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Introduction

Prelude: Learning PvM is a journey from tackling the basic concepts of DPM to mastering the nuances and techniques at the highest level. DPM-Advice-Basic focuses on the fundamental concepts to dealing efficient DPM to match the level of our basic boss guides. If you're deciding on a style, curious about ranged, and or would like to revisit the fundamentals this guide is for you!

This guide will go over abilities, weapons & gear, approaching a boss, and refining mistakes.

Ability Themes

Ranged abilities vary in their themes. Some are strong individually, some comboed and some provide powerful utility values. Currently, they can be interpreted into four different classes with three different damage types.

Classes:

Power: Deal high damage.

Auxiliary: Deal equal or less damage but enhance other abilities.

Utility: provide low or non-damaging utility buffs.

Subpar: as we know of lack any serious use. Generally avoid unless theorycrafted in advance.

Damage Types:

Instant: Deal damage immediately

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: piercing bindingshot snap needle dazing grico

Channelled: Deal channelled damage.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Channels lock the player into using the ability.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Can be cancelled early, losing the later hits of the ability.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: snipe rapid

DoT/bleed: Deal damage that is spread over time.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Usually not boosted by deathsswift

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Are boosted by reckless mahj Vuln

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ Full list here: Damage over Time - https://runescape.wiki/w/Abilities#Damage_over_Time_abilities

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: frag corruptshot deadshot

Basic Abilities

Ranged basics are common-use abilities with 2 purposes:

⬥ Build adrenaline (+8%)

⬥ Deal Damage

Here are some examples:

Power Basics

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: dazing piercing bindingshotflank snipe frag corruptshot grico

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ bindingshotflank denotes bindingshot (flanking)

Auxiliary Basics

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: needle

Utility Basics

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Example: escape bindingshot demoralise

Subpar Basics

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Example: ricochet sacrifice tuskas

Sample Auxiliary Combos

needlesnipe

Utility Examples:

fragdemoralise

escape + dive

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Extends the range of escape and redirects with bd dive

Threshold Abilities

Ranged thresholds are usually stronger than basics, but cost adrenaline to use. These abilities have 2 purposes:

⬥ Sacrifice adrenaline (-15%)

⬥ Deal higher damage

Power Thresholds:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: snap rapid shadowtend tightbindingsflank

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ rapid does snare however is more renowned for its damage.

Utility Thresholds:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: tight

Subpar Thresholds:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: stw

Auxiliary/Utility Examples:

tight : Stuns target for 3.6s.

Ultimate Abilities

Ranged Ultimates deal maximum damage and or elevate other abilities. They typically have 1-3 purposes:

⬥ Sacrifice 100% adrenaline

⬥ Deal devastating damage

⬥ Provide a longstanding buff

Power Ultimates:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: deadshotigneous

Auxiliary Ultimates:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: deathsswift

Utility Ultimates:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: incend

Subpar Ultimates:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Examples: deadshot unload

Death's Swiftness:

deathsswift is Ranged's strongest ultimate ability and is the core of Ranged dps.

⬥ Typically, ranged will cast deathsswift and then execute a series of abilities to maximise damage output during the uptime of deathsswift.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• This is called a deathsswift Death's Swiftness Rotation.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• The Death's Swiftness Rotation will be covered after introducing weapons.

Weapons & Gear:

⬥ In this section, we'll introduce the weapon used for the rest of the guide.

⬥ Ranged weapon(s) have several key descriptors which describe their capabilities.

If you are familiar with this feel free to skip ahead.

Sample Weapon Breakdown:

Upgraded bone blowpipe: upgradedboneblowpipe

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Accuracy: This is assigned from the Main Hand's accuracy value.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ upgradedboneblowpipe has a t90 accuracy value of 2458.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• ^^ Ability Damage^^: Ability attack damage from the respective weapon.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ This is damage dealt with Abilities.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ upgradedboneblowpipe has tier 85 ability damage: ~1224.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Tier: Requirement to wield.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ upgradedboneblowpipe requires level 87 ranged to wield.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Passive(s):

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⬩ upgradedboneblowpipe has a passive that causes poison hit splats to appear twice as often, but do half the damage. In theory and practice, this doesn't do anything - however, because it doesn't cause double procs from cinderbanes it actually becomes a decrease in damage once you unlock those.

Armour & Other Gear

⬥ T90 Sirenic Power Armour sirenicmask sirenicbody sireniclegs

⬥ Tier 70 Armadyl Gloves armagloves

⬥ Tier 80 fleetingboots

⬥ Any necklace/cape slot is okay.

⬥ Wear a Ring of Vigour RoV if you don't have the passive unlocked.

Auras:

reckless +15% ranged, -10% def, +10% damage outside deathsswift

mahj +5% dmg

darkmagic Deal magic damage over time

sharp +10% accuracy

vampaura +5% healing (capped)

Planning a Fight:

We'll use this sample 12-ability action bar.

In this section we'll cover three fundamental steps to tackling bosses for the first time.

Step 1: Identify Key Abilities:

All of these abilities are enhanced by deathsswift except for DoTs frag and corruptshot

Death's Swiftness Enhanced Abilities

⬥ Power Basics 1-3: dazing snipe piercing

⬥ Subpar Basics 4-5: tuskas sacrifice

⬥ Power Thresholds 6-8: snap rapid shadowtend

⬥ Subpar Thresholds 9-10: tight bombard

Step 2: Analyzing the boss:

⬥ We'll use Vindicta and Gorvek Vindicta as our sample boss. Vindicta and Gorvek Vindicta has 2 phases, each with 100k health.

⬥ Higher DPM is one part familiarizing with boss threats and another part executing a strong rotation.

Analysing Vindicta Vindicta

Phase 1:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Vindicta Does a spinning melee special attack ... "I should protect/deflect melee."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Vindicta Does a fire breathing magic special attack ... "I should move away from it."

Phase 2:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Vindicta attacks 3 times. Melee, ranged, melee... "The ranged one hits hard, I should use a defensive or pray ranged.**"

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Vindicta does her fire breathing magic special attack... "I should move away from it."

Rough Plan:

deathsswift rotation the first 100k health.

frag corruptshot and strong Power thresholds for the last 100k health.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• From now on we'll focus on the deathsswift rotation.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• The rest is left as an exercise to the reader.

Step 3: Create & Test the plan:

Now let's try making a rotation. Here's our general deathsswift approach:

⬥ Use Power Abilities as much as possible and fill with Subpar Abilities when necessary.

⬥ Utilise thresholds but also manage adrenaline.

Brainstorm

⬥ We're 100 adren, so let's deathsswift + adrenrenewal

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswift → ...

⬥ We need adrenaline so we use some Power Basics: snipe dazing

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswiftsnipedazing → ...

⬥ We now have enough adrenaline to cast a Threshold Ability: snap

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswiftsnipedazingsnap → ...

⬥ We want more adrenaline so let's use another Power Basics: piercing.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswiftsnipedazingsnappiercing → ...

⬥ Again, we have enough adrenaline for a Threshold Ability: rapid

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswiftsnipedazingsnappiercingrapid → ...

⬥ Now we want to build more adrenaline with Basic Abilities: snipe

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswiftsnipedazingsnappiercingrapidsnipe → ...

⬥ We have enough adrenaline to cast another threshold, We have one Power Thresholds left: shadowtend

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswiftsnipedazingsnappiercingrapidsnipeshadowtend → ...

⬥ Again, we build adrenaline with basics

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswiftsnipedazingsnappiercingrapidsnipeshadowtenddazingpiercing → ...

⬥ We have enough adrenaline to cast another threshold, since our Power Thresholds are on cooldown we will use a Subpar Threshold: tight

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswiftsnipedazingsnappiercingrapidsnipeshadowtenddazingpiercingtight → ...

⬥ Follow it up with more basics to generate adrenaline

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswiftsnipedazingsnappiercingrapidsnipeshadowtenddazingpiercingtightdazingsnipe ...

⬥ Now that we have enough adren for a Threshold again we can use snap

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswiftsnipedazingsnappiercingrapidsnipeshadowtenddazingpiercingtightdazingsnipesnap → ...

⬥ We have room for one more basic ability to inside our deathsswift

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• deathsswiftsnipedazingsnappiercingrapidsnipeshadowtenddazingpiercingtightdazingsnipesnapdazing

Rough Rotation:

deathsswiftsnipedazingsnappiercingrapidsnipeshadowtenddazingpiercingtightdazingsnipesnapdazing

Vod Reviewing

Refining is considerably the most important practice of improving DPM. It exercises many healthy thought processes to rationalize where a boss encounter did not go as planned. Viewing a recording or VoD of your encounter is critical to identifying mistakes.

Below, is a video sample of the rough rotation alongside a list of mistakes. Try identifying the mistakes inside the video as an exercise.

Identifying Mistakes:

The vod

https://youtu.be/-DDbnHqRJYU

The mistakes

⬥ Firstly, we use a Subpar Threshold: tight - as we will see later we can change the rotation to have another Power Threshold.

⬥ Secondly, we use snap before rapid - if we swap them we can use both twice

⬥ Thirdly, we can save ticks from abilities by using something called cancelling.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• What exactly cancelling is, and how it works is described in the next section.

⬥ Lastly, we are wearing the wrong armour in the vod

Refining mistakes

⬥ Let's use rapid as our first threshold, then immediately follow with snap

⬥ We shall omit tight because it's bad

⬥ We will fit in a second rapid

deathsswiftsnipedazingrapid (8-hit) → snapsnipedazingshadowtendpiercingdazingpiercingsniperapid (7-hit) → snap

⬥ Another way to improve our rotation is to unlock mds which will do slightly more damage than dazing

⬥ Also, don't forget to wear ranged armour!

A vod of what our rotation looks like after the fixes have been implemented

https://youtu.be/6l6ULLqTB8Q

Results:

Average Ability Damage, (AAD) = Average ability % of rotation

Rough vs Final AAD: 2448% vs 2628%

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• ~7% DPS increase

Final rotation deals ~7% more damage

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• (2628/2448) - 1 ~ 0.074,

⬥ Total AAD difference between Final and Rough:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• 2628% - 2448% = 180%

⬥ Notice that we have 2 different length rapid - this is called channel cancelling, how this works will be discussed at the end of this channel.

Cancelling Channels

Why Channelled Abilities are Important

⬥ Cancelling channelled abilities saves time.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• Animations are sometimes unsynced with the hit splats.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• It can be higher damage-per-tick and/or more adrenaline friendly to cancel early.

⬥ See the following video on how to cancel all ranged channels:

https://youtu.be/939znioyCMA

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎• A full breakdown of how to cancel every ability can be found by using the command !cancelling ‎in #bot-commands.