Fletching is one of the many skills that make up the core gameplay of Runescape 3. It can be trained in both F2P and P2P, although P2P methods are always advised. As such this RS3 Fletching Training Guide will focus on pay-to-play methods and predominantly focus on the fastest methods used to reach level 99 or 120. However, we will also include some alternatives fletching training methods for those who prefer AFK training or cheaper options.
Fastest Fletching Training Methods
Below is the fastest and most optimal methods to use to reach level 99 fletching and beyond in Runescape 3. If players want to minimised the amount of time spent training this skill then they should definitely opt for this route. Although, it is worth noting, fletching is a buyable skill so this route can be expensive.
Headless Arrows: Levels 1-11
Headless Arrows is the fastest way to start your fletching training in Runescape 3. To reach level 11, players will need to fletch 1,365 headless arrows for a total of 1,358 experience. This is super fast to do, with experience rates at around 50,000 fletching exp per hour, while also being relatively inexpensive to do.
Making Darts: Levels 11-99+
Darts can be made as early as level 11, providing the player has completed the Tourist Trap quest, which is a requirement to make any type of dart in Runescape. Fletching Darts provides the fastest fletching experience per hour in the game, as darts can be made twice as fast as bolts and arrows. Players can gain up to a base experience of 1.5 million fletching xp per hour. Making this one of the fastest 99s in RS3.
However, it comes at a cost, as darts as generally significantly more expensive to make. You can expect losses of around 250-300m while fletching rune darts from level 81-99 or around 600m if you switch to dragon darts at level 95. Always be sure to check current Grand Exchange prices if you are concerned about the potential expenses.
Alternative Fletching Training Methods
As we’ve already mentioned, fletching is a buyable skill for the most part and using training methods like fletching darts can be very expensive in the long-run. So, we’ve prepared a list of viable alternatives, some that are significantly cheaper and some that are great for AFK.
Tipping Arrows: Level 1-99+
From level 1 players have the ability to add arrowheads to arrows shafts to make complete arrows. This is largely seen as the second fastest way to train fletching, behind fletching darts. But, it is also significantly more affordable to train than fletching darts.
Fletching Broad Arrows is commonly used as a training method from level 52 to 99 fletching and beyond. Although, players will also need to have bought the ability to fletch broad arrows from a slayer master for 300 slayer points, after the smoking kills quest. Players can expect experience rates of around 740k/hour with fletching broad arrows and at a cost of only around 120-140m gold, significantly less than rune/dragon darts and only slightly slower.
Protean Logs: Levels 1-99+
Protean Logs are a type of untradeable skilling item that are given as a reward from Treasure Hunter. They can be used as early as level 1 fletching and provide experience that scales with your current fletching level. At level 99 it is possible to get 300,000 fletching experience per hour, while at level 1 players will receive around 13,500/hour. This is just the base experience, the actual exp can be scaled beyond this with relevant bonuses and perks.
Protean Logs can also be used for firemaking training in RS3 or the experience can be shared between both skills evenly. You can see below the experience rates at each bracket for both only fletching and fletching with firemaking.
Cutting Bows: Level 25-99+
At Level 25 players can begin cutting logs into Oak Shieldbows for more affordable and AFK fletching experience. Players can use this training method and have only minor amounts of gp loss, as the fletched bows will always hold a price relative to their high alch price. Players can fletch up to 28 shieldbows per inventory, giving plenty of time to AFK, with little attention required.
It is possible to get experience rates as high as 240k fletching per hour with the Elder Shieldbow. However, fletching elder logs is associated with a high cost, similar to the amount experienced when fletching rune and dragon darts. For this reason this training method is unviable and players should stick with magic shieldbow’s beyond level 85 if cutting bows. Magic shieldbow’s provide up to 190k fletching experience per hour.
Stringing Bows: Level 25-99+
Stringing bows is another option that is also available at level 25 in Runescape. It is just as affordable but slightly less AFK than cutting bows, since this method requires a bowstring and cut bow, only 14 actions can be done per inventory. Which requires players to bank twice as much.
However, the method itself is also more fletching experience per hour with the same tiers of bow. Players can expect to start out on around 80k/hour with Oak Shieldbow’s, scaling up to 300k/hour with Magic Shieldbow’s. Again, it is recommended to avoid stringing Elder Shieldbow’s due to their unviable costs.
Dream of Laia: Level 75+
If players have completed the Sins of the Father miniquest and the Extinction quest they can train fletching with Dream of Laia. This method results in around 380,000 fletching experience per hour. However, over long periods of time this becomes bottlenecked due to the limited amount of base camp resources. Even so, it is still possible to maintain a minimum of around 260k exp/hour.
Significant Fletching Equipment
| Item | Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Portable Fletcher | None | Provides the following boosts to fletching: – 10% experience boost. – 10% chance to save headless arrows and arrowheads when fletching arrows. – 10% chance to save feathers and unfinished bolts when making bolts. – 10% chance to save logs when fletching crossbows and bows up to and including magic logs. Applies to fletching protean logs, but not burning them. |
| Torstol Incense Sticks | 75 Firemaking | Up to +2% experience boost to fletching depending on potency level of the incense sticks. They have a base timer of 10 minutes, and each additional incense adds 10 minutes to the timer up to a maximum of 60 minutes. |
| Wergali Incease Sticks | 41 Firemaking | Up to +2% increased chance to produce a strung bow when fletching logs into unstrung bows. They have a base timer of 10 minutes, and each additional incense adds 10 minutes to the timer up to a maximum of 60 minutes. |
| Fletching Potion | None | Temporary +3 visible fletching boost. Can be useful to fletch items above the players base level. |
| Fletcher’s Outfit | 500 Stealing Creation Points | 6% bonus experience to fletching while the full set is worn or +1% boost for every piece of the set that is worn. |
| Inspire Genius | 118 Archaeology | 2% increase in fletching experience when activated at the Mysterious Monolith. |
| Fletching Cape or Fletching Master Cape | 99 or 120 Fletching | Skill Cape perk gives additional chance to make extra bolts, darts and arrows while fletching. |
| Sacred Clay and Volatile Fletching Knives | 20 Stealing Creation Points | Provides 24,450 bonus experience in Fletching. |