Ranged

Ranged is one of the three combat classes in RuneScape and RuneScape 2007. It involves using bows, crossbows, and thrown weapons to damage opponents from a distance, and range armor can mostly be made from animal hides. Players who specialize in this skill are known as rangers or archers.

The Combat Triangle dictates that Rangers are strong against Mages and weak against Melee fighters.

Ranged's ability to attack from a distance means that a player can safespot a Melee monster while fighting from safety. Keep in mind that some Melee monsters have high Ranged defence, so a high ranged level may be needed. Crossbows are usefull against monster with high defense, as they are very accurate.

Weapons: The rapid combat stance increases speed of attack, but also lowers the maximum hit of the ammo. Accurate and long range stances have a higher hit than rapid stance, although the long range stance gives defence experience.

Knives/darts: Darts have the highest attack speed in the game, but they do very little damage and are innacurate. Knives have a lower attack speed, but have more ranged strength. Despite this, they are excellent for training. Knives are stronger than darts. Dragon darts are about the same as rune knives.

Throwing rings (Toktz-xil-ul) have similar stats to dragon darts and rune knives.

Shortbow/longbow: These  bows both fire the same arrows, differing in speed, range and accuracy but not in damage. Longbows could be used for additional range, but are slower than shortbows on rapid. The magic shortbow has a special attack which hits twice, and the magic longbow has a special attack which boosts accuracy

Crossbow: Crossbows are very accurate, and crossbow bolts deal significantly more damage than arrows, maknig crossbows effective for training ranged.

Bone Crossbow: This is the only crossbow which can fire the cheap bone bolts. It is also faster than normal crossbows, and has a special attack which lowers the target's defense level.

Karil's Crossbow: Despite being a crossbow, it is more like a shortbow, requiring two hands and having a fast attack speed. Karil's crossbow will only work with bolt racks, which break when fired, making it expensive to use. This weapon should only be used against players, as everything else can be done more cheaply.

Ogre bow/Ogre composite bow: The ogre bow is extremely slow. It's only real use it to hunt chompy birds. The composite ogre bow has the same speed as a crossbow, but it can use brutal arrows. Rune brutal arrows have the same ranged strength bonus as dragon arrows, although this is not shown in the stats window.

Dark Bow: The dark bow is the slowest weapon in the game, but it fires two arrows at once. It is also the only bow which can fire dragon arrows, and it has a devestating special attack which boosts damage by 30% if using arrows that are not dragon, or by 50% if using dragon arrows. The special attack has a minimum damage of 5 per non-dragon arrow, or 8 per dragon arrow.

Encanted crossbow bolts: Bolts that are tipped with gem stones that have a wide variety of effects. Here are the effects and runes/magic levels required to enchant the gem tipped bolt. Cut gems will yeild 12 bolt tips, although an oyster pearl will yeild 6.

Enchant Crossbow Bolt (Opal)Opal bolts (e) 4 magic for enchant 1  cosmic  2 air runes  Lucky Lightning: Extra damage. 11 fletching required.

Enchant Crossbow Bolt (Sapphire)Sapphire bolts (e) 7 magic for enchant  1  cosmic rune1  water rune1 mind rune  Clear Mind: Prayer siphon. 56 Fletching required.

Enchant Crossbow Bolt (Jade)Jade bolts (e) 14 magic for enchant 1  cosmic rune2 earth runes  Earth's Fury: Opponent knockdown. 26 Fletching required. Also requires completion of The Knight's Sword in order to obtain blurite ore.

Enchant Crossbow Bolt (Pearl)Pearl bolts (e) 24 magic for enchant 1  cosmic rune2 water runes  Sea Curse: Extra (water-based) damage: effective against monsters specializing in the fire element, such as Obsidian creatures. fletching required.

Enchant Crossbow Bolt (Emerald)Emerald bolts (e) 27 magic for enchant 1  cosmic rune1  nature rune3 air runes Magical Poison: Greater chance of poison. 58 fletching required

Enchant Crossbow Bolt (Red Topaz)Topaz bolts (e) 29 magic for enchant 1  cosmic runes2 fire runes  Down to Earth: Lowers target's magic (other players only) 48 fletching required.

Enchant Crossbow Bolt (Ruby)Ruby bolts (e) 49 magic for enchant 1  cosmic rune1  blood rune5 fire runes  Blood Forfeit: -10% LP from self, -20% from target. 63 fletching required

Enchant Crossbow Bolt (Diamond)Diamond bolts (e) 57 magic for enchant 2 law runes1  cosmic rune10 earth runes  Armour Piercing: Ignore much of target's ranged defence. 65 fletching required

Enchant Crossbow Bolt (Dragonstone)Dragon bolts (e) 68 magic for enchant 1  cosmic rune1  soul rune15 earth runes  Dragon's Breath: dragonbreath damage: Magical attack, effective against opponents with low magic defence. Antifire potions will decrease the hit. 71 fletching required

Enchant Crossbow Bolt (Onyx)Onyx bolts (e) 87 magic for enchant  1  cosmic rune 1 death rune20 fire runes  Life Leech: Extra damage, HP siphon by 1/4 of hit. 73 fletching required. Chinchompas: Chinchompas deal very little damage, but they hit multiple targets, making them excellent for training. Because of this, they are extremely expensive.

99 Ranged Guide:
 * Levels 1-5 Buy a shortbow from another player, or an archery store in places like Varrock, and about 100 bronze arrows. From here travel to a place where level 2 goblins spawn, (preferably lumbridge) and shoot at goblins, picking up your arrows, until 5 ranged.
 * Level 5-20 After achieving 5 range, go and buy an oak shortbow and more bronze arrows. Also optional, buy leather armor for the ranged attack and defence bonus. From here you can still range goblins until level 20, or you can go and kill cows, or any other low level monster you can find.
 * Level 20-30 After 20 ranged, you can buy either a willow shortbow (cheaper, but slower exp) or you can buy iron knives (for expensive, but much faster exp.) Once you get either of these items, head over to the stronghold of security,  and kill minotaurs on the first floor.
 * Levels 30-40 From here, get either a maple shortbow or some more iron knives, and head over the barbarian village, and kill barbarians in the long house until 40 range.
 * levels 40-50 Now at 40 range, you can wear dragonhide. If you can, buy some green dragonhide as it will help your defence bonus and ranged attack bonus greatly. Also at 40 ranged, it is advised to pick up a yew shortbow, or get some more iron knives. From 40-50 ranged, you can go to rock crabs, north of Rellekka, or to hill giants, in the edgeville dungeon.
 * Levels 50-55 from here, you should pick up some blue dragonhide, and either a magic shortbow or more iron knives. Kill some more hill giants or rock crabs for the quick 5 levels.
 * Levels 55-99 expensive method: From level 55, pick up as many red chinchompas as you can, and go to the tunnels under Ape Atoll (requires Monkey Madness completed) and use red chins (on medium fuse) and the monkey skeletons. Also to do this method you will NEED 43 prayer and prayer potions. This (in 2007 Runescape) is THE FASTEST way to 99 ranged.
 * Levels 55-99 cheaper way. From level 55, you need to buy as many iron knives as you can, and go kill rock crabs, or experiments. This method is MUCH slower than the method above, but is much much cheaper than using red chins.
 * After achieveing 99 ranged, go pick up a skillcape and look like a beast!
 * Money Making:
 * After 50 range you can pick up a magic shortbow and blue dragonhide. After you get these, head on over to the TzHaar city, and safespot Tzhaar-Kets behind the geysers. These monsters drop obby mauls, shields, capes which go for well over 50k each, making this very profitable if you get lucky. They have decent defense and can hit very hard, so be careful.
 * Monsters with reasonably low ranged defense include chromatic dragons, demons and yaks. With a high enough ranged level, anything you can safespot becomes a free kill.