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Melee the basics
Melee

The term Melee is used to describe the Attack, Strength and Defence skills as a ground. Melee is one of the three Combat classes in 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.

Melee'ing

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 has a high resistance to Ranged, 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, 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 piece, 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 which equipment he or she is able to wear, as most pieces of armour or other equipment have a Defence level requirement.

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 are slightly slower than longswords, slightly weaker, and use crush and stab. However, 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 type 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 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 pieces of dragon equipment are 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 helm have slightly better bonuses than their rune counterparts. Granite is rarely used due to it's scarcity, and weight.

3rd age melee armour[]

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

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.[1]

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[]


Herblore[]

Image Boost Skill Level
increase
Level to make Notes
Attack potion(4) Attack mix(2) Attack potion (mix) (m) Attack 3 + 10% Herblore icon 1 (4) Mix version heals 3 Hitpoints.
Combat potion(3) Combat mix(2) Combat potion (mix) (m) Attack and Strength 15% Herblore icon 36 (40) Mix also heals 6 Hitpoints.
Super attack(3) File:Super attack mix(2).png Super attack (mix) (m) Attack 5 + 15% Herblore icon 45 (47) Mix version heals 6 Hitpoints.
Zamorak brew(3) Zamorak mix(2) Zamorak brew (mix) (m) Attack and Strength 2 + 20% Herblore icon 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(3) Super combat potion (m) Attack, Strength, Defence 5 + 15% Herblore icon 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 Cup of tea (m) Attack 3 N/A Heals 2-3 Hitpoints as well. Non-tradeable.
Spicy stew Red spicy stew (m) Attack , Strength, Defence, Ranged, Magic -5 to +5 Cooking icon 25 The stew may boost or reduce levels by 1 to 5 points randomly. +5 boost are rare. Non-tradeable.
Attack cape Attack cape (m) Attack 1 Attack icon 99 Requires Skill mastery to equip. Non-tradeable.

Prayer[]

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

Other[]

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

Strength[]


Potions[]

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

Cooking[]

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

Other[]

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

Prayer[]

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

Other[]

Image Boost Skill Level
increase
Level to obtain (without trading) Notes
Black warlock icon Black warlock (m) Strength 20% Hunter icon 45 Boost affects the player it is used on.
Black mask Black mask (m) Strength; Attack 15% Slayer icon 58 Boost only applies when fighting monsters assigned by a Slayer Master.
Dharok's armour equipped Wretched Strength (Dharok's set effect) (m) Strength (Max - current Hitpoints) × 1% Strength icon 70; Attack icon 70; Defence icon 70 Full set must be worn for special effect to take place.

Melee Capes of Accomplishment[]

See also[]

References[]

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