How to make a crossbow in RuneScape

The venerable game RuneScape remains popular today and is known for its numerous weapon options. One of the many weapons you can craft in the game is the crossbow and there are a few variants available. Crossbows are not only used for killing, but also for accessing shortcuts.

If you want to learn how to make a crossbow in RuneScape, you’ve come to the right place. Here you will find instructions and additional useful information. We’ll also cover some questions you may have about RuneScape.

Crossbows in RuneScape

Crossbows are used in ranged combat and require you to have some progress in from distance combat before you can use them. In RuneScape, which resemble real-life weapons, crossbows fire bolts and bows fire arrows. In the game, there are three main variants of crossbows; main hand, secondary hand and two hands.

The first two are wielded with one hand and the main hand crossbow can be combined with a shield. If you want to wield both, you can also equip a crossbow with your left hand. Two-handed crossbows will obviously need both hands, so a shield is out of the question.

Left-handed crossbows deal about half the damage of main-handed ones, and two-handed crossbows can deal more damage than one-handed ones. As such, by equipping one of the two, you can increase your damage compared to using just the main hand variant.

You can also fire mithril hooks from a crossbow to use agility shortcuts. Off-hand crossbows also allow you to fire them to attack objects. Since these grapples occasionally break, you should have a few more on your character just in case.

RuneScape: How to make a crossbow?

With the basic introduction over, let’s take a look at how to make a crossbow. As there are many types, we will start with a simpler example, the Bronze Crossbow. Make sure you have all the ingredients ready.

Follow the steps to make a Bronze Crossbow:

1. In RuneScape, you must chop down a log and make a bronze bar if you don’t already have one.
   
2. If you are near a forge, you can craft a bronze bar.
   
3. Use the bronze rod to make crossbow limbs.
   
4. After that, turn your logs into a crossbow stock.
5. Combine both into a stringless bronze crossbow.
6. Kill a cow and get raw meat.
   
7. Go to a stove and turn raw meat into tendons.
   
8. Locate a spinning wheel and then turn your tendon into a crossbow string.
   
9. Use the crossbow string on the bronze crossbow and you will now have a strung bronze crossbow.
   

In step 9, you can choose whether you want to make a main hand crossbow, a left hand crossbow, or a two-handed crossbow. You can repeat the same steps for all variants and choose the variant you want at the end. This will allow you to use two weapons and create more to experiment with.

Different crossbows require different materials. For example, higher level crossbows, like the Rune Crossbow, require you to chop down yew logs and mine Runite Ore and Luminite. These materials are usually more difficult to obtain than the ingredients for lower level crossbows.

The steps are also very similar. You must turn the yew trunks into stocks and forge a rune bar to create the limbs. Collecting tendons or tree roots for crossbow string is similar, although some enemies such as the New Varrock Guard Captain drop them.

Enemy drops can also spawn powerful crossbows. The Armadyl Crossbow is dropped by Commander Zilyana, and is also dropped by other enemies such as Bree, Growler, and Starlight. However, these three have lower drop chances, making Commander Zilyana the better choice.

Requirements to make crossbows in RuneScape

Since RuneScape is a game full of grinding, you should know that before you can craft a crossbow, you must have some experience and levels in various skill areas. If you don’t have enough levels for Fletching, you won’t be able to craft the crossbow you want. In addition to the Fletching skill, you also need to have higher blacksmithing and mining skills.

Feathering is trained by creating bowstrings, arrows, bolts, bows and crossbows. The more you earn, the sooner you’ll level up in Fletching. Blacksmithing and Mining are trained by constantly extracting minerals and forging objects such as bars and swords, among many other metal objects.

You also need to have the tools of the trade. Everyone in RuneScape already has a knife to feather and craft. However, you will need pickaxes and chisels if you want to extract and make bolt tips, respectively.

Making crossbow bolts

Now that you’ve made a crossbow, you need to have some ammo with you or the crossbow will become useless in combat. For our example, we will teach you how to make steel bolts. These bolts can be used on steel crossbows and above to deal maximum damage, but weaker crossbows will apply a damage cap, reducing their efficiency.

To make steel bolts, follow these steps:

1. Collect some feathers by killing chickens or other creatures and enemies.
   
2. Mine some iron ore and coal.
   
3. Smelt iron ore and coal into steel bars in a forge.
   
4. Make unfinished steel bolts from the steel bars.
   
5. Combine feathers and unfinished bolts for complete steel bolts.
   
6. These steel bolts can now be loaded into crossbows for combat.

Different bolts require different minerals, although they all require feathers. Mithril bolts are made from mithril bars and onyx bolts are onyx-tipped runic bolts. With so many different requirements, you should have a plentiful supply of minerals and more to be able to craft them.

Your Fletching, Mining, Crafting, and Smithing skills should be at the highest levels, or else you won’t be able to craft these powerful screws.

Some lightning bolts cannot be crafted, but you can obtain them from various enemies. You can also enchant other screws before combining them with other materials to produce a new type of screw. Onyx Bolts are an example of the latter, meaning that your magic level must be very high before you can create them.

Are crossbows good weapons?

As long as bows and crossbows are within the same level, they deal the same amount of damage, so you don’t want to ask which weapon is best. Crossbows are good weapons, but not for the reason you expect: some enemies are weaker to lightning bolts than arrows.

Take the Green Dragon as an example. The Green Dragon is weak to crossbows and Bane ammunition. While Bane Ammunition also includes arrows, you are not limited to using Dragonbane Arrows to fight the Green Dragon. Almost any screw comparable to the arrows you are using will outperform them.

Since you have nothing to worry about when using crossbows, the Green Dragon is much easier for a crossbow wielder than it is for an archer. All of your beams will deal the best damage, should they hit, and using two weapons allows you to deal more damage at once.

Additional FAQs

Let’s take a look at some common questions about RuneScape:

Are RuneScape and Old School RuneScape the same game?

While they share the same name, the newer RuneScape 3 and the old-school RuneScape are now quite different. The newer version features complex combat, better graphics, better boss battles, and focuses on PVE. In contrast, Old School RuneScape has simpler combat, is easier to run even on weaker computers, and is better for those who like PvP action.

That’s not to say that one is inherently better than the other, but new players would prefer RuneScape 3, while veteran players will like Old School RuneScape more. The latter tend to be very nostalgic for their player base.

Is RuneScape a free game?

Yes, it’s free for everyone. However, if you purchase a membership, you get access to eight more skills, over 120 additional quests to enjoy, and access to the entire map. That being said, there are advantages to playing without paying upfront.

There will be fewer options to choose from, so you can level up and learn to play at a basic level. When you feel like moving forward, you can purchase membership and unlock everything you’ve been missing.

Can Jagex delete inactive accounts?

No, if you are not active in RuneScape for a long time, your username is simply removed from Hiscores. You may have to appeal to the company if you somehow can’t access your old account.

Feel like a real blacksmith

Now that you know everything that goes into making a crossbow in RuneScape, you can start upgrading your arsenal and killing some creatures. There are many crossbows you can craft and obtain, and many have special attacks and functions. Collect them all and you can fight almost anything.

Which crossbow is your favorite? Do you prefer RuneScape 3 or old school RuneScape? Tell us what you think below.