OSRS Fletching Guide 1-99 — Darts, Broads & Magic Longs
Wiki-aligned 1–99 path: early bows and arrows, Broader Fletching broads for cheap/zero-time XP, darts when you want speed, and magic longbows when you want AFK or profit.
Intensive darts (banked tips); bows/broads take longer
Profit on bows/broads; darts usually cost GP
High-metal darts (click-intensive / mobile)
Stringing magic longbows (85)
Recommended Training Path
Early bows/arrows → broads if you have Broader Fletching → darts for speed → magic longs for AFK/profit. Skip methods that do not match your cash stack.
Cut arrow shafts (15 per log) then feather them into headless arrows (~1 XP each). Shortbows from level 5 bridge you upward. Quest XP (Animal Magnetism, Big Chompy, Zogre Flesh Eaters, etc.) can skip most of this.
Oak shortbows (20) / longbows (25), then willow shortbows (35) / longbows (40). Cutting unstrung bows is the AFK half; stringing is more clicky and often better GP. Prefer longbows over shortbows for XP per log.
Maple shortbows at 50, maple longbows at 55. If you can afford tips, iron (22) / steel (37) / mithril (52) darts already outpace bows for active XP. Buy feathers on the GE or from shops — there is no free unlimited feather source.
Needs Broader Fletching (300 Slayer points) and 52 Fletching. 10 XP per arrow. Strong ironman / budget path when heads are stocked from points or shops.
3 XP per bolt (30 XP per set of 10). Slow XP compared to darts, but classic zero-time / AFK money method: buy unfinished broads from any Slayer master, feather them, sell finished broads. Still requires Broader Fletching.
Fastest Fletching XP. Rates scale with metal and click intensity (mithril 52, adamant 67, rune 81, amethyst 90, dragon 95). Two-click / mobile multi-tap can push well past bow rates. Bank tips first — high capital, high speed. Tourist Trap is only needed to smith tips, not to fletch bought tips.
Yew longbow (u) at 70; magic shortbow at 80; magic longbow (u) / strung at 85 (not 80). Cutting is AFK; stringing magic longs is commonly ~200k+ XP/hr and often profitable — check GE margins before bulk buying.
Level 69. Assemble stock + limbs, then string. No limpwurt roots involved. Useful for making your own RCB / small craft batches — not a primary 1–99 grind.
Profitable & Useful Products
Unfinished broads from Slayer masters + feathers. Slow XP, strong zero-time GP when the unfinished→finished margin is good.
Stringing magic longs is the usual AFK/profit end-game. Alching strung bows can beat GE sale when Nature rune + HA value lines up — check the Alch Calculator.
Budget alternative before 85. Margins move — always re-check logs vs (u) vs strung vs HA.
Common mid-level stringing method. Less profit than yews/magics but cheap to stock.
Bulk early method and steady filler. Buy feathers on GE or from shops.
Not a training grind — craft for use or when GE spreads look good.
Key Unlocks
Arrow shafts & bronze arrows
Basic shafts, headless arrows, and bronze tips
Shortbow
First strung bow; longbow follows at 10
Bronze darts
First dart tip + feather method — scales hard at higher metals
Oak shortbow / oak stock
Oak bow line and crossbow stocks begin here
Willow longbow
Solid mid AFK cutting / stringing
Mithril darts & broad arrows*
Mithril darts for speed; broad arrows need Broader Fletching
Maple longbow & broad bolts*
Maple bows; broad bolts need Broader Fletching (300 Slayer points)
Adamant darts
Strong mid/high dart metal for active XP
Rune crossbow
Yew stock + runite limbs + crossbow string
Yew longbow
Main profitable bow tier before magics
Magic shortbow
Magic shortbow (u) / strung — not the longbow
Rune darts
Very fast XP; expensive tips
Magic longbow
Magic longbow (u) and strung — AFK/profit staple
Amethyst darts
Often best GP/XP among high dart metals
Dragon darts
Highest dart XP per tip — capital intensive
Darts for speed, bows for AFK: If tips are banked, high-level darts can finish 99 in roughly a long day of intensive clicking; stringing magics is slower but chill and often pays.
Zero-time darts/bolts: Feathering tips or unfinished bolts does not interrupt movement — train while doing Agility, Slayer downtime, farm runs, or Wintertodt.
Broad bolts maths: 3 XP per bolt, 30 XP per 10. Great for profit/AFK, not for racing the hiscores.
Magic bow levels: Magic shortbow is 80; magic longbow is 85. Do not buy magic logs for longs at 80.
Feathers: Buy from the GE or shops (e.g. fishing / general stores with stock). Plan bulk feather buys before a dart session.
Dart Make-X: In-game settings can enable a Make-X menu for darts (up to 10 sets per action) if you prefer less clicking over max XP/hr.
High alch check: Strung yew/magic longs are classic alch fodder — run numbers on the Alch Calculator before committing Nature runes.
Early (1–55)
Quest XP where convenient, then shafts/headless arrows and oak→willow→maple bows. Unlock Broader Fletching when you have 300 Slayer points if you want broads. Mithril darts at 52 are already a speed option if you can fund tips.
Mid–late (55–99)
Broads for cheap/zero-time levels; adamant→rune→amethyst→dragon darts when you want it done fast; yew longs from 70 and magic longs from 85 for AFK and profit. Craft a rune crossbow at 69 if you need one (yew stock + runite limbs + string).
FAQ
- Are broad bolts good XP? No — 3 XP each. Use them for profit and zero-time, not for racing 99.
- Fastest way to 99? Highest dart metal you can afford, clicked hard (especially on mobile). Expect on the order of hours to low tens of hours once materials are banked — not 200–300 hours.
- Magic shortbow vs longbow? Shortbow unlocks at 80; longbow at 85. Stringing longs is usually the better AFK/profit grind.
- Do I need Tourist Trap for darts? Only to smith your own tips. Bought tips fletch without it.
Related tools
Plan levels with the Skill Calculator. Check live prices on the GE Tracker. Compare bow alch margins on the Alch Calculator.