Gear progression
Ranged weapons
What ranged weapon should I buy next?
See your position on this path. Mark what you own — or connect RuneLite — and this page shows what you own, what's next, and what's already superseded.
Open gear checklistThe core progression
- Rune crossbow
- Dragon crossbow
- Armadyl crossbow +
- Bow of faerdhinen +
- Twisted bow
Ranged carries an enormous share of the game's boss and PvM content, so a strong ranged weapon unlocks more than any single melee piece. This ladder runs from a Rune crossbow (the accessible workhorse behind Bolt specs) up to the Twisted bow, the best all-round ranged weapon in the game.
When to move up a tier
Match the weapon to the fight rather than always buying the most expensive option: a crossbow with the right bolts often out-damages a bow on high-Defence targets, while a Twisted bow shines against high-Magic bosses. Upgrade when your current setup can't hit accurately enough for the content you want to do next.
Rune crossbow
~9.1kWith enchanted bolts, the best gp-to-power ratio in the game for entry-level bossing.
Made via: Fletching (rune limbs + oak stock)
Dragon crossbow
A modest step over the rune crossbow with a useful spec — a stopgap before the blowpipe.
Made via: Fletching (dragon limbs)
Sidegrades — pick by content, not a strict upgrade
Armadyl crossbow
A strong crossbow for enchanted-bolt setups against high-defence bosses, with a useful accuracy spec.
Obtained from: Commander Zilyana
Toxic blowpipe
The single most-used ranged weapon across Slayer and bossing — fast, accurate, self-healing.
Obtained from: Tanzanite fang (Zulrah) + chisel
Sidegrades — pick by content, not a strict upgrade
Bow of faerdhinen
An endgame ranged weapon unlocked only after Song of the Elves — not an early upgrade. Twisted-bow-tier DPS against low-magic targets with no ammo cost, and strongest paired with the full crystal armour set bonus.
Made via: Sung from enhanced crystal weapon seed (The Gauntlet); needs Song of the Elves
Zaryte crossbow
Best-in-slot crossbow with a built-in enchanted-bolt effect — the ranged endgame for bolt content.
Obtained from: Nex
Twisted bow
Scales with the target's Magic level — the definitive ranged weapon for raids and high-magic bosses.
Obtained from: Chambers of Xeric
Shortbow
Unknown valueThe starting shortbow any account can use — the entry point of the bow ladder (fires up to iron arrows).
Willow shortbow
The Ranged 20 shortbow breakpoint — a real step up while training toward maple and yew (fires up to mithril arrows).
Maple shortbow
The Ranged 30 shortbow — the common members training bow before yew (fires up to adamant arrows).
Yew shortbow
The Ranged 40 shortbow — the last stop before the magic shortbow (fires up to rune arrows).
Magic shortbow
The Ranged 50 payoff of the bow ladder — its special attack fires two arrows and it's the go-to early ranged weapon before a blowpipe/crossbow.
Other weapon options
Eclipse atlatl
The Eclipse moon set weapon — a thrown ranged weapon that scales with Strength; a niche hybrid option.
Obtained from: Moons of Peril (Lunar Chest)
Dragon hunter crossbow
~29.4mThe ranged counterpart to the DHL — a huge accuracy/damage boost against every dragon.
Obtained from: Chambers of Xeric
Venator bow
Degrades~61.5mPierces through multiple targets and needs no ammo — a niche pick for stacked or multi-monster content. Uses charges.
Obtained from: Phantom Muspah
Strict upgrades stack vertically; sidegrades are shown as branches — one is not simply better than another, they solve different problems. Independent families are kept separate rather than forced into a single ladder. Values are illustrative; composite items are valued from their components.
Where this gear takes you
Ranged bosses this progression is built for, from approachable to endgame.
Gear checklist
Track what you own
Bossing hub
Where this gear is used & dropped
Progression planner
Fold gear into your next steps
How to read this ranged weapons progression
ScapePath maps this category as an upgrade graph, not a single price ladder. A strict upgrade replaces the item below it — it does everything the earlier piece did and more, so owning it makes the earlier one redundant. A sidegrade sits beside its peers because it solves a different problem, and independent families are kept apart because they aren't on the same line at all.
This page holds 5 separate families, topping out at Twisted bow. Buy the next rung on the line you're actually on rather than the most expensive item on the page — the goal is the upgrade that changes your kills.