OSRS Strength Guide: Dharok's NMZ vs Obsidian Sand Crabs (70–99)

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.

At 70 Strength, most accounts leave sand crabs and start wondering if they should commit to the Nightmare Zone. The two classic paths couldn't be more different: Dharok's set at 1 HP inside a custom NMZ rumble, or full obsidian with a berserker necklace while AFKing sand crabs. One demands attention, prayer flicking, and a low-HP dance. The other lets you click once every few minutes and still bank meaningful XP.

This guide compares both methods for 70–99 Strength in Old School RuneScape. We'll look at mechanics, requirements, attention, realistic time investment, supplies, and when buying gold or a boost is the honest shortcut rather than a rule break. By the end you'll know exactly which route fits your playstyle and budget.

Who This Is For and What You Need

This guide is aimed at mains or alts already at 70 Attack, 70 Strength, and 70 Defence who want to max Strength before touching Attack or Defence further. The general training notes from the wiki recommend exactly that: once you have the minimum requirements for your best-in-slot weapon and armour, push Strength to 99 before Attack and Defence. If you train with obsidian at NMZ, you can leave Attack and Defence at 60 until Strength is done.

If you are an ironman, the gear acquisition changes significantly: Dharok's comes from Barrows chest RNG, while obsidian must be bought with tokkul or farmed from TzHaar. Mains can simply buy either set from the Grand Exchange.

Dharok's Wretched Strength at Nightmare Zone

Dharok's set effect is Wretched Strength: the lower your remaining hitpoints, the higher your maximum hit when wearing the full set. At 99 Hitpoints, dropping to 1 HP makes your hits about 97% higher than at full HP. That is why Dharok's NMZ is run at low HP, usually with absorption potions or prayer to keep you alive while you hit enormous numbers. The greataxe's massive strength bonus and the set's high Strength equipment further increase experience per hour.

The downside is attention. You need to manage your HP, watch prayer or absorption points, and occasionally flick rapid heal to reset your Hitpoints regen timer in NMZ. It is not truly AFK, but it rewards you with some of the best melee XP rates in the game at high Strength levels.

Exact XP/hr depends on your Strength level, other gear, and NMZ boss selection. The wiki's Nightmare Zone page has optimised rumble lists; players should verify the current best choices. As a rough benchmark, the fastest method section notes that Sulphur Naguas can reach 130k XP/hr at 75 Strength with very specific gear; Dharok's NMZ is often in a similar or higher bracket, but your setup matters.

Full Obsidian at Sand Crabs: The Low-Effort Alternative

Full obsidian (helm, platebody, platelegs) gives a 10% boost to melee accuracy and strength for any obsidian weapon, and that bonus stacks with a berserker necklace. The go-to weapon is the Toktz-xil-ak, a fast one-handed sword, and the set is often paired with a dragon defender or obsidian shield. This makes obsidian training hit much harder than the level 60 requirements suggest, while still being comparatively cheap for a main account.

Sand crabs are ideal AFK targets: they have high Hitpoints, low Defence, and auto-retaliate, so you can click once and let your character train for several minutes. Many players train there while working or studying. The tradeoff is that sand crabs are not the fastest XP; they are the comfortable middle ground between zero-effort and high-intensity NMZ or Naguas.

Because sand crabs are often crowded, finding an empty spot or using a total level world can make a big difference. Some players also use ammonite crabs on Fossil Island as a higher-level alternative, but that changes the balance; verify current spawns on the wiki.

Side-by-Side: XP, Attention, and Cost

The table below summarises the key differences at a glance. XP rates are qualitative because they change with your exact gear, potions, and NMZ boss list; check the wiki for current numbers before making a long-term plan.

If you value your time per click, Dharok's NMZ wins. If you value not being at the keyboard, obsidian sand crabs win. Neither is objectively wrong.

Inventory, Prayers, and Positioning

Both methods benefit from a few universal items: super combat potions, prayer potions, food, and a teleport out. Dharok's NMZ adds absorption potions and overloads if you choose the absorption method, or prayer potions if you use Protect from Melee. Sand crabs require nothing special beyond your gear and some food for emergencies.

For Dharok's, many players use the absorption method: drink absorption potions to stack a damage buffer, keep HP at 1, and flick rapid heal to prevent HP regen. Others use prayer with Protect from Melee and prayer potions. The choice affects cost and attention, so try both for 30 minutes each.

For sand crabs, position yourself in the centre of a group and use auto-retaliate. If another player crashes your spot, hop worlds rather than share XP. The best spots are usually on the southern beach or near the bank.

Common Mistakes That Cost You Time

• Wearing Dharok's without the full set: the set effect only activates with helm, body, legs, and greataxe. Missing one piece turns it into ordinary Barrows armour.
• Letting HP regenerate in NMZ: at 1 HP Dharok's does nearly double damage; if you AFK too long and HP creeps up, your XP drops. Use rapid heal flicking or absorption to stay at 1.
• Using obsidian without the berserker necklace: the necklace adds significant damage to obsidian weapons, especially with the set bonus. Skipping it makes sand crabs noticeably slower.
• Training at crowded sand crabs: shared crabs mean less XP. Always find an empty or low-population world.
• Ignoring Strength priority: if your goal is max melee, the wiki recommends keeping Attack and Defence at minimum requirements and rushing 99 Strength first. Don't train all three equally.

Time-to-99 and the Honest Cost Tradeoff

From level 70 to 99 Strength you need 12,296,804 XP. The number of hours depends entirely on your sustained XP rate. A player averaging 80k XP/hr would finish in roughly 154 hours; at 120k XP/hr it's about 102 hours. These are example rates, not promises. Dharok's NMZ typically lands at the higher end for active players, while AFKing sand crabs is lower.

Cost is the other side. Dharok's set requires buying the full Barrows set and paying for repairs as it degrades. Obsidian has a one-time purchase of roughly 2.8M for helm, body, and legs at current GE prices (plus the berserker necklace), with no repair costs. If you are short on gold, buying a few million from a marketplace can save you real-life hours of money-making, but it is not required. You can also pay for a boosting service if you genuinely lack the time, but make sure any service follows Jagex's rules. Never share account details or buy gold from sketchy sources.

If you'd rather not click at all, a trusted marketplace can help you skip the grind. View live gold rates to fund your gear or a Strength boost. View live gold rates.

Your First Hour: A Practical Starting Plan

1. Buy or equip your chosen set: full Dharok's plus a defender/fire cape, or full obsidian plus berserker necklace and defender.
2. If Dharok's NMZ: set up a custom rumble with easy melee bosses, drink absorption potions, drop to 1 HP, and start attacking. Monitor for 30 minutes to learn the rhythm.
3. If obsidian sand crabs: find a quiet sand crab spot, attack one, and let auto-retaliate work. Re-click every few minutes to stay in combat.
4. After an hour, note your XP gain. Multiply by the hours you can honestly play per week to estimate your time to 99.
5. If the number is unacceptable, consider the alternative method or buying gold for better gear/supplies.

Sources and Wiki Verification

All factual claims in this guide are drawn from the Old School RuneScape Wiki. Always double-check current prices, XP rates, and mechanics before investing heavily, because the meta shifts. The following pages were used:

• Pay-to-play Melee training
• Dharok the Wretched's equipment
• Obsidian equipment