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Table of Contents
Welcome to my ultimate ranging guide!
•[1.0] Why Should I Train Range?◦[1.1] Training Range
•[2.0] The best weapon choices
•[3.0] What do I wear?! (gear selection)
•[4.0] Where should I train?◦[4.1] Low level training spots (levels 1-40)
◦[4.2] Medium level training spots (levels 40-70)
◦[4.3] High level training spots (levels 70-99)
•[5.0] Some extra info
Why should you bother training range? Why should you bother spending money on often expensive projectiles that will only, at best hit 9s. Why bother, may you ask, training a skill that most people view as "boring" and "slow" and "ineffective". Why? Well, I'll tell you why. Range is a brillaint skill. It allows you to attack players from far away distances. At higher levels, range is more effective than magic, more accureate, and most importantly, cheaper. This guide will teach you the ways Gods train range. Welcome.
[1.1] Training Range As I said above, ranging is often considered "slow" and "boring", when compared to other combat skills (i.e. strength) - however, that is completely wrong. Experience wise, yes. Range is slower per hour - normally. However, unlike strength, a ranger can perch themselves behind a rock and attack an enemy - often without the player having to look at the screen. And unlike strength, you don't need dozens of lobsters and sharks to keep you going.
Use the best armor and the best bows (not necessarily ammunition) you can while training for the best outcome. Also, if you will be training with a bow use a Shortbow, not a longbow. Finally, always train with the "Rapid" attack mode, as you will save hours in the long run.
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[2.0]So Many Choices! So, let's get to training. But first, we need to decide how we will kill our opponent (muhahahaha!). Knives? Darts? Or just plain arrows? Have a look below!
•Throwing Knives
(Excellent): Knives are one of the cheapest and fastest ways to train range, therefore arguably the most efficient. If you're debating between knives and a bow, you should probably take knives. They are faster, and hit only slightly less than arrows, but they are a bit more costly. Also, if you plan on using knives, just use bronze knives, they will be effective for low-medium level monsters. When training with knives, you want to be using from bronze to steel, depending on what you're killing. Normally though, take Iron. As with normal training ammo, you want to be preferably ignoring anything mithril, adamant or rune - unless you've got a spare 200 million in your back pocket.
•Darts
(Good): Throwing Darts are much like knives, however they have a slightly lower ranged bonus than a throwing knife of the same type. For example, the Iron Throwing Knife has a ranged bonus of +5, while the Iron Dart has a ranged bonus of +4. Darts are not a common range technique, but in my opinion, they are one of the most effective and underrated.
•Crystal Bow
(Above Average): The Crystal Bow, while being one of the most powerful bows in the game, should not be used to train range, due to the vast amount of alternatives that will gain the same amount of experience per hour and are about 100x less cheaper.
•Bow and arrows
(Average): While very basic, knives and darts are not only cheaper than bow and arrows, but faster and will typically gain you more experience per hour.
•Javelins
(Absoloute Rubbish): Never use any type of Javelin. Ever. Javelins are slow, expensive and often rare in the market. Avoid at all times.
•Throwing Axes
(Poor): While not quite as useless as Javelins..... they should still never be used to train with - even if the Rune Throwing Axe has a special attack, whice, might I add, is ineffective.
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[3.0] What should I wear?! Always dish out the cash and try and by the best ranged armour you can. Because trust me, even if it is a 2+ bonus, it will make a difference.
1.Full Void Knight Set with Ranger Helm (After 75 Range)
3.Black D'Hide (70+ Range) | Karil's Set (Not recommended for Training)
Ranger Set (65+ Range)*
4.Red D'Hide (60+ Range)
5.Blue D'Hide (50+ Range)
6.Green D'Hide | Spined Set (40+ Range)
7.Snakeskin Set (30+ Range)
9.Studded Set (20+ Range)
10.Leather Set (1+ Range)
11. Absoloutley Nothing (1+ Range)
* These items can be expensive
In most cases the entire set alone will not be effective to wear. Always make sure you've got some good items accompanied with your set.
3.Fire Cape
* Very highly recommended
4.Robin Hood Hat
7.Spined Helm | Archer Helm
8.Snakeskin Bandanna
9.Leather Coif
10.Leather Cowl
Shield:1.Unholy Book (Completed Zamorak Book)
2.Book of Balance (Completed Guthix Book)
3.Rune Kiteshield (Only -2 Range Bonus)
2.Amulet of Fury*
3.Amulet of Glory
4.Amulet of Power
5.Amulet of Accuracy
* The Amulet of Ranging Provides a +15 Range bonus but the only other stat that it boosts is magic defense. An amulet like the Amulet of Fury provides +10 Range, but you have to remember that it boosts all offensive stats by +10, all defensive stats by +15, strength by +8 and prayer by +5. Even better, the amulet of accuracy requires the very easy quest, Imp Catcher, to be obtained - even then, you don't have to complete the quest to wear it.
Gloves:1.'Barrows' (Recipe For Disaster) Gloves
2.D'Hide Vambraces (Best Available)
Boots:1.Ranger Boots
2.Snakeskin Boots
Ring:1.Archer's Ring
[4.0] Where Should I train range? [4.1] Low Level Training Spots (Levels 1-40)For low level training spots, I will lost only free-to-play spots. This is because that you won't most likely be getting membership until at least 40 range. However, if for any reason you are below 40 range and a member, then you want to be at rock crabs with Iron Knives.
Levels 1-5 Nonmembers:
For levels 1-5 you have a few options, each of which will cost you virtually nothing. At the moment, it's simply using bronze arrows on chickens. Avoid anything else at low combat combat levels.
Levels 5-20 Nonmembers:
Make sure you have an Oak Shortbow and some good range-bonus armour, which unfortunately only consits of leather chaps, vambraces and a leather cowl, and preferably an amulet of accuracy. You want to be training at Monks until level 20.
Cows are another option, however, these will NOT get you anywhere near the amount of experience that monks do due to the fact that they can get very busy. However, a plus is the fact that they drop Cow Hide, raw bones and beef, all of which can sell up to 200gp.
Levels 20-40 Nonmembers:
Now comes one of the more duller stages of your training stages. You will no longer hit constant 0s, and now you should be investing in ranging armour for your level. You want to be heading over to Al Kharid warriors in Al Kharid palace, and use either iron or bronze arrows.
On average, it will take 2-4 hours of constant training to get from 20-40. This stage is dull, and rather uneventful, but it won't take long.
[4.2] Medium Level Training Spots (Levels 40-70) Levels 40-99
Congratulations! You can now wear Green D'hide Chaps, and if you've completed Dragon Slayer, Green D'hide body! Bow-wise, if you're still a non-member, stick with your trusty maple shortbow and your coif.
The best option from now on is to train at moss giants, hill giants, dark wizards, and the lesser demon at wizard's tower.
Members:
Unlike non-members, members have much more options open. You can wield yew shortbows for starters at level 40. Trainingwise, head straight over to the Ogres at King Luthas' training ground. Access to the training ground requires completion of the easy quest "Plague City" which has no requirements.
If you've started the Waterfall Quest, and you preferably have a combat level of over 30, then you might want to head over to the Fire Giants. You will get some good drops; a good amount of rune scimitars, clue scrolls and runes. Be warned though, you will need to always use the safespots - and Fire Giants are ALWAYS busy.
[4.3]High Level Training Spots (Levels 70-99) This is where it starts getting fun! Congratulations! Remember when ranging used to feel like a "noob skill". Well now, you still won't be hitting higher than a rune scimitar, but you will be hitting MUCH more in a shorter period of time. For now, switch to Black Dragonhide and whatever weapon you choose (Preferably still Iron or, if you want, steel knives).
Training will now get serious. On average, you'll be needing to gain over 100,000 experience per hour to gain levels. Ouch! Still, you will be gaining over 20,000 to (if you're very lucky and persistent) 50,000 experience per hour!
From now on, you can take on a very wide variety of monsters. These include: Experiments, in the Castle of Frankenstein (Busy), Greater Demons, (Not reccommended in my opinion, but still a popular technique) Rock Crabs (Busy), or, my personal favourite, Ogres in your trusty training ground (Considerably less busy).
Slayer is also a good skill to train combat. However, some monsters will gain poor experience in range, due to a lack of safespots, or a high range defence, so be prepared.
[5.0] Some extra info Try not to have the "I am going to kill this monster until 99" mindset, because chances are, you won't have the nerve to kill 22,000 fire giants. And when you get the prestigious 99, remember to always have a party with your friends - and finally, give yourself a pat on the back - you deserved it.
Killing monsters like Black or Blue Dragons at 70+ range?
Blue Dragons, in my opinion, are NOT ideal experience wise. At least if you're going to train on them, go to the cave in Gu'Tanoth - the Taverley Dungeon isn't worth it.
Sure, you'll make a hell a lot of cash - but Ogres, Fire Giants and Experiments are much, much more ideal.
I want to enter GOTM #1 
Subject: The Ultimate 99 Ranging guide 
Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:42 pm
Those gifs need cleaning up, and I'll add some sections in bold and underlined.
