You don't have to be left out of the fun in Oldschool Runescape just because you aren't a member. There is plenty of options for gear offered to F2P players.
Is there any point in playing Oldschool Runescape if you aren’t a member? I’d say so. If you’re an adventurer, there are fulfilling quests to complete. If you’re a fighter, there are difficult demi-bosses to overcome. If you’re a murderer, you can PK. You can play the game any style that you please, which makes the fun limitless.
Unfortunately, these challenges are going to be, well… challenging. Having high-tier gear can really go a long way. I have a list of the best weapons and armor available to F2P players that will give you faster experience rates and more damage while fighting.
#1. Rune Scimitar
This barbarian can yell all she wants. Nothing can stop the precision and speed of a scimitar.
Is close-combat your style? Do you want to be able to see the fear in your opponent's eyes? Then you should fight with melee. Before you begin, You need to know what the best options are for training to gain the best possible experience per hour.
So you need more moss giant kills per hour to fund your account. What weapon should you use? The best melee weapon for training at any level is a scimitar. It may not have the highest stats of all of the weapons, compared to some of the hammers and larger swords, but the speed at which it attacks makes up for any lack of damage. Slash those moss giants to pieces and bask in the coin and runes drops. Or maybe, if you’re lucky, a mossy key. The perfect balance between speed and stats of the rune scimitar give it the highest DPS and experience gained per hour.
The highest level of scimitar is the rune scimitar, which requires level 40 attack to wield.
Rune Scimitar Stats:
Attack:
- Stab 7
- Slash 45
- Crush -2
- Magic 0
- Range 0
Defense:
- Stab 0
- Slash 1
- Crush 0
- Magic 0
- Range 0
Other:
- Strength 44
- Range strength 0
- Magic damage 0
- Prayer 0
- Speed 6
How to get it:
There are only two ways to acquire a rune scimitar in F2P. 1). Buy it from the Grand Exchange and 2), smith it yourself. Unfortunately, if you are an ironman, your only option is to get 90 smithing. If you are looking for some of the lower levels of scimitars, you can purchase bronze through mithril from Zeke’s Superior Scimitars in Al Karid.
#2. Rune 2-handed sword
This skeleton stands no chance against the force of a high damage 2-handed sword.
Let’s say you are the murdering type. A scimitar would take too long to beat down your opponent. You need a good weapon to end them before they even see it coming. That’s where a rune 2-handed sword comes in. The sheer amount of damage this sword can deal makes it the best option for F2P PKing. The strategy is to use another weapon, such as a short bow or scimitar to get your target low, and then use the high strength bonus of a 2-handed sword to finish them off in a single hit before they have a chance to heal up.
Unlike the scimitar, a 2-handed sword has one of the slowest attack speeds in the game. This makes it not recommended for normal experience training, but great for PKing.
A rune 2-handed sword requires 40 attack to wield.
Rune 2-handed Stats:
Attack:
- Stab -4
- Slash 69
- Crush 50
- Magic -4
- Range 0
Defense:
- Stab 0
- Slash 0
- Crush 0
- Magic 0
- Range -1
Other:
- Strength 70
- Range strength 0
- Magic damage 0
- Prayer 0
- Speed 3
How to get it:
The demi-boss Obor is the only F2P NPC that drops a rune 2-handed sword. If you would like to smith one yourself you would need to max your level out at 99 smithing to create it.
#3. Hill Giant Club
The blunt force of this weapon is sure to give you your max hit.
If instead of slashing someone down with a sword, you would rather bash their heads in, Oldschool has you covered. Demolish your enemies with the hill giant club. The hill giant’s club could be compared to the rune 2-handed sword, as it has the same strength bonus and is often used as a last hitting weapon for PKing. This is another 2-handed option that isn’t good for training, due to its slow attack speed.
What makes the hill giant club different than a rune 2-handed sword is that it has a higher crush bonus, but a lower slash bonus. If you are in a PVP battle where your opponent has a higher slash defense, then it would be better to use the hill giant club. The price difference between these two items is vast, but if you have the cash this can be an overwhelming and satisfying option while PKing.
A hill giant club requires 40 attack to wield.
Hill Giant Club stats:
Attack:
- Stab -4
- Slash 50
- Crush 65
- Magic -4
- Range 0
Defense:
- Stab 0
- Slash 0
- Crush 0
- Magic 0
- Range -1
Other:
- Strength 70
- Range strength 0
- Magic damage 0
- Prayer 0
- Speed 3
How to get it:
The hill giant club is obtained by fighting the F2P demi-boss Obor. To do this you must kill hill giants for a giant key. One giant key lets you fight Obor, and he has a chance at dropping the club. You will need more keys to attempt the fight again.
#4. God Runite armor
It comes in many different colors, but all have the same stats. God armor is a way to make your setup unique to your style.
Quick tip: Never trust someone saying, “Free armor trimming” in Runescape. Just buy it from the Grand Exchange. Buy the god rune armor in particular. Why? For the extra bonuses. Let me explain.
Rune armor will give you the best defensive stats possible to melee and range, but there are reasons outside of being rich and stylish to wear god armor. That reason is the prayer bonus it gives you. Normal rune does not have this but Saradomin, Zamorak, Guthix, Armadyl, Bandos, and Ancient rune armor do.
The defensive bonuses are the same as normal rune, but if you have the money, the prayer bonus makes it a worthy upgrade. If you decide to stick with normal rune remember: The best defenses will come from a platebody over a chainmail, a full helmet over a medium helmet, and a kite shield over a square shield. The decision of a plateskirt and platelegs is up to you.
Note that these armors will give you a large negative magic defense bonus. Don't wear it when you’re taking magic damage!
Rune armor requires 40 defense to wield, but the platebody requires the completion of Dragon Slayer, F2P’s most challenging quest.
Rune god armor set stats:
Attack:
- Stab 0
- Slash 0
- Crush 0
- Magic -65
- Range -21
Defense:
- Stab 207
- Slash 209
- Crush 192
- Magic -12
- Range 205
Other:
- Strength 0
- Range strength 0
- Magic damage 0
- Prayer 4
How to get it:
Unfortunately, rune god armor comes from clue scrolls, which are members only. You will have to buy it off of the Grand Exchange because there is no other way to get it. If you decide to get normal rune armor you can purchase the legs and skirt from Scavvo’s Rune Store in the champions guild. Obor drops rune full helmet, plateskirt, platelegs, and kiteshield, so that is your best bet to obtain most rune items. The rune platebody can only be purchased from Oziach in Edgeville after you complete the Dragon Slayer quest.
#5. Green dragonhide
Range is great for safespotting monster that would otherwise deal damage to you.
Up until this point, I have given you all of the best options for training and PKing for melee gear, but maybe you would consider yourself as a killer from the shadows. You want to stay as far away as possible and strike before your opponent notices you’re there. Well lucky for you, range is a great option in Oldschool. And for that, you need to be wearing d’hide armor. Range best for safespotting difficult NPC’s or PKing. The vambraces also give you the highest defense bonuses possible in F2P.
Green dragonhide is the best range gear that you can obtain in F2P. Up until this point, the next best range gear is the studded leather body and studded leather chaps. These are both low-level gear, and you will definitely notice that you are mowing down your opponents with greater speed and piercing their feeble defenses when you reach the level for green d’hide. This makes it a worthy goal to shoot for (pun intended).
Green d’hide chaps and vambraces requires 40 range to wield. The d’hide top requires the completion of Dragon Slayer and 40 defense on top of the range requirement.
Green d’hide set stats:
Attack:
- Stab 0
- Slash 0
- Crush 0
- Magic -35
- Range 31
Defense:
- Stab 65
- Slash 50
- Crush 192
- Magic 73
- Range 62
Other:
- Strength 0
- Range strength 0
- Magic damage 0
- Prayer 0
How to get it:
The chaps and vambraces can be purchased from Scavvo’s Rune Store in the Champion’s guild, but the top has to be purchased from Oziach after you complete Dragon Slayer.
#6 Shortbow
If you like to pick off your targets from a distance then lucky for you, shortbows are the best for mains and pures.
Robin Hood. Legolas. Katniss Everdeen. What do you have to do to match their skill? Well, it’s owning a shortbow, of course. The reason you use this is similar to why you use a scimitar. You should prioritize speed over damage because over time, having a higher attack speed will give you higher DPS. Shortbows have less damage than a longbow, but the speed makes up for it. In the end, you will have higher DPS with the shortbow.
Use whatever the best shortbow is for your level. The best option offered to F2P is maple. This is the only bow in F2P that can wield up to adamant arrows, making it a strong option for training and PKing. These can be quite pricy and it is recommended to do casual training with steel arrows, but adamant arrows are good if you have the coin to spare.
You need 30 range to wield a maple bow.
Maple shortbow stats:
Attack:
- Stab 0
- Slash 0
- Crush 0
- Magic 0
- Range 29
Defense:
- Stab 0
- Slash 0
- Crush 0
- Magic 0
- Range 0
Other:
- Strength 0
- Range strength 0
- Magic damage 0
- Prayer 0
How to get it:
Luckily, Lowe’s Archery Emporium offers every type of longbow and shortbow available to F2P players and it also has arrows up to adamant.
Now you have a list of the best methods to gain the highest DPS and the highest experience rates offered to F2P. So get out there and level your combat with speed, fight Bryophyta and Obor with ease, and kill your friends in the wilderness with zeal. Remember, Oldschool Runescape has a vast world, filled with many adventures to be had, even to those who are F2P.
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