Attack types

The attack types are the different ways in which a player or NPC may attack another player, another NPC, or a piece of interactive scenery that can be attacked. There are three Melee types (stab, slash, crush), three Ranged types (light, standard, heavy), and one Magic type. Equipment gives players attack bonuses towards and defence bonuses against each of the attack styles, though equipment that gives ranged bonuses gives them to all 3 ranged types.

Attacks can also be typeless, which is a secondary category of attack type conferring their immunity to protection prayers. Most typeless attacks can only be used by NPCs, though the delayed second hit from the ancient godsword's special attack is an example of one that can be used by the player.

Melee types

The following are melee attack types:

Stab

Stab is used primarily by daggers, swords, spears, pickaxes, and rapiers. It is used as a secondary attack by longswords, maces, halberds, and scimitars. Stab is most effective against enemies wearing chainbody armour, leather armour, or with heavy skin such as dragons, but it isn't as effective when used against opponents with tough armour, like platebodies.

Slash

Weapons that use slash as a primary attack type are longswords, scimitars, two-handed swords, battleaxes, axes, the abyssal whip, and halberds. Swords, spears, and daggers also use slash as a secondary attack type. Slash is best used against opponents wearing clothing or leather-based armour, or opponents with no armour at all. However, it is less effective in battles where opponent is wearing tough, usually metal armour, or has scaly skin, e.g. dragons.

Crush

Crush is the primary attack type when wielding maces, warhammers, and maul-class weapons and is used secondarily by two-handed swords, spears, and battleaxes. It is also the only attack type that can be used when fighting unarmed. Crush works best against platebodies. Most small monsters, such as spiders or hard-shelled monsters, are typically also more vulnerable to crush attacks. Crush attacks are less effective if the enemy has flexible skin/armour or is large, e.g. giants.

Ranged types

The following are detailed descriptions of the attack bonuses:

Light

Light is used by thrown weapons, such as darts, knives, throwing axes, Toktz-xil-ul, the Toxic blowpipe, and the Tonalztics of ralos. It tends to be more effective against enemies with little-to-no armour.

Standard

Standard is used by all kinds of bows, salamanders, and the Eclipse atlatl.

Heavy

Heavy is used by crossbows, ballistae, and chinchompas. It tends to be more effective against enemies which are very large and/or heavily armoured.

Magic

The Magic attack type is used when casting offensive spells or using powered staves. The maximum hit of any magic spell is determined by the spell itself and the player's magic damage bonus, and the accuracy of the spell in PvP is determined by the caster's magic attack bonus, 70% of the opponent's Magic level, and 30% of the opponent's Defence level. Accuracy in PvM is determined by player's magic attack bonus and NPC's magic level, and NPC's magic defence bonus. Magic is very effective against metal armour, but is rarely used against opponents that deflect magic fairly easily, like dragonhide armour or dragons themselves.