How to Level Up Slayer in OSRS

Slayer is one of the most iconic and rewarding skills in Old School RuneScape (OSRS). Unlike combat skills that let you choose any monster to fight, Slayer tasks you with hunting specific creatures assigned by Slayer Masters, making it a dynamic blend of combat, exploration, and strategy. Whether you're a new player starting your Slayer journey or a veteran aiming for the prestigious Level 99 cape, this guide breaks down everything you need to know to level efficiently and enjoyably.

Mastering Slayer isn't just about grinding XP-it's about understanding task optimization, using the right equipment, and leveraging rewards to speed up your progress. This guide covers the essentials: starting out, choosing the best Slayer Masters, optimizing tasks, and advanced tips to get to Level 99 as smoothly as possible. At the same time, you will also receive more OSRS gold and other rewards.

1. Getting Started: Prerequisites and Initial Setup

Before diving into Slayer, there are a few prerequisites and setup steps to ensure a strong start. Slayer is combat-focused, so having a decent combat level will make your tasks much easier and faster. While you can start Slayer at Level 1, waiting until you have 70+ combat stats (Attack, Strength, Defense, Ranged, or Magic) is recommended for a smoother experience.

Begin by completing two quick miniquests to jumpstart your Slayer XP. The Varrock Museum Miniquest asks simple questions about Gielinor's creatures and rewards 1000 Slayer XP-enough to boost you from Level 1 to 9 instantly. Next, finish "A Porcine of Interest" to earn another 1000 Slayer XP and a basic introduction to how Slayer works.

Completing key quests early is also beneficial. The Dwarf Cannon quest unlocks the Dwarf Multicannon, a game-changer for speeding up Slayer tasks by dealing extra damage to monsters. For advanced tasks later on, finish "Desert Treasure I" to unlock Ancient Magicks, which is essential for multi-combat Slayer tasks.

2. Choosing the Right Slayer Master

Slayer Masters assign tasks based on your combat level and Slayer level, and each offers different rewards and task types. To level efficiently, always use the highest-tier Slayer Master you can access-higher-level masters assign more XP-dense monsters and grant more Slayer Points per task.

Here's a breakdown of the core Slayer Masters and when to use them:

Turael (Burthorpe): No combat requirements-perfect for absolute beginners. Assigns low-level monsters like chickens and rats, but grants 0 Slayer Points. Only use this if you're below Level 40 combat or need to reset a bad task streak.

Vannaka (Edgeville): Requires 40 combat. Assigns mid-tier monsters like Hill Giants and Bears, granting 8 Slayer Points per task. Ideal for players between Level 40-70 combat.

Chaeldar (Zanaris): Requires 70 combat and completion of the "Lost City" quest. Assigns higher-level monsters like Black Demons and Steel Dragons, granting 10 Slayer Points per task. Use this from Level 70-85 combat.

Nieve/Steve (Tree Gnome Stronghold): Requires 85 combat. Offers diverse, high-XP tasks (e.g., Basilisk Knights, Abyssal Demons) and 12 Slayer Points per task (15 with the Elite Western Provinces Diary). Great for Level 85-100 combat.

Duradel (Shilo Village): Requires 100 combat and 50 Slayer, plus completion of the "Shilo Village" quest. The best Slayer Master for endgame, assigning top-tier monsters like Hydras and Grotesque Guardians, and granting 15 Slayer Points per task. Use this once you hit 100 combat for maximum XP gains.

3. Task Optimization: Maximize XP and Efficiency

Slayer XP is earned by killing assigned monsters, so optimizing your tasks is key to levelling fast. The goal is to minimize time per task while maximizing XP per kill-and Slayer Points play a big role in this.

First, understand Slayer Points: you earn points for every task completed (after the first 5 tasks with Turael), and bonus points for milestone tasks (10th, 50th, 100th, 250th, 1000th). These points can be spent on rewards that boost efficiency, like task blocking, "Superior Slayer Creatures" unlocks, and equipment upgrades.

Block or skip low-XP tasks. Use Slayer Points to block tasks that are slow (e.g., Bats, Spiders) or require too much travel. You can block up to 5 tasks at a time, so prioritize blocking the ones that waste the most time. If you get a bad task you haven't blocked, use Turael to reset it (but this breaks your task streak, so use it sparingly).

Use the Dwarf Multicannon whenever possible. The cannon deals area damage, speeding up tasks with multiple monsters (e.g., Dust Devils, Nechryael). To reload it faster, use cannonballs directly on the cannon instead of clicking the cannon itself-this saves time and keeps you in combat.

Leverage combat styles. Match your combat style to the monster's weaknesses: use Ranged on flying monsters (e.g., Dragons), Magic on undead monsters (e.g., Skeleton Wyverns), and Melee on slow, high-defense monsters (e.g., Golems). This reduces kill time and increases XP per hour.

4. Level Breakdown: From 1 to 99

Slayer levelling can be split into three phases: Early (1-40), Mid (40-70), and Late (70-99). Each phase has different goals and optimal tasks.

Early Phase (1-40 Slayer)

Start with Turael to get to Level 9, then switch to Vannaka once you hit 40 combat. Focus on easy tasks like Hill Giants, Goblins, and Bears-these are fast to kill and require minimal equipment.

Use basic gear: Iron or Steel armor, a Sword or Scimitar, and a Shield. Prioritize upgrading your combat stats (Attack and Strength first) to speed up kills. By Level 40 Slayer, you'll have a solid foundation and enough Slayer Points to start blocking bad tasks.

Mid Phase (40-70 Slayer)

Stick with Vannaka until you hit 70 combat, then switch to Chaeldar. Tasks here include Black Demons, Steel Dragons, and Hellhounds-these grant more XP per kill and better drops (e.g., Dragon Bones, Rune Items).

Upgrade your gear to Mithril or Adamant, and start using Ranged or Magic for tasks like Dragons (which are weak to Ranged). Complete the Dwarf Cannon quest if you haven't already-this will drastically speed up tasks like Dust Devils.

Spend Slayer Points on "Block Task" unlocks and the "Superior Slayer Creatures" unlock (costs 100 Points). Superior monsters are rare variants of assigned creatures that grant extra XP and unique drops.

Late Phase (70-99 Slayer)

This is where the real grind begins-but it's also the most rewarding. Switch to Nieve/Steve at 85 combat, then Duradel at 100 combat. Tasks here include Abyssal Demons, Basilisk Knights, Hydras, and Grotesque Guardians-these are the highest-XP Slayer tasks in the game.

Invest in endgame gear: Rune or Dragon armor, a Dragon Scimitar or Abyssal Whip (Melee), a Rune Crossbow (Ranged), and Ancient Magicks (Magic). Use potions (Strength, Attack, Ranged, Magic) to boost damage and kill speed.

Use Goading Potions for non-aggressive tasks (e.g., Bloodvelds)-these make monsters aggressive for 6 minutes per dose, reducing time spent luring them. Prayer Regeneration Potions also help by letting you sustain protection prayers longer, making tasks more AFK-friendly.

Focus on maintaining a task streak to earn bonus Slayer Points. By Level 90+, you'll be earning thousands of XP per task, and by Level 99, you'll have mastered one of OSRS's most beloved skills.

5. Advanced Tips for Faster Levelling

For players looking to speed up their Slayer grind even more, here are some advanced tips:

Duo Slayer: Partner up with a friend for faster task completion. Coordinated duos can split kills and take down high-HP monsters (e.g., Hydras) much quicker than solo players, boosting XP per hour.

Bursting/Barraging: Use Magic spells like Ice Burst or Ice Barrage on multi-combat tasks (e.g., Nechryael, Dust Devils). These spells hit multiple monsters at once, drastically increasing kill speed and XP gains.

Ornament Kits: Use ornament kits on your gear to make it untradeable. If you die, you won't have to pay a fee to retrieve untradeable items, saving cheap RuneScape gold that can be spent on potions or gear upgrades.

Task Weighting: Some Slayer Masters let you weight tasks to get more of the ones you want (e.g., more Abyssal Demons, fewer Bats). Spend Slayer Points on task weighting to optimize your grind further.

Final Thoughts

Slayer is a skill that rewards patience and strategy. While the grind to Level 99 can be long, it's never boring-each task brings a new challenge, and the rewards (unique drops, Slayer Points, and the Level 99 cape) are well worth the effort.

Remember to take breaks, experiment with different combat styles, and enjoy the journey. Whether you're in it for the XP, the drops, or the prestige, this guide will help you master Slayer in OSRS. Good luck, and happy hunting!