Melee Gear Upgrade Guide (BEST GP TO DAMAGE) OSRS 2020
| Date | 2020-05-29 |
| Type | guide |
| Video | youtu.be/Ji2xv1IbHTs |
Summary
A guide to the order in which to buy and unlock melee gear to get the most DPS per gp, from untradeable unlocks to starter, intermediate, side-grade and late-game gear. Gnomonkey explains his reasoning, notes niche cases where other gear is better, and recommends checking the DPS calculator when in doubt.
Outline
- 0:00 Intro: DPS focus and strength bonus
- 1:35 Untradeable unlocks and the order to get them
- 3:09 Starter to intermediate gear
- 4:33 Intermediate to high-end gear
- 6:42 Sidegrades
- 8:19 Late game upgrades
Topics covered
Melee gear progression
- (0:00) Gnomonkey says making every piece of gold go as far as possible greatly helps an account's efficiency, and that his guide focuses on maximum DPS from melee equipment, though defence or accuracy can matter more in cases like bossing.
- (0:29) Gnomonkey recommends using the DPS calculator to check whether a different gear set suits a particular boss, and says there are niche cases where other gear should be bought before the items he lists.
- (0:29) Gnomonkey says strength bonus is the most important stat for DPS in general because it directly improves max hit, and a higher max hit also slightly increases accuracy because there are more numbers to roll.
- (0:56) Against regular or Slayer monsters with low defence strength bonus is basically the only priority, but accuracy is very important at bosses or certain monsters; for example off task Rune Dragons give more DPS with an Ardougne cloak 4 and Fighter hat because their stab accuracy matters more than a fire cape's strength bonus.
- (1:22) Gnomonkey says defence can matter for monsters where you tank many hits; for example Dagannoth tasks with full Bandos let you skip protection prayers.
- (1:22) Before unlocking anything else Gnomonkey says to finish the Barbarian trials (for the Berserker helm) and The Fremennik Isles (for the Neitiznot helm), as both provide a +3 strength bonus.
- (1:52) The extra untradeable unlocks Gnomonkey lists are the Dragon defender, Fighter torso, Fire cape, Barrows gloves and by extension Ferocious gloves, with Barrows and Ferocious gloves being the hardest.
- (2:19) Gnomonkey would get the Fire cape first because it only needs a decent Ranged level and is not tied to melee, while still training melee to about 50-60 Defence to make the caves easier.
- (2:19) On a new account Gnomonkey would power level to 75 Ranged for a blowpipe and rush straight to the Fight Caves.
- (2:47) Barrows gloves are probably the hardest to obtain but give +5 strength bonus over a regen bracelet, the largest upgrade of the unlocks, while the Fighter torso gives only +1 strength over the obsidian platebody and the Bandos chestplate gives better bonuses entirely; for certain accounts skipping the torso is doable.
- (2:47) Gnomonkey would get the Defender after the Fire cape, then the Fighter torso, and Barrows gloves last due to their high requirements.
- (3:09) Gnomonkey's starter melee set is Neitiznot helm, blessing, glory, fire cape, Dragon defender, Fighter torso, Dragon scimitar, rune platelegs, rune boots and Barrows gloves.
- (3:18) Gnomonkey says the first upgrade to get is Dragon boots, which are similar to the whip in strength bonus per gp but cheap enough to be acquired much faster, followed by a whip, which is about 15% more DPS than a Dragon scimitar.
- (3:46) If training Slayer, Gnomonkey says to grab a black mask for 16.67% damage and accuracy on task, and to get one before starting Slayer, though he would skip training Slayer until having more money.
- (3:46) Gnomonkey says the next upgrade to push for is an imbued Berserker ring, which should not be too hard to imbue via Nightmare Zone points.
- (4:12) Gnomonkey then recommends obsidian platelegs, calling it a tough call against saving for a fury, but the strength bonus per cost is too good, at only about one million gp; finally fury at about 3 million gives +2 strength and +2 prayer bonus over glory with better defensive stats.
- (4:12) Gnomonkey calls this gear profile the intermediate setup, after which upgrades start to cost much more.
- (4:41) With Dragon Slayer II done, Gnomonkey recommends Ferocious gloves for about 7 million gp for +2 strength bonus, which gain attack bonuses but lose Barrows gloves' defensive bonuses.
- (4:41) Gnomonkey recommends the amulet of torture next for an extra +2 strength bonus and attack bonuses, though it loses fury's defensive bonuses and 3 prayer bonus.
- (5:09) Gnomonkey calls the Saradomin godsword a utility upgrade rather than DPS, a godsend for Slayer: its special uses 50% of the bar, raises max hit by 10%, doubles accuracy, restores health equal to 50% of damage and prayer equal to 25% of damage.
- (5:09) The Saradomin godsword costs about 35 million gp and lets some tasks be done without prayer potions or food.
- (5:42) For primarily bossing Gnomonkey would skip the Saradomin godsword and look at other spec weapons like the Bandos godsword or Dragon warhammer.
- (5:42) Gnomonkey recommends Tassets next, which give +1 strength over obsidian platelegs plus a prayer bonus, with over double the ranged defence and 50% higher melee defence, useful for tasks without protection prayers like Gargoyles, Kurask and Dagannoth.
- (6:13) Gnomonkey says the next upgrade is either a Bandos chestplate or primordial boots depending on the monsters: boots are far more expensive for +1 strength, while the chestplate gives no strength over the Fighter torso but double the ranged defence and 50% higher melee defence; for DPS only buy the boots first, and for tasks without protection prayers the chestplate first.
- (6:42) Because the abyssal whip cannot train strength, Gnomonkey would probably just train on controlled or use full obsidian slash in NMZ for training rather than buy alternatives.
- (6:42) The Abyssal bludgeon can only train strength and is handy for Cerberus, Kalphite Queen and Gargoyle tasks, but is slightly worse DPS than a whip and Dragon defender because it is two-handed, so Gnomonkey would not buy it just to train strength.
- (7:17) An Abyssal dagger for strength training has seven less strength and accuracy bonus than the whip, according to Gnomonkey.
- (7:17) Gnomonkey says the Neitiznot faceguard gives +3 strength over the Neitiznot helm and +1 over a Serp helm and does not degrade, but he could only think of Raids 1 or Bandos as uses where you would not use a Slayer helmet, so he would skip it.
- (7:46) Gnomonkey says Guthan's can be handy for AFKing but has much worse DPS than a whip, and if not using piety the whip setup typically profits enough extra to cover the prayer potions.
- (7:46) Gnomonkey says he personally bought a Zamorakian hasta and a dragonfire shield because he does extended Rune Dragon and Adamant Dragon tasks, and that on task the hasta is more than enough for Rune Dragons.
- (8:18) Late-game melee upgrades are insanely expensive, and Gnomonkey says other combat styles' gear should be very good before buying them; before an Avernic defender he would buy one of the three equivalents: Ghrazi rapier, Blade of Saeldor or Inquisitor's mace.
- (8:45) The Inquisitor's mace was extremely expensive at the time and its crush bonus is mainly useful for Kalphite Queen, the Nightmare, or maybe Cerberus.
- (8:45) The Blade of Saeldor can be imbued with a thousand crystal shards so it never degrades, but becomes untradeable; the shards cost roughly 20 million gp via enhanced seeds, and the imbue is lost if you revert it; even imbued it was about 15 million gp cheaper than a rapier.
- (9:18) Gnomonkey says the Blade of Saeldor is useful at Theatre of Blood because Bloat and all Verzik phases are weak to slash, and the rapier is more useful for Slayer since most melee Slayer monsters like Dark Beasts, Suqah, Ice Trolls and Lizardman shamans are weak to stab.
- (9:49) The Scythe of Vitur cost about 800 million gp at the time and is typically best in slot melee against large enemies, but a charged scythe costs 1.3 million gp an hour to use.
- (9:49) Gnomonkey says an uncharged scythe only beats the rapier or Blade of Saeldor at Dagannoth Supreme and Gargoyles, and is only worth using charged for money at Theatre of Blood or when pet hunting.
- (10:17) If planning a scythe for Theatre of Blood Gnomonkey says it may be better to buy a rapier and not imbue a Blade of Saeldor; the Avernic defender is the last upgrade he would buy, since it gives less strength per gp than the chaotic equivalents and cannot be resold.
Fire cape
- (0:56) Gnomonkey says a Fire cape's strength bonus matters less than stab accuracy from an Ardougne cloak 4 and Fighter hat against Rune Dragons off task.
- (2:19) Gnomonkey would obtain the Fire cape first among the untradeable unlocks since it only requires a decent Ranged level.