In this image, each fighter is attacking the one weaker than it and being attacked with its own weakness
The combat classes form the combat triangle, which is a chart of the strengths and weaknesses of each class against the other two. In general, when players are combatting opponents with skills close to their own skills:
- Warriors are very strong against rangers. Their armours deflect the projectiles used by rangers. Their weapons penetrate the weak leather armours worn by rangers.
- Rangers are strong against mages. Their leather and dragonhide armours absorb the magic spells used by mages. Their projectiles easily pierce through the mages robes.
- Mages are strong against warriors. Their magic is amplified by the metal armours usually worn by warriors. They can freeze/bind the warrior, making it harder for them to reach the mage.
- Monks are not strong or weak against any class. They are not part of the combat triangle and is the only combat class that is not part of the combat triangle.
However, this does not guarantee that each class will always beat their weaker class. For example, a meleer can still defeat a lower levelled mage.
Bending the triangle
The Dwarves' "blueprint" of the Combat Triangle.
The triangle tends to focus mostly on the effectiveness of armour.
- The warrior's armour is most effective against ranged projectiles, though the ranger has an advantage as long as they can remain out of direct contact. The warrior's armour is innefficient against magic, but using no armour or ranged armour and closing in on the mage, the tables are turned, though the mage can counter with binds or freezing.
- The ranger's armour is most effective against magic, while holding tactics cannot prevent the ranger from hitting the mage, making this a side of the triangle that is almost impossible to collapse. The ranger can counter the warrior by evasion, or increase defence by switching to a chainbody.
- The mage's armour tends to offer little protection over ranged and warrior attacks, while the mage's attack hits easily through metal its advised to stay as far away as possible from warriors as their weapons can easily pierce their robes. The mage can do little to change their position in the triangle, though members do have some more defensive armour options, such as splitbark. Also, members have access to Ancient Magicks, which easily beats the other two points of the triangle.
- The monk's armour offers no protection or attacking bonuses although maces or staffs if you are using Magic or Melee to help you in Prayer to help you inflict damage on your enemy. Explorer's ring also does this.
Hybrids are capable of standing at more than one point on the triangle, though at some cost and compromise to their equipment and inventory load.
Criticism
The combat triangle is highly criticised for being unbalanced, especially toward the power of Magic. This is often the subject of debate on the forums, as the maximum hit of a mage is only 400 (with miasmic barrage, 370 with ice barrage), as of 12 February 2010 players may be able to hit well over 1000 with extremes, staff of light, hexcrest, and having ice Strykewyrms as a Slayer task (level 93 Slayer required). While rangers can possibly hit up to 960 (480-480) if they utilise the Dark bow's special attack with Dragon arrows and high-grade ranger armour such as Void Knight equipment. Also, many melee weapons such as the Dragon dagger and Godswords can hit well over 700 with a high Strength level, and its maximum possible hit is currently shown to be 1,350 against kalphites using a Keris and the best strength equipment, the Piety prayer, a black mask or a slayer helmet, and drinking an extreme strength potion. Another problem reported by players is a warrior's ability to wear Dragonhide armour without a reduction of melee stats, therefore allowing them to overpower mages, who are normally supposed to have an advantage, however, a mage can counter this by equipping a slashing weapon to take advantage of dragon hide armour's vulnerability to slash attacks. Also, changing this would render Strength pures who have trained ranged for the dragonhide armour the skill enables them to wear obsolete.
Trivia
- In the top right corner, among the Dwarven script, are three equations that are used in game to calculate a player's combat level based on whichever combination of statistics results in the highest combat level.
- The combat triangle is currently being rebalanced, due to complaints that mages are underpowered and rangers can easily kill all other classes on the combat triangle.
- In the background of the Dwarf "blueprint", a hexagram can be seen.
- It has been confirmed that when the combat triangle is rebalanced the dragon crossbow will be soon released but this could unbalance the combat triangle.