Snakeskin Armor OSRS: Your Essential Guide To Mid-Level Ranged Gear
In the vast and adventurous world of Old School RuneScape (OSRS), choosing the right gear is crucial for success, especially when it comes to combat. For aspiring rangers, navigating the myriad of armor options can be a bit overwhelming. However, one particular set stands out as a reliable and cost-effective choice for players transitioning from beginner gear to more advanced setups: Snakeskin Armor.
Often overlooked in favor of higher-tier equipment, Snakeskin armor holds a unique and valuable position in the OSRS meta, particularly for low to mid-level players. It strikes an excellent balance between defensive capabilities, weight, and accessibility, making it a go-to option for many. But what exactly is Snakeskin armor, why should you consider it, and how do you get your hands on a full set?
What is Snakeskin Armor in OSRS?
Snakeskin armor is a set of ranged armor specifically designed for members in Old School RuneScape. It’s a popular choice because it offers a significant upgrade over basic leather armor without requiring exorbitant costs or extremely high levels. To equip any piece of Snakeskin armor, players must meet a relatively modest requirement: 30 Ranged and 30 Defence. This makes it accessible quite early in a player's journey, providing a solid foundation for ranged combat training or various PVM (Player vs. Monster) activities.
Positioned in the gear progression, Snakeskin armor is a step up from simpler options like frog-leather armor, offering superior defensive bonuses. While it's not the strongest ranged armor available, falling short of spined armor, its benefits at its level make it highly competitive. It provides a noticeable boost in protection compared to standard leather, allowing players to take on tougher challenges with more confidence.
Why Choose Snakeskin Armor?
The appeal of Snakeskin armor lies in its efficiency and practicality. Here are a few compelling reasons why it's a smart choice for many OSRS adventurers:
- Balanced Protection: It offers a good balance between weight and protection. While heavier armor might offer more defence, it can hinder mobility. Snakeskin armor provides decent defensive stats without being overly cumbersome, which is vital for ranged combat where positioning is key.
- Early Accessibility: With its 30 Ranged and 30 Defence requirements, players can wear a full set relatively early in their accounts, making it an excellent upgrade from basic gear.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Whether you craft it yourself or buy it from the Grand Exchange, Snakeskin armor is generally affordable, especially when compared to higher-tier ranged sets. This makes it ideal for players on a budget or those looking for a temporary upgrade.
- Crafting Experience: For those who enjoy skilling, crafting Snakeskin armor provides valuable Crafting experience, allowing players to train a useful skill while producing their own gear.
- Viable for Low/Mid-Level Content: Many low to mid-level rangers find Snakeskin armor perfectly adequate for a wide range of activities, from slayer tasks to early bossing and questing.
How to Get Your Snakeskin Armor
There are two primary ways to obtain Snakeskin armor in OSRS: crafting it yourself or purchasing it from other players or shopkeepers.
Crafting Your Own Snakeskin Armor
Crafting Snakeskin armor is a popular method, as it allows players to gain valuable Crafting experience while producing their own gear. The process involves a few steps:
- Obtain Snake Hides: The raw material for Snakeskin armor is snake hide. These can be obtained as drops from various types of snakes found throughout Gielinor. Additionally, snake hides can sometimes be acquired during a Temple Trekking event, offering another avenue for collection.
- Tan the Hides: Once you have snake hides, you'll need to get them tanned into "snakeskin." This is done by taking your snake hides to a tanner. Tanners can be found in several locations, including Al-Kharid, Canifis, and the Ranging Guild.
- For a regular snake hide, a tanner will charge 15 coins to convert it into snakeskin.
- If you have a swamp snake hide, the cost is slightly higher at 20 coins.
- Craft the Armor Pieces: With your tanned snakeskins in hand, you can now use the Crafting skill to create individual armor pieces. You'll also need a needle and thread (though thread is consumed much slower than snakeskins). The specific Crafting level required varies per piece, but overall, snake hide is used to make Snakeskin armor with a Crafting level of 45. To make a full set, it takes a total of 46 snakeskins, or 48 if you include the snakeskin bandana and shield.
Buying It
If crafting isn't your preference, or you simply want to get geared up quickly, Snakeskin armor can also be bought. Individual pieces, or even full sets, are readily available on the Grand Exchange, where players trade items with each other. Alternatively, some pieces might be available from an Armour shopkeeper, though the Grand Exchange usually offers more competitive prices and a wider selection.
Individual Pieces of Snakeskin Armor
A full set of Snakeskin armor typically consists of several distinct pieces, each requiring the same 30 Ranged and 30 Defence to wear:
- Snakeskin Body: Worn in the torso slot, the snakeskin body is a core piece of the set. Players can create a snakeskin body through the Crafting skill at level 53 from tanned snakeskins.
- Snakeskin Chaps: These are worn in the legwear slot and are very popular amongst low/mid-level rangers due to their balance of protection and weight.
- Snakeskin Vambraces: These are player-made Ranged armor for the hand slot. Players can craft these from snakeskin using the Crafting skill at level 47 or higher.
- Snakeskin Bandana: This headgear piece requires 30 Ranged and 30 Defence. Members can create the snakeskin bandana through the Crafting skill at level 48 from 5 snakeskins.
- Snakeskin Shield: A unique addition to the set, the snakeskin shield is a leather shield that can now be crafted if the player has the correct materials. It also requires at least level 30 Ranged and Defence to be worn.
Snakeskin Armor in the Grand Scheme
Snakeskin armor is a fantastic stepping stone. It provides better defense compared to standard leather armor, making it a viable option for players seeking a balance between weight and protection. For players just starting out with ranged combat or those looking for an affordable upgrade before investing in more expensive gear like Karil's leather or Armadyl armor, Snakeskin is the perfect fit. Its low requirements and ease of acquisition make it a staple for many accounts, helping players progress through various content until they're ready for the next tier.
Conclusion
Snakeskin armor in OSRS is more than just a basic ranged set; it's a highly efficient and accessible option for members at the low to mid-levels. Requiring 30 Ranged and 30 Defence, it provides a valuable upgrade over standard leather, offering a good balance of defence and mobility. Whether you choose to craft it from snake hides and tanned snakeskins, gaining valuable Crafting experience along the way, or simply purchase it from the Grand Exchange, Snakeskin armor remains a popular and practical choice for many adventurers in Gielinor.
Summary: Snakeskin armor is a member-only ranged armor set in OSRS, requiring 30 Ranged and 30 Defence. It offers better defence than standard leather and is an excellent mid-tier option before spined armor. Players can craft it from tanned snakeskins (made from snake hides and coins by a tanner) or buy it. A full set takes about 46-48 snakeskins to craft, with specific pieces like the body (Crafting 53), vambraces (Crafting 47), and bandana (Crafting 48) having their own requirements. It's highly popular among low/mid-level rangers for its balance of protection, weight, and accessibility.
Snakeskin armour - OSRS Wiki
Tai Bwo Wannai Clean Up - RuneScape Guide - RuneHQ
File:Snakeskin armour equipped.png - OSRS Wiki
