticks regardless of the distance between the caster and target.

Tumeken's shadow

Attacks with Tumeken's shadow are always 1 tick slower than the magic attacks listed above, thus following this table.

Distance (squares)	Hit delay (game ticks)
1	2
2	3
3	3
4	3
5	4
6	4
7	4
8	5
9	5
10	5

This gives the likely formula:

${\mathit {MagicDelay}}=2+\left\lfloor {\frac {1+{\mathit {Distance}}}{3}}\right\rfloor$

Shield specials

Shield special attacks such as the dragonfire shield, dragonfire ward, and ancient wyvern shield follow this table.

Distance (squares)	Hit delay (game ticks)
1	2
2	3
3	3
4	3
5	3
6	3
7	3
8	4
9	4
10	4

This gives the likely formula:

$2+\left\lfloor {\frac {4+{\mathit {Distance}}}{6}}\right\rfloor$