Maxing Slayer efficiently in Old School RuneScape is a balancing act between speed, risk, and consistency. That means experimenting with aggressive gear setups, pushing fast methods, and learning—sometimes the hard way—where efficiency ends and wasted time begins. A large amount of cheap OSRS gold can be very helpful to you.

High-Damage Gear Setups and Speed-Focused Play

The session kicks off with gearing discussions aimed at speed. The idea is to run a high-damage, low-friction setup that can clear tasks quickly without unnecessary switches. Instead of bringing every combat style, the focus is on maximizing damage output and prayer sustain. Ancient mace specs for prayer restoration, Tbow and blowpipe for ranged dominance, and chins for AoE clearing all come into play. On paper, it sounds perfect: hit hard, move fast, finish tasks in under an hour. In practice, RuneScape always finds a way to humble you.

When Speedrunning Backfires

Trying to force speed in high-risk content like the Inferno quickly shows its downside. A single death—whether from missed prayer ticks, bad RNG, or simply forgetting regeneration potions—can wipe out 15–20 minutes instantly. From a Slayer XP perspective, that’s devastating. Losing that much time means the entire task becomes inefficient compared to safer, repeatable methods. The lesson is clear: speedrunning content is only “best XP” if you actually finish it.

Burst Tasks and the Reality of Smoke Devils

After burning through valuable Zuk tasks, the focus shifts back to traditional Slayer efficiency. Smoke Devils come up next, widely considered one of the best burst tasks in the game. With a high task count and excellent magic XP, they should be a dream. Instead, unfamiliar tile mechanics and cannon placements turn the task into chaos. Learning proper positioning—where to place the cannon, where to stand, and how to stack mobs—becomes essential. Once it clicks, though, the task shows why it’s so highly regarded: dense stacking, fast Barrage cycles, and massive XP drops.

Task Selection, Blocks, and XP Priorities

Not every task is worth optimizing, however. Black Dragons, for example, are “free” tasks in terms of effort, but their Slayer XP per hour is nothing special. Still, they offer something else: pet potential and low mental strain. Sometimes efficiency isn’t just numbers—it’s motivation. If chasing a pet keeps you engaged, that matters during a long grind to 99.

Task management becomes increasingly important as points run low. Knowing what to block, skip, or cancel can make or break your XP rates. Aberrant Spectres are prime block candidates due to their weight and poor XP return. Abyssal Demons, on the other hand, are excellent burst tasks and usually worth doing. Each decision is a tradeoff between short-term convenience and long-term efficiency.

Cooperative Methods and the Future of Fast Slayer XP

One of the biggest breakthroughs comes from cooperative Slayer methods. Instead of solo bursting, having another player stack monsters with a trident allows for near-AFK Barrage spam. This drastically increases XP rates while reducing effort. Extending this idea even further, hiring lurers across multiple worlds opens up absurdly fast rotations: log in, Barrage a stacked clump, hop worlds, repeat. While expensive, this method aligns perfectly with the goal of achieving the fastest Slayer XP possible.

Bloodvelds demonstrate this concept well. With proper luring and Barrage clumping, they rival Catacombs in efficiency while being significantly more relaxed. Compared to frantic tick-perfect play, this approach offers a smoother grind with consistently high returns.

Of course, Slayer isn’t just about PvM. Risk fights, wilderness encounters, and unexpected deaths add volatility to the grind. Sometimes you lose gear, sometimes you escape with nothing but adrenaline. These moments don’t add XP, but they’re part of the Slayer experience—especially for players who thrive on risk.

By the end of the session, the takeaway is clear: the “best” Slayer XP isn’t one single method. It’s a combination of smart task selection, optimized mechanics, and knowing when to slow down. Speedrunning everything sounds good until one mistake wipes out half an hour. Safe, repeatable burst tasks with proper setups often win in the long run.

As the maxing journey continues, Slayer remains one of the most demanding skills—not because it’s slow, but because doing it optimally requires constant decision-making. With better planning, cooperative methods, and a willingness to adapt, Slayer can go from a dreaded grind to one of the fastest paths toward maxing. Having enough OSRS gold can be very helpful.