Attack determines which weapons you can wield.

Strength dictates how hard you hit.

Defence reduces damage taken and unlocks stronger armour.

Unless you’re building a specialised pure account, training all three is essential for long-term success. This guide covers the most effective ways to level from 1 all the way to 99, highlighting quests, gear upgrades, and training spots along the way.

Getting Started (Levels 1–40+)

The early stages of combat can feel painfully slow. To skip past this bottleneck, prioritise quests that grant large amounts of Melee XP. Quests not only give generous rewards but also unlock useful items for future training.

Some of the best early options include:

Waterfall Quest – 13,750 Attack and Strength XP. No tough bosses, making it one of the best starter quests.

Fight Arena – 12,150 Attack XP. Bosses are easily spotted with early Magic or a crossbow.

Tree Gnome Village – 11,450 Attack XP. Similar to Fight Arena, with a boss that can be trapped.

The Grand Tree – 18,400 Attack XP. Safe-spot the Black Demon boss for easy completion.

Holy Grail – 15,300 Defence XP and 11,000 Prayer XP. Features a very easy boss fight.

Dragon Slayer – 18,650 Strength and Defence XP, plus access to Rune platebody.

Fremennik Isles – 20,000 XP in any combat stat and the powerful Helm of Neitiznot.

Haunted Mine – 22,000 Strength XP and access to the Salve Amulet, useful against undead.

Completing these quests alone can take you from level 1 to the mid-40s without ever grinding monsters. For instance, just Waterfall Quest, Fight Arena, and Tree Gnome Village push Attack to 44—enough to wield Rune weapons.

Mid-Game Training (40s–60s)

Once your combat stats are in the 40s, quests won’t provide as much benefit, so it’s time to grind. At this stage, the best monsters to train on are Sand Crabs or Ammonite Crabs.

Sand Crabs are located in Hosidius and are extremely AFK-friendly.

Ammonite Crabs (on Fossil Island) are even better, with 100 Hitpoints and very low Defence, meaning long AFK sessions with steady XP.

Equip a Rune Scimitar (cheap and efficient) and focus your combat style on Strength training. Increasing Strength first makes kills faster, boosting overall XP rates.

Ammonite Crabs also drop fossils, which can be exchanged at the Varrock Museum for free XP rewards. Many players use this period to casually train while multitasking with OSRS Mobile.

Unlocking the Dragon Defender

At around 65 Attack and Strength, your next big milestone is the Dragon Defender, one of the best Melee off-hand items in the game.

To obtain it, head to the Warrior’s Guild:

Collect tokens by killing reanimated armour sets.

Use tokens upstairs to fight Cyclopes for defenders.

Work your way from Bronze → Rune defenders (1/50 drop rate each).

Finally, move to the basement for the Dragon Defender (1/100 drop rate).

While the grind can take hours, the Dragon Defender provides a massive Strength bonus and will remain useful even at endgame. Alongside it, consider grinding other long-term gear:

Fighter Torso (Barbarian Assault) for Strength bonus.

Barrows Gloves (Recipe for Disaster).

Fire Cape (Fight Caves).

High-Level Training (70–99)

With all three combat stats around 70, it’s time to focus on long-term methods. The most efficient and rewarding approach is Slayer training.

Why Slayer?

Levels your combat skills passively.

Unlocks profitable high-level monsters.

Rewards useful items and valuable drops.

Before starting, ensure you have 43 Prayer for protection prayers. Ideally, reach 70 Hitpoints and 85 Combat to unlock the Slayer Master Nieve/Steve.

Recommended Mid-Level Gear:

Head: Slayer Helm (imbued if possible).

Cape: Fire Cape.

Weapon: Abyssal Whip.

Off-Hand: Dragon Defender.

Chest/Legs: Proselyte armour for Prayer bonus.

Gloves: Barrows' Gloves.

Boots: Dragon Boots.

Ring: Berserker Ring (i).

Always use Super Potions and, if affordable, the Piety prayer for maximum DPS. Slayer tasks like Gargoyles, Greater Demons, and Dust Devils are AFK-friendly and provide solid XP with money-making potential.

Alternative Training Methods

If Slayer isn’t your preference, there are other options:

Nightmare Zone (NMZ): Use Dharok’s set for high-risk, high-reward XP.

Sulphur Naguas (Varlamore): Good for AFK training with steady drops.

Raids & Slayer Bosses: Less efficient for raw XP but excellent for making RuneScape gold while gaining combat levels.

While these methods can be slower in terms of pure XP, they’re often more enjoyable and help fund gear upgrades.

The Road to 99

Reaching level 99 in Attack, Strength, and Defence is a marathon, not a sprint. Pure efficiency might get you there faster, but it can also burn you out. The best approach is to mix Slayer tasks with training methods you actually enjoy.

Whether that’s AFKing at crabs, grinding Slayer, or diving into high-level bossing, every kill pushes you closer to maxing out your Melee stats. With persistence and the right mindset, 99s are inevitable.

Final Tip: Don’t chase efficiency at the cost of fun. Having a lot of OSRS gold will bring a lot of fun to players. OSRS is a game designed for the long haul. Pick training methods that keep you motivated, and your Melee journey to 99 will be far more rewarding.