If you’re someone who likes to get right in the face of the enemy and ask questions never, then knowing what the best melee gear in OSRS is vital for your survival.
There’s a bunch of different items on offer though with varying bonuses to consider, so finding out which are the top selections is tough.
When you throw your gold into the equation too, you don’t want to invest a lot of your stores into something potentially mediocre.
Here, we’ll reveal our choices for the best OSRS melee gear so you can find out which important pieces you need to grind for and which to leave by the wayside.
Table of Contents
1. Justiciar Armor Set
If you’re after the best armor for melee in OSRS, look no further than the Justiciar set.
This complete set of gear is not only impressive in its aesthetics, it’s also the one that gives the best melee and ranged defense bonuses in the game.
If you equip the whole thing, you’ll be able to take advantage of at +287 to stab defense, +285 to slash defense, +265 to crush defense, and +311 to ranged defense.
These are enormous numbers and will undoubtedly keep you alive when being overrun by enemies in tight spots.
Moreover, you’ll gain a +10 to prayer, even more reason to get it equipped as fast as possible.
While these bonuses are great, equipping the full set gives another huge benefit in the way of damage reduction.
The calculations of how much of a reduction gets a little tricky but take our word that it is a significant margin.
You will have to shell out millions of gold to get your hands on the set as well as needing 75 defense to equip it, but for the best melee gear in the game, it’s a no brainer.
2. Avernic Defender
A defender is an essential bit of OSRS melee gear as it provides a bunch of offensive bonuses in place of the more defensive shield.
The Avernic Defender is the absolute top selection in the game due to it essentially being an upgraded Dragon Defender, an already fantastic option to use.
Looking at those aforementioned bonuses, you’ll be receiving +30 to stab defense, +29 to slash defense, and +27 to crush defense.
For an item that’s not a shield, these are pretty incredible, and a potential necessity in certain activities.
While we’ve harped on about its defensive capabilities, it obviously also provides bonuses when attacking too.
These consist of the exact same plusses than that of defense as well as a +8 to Strength which could be huge when taking on end game bosses.
All of these come together to really aid you in melee combat, even against the toughest of monsters.
Yes, the Dragon Defender is a pain to grind for but once you do, you’ll have the opportunity to get this really impressive Avernic variant for late game antics.
3. Elysian Spirit Shield
While you’ll be doing some impressive offensive work with your expensive weapons, sometimes you need a good old shield to ensure you’re not taken out in an instant.
The Elysian Spirit Shield has to be the best shield in the game when it comes to defending against melee attacks with huge bonuses for this very situation.
You can enjoy +63 to stab defense, +65 to slash defense, and +75 to crush defense which are absolutely key in negating those up close and personal attacks.
Moreover, there are even bonuses to magic defense (+2) and ranged defense (+56) making it a brilliant all rounder as well as simply for melee fights.
A final bonus to enjoy is a +3 to prayer which is always nice since you’ll likely be doing some prayer anyway.
You will need to have 75 defense and 75 prayer to wield the shield which is a big ask, but since it’s an end game shield, you’ll probably be on your way to those stats anyway.
4. Ferocious Gloves
If you’re looking to completely kit out your character with every bit of gear possible, don’t overlook the gloves section.
The top pick here in our eyes are the Ferocious Gloves that give even more boosts if you’re looking to attack with melee.
You’re looking at a +16 in stab, slash, and crush attack which is pretty stellar for gloves, albeit at the detriment to both magic and ranged attack.
Additionally, you’ll gain a huge +16 strength which is even higher than that of some seriously expensive other melee gear.
You do need to have both 80 attack and strength to equip these which does take a lot of time, but for gloves that even surpass Barrows, we’d suggest pumping time into those stats.
5. Infernal Cape
The Infernal Cape is an absolute must for those looking to secure the best melee gear in OSRS.
It provides both melee attack and defense bonuses across the board with the latter being its shining point.
You’ll receive a +12 to all defenses, making it perfect when taking on enemies attacking you with different methods, whether that be melee, magic, or ranged.
It is, however, incredibly hard to get with you needing to complete TzKal-Zuk in the Inferno which most fall short to.
As an alternative, you can pick up the lesser Fire Cape, but you will be sacrificing a bunch of those incredible bonuses.
6. Primordial Boots
Primordial boots also make it into this best OSRS melee gear roundup due to the plethora of bonuses you get from equipping them. They also bring the style.
You’ll first gain a +2 to stab, slash, and crush attack coupled with a whopping +22 to stab, slash, and crush defense.
They also the highest strength stat increase available (+5) when it comes to boots further cementing their place as some of the best melee gear in OSRS.
To get these, you will need to upgrade some Dragon Boots as well as requiring 75 strength and defense to equip so keep that in mind when looking at your options for the boots slot.
7. Dragonfire Shield
One of the more cooler looking shields, as well as being one of the best, is the Dragonfire Shield.
This is an upgraded Anti-Dragon Shield that protects you against a lot of different effects such as wyvern icy breath.
It has two states – charged and uncharged, each offering different bonuses.
It boasts solid defense bonuses against all attacks in its uncharged state with a +20 to stab, +25 to slash, +22 to crush, +10 to magic, and +22 to ranged.
When charged, you can enjoy big boosts with +70 to stab, +75 to slash, +72 to crush, +10 to magic, and +72 to ranged.
Even though there’s no attack bonuses, you do gain +7 to strength which is a big increase and certainly shouldn’t be discounted.
While not quite as potent as the Elysian Spirit Shield, the Dragonfire Shield is a really solid alternative and more accessible to some, potentially making it a more attractive pick anyway.
8. Amulet of Torture
The neck slot isn’t just a place for some fancy jewelry, you can also gain some impressive bonuses if you secure the best melee gear in OSRS.
The Amulet of Torture is precisely that, offering the highest attack bonus out of any potential item you can use in this slot.
Looking at those bonuses, you’ll receive a +15 to stab, slash, and crush attack in conjunction with an additional +10 to strength and prayer.
You do need at least a 75 hitpoint stat to get this one equipped which could trip some of you up but it is a more end game item so it is expected.
9. Neitiznot Faceguard
The Helm of Neitiznot has been used by many a melee player for some time.
However, it now has an upgraded version – the Neitiznot Faceguard, a helmet that provides even more melee bonuses.
There are plusses across the board when it comes to defense with a +36 to stab defense, +34 to slash defense, +38 to crush defense, +3 to magic defense, and +34 to ranged defense.
This makes it a potential must have for those who are taking on not only melee combatants but also ranged, ensuring you won’t get sniped from afar.
Additionally, there’s a +6 to strength as well as a +3 to prayer, further cementing its place as one of the absolute go-to helmets for those focusing on melee.
It does require 70 defense and some quest completions, so you’ll need to put some work in to get your hands on it but it’s definitely worth the hours.
10. Berserker Ring (i)
Lastly, we’ve got the Beserker Ring (i), an absolute classic pick and one of the best melee gear pieces in OSRS.
But, while the original does provide some important bonuses, it’s the imbued version that takes things up a notch.
Equipping this one will give you a +8 to crush defense which doesn’t seem overly great, but you also gain a +8 to strength which is much more like it.
There are only a few other rings that even have a strength bonus attached to it is a rarity somewhat, but the Berserker Ring (i) is the top pick regardless.
To get your hands on it though will require you to do a bunch of grinding in the Nightmare Zone, so if you’re not up to that task you can simply use the base Berserker Ring for a +4 bonus instead.
Final Thoughts
Overall, there’s a whole host of melee gear in OSRS that can really up your game when focusing on physical attack.
Each of the best OSRS melee gear picks we’ve listed above will definitely enhance your character, and take it to a whole new level, hopefully ensuring your both never die from physical attack again, as well as upping your damage output.
If you’re also on the lookout for the best mage gear in OSRS or best ranged gear in OSRS, check out our guides on those as well!
