Weapons are a vital source of combat in both, OSRS and RS3. With the two platforms already varying each other in many ways, you’ll notice a striking contrast between them. You’ll better understand after going through the following article.
What’s the difference?
Even with the overwhelming amount of content in RS3, Jagex hasn’t completely changed the mechanics of the original weapons. While some were made useless after the split, others became more powerful than ever.
The biggest change was the ability to dual-wield one-handed weapons to get the off-hand weapon to feel. A good example would be a Rune Sword and an off-hand version of the same. OSRS only allows players to either wield a sword and shield, or a two-handed weapon, but that’s not the case here.
Swords
There is a lot of content surrounding swords on both platforms. There are short swords, long swords, scimitars, 2-handed swords, and rapiers. One of the most popular scimitars and long swords are of the dragon variant, while the best choice for 2-handed weapons is God Swords.
Daggers
Daggers aren’t in high esteem in either version of RuneScape. Daggers in OSRS are mostly used for their special attack to poison the enemy (the p++ version). However, the Abyssal Dagger is a considerable option that tops the others. In RS3, there are versions of daggers that resemble OSRS defenders, which are equipped off-hand.
Maces & Mauls
Maces have a unique mechanic as they add prayer bonuses on top of its already given offensive stats. The Ancient Mace is popular on both platforms, but it’s rather weak with a considerable special attack that helps you leech prayer point off of the enemy.
The only end-game weapon worth your time would be the Abyssal Bludgeon. It’s probably the best crush weapon in the game, with characteristics allowing you to crush through Gargoyles. The only downside is that it’s expensive compared to other weaponry like the Sara Sword and Abyssal Whip.
There are also mauls like Obsidian and Granite that you can look into. If you’re into PK, then the Granite Maul’s special attack can come a lot in handy while switching your play.
Spears, Hasta, & Halberds
Spears and Halberds are 2-handed weapons. They are typically slow but powerful at the same time. If we’re talking in terms of end-game, then you can consider getting a Crystal Halberd or Zamorakian Spear for bossing.
Speaking of Hasta, they have been converted into 1-handed weapons from spears. You can purchase a Zamorakian Hasta for its stabbing mechanics, which is quite useful for certain bosses and training. A plus point is that you can wield a shield or defender in the off-hand slot.
Staves
Staves are reserved for Magic attacks, but you can always use them for melee too. The only staff worth mentioning here would be the Staff of the Dead, as well as its Toxic version. They’re comparable to the Abyssal Whip in terms of the Stats.
Staves provide an accuracy bonus, alongside the ability to auto-cast spells in the long run. You can always save up some runes and OSRS GP by using Elemental Staves. Wands are also a good option to consider.
While both platforms work identically when it comes to Magic, you can go for the Polypore Staff in RS3 to cast the Polypore Strike. The weapon is good for end-game content.
Ranged
Ranged is dominated by high-level crossbows and short bows on OSRS. Longbows? Not so much because of the slow attack speed. A large portion of the end-game content is dominated by Rune Crossbows and enchanted bolts.
There’s also an overpowered Ranged weapon called the Twisted Bow. It was added late into the game, and it is used to pierce through monsters with high-level defense. T-bow is a rare drop from one of the raids in the game and is rather expensive to purchase.
In an attempt to revive Longbows in RS3, they were converted into shield-like bows. However, ranged weapons like the Noxious Longbow, Zaryte Bow, and Seren God Bow outrun the others.
Then there’s the off-hand pistoled crossbow, which was a new addition to the game. You can dual-wield it with a Chaotic or Ascension Crossbow to make a deadly combination. Throwing weapons are mostly used by pure accounts due to their low strength requirement. You’ll see more of this in PVP.
Whip & Claws
These weapons don’t fall within the linear but, they’re as important. The first one is the Abyssal Whip dropped by Abyssal Demons. It’s an end-game reward for achieving a high Slayer level.
The other one is Dragon Claws, which is known for its amazing special attack, mostly used in PVP battles. In RS3, you can get Dragon Claws from Tormented Demons, whereas, in OSRS, they come as a reward from a specific raid.