Attack speed
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Attack speed is determined by the interval between hits. Hit intervals are measured in game ticks (0.6 seconds). The lower the interval, the faster the attack speed.
The attack speed can not be altered by any consumables, rather it is determined by the type of weapon being used. The tables below show the attack speeds for the respective types.
The speed of all combat spells is 5 (3.0 seconds). Powered staves (except for Tumeken's shadow and the Eye of Ayak) and the Harmonised nightmare staff have an attack speed of 4 (2.4 seconds).
Attack speed works similar to a global cooldown, where once you've activated that cooldown using 1 type of attack, you have to wait for that attacks cooldown to finish before another attack is possible.
For example, if you attack with a 7 tick weapon such as the Crystal halberd, then immediately switch to a 4 tick weapon such as an Abyssal tentacle, you will have to wait 7 ticks between the two attacks.
Weapon attack speeds
Melee weapons
| Weapon | in ticks |
in seconds |
|---|---|---|
| Unarmed | 4 | 2.4 |
| Claws | 4 | 2.4 |
| Dagger | 4 | 2.4 |
| Hasta | 4 | 2.4 |
| Mace | 4 | 2.4 |
| Scimitar | 4 | 2.4 |
| Shortsword | 4 | 2.4 |
| Spear | 4 | 2.4 |
| Axe | 5 | 3.0 |
| Longsword | 5 | 3.0 |
| Pickaxe | 5 | 3.0 |
| Staff | 5 | 3.0 |
| Battleaxe | 6 | 3.6 |
| Warhammer | 6 | 3.6 |
| Felling axe | 7 | 4.2 |
| Halberd | 7 | 4.2 |
| Two-handed sword | 7 | 4.2 |
Special melee weapons
| Weapon | in ticks |
in seconds |
|---|---|---|
| Goblin paint cannon | 3 | 1.8 |
| Ham joint | 3 | 1.8 |
| Swift blade | 3 | 1.8 |
| Mystic cards | 3 | 1.8 |
| Abyssal bludgeon | 4 | 2.4 |
| Abyssal whip | 4 | 2.4 |
| Ancient staff | 4 | 2.4 |
| Blackjack | 4 | 2.4 |
| Blade of Saeldor | 4 | 2.4 |
| Dragon hasta | 4 | 2.4 |
| Dragon hunter lance | 4 | 2.4 |
| Dual macuahuitl* | 4 | 2.4 |
| Ghrazi rapier | 4 | 2.4 |
| Granite hammer | 4 | 2.4 |
| Red topaz machete | 4 | 2.4 |
| Sarachnis cudgel | 4 | 2.4 |
| Saradomin sword | 4 | 2.4 |
| Staff of the dead | 4 | 2.4 |
| Ursine chainmace | 4 | 2.4 |
| Voidwaker | 4 | 2.4 |
| Zamorakian hasta | 4 | 2.4 |
| Arclight/Emberlight | 4 | 2.4 |
| Silverlight/Darklight | 5 | 3.0 |
| Excalibur | 5 | 3.0 |
| Leaf-bladed battleaxe | 5 | 3.0 |
| Noxious halberd | 5 | 3.0 |
| Osmumten's fang | 5 | 3.0 |
| Salamander | 5 | 3.0 |
| Scythe of vitur | 5 | 3.0 |
| Zombie axe | 5 | 3.0 |
| Soulreaper axe | 5 | 3.0 |
| Barrelchest anchor | 6 | 3.6 |
| Colossal blade | 6 | 3.6 |
| Elder maul | 6 | 3.6 |
| Godswords | 6 | 3.6 |
| Dharok's greataxe | 7 | 4.2 |
| Granite maul | 7 | 4.2 |
| Tzhaar-ket-om | 7 | 4.2 |
*Dual macuahuitl: Can occasionally hit with only a 3 tick delay if combined with the Blood Moon armour.
Ranged weapons
| Weapon | Base speed | Rapid |
|---|---|---|
| Dart | 3 ticks (1.8s) | 2 ticks (1.2s) |
| Throwing knife | 3 ticks (1.8s) | 2 ticks (1.2s) |
| Blowpipe (PvM) | 3 ticks (1.8s) | 2 ticks (1.2s) |
| Blowpipe (PvP) | 4 ticks (2.4s) | 3 ticks (1.8s) |
| Chinchompa | 4 ticks (2.4s) | 3 ticks (1.8s) |
| Shortbow | 4 ticks (2.4s) | 3 ticks (1.8s) |
| Composite bow | 5 ticks (3.0s) | 4 ticks (2.4s) |
| Thrownaxe | 5 ticks (3.0s) | 4 ticks (2.4s) |
| Longbow | 6 ticks (3.6s) | 5 ticks (3.0s) |
| Crossbow | 6 ticks (3.6s) | 5 ticks (3.0s) |
Special ranged weapons
| Weapon | Base speed | Rapid |
|---|---|---|
| Craw's bow | 4 ticks (2.4s) | 3 ticks (1.8s) |
| Eclipse atlatl | 4 ticks (2.4s) | 3 ticks (1.8s) |
| Hunters' crossbow | 4 ticks (2.4s) | 3 ticks (1.8s) |
| Karil's crossbow | 4 ticks (2.4s) | 3 ticks (1.8s) |
| Holy water | 4 ticks (2.4s) | 3 ticks (1.8s) |
| Salamander | 4 ticks (2.4s) | N/A |
| Toktz-xil-ul | 4 ticks (2.4s) | 3 ticks (1.8s) |
| Seercull | 5 ticks (3.0s) | 4 ticks (2.4s) |
| Scorching bow | 5 ticks (3.0s) | 4 ticks (2.4s) |
| Venator bow | 5 ticks (3.0s) | 4 ticks (2.4s) |
| Bow of faerdhinen | 5 ticks (3.0s) | 4 ticks (2.4s) |
| Crystal bow | 5 ticks (3.0s) | 4 ticks (2.4s) |
| Hunter's spear | 6 ticks (3.6s) | 5 ticks (3.0s) |
| Twisted bow | 6 ticks (3.6s) | 5 ticks (3.0s) |
| Ballistae | 7 ticks (4.2s) | 6 ticks (3.6s) |
| Tonalztics of ralos | 7 ticks (4.2s) | 6 ticks (3.6s) |
| Ogre bow | 8 ticks (4.8s) | 7 ticks (4.2s) |
| Dark bow | 9 ticks (5.4s) | 8 ticks (4.8s) |
Monster attack speeds
The attack speed of a monster determines the rate of attack of a monster in certain situations. This is a factor which balances the attacking power of a monster.
The speed at which monsters attack is expressed in ticks (each tick lasting 0.6 seconds), which represents the delay between attacks. If a monster is left to attack uninterrupted, this delay defines the interval of the monster's attacks. A monster with a low delay between attacks will attack more frequently.
Additionally, the attack speed of a monster determines when they will retaliate after your attack against them. The amount of ticks is equal to their attack speed halved, plus 1, rounded up. For example, a 4-tick attack speed means they will attack you back 3 ticks after your hit to initiate combat with them.
| Attack speed | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tick (0.6 seconds) | Scarab swarm, Pestilent Bloat, Koschei the Deathless (form 4) | Hits low, but often. Scarab swarms can poison. |
| 2 ticks (1.2 seconds) | Killerwatt, Thermonuclear smoke devil, Rock lobster, Commander Zilyana (melee) | Attacks every other tick, and generally tends to have high accuracy, albeit usually low damage. |
| 3 ticks (1.8 seconds) | Flesh Crawler, Kree'arra, Jal-MejRah | Tends to hit lower than most monsters, but with more accuracy. |
| 4 ticks (2.4 seconds) | Most bare-handed monsters, including bare-handed humans, Dark wizards, Goblins, Hobgoblins | The most common monster attack speed. |
| 5 ticks (3.0 seconds) | Zombies holding weapons, dwarves, Revenants, Guthan the Infested, Torag the Corrupted, Verac the Defiled | Tends to hit harder and more accurately than monsters of similar level. |
| 6 ticks (3.6 seconds) | Giants, humans wielding crossbows, General Graardor, Ahrim the Blighted, K'ril Tsutsaroth, Jal-Ak, Ba-Ba | Hits are fairly slow, but tend to be quite accurate and damaging. |
| 7 ticks (4.2 seconds) | White Knight, Dharok the Wretched, Black knight titan, TzKal-Zuk (enraged), Verzik Vitur (final form) | Very slow attack rate, but hits tend to be very accurate and hard. |
| 8 ticks (4.8 seconds) | Dad, TzTok-Jad, Nail beasts | Extremely slow, but generally heavily damaging attacks. Nail beasts deal three separate hits in a single attack. |
| 9 ticks (5.4 seconds) | JalTok-Jad | Only the three JalTok-Jads that spawn on wave 68 of the Inferno have an attack speed of 9; all those in TzHaar-Ket-Rak's Challenges (including the third challenge), as well as the spawns on wave 67 and 69 of the Inferno, have an attack speed of 8. |
| 10 ticks (6.0 seconds) | Head (Temple Trekking), H.A.M. Archer, TzKal-Zuk, The Maiden of Sugadinti | |
| 12 ticks (7.2 seconds) | Giant mosquito | |
| 15 ticks (9.0 seconds) | Scarab mage | |
| Variable | Cave horror, Corporeal Beast, Elvarg, Melzar the Mad, Monk of Zamorak, Tolna, Stranger | These monsters hit with varied speed - some depending on their attack style. |
| Combat | |
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| Damage per second | |
| Mechanics | |
| Other | |