Fletching training
OSRS Fletching 1–99 Guide
Fletching can fit around another skill or be a short, expensive push to a goal. Choose between easy bow inventories, darts during spare moments, and the moving route at Vale Totems before buying your materials.
Updated
Choose between speed, cost and longer batches
Fletching can be a quiet bank skill or an extremely active one. Unstrung bows give longer make-all batches; darts trade that downtime for speed and usually a higher cost. Count individual feathers, shafts and tips when buying supplies: one action can make several items.
Starting out
Headless arrows reach 5 without chopping anything: use feathers on arrow shafts. Each action makes 15, so the action count is not the number of individual feathers to buy.
Animal Magnetism gives 1,000 Fletching XP and useful Ranged equipment. Other quest rewards can shorten the opening, but their requirements may be a bigger detour than this short skill grind. Select only rewards you still intend to earn.
Fastest Fletching training
Darts turn frequent clicks and a large supply budget into very fast XP. They can also fit into travel time while training something else.
Levels 1–5: Headless arrows
A quick opening that needs two stackable supplies and no travel.
Getting there
Buy feathers and arrow shafts, or use shafts you already cut. Any bank is suitable.
Bring and unlock
Feathers and arrow shafts. Keep at least 15 of each for a full action.
- Use the two stacks together and make sets of headless arrows. Each set consumes 15 shafts and 15 feathers.
- Keep the result if you intend to add arrowheads later, or sell it and move into bows.
Buy arrow shafts for this method, or cut your own logs into shafts first. Cutting them takes extra time and gives its own Fletching XP.
3,000 sets/hr is the continuous two-tick reference, or 45k XP/hr. Allow a lower pace for pauses.
Attach feathers to arrow shafts until 5, then start cutting shortbows. If you want to make darts, keep making headless arrows until 10 instead.
Levels 10–99: Darts while moving or at a bank
Darts fit gaps in other activities because making them does not stop your movement. They can be very fast, but the cost and clicking load rise quickly with the material.
Getting there
Stay at a bank while learning the clicks. Once comfortable, take the two stacks on low-risk activities with spare inventory space, such as ordinary Agility laps.
Bring and unlock
Matching dart tips and feathers. The Tourist Trap is needed to smith tips, not to attach feathers. In the game settings, choose two-click dart fletching if you want to bypass Make-X.
Bring equal quantitiesUse the tips and feathers together. A set makes ten darts, consuming ten of each supply.
Darts are the finished outputMaking the metal tips is Smithing. Attaching feathers is the part that gives Fletching XP.
- Use feathers on dart tips to make ten darts. Repeat the two-item action at a rhythm you can sustain.
- Measure completed sets over several minutes, including the other activity’s interruptions. Enter sets of ten per minute in the planner.
- Start with a small stack before committing cash. Never take a valuable dart-tip stack into the Wilderness just to fill downtime.
Levels 10–22: Bronze darts
1.8 XP per dart. Compare the extra cost with the previous tip before buying this stage.
Levels 22–37: Iron darts
3.8 XP per dart. Compare the extra cost with the previous tip before buying this stage.
Levels 37–52: Steel darts
7.5 XP per dart. Compare the extra cost with the previous tip before buying this stage.
Levels 52–67: Mithril darts
11.2 XP per dart. Compare the extra cost with the previous tip before buying this stage.
Levels 67–90: Adamant darts
15 XP per dart. Compare the extra cost with the previous tip before buying this stage.
Levels 90–95: Amethyst darts
21 XP per dart. Compare the extra cost with the previous tip before buying this stage.
Levels 95–99: Dragon darts
25 XP per dart. Compare the extra cost with the previous tip before buying this stage.
Use Make-X when you want automatic batches. Repeated manual clicks are faster, but require more attention throughout the session.
Compare XP rates for these methods
Each completed set makes ten darts. Manual fletching can be very fast; automatic batches are slower. Time a few minutes of your chosen method before buying supplies for a long session.
Start with bronze darts at 10 and work through the tiers below as your level and budget allow. Higher darts can consume a large cash stack quickly; there is no need to buy dragon tips at 95 if a cheaper tier suits your goal.
The Tourist Trap is needed to smith dart tips yourself. Attaching feathers to bought tips does not require it. Dart rates describe accepted sets per hour, so faster clicking only helps while the game accepts the actions.
Low-attention Fletching training
Cutting logs into bows gives longer make-all batches than stringing bows or making darts.
Levels 5–99: Cutting bows from logs
Bow cutting is the comfortable bank route. A normal knife leaves about 49 seconds between banks; the Fletching knife finishes the same inventory faster, so choose the pace that suits your session.
Getting there
Any bank works. Keep your logs together in a bank tab and use deposit locks to retain the knife.
Bring and unlock
A knife and 27 logs. The Fletching knife comes from Vale Totems rewards; it changes cutting from three ticks to two without changing XP per bow.
- Use the knife on a log and choose the bow. Make the full inventory and bank the unstrung bows.
- Move to the next wood when its net cost makes sense. Cutting and stringing are separate jobs; you can sell the unstrung bows without doing both.
Levels 5–10: Shortbows
The first bow. Use headless arrows for the first few levels.
Levels 10–20: Longbows
Twice the XP of a shortbow from the same ordinary log.
Levels 20–25: Oak shortbows
Also the first decoration you can make for oak totems.
Levels 25–35: Oak longbows
Stay here until willow shortbows if you are cutting at a bank.
Levels 35–40: Willow shortbows
A low-cost middle step, especially with logs already banked.
Levels 40–50: Willow longbows
A slightly longer stretch before maple bows.
Levels 50–55: Maple shortbows
Often an inexpensive choice when you have kingdom maple logs.
Levels 55–65: Maple longbows
A comfortable budget method even after higher woods unlock.
Levels 65–70: Yew shortbows
Check the unstrung sale price before switching from maple longbows.
Levels 70–80: Yew longbows
Compare cutting with stringing bought unstrung bows; the cheaper choice changes with prices.
Levels 80–85: Magic shortbows
Useful on the way to magic longbows, but do not assume higher logs are better value.
Levels 85–99: Magic longbows
The last bow-cutting stage. If the extra cost is high, staying with yew longbows is reasonable.
Use the calculator’s cutting, stringing and complete-bow variants carefully. Buying logs and bow strings for a cutting-only quantity adds a second job that the cutting rate does not include.
Compare XP rates for these methods
1,800 cut bows/hr with a knife, or 2,700 with a Fletching knife, including banking.
Cut the bow for your level below, working up to magic longbows at 85. Switching to the next bow improves XP per log, but a cheaper log can be worth keeping for longer. This route ends at 99 without needing to string the bows.
Levels 85–99: Stringing magic longbows
Faster than cutting with a normal knife, but short inventories need more attention. Compare buying unstrung bows with making them yourself.
Getting there
Use a bank where you can comfortably repeat two withdrawals.
Bring and unlock
14 unstrung magic longbows and 14 bow strings, or a loaded bow string spool and 27 unstrung bows.
- Use a bow string on an unstrung bow and make the inventory.
- Bank the finished bows and refill. If you also cut the bows, add the cutting time and log cost to the complete process.
The same loop works for lower bows. Use the calculator’s stringing variant for the level you have.
2,450 bows/hr, or about 3% more with a spool. The calculator separates cutting, stringing and complete bows.
At 85, string magic longbows for a faster but more frequent banking loop than cutting them. You can stay to 99; compare the price of unstrung bows and bowstrings with the sale value before buying a large batch.
Levels 20–99: Vale Totems
A moving route through Auburn Valley, with more XP from each log and its decorations than bank cutting alone. Look at the spirits around each site before carving: guessing them loses XP and offerings.
Getting there
Complete the Vale Totems miniquest at level 20 Fletching. Reach Auburnvale by quetzal after Twilight’s Promise, use fairy ring AIS, or use the mountain guide from Quetzacalli Gorge toward Nemus Retreat.
Bring and unlock
A knife and five logs per totem: one to build it, four to turn into decorations. A log basket carries enough for all eight sites without a bank; without it, use a shorter circuit and bank in Auburnvale or at Nemus Retreat.
- Fletch four decorations from the same wood as your totem while travelling. Unstrung shortbows work; there is no need to string every decoration.
- Build the totem, then carve the three animal spirits currently present. Check again if an ent arrives and the spirits change.
- Add all four decorations. Pick up your offerings before leaving a finished area. Step on both tiles of an ent trail if convenient for its temporary bonus.
- Continue around the sites and bank when needed. Higher-wood totems last longer; count waiting for them to collapse when measuring your completed totems per hour.
Levels 20–35: Oak totems
Use oak logs for both the totem and its four decorations. Move up only when you can build and decorate with the same wood.
Levels 35–50: Willow totems
Use willow logs for both the totem and its four decorations. Move up only when you can build and decorate with the same wood.
Levels 50–65: Maple totems
Use maple logs for both the totem and its four decorations. Move up only when you can build and decorate with the same wood.
Levels 65–80: Yew totems
Use yew logs for both the totem and its four decorations. Move up only when you can build and decorate with the same wood.
Levels 80–90: Magic totems
Use magic logs for both the totem and its four decorations. Move up only when you can build and decorate with the same wood.
Levels 90–99: Redwood totems
Use redwood logs for both the totem and its four decorations. Hiking staves are available from 90; shields become an option at 92.
A full loop uses 40 logs when each decoration needs one log. Redwood shields use two logs per decoration, so that variant has different material needs. Redwood hiking staves use one log per decoration instead.
Compare XP rates for these methods
Includes fletching four decorations and all building, carving and decoration XP. Banking and waiting for respawns take time between totems. Following ent trails adds bonus XP.
Start with oak totems at 20, then upgrade the logs and decorations at 35, 50, 65, 80 and 90. The route around the sites stays the same; matching the spirits correctly matters at every tier.
Other worthwhile methods
For an Iron, the supply source and usefulness of the finished ammunition can decide the route.
Levels 52–99: Broad arrows
A dependable way for an Iron with spare cash to turn coins into Fletching XP. The arrows are not a profitable output.
Getting there
Buy broad arrowheads from Slayer masters and bank enough headless arrows before starting.
Bring and unlock
Unlock Broader Fletching with Slayer points. Bring broad arrowheads and headless arrows; the 52 Fletching requirement alone is not enough.
- Use arrowheads on headless arrows and make sets of 15. Requeue the action as needed.
- Use the method during spare moments if that suits your routine, but account for the slower rate from interruptions.
Save money for gear, Construction and runes before spending it all here. Broad arrows give good XP but little practical value compared with darts you will use in a blowpipe.
3,000 uninterrupted sets/hr gives 450k XP/hr. Buy headless arrows for that pace, or allow extra time to make them first.
From 52, broad arrows are a dependable Ironman route to 99 once Broad Fletching is unlocked. Buy arrowheads gradually when shop stock limits your supply, and budget the coins before committing.
Keep the ammo you will actually use
On an Iron, useful dart tips from Smithing or PvM can become blowpipe ammunition. Do not upgrade the training route to expensive tips simply because you have reached their level; keep a stock that matches your PvM plans.
Maple logs from Managing Miscellania can support either bows or Vale Totems. The totems use more clicks and travel, but turn each set of logs into considerably more XP. Fletching knife and spool rewards then improve later bank work.
Broad arrows cost coins and require stock gathering. That makes them predictable, not free. A high XP/hour figure for attaching heads does not include buying those heads or making the headless arrows.
Choose Vale rewards for your next method
The Fletching knife speeds up cutting bows. The bow string spool reduces banking while stringing by holding the strings in one slot. They affect different parts of a complete-bow workflow, so the best first reward depends on what you plan to do next.
Ent trails improve the next building and carving actions and boost an ent’s offerings. Both tiles must be touched; running can skip a tile, so click deliberately. Decorations and correct spirit carvings still matter after the trail is activated.
Redwood shields are a worthwhile high-level variation when waiting for durable totems leaves spare time. Each shield uses two logs, which raises both the XP earned while fletching and the supplies needed. Try the ordinary hiking-staff loop first so you can judge the change.
One-off XP rewards
Animal Magnetism awards 1,000 Fletching XP while unlocking Ava’s devices. Big Chompy Bird Hunting and Zogre Flesh Eaters are other quest rewards to consider when their unlocks fit your account. The opening is short enough that making headless arrows or early bows is also reasonable.
Animal Magnetism
1,000 Fletching XP18 Slayer, 19 Crafting, 30 Ranged and 35 Woodcutting; requires The Restless Ghost, Ernest the Chicken and Priest in Peril. The Prayer XP from those quests rules out a 1 Prayer build.
Completed rewards are already in your current XP. Only include the ones you still intend to claim.
Time and cost for your goal
Darts can consume a large amount of GP in a short session. Check both buy and sell offers with a small batch first. For bows, keep cutting and stringing costs separate unless you intend to do both steps.
Plan your Fletching route or compare method quantities and costs.
Choose your next goal
Open the Fletching Training Planner for your method switches and time budget, or compare one method’s quantities in the Fletching Calculator.