Release date | 4 January 2001 (Update) |
---|---|
Members only | No |
Minimum level for Hiscores |
15 as of 12 Dec 2017 |
Players with 99 |
236,179 as of 4 Feb 2023 |
Players with 120 | 8,744 as of 4 Feb 2023 |
Players with 200M XP |
1,639 as of 4 Feb 2023 |
Strength is a melee combat skill which increases the amount of damage a player can inflict in melee combat by two and a half points per level. Additionally, Strength may be required to wield certain weapons and armour, access some Agility shortcuts, and complete several quests. Strength is one of the most popular skills among players, having more players with level 99 than any other skill.
History[]
Strength was among the first skills available, introduced with RuneScape's launch on 4 January 2001, along with Attack, Defence, Hitpoints (now Constitution), Ranged, Cooking, Woodcutting, Firemaking, Smithing, and Mining. As the game has progressed, the concept of the skill has remained largely untouched.
Since the skill's inception, increasingly higher tiers of equipment have been released. Bronze through adamant equipment were available since the introduction of the game itself, but rune equipment was not made available until 26 July 2001. Each successive tier of equipment offered increasing Strength bonuses, but none of them required a specific Strength level to equip. It was not until after the release of Regicide on 20 September 2004, the fourth part of the Plague City quest series, that the game saw a weapon which required a Strength level to wield. The quest introduced halberds, two handed weapons which were capable of engaging an opponent in melee combat around obstacles and from up to 2 tiles away. All halberds stronger than steel required a Strength level half of the Attack level required to wield the weapon.
Until 26 January 2005, halberds remained the only weapon type which required a Strength level to equip. However, the release of Slayer introduced gargoyles, which dropped granite mauls, two-handed weapons which required 50 Attack and 50 Strength to equip. On 9 May 2005, the Barrows minigame was added, introducing two new weapons which required a Strength level to equip. Dharok's greataxe and Torag's hammers were two of six legendary weapons originally belonging to the Barrows brothers which could be obtained as a reward from the minigame. Both of these weapons required 70 Attack and Strength to wield, further increasing the maximum Strength level required to equip a weapon. Additionally, Dharok's greataxe, boasting a +105 Strength bonus, was the first weapon to exceed a +100 Strength bonus. Later that year, the TzHaar City was released and along with it, the Tzhaar-ket-om, colloquially known as the obsidian maul, was released. This was only the second maul to be released and, like the granite maul before it, required a Strength level to equip. Yet, unlike the granite maul, the obsidian maul did not have an Attack requirement, making it the first weapon to only require Strength to use.
No new weapons which required Strength to wield were introduced until 6 March 2007, when the barrelchest anchor was released as a reward for the Great Brain Robbery quest. A powerful but slow weapon, the anchor required 40 Strength to equip, even though it offered a massive +100 Strength bonus. On 17 March 2009, another quest reward featured a weapon requiring a Strength level to use. The granite mace was the second granite weapon released, and required 50 Attack as well as Strength to wield.
A host of new weapons were released with the Dungeoneering skill on 12 April 2010. Of these new weapons, one entire weapon type featured Strength prominently in its use. Novite through primal mauls required only Strength to wield and offered extremely high Strength bonuses. With a +166 Strength bonus, the primal maul was the strongest weapon in RuneScape. However, its use is restricted to Daemonheim.
Before the Evolution of Combat, when fighting in the aggressive stance, Strength experience was awarded per hit, where is the amount of damage dealt. Fighting using the controlled stance, however, awards Strength experience per hit, where is the amount of damage dealt. For example, a player who hits a 10 would receive 4 Strength experience when fighting in the aggressive stance and 1.33 Strength experience when fighting in the controlled stance. The amount of experience received when fighting in the controlled stance may be calculated in the same way that experience awarded to the Constitution skill is calculated.
The difference between these two stances is that the aggressive stance solely provides experience for the Strength and Constitution skills. However, the controlled stance distributes experience equally among Strength, Attack, Defence, and Constitution. A player who hits a 10 would receive 1.33 experience in each one of these skills. Additionally, fighting using the aggressive stance provides a hidden boost of +3 to the Strength skill while using the controlled stance only provides a boost of +1.
However, with the release of the evolution of combat, the Strength skill was significantly changed along with all forms of combat. Combat experience is no longer gained from individual hits, but rather successful kills. Furthermore, the skill's effect on overall damage rating was tweaked.
Gaining experience[]
Combat[]
Players may receive Strength experience during combat. Strength experience is only awarded when players select either Strength experience, or Attack, Strength, and Defence experience in the combat interface. Experience gains depends on the monster slain, and the total experience gained per kill will remain the same unless experience boosting items are used.
For example, if a player kills a cow while strength experience is selected, he/she will gain 34.5 strength experience and 11.5 constitution experience for a total of 46 experience, but if a player selects shared experience and uses only melee combat, they will gain 11.5 experience in Strength, Attack, Defence, and Constitution, still giving a total of 46 experience.
Experience rewards[]
Strength experience may be awarded after the completion of certain quests, miniquests, tasks, random events, Distractions and Diversions, and other minigames. Additionally, experience lamps, dragonkin lamps, and books of knowledge may be used to gain Strength experience.
Bonus/other experience[]
Several items provide bonus experience in Strength, as well as other melee skills, when equipped. Melee brawling gloves provide a 300% experience bonus to Strength (as well as Attack and Defence) when training combat in the Wilderness and a 50% bonus when training outside of the Wilderness. The brawling gloves last for approximately 100,000 experience before disintegrating.
Individual pieces of sacred clay equipment obtained through the Stealing Creation minigame also provide an experience bonus to Strength and other combat skills. These items double the amount of experience received through combat when equipped. Only one piece of sacred clay armour must be worn to receive this bonus. Similar to the brawling gloves, a piece will disappear after the experience threshold of 24,450 experience is reached.
Strength experience may also be received from damage dealt by certain Summoning familiars. However, different familiars provide experience for different combat skills.
Familiar | Combat level | Summoning level required |
---|---|---|
Honey badger | 38 | 32 |
Pyrelord | 55 | 46 |
Spirit jelly | 94 | 55 |
Spirit graahk | 98 | 57 |
Barker toad | 78 | 66 |
Obsidian golem | 125 | 73 |
Talon beast | 92 | 77 |
Moss titan | 94 | 79 |
Lava titan | 99 | 83 |
The following familiars grant 13.3% Attack, Strength, and Defence experience per point of damage dealt.[source needed]
Familiar | Combat level | Summoning level required |
---|---|---|
Spirit scorpion | 23 | 19 |
Vampyre bat | 36 | 31 |
Spirit larupia | 98 | 57 |
Stranger plant | 94 | 64 |
Arctic bear | 84 | 71 |
Giant ent | 93 | 78 |
Spirit dagannoth | 99 | 83 |
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
A secondary use of the Strength skill is determining which weapons a player may wield in combat. Generally, weapons which require a higher level to equip confer greater combat bonuses, providing some incentive for players to train the skill. All of the weapons in the following table are members only.
Weapon | Attack level | Strength level | |
---|---|---|---|
Barrelchest anchor | 60 | 40 | |
Granite maul | 55 | 55 | |
Granite mace | 55 | 55 | |
Tzhaar-ket-em | 60 | 60 | |
Tzhaar-ket-om | 1 | 60 | |
Torag's hammers | 70 | 70 | |
Dharok's greataxe | 70 | 70 |
Dungeoneering weapons[]
Conventional weapons used throughout Gielinor are not allowed in Daemonheim, so a separate set of metals is used during Dungeoneering. The metal types are classified by their "tiers", with tier 1 being the weakest and tier 11 being the strongest. Tiers 1 through 10 weapons may be player made or received as a drop from several monsters, but tier 11 items may only be received as a drop from boss monsters. Of the Dungeoneering weapon types, only mauls require a Strength level. Members-only weapons are indicated by (m).
Tier | Maul type | Strength level | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Novite | 1 | |
2 | Bathus | 10 | |
3 | Marmaros | 20 | |
4 | Kratonite | 30 | |
5 | Fractite | 40 | |
6 | Zephyrium | 50 | |
7 | Argonite | 60 | |
8 | Katagon (m) | 70 | |
9 | Gorgonite (m) | 80 | |
10 | Promethium (m) | 90 | |
11 | Primal (m) | 99 |
Armour[]
Certain pieces of armour require a Strength level to wear. Though uncommon, a few such pieces exist. All of the pieces of armour in the following table are members only.
Armour | Strength level | Other requirement(s) | |
---|---|---|---|
Black mask | 20 | 10 Defence | |
Full slayer helmet | 20 | 10 Defence, 20 Magic and Ranged, and completion of Smoking Kills | |
Void Knight equipment | 42 | 42 Attack, Defence, Constitution, Magic and Ranged, 22 Prayer, and up to 250 commendation points per piece | |
Granite equipment | 55 | 55 Defence |
Other[]
Strength levels are required for various other aspects of the game, including quests, tasks, Agility shortcuts involving grapples, barbarian fishing, minigames, and access to certain areas. Some of these requirements are listed below.
Feature | Strength level |
Other requirements |
---|---|---|
River crossing from Al Kharid to Lumbridge Swamp | 19 | 15 Agility and 48 Fishing |
Grapple shortcut from Water Obelisk Island to Catherby | 22 | 36 Agility and 39 Ranged |
Ability to catch leaping salmon barehanded | 30 | 30 Agility, 58 Fishing, and completion of barbarian fishing training |
Ability to climb the cliff on White Wolf Mountain from Catherby | 35 | Completion of Fishing Contest |
Ability to catch tuna barehanded | 35 | 55 Fishing and completion of barbarian fishing training |
Falador wall shortcut north of Falador Park | 37 | 11 Agility and 19 Ranged |
Yanille wall shortcut south of the Dragon Inn | 38 | 39 Agility and 21 Ranged |
Ability to catch leaping sturgeon barehanded | 45 | 45 Agility, 70 Fishing, and completion of barbarian fishing training |
Ability to catch swordfish barehanded | 50 | 70 Fishing and completion of barbarian fishing training |
Access to the statues in Bandos's throne room | 60 | Completion of The Chosen Commander |
Access to the God Wars Dungeon via the boulder | 60 | None |
Access to Bandos' Stronghold in the God Wars Dungeon | 70 | A hammer |
Ability to catch shark barehanded | 76 | 96 Fishing and completion of barbarian fishing training |
Ability to cross the cave south of Dorgesh-Kaan | 80 | Completion of Death to the Dorgeshuun |
Keep big rock and use for an emote after King of the Dwarves | 90 | Completion of King of the Dwarves |
Warriors' Guild[]
The Warriors' Guild is a guild for players who have attained mastery or near mastery of melee combat skills. Entrance to the guild requires either 99 Attack, 99 Strength, or a sum of 130 in Attack and Strength. The guild features several activities which involve combat and combat experience, including the shot put room. In this room, players may practice throwing differently weighted balls for Strength experience.
Cape of Accomplishment[]
For players with level 99 Strength, a Strength cape can be bought from the Sloane or Yadech Strongarm in the Warriors' Guild. The cape will cost 99,000 coins, like all other Capes of Achievement. If Strength is a player's only mastered skill, they will have an untrimmed cape. If the player has 99 in any other skill, it will sport a red trim.
Temporary boosts[]
Various items, potions, prayers, and familiars provide temporary boosts. Below is a list of all possible boosts to Strength.
Visible[]
Visible boosts are indicated in the stats interface by showing a level increase from the base level.
Potions[]
Item | Members | Level increase | Level to make | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Strength potion | 1 + 8% | 7 | Can also be bought at Apothecary at cost of Limpwurt root and a Red spiders' eggs. | |
Strength mix | 9 | Heals 300 Life points. | ||
Combat potion | 1 + 8% | 36 | Also boosts Attack. | |
Combat mix | 40 | Heals 300 Life points. Also boosts Attack. | ||
Super strength | 2 + 12% | 55 | ||
Super strength mix | 59 | Heals 600 Life points. | ||
Zamorak brew | 1 + 8% | 78 | Also boosts Attack and drains 12% of current life points. | |
Zamorak mix | 85 | Also boosts Attack, heals 600 Life points and drains 12% of current life points. | ||
Extreme strength | 3 + 15% | 88 | Non-tradeable | |
Overload | 96 | Non-tradeable. Also boosts Attack, Ranged, Magic and Defence, lasting 6 minutes. | ||
Supreme overload potion | 4 + 16% | 98 | Non-tradeable. Also boosts Attack, Ranged, Magic and Defence, lasting 6 minutes. Requires Plague's End. |
Cooking[]
Item | Members | Level increase | Level to make | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wizard Blizzard | +5 | 18 | Heals up to 360 Life points, also lowers Attack by -4. Premade version works. | |
Short Green Guy | +4 | 20 | Heals up to 400 Life points, also lowers Attack by -3. Premade version works. | |
Asgarnian ale | +2 | 24 | Heals up to 240 Life points, also lowers Attack by -4. | |
Spicy stew | -5 to +5 | 25 | Non-tradeable. After Evil Dave's Big Day Out it grants a +2 minimum boost. | |
Drunk Dragon | +5 | 32 | Heals up to 640 Life points, also lowers Attack by -4. Premade version works. | |
Blurberry Special | +7 | 37 | Heals up to 740 Life points, also lowers Attack by -5. Premade version works. | |
Dragon bitter | +2 | 39 | Heals up to 390 Life points, also lowers Attack by -4. | |
Cavefish | +2 | 88 | Heals up to 2200 Life points, may randomly boosts other combat skills besides Strength. |
Other[]
Item | Members | Level increase | Level to obtain | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Beer | +2 | None | Heals 100 Life points and lowers Attack by up to -7%. | |
Beer (tankard) | +4 | None | Heals 200 Life points and lowers Attack by -9. | |
Keg of beer | +10 | None | Heals up to 250 Life points and lowers Attack by up to -50%. | |
Grog | +3 | None | Heals up to 100 Life points and lowers Attack by -6. | |
Braindeath 'rum' | +3 | None | Heals up to 990 Life points, boosts +3 , but lowers , , , , , by -5%. | |
Obsidian golem | +9 | 73 | Special attack of the obsidian golem. | |
Blisterberry | +2 | 86 | Non-tradeable. Also reduces defence by -1. | |
Strength cape | +1 | 99 | Non-tradeable. Requires Skill mastery to equip. | |
Dominion marker | Varies | 110 | Non-tradeable. Boosts depends on marker stage, also boosts Attack, Ranged, Magic and Defence. |
Invisible[]
Invisible boosts are not indicated in the stats interface, but they are applied in combat calculations nevertheless.
Prayer[]
Prayers and curses do not actually boost your Strength level, but increase damage by a percentage.
Prayer | Members | Boost | Level to use | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Burst of Strength | +2% | 4 | Standard prayer book. | |
Superhuman Strength | +4% | 13 | Standard prayer book. | |
Ultimate Strength | +6% | 31 | Standard prayer book. | |
Chivalry | +7% | 60 | Standard prayer book, also boosts Attack and Defence. Requires completion of the Camelot training room. | |
Piety | +8% | 70 | Standard prayer book, also boosts Attack and Defence. Requires completion of the Camelot training room. | |
Sap Warrior | -2% to -6% | 50 | Ancient Curses prayer book, only decreases enemy damage levels over time. Requires completion of The Temple at Senntisten. | |
Leech Strength | +2% to +8% | 82 | Ancient Curses prayer book, decreases enemy damage levels over time, while boosting yours. Requires completion of The Temple at Senntisten. | |
Turmoil | +10% | 95 | Ancient Curses prayer book, decreases enemy damage levels over time, while boosting yours. Requires completion of The Temple at Senntisten. | |
Malevolence | +12% | 99 | Ancient Curses prayer book, decreases enemy damage levels over time, while boosting yours. Requires completion of The Temple at Senntisten and unlocked by using a praesul codex. |
Other[]
Item | Members | Level increase | Level to obtain | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Black warlock | 20% | 45 | Boost only affects the other player it is used on. | |
Salve amulet | 15% accuracy and damage | 35 | Non-tradeable. Boost only applies when fighting undead monsters. Requires partial completion of Haunted Mine. | |
Salve amulet (e) | 20% accuracy and damage | 40 | Non-tradeable. Boost only applies when fighting undead monsters. Requires completion of The Lair of Tarn Razorlor and the Salve amulet. | |
Black mask | 12.5% accuracy and damage | 58 | Boost only applies when fighting monsters assigned by a Slayer Master. | |
Dragon slayer gloves | 10% | 70 | Non-tradeable.Boost only applies when fighting monsters assigned by a Slayer Master. Boost stacks with Black Mask. | |
Varies conform Life points | 70 70 |
Full set must be worn for special effect to take place. |
Skilling pet[]
Like all skills, there is a skilling pet obtainable from training this skill. For Strength, the pet is called Kangali.
Trivia[]
The current minimum requirement to be ranked (at approximately rank 1,307,430) on the hiscores for Strength is level 15. As of 04 February 2023, there are 236,179 current members that have achieved level 99 in Strength. There are 8,744 current members that have achieved level 120 in Strength.
See also[]
- Strength/Experience rewards
- Pay-to-play melee training, a guide to training Strength for members
- Free-to-play melee training, a guide to training Strength for free players
- Combat calculators
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