OSRS Ranged 70-99: Dwarf Cannon vs Chinchompas Guide

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.

Reaching level 99 Ranged in Old School RuneScape is a mark of real commitment. At level 70 you already have access to two of the most iconic training methods: parking a dwarf multicannon at ice trolls or throwing chinchompas at maniacal monkeys. Both will get you to 99, but they could not feel more different. One is a low-attention, cannonball-burning grind; the other is a high-intensity, high-XP blitz. This guide compares the two for players going from 70 to 99, covering unlocks, realistic XP, cost, and when buying gold or a boost is the honest shortcut.

Before you commit, understand that the "best" method is the one that fits your bank, your attention span, and your tolerance for repetitive clicking. Below we break down every decision point.

1. Choosing Between Cannon and Chins for 70–99 Ranged

The dwarf multicannon on ice trolls and chinchompas on maniacal monkeys both deliver Ranged experience, but they occupy opposite ends of the AFK spectrum. The cannon setup is mostly fire-and-forget: you place the cannon, keep it loaded, and reposition if needed. It is slower but forgiving. Chinning maniacal monkeys demands near-constant clicking, prayer management, and sometimes multiple accounts to stack the monkeys. In return, it offers the best XP rates in the game for Ranged.

Your choice should be driven by three questions: How much active time can you give? How much GP are you willing to sink per hour? Do you already have the quest and diary unlocks? We answer these below.

2. Requirements and Unlocks

Note: the dwarf multicannon has no Ranged level requirement to use, but its accuracy scales with your selected attack style and equipment. At level 70 you will hit often enough if you wear proper ranged gear and choose a ranged attack style.

3. Method 1: Dwarf Multicannon on Ice Trolls

Ice trolls north of Jatizso are a classic multi-combat cannon spot. After The Fremennik Trials, the area is accessible and filled with aggressive trolls that respawn quickly. The multicannon hits up to 30 with regular steel cannonballs regardless of your Ranged level, so the damage output is front-loaded and independent of your own weapon. That makes cannon-only training viable even at 70, though adding your own attacks with a blowpipe or darts can speed things up.

Place the cannon in a safe tile where trolls will cluster but cannot reach you, load it with cannonballs, and let it rotate. You will need to reload every 30 shots (one inventory of cannonballs per reload if you carry 30). Expect to click every 30–45 seconds, making this low-attention but not fully AFK.

The wiki's general cannon guide lists 40,000 XP/hour from the cannon alone at Castle Wars ogres. Ice trolls are often reported to be better because of higher HP and density, but no official rate is published on the training page. Players should test for 15 minutes and multiply to get their real number. Cost is entirely in cannonballs; check the Grand Exchange for current prices and count how many you use per hour.

4. Method 2: Chinchompas on Maniacal Monkeys

Once you've started Monkey Madness II and can enter Kruk's Dungeon, maniacal monkeys become the fastest Ranged training method in the game. They are aggressive, multi-combat, have very low Defence, and drop 1-dose prayer potions, which offsets the cost of Protect from Melee.

The key to maximum XP is stacking: with two "dancing" accounts to keep the monkeys grouped, you can hit many with each chinchompa explosion. Use the "Medium fuse" attack style (the chinchompa rapid style) and stand in the correct tile. Drink divine ranging potions, activate Rigour (or Eagle Eye if you don't have it), and protect from melee. The wiki's table, assuming best damage gear, Rigour, two dancing accounts, divine ranging potions, and 1,970 chinchompas per hour, shows:

• Level 65: 470,000 XP/h
• Level 75: 570,000 XP/h
• Level 85: 640,000 XP/h
• Level 95: 710,000 XP/h
• Level 99: 740,000 XP/h

At level 70 you'll be between the 65 and 75 rates, so expect roughly 500–550k XP/hour with ideal setup. Even without Rigour or dancing alts, you can still see 350k+ per hour, making it far faster than cannoning.

5. GP/XP Efficiency: Realistic Numbers

The real trade-off is time versus money. Chinchompas are the fastest but cost a lot per hour because you throw thousands of them. Cannonballs are also expensive, but the hourly cost is usually lower than chins because you use fewer per hour and the XP rate is lower. However, the total cost to 99 can be higher with cannon because you spend many more hours training.

6. Gear and Inventory Decisions

For chinning, your gear priority is Ranged Strength and prayer bonus. Elite Void Knight equipment with the ranger helm is the best all-round choice for most players because it boosts damage and has good prayer bonus. If you can afford Masori armour with Zaryte vambraces, you gain a little DPS but lose prayer bonus. Standard void is also fine; elite is slightly better. Use the best amulet, ring, boots, and off-hand you own. Activate your best offensive prayer (Rigour > Eagle Eye) and keep divine ranging potions active.

For cannon-only ice trolls, wear your highest Ranged attack bonus gear. The cannon's accuracy is based on your current attack style and the attack bonus of that style, so use a ranged weapon set to rapid or accurate and dress for ranged attack, not strength. Avoid metallic bodies if you plan to use Ava's devices with a secondary weapon, but with cannon-only you won't need ammo recovery.

• Chinning inventory: chinchompas, 1–2 divine ranging potions, a few prayer potions (or bonecrusher necklace), an emergency teleport.
• Cannon inventory: dwarf multicannon pieces, stack of cannonballs, clean space for drops, and optionally a cheap ranged weapon to add extra damage.

7. Common Mistakes That Destroy Your XP/GP

• Wearing a metallic body while using Ava's devices blocks ammo recovery, costing you darts or arrows if you supplement cannon with a bow.
• Forgetting to activate Rigour or Eagle Eye while chinning lowers XP by 5–7% or more.
• Chinning without stacking monkeys (dancing accounts) reduces the number of targets hit per chinchompa.
• Running out of prayer at maniacal monkeys means you'll take heavy melee damage and likely die, losing time and supplies.
• Buying black chinchompas when red chinchompas would do only slightly less damage for much less GP.
• Not using divine ranging potions; they make a significant difference from level 70 onwards.

8. Time-to-Goal and Breakpoints

From level 70 to 99 requires 12,296,804 Ranged XP. Here's how the two methods compare in raw time, assuming you could maintain one constant average rate (which won't happen because XP rates rise as you level, but it gives a sense):

• If chinning at an average of 600,000 XP/h (realistic as you progress from ~520k to 740k+), 12,296,804 / 600,000 = about 20.5 hours of active chinning.
• If cannoning at an optimistic average of 80,000 XP/h, 12,296,804 / 80,000 = about 153.7 hours of semi-AFK cannoning.

Even if you value your time modestly, the chinning method saves over 130 hours of real-world time. That is why most players who can afford chinchompas choose them for the final stretch. Cannoning becomes attractive only if you can do it while working or watching videos and don't mind the longer calendar time.

9. Honest Shortcuts: Gold, Accounts, and Boosting

Both methods burn money. Buying OSRS gold can fund your cannonballs or chinchompas without spending hours making GP through other means. If you're sitting at level 70 Ranged with a small bank, buying gold to afford the supplies is a legitimate time trade. If you don't want to do the grind at all, buying a pre-leveled account or a Ranged training service is an honest option for players who value their time more than the journey. Just ensure you use reputable sellers and never share your password with untrusted parties.

Our marketplace offers live gold rates and account services. Check View live gold rates to see current prices and decide whether funding your training or buying a boost makes sense for you.

10. Practical Next Step

If you have started Monkey Madness II and can afford chinchompas, go chinning. It is the fastest method in the game, and every hour spent there is worth many hours at the cannon. If you don't have MM2 or need a more relaxed method, set up your cannon at ice trolls and let it work while you do other things. Either way, calculate your budget, buy your supplies, and start. For more training guides, see our Agility 52–60 comparison or F2P Woodcutting guide.

Sources

• Pay-to-play Ranged training – OSRS Wiki
• File:Maniacal Monkey Chinning High Intensity.gif – OSRS Wiki
• File:Castle Wars - Ogre cannon spot.png – OSRS Wiki