Free-to-play melee training

See Also: Pay-to-Play Melee Training Guide

This melee training guide will help you raise your combat level, starting from level 3 to the all-powerful combat level of 126. It will explain which are the best monsters to kill at your level, along with providing the advantages and disadvantages of training on each monster. This guide is for Free-to-Play players!

Tips and Tricks

 * Train attack, strength, and defense as you see fit - This preference is different for every player. You may want a lot of strength to hit hard, but without attack you won't hit as often. Fighting high level monsters with only steel armor may be tough if your defense is low. This is a balance that every player has to decide on his own.
 * Find a good balance of food to bring. - Filling up with food sounds good when training, but where will you keep your drops? Bring mostly food, leaving some spots open to keep desired items.
 * If it works well, then stay with it - If you find a monster that you can kill easily, or a good area with few people, then stay there and kill away!
 * Bring a law rune (if you have a high enough magic to teleport) for quick getaways - sometimes you might not be paying attention, or a monster will get a lucky streak and hit you hard for multiple turns. You may find yourself having only a few hitpoints left. A method for a easy escape might be helpful.
 * A Scimitar is simply the best weapon to train all stats with in Free-to-Play.
 * Generally slow weapons are more accurate then the faster weapons, at the price of less hits per hour.
 * Two-handed swords are only used in PvP combat due to their high strength bonus and their crush attack.
 * Maces are rarely used since they are inferior to most other weapons. The only upside is their prayer bonus.
 * Rune armor will help you out greatly in combat, with over 200+ defence against melee and ranged and a requirement of only 40 defence levels.

The levels below refer to individual combat stat levels, not your overall combat level.

Level 1 to 15
1. Kill goblins across the bridge near Lumbridge.

Advantages:
 * Many goblins wandering around.
 * Fly-fishing spots nearby (source of food).
 * Players tend to leave bones lying around. Bury them for free Prayer experience!
 * General store nearby. Sell any unwanted goblin drops for coins!

Disadvantages:
 * May be crowded.

Tips:
 * Goblins sometimes drop goblin mail. Save three of these for the Goblin Diplomacy quest!
 * There is a broken-down shack near the fishing area. Inside this shack is an iron dagger respawn.

'''2. Kill Cows south of Falador or east of Lumbridge.

Advantages:
 * Many bones may be lying around. Use this to raise prayer.
 * Cowhides can be sold or used to raise Crafting.

Disadvantages:
 * May be crowded.

3. Kill Chickens all over RuneScape.

Advantages:
 * Chickens have very low attack; not much food is needed.
 * Another place where people forget about bones!

Disadvantages:
 * May be crowded.

Tips:
 * Gather the feathers that the chickens drop. You can sell them (they go for around 10 coins each), or save them for fly fishing or fletching arrows.

'''4. Kill men or women found anywhere in Runescape.

Advantages:
 * They do not hit very often; their hitpoints are high for their level.
 * Bones=Prayer XP.
 * They have decent drops for beginners.

Disadvantages:
 * May be targets of macroers.

5. Kill Seagulls on the pier in Port Sarim.

Advantages:
 * The level 2 seagulls have a large amount of hitpoints for their level (6 hitpoints) and the level 3 seagull have 8!
 * This place is usually not very crowded.
 * They can never hit you!

Disadvantages:
 * Pummeling seagulls for a long time may get boring and repetitive.
 * Things can get lonely because it is not a very popular place.
 * They only drop bones.

Tips:
 * Collect their bones to gain prayer xp. Be careful though, prayer raises your combat level.
 * If you are a level 1-10, do not attack level 3 seagulls as they have a bit more defence then level 2 seagulls.

'''6. Kill Monks found in the Monastery near Edgeville.

Advantages:
 * They will heal you when you ask, even if you just killed their comrades!
 * Not crowded.
 * Bones=Prayer XP.

Disadvantages:
 * They only drop bones.
 * They heal themselves as well.

'''8. Kill Highwaymen found near Falador and Draynor Village.

Advantages:
 * They will automatically attack you unless you are over combat level 10, so you can lay back and relax.
 * Not crowded.
 * Bones=Prayer XP.
 * They drop the basic black cape.

Disadvantages:
 * They do a significant amount of damage to low leveled players. Do not train on them until your combat level is above 12, or have at least full iron.

'''9. KillMuggers in the dungeon south of Port Sarim.

Advantages:
 * They will automatically attack you unless you are above level 12 combat.
 * Good drops for their level : Coins, rope , and uncut sapphires.

Disadvantages:


 * None really, just bring some food and armour if you want to stay here long.

Level 16 to 30
By this point, you should have Steel armour (5 Defence) and a Steel weapon (5 Attack), or even Black armour if your Attack or Defence level is 10. If you're rich enough and have the right stats, go for Mithril armour!

It is recommended to still stick with killing lower leveled NPCs, but if you want more of a challenge, then...

'''1. Kill barbarians in Barbarian Village.

Advantages:
 * Multicombat, so you can attack a barbarian that another player is attacking.

Disadvantages:
 * It is possible that you could accidentally get into a fight with multiple barbarians.

Tips:
 * Do not underestimate these guys. They are pretty tough opponents and vary in level.

'''2. Kill Al-Kharid Warriors in the Al-Kharid palace.

Tips:
 * Careful...this is a multi-combat area! When you attack a warrior, any other warriors nearby will shout and run to his aid, so you may be attacked by up to 5 enemies at once! This is dangerous if your combat level is in the 20s. It is good experience though if you are over level 30.

'''3. Kill Minotaurs in the 1st level of the Stronghold of Security.

Advantages:
 * Frequent Iron arrow drops

Disadvantages:
 * Low hitpoints levels, meaning slower XP.

Tips:
 * Stick with the level 12 ones. There are level 27 Minotaurs further in the Stronghold and are notably stronger then the level 12s. None of them are aggressive, however.
 * Minotaurs constantly drop iron arrows, around 7 to 14 at a time. Save them for Ranging!

4. Kill Dark Warriors in the wilderness.

Advantages:
 * Many high level runes spawn in the castle, meaning that you can make quite a bit of money along the way.
 * This place is not crowded due to its location.
 * Food lasts a long time there.

Disadvantages:
 * Other players can attack you!
 * They have bad drops.

'''5. Kill Dark Wizards found south of Varrock.

Advantages:
 * They drop a good amount of runes.
 * Bones=Prayer XP.
 * They are aggressive, another place to sit back without clicking often.

Disadvantages:
 * VERY crowded.
 * They use magic, so they will hit you very often if you wear melee armor.

Level 31 to 45
Make sure that you are well prepared with food before training on any of these monsters.

1. Kill hill giants in edgeville dungeon.

Advantages:
 * Hill giants always drop big bones, for either selling (they cost 300-400 each in bulk) or training prayer.
 * They also drop limpwurt root for either selling or making strength potion.

Disadvantages:
 * Rangers will hide behind a rock and range hill giants, making it difficult for getting a kill.
 * For level 35s, hill giants may be a bit harder to kill, make sure you prepare a lot of food.
 * This place may get unbelievably crowded.

Tips:
 * Memorize a hill giant respawn point and you may get a kill 70% of the time.
 * It may be hard to get a kill, so be patient.
 * This may be old but: never underestimate your opponent.

'''2. Kill Hobgoblins found in many places.

Advantages:
 * Drops Limpwurt root.
 * Other good drops.
 * Low defence.
 * Drops a Champion Challenge scroll.
 * The ones near the Crafting Guild are near Snape Grass Spawns.

Disadvantages:
 * They can damage you.

'''3. Kill Zombies or Skeletons found in Varrock sewers.

Advantages:
 * They have mediocre drops.

Disadvantages:
 * They are not very good experience.
 * Crowded.

Level 46 to 55
Make sure to bring food and put auto-retaliate on so you will automatically attack the monsters. 1. Kill Flesh Crawlers in the Stronghold of Security.

Advantages:
 * No matter what level you are, Flesh Crawlers will attack you when you enter the area they are in.
 * Not many people train at the Flesh Crawlers, so there isn't much competition.

Disadvantages:
 * Although the Flesh Crawlers are quick experience, they only have 25 health, which means only 100 experience per kill.

Tips:
 * Since the Flesh Crawlers will only be aggressive for a limited time, leave the area and go to the next nearest area where there are more Flesh Crawlers. By doing this, you can continually switch back and forth between areas, so they will always attack you.
 * Wear melee armour, preferably Adamant Armour or Rune Armour for best defense.

3. Kill Moss Giants in Crandor, in the wilderness or in the varrock sewers.

Advantages:
 * Moss Giants drop Big Bones for Prayer
 * There are several chaos rune spawns near the wilderness Moss Giants.
 * The wilderness spawns are usually deserted.

Disadvantages:
 * Must have done Dragon Slayer to access Crandor.
 * Crandor can get crowded at peak times.
 * In the wilderness, people can attack you.

4. Kill Black Knights in or near their fortress.

Advantages:
 * Inside the fortress is a very high number of Black knights that is not crowded.
 * They are very good experience.
 * They have decent drops.

Disadvantages:
 * You can get damaged.
 * To go inside the fortress requires completion of Black Knight's Fortress and a bronze medium helmet as well as an iron chainbody.

Level 56 to 75
'''1. Kill Ice Giants and Ice Warriors in the Ice cave near Port Sarim.

Advantages:
 * They are aggressive, and it is single combat so you can be a bit lazy with clicking.
 * They have decent drops.
 * They have a high HP level.

Disadvantages:
 * Far from a bank.
 * Crowded at peak times.
 * Can damage you rapidly without good armor.

'''2. Kill Catablepons or Spiders found in level 3 of the Stronghold of Security.

Advantages:
 * Drops a piece of the skull sceptre.
 * High HP.
 * Not crowded.

Disadvantages:
 * They drain your strength.
 * They can damage you.
 * Bad drops.

3. Kill White Knights in or near the White Knights' Castle in Falador.

Advantages:
 * A large number of spawns exist.
 * They have very good drops.
 * They spawn rather quickly.
 * Different levels exist so you can move on to higher leveled ones when you feel ready.

Disadvantages:
 * You can get damaged.
 * The lower leveled ones are crowded.

Level 76 to 99
'''1. Kill Ankous in the Stronghold of Security

Advantages:
 * Frequent Death Rune and Law rune drops that can be sold for money or used to train Magic.
 * Close to Edgeville Bank.
 * Drops a piece of the Skull Sceptre

Disadvantages:
 * Must complete 3 levels of the Stronghold of Security to get into this area.
 * Crowded at times.

'''2. Kill Lesser Demons in the Karamja Volcano or in the wilderness.

Advantages:
 * They are susceptible to silverlight.
 * Great drops for F2P, including a Rune Medium Helm!
 * You can use telekinetic grab on the nature runes in the wilderness once in a while if you train there. There are 3 or 4 nature runes per spawn, and the spawn is frequent and is deserted.

Disadvantages:
 * The volcano is crowded!
 * Both spots are far away from a bank, so bring a lobster pot to cook your food at the fishing spots nearby both locations.
 * Other players can attack you in the wilderness!

3. Kill Greater Demons in the wilderness.

Advantages:
 * Their drops are far better than the lesser demons.
 * They are a great source of XP.
 * Susceptible to silverlight.
 * Great drops for F2P, including a Rune Full Helm!

Disadvantages:
 * It is near a popular PKing spot.
 * They can hit hard.