OSRS Melee Weapons Guide (2024)

MENU

Melee weapons are important for any warrior or many tank builds in OSRS. While fighting up close does provide a ton of risks for players, it’s still one of the best ways to go about fighting if you prefer something simpler. With that, it’s time we introduce you to our OSRS melee weapons guide.

Let’s first understand melee weapons and what sets them apart from ranged or magic weapons in OSRS.

Understanding Melee Weapons In OSRS

Using melee weapons mean that you’re going to have to fight directly with a target in OSRS. The only exception here are halberds which have a 2 tile attack range which is still relatively close to opponents. Unlike Ranged weapons that that require bolts and arrows, or Magic weapons that use up runes when casting spells, melee weapons don’t need any form of ammo.

However, there are a few weapons that do require charges before they can be used effectively. These are Viggora’s chainmace, blade of saeldor, and the scythe of vitur. Melee weapons scale with the Strength and Attack Skills and they require these as well.

There are three types of damage for melee weapons: Slash, Stab, and Crush. Each attack type works well for certain monsters. As a general rule of thumb, you should always have at least one of each so that you can adapt to many scenarios. Keep in mind that some weapons deal with more than one attack type.

When choosing a melee weapon in OSRS, it’s highly important that you consider a few things. For starters, you should consider the purpose of your weapon. Not all weapons are good for PvE or PvP. Your success in any activity will heavily rely on whether or not your weapon of choice is actually viable for the job.

Another thing to consider is the damage type. As we’ve said, there are three damage types for melee weapons and some of them are stronger against certain monsters. Of course, there are those that perform poorly against them as well. Taking advantage of the damage type will make most of your fights easier.

Melee Weapon Damage Type And Scaling

Below is a look at the damage type and scaling for melee weapons in the game.

Best Stab Weapons

1. Ghrazi Rapier

The Ghrazi Rapier isn’t just the best stab weapon or melee weapon in the game. It’s highly regarded as the best weapon in OSRS as well. It has a massive 94 stab bonus and 89 Strength bonus, making it really deadly in terms of overall damage. Using this against monsters that are weak to stab almost always guarantees an easy fight.

One of the best things about the Ghrazi Rapier is that it doesn’t degrade at all so using it isn’t as costly as some weapons on this list. The only downside to this weapon is that it’s pretty hard to get being a rare drop from the Theatre of Blood. Then again, most of the top weapons are actually hard to get.

2. Dragon Hunter Lance/Zamorakian Hasta

The Dragon Hunter Lance is an upgraded version of the Zamorakian Hasta. To get the Zamorakian Hasta, you’ll need to take a Zamorakian Spear to Otto’s Grotto who’ll then give you the hasta in return. For the Dragon Hunter Lance, you just need to attach a Hydra Claw to the Zamorakian Hasta.

The Dragon Hunter Lance is best used against dragons as you get 20% bonus damage and accuracy against them. The Dragon Hunter Lance is obviously better than the Zamorakian Hasta although the stats are the same. If you don’t plan on fighting any dragons, then the Zamorakian Hasta is pretty much good on its own.

3. Abyssal Dagger

This is the best dagger in OSRS right now. It has good stats and is extremely fast, giving it very high DPS in some cases. The weapon has the similar effect as the Dragon Dagger, minus the boost to accuracy and damage sadly. This balances out the weapon in our opinion though. The weapon is mostly used by Pure players who want to train their Strength.

Getting the Abyssal Dagger requires a bit of legwork though. To get it, you’ll need to fight an Abyssal Sire and make sure that you get lucky as there’s only a 1 in 16000 chance of making the weapon appear.

Best Slash Weapons

1. Scythe of Vitur

The Scythe of Vitur is arguably one of the best melee weapons in the game right now. At the very least, there’s no taking its spot as the best slash weapon. It doesn’t have the highest slash bonus but its special effect is what makes it different and worth doing Theatre of Blood over and over for.

The weapon can hit a maximum of 3 small enemies at once or it can hit a large enemy up to three times in a single attack. This allows the weapon to deal maximum damage. Unfortunately, you’ll need a lot of money to use this as the full charge will set you back 22 million coins. Yes, this is one of the most costly weapons in the game. If money isn’t a problem, then using this will definitely be fun.

2. Blade Of Saeldor

In terms of slash bonus, the Blade of Saeldor tops all weapons in the game as it has 94. If it weren’t for the Scythe of Vitur’s special effect, the Blade of Saeldor will definitely be at the top close to the Ghrazi Rapier and Inquisitor’s mace in terms of the best single-handed weapons in the game.

What’s good about this weapon is that it can be non-degradable. You’ll need 1000 Crystal Shards to make the weapon into its non-degradable counterpart. Once it becomes non-degradable, the weapon can’t be traded anymore but we’re not sure why anyone would want to trade this. You can get this as a reward for beating the Gauntlet or Corrupted Gauntlet.

3. Abyssal Tentacle

The Abyssal Tentacle is an upgraded version of the Abyssal Whip. You’ll get better stats overall and the trouble to upgrade the whip is definitely worth doing. To get the Abyssal Tentacle, you simply need to combine a Kraken Tentacle with the Abyssal Whip. Just a little farming and this weapon will be yours.

The Abyssal Tentacle is a good weapon because it’s versatile. Players use it for a variety of activities including Raids and the Duel Arena. The downside to this weapon is that it’s actually rather expensive to maintain so make sure to have the money for it.

Best Crush Weapons

1. Inquisitor’s Mace

The Inquisitor’s Mace has a crush bonus of 95 and a Strength bonus of 89. The bonuses alone make the weapon more than enough to let you tear through the enemies relatively quickly. Players often partner this with the Avernic Defender which makes the combination very deadlift in PvP and PvE.

Despite looking rather heavy and hefty, the Inquisitor’s Mace is actually very fast so it can deal a ton of damage compared to other Crush weapons. To get this, you’ll need to fight the Nightmare of Ashihama. Not only is this a tough fight, the drop rates for the weapon are abysmal as well so prepare for a lot of grinding.

2. Dragon Warhammer

The Dragon Warhammer isn’t famed for its stats which makes it a unique entry on this list. While it does have good bonuses for a Crush weapon, players mostly love it because of its special attack which is very useful in the game. This attack called Smash basically lowers any target’s defense by 30%. This makes the weapon very viable a a switch weapon.

To make the effect more powerful the attack stacks twice so you can basically lower a target’s defend by 60%. It’s perfect for Raids and bosses with highs defenses. You can easily get the weapon by grinding Lizard Shamans. This won’t be an easy task though as the drop rate is a measly 1 out of 5000.

3. Abyssal Bludgeon

This weapon has a staggering 102 Crush bonus and 85 Strength bonus. In terms of DPS, this is only beaten by the Dragon Warhammer. It’s a good alternative to the Dragon Warhammer and it’s easily the second best option if you don’t have that yet. What makes this a good choice is that it’s a very versatile crush weapon too.

While it does serve many purposes, the weapon is mainy used in Slayer tasks, the Nightmare Zone, and many others. If you want to get to level 99 Strength, this is the weapon of choice, especially when it comes to the higher levels.

Best Strength Training Weapons

When choosing a weapon for Strength training, you need to find ones that can strike strong and fast. The weapons above are all good choices for Strength training but as an added bonus, we’re introducing two more weapons that you can use.

1. Osmumten’s Fang

This is a powerful stab weapon that you can get as a rare drop from the Tombs of Amascut raid. It’s a very good weapon and is considered as one of the best in the game.

The weapon’s passive allows you to deal more damage to enemies that have high Defense, which makes it perfect for Strength training against crabs or other durable enemies.

2. Soulreaper Axe

What makes the Soulreaper Axe a good Strength training weapon is that it increases your Strength by 6% per hit, for a maximum of 30%. This helps you deal maximum damage. This could be the best Strength training weapon but it’s very expensive to maintain, as such, the Osmumten’s Fang takes our top spot.

All Melee Weapons In OSRS

There are lots of weapons for melee fighters in OSRS. Below is a list of all of them, including their stats.

Dagger

Daggers are often the least expensive of all melee weapons and are matched in speed with the scimitar and shortsword. The dragon dagger (p++) is a highly well-liked special attack weapon in both PvP and general fighting. They can also be poisoned. It is first up for smithing when a new metal is available to you.

Sword

Compared to a dagger, a sword can deal greater damage. For lower metals and runes, a sword is a cheaper option than scimitars.

Longsword

Although longswords have a larger Strength bonus than all three of these weapons—scimitars, daggers, and maces—they are slower than all three. The dragon longsword is equivalent to scimitars despite moving significantly more slowly due to its increased Strength boost and special attack.

Two-handed Sword

Though, as their name implies, they forfeit both speed and the ability to be employed with the shield slot, two-handed swords are the most powerful of all the basic weapons. A rune two-handed sword is frequently used as a finishing weapon when player killing occurs in free-to-play settings.

Scimitars

Popular weapons like scimitars have a striking speed comparable to that of a shortsword or dagger, and they deliver slightly more damage than shortswords but less than longswords. However, scimitars do not come with the Prayer bonus of the mace and are typically more costly than daggers. As one of the most adaptable battle weapons in the game, the dragon scimitar is well-liked.

Maces

With crush and stab, maces strike with the same speed as a scimitar. When compared to other weapons of a certain metal, maces are special since they include a Prayer bonus. This makes them advantageous for heavy Prayer users, such as tanks. Because of its unique attack, the dragon mace is mostly utilized to kill players.

Warhammer

Warhammers are strong weapons that primarily employ crush attacking techniques. Their poor speed and low Strength boosts make them uncommon to utilize. They deal the same amount of damage as the battleaxes, their slashing cousins.

Battleaxe

Compared to a warhammer of the same metal type, battleaxes have significantly larger Strength bonuses and can perform both slash and crush attacks. They move more slowly yet are stronger than longswords. Moreover, they are less powerful than spears and two-handed swords, but they strike more quickly.

Halberd

Two-handed members-only Halberds are just as powerful (though slower) than two-handed swords. Their special skill allows them to reach over tiny objects like tables, fences, other secure areas, etc.

Spear

Spears are the stabbing counterpart of two-handed swords, reserved for use by members only. Since they are the only weapon that can use the attack styles of stab, crush, and slash, they are still perhaps the most versatile weapon in the game. But Spears only provides Defensive and Controlled attack methods. Other than the Zamorakian spear, they can also be poisoned.