OSRS Obsidian Armor vs Dragon Scimitar: Melee Training 60-70

Game screenshots and facts are cited from the Old School RuneScape Wiki (strategy, equipment, drops, and related pages). Writing is original editorial, not a copy of the wiki article.

Between 60 and 70 Attack, Strength, and Defence, every hour in melee gear feels expensive. The dragon scimitar is the old reliable choice, but obsidian armour with a berserker necklace is the setup that experienced mains quietly use to shave whole sessions off the grind.

This guide compares the two setups for mains and restricted accounts, using the Pay-to-play Melee training wiki page as the baseline. We'll cover requirements, XP expectations, AFK vs efficient methods, cost per hour, and when buying gold or a leveling service is an honest shortcut instead of a hidden cost.

Who This Is For and What You Need

The obsidian setup is aimed at mains who have reached 60 Attack and 60 Defence and want to speed through the mid-level melee grind. It is especially strong in the Nightmare Zone, where high-defence bosses and long AFK sessions reward every point of Strength bonus. The dragon scimitar route is for players who either lack the Defence level for full obsidian, do not want to tie up cash in gear, or simply enjoy the classic Monkey Madness reward.

Before buying anything, check the Grand Exchange prices for obsidian armour pieces and the berserker necklace. These prices fluctuate, and the exact total will determine whether the setup is worth it for your bank. The wiki's obsidian armour page and berserker necklace page list current trade values.

Obsidian Armor + Berserker Necklace: The Setup

The full setup is simple: wear the obsidian helmet, platebody, and platelegs, equip the Toktz-xil-ak, and put on a berserker necklace. The armour set has a special effect that boosts the accuracy and damage of obsidian melee weapons, and the berserker necklace adds a further damage multiplier. Together they turn a modest sword into a mid-level powerhouse. The exact percentages have been adjusted over the years, so confirm them on the wiki before calculating your expected XP.

For the remaining slots, prioritise Strength bonus above everything else. The wiki's equipment choice section lists items in order of effectiveness by slot, but common upgrades include a fire cape, barrows gloves, a fighter torso, and dragon boots. If you already own these, slot them in; if not, cheaper alternatives will still let the obsidian bonuses do the heavy lifting.

The Toktz-xil-ak is the recommended weapon because it is one-handed, has a fast attack speed, and benefits from both the armour set effect and the berserker necklace. The obsidian maul (Tzhaar-ket-om) is slower and is not optimal for this training range.

Dragon Scimitar Setup: The Baseline

The dragon scimitar requires 60 Attack and completion of Monkey Madness I. It is a dependable slash weapon with solid strength bonus and accuracy, and it pairs well with any standard melee gear you already own. A typical setup might use a helm of Neitiznot, amulet of strength or glory, fighter torso or dragon platebody, dragon platelegs, climbing boots, and a fire cape if available.

The dragon scimitar does not have any multiplicative set bonuses, so its damage output at 60–70 is noticeably lower than a fully buffed obsidian sword. That lower damage translates directly into fewer kills per hour and slower XP, even if the upfront cost is much cheaper. The question is whether the extra XP from obsidian justifies the extra gear cost—and for many mains, it does.

XP Rates and Cost Per Hour: Why the Setup Wins

At 60–70 melee, every bit of Strength bonus matters because XP is largely driven by your max hit. The obsidian setup multiplies damage, not just adds to it, so the gap widens as your Strength level climbs. The wiki's general training notes specifically recommend keeping Attack and Defence at 60 while pushing Strength to 99 when using the obsidian armour, berserker necklace, and Toktz-xil-ak in the Nightmare Zone.

Exact XP rates are not fixed. The wiki's Sulphur Nagua section gives 75k XP/hour at 60 Strength and up to 130k XP/hour at 75 Strength with a full Blood Moon set and Piety. For Nightmare Zone with the obsidian setup, the rate depends on your boss selection, overload usage, and current stats—check the Nightmare Zone strategy section on the main training page for current estimates.

Mains vs Limited Accounts

Full obsidian armour requires 60 Defence, so pure and zerker accounts cannot use it. They can still wear an obsidian weapon with a berserker necklace, but without the full set the damage multiplier is smaller. For those accounts, a dragon scimitar may be comparable in DPS and far cheaper, especially if they already completed Monkey Madness I for other rewards. Always compare the actual weapon stats and bonus multipliers on the wiki before making a final decision.

AFK vs Efficient Training at 60–70 Melee

The obsidian setup shines in AFK scenarios, while efficient players can push even higher rates with more active methods. Here is how the main 60–70 options break down according to the wiki's fastest experience section:

• Nightmare Zone (AFK): Custom rumble with absorption potions allows 20-minute AFK. Obsidian + berserker necklace is the recommended gear for mains here. Low attention, consistent XP.
• Sulphur Naguas (Efficient): Requires partial completion of Perilous Moons and 48 Slayer. Glacial temotli or dual macuahuitl with Piety and Moonlight potions can reach 75k XP/hour at 60 Strength, 130k at 75 Strength with full Blood Moon. More clicking, but the highest low-level rates.
• Scurrius (Mid-effort boss): A boss designed for mid-level players, offering decent XP and unique drops. Good if you want variety, but not the fastest.
• Gemstone Crab (Very AFK): Infinite HP, 87.5% XP per hit, no food required, but slightly lower XP/hour than alternatives. Great for zero-attention sessions.

If you buy the obsidian setup, Nightmare Zone is the natural home for it. If you prefer a more active but even faster route, Sulphur Naguas may outperform it at 60–70, but the obsidian gear is still useful there if you lack Blood Moon or dual macuahuitl.

Common Mistakes That Inflate Your Cost or Cut XP

• Buying the obsidian armour but skipping the berserker necklace—the necklace is a huge part of the bonus.
• Wearing full obsidian with a non-obsidian weapon; the set effect only activates with an obsidian melee weapon.
• Training Attack or Defence past 60 while using the obsidian setup before 99 Strength. The wiki explicitly says to leave Attack and Defence at 60 for optimal XP in Nightmare Zone.
• Using the dragon scimitar without any Strength-boosting gear; cheap upgrades like a berserker helm and climbing boots add up.
• Not reselling the obsidian set after the grind; treat it as a rental, not a permanent purchase.
• Overpaying for supplies at NMZ when absorption potions and low-cost overloads are enough for AFK; you don't need expensive prayer potions if you use absorb method.

Time, Gold, and Services: The Honest Tradeoff

The obsidian setup saves time, but time has a real cost. If the gear costs several million GP and saves you 5–10 hours to 70 melee, ask yourself what those hours are worth to you. Players who enjoy the grind should buy the gear and train. Players who would rather spend that time working or playing other content have two honest shortcuts: buying gold to fund the gear, or paying for a leveling service outright.

Buying gold for the obsidian set is straightforward—check the live market rate, buy the gear from the Grand Exchange, and resell it later if you want. A leveling service can take the grind entirely off your hands, but it requires trusting someone with your account or buying a fresh account. Both are valid time-for-money trades, and the decision should come down to how much you value an hour of your time.

Step-by-Step Plan from 60 to 70

1. Complete the early melee XP quests if you haven't already—Waterfall Quest, Fight Arena, Tree Gnome Village, The Grand Tree, and Vampyre Slayer can skip the slow early levels. The wiki lists exact totals.
2. Decide your account type: main with 60 Defence? Go obsidian. Limited defence? Compare obsidian sword + berserker necklace vs dragon scimitar on the wiki.
3. Buy the chosen setup from the Grand Exchange, checking live prices. If you're on a budget, consider buying only the berserker necklace first and using obsidian platelegs with cheaper chest/helm.
4. Pick a training location: Nightmare Zone for AFK, Sulphur Naguas for efficient XP (needs 48 Slayer and Perilous Moons progress), Scurrius for mid-effort bossing, or Slayer for variety.
5. At Nightmare Zone, keep Attack and Defence at 60, train Strength, use absorption potions, and keep overloads if pushing XP. Track your XP/hour with a plugin.
6. Compare your actual XP/hour against the wiki expectations. If you're below, check your Strength bonus and attack style.
7. Resell the obsidian gear after reaching your goal to lower net cost.

Sources

• Pay-to-play Melee training on the OSRS Wiki
• Obsidian armour on the OSRS Wiki
• Berserker ring (i) on the OSRS Wiki