Best Arrows in Old School RuneScape (All 12 Ranked)
This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. (Learn more).
Every bowman in RuneScape wants to have the best arrows available.
But only members can get their hands on the very top-tier arrows that the game has to offer. Although non-members can also find some very good ammunition in many regions of the game, especially as they level up.
Arrows need to be shot from bows strong enough to fire them. As such, you might not be able to fire Adamant arrows from a common low level bow.
You need to adapt your archery skill and equipment according to the type of ammunition that you want to hold, as well as the damage that you’re looking to deal with.
If you want to craft arrows instead of purchasing them then you need to start leveling up your Fletching skill as well. Becoming a proficient fletcher will allow you to craft the best arrows in the game and save some money along the way.
In any case whether you buy or make, I recommend every player to get their hands on at least some of these powerful arrows.
12. Training Arrows
Training arrows are the weakest arrows in the game, and can be shot with even the weakest of bows.
You’ll receive stacks of 25 training arrows from the ranged tutor, as well as the training bow to fire them.
In fact, these arrows are so weak that they can only be fired with the training bow.
Oddly enough the training arrows share the same attributes as the bronze arrows.
What makes them worse is that you may only fire them with the training bow, which is the weakest piece of ranged weaponry in the game.
Many players prefer not to use them in combat to avoid dealing low damage. You can obtain them, however, by speaking to the ranger combat instructor inside Lumbridge Castle.
11. Bronze Arrows
Bronze arrows aren’t the strongest in the game by any means.
But many players keep them close to their hearts because even the most veterans of archers began their journey with this simple and widely inefficient type of ammunition.
Bronze arrows can be shot with any bow in the game (with the exception of the poor training bow).
They can be crafted with smelted bronze bars, and you can poison their tip if you want.
They also only require you to be level 1 fletching to craft them which means that they are the ideal type of arrow that you’ll want to create if you’re a beginner.
10. Iron Arrows
Iron arrows are where things start getting interesting.
If you’ve already made it to this point you’re probably heavily interested in becoming a master bowman someday.
You can find iron arrow tips, which are required to craft these items, by killing minotaurs.
However you may also buy them throughout the realm if you’re looking to save time.
Their only bonus (if non-poisoned) is a 10% increase to your ranged strength, and they can also be shot with any bow in the game with the exception of the widely useless training bow. But who wants to use that anyway?
This mighty foe can only be damaged with this ice ammunition, and you can find the arrows scattered all across the region where the warrior lies.
However you cannot use them if you don’t hold at least a mid-level bow.
Keep in mind that you can’t sell these arrows either. But the arrows themselves serve as the equivalent of steel arrows.
The only reason why they aren’t ranked as high as their steel counterparts is mainly because of their unavailability.
8. Steel Arrows
If you have an oak bow then you’re all but ready to start collecting some steel arrows to improve the strength of your shots.
They deal a ranged damage of 5, which is four points higher than any other arrow that we’ve already listed here except the ice ones.
Steel arrows can be crafted by a proficient fletcher and they give you quite a decent amount of experience as well!
Poisoned steel arrows are quite valuable in the grand exchange as well. So if you know how to deal with poison and create strong tips from it you should be all over the business of selling these arrows in the market!
7. Ogre Arrows
Ogre arrows can only be obtained by members and they come to be particularly useful during some quests.
They are mainly used to hunt birds, and they can only be shot from special bows like the Ogre Bow and the Composite Ogre Bow.
Don’t worry though – you won’t need to kill an ogre in order to craft them.
You just need to cut down an Achey Tree and use its logs to create the shafts at fletching level 5.
These arrows weren’t originally in the game and they were added with the introduction of two new quests back in 2004.
6. Broad Arrows
Broad arrows require you to shoot them with a Magic bow or anything stronger.
These strong arrows aren’t ranked higher on our list because they can only be purchased after level 55 in Slaying, but they are indeed stronger than Mithril ammunition.
They are the only arrows in the game capable of killing Turoths and Kurasks and the Slayer Master is the only NPC that can show you how to make them.
5. Mithril Arrows
Mithril arrows are the second strongest type of arrow for non-members in the game.
They can be crafted at Fletching level 45 if you’re a member, and they’re the natural upgrade to steel ammunition.
If you’re not too keen on crafting them(or if you’re not a member) then you can visit Varrock and get yourself a huge stack of them all at once.
4. Rune Arrows
Rune arrows have a much higher ranged strength than broad arrows, although they do have less base strength than the latter.
You only need a yew bow to shoot them which is a huge plus!
Getting your hands on a stack of these arrows is quite difficult, so I recommend using them only (and every arrow listed from this point onwards) if you have at least one of Ava’s devices.
3. Amethyst Arrows
Amethyst arrows are the second type of strongest arrow in the game, falling a bit short of the Dragon arrow power.
You’ll need a level of at least 82 Fletching if you wish to craft them, and you need at least a magic bow if you wish to shoot them.
They are very valuable and stronger than any other arrow in this list – including Adamant ones. But notably quite hard to acquire as you can imagine.
2. Adamant Arrows
The only reason I’m including the Adamant arrow in a higher rank than the Amethyst and Rune variations is because Adamant arrows are the best ranged types of ammunition that a non-member can obtain.
I know many of us like to play RuneScape for free so I want to factor that into my list.
Do keep in mind that the two previous arrow types are stronger than adamant… but they’re only available to members.
These adamant arrows have a ranged requirement of 30 and a total bonus of 31.
You can usually find them on the Grand Exchange at a cost of around 60 pieces of gold. You may also craft these arrows once you reach level 60 fletching, and they’re also dropped by some of the highest-level mobs in the game if you go out hunting.
1. Dragon Arrows
Dragon arrows are superbly strong.
The come with a ranged damage of +60 and a base strength of 60 as well.
However they can only be shot from three bows in the game; namely the Dark bow, Twisted bow, and the 3rd Age Bow.
There are almost no other stronger arrows in the game so getting a stack of these can prove to be quite the game-changer for anyone.
Note you must be Fletching level 90 to craft them, so strap to your seat and start grinding now if you ever hope to grab some.
If you want to get your hands on some dragon arrow tips you’ll need to start slaying some dragon implings as well. It doesn’t matter how you kill them, but beware – they’re going to be quite the challenge to come up against.
Born in the first half of the 90s, video games have been a part of my life ever since I was introduced to Age of Empires I by my dad. I'm a Mass Communications graduate with a specialization in Marketing, as well as a hardcore gamer. My aim is to bring you quality content so you can get the best out of your games and take your experience to the next level!
