OSRS Top 10 Fastest Skills To Train To 99

If you're aiming for your first 99, or you're trying to max your account as quickly as possible, then choosing the right training methods can save you hundreds of hours. While every skill has dozens of different ways to train it, some methods are faster than others if you're willing to spend the GP or put in the extra effort.

That said, "fastest" doesn't always mean "best." Some of the methods in this guide cost hundreds of millions of GP, while others require near-perfect clicks to achieve the advertised experience rates. I'll point out where that's the case so you know exactly what you're getting yourself into before you commit. If you’d like to achieve your 99’s via these methods but need some extra gold to cover the cost - We have you covered.

In this guide, I'll rank the 10 fastest skills to reach level 99 in Old School RuneScape, explain the quickest training method from 1-99 for each skill, and show you the highest experience rates you can realistically expect. If your goal is to get some 99’s as quickly as possible, you've come to the right place. See the below table for a TL;DR on the skills and their methods/time to complete.

Add a single summary table near the top with all 10 skills, the method, hours to 99 and rough GP cost. Every guide ranking for this keyword has one and we do not. It is also what Google pulls for the snippet. Also put a rough cost on every skill in the summary table, with the date of the prices.

 Overview of the fastest skills to train to 99 in OSRS

I will also list a few honorable mentions/alternatives for methods that are cost effective and still quick in this guide, so keep an eye out for those!

Let's jump straight into the rankings!

1. Fletching (Up to 1.4M+ XP/h) 

If your aim here is to get a 99 cape as quickly as possible, Fletching is the undisputed king. Thanks to Dragon Darts, it's possible to exceed 1.4 million XP per hour, making it the fastest skill in Old School RuneScape.

The problem is that it's also one of the most expensive. You'll fly through millions of GP in supplies, but if you're chasing raw XP per hour over everything else, nothing comes close.

For the fastest possible route to 99, I'd recommend rushing to Mithril Darts as quickly as possible, then upgrading your darts whenever you unlock the next tier. Every upgrade provides a noticeable jump in experience rates, making the grind feel much faster as you level.

Below I’ve listed a roadmap to achieving 99 as quickly as possible:

The beauty of this method is its simplicity. Once you've unlocked Mithril Darts, you can stick with the same training style all the way to 99, only swapping to the next dart tier whenever it becomes available.

Approximate time to 99

Depending on your budget and how quickly you upgrade your darts, you can expect to reach level 99 in approximately 10-14 hours. Players using Dragon Darts from level 95 onwards and maintaining high click efficiency will finish towards the lower end of that estimate.

Gamer note: Don't feel like you have to buy Dragon Darts the second you hit level 95. Rune Darts are still fast and cost a fraction of the price. Unless you're racing for a max cape or trying to set a personal best, they're often the better value.

Fletching is a skill where money truly can buy time. If you have the GP to spare, you'll have your first 99 before most players have even finished training to 70 Agility... and you'll spend more time buying/selling your supplies than training the skill!

2. Construction (Up to 1.1M+ XP/h) 

Construction is one of the fastest skills in Old School RuneScape, but there is one small problem... your bank account is going to feel every single second of it.

If Fletching is the fastest skill because money buys speed, Construction takes that idea and turns it up to eleven. With the correct setup and a good rhythm, you can push over 1 million experience per hour, making a 99 Construction grind achievable in a single day.

The catch? This is amongst the most expensive skills to train in OSRS. You're throwing millions of GP into your house just to destroy everything you built. Your character gains experience, but your bank account gains emotional damage.

For the fastest possible route to 99, you'll want to rush through the early levels as quickly as possible, then transition into expensive mahogany furniture.

Your progression will look something like this:

Once you unlock Mahogany Tables at level 52, the XP rates become absurd compared to most skills. From this point onwards, your only limiting factors are your GP, your clicking speed, and how long your wrist can survive.

At level 77, Gnome Benches become the fastest option. They use the same amount of mahogany planks as Mahogany Tables but allow for a more efficient building/removing cycle, pushing XP rates even higher.

Approximate time to 99

With maximum efficiency and the fastest methods, you can expect to reach level 99 Construction in approximately 15-20 hours. If you want it done quickly and efficiently, check out our skilling page here.

This assumes:

• Using Mahogany Tables/Gnome Benches.

• Having a Demon Butler.

• Efficient house setup.

Realistically, most players will take slightly longer, but Construction is still an extremely fast 99.

Gamer note: Construction is a skill where watching a 5-minute setup guide can save you hours. A player who understands how to manage their butler and furniture cycles will fly through this skill.

If you're chasing the fastest possible 99s, Construction deserves its place near the top. Just remember: every mahogany table you build is temporary... but the pain of watching your bank balance disappear is permanent.

3. Prayer (Up to 1M+ XP/h) 

If you're willing to throw GP at the problem, Prayer can be taken from level 1 to 99 faster than almost any other skill in the game. The reason is simple: you're not training a skill through actions over time, you are paying for chunks of experience every few seconds.

For the absolute fastest route to 99, you'll want to use Superior Dragon Bones at the Chaos Altar.

The Chaos Altar is located in the Wilderness, so there is always a small risk involved. However, the altar's 50% chance to save bones makes it more cost-efficient than a normal gilded altar while still providing high experience rates.

The training methods for Prayer are very simple:

Before starting your grind, I would recommend completing any quests that give Prayer experience. Early Prayer levels are some of the slowest and most expensive to manually train, so skipping them for free XP is always worth it.

Some useful quests include:

• Restless Ghost

• Priest in Peril

• Holy Grail

• Recruitment Drive

• Rum Deal

Once you reach the point where you're using Superior Dragon Bones, the grind becomes simple:

1. Buy bones.

2. Use bones on the altar.

3. Repeat until your Prayer level is finished.

The only thing slowing you down is how quickly you can click.

Approximate time to 99

With maximum efficiency, you can expect level 99 Prayer in approximately 18-25 hours.

Your exact time depends on:

• Your clicking speed.

• How often you get attacked at the Chaos Altar.

• Whether you bank efficiently.

• Whether you use a safer but slower method.

The cost will vary depending on bone prices, but expect this to be another huge GP sink on your account.

4. Ranged (Up to 1M+ XP/h) 

Ranged is the fastest combat skill to train in Old School RuneScape, and when using the absolute fastest method, it can compete with some of the quickest skills in the entire game. For a full guide on everything ranged, check out our fastest way to train 1-99 ranged here.

The method we're talking about here is throwing Chinchompas in the Monkey Madness II tunnels.

This is not a relaxed training method. You are attacking, stacking monsters, managing prayer. However, if you want to get level 99 Ranged as quickly as possible, very few methods come close. There are ways to make this method more relaxed too. Luckily for you, you can click here to go to a full guide on Chinning in MM1/MM2 Tunnels.

For the fastest possible route, follow the below:

Once you unlock Chinchompas, the experience rates become compared to traditional Ranged training methods. Because Chinchompas deal area-of-effect damage, you can hit multiple stacked monsters at once, creating some of the highest combat XP rates available.

For maximum XP rates, you will want:

• Black Chinchompas

• Monkey Madness II completed

• High Ranged level

• Rigour prayer

• Best-in-slot Ranged gear

Approximate time to 99

At maximum efficiency, you can expect to reach level 99 Ranged in approximately 25-30 hours (a large chunk of this is spent on the early training).

This assumes:

• High-level gear.

• Efficient monster stacking.

Players using slower Chinchompa methods will still see excellent XP rates, but the difference between MM1 and MM2 efficiency here is massive, as you will see in the guide above.

5. Cooking (Up to 1M+ XP/h) 

If you're willing to put in the effort, Cooking becomes a top 5 in the fastest 99s in the entire game.

The absolute fastest method is 1-tick Karambwans.

This method involves cooking Karambwans every game tick by perfectly timing your clicks between your inventory and the cooking range. It is repetitive and requires constant attention, but the XP rates are some of the highest available outside of other tick manipulation methods.

The downside? Your wrist is going to hate you.

For the fastest possible route to 99:

Once you unlock Karambwans at level 30, there is no reason to use slower methods. The XP rates are too good.

For Karambwan cooking, you will want:

• A nearby bank and cooking location

• A large supply of raw Karambwans

• Consistent 1-tick timing

• A willingness towards wrist pain

Unlike many other skills in this guide, Cooking is profitable. You will earn some GP while training because cooked Karambwans are worth more than raw ones.

Alternative training method

While 1-tick Karambwans are the fastest option, they are not for everyone. Luckily, Cooking has another popular method that provides excellent experience rates with much less effort.

Alternative A) Cooking Wines

Making wines is amongst the most commonly used methods for fast Cooking experience.

The process is simple:

• Buy jugs of water and grapes.

• Combine them to create unfermented wines.

• Wait for them to ferment.

• Repeat.

The biggest advantage of wines is that they require much less attention than 1-tick Karambwans while still offering some of the best Cooking XP rates available.

Approximate time to 99

At maximum efficiency, you can expect level 99 Cooking in approximately 15-20 hours.

This assumes:

• Starting 1-tick Karambwans as soon as possible.

• Maintaining close to maximum XP rates.

Players using wines will take slightly longer, but will also be far more relaxed.

If you can master the rhythm, though, Cooking karambwans all the way to 99 is the way to go!

6. Firemaking (Up to ~520k XP/h) 

When most players think about training Firemaking, they think of Wintertodt. While Wintertodt is an amazing option for early accounts/ironmen because it provides rewards, supplies, and decent experience, it is not the fastest way to reach level 99.

For speed, the answer is simple:

Burn logs.

The fastest Firemaking method is manually burning Redwood logs at high efficiency.

This method involves creating long lines of fires while c moving forward, allowing you to burn logs continuously with minimal downtime. At maximum efficiency, Redwood logs can provide over 500k Firemaking XP per hour.

To become a master firemaker, you’ll use the below methods:

Before you start, you’ll need:

• A large supply of logs

• A tinderbox

• A consistent firemaking location/bank location

The beauty of Firemaking is that there are no complicated mechanics involved. Unlike skills such as Construction or Herblore, there is no huge amount of preparation required.

The issue is that it is repetitive. You are clicking the same action thousands of times, and the fastest method requires constant attention.

Alternative training method

Alternative A) Wintertodt

Wintertodt is the method most players choose for 50-99 Firemaking because it offers useful rewards alongside experience. We offer an entire page for wintertodt training.

It is slower than burning logs, but it is much more rewarding. You can earn supplies, crates, and even profit while training.

Approximate time to 99

At maximum efficiency, Firemaking can be completed in approximately 30-40 hours from level 1.

This assumes:

• Using the fastest logs available throughout training.

• Switching to Redwood logs at level 90.

• Maintaining efficient firemaking patterns.

It is simple, cheap compared to many buyable skills, meaning Firemaking is arguably the easiest 99 to knock out.

7. Herblore (Up to ~500k XP/h) 

Herblore is another big contender for the biggest "money buys time" bank standing skills in Old School RuneScape.

The fastest methods are simple:

Buy ingredients → make potions → watch your bank balance disappear. We have an entire guide on our method to 99 herblore here.

For the absolute fastest route to 99, you want to prioritize the highest XP/hour potion methods available. At higher levels, this means moving into Menaphite Remedies, which are the fastest Herblore training method available.

I’ve listed the fastest training methods to follow:

The exact potion route can change depending on GE prices, but in my opinion you should always prioritize XP/hour over profit.

For training Herblore, you’re going to need:

• A large GP supply

• Efficient banking

• Fast clicking

• All ingredients ready beforehand

Alternative training method

Alternative A) Super Combat Potions

Super Combat Potions are a popular Herblore method because they create an item that every PvM account will eventually use, meaning the cost per EXP stays low.

However, they are not the fastest XP method. The extra steps involved, combining multiple potions before adding Torstol, mean you spend more time banking and managing your inventory.

Many players still choose Super Combat Potions because they have a much smaller loss on the way to 99.

Approximate time to 99

At maximum efficiency, you can expect level 99 Herblore in approximately 30-40 hours.

This assumes:

• Using the fastest potion methods.

• Efficient banking.

Herblore is a great first 99 to chase, but as with most of these skills, just make sure your wallet is prepared before you start.

8. Crafting (Up to ~450k XP/h) 

Crafting is another bank standing skill that is going to burn a hole in your GP stack in Old School RuneScape. Seeing a pattern here?

When training crafting, you want to move into high-level leather crafting as soon as possible.

The fastest solo Crafting method is Black D’hide Bodies.

At level 84 Crafting, you can begin making Black D’hide Bodies, which provide some of the highest Crafting experience rates available. The method is simple:

Buy leather → craft bodies → repeat.

It is expensive, repetitive, and requires constant clicking, but the XP rates are the best available for the skill.

It’s as simple as standing at a bank and using the below methods:

Starting Battlestaves as soon as they become available is the fastest way to progress through the middle levels. Once you reach level 66, Air Battlestaves become the best Battlestaff option and can carry you until level 84, where Black D’hide Bodies become the fastest method available.

To prepare for your 99 crafting journey:

• A large GP supply

• Plenty of leather and battlestaff supplies prepared

Crafting is awesome because there is no complicated setup involved. Once you have your materials ready, the entire skill becomes a simple cycle of filling your inventory, crafting, and banking.

Gamer note: Completing the quest ‘Death on the Isle’ will give you the ‘Costume needle’. This means you don’t need to worry about buying/using thread while making your D’hide into bodies, and will mean you can craft 9 bodies per inventory instead of 8!

Alternative training method

Alternative A) Air Battlestaves

Air Battlestaves are the most popular alternative for players who want excellent Crafting experience without paying the full cost of Black D’hide Bodies.

They are slower than the fastest method, but they are a strong option because the finished staves retain value and can offset some of the training cost.

Approximate time to 99

At maximum efficiency, Crafting can be completed in approximately 30-45 hours from level 1.

This assumes:

• Using the fastest available methods throughout the grind.

• Moving into Battlestaves as soon as possible.

• Switching to Black D’hide Bodies at level 84.

• Maintaining efficient banking and clicking.

Crafting is a fantastic option. It is simple, consistent, and rewards anyone willing to pay for speed. The crafting skillcape is also still one of the most widely used capes in game, with it being the closest infinite teleport to a bank chest! We also have a full Crafting guide for 1-99 that you can follow.

9. Magic (Up to ~400k XP/h) 

Magic is a skill that is a little intimidating, because there are dozens of spells and so many different training methods. Today though, we will just be concentrating on one.

The fastest Magic training method is bursting and barraging multi-target monsters with Ancient Magicks.

Before I go any further into detail - this method is very in depth and requires a whole page of its own.

The fastest route to 99 Magic generally looks like this:

For this method, you will want:

• Ancient Magicks unlocked

• MM1/MM2 completed

• Plenty of Runes

• Protection prayers

• Gear that increases Magic accuracy and damage

The real selling point of bursting and barraging is that the XP rates are consistent. Once you have your setup prepared, the method becomes a simple cycle of grouping monsters together and repeatedly casting your spell.

The drawback is the cost. Ancient Magicks require a large amount of runes, meaning you are paying heavily for the speed. However, compared to other expensive 99s like Construction or Herblore, Magic offers a little more flexibility with its methods.

Gamer note: You can access ice barrage at as low as level 82 magic when using a saturated heart. Meaning you can start gaining much better EXP rates at a much lower level.

Approximate time to 99

At maximum efficiency, Magic can be completed in approximately 40-65 hours from level 1 (varies a lot depending on whether you use a saturated heart to start barraging earlier).

This assumes:

• Using early quests and efficient training methods.

• Moving into Ice Burst and Ice Barrage as soon as they become available.

• Maintaining high-efficiency barraging/bursting.

It is expensive, but if you have the GP available, Magic is, in my opinion, the most enjoyable 99 to knock out.

10. Smithing (Up to ~370k XP/h) 

Smithing almost feels too simple. From level 40 you will sit at blast furnace and smith gold bars the whole way to 99.

With Goldsmith Gauntlets, Ice Gloves, and an efficient setup, Blast Furnace gold bars provide the highest realistic solo Smithing experience rates in the game. It is repetitive, expensive, and requires constant attention, but if you want to reach level 99 as quickly as possible, this is the method you want.

Smithing training is broken down into just 3 steps:

While very simple, there are still a few things you’ll need:

• Goldsmith Gauntlets

• Ice Gloves

• Access to the Blast Furnace

• Stamina Potions

• A large supply of Gold Ore

Goldsmith Gauntlets are essential for this method, as they increase the experience gained from smelting gold bars. Without them, your XP rates drop.

The biggest downside of Blast Furnace is the cost. You are sacrificing GP for speed, but compared to skills like Construction, Prayer, and Herblore, the cost is still manageable.

Approximate time to 99

At maximum solo efficiency, Smithing can be completed in approximately 45-55 hours from level 1.

This assumes:

• Completing early quests for free XP.

• Starting Blast Furnace Gold Bars at level 40.

• Maintaining efficient banking and consistent XP rates.

You also reach your maximum XP/h at a low level, so it never feels like you’re struggling through slow XP rates.

That is our top 10 complete! Now you can pick your favourites, grab your supplies and start training. As always, if you have any questions - open up a livechat with us and we’ll be happy to help in any way we can.

Enjoy your training!