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. They will fall on underneath the enemy when you've hit them. When the enemy is dead, grab your items. You'll notice that you'll have fewer arrows, etc. 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 Value | 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 best 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 | Lvl Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crossbow | 1 | Can be bought from Lowe's Archery Store in Varrock. It also respawns in the wilderness. +6 ranged attack value. |
| Phoenix Crossbow | 1 | This is obtained during the Shield of Arrav quest. +6 ranged attack value, not much of a difference between the two. |