OSRS Pest Control Ranged Training 70-99: Void Commendations vs Chinning XP

Game screenshots and facts are cited from the Old School RuneScape Wiki (strategy, equipment, drops, and related pages). Writing is original editorial, not a copy of the wiki article.

Ranged training in Old School RuneScape is rarely a single straight line. Between quest rewards, dwarf multicannons, chinchompas, and minigames, players face a constant tradeoff between raw experience per hour and the unlocks they actually need for PvM. For many accounts, the 70–99 stretch becomes a question: do you grind the fastest XP and buy Void Knight equipment separately, or do you spend those hours on Pest Control boats, earning slower ranged XP while banking commendations for full void?

This guide breaks down both paths using the wiki's Pay-to-play Ranged training framework. We'll compare Pest Control boat mechanics to chinning maniacal monkeys, outline early ranged methods, calculate decision points, and show when buying OSRS gold or a boost is the honest real-life time saver.

Why Pest Control Ranged Training Is a Two-for-One Grind

The appeal of training ranged at Pest Control is straightforward: every game awards commendation points in addition to combat experience. Those commendations can be spent on Void Knight equipment, which includes the Void ranger helm and the rest of the set. According to the wiki, Void Knight equipment with the Void ranger helm is best against low defence monsters because of its damage-boosting set effect. Crystal armour or Masori armour pull ahead against higher defence targets, but void remains a staple for many bosses.

More importantly, the full void set is not just a convenience. It is useful for Vorkath, low-switch Zulrah, Theatre of Blood, and is required for an elite Western Provinces Diary task. The wiki notes that getting the full void set is not worthwhile timewise unless you are already training to 99 with the fastest methods possible, but if you plan to do any of that content, the set pays for itself. Training ranged at Pest Control lets you make progress on both goals simultaneously—even if the raw XP is lower than chinning.

There is a wrinkle: the elite void upgrade requires completing the hard Western Provinces Diary and then spending an additional 400 Pest Control points. If you are going to grind Pest Control anyway, this diary becomes a natural prerequisite you should knock out first.

Requirements and Setup for Pest Control Boats

Before you board a boat, make sure your account is properly prepared. The exact combat requirements for each boat tier are listed on the wiki's Pest Control page, but in general you'll want a high enough combat level to access the boat with the best XP and commendation rates for your bracket. For this guide's 70–99 focus, the veteran boat is the target, but intermediate boats can work if your combat level is lower.

Your gear setup during Pest Control should follow the same principles as any ranged training: use the rapid attack style for the highest damage output. If you are using darts or shortbows, an Ava's device will return a percentage of your ammunition—60% with attractor, 72% with accumulator, and 80% with assembler. Just remember that Ava's recovery does not work if you are wearing a metallic body, so stick to d'hide, void, or other non-metal chest pieces.

Pest Control Mechanics and XP per Hour

Pest Control games revolve around defending the Void Knight from incoming monsters and destroying portals. Each game awards a set amount of combat XP based on your damage contribution, plus a number of commendation points determined by the boat tier and whether your team wins. The exact XP and commendation rates vary with boat size and your performance, so players should verify current per-game numbers on the wiki's Pest Control page. What is consistent is the tradeoff: the XP is lower than dedicated training methods, but the commendations accumulate toward void pieces.

If you are purely after XP, Pest Control will not compete with chinning maniacal monkeys or even many Slayer tasks. However, if you need full void anyway, the combined value is often worth it. A common strategy is to spend roughly half of your Pest Control time earning void pieces and the rest buying ranged XP rewards—or simply save all commendations for void and treat the XP as a bonus.

Chinning Maniacal Monkeys: The Fastest Alternative

For pure experience, nothing beats chinning maniacal monkeys. The method requires having started chapter II of Monkey Madness II to access Kruk's Dungeon on Ape Atoll. The monkeys have very low defence, so Void Knight ranged equipment—or even better, Elite Void—provides a significant damage boost. The fastest setups use Rigour, divine ranging potions, and two dancing accounts to stack the monkeys. They also drop 1-dose prayer potions, which offsets the cost of using Protect from Melee and damage-boosting prayers. Players with the hard Morytania Diary can use a bonecrusher necklace to restore Prayer points even more efficiently.

The wiki lists these experience rates for maniacal monkeys assuming best damage gear, Rigour, and ~1,970 chinchompas thrown per hour. With Eagle Eye instead of Rigour, expect roughly 5–7% lower rates.

Yes, chinning is extremely fast. But it is also expensive, requires high attention, and earns zero Pest Control commendations. If you already own full void or don't need it for your account goals, chinning is the clear winner for XP. If you don't, you'll have to do a separate void grind later—and that time adds up.

Early Ranged Levels: Questing and Cannoning

Before level 70, you have efficient shortcuts that can save you from low-level tedium. Completing Shadow of the Storm (putting the experience reward on Ranged), Death to the Dorgeshuun, and Horror from the Deep grants a total of 16,662.5 Ranged experience, taking you from level 1 to 32. If you can bypass the level 40 requirement for Temple of Ikov by wielding knives or darts with ice arrows, you can earn another 10,500 experience and reach level 36.

From there, the dwarf multicannon is the fastest way to level 45. You must complete the Dwarf Cannon quest, but there are no level requirements to assemble and use it. The cannon hits up to 30 with regular steel cannonballs regardless of your Ranged level, making it absurdly strong for low levels. Accuracy is based on your selected attack style's accuracy bonus, so use an accurate ranged style if possible.

Active cannoning spots include ogres east of Castle Wars, which offer around 40,000 experience per hour from the cannon alone, though the area can be crowded. Ogres in the Combat Training Camp require Biohazard but are usually less contested. Cannoning is also excellent with Slayer tasks—the wiki notes that a melee task can take almost twice as long without a cannon in multi-combat areas like dagannoths and kalphites.

Time to Full Void vs Training Ranged Elsewhere

Let's put numbers to the decision. From level 70 to 99, you need roughly 12,952,000 additional Ranged experience. If you were to chin maniacal monkeys at an average of around 700k XP/hr (using Rigour, divine potions, and reasonable attention), the grind would take about 18–20 hours. Pest Control XP is nowhere near that high—many players find it closer to a fraction of chinning rates depending on boat tier and team quality. The real value is the commendations.

Full void (top, robe, gloves, and any helm) costs a significant number of commendation points. The exact current cost is on the wiki, but expect the base set to take several hours of Pest Control, and the elite upgrade another 400 points after hard Western Provinces Diary. If you train ranged at Pest Control from 70 to 99, you will almost certainly earn enough commendations for full void and have points left over for XP rewards or extra helms. If you instead chin to 99 in 20 hours, you will then need to spend several additional hours at Pest Control just for void—meaning your total time invested is actually higher than the pure Pest Control route.

The break-even point depends on how much you value the void set for future content. For an account that will camp Vorkath or do low-switch Zulrah, void is mandatory. For a pure ranged training account that will never touch those bosses, chinning and skipping void may be perfectly fine.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Also, if you are chinning, do not forget that the monkeys drop 1-dose prayer potions. Picking these up can offset a large part of your prayer potion cost, and with a bonecrusher necklace (hard Morytania Diary), you can maintain prayer almost indefinitely.

Buying Gold or a Boost: The Honest Shortcut

OSRS is a game of time. If your real-life schedule makes a 20-hour chinning grind or a 10-hour Pest Control session impossible, there is no shame in using the marketplace. Buying OSRS gold lets you afford the best gear, chinchompas, prayer potions, and divine ranging potions without spending days earning GP. Hiring a boosting service can complete the Pest Control grind for you—earning full void while you are at work or asleep. This is not against the spirit of the game; it is simply trading real-world time for in-game currency or player time.

You can view live gold rates to see what your time is worth. Many players find that buying gold for supplies (like chinchompas) makes the XP grind dramatically faster and more enjoyable, while a boost removes the repetitive minigame entirely.

Practical Next Steps

Your next action depends on your account goals:

1. If you need full void for PvM: Complete the hard Western Provinces Diary first, then run Pest Control boats on the highest tier you can access. Save commendations for the full set, then elite upgrade, then spend any leftovers on XP.
2. If you only care about 99 Ranged: Start the early questing and cannoning to level 45, then move to maniacal monkeys with the best gear you can afford. Use Rigour if available, bring prayer potions, and consider buying gold for supplies to avoid a GP grind.
3. If you are an ironman: Pest Control is one of the only ways to get void, so the two-for-one value is even higher. Chinning is possible but requires obtaining chinchompas yourself; decide which grind fits your playstyle.
4. If you value your real-life time: Compare the cost of a boost or gold purchase to the hours you would otherwise spend. The honest answer is often a marketplace shortcut.

Whatever path you choose, verify the current Pest Control XP and commendation rates on the wiki before locking in your plan. Rates change with team sizes and updates, and being informed is the best way to avoid wasted hours.