The most dangerous combat style in Old School RuneScape, Ranged combat allows players to fight from a distance while delivering a multitude of powerful attacks from bows, crossbows, and other Ranged weaponry.
Most often used in bossing content, the Ranged combat style has an entire arsenal of weapons and gear to choose from.
Recommended Read: Old School RuneScape – Magic Gear Progression Guide
Since the Ranged skill is one of the easiest to train in Old School RuneScape, you will find yourself upgrading your gear often. But with so many different options and weapons, deciding which to use as you progress your account can be challenging.
As you train your Ranged level in OSRS, you will progress your gear by first going through the different leather armour, up to Black D’Hide at 70 Ranged. Eventually, you can start to wear Karil’s armour, Armadyl, then Masori armour at 80 Ranged. As for your weapons, they will vary between the different metal darts/knives available and the higher-tiered crossbows (Rune, Dragon, Armadyl, and Zaryte). The Toxic Blowpipe and the Twisted Bow are also incredibly strong weapons that you may work towards.
Table of Contents
- Ranged Gear Progression in OSRS
- Levels 3-40: Leather Armour, Snakeskin, Green D’Hide, Darts/Knives
- Levels 40-70: Void Equipment, D’Hide Armour, Magic Shortbow, Rune/ Dragon Crossbow
- Levels 70-100: Karil’s Armour, Crystal Armour, Armadyl Armour & Crossbow, Dragon Hunter Crossbow
- Levels 100-126: Masori Armour, Zaryte Crossbow & Vambraces, and Twisted Bow
- Other Gear to Consider
Ranged Gear Progression in OSRS
Unlike the progression for Melee gear, we don’t need to differentiate between playing a Tank/DPS role because Ranged gear is mostly the same.
While you can still use Ranged combat and play a DPS role, the only true difference would be swapping one or two items for an equipment item that has higher defense (i.e., switching a Twisted Buckler for a Dragonfire Shield or Pegasian Boots for Guardian Boots).
Another key difference is that while there is a high number of different Ranged gear to choose from, much of it has linear progression.
In other words, you wouldn’t be missing out on a key bonus or feature by choosing the higher-tiered armour over another.
This is handy because you can simply upgrade your gear with the best Ranged armour you can wear while spending more time focusing on which weapon you will use (which is arguably much more important as the best-in-slot (BIS) will change depending on what you will be fighting.
Note: The level brackets below are used to describe the average combat level you will be at for each selection of gear upgrades, however, they can also be interpreted as what your current Ranged/Defence level is.
Levels 3-40: Leather Armour, Snakeskin, Green D’Hide, Darts/Knives
As you start your Ranged journey, you will learn about the different types of Leather armour and other basic forms of weaponry.
Aside from standard Leather armour, you will eventually unlock Studded Leather at 20 Ranged, Frog Leather at 25 Ranged, Snakeskin at 30 Ranged, and finally Green D’Hide armour at 40 Ranged.
Note: To wear the Green D’Hide Body, you will need to complete the “Dragon Slayer I” quest. However, you can still wear the Chaps and Vambraces.
While unlocked early, Darts and Knives are a great way to quickly train your Ranged level.
In this combat bracket, you can use up to Rune Darts and Rune Knives; however, it is much more efficient to use a cheaper metal like Mithril or Steel, as you will be using a lot of them to train your Ranged level.
Levels 40-70: Void Equipment, D’Hide Armour, Magic Shortbow, Rune/ Dragon Crossbow
You may have started the process to unlock Void Knight Equipment at around this level, which will drastically boost your accuracy and damage when wearing the full Ranged set.
Due to its versatility in being able to change combat styles in a single equipment switch, Void armour is continuously used, even for endgame content.
Other than Void equipment, you will also begin to wear higher tiers of D’Hide armour, with Blue D’Hide unlocked at 50 Ranged, Red D’Hide at 60 Ranged, and Black D’Hide at 70 Ranged.
It is worth noting that D’Hide armour also provides excellent Magic Defence, so it is often used in the Wilderness for its cheap cost but great stats to defend against Pkers.
At 45 Defence and after completing the “Fremennik Trials” quest, you can wear the Archer’s Helm, one of the Fremennik helms suited directly for Ranged combat.
While not much of a bonus, the additional +6 Ranged Attack and minimum +6 Defensive bonuses can make a difference when training early on.
The Magic Shortbow and Magic Longbow are unlocked at 50 Ranged, providing decent Ranged DPS at an early to mid-game level.
While they aren’t typically used beyond 60 Ranged except for niche scenarios, they could still be used as an effective training/casual PvM weapon for when Ranged combat is called for.
More importantly, the Magic Shortbow can be imbued with a scroll to be turned into the Magic Shortbow (i), which decreases the special attack energy from 55% to 50%, allowing you to use it back-to-back.
You can equip the Rune Crossbow at 61 Ranged, and the Dragon Crossbow at 64 Ranged. Both are excellent weapons that are still used in mid-to-high level PvM content.
While the Dragon Crossbow is only an okay step up from the Rune Crossbow, it sells for around 2m on the Grand Exchange, far more expensive than a Rune Crossbow that sells for around 10k.
However, the Dragon Crossbow comes with a special attack and is able to fire dragon ammunition, which is significantly stronger than regular bolts.
Levels 70-100: Karil’s Armour, Crystal Armour, Armadyl Armour & Crossbow, Dragon Hunter Crossbow
Once you enter what is often considered mid-game Old School RuneScape, you unlock equipment and weapons that will be standard at most bossing and Raid activities.
Ranged gear in Old School RuneScape has a linear progression with little horizontal variety.
Therefore, you are safe to invest in a single setup for the best Ranged DPS you can gather and only have to switch one or two gear items for other scenarios.
At 70 Ranged and 70 Defence, you can wear Karil’s armour, which is a great set of armour to wear as soon as you can.
While Ironman can unlock Karil’s armour as a Barrows reward, you can purchase the Karil’s Leathertop and Leatherskirt for around 2m total on the Grand Exchange, which is cheap when comparing it to higher-tiered armour, while still providing excellent offensive and defensive bonuses.
Also at 70 Ranged and 70 Defence is Armadyl armour, the second strongest Ranged-based armour in Old School RuneScape.
Coming with the full set of the Armadyl Helm, Armadyl Chestplate, and Armadyl Chainskirt, it is obtained as a drop from Kree’arra of the God Wars Dungeon, or purchased from the Grand Exchange for a total of 90m.
Wearing full Armadyl gives you incredible bonuses, with a +10 to Ranged Attack and a minimum of +82 to all Defensive stats. You will also have a total +3 Prayer bonus, which is uncommon for most equipment in the game.
At 70 Defence (and 60 Ranged used to unlock the set itself), you can wear Crystal Armour. This armour set, similar to Void Equipment, can be used for multiple combat styles and has a set effect that will help increase your DPS depending on your weapon.
Earning by converting Crystal Armour Seeds into the different gear items (Helm, Body, Legs), wearing the full set will give you an increased 30% accuracy and 15% damage when using Crystal weaponry.
For Ranged progression, this makes using the Crystal Bow or the Bow of Faerdhinen a prime choice for this set.
Both the Crystal Bow and the Bowfa come with an increased Ranged distance and are often used for endurance-based and other PvM scenarios where you need high Defensive bonuses but don’t want to trade off DPS, such as the Fight Caves, the Inferno, and Raids.
Often considered some of the best Ranged weapons in Old School RuneScape, they are worth considering if you have the spare gp to create the entire Crystal Armour set, along with a bow to go with it.
The Dragon Hunter Crossbow can also be used at 70 Ranged.
One of two Dragonbane weapons currently in Old School RuneScape will give you an increased 30% accuracy and 25% damage when fighting against draconic creatures, making it excellent for Vorkath or the Chambers of Xeric.
The Armadyl Crossbow is also the next step-up from the Dragon Crossbow. It is unlocked at 70 Ranged and can fire dragon ammunition.
This incredibly strong crossbow comes with a +100 Ranged Attack bonus and has a special attack that will increase your accuracy and chance to trigger an enchanted bolt effect, making it excellent against bosses with a high defense.
The Toxic Blowpipe can be used starting at 75 Ranged, and it is considered one of the most effective weapons in Old School RuneScape.
Using any kind of darts as ammunition, it is a versatile Ranged weapon that can be used for casual Slayer, high-level bossing, and everything in between.
The Toxic Blowpipe also has a special attack that will heal you depending on how much damage is dealt, making it ideal for endurance challenges.
Furthermore, if you use the Toxic Blowpipe while having the Serpentine Helm equipped, you will guarantee to inflict venom on your target (if they can be venom’d).
Levels 100-126: Masori Armour, Zaryte Crossbow & Vambraces, and Twisted Bow
As you max your account, you will eventually be able to wear and use the best Ranged equipment in OSRS.
Masori armour can be equipped at 80 Ranged and 30 Defence and provides the best overall offensive Ranged stats for Ranged armour.
Costing around 115m off the Grand Exchange, or earned as a reward from the Tombs of Amascut, the complete set gives you a +82 Ranged Attack, +8 Ranged Strength, and between +50-70 defensive bonuses to all combat styles.
Masori armour also comes with a fortified variant, labeled “Masori Armour (i),” which has the same offensive Ranged bonuses but nearly doubles all of its variant’s defensive stats.
Naturally made using Armadyl Plates on Masori Armour, it is by far the best Ranged armour in the entire game and is sought after by all endgame players.
Another main gear upgrade for max accounts is Zaryte Vambraces, which can be earned as a drop from Nex or bought from the Grand Exchange for around 120m.
They require 80 Ranged and 45 Defence to wear and are considered the best Ranged gloves in Old School RuneScape.
They give you an extra +18 Ranged Attack, +2 Ranged Strength, and +1 Prayer bonus, making them ideal if you want to have as much Ranged DPS as possible.
The Zaryte Crossbow can be equipped at 80 Ranged and is the strongest crossbow in Old School RuneScape. It sells for a crazy 400m or can be earned by using a Nihil Horn (dropped from Nex) on an Armadyl Crossbow.
Not only does it have a +110 Ranged Attack bonus, but it is one of the only weapons in the game that provides defensive bonuses and a +1 Prayer bonus.
What makes the Zaryte Crossbow so strong, on top of its bonuses, is that it has a special attack that doubles your accuracy and automatically triggers the special ability of the enchanted bolts you have equipped.
It also increases the effectiveness of all enchanted bolts’ abilities (i.e., Increasing the max hit of enchanted Diamond bolts from 115% to 126%).
Besides the Zaryte Crossbow, the Twisted Bow has long reigned as the most powerful weapon in the game. Earned as a reward from the Chambers of Xeric and currently selling for a whopping 1.6b on the Grand Exchange, it’s no secret why.
The Twisted Bow, requiring 85 Ranged to use, has a +70 Ranged Attack bonus and a +20 Ranged Strength bonus on top of any Ranged Strength bonuses added from your ammunition.
While that may not sound too impressive, the Twisted Bow also has a passive ability that increases its damage and accuracy based on how high a target’s Magic level is, making it incredibly strong against some of the hardest PvM content in the game (Raids, the Inferno, Corporeal Beast, etc.).
Other Gear to Consider
While upgrading your main Ranged gear is ideal as you progress your account, other Ranged-based items can be invested in to optimize your gear setup further.
Thankfully, most of them do not require any Ranged level to wear, so they can be used at any time.
Dwarf Multicannon
A staple to Old School RuneScape weaponry (and riots), the Dwarf Multicannon is a powerful passive weapon that can be placed and fired at nearby targets.
Able to be used after completing the “Dwarf Cannon” quest, it is incredibly useful to get through Slayer Tasks quickly, provide extra DPS for bosses, and many other scenarios.
Archer’s Ring/ Venator Ring
Two rings in Old School RuneScape provide additional Ranged bonuses. The first is the Archer’s Ring, dropped from Dagannoth Supreme and sold on the G.E for around 4m. While worn, it provides a +4 Ranged Attack and Defence bonus.
The Archer’s Ring can also be imbued through the Nightmare Zone, Soul Wars, or LMS to be turned into an Archer’s Ring (i), which doubles the bonuses to give you +8 Ranged Attack and Defence.
The Venator Ring is one of the four ancient rings that can be worn after completing the “Desert Treasure II—The Fallen Empire” quest.
It was created by combining an Archer’s Icon, a Venator Vestige, three Chromium Ingots, and a Ring Mould. The rings sell on the Grand Exchange for around 45m and provide a +10 Ranged Attack and +2 Ranged Strength bonus.
Barrows Gloves
While not specific to Ranged, Barrows Gloves can be earned after completing the “Recipe for Disaster” quest and provides a +12 bonus to all combat states (aside from Magic, which is a +6).
If you do not wish to invest in something like Zaryte Vambraces, Barrows Gloves are an excellent choice for any combat scenario.
Ava’s Attractor/Accumulator/Assembler
After completing the “Animal Magnetism” quest, you can start to unlock the different Ava’s Devices, all of which provide a small amount of Ranged bonuses.
More importantly, they have a chance to retrieve the ammunition you fired, allowing you to save on ammunition costs and prolong trips that heavily involve Ranged combat.
Dizana’s Quiver/ Blessed Dizana’s Quiver
The most recently released item at the time of this article, the Dizana’s Quiver, is a reward for completing the Fortis Colosseum and can be worn at 75 Ranged.
Not only does the Dizana’s Quiver give a +18 Ranged Attack and +3 Ranged Strength bonus, but it will allow you to store a stack of arrows and bolts at the same time, allowing you to quickly switch between using a bow and crossbow while saving inventory slots.
Dizana’s Quiver can be upgraded to the Blessed Dizana’s Quiver by using it on the Shrine of Ralos with 150k Sunfire Splinters. This will give you an additional +10 Ranged Attack and +1 Ranged Strength while worn.
That is how to upgrade your Ranged gear as you level in Old School RuneScape!
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