Build the defensive base with Prayer floored in the correct place
The base component is one quarter of Defence plus Hitpoints plus floor(Prayer/2). Prayer is halved and floored before it joins the sum. With Prayer 43, the contribution inside the parentheses is 21, not 21.5; rounding the completed base instead would move some boundary cases and would no longer reproduce the published method.
The calculator accepts player skill levels rather than monster stats, equipment, bonuses, prayers in use, max hits, accuracy, or combat achievements. Hitpoints normally starts from the standard account value shown by the interface, but the arithmetic simply uses the valid level entered. The result describes the level formula, not how dangerous an account is in a particular fight.
Three offensive candidates compete for one slot
Melee candidate
Add Attack and Strength, then multiply by 0.325. The combined pair matters; neither skill is compared alone with Ranged or Magic.
Ranged candidate
Multiply Ranged by 1.5, floor that intermediate number, and then multiply by 0.325. Flooring only after the weighting can be wrong near a combat-level boundary.
Magic candidate
Magic follows the same floor(1.5 × level) structure as Ranged before its 0.325 weight. It remains a separate candidate even when its numeric contribution ties another style.
Winning branch
Take the maximum candidate and add only that value to the defensive base. When branches tie, reporting all tied styles is informative, but their values still enter the sum once.
The final floor creates plateaus between visible levels
After adding the base and strongest offensive component, floor the total to produce the displayed whole combat level. The underlying decimal can rise without crossing the next integer, so training one skill does not guarantee an immediate visible increase. A progress display can show where the raw value sits within the current whole-level interval, but it cannot tell you the cheapest or fastest skill to train.
A maxed standard player build reaches combat level 126 under the current formula. A new account's conventional starting combination produces level 3. Those familiar anchors are checks on the formula, not promises about account creation, temporary boosts, future updates, leagues, private servers, or the separate modern RuneScape combat system.
Audit a surprising result one floor at a time
- Confirm all seven base levels
Use permanent displayed skill levels for Attack, Strength, Defence, Hitpoints, Ranged, Magic, and Prayer. Do not type equipment bonuses or boosted values into the base-level fields.
- Write down the three intermediates
Keep floor(Prayer/2), floor(1.5×Ranged), and floor(1.5×Magic) visible. These are the most common places for a spreadsheet to drift from the Wiki formula.
- Compare offensive components before adding
Select the largest weighted contribution and preserve ties. Summing melee with a ranged or magic branch inflates the level beyond the supported formula.
- Floor the completed total once
Retain the decimal for explanation, then floor base plus the selected offence for the displayed level. Ordinary nearest-integer rounding is not interchangeable with this final floor.
Related calculators answer different progression questions
- For Construction XP, whole training actions, material quantities, GP, and time, use the Construction XP and Materials Planner. Construction levels do not enter the combat formula.
- For a game-specific base damage range multiplied by explicit type and battle factors, open the Battle Damage-Factor Worksheet. It is a modifier ledger, not an account-level formula.
- For FIDE expected scores and rating-period changes, use the Chess Rating Calculator. A competitive rating reflects results against opponents; OSRS combat level is determined directly from skills.
This fan calculation cannot inspect a game account
The page is an independent fan tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Jagex or the Old School RuneScape Wiki. It does not connect to Hiscores, identify a player, model equipment or damage, advise training, or predict combat outcomes. Recheck the current Wiki and in-game level whenever rules change or a special game mode may use different assumptions.