Melee

This article is about Melee skills. For information on training Melee, see Melee training (F2P) (P2P).

The term melee is used to describe the Attack, Strength and Defence skills. Melee is one of the three combat classes in Old School RuneScape. It involves using swords, daggers, and other weapons to damage opponents, as well as wearing heavy armour made from various metals. Players who specialise in this type of combat are known as warriors.

A player using Melee to fight a foe.

The combat triangle dictates that warriors are strong against rangers but weak against mages. Melee's inability to attack from a distance means that a player may have a hard time fighting a ranger or mage, as they can make use of safespots. However, melee armour has a high resistance to ranged attacks, making warriors effective against rangers.

Attack types

Melee combat has three attack types: crush, stab, and slash.

Melee attack

To the right of the Inventory button (below the Inventory button in the mobile client), is the Equipment menu. From here, players can view their combat Stats. Melee weapons increase in accuracy as the minimum Attack level, required to wield the weapon, increases. The general trend is that Melee weapons of the same "tier" have the same accuracy value. melee armour does not hinder the accuracy of Melee weapons, nor does it improve Melee accuracy, aside from a few items such as the warrior helm. However, wearing a piece of ranged or magic armour, instead of the melee counterpart, reduces the effectiveness of melee combat. Melee weapons and armour, certain amulets, capes and rings provide a Melee attack bonus.

Players can also use Melee prayers such as Piety to improve Melee combat.

Melee skills

Attack determines the accuracy of a player's Melee attacks and the types of weapons a player may wield. The higher the Attack level, the fewer misses a player will incur during Melee combat. As Attack is a vital skill in Melee combat, increasing one's Attack level will increase one's combat level associated with Melee.

Strength is a Melee combat skill which increases the amount of damage a player can inflict in Melee combat by one point per level. Additionally, Strength may be required to wield certain weapons and armour, access some Agility shortcuts, and complete several quests.

Defence is one of the primary combat skills that grants players protection in all forms of combat. The higher the Defence level, the fewer successful blows an opponent will land against the player. Defence is thus a vital skill for enduring attacks for long periods of time. A player's Defence level also determines the equipment they are able to wear, as most pieces of armour or other equipment have a Defence level requirement.

Melee weapons

Main article: Weapons § Basic melee weapons

Melee weapons fit into many general categories. No type is superior to others, they vary in attack style, and speed/damage. In general, weapons of the same tier have the same damage per second ratio, with two-handed weapons dealing approximately 50% more damage per second.

Daggers

Daggers are tied in speed with the scimitar and shortsword, and generally the cheapest of all Melee weapons. They can also be poisoned; the dragon dagger (p++) is a very popular special attack weapon in general fighting and PvP. A dagger is the first weapon that players can smith upon gaining access to a new metal.

Swords

Swords are able to inflict more damage than a dagger. A sword is a cheap alternative to scimitars for rune and lower metals.

Longswords

Longswords are slower than scimitars and daggers, and the same speed as maces but they have higher Strength bonuses than all three. Although their speed is slightly slower than scimitars, the extra Strength bonus and special attack for the dragon longsword make it comparable to them.

Two-handed swords

Two-handed swords are the most powerful of basic weapons, but it sacrifices both speed and the ability to be used with the shield slot, as the name suggests. The use of a rune two-handed sword in player killing on free-to-play worlds as a finishing weapon is common.

Scimitars

Scimitars are very popular weapons that can hit just as fast as a shortsword or dagger, and they deal slightly more damage than shortswords but less than longswords. Scimitars are, however, generally more expensive than the dagger and do not carry the mace's Prayer bonus. The dragon scimitar is considered one of the most versatile combat weapons in the game.

Maces

Maces hit just as fast as a scimitar but use crush and stab. Maces are unique among other weapons of a given metal in that they carry a Prayer bonus, which makes them useful for those who make heavy use of Prayer, such as tanks. The dragon mace is mainly used in player killing due to its special attack.

Warhammers

Warhammers are powerful weapons that utilise mainly crush attacking style. They are not commonly used because of their low speed and mediocre Strength bonuses. They offer the same damage as their slashing cousins, the battleaxes.

Battleaxes

Battleaxes have slightly higher Strength bonuses compared to a warhammer of the same metal type, and they use both slash and crush attack styles. They are stronger than longswords yet slower. They are also weaker than two-handed swords and spears but attacks faster than them.

Halberds

Halberds are two-handed members-only weapons equally strong (and slow) as two-handed swords. They have the unique ability to reach over small obstacles such as tables, fences, other safespots, etc.

Spears

Spears are two-handed members-only weapons that are stabbing equivalents of two-handed swords. They are still arguably the most flexible weapons in the game, as they are the only weapon to use stab, crush, and slash attack styles. Spears, however, only offer Controlled and Defensive attack styles. They can also be poisoned except the Zamorakian spear.

Hastas

Hastae are spears that may be used with a shield. The Zamorakian hasta on Stab works ideal against dragons and bosses, such as the Corporeal Beast. Similar to their two-handed brethren, spears, they are poison-able, except the Zamorakian hasta, and flexible, which means possessing the Stab, Crush, and Slash styles, and they also can only be used to train Controlled and Defensive attacks.

Claws

Claws are members-only slashing weapons that take up the shield and the weapon slot. The speed of claws are equal to that of daggers, and they have higher bonuses.

Abyssal whip

The abyssal whip is a very popular weapon among higher levels that is functionally similar to a scimitar in terms of speed, and has a high strength bonus. However, players cannot use the whip to train Strength effectively as it only has accurate, controlled, and defensive styles and lacks the aggressive attack style.

Hatchets/Pickaxes

Axes are intended for Woodcutting and pickaxes for Mining. Although they may be used for melee combat, it is not recommended as the dragon axe and pickaxe are very expensive, and they have low speed and accuracy.

Melee armour

Main article: Melee armour

Warriors have their own sets of armour made out of various metals. Melee armour is resistant to Ranged but weak against Magic.

Bronze armour

Bronze armour is the weakest of all Melee armours and worn only by the newest of players, requiring no levels whatsoever (1 Defence) and costing little.

Iron armour

Iron armour is slightly better than bronze, and it also "requires" level 1 Defence. It is made from iron bars.

Steel armour

Steel armour is slightly better than iron. Steel armour requires level 5 Defence to equip and may also be smithed from steel bars.

White armour

White armour does not offer great defensive bonuses, although better than steel, but does offer decent Prayer bonuses. White armour, however, requires the completion of the quest Wanted! to equip. White armour may be bought from Sir Vyvin on the second floor of Falador Castle with sufficient White Knight rank, which is received from killing black knights.

Black armour

Black armour has an evil and dangerous look, but is not any better than white armour. It is, in fact, worse, not offering any Prayer bonuses. Black armour, like white, cannot be smithed, only received as a drop or bought from several shops. It requires 10 Defence to wear, as does white armour.

Mithril armour

Mithril armour is a medium-level metal armour, requiring 20 Defence to equip. Mithril armour offers decent bonuses for players who can just equip it. It is generally not used by higher levelled players.

Adamant armour

Adamant armour is the second highest smithable armour and green in colour. It offers decent bonuses and is quite cheap and as such often used by player killers who do not want to risk losing their own armour. It requires level 30 Defence to equip.

Rune armour

Rune armour is the best armour for free-to-play that does not degrade and requires level 40 Defence to wear, although a smith wishing to make runite equipment needs at least level 85 Smithing. The rune platebody requires completion of Dragon Slayer I to be worn and can only be bought from Oziach or other players.

Dragon armour

Dragon armour is one of the most sought-after armour sets and some of the dragon equipment is often traded for millions of coins. Dragon cannot be smithed by players and is only for members. Dragon armour requires level 60 Defence to be worn.

Yak-hide armour

Yak-hide armour is relatively weak, but valuable against ice trolls, as the armour lowers the maximum hit of the males. Its poor bonuses do not make the armour worth using very often.

Rock-shell armour

Rock-shell armour has the same stats as rune armour, aside from gloves and boots. It's not very widely used due to the difficulty to obtain and the option of better armour.

Bandos armour

Bandos armour is a very strong set of armour, providing excellent defensive and strength bonuses. Bandos armour is one of the best melee armours in the game.

Barrows armour

Main article: Barrows equipment

Barrows armour is very strong and popular, and like white armour, the Verac's armour set provides a small Prayer bonus. Barrows armour needs to be repaired every 15 hours of combat, for a price.

Granite armour

Granite armour is a not so popular choice of armour, requiring not only a Defence level of 50 to wear, but also a Strength level of 55 due to its weight. The granite body and helmet have slightly better bonuses than their rune counterparts. Granite is rarely used due to its scarcity and weight.

3rd age melee armour

3rd age melee equipment are very rare rewards from hard and above clue scrolls. Its stats are higher than dragon, and requires 65 Defence, but is very expensive to purchase, and hard to obtain from clue scrolls.

Justiciar armour

Justiciar armour is the best melee armour for melee and ranged defensive bonuses, as well as possessing a powerful set effect; when the full set is worn against monsters, it reduces damage taken according to the wearer's defence bonus to that particular style (except Magic). However, the armour is very expensive.

It also provides a notable Prayer bonus.

Torva armour

Torva armour is the best melee armour for melee strength bonus with strong defensive properties, being a straight upgrade to Bandos armour. The armour is extremely expensive.

Popularity of melee combat

Melee was more than twice as popular than magic and ranged combat combined, generating 59% of users votes in January 2007.

Shields

A shield is a protective item wielded in the off-hand/shield slot. A shield adds substantial bonuses to armour when wielded.

Square shields

The square shield has adequate Melee and Ranged defence bonuses but provides less bonuses than the kiteshield. Unlike kiteshields, square shields are better for mages and archers.

Kiteshields

Kiteshields offer better defence than square shields, although, like most heavier armour, it is awkward to use in combination with Magic and Ranged.

Toktz-ket-xil/Obsidian shield

The Toktz-ket-xil requires at least 60 Defence to wield. It cannot be made using any skills.

Anti-dragon shield

The anti-dragon shield does not provide much by way of armour, but it is indispensable when fighting dragons as it protects against most of their potentially devastating dragonfire.

Dragonfire shield

The dragonfire shield is a high-level piece of armour requiring 75 Defence. It provides protection not only from dragonfire, but also the icy breath of the Skeletal Wyvern.

Spirit shields

Spirit shields are a range of shields available to members. The elysian spirit shield simply has a 70% chance of nullifying damage you receive by 25%, although it lacks the +7 Strength bonus the Dragonfire shield grants despite the shield being nearly as powerful as the Dragonfire shield in defensive bonuses without consideration of its magical effect. The basic spirit shield requires level 45 Defence and level 55 Prayer to hold, the blessed one requires 70 Defence and level 60 Prayer, the arcane and spectral spirit shields both require 75 Defence, 70 Prayer and 65 Magic, and the Elysian require 75 Defence and 75 Prayer.

Temporary boosts

A temporary skill boost is anything caused by an item or action that temporarily raises a player's level in one or more skills. It allows the player to do things above their current level.

Attack

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Herblore

Image	Boost	Skill	Level increase	Level to make	Notes
File:Attack potion(4).png File:Attack mix(2).png	Attack potion (mix) (m)	Attack	3 + 10%	1 (4)	Mix version heals 3 Hitpoints.
File:Combat mix(2).png	Combat potion (mix) (m)	Attack and Strength	15%	36 (40)	Mix also heals 6 Hitpoints.
File:Superattack mix(2).png	Super attack (mix) (m)	Attack	5 + 15%	45 (47)	Mix version heals 6 Hitpoints.
File:Zamorak mix(2).png	Zamorak brew (mix) (m)	Attack and Strength	2 + 20%	78 (85)	Decreases Defence by 2 + 10% and remaining Hitpoints by 20 + 10%. Increases Attack by 2 + 20% and Strength by 2 + 12%.
	Super combat potion (m)	Attack, Strength, Defence	5 + 15%	90	Raises Attack, Strength, and Defence by 5 + 15%.

Note: The numbers in parentheses are only required for the mixes.

Other

Image	Boost	Skill	Level increase	Level to make	Notes
	Cup of tea (m)	Attack	3	N/A	Heals 2-3 Hitpoints as well. Non-tradeable.
	Red spicy stew (m)	Attack, Strength, Defence, Ranged, Magic	-5 to +5	25	The stew may boost or reduce levels by 1 to 5 points randomly. +5 boost are rare. Non-tradeable.
	Attack cape (m)	Attack	1	99	Requires Skill mastery to equip. Non-tradeable.

Prayer

Image	Boost	Skill	Level increase	Level to use	Notes
	Clarity of Thought	Attack	5%	7	Standard prayer.
	Improved Reflexes	Attack	10%	16	Standard prayer.
	Incredible Reflexes	Attack	15%	34	Standard Prayer.
	Chivalry (m)	Attack, Strength, and Defence	15% Attack, 18% Strength, 20% Defence	60	Requires completion of the Camelot training room.
	Piety (m)	Attack, Strength, and Defence	20% Attack, 23% Strength, 25% Defence	70	Requires completion of the Camelot training room.

Other

Image	Boost	Skill	Level increase	Level to obtain	Notes
	Ruby harvest (m)	Attack	20%	15	Boost affects the player it is used on.
	Black mask (m)	Attack, Strength	16.76%	58	Boost only applies when fighting monsters assigned by a Slayer Master.

Strength

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Potions

Image	Boost	Skill	Level increase	Level to make	Notes
File:Strength mix(2).png	Strength potion (or mix (m))	Strength	12%	12 (14)	Mix version heals 3 Hitpoints.
File:Combat potion(4).png File:Combat mix(2).png	Combat potion (m) (or mix (m))	Strength and Attack	15%	36 (40)	Mix also heals 6 Hitpoints.
File:Super strength(4).png File:Super str. mix(2).png	Super strength (m) (or mix (m))	Strength	5 + 15%	55 (59)	Mix version heals 6 Hitpoints.
File:Zamorak mix(2).png	Zamorak brew (mix) (m)	Attack and Strength	2 + 12%	78 (85)	Decreases Defence by 2 + 10% and remaining Hitpoints by 20 + 10%. Increases Attack by 2 + 20% and Strength by 2 + 12%.
	Super combat potion (m)	Attack, Strength, Defence	5 + 15%	90	Raises Attack, Strength, and Defence by 5 + 15%.

Cooking

Image	Boost	Skill	Level increase	Level to make	Notes
	Wizard blizzard/Premade wiz blz'd (m)	Strength	6	18	Lowers Attack by 4.
	Short green guy/Premade sgg (m)	Strength	4	20	Lowers Attack by 3.
	Asgarnian ale(m)	Strength	2	24	Lowers Attack by 4.
	Red spicy stew (m)	Strength, Attack, Defence, Ranged, Magic	6 -6 to 6	25	The stew may boost or reduce levels by 1 to 6 points randomly. +6 boost are extremely rare.
	Drunk dragon/Premade dr' dragon (m)	Strength	7	32	Lowers Attack by 4.
	Blurberry special/Premade blurb' sp. (m)	Strength	7	37	Lowers Attack by 5.
	Dragon bitter (m)	Strength	2	39	Lowers Attack by 1.

Other

Image	Boost	Skill	Level increase	Level to obtain	Notes
	Beer	Strength	2	N/A	Lowers Attack by 4.
	Tankard of beer (m)	Strength	2	N/A	Lowers Attack by 4.
	Keg of beer (m)	Strength	10	N/A	Lowers Attack by 40.
	Grog (m)	Strength	3	N/A	Lowers Attack by 6.
	Braindeath 'rum'	Strength, Mining	3	N/A	Also decreases Attack, Defence, Prayer, Magic, Agility and Herblore by 5%.
	Strength cape (m)	Strength	1	99	Requires skill mastery to equip.

Prayer

Image	Boost	Skill	Level increase	Level to use	Notes
	Burst of Strength	Strength	5%	4	Standard prayer.
	Superhuman Strength	Strength	10%	13	Standard prayer.
	Ultimate Strength	Strength	15%	31	Standard prayer.
	Chivalry (m)	Attack, Strength, and Defence	15% Attack, 18% Strength, 20% Defence	60	Requires completion of the Camelot training room.
	Piety (m)	Attack, Strength, and Defence	20% Attack, 23% Strength, 25% Defence	70	Requires completion of the Camelot training room.

Other

Image	Boost	Skill	Level increase	Level to obtain (without trading)	Notes
	Black warlock (m)	Strength	20%	45	Boost affects the player it is used on.
	Black mask (m)	Strength, Attack	16.67%	58	Boost only applies when fighting monsters assigned by a Slayer Master.
	Wretched Strength (Dharok's set effect) (m)	Strength	(Max - current Hitpoints) × 1%	70; 70; 70	Full set must be worn for special effect to take place.

Melee Capes of Accomplishment

• Attack cape
• Strength cape
• Defence cape

See also

• Pay-to-play Melee training
• Free-to-play melee training
• Magical melee