Snakeskin Armour In OSRS: Your Essential Early-Game Ranged Gear
What is Snakeskin Armour?
Snakeskin Armour is a type of ranged armour specifically designed for players who prefer to keep their distance in combat. It's an exclusive benefit for OSRS members, meaning free-to-play accounts won't be able to equip or craft it. To wear any piece of Snakeskin Armour, you'll need to meet specific stat requirements: **30 Ranged and 30 Defence**. This makes it an ideal upgrade once you've surpassed basic leather armour and are looking for something more robust. The full set of Snakeskin Armour consists of several pieces, each occupying a different equipment slot: * **Snakeskin Bandana:** Worn in the headwear slot. * **Snakeskin Body:** Worn in the torso slot. * **Snakeskin Chaps:** Worn in the legwear slot. * **Snakeskin Vambraces:** Worn in the hands slot. * **Snakeskin Boots:** Worn in the feet slot. * **Snakeskin Shield:** A leather shield worn in the shield slot. Compared to other early-game ranged armours, Snakeskin offers a significant step up. It's notably stronger than frog-leather armour, providing better defensive bonuses. While it's eventually surpassed by spined armour and various dragonhide sets, Snakeskin Armour holds its own, especially for its tier. Interestingly, the Snakeskin Body boasts better melee defences than both Green Dragonhide and Blue Dragonhide bodies, making it a surprisingly versatile piece for certain situations.Crafting Your Own Snakeskin Armour
One of the most appealing aspects of Snakeskin Armour, especially for Ironman accounts or players who enjoy skilling, is that it can be entirely player-made through the **Crafting skill**. This provides a rewarding progression path and a reliable way to obtain your gear.Obtaining Snakeskins
The primary ingredient for Snakeskin Armour is, as the name suggests, snakeskin! These valuable resources can be acquired in a few ways: * **Killing Snakes:** The most straightforward method. You can find snakes in various locations, including within the Tai Bwo Wannai Cleanup minigame, during Temple Trekking, or by hunting snakes at Mos Le'Harmless. * **Snake Hides/Swamp Snake Hides:** These are the raw drops from the snakes you kill.Tanning the Hides
Once you have a collection of snake hides, they need to be tanned before they can be used for crafting. This process involves taking your hides to a tanner. Tanners are NPCs found in several convenient locations across Gielinor, including: * Al-Kharid * Canifis * The Ranging Guild * The Crafting Guild * Forthos Dungeon Simply give your snake hide (or swamp snake hide) to a tanner along with a small fee of coins. The cost varies slightly depending on the hide type and the tanner: 15 coins for a regular snake hide and 20 coins for a swamp snake hide.Crafting the Pieces
With your tanned snakeskins in hand, you're ready to start crafting! You'll need a needle and thread, and a Crafting level of 53 to make the full set (excluding the shield). A complete set of Snakeskin Armour (bandana, body, chaps, vambraces, and boots) requires a total of **46 tanned snakeskins**. If you include the Snakeskin Shield, that number goes up to **48 skins**. Here's a breakdown of the Crafting requirements and materials for each piece: * **Snakeskin Boots:** * Crafting Level: 45 * Snakeskins: 6 * Experience: 30 XP * **Snakeskin Vambraces:** * Crafting Level: 47 * Snakeskins: 8 * Experience: 35 XP * **Snakeskin Chaps:** * Crafting Level: 51 * Snakeskins: 12 * Experience: 50 XP * **Snakeskin Body:** * Crafting Level: 53 * Snakeskins: 15 * Experience: 55 XP * **Snakeskin Bandana:** * Requires 30 Ranged and 30 Defence. While the exact Crafting level for this specific piece isn't always listed separately in general data, it's part of the overall set craftable at level 53. It's a very cost-effective way to get a ranged bonus from your head slot, especially compared to more expensive ranging helms. * **Snakeskin Shield:** * Requires 30 Ranged and 30 Defence. This is a player-made leather shield that complements the set.Why Choose Snakeskin Armour?
Snakeskin Armour offers several compelling advantages for OSRS players, making it a popular choice for its tier.Balanced Protection
One of its key benefits is providing better defence compared to standard leather armour. For players looking for a balance between weight and protection, Snakeskin Armour hits a sweet spot. It offers solid defensive bonuses without being overly heavy, which is important for maintaining run energy and combat effectiveness.Early-to-Mid Game Viability
With its relatively low requirements of 30 Ranged and 30 Defence, Snakeskin Armour becomes accessible quite early in a player's journey. From level 30 onwards, it's an excellent upgrade that will serve you well through many training activities and quests before you transition to higher-tier gear like green or blue dragonhide.Cost-Effectiveness
Whether you craft it yourself or buy it from the Grand Exchange, Snakeskin Armour is generally quite affordable. The Snakeskin Bandana, in particular, is highlighted as providing the best balance between cost and effectiveness for a member seeking a ranged bonus from headwear. It's significantly cheaper than more powerful ranging helms, making it an ideal choice for budget-conscious players.Enhanced Melee Defence
As mentioned earlier, the Snakeskin Body actually offers better melee defence bonuses than both the Green Dragonhide Body and Blue Dragonhide Body. While primarily a ranged armour, this slight boost in melee defence can be beneficial in situations where you might take incidental melee damage while ranging.Progression and Stepping Stone
Snakeskin Armour acts as a crucial stepping stone in the ranged gear progression. It's a clear upgrade from basic leather and frog-leather sets, preparing you for the challenges that require more robust protection before you move on to spined armour or the various dragonhide sets. When equipping your Snakeskin Armour, consider pairing it with a maple shortbow and the best arrows you can afford for optimal ranged damage. For your neck slot, an Amulet of Glory is a solid choice, while an Amulet of Fury can be a worthwhile investment if your budget allows, offering even better ranged bonuses.Storing Your Snakeskin Armour
For those who enjoy maintaining a tidy player-owned house (POH), the full set of Snakeskin Armour (excluding the shield) can be conveniently stored in an armour case within your costume room. This helps save bank space and keeps your gear organized.Final Thoughts
Snakeskin Armour is an unsung hero for many Old School RuneScape players, particularly those focusing on Ranged combat in the early to mid-game. Its accessible requirements, the ability to craft it yourself, and its balanced defensive stats make it an incredibly practical and cost-effective gear set. Whether you're an Ironman meticulously gathering resources or a regular player looking for a reliable upgrade, Snakeskin Armour provides a solid foundation for your ranged adventures in Gielinor. Don't overlook this versatile set; it might just be the perfect fit for your next ranged training session or bossing encounter.
Snakeskin armour - OSRS Wiki
File:Snakeskin armour equipped.png - OSRS Wiki
Tai Bwo Wannai Clean Up - RuneScape Guide - RuneHQ
