Required by crossbows as ammunition, bolts are hard-hitting arrow-like weapons that can also be enchanted. Variety is the spice of life and this ammunition types has it in spades, with dozens of variants being available to players.
Regardless of your intention, if you’re using or planning on using a crossbow, you need to know which bolts are the best.
This list will provide you all the info you need to make you the best crossbowman in the entirety of RuneScape!
10. Emerald Bolts
Enchanted Mithril Bolts, Emerald bolts are incredible. Upon hit, Emerald bolts have a 55% chance of applying the Magical Poison debuff, dealing 5 extra poison damage. You can even complete the Kandarin Diary quest to increase this chance by 10%!
Ranged Bonus: 85
Grand Exchange price: 201
(SPOILER) How to obtain: Enchant Mithril bolts with a magic level of 27 or buy them from the Grand Exchange.
9. Normal Broad-Tipped Bolts
A slayer level of 55 is required to fire this ammo type but it’s worth it, as they’re extremely easy to obtain while still dealing high damage. Mostly used for training purposes, few bolts in the game are as useful overall!
Ranged Bonus: 100
Grand Exchange price: N/A
(SPOILER) How to obtain: Purchase them from any Slayer Master. Or purchase the ability to Fletch them and craft them with a Fletching level of 55.
8. Adamant Bolts
The first “ordinary” bolts on this list, Adamant bolts are higher than the previous entry due to the lack of a slayer level requirement. Additionally, Adamant crossbows can fire Adamant bolts, whereas only Rune crossbows or higher can fire the previous entry!
Ranged Bonus: 100
Grand Exchange price: 191
(SPOILER) How to obtain: Craft with a Smithing level of 73, dropped by Skeletal Wyverns or Iron Dragons. Or buy from the Grand Exchange.
7. Amethyst Broad-Tipped Bolts
Like the other broad-tipped bolts, a slayer level is required to equip this variant. With a very nice ranged bonus, Amethyst Broad-Tipped bolts are powerful indeed. Obtaining them in high amounts can be a pain though, significantly reducing how much I’d recommend stocking up on them.
Ranged Bonus: 115
Grand Exchange price: N/A
(SPOILER) How to obtain: Craft with a Fletching level of 76.
6. Runite Bolts
In terms of base damage bonuses, Runite bolts are unparalleled when it comes to free-to-play characters. Otherwise, it’s a nice ammunition type to help you succeed in your early adventures. Due to their very high cost, only use this bolt type in pvp or boss fights!
Ranged Bonus: 115
Grand Exchange price: 1014
(SPOILER) How to obtain: Craft with a Smithing level of 88. Or buy from the Grand Exchange. Plenty of monsters drop these bolts too, see the full list on the wikia.
5. Ruby Bolts
With just a smidgen higher ranged bonus over adamant bolts, Ruby bolts are an enchanted bolt variant with a cool effect. Upon landing on their target, Ruby bolts have a chance of activating the Blood Forfeit effect. Sacrificing 10% of your own HP to deal 20% of your opponent’s current HP, up to a maximum of 100. In pvp, the chance of this happening is 11%, compared to 6% in pve.
Extremely powerful against bosses, less so against players!
Ranged Bonus: 103
Grand Exchange price: 238
(SPOILER) How to obtain: Enchant Adamant bolts with a magic level of 49.
4. Diamond Bolts
Wielding the Armor Piercing enchantment, these bolts can increase the max by 15%, ignoring the defence of the opponent while reducing your accuracy slightly. Such an effect has an 5% chance of activating in pvp and a 10% chance in pve.
In pvp, using these bolts can result in some very nice easy kills!
Ranged Bonus: 105
Grand Exchange price: 299
(SPOILER) How to obtain: Enchant Adamant bolts with a magic level of 57.
3. Dragonstone Bolts
Yet another enchanted bolt and easily the best yet. Dragonstone bolts are arrows imbued with the power of dragonfire, having a chance of triggering the Dragon’s Breath effect. As you can imagine, this effect hurls dragonfire against the enemy, adding significant bonus damage depending on their defense. With little defensive stats, you can deal huge amounts of damage with this bolt type.
Ranged Bonus: 117
Grand Exchange price: 1777
(SPOILER) How to obtain: Enchant Adamant bolts with a magic level of 68. Revenants have a decent chance of dropping them too.
2. Dragon Bolts
Sporting the highest ranged bonus of any bolt in the entire game, Dragon bolts are an exceptional ammunition choice for your crossbow. Costing a surprisingly low price for their power, you should try to get your inventory full as they’re strong in all situations.
Ranged Bonus: 122
Grand Exchange price: 975
(SPOILER) How to obtain: Craft with a Fletching level of 84 or buy from the Grand Exchange.
1. Onyx Bolts
A single Onyx bolt costs more than every other bolt on this list combined which is crazy, although it shows how powerful this ammunition is. Specifically the Life Leech enchantment, dealing a bonus of 20% extra damage and healing you for a whopping 25% of the damage dealt.
Such a powerful enchantment surely has a horrifically low chance of activating, right? Nope, with a 10% chance of triggering in pvp, it’s surprisingly common!
Ranged Bonus: 120
Grand Exchange price: 7918
(SPOILER) How to obtain: Enchant Runite bolts with a magic level of 87. The Corporeal Beast also has a chance of dropping them.
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