Combat pure

What is a Pure?
Vicious, not virtuous, a pure fighter trains skills that contribute to combat in a way that gives a high attack for their combat level, in order to inflict the greatest damage when fighting other players under equal combat level rules, such as in low level wilderness. Pures are primarily player killers, striking in ambush and dependent on making a quick kill due to their inherent defensive weakness.

The pure's combat statistics must be highest in their chosen class of combat, though training other skills to any level below this does not interfere with the combat level.

Defence, hitpoints and prayer are normally sacrificed, as they always add to combat level; though as prayer contributes at a lower rate and has a few critical advantages, the "pure plus prayer", or "prayer beast", is another variant.

At the Tutorial Island, any skill can only be trained up to level 3, so you can come a way from there with attack level 3 (though not necessary, as that can be trained to level 8 on dummies), strength level 3, ranged level 3 (arrows will be replenished by the instructor, so train on rapid) and all your magic practice done (runes will be replenished only if you were unlucky enough to miss with every spell).
 * To avoid training defence, do not fight in a defensive or controlled style.
 * To avoid training hitpoints, train on the dummies until no longer able to, or make the most of the Tutorial Island, as all training there appears not to result in any hitpoints gain.
 * To avoid training prayer, do not bury bones and do not take on or complete the "Restless Ghost" quest.

Even a pure Ranger or Mage should avail themselves of the 100% pure training in attack and strength, since the early level-up to level 6 (warrior) will put you outside the aggressive limit of level 2 giant rats, and training the preferred skill to level 7 and beyond will make it the determining factor for combat level. It also means that you can equip a steel pickaxe.

Combat level
This is a rough estimate only, not guaranteed - there may be other modifying factors

Primary statistics
The highest of these determines which class of combat your level is based on
 * Melee
 * 1/3 of attack and strength total
 * Magic
 * 1/2 of magic level
 * Ranged
 * 1/2 of ranged level

Secondary statistics
These all add to combat level
 * 1/4 of defence level
 * 1/4 of hitpoints level
 * 1/8 of prayer level

A/S Pure
Trains attack and strength for melee fighting, often referred to as a warrior.

The pure warrior should wield a weapon of the finest metal they can use or afford, and wear full iron armor (Full helm, Platebody, Platelegs, with Kite shield unless using a two-handed sword), ideally self-made so it can be replaced easily when you die. The pure lives fast and dies often. Using leather armour or none at all is better against magic.

Useful extras for a pure warrior are level 15 or better mining and level 33 (or 32 plus a Dwarven stout) smithing, to allow smithing of full iron armour.

Training magic to level 25 and carrying 1 fire, 3 air and 1 law rune (Varrock teleport) gives you a potential escape route and does not make your character any less pure unless your A+S total is less than 38.

Amulets of strength, power or (members) glory may be useful, but expensive to lose. An amulet of defence may be a good choice for other tasks, as it balances the defensive weakness.

Taking on Hobgoblins (several dungeons) and Red Spiders (Varrock sewer, deep levels) enables you to obtain the ingredients for the basic Strength Potion, which can be made by the Apothecary in Varrock. Members can use a wider range of potions.

Using Prayer
Less pure, but can be useful. In addition to 5, 10 or 15% boosts to your stats (don't bother with defence, as it would be poor value for the prayer drain), at level 25, you can save an additional item if you die while the prayer is active (and only one item, if you are "skulled" for attacking other players - still gives you a chance to save your weapon).

At level 31, you can use the Monastery altar to recharge to two above your prayer level, and may have a silver-crafted holy symbol blessed, giving you a cheap piece of neckwear with a small defence boost and a larger prayer boost.

At level 37, you gain the "protect from magic" prayer, very useful, as the warrior is weak against magic, though as you still take 50% damage against low hitpoints, this can be of limited use.

Prayer Beast
At what point you actually become a Prayer beast is uncertain, though one significant figure is level 31, since you can have a holy symbol blessed and collect Monk's robes, while already being able to use the protect item prayer.

Since the only item in the free-to-play prayer beast kit that is not easily replaced (assuming you build the necessary supporting skills) is your weapon, the protect item prayer can be very useful even if skulled, not only that, but other players will hate the rotten loot you drop, especially if they had to use expensive runes.

Reaching the "protect from" prayers is another milestone, and getting to level 43 only rasies your combat level by 5, but finally alleviates the defensive weakness, though the level progression means you need to bury an awful lot of bones to get from 37 to 43.

Pure Mage
A description often used casually for any character that routinely fights using the mage skill, instead of using it on easy targets to train magic for other uses.

Fighting in the accurate style when not maging, the "pure" mage may find it useful to build their attack level to wield a good quality pickaxe when mining rune essence, and to wear full iron armour for defence at any time they are not carrying combat runes.

For combat, the F2P mage should wear mage blues (hat and robe), plain leather chaps (no mage penalty, small defence increase) and an amulet of magic (preferably self crafted, or at least self enchanted after picking up a sapphire amulet when available from Grum's in Port Sarim). Using the best spell of each type, the F2P mage would wield a Fire Staff and carry a large stock of air runes and the appropriate missile runes (mind, chaos or death). Teleport runes (law plus whatever) and Bind spell runes (Natures) may be useful, as may the runes to deliver a full set of curse spells (the full set being Confuse, Weaken and Curse)

Teleport escape spells should soon be within the reach of any serious combat mage.

The pure (zero defence) mage has no use for low level prayer - even protect item will not save runes, though it may be worth it to save a (members only) battlestaff or a piece of members mage armor. The "protect from" prayers begin to get interesting though, but it's a long way to go before they are reached.

Training tip
Wearing full metal armour, no amulet of magic, will result in most of your spells missing (splash effect). You gain magic experience but not hitpoints for spell misses.

For this tip, even full bronze will do. A Full Helm, Kite Shield, Plate Body and Legs or Skirt will give you a total magic attack penalty of -65, so you could probably strike away at a penned opponent for ages without a single hit, though using an elemental staff will contribute +10, for a total of -55. You'd still be luck to hit a barn door at ten paces - just remember to run if attacked - this tip should not be used where there is a risk of aggressive monster attack.

Curse spells (also confuse and weaken) also give magic experience without hitpoints, but must be cast individually from the spells menu.

The "pure" Mage should also train attack to the maximum level possible on the dummies, and have a backup weapon with slash attack to enter webbed areas, or as an alternative to whacking an opponent with your staff if you run out of runes. Without over-using the Wine trick, this would probably mean a Steel Longsword or Scimitar.

Starting out
The mage has a tough time of initial training, at least until you manage to kill something that drops a Mind talisman, as Mind and air runes are often low stock and high priced at the rune stores - though if you make your own air runes, you want the stock to be low so the price is better when you sell them to buy minds.

Alternatively, mine and sell 100 rune essence (ess) noted at the Varrock east bank, for 20 gp each or better (some players pay up to 30) and you will have a reserve to buy runes, a staff, or upgrade your pickaxe to mithril. Don't think that because rune essence has a low mining level, that it will not reward better miners and equipment - the speed of mining can be a lot faster.

Pure Ranger
A description often used casually for any character that routinely fights using the range skill, instead of using it only for training or trapped targets.

The ranger may find it useful to build mage skills to 20, so they can bind their target to prevent them running away or closing in (for 5 seconds), or to level 25 for teleport escape.

For combat, the ranger should wear full leather, with hardleather body, preferably self-crafted and wield the best bow they can - short for best firing rate, long for maximum distance, but avoid using "long range" as that distributes experience to defence.

A ranger with 40 defence, 40 range, Dragon Slayer quest completed and wearing full green dragon may be a better player killer than a zero defence pure in plain leather.

Since defence is only required to wear the body section of the leather armour, a level 20 ranger can upgrade to studded legs, and a level 40 with no defence can wear green dragon vambraces and chaps, Coif and the basic leather body.

The pure (zero defence) ranger has no use for low level prayer - even protect item will not save arrows. The "protect from" prayers begin to get interesting though, but it's a long way to go before they are reached.

Hybrid
A tough trick to pull off, but it should be possible to have equal primary statistics in two or even three classes of combat or at least a working ability in one or two other combat classes.

Carrying two or three different sets of equipment would leave you with a lot to lose and very little space, but enable you to stand in all three points of the PK triangle.
 * Armoured warrior is weak against Mage (if you have no other choice, unarmour and charge the mage)
 * Mage is weak against Ranger, as range armour is better against magic than mage gear is against arrows
 * Ranger is weak against Warrior (use bind to stop the warrior approaching, and make good use of obstructions such as forest or fences)

At the very least, the Mage or Ranger should carry a backup weapon and train attack and strength to do worthwhile damage with it, better than hitting with their staff or bow when out of ammunition. A slashing weapon is also needed to enter areas protected by a web.


 * Melee/Ranged: Uses dragonhide legs/vambs
 * any/Mage: Enables teleport spells, increases resistance to magic
 * any/Melee: Do more damage when out of ammunition, able to wield better pick or axe instaed of just carrying

All pures need lots of food
Fishing and cooking, unless you rely on buying food

Pures are weak
The defensive weakness of the Pure makes them poor for most quests, mining in monster-infested mines etc.

For anyone who uses a more balanced character to make and give things to their pure fighter, attention must be drawn to Rule 8 of the rules section on runescape.com.
 * Rule 8.
 * You may create more than one RuneScape account, but if you do, you may not log in more than one account at any time, and they must not interact with each other in any way. This includes 'drop trading' or any other method of item transfer.

Of course, a fairly unproveable way around rule 8, is to use a trusted friend as an intermediary, though this falls foul of letter and spirit of "other method of item transfer".