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 Mark what you own — or connect RuneLite — and this page shows what you own, what's next, and what's already superseded.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
~9.9kWith 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
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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
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
~30.2mThe ranged counterpart to the DHL — a huge accuracy/damage boost against every dragon.
Obtained from: Chambers of Xeric
Venator bow
Degrades~63.9mPierces 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.
Gear checklist
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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 familiesare kept apart because they aren't on the same line at all.
This page holds 4 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.