Combat has four key skills: Attack, Defence, Strength, and Health. You can initiate training or engage in battles by selecting the corresponding option from the city menu at an appropriate location. Within the combat screen, you'll find a dropdown list box offering these skill options. Your chosen skill in this dropdown determines the focus of your training and battles.

Certain islands/caves like Exrollia, select locations on Serpenthelm, and Arch Caves feature auto-attacks, where a creature awaits to challenge you upon arrival in town. Once you defeat this creature, normal access to the town is restored.

Before diving into combat, it's advisable to equip yourself with armor and weaponry (refer to Smithing), and ensure you have food for healing (check Farming and Cooking). Additionally, having a house for item storage is recommended (see Construction).

Battle Mechanics

When initiating a battle, the battle window will appear, and the timer will commence counting down. At the timer's end, both you and your opponent exchange hits, potentially causing damage, or avoiding hits altogether, constituting a "Round." After each round, you have the opportunity to consume food items to recover lost health. The battle persists, and both the player and the monster go through rounds until one is defeated.

The 'Fight All' option operates similarly to fighting one creature at a time, but with the added convenience of automatically transitioning to the next round once the current one ends. While this feature is useful for AFK purposes, it's important to note that since creature attacks can be unpredictable, not maintaining focus on the screen may lead to unexpected defeat. After each round, a countdown initiates before the next round begins. You then have the option to either engage in one more fight (which immediately throws you into another battle; if you want to resume auto rounds, you'll need to click the 'Fight All' option again) or return to the city menu. You can heal at any time.

In the event of victory, you gain combat experience in the skill selected from the dropdown box in the combat screen. Additionally, you may receive items dropped by the defeated monster. Conversely, if the monster defeats you, all inventory items drop on the ground where you died for other players to potentially take. You will be revived at Sanfew or Crab Nest if you're a pirate.

PvP (Player vs. Player) in the Outlands:

Outlands Combat introduces a distinctive approach. A large gray window at the center displays previous battles at that location. To the right is a list of players present, showing your name and details. If another player shares the same Outlands location, their name will be visible, revealing their Combat Level and Health Points. You can choose to Attack them using the "Attack" button, initiating combat. The defender will automatically retaliate. There's no timer; success depends on clicking the "Attack" button strategically. To heal, you must access your inventory and consume food, emphasizing the need for an organized inventory. If a player defeats another, the loser is sent back to Sanfew or Crab Nest, loses all items at that Outlands location, and typically receives a message indicating the assailant and location of the encounter.

Combat Skills:

Strength

Strength is a pivotal attribute that directly influences your capability to deal maximum damage. As your Strength stat increases, so does your potential to inflict more substantial harm to your adversaries. This skill synergizes particularly well with the "Attack" skill, enhancing its effectiveness in combat scenarios. Elevating your Strength proficiency not only bolsters your offensive prowess but also contributes significantly to your overall combat effectiveness.

Attack

Attack stands as a pivotal combat skill that plays a crucial role in enhancing your ability to deal maximum damage to creatures and enemies. Moreover, it contributes to an increase in average damage, making your attacks more potent. As you advance in the Attack skill, you unlock the proficiency to wield superior weapons, further augmenting your combat capabilities. Engaging in the development of your Attack skill not only sharpens your offensive potential but also expands the range of weaponry at your disposal.

Defence

Defence is a pivotal combat skill that grants you the ability to mitigate damage from creatures and enemies, enabling you to endure attacks more effectively. As your Defence skill progresses, you gain the proficiency to wear superior armor, further bolstering your defensive capabilities. It's important to note that a higher Defence level, coupled with advanced armor, results in reduced damage intake. By focusing on the development of your Defence skill and acquiring better armor, you enhance your overall resilience, minimizing the impact of incoming attacks.

Health

Health is a crucial attribute that directly influences your longevity in battle. The higher your health, the more resilient you become, allowing you to withstand enemy attacks for an extended duration. To replenish your health during and after encounters, the consumption of food is essential. By focusing on enhancing your Health skill, you not only increase your overall survivability but also ensure that you can endure prolonged battles.

Combat Level

Your Combat Level serves as a comprehensive gauge of your overall combat prowess. It provides a convenient metric to assess your capabilities in comparison to various creatures and enemies. It's crucial to consider your combat level when choosing opponents, as engaging foes with significantly higher levels could result in a challenging and potentially fatal encounter. For instance, if your combat level is 4, it's advisable to avoid combat with a level 10 creature to prevent unfavorable outcomes. In the unfortunate event of defeat, your character will be sent to Sanfew (or Crab Nest for pirates), and any carried items will be lost. Therefore, maintaining a careful balance between your combat level and chosen adversaries is key to a successful and survivable combat journey.

The Battlemage Arena

Periodically, unscheduled Arena battles take place in the Desert Arena. To participate, players must check for the next match as announcements are not made. Two entry points to the Arena are available: Kinam and Toothen. To join these battles, participants must adhere to specific rules:

1. Ensure your Combat Level aligns with the specified level boundary. Entry is denied if your level is either higher or lower than the designated range.

2. Clear your inventory of all cooked food and edible items. Edible items must be removed either by storing them in a house or entrusting them to another player. Raw fish is an exception and can be taken into the arena.

3. Remove all locked/unlocked items, including Mouldy Chests and Ancient Chests, from your inventory. Similar to food, store these items in a house or with another player.

Once the timer reaches 0, players are free to enter the arena for no-risk combat. In case of defeat, participants are returned to their entry point unharmed and retain all items. However, the player's statistics will reflect that they have been defeated by another player. The battle continues until only one player remains standing. The victor earns 50 experience in each combat skill and is awarded a Desert Arena Medal, then returned to their entry point.

Details about upcoming battles can be found in the following forum thread: Forum > General > Battle Mage Schedule

Combat Level Gear

The items listed below can be obtained by exchanging a Desert Arena Medal with 1000gp at Kinam or Toothen.

The ability to equip these items (weapons and armor) is determined by your combat level.

Image	Name	Combat Level
8	Equites Helm	30
7	Equites Manica
22	Equites Tunic
12	Equites Shield
7	Equites Sandals
40/45	Retiarii Trident	50
26	Retiarii Extended Manica
9	Retiarii Gauntlet
9	Retiarii Boots
35/65	Hoplomachi Long Spear	70
17	Hoplomachi Brimmed Helmet
10	Hoplomachi Manica
24	Hoplomachi Leg Wrappings
65/75	Samnite Two-handed Sword	90
26	Samnite Plumed Helmet
30	Samnite Shield
33	Samnite Legs
110/85	Slamyeord Can only be obtained in special events

Special Weapons

Image Aim/Power	Name *Quest item **Creature drop	Attack Level Needed
19/15	Valera Sword*	5
15/21	Ogre Club**	10
17/17	Ogre Mace**	10
16/20	Rose Crest Sword*	15
18/14	Pirate Falchion**	15
25/15	Lizard Two Handed Spear**	20
28/24	Bear Claw**	25
40/35	Koban Axe**	30
27/30	Centaur Axe**	30
26/30	Elven Two Handed Sword**	35
20/70	Stemosaurus Tail Spike**	45
60/25	Waranerus Spike**	45
56/45	Roodarus Horn**	45
58/48	Pirate Cutlass**	60
70/52	Pirate Hook**	70
85/72	Keelhail Golden Cutlass	85
90/75	Caliburnus	95

Special Armour

Name	Armour	Defence Level
Ogre	6 7 8 8 8 4 4 Obtained from fighting Ogres	10
Rose Crest	10 16 Obtained from Quests on Serpenthelm	15
Lizard	6 Obtained from Combat at Thick Jungle	20
Bat-hide	5 5 Made in Tempas Tent in Arch Cave 4 with 18 Bat hide and 1,250 gp	25
Centaur	8 Obtained from fighting Centaurs	30
Elven	10 14 23 14 6 6 Obtained from fighting elves (Boots only available from the shop at Penteza)	35
Saurus	13 17 28 17 Made in Tempas Tent in Arch Cave 4 with 22 Saurus scale, 19 Saurus hide and 15,500 gp	40
Excalibus	28 33 48 38 18 18 Purchased from the Hidden Shop at Rima City Center, only accessible if you have a Scroll of Shopping in your inventory. Full suit of armour costs 240,000 gp	95
Borealum	44 56 77 53 26 26 Made in Tirnus cave - north cavern with a total of 16 Borealum bars. Full Borealum suit offers a 5% Bonus to Woodcutting exp. Smithing> Smithable Items> Borealum	100
Dragon	40 55 70 50 25 25 Made in Waleak and Alidanias Camp with a total of 18 Dragon hide, 18 Dragon scale, 18 Platina scale, 18 Platina hide, 12 Syriet scale, 12 Syriet hide, 6 Obsidian scale, 6 Obsidian hide, and 50,000 gp. Full Dragon suit offers a 10% Bonus to Defence exp	115