RuneScape/Skills/Ranged

Ranged is one of Runescape's combat skills. Ranging involves attacking an enemy from a distance using certain objects, such as a bow and arrows.

If you only raise range as your combat stat, then you are called a "ranger". As a ranger, you hide behind objects to avoid damage, which is how the skill got it's name.

When you range something, you will throw items at them. However, only sometimes you will get them back. Your weapons will fall underneath the enemy when you've hit them. When the enemy is dead, grab your items. You'll notice that you'll have fewer weapons. This is because only sometimes you get back your items. This causes range to become an expensive skill, as you always have to buy more ammunition.

Intro

A bow and arrows are the recommended set for ranging, as they are fast and give good range bonuses. With your bow equipped, click on the icon with the two swords crossing eachother. Clicking on this will show that you can attack accurately, rapidly, or longrange.

If you use the accurate or rapid attack styles, receive four ranged exp and 1.33 hit points exp. So say you hit a 10 on your enemy. You will be given 40 ranged exp and about 5 hit points exp. If you use the longrange attack style, you will receive two ranged exp, two defense exp points and 1.33 hit points exp.

Many people consider the rapid attack style to be best for training, as using it allows you to shoot fast, thus giving you fast exp.

Also, there are "short bows" and "long bows". Long bows allow you to hit farther and harder, but you shoot arrows slow. Short bows allow you to shoot fast, but not hit as hard nor as far as long bows.

If you want to see your ranged defence and ranged attack, click on the icon with the man standing with his arms outstretched. When you've clicked on this icon, look down and you should see a small black window which you can scroll down on. If you scroll down, you can see your ranged attack and ranged defence.

The higher the ranged attack, the more often you will hit. The higher the ranged defence, the less you will be damaged. To increase these two stats, you need to wield a better bow or armour than you currently have wielded. However, you also need certain ranged levels to weild different bows and armour.

Bows

Below is a table with info about bows. "Lvl Needed" means ranged level needed to wield that bow. "Att Value" means how much that bow adds to your ranged attack.

Bow	Lvl Needed	Att Bonus	Notes
Short Bow	1	+8	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador.
Long Bow	1	+8	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador.
Oak Short Bow	5	+14	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador.
Oak Long Bow	5	+14	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador.
Willow Short Bow	20	+20	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador.
Willow Long Bow	20	+20	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador.
Maple Short Bow	30	+29	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador. This is the highest bow a free person can wield.
Maple Long Bow	30	+29	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador. This is the highest bow a free person can wield.
Yew Short Bow	40	+47	Members only. Can only be bought from other players.
Yew Long Bow	40	+47	Members only. Can only be bought from other players.
Magic Short Bow	50	+69	Members only. Can only be bought from other players. This bow has a "special", which allows you to do something special a certain number of times.
Magic Long Bow	50	+69	Members only. Can only be bought from other players. This bow has a "special", which allows you to do something special a certain number of times.

Specials

The magic short bow (commonly referred to as the MSB) and the magic long bow (also known as the MLB) both have specials.

When you equip one of these bows, if you click on the icon with the two swords crossing eachother, and look at the bottom, you will see a bar and the word "special". When you are about to fire, you click on the "special bar". When you've clicked on it, the word "special" will highlight, and when you shoot your next arrow, you will do the special.

Each special also has a drain rate. A 50% drain rate means if you use the special once, your special bar will go down 50%. The special bar takes time to recharge.

The magic long bow's special allows you to shoots an arrow with a chance to hit higher than normal. Using the special reduces your special bar by 35%, so you can use it twice in a row, and then let the bar recharge.

The magic short bow's special allows you to shoot two arrows at once. Using the special reduces your special bar by 55%, making you wait a few seconds to let it recharge to use it again.

Many people prefer the MSB over the MLB as the MSB allows you to shoot faster and has a very good special.

Arrows

Arrows are used with your bow as weapons, or ammunition (ammo). The better the arrow, the higher you can hit, but you'll need a better bow to fire the better arrows. Free players can use all arrows except rune.

"Bow Required" means the minimum bow you need to use those arrows. The price of the arrows are store prices and not street prices.

Name	Bow Required	Location
Bronze Arrows	Any	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador.
Iron Arrows	Any	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador.
Steel Arrows	Oak	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador.
Mithril Arrows	Willow	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador.
Adamant Arrows	Maple	Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock or from the archer in Rimmington, southwest of Falador.
Rune Arrows	Yew	Members only. Can be bought from the Ranged Guild.

Crossbows and Bolts

A crossbow is similiar to a bow, but instead you hold it with one hand, thus allowing you to wield a shield. However, crossbows only give +6 ranged attack value.

Crossbows are seldom used now, as they are slower than bows and their bolts take time to get. Bows are recommended over crossbows.

Below is a table with info about crossbows and bolts.

Name	Notes
Crossbow	Level 1 ranged required to use. Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock. It also respawns in the wilderness. +6 ranged bonus.
Phoenix Crossbow	Level 1 ranged required to use. This is obtained during the Shield of Arrav quest. +6 ranged bonus, rumoured to hit harder than crossbow, though unconfirmed.
Bolts	Similiar to iron arrows. Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock. It also respawns in the wilderness.
Pearl Tipped Bolts	Members only. Similiar to steel arrows.
Opal Tipped Bolts	Members only. Similiar to mithril arrows.
Barbed Tipped Bolts	Members only. Similiar to adamant arrows. Made by attaching barb tips on normal bolts. Barb tips are found in the Ranged guild.

Members Weapons

Members have many different kinds of weapons they could use while ranging. These weapons include darts, throwing knives, javelins, and throwing axes.

Darts

Darts can only be made after you have completed The Tourist Trap. To make them, see the fletching guide. Darts are very fast, thus giving good exp, though take time to make. There are 6 different kinds of darts, listed below.

• Bronze Darts
• Iron Darts
• Steel Darts
• Mithril Darts
• Adamant Darts
• Rune Darts

Throwing Knives

Throwing knives can be smithed. Throwing knives are very fast and are easy to make. They are good for gaining exp. There are 6 different kinds of throwing knives, listed below.

• Bronze Throwing Knives
• Iron Throwing Knives
• Steel Throwing Knives
• Mithril Throwing Knives
• Adamant Throwing Knives
• Rune Throwing Knives

Javelins

Javelins are a monster drop and can be bought from the Ranged Guild. They are slow, but hit good. They are not recommended for gaining exp, as they're just too slow compared to shooting arrows with a bow. There are 6 different kinds of javelins, listed below. You can wield a shield with javelins.

Name	Ranged Attack Bonus
Bronze Javelins	+5
Iron Javelins	+8
Steel Javelins	+12
Mithril Javelins	+17
Adamant Javelins	+24
Rune Javelins	+38

Throwing Axes

Throwing axes can be bought from the Ranged Guild. They are very slow, but powerful. However, they are not recommended for gaining exp, as they're just too slow compared to shooting arrows with a bow. There are 6 different kinds of throwing axes, listed below. You can wield a shield with throwing axes.

Name	Ranged Attack Bonus
Bronze Throwing Axes	+4
Iron Throwing Axes	+5
Steel Throwing Axes	+8
Mithril Throwing Axes	+12
Adamant Throwing Axes	+17
Rune Throwing Axes	+26

Leather Armour

Leather armour is the ranger's armour. If you want to make leather yourself, see the crafting guide.

Leather armour gives good defence against mages, so if you want to fight mages, wear leather armour. However, warriors have an advantage over leather armour, so if you want to fight warriors, do not wear leather armour. Below is a table with info about leather armour.

Name	Attack Bonus	Defence Bonus	Notes
Cowl	+1 range	+2 stab, +3 slash, +4 crush, +2 magic, +3 range
Coif	-1 magic, +2 range	+4 stab, +6 slash, +8 crush, +4 magic, +4 range	Can be made by members, see crafting guide how. Level 20 range required to wear.
Leather Body	-2 magic, +2 range	+8 stab, +9 slash, +10 crush, +4 magic, +9 range
Hard Leather Body	-4 magic, +8 range	+12 stab, +15 slash, +18 crush, +6 magic, +15 range	Level 10 defence required to wear.
Studded Leather Body	-4 magic, +8 range	+18 stab +25 slash, +22 crush, +8 magic, +25 range	Can be made by members, see crafting guide how. Level 20 defence and level 20 range required to wear.
Leather Chaps	+4 range	+2 stab +3 slash, +1 crush
Studded Leather Chaps	-5 magic, +6 range	+15 stab, +16 slash, +17 crush, +6 magic, +16 range	Can be made by members, see crafting guide how. Level 20 range required to wear
Vambraces	+4 range	+2 stab, +2 slash, +1 crush

Snakeskin

If you are a member and your [[RuneScape/Skills/Crafting|crafting] level is high enough, you can make snakeskin, or buy it from fellow players. It has better stats than leather, but requires a range and defence level of 30 to wear it.

Name	Attack Bonus	Defence Bonus	Notes
Snakeskin Body	-5 magic, +12 range	+25 stab, +28 slash, +32 crush, +15 magic, +35 range	Members only. Can be made by members, see crafting guide how.
Snakeskin Chaps	-5 magic, +6 range	+8 stab, +8 slash, +10 crush, +4 magic, +10 range	Members only. Can be made by members, see crafting guide how.
Snakeskin Vambraces	-5 magic, +6 range	+2 stab, +2 slash, +2 crush, +1 magic	Members only. Can be made by members, see crafting guide how.
Snakeskin Bandana	-5 magic, +4 range	+2 stab, +4 slash, +4 crush, +2 magic, +2 range	Members only. Can be made by members, see crafting guide how.
Snakeskin Boots	-10 magic, +3 range	+1 stab, +1 slash, +2 crush, +1 magic	Members only. Can be made by members, see crafting guide how.

Dragonhide

Dragonhide is no doubt the best of all the armour rangers can wear. Members can make dragonhide, see the crafting guide how.

There are four types of dragonhide. There's green dragonhide, blue dragonhide, red dragonhide, and black dragonhide. Free players can only wear green dragonhide. Green dragonhide bodies can be bought from Oziach after finishing Dragon Slayer, and green dragonhide chaps and vambraces can be bought from the Champion's Guild. The other kinds of dragonhide cannot be bought in stores and must be bought from fellow players.

Green Dragonhide

Name	Attack Bonus	Defence Bonus	Notes
Green D'hide Vambraces	-10 magic, +8 range	+3 stab, +2 slash, +4 crush, +2 magic	Level 40 ranged required to wear. Can be bought in Champion's guild. Highest leather free players can wear. Members can also crafting this.
Green D'hide Chaps	-10 magic, +8 range	+22 stab, +16 slash, +24 crush, +8 magic, +22 range	Level 40 ranged required to wear. Can be bought in Champion's guild. Highest leather free players can wear. Members can also crafting this.
Green D'hide Body	-15 magic, +15 range	+40 stab, +32 slash, +45 crush, +20 magic, +40 range	Level 40 ranged and defence required to wear. Can be bought in Champion's guild. Highest leather free players can wear. Members can also crafting this.

Blue Dragonhide

Name	Attack Bonus	Defence Bonus	Notes
Blue D'hide Vambraces	-10 magic, +9 range	+4 stab, +3 slash, +5 crush, +4 magic	Members only. Level 50 ranged required to wear. Can only be bought from fellow players or crafted.
Blue D'hide Chaps	-10 magic, +11 range	+25 stab, +19 slash, +27 crush, +14 magic, +25 range	Members only. Level 50 ranged required to wear. Can only be bought from fellow players or crafted..
Blue D'hide Body	-15 magic, +20 range	+45 stab, +37 slash, +50 crush, +30 magic, +45 range	Members only. Level 50 ranged and level 40 defence required to wear. Can only be bought from fellow players or crafted.

Red Dragonhide

Name	Attack Bonus	Defence Bonus	Notes
Red D'hide Vambraces	-10 magic, +10 range	+5 stab, +4 slash, +6 crush, +6 magic	Members only. Level 60 ranged required to wear. Can only be bought from fellow players or crafted.
Red D'hide Chaps	-10 magic, +14 range	+28 stab, +22 slash, +30 crush, +20 magic, +28 range	Members only. Level 60 ranged required to wear. Can only be bought from fellow players or crafted..
Red D'hide Body	-15 magic, +25 range	+50 stab, +42 slash, +55 crush, +40 magic, +50 range	Members only. Level 60 ranged and level 40 defence required to wear. Can only be bought from fellow players or crafted.

Black Dragonhide

Name	Attack Bonus	Defence Bonus	Notes
Black D'hide Vambraces	-10 magic, +11 range	+6 stab, +5 slash, +7 crush, +8 magic	Members only. Level 70 ranged required to wear. Can only be bought from fellow players or crafted.
Black D'hide Chaps	-10 magic, +17 range	+31 stab, +25 slash, +33 crush, +26 magic, +31 range	Members only. Level 70 ranged required to wear. Can only be bought from fellow players or crafted..
Black D'hide Body	-15 magic, +30 range	+55 stab, +47 slash, +60 crush, +50 magic, +55 range	Members only. Level 70 ranged and level 40 defence required to wear. Can only be bought from fellow players or crafted.

PKing

PKing means "Player Killing", which is what the wilderness (also known as the wildy) is for. In the wilderness, there are "levels". For example, in wilderness level 1, you can only attack people who are either 1 level above or below your level, or have the same level as you.

In the wilderness, rangers have the advantage over mages (people who raise magic). Their arrows do good damage against them, as their range defence bonus is weak, and since your leather or dragonhide has good magic defence bonus, they won't hurt you much. However, warriors can do good damage against you, as leather and dragonhide has weak melee defence stats (stab, slash, and crush).

In the wilderness, here are some good tactics.

• Bring a longbow and a shortbow. When fighting a person up close, use the short bow to hit fast. If they run, use a long bow to hit far.
• Use obstacles to your advantage. For example, if there is a rock nearby, try to have you on side of it and the opponent on the other side.
• Bring lots of good food to survive longer.
• If you've raised your combat stats, magic, and range, then you can be quite a formidable opponent in the wilderness. Up close, use melee, or a short bow. When they run, snare them (members only, level 50 magic required) or, if your magic level is high enough and you've completed the quest Desert Treasure, then use Ancient Magicks (see magic guide) and freeze them and hit them hard. Using all three combat styles will make you a very hard opponent.

Free to Play Training

If you are a free player, then here are some good places to raise your range level.

• Level 1 to 30 - Range chickens. Lumbridge has two good spots, as well as the farm north of Port Sarim. This is a very good way to train range to level 30.
• Level 30 to 60 - Range the guards in and outside Varrock Castle.
• Level 50 to 60 - Range the hobgoblins near the Crafting Guild. You can range across the water from where the cows are, but you'll lose arrows this way as it takes awhile to run on the other side.
• Level 50 to 60 - Range the White Knights in White Knights' Castle.
• Level 50 to 99 - Range Moss Giants in Varrock's sewers or on Crandor. In the sewers, you can hide behind the rocks. There are also spots you can hide behind on Crandor. However, often crowded at peak times, when more than 150,000 people are on.
• Level 60 to 99 - Range Lesser Demons inside Karmaja's volcano. You can also range the ones on Crandor, there are many hiding spots you can use both inside and outside. However, often crowded at peak times, when more than 150,000 people are on.
• Level 60 to 99 - Range Ice Giants in the dungeon underneath Thurgo's house, south of Port Sarim. You can hide behind the stalactites and range them. However, often crowded at peak times, when more than 150,000 people are on.
• Level 60 to 99 - Range Black Knights in Black Knights' Fortress.