For most players, Tombs of Amascut (ToA) is the best first raid in OSRS. Start at Raid Level 0, learn the four paths and Wardens, then turn on invocations as your clears become reliable. Chambers of Xeric (CoX) is a strong next choice if you have a learner team; Theatre of Blood (ToB) Entry Mode teaches its bosses but does not offer normal raid uniques. The Fractured Archive, released on 20 October 2026, is aimed at experienced PvM players rather than fresh raiders.
The four raids reward different skills: adjustable difficulty, mixed combat and preparation, tight teamwork, or a demanding boss rush. Choose for your account and team, not the most expensive unique.
Which OSRS Raid Should Beginners Learn First?
Choose the next session you can realistically finish, not the biggest possible reward.
| Raid | Access gate | Best first approach | Main difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tombs of Amascut (ToA) | Beneath Cursed Sands | Solo or with friends at Raid Level 0–50 | Prayer switches, movement and managing invocations |
| Chambers of Xeric (CoX) | No quest required to enter | Join a learner-friendly group | Variable rooms, resource prep and Great Olm |
| Theatre of Blood (ToB) | Priest in Peril for Morytania access | Entry Mode for mechanics; Normal later | Fast style changes and team mistakes |
| The Fractured Archive (TFA) | While Guthix Sleeps | Experienced group after other raids | Long boss chain and demanding coordination |
Quick choice: no team and nervous about dying? Start ToA Entry. Friends teaching you Olm? CoX becomes a reasonable first group raid. Interested in Verzik? Practise ToB Entry before booking a Normal team. Already consistent in several raids? Consider Fractured Archive.
Go From First Attempt to Your Next Clear
A low-level Tombs of Amascut practice run is the easiest place to learn on your own. If you would rather join an experienced group, compare an applicable raid service without losing the free learning route.
OSRS Raid Requirements vs Recommended Stats
Quest access is not the same as a recommended combat level. Many raid guides list high stats because they make clears comfortable; that does not mean the game blocks entry below those numbers. All four raids are members’ content.
| Raid | Actual gate | Practical learner target |
|---|---|---|
| ToA | Complete Beneath Cursed Sands | Roughly 70–80+ in main combat styles and usable protection prayers; higher stats make learning smoother |
| CoX | Reach Mount Quidamortem; no mandatory quest | Comfortable switches, Prayer, and a group with at least one experienced Olm caller |
| ToB | Access Morytania via Priest in Peril | Entry can be tried earlier; Normal benefits greatly from high combat stats and practiced team roles |
| TFA | Complete While Guthix Sleeps and begin the Archive introduction | Strong PvM fundamentals, several combat styles and a coordinated team |
For early ToA, bring Protect from Melee, Missiles and Magic, workable melee/ranged/magic switches and supplies. Piety, Rigour and Augury help but are not hard entry requirements.
Start With Tombs of Amascut: The Most Forgiving Learning Route
ToA has the biggest advantage for first-time raiders: you control much of its difficulty through invocations. Each selected modifier increases Raid Level and changes how demanding the run becomes. The modes are Entry 0–149, Normal 150–299 and Expert 300–600. Those are game mode thresholds, not stat requirements.
Three Steps for Your First ToA Clear
- Run Raid Level 0 first. Finish Beneath Cursed Sands, bring basic three-style switches, and explore the four paths: Apmeken, Crondis, Het and Scabaras. Each has a challenge and boss. Learn what can be dodged before chasing speed.
- Practise the Wardens consistently. Keep food and Prayer supplies for the final encounter. Focus on protection switches, movement and recognizing attack cues rather than stacking optional invocations.
- Increase one difficulty change at a time. Start adding manageable invocations when you can finish the same route without panic. Work toward 150 Normal only after Entry is controlled, not because a guide calls Normal the minimum.
ToA is solo-friendly; a duo can also help. Low Raid Levels still punish poor supplies and movement, and their unique chances differ from harder runs.
Chambers of Xeric: A Better First Group Raid for Some Players
CoX can be your first raid if a clan or friend is willing to teach. Its rooms vary between raids, and you may face combat rooms alongside skilling or puzzle tasks before reaching Great Olm. This is different from ToA’s fixed four-path structure: a learner must adapt, gather useful supplies and follow the group’s route.
Ask your team for a learner-friendly raid rather than a speedrun. Tell them your combat levels, weapons and experience. Learn how to prepare potions from raid resources, identify when your group wants specific combat styles, and follow an assigned Olm role. In early attempts, staying alive and handling Olm’s head-turning and hand phases matters more than your personal damage total.
CoX has no mandatory quest to enter, but the absence of a quest is not proof that an underprepared account will finish. A mentor can make CoX approachable, while solo learning is often harder than low-level ToA. Rewards include Twisted bow, Ancestral robes and the Dragon hunter crossbow; none is required to enter.
Theatre of Blood: Entry Mode Is Practice, Not Normal ToB
ToB is built around six increasingly demanding encounters ending with Verzik Vitur. Normal ToB expects fast decisions, coordinated positioning and reliable switches between combat styles. A player who has only beaten isolated bosses may find the continuous team pressure difficult.
Entry Mode is an excellent rehearsal. It lowers boss difficulty, permits unlimited death attempts within the raid and supplies extra bandages after certain encounters. You can learn Maiden, Bloat, Nylocas, Sotetseg, Xarpus and Verzik in order, including the mechanics that cause trouble in Normal.
Do not confuse the rewards. ToB Entry Mode does not award normal raid unique items or the raid pet; it is primarily a learning and quest-completion route. The associated A Night at the Theatre story quest can be completed through an Entry run, but that quest is not a universal prerequisite for entering the Theatre.
When Entry Mode no longer surprises you, practise Normal with a learner group that explains roles. A Normal clear can reward items such as the Scythe of vitur or Avernic defender hilt, but they are random drops. The site’s ToB service currently lists Normal and Hard runs rather than Entry training, so choose it only when that matches your goal.
Should Your First Raid Be The Fractured Archive?
Usually, no. Jagex released The Fractured Archive on 20 October 2026 as the game’s fourth and most challenging raid. Players complete While Guthix Sleeps to access it. The format is a combat-focused boss chain, without the puzzle breaks seen in other raids. The Archive Guardian opens the run, the team chooses encounters in the middle branches, and Ocellus is the final fight.
Teams can enter with up to eight players; determined players can attempt it solo, but solo access is not a beginner difficulty mode. Expect demanding movement, defensive decision-making and coordination across multiple bosses. A simple gear set that works in low-level ToA is not automatically sufficient here.
As of the October 28 update, Fractured Archive also has an offensive-stat reduction cap of 50% for Ocellus, Xarth and Dreadnoth. Jagex adjusted the contribution system so individual deaths are somewhat less punishing, while team deaths have a stronger effect on the group’s chance of a unique reward. A clean clear remains more valuable than repeatedly forcing a high-risk damage strategy. These changes are separate from the earlier 60% remaining-Defence floors for several bosses.
Use ToA or CoX to build fundamentals before trying TFA. Its reward pool includes Obligator, Ascension crossbows, Zorya’s tome and Rondache. Those are possible outcomes of successful raids, not equipment gates or guaranteed rewards.
Beginner Raid Gear: What Matters Before Expensive Upgrades
You do not need a Twisted bow, Scythe of vitur or Tumeken’s shadow to start practicing. You do need a sensible way to deal damage with the required combat styles, maintain Prayer and survive mistakes.
- Melee: use a capable weapon suited to the target’s weakness. At ToA, the Keris partisan is a useful quest-linked starting option; stronger Stab weapons help later. An Abyssal whip remains a practical training weapon in content where Slash works.
- Ranged: a dragon crossbow, toxic blowpipe or Bow of faerdhinen if already owned can cover different situations. Bring ammunition and charge resources before entering.
- Magic: a trident-style weapon is a practical step up for many accounts. Bring the spellbook and runes your raid plan needs, rather than a complete luxury robe swap.
- Survival: use appropriate Prayer, food, restores and a manageable number of equipment switches. Every extra item has an inventory-space cost.
Prioritise consistency over price. Missing a Prayer switch or running out of supplies causes more learner wipes than choosing the second-best cape. Practise one combat-style switch at a time on easier PvM bosses before adding larger inventory swaps.
A Three-Session OSRS Raid Practice Plan
- Session one — unlock and scout. Finish the correct quest, set a low ToA Raid Level and enter without a time target. Learn the path layouts, overhead prayers and final-boss tells. Write down the mechanic that caused each death.
- Session two — repeat for a clean clear. Run the same ToA setup. Reduce unnecessary gear switches, keep enough food for Wardens and ask a friend to explain one mechanic at a time. Do not raise invocations after a lucky but messy completion.
- Session three — choose your branch. Raise ToA difficulty slightly, join a CoX learner group, or try ToB Entry Mode if its story and bosses interest you. Save Normal ToB and Fractured Archive for when your movement and switches feel routine.
Agree who calls mechanics and carries utility. Hardcore Ironmen should not assume a training mode is safe; learn the death-storage and item-reclaim rules before risking gear.
Common First-Raid Mistakes
- Starting too high at ToA. Invocations are optional difficulty knobs; turn them down while learning.
- Copying endgame inventories. Large switches leave too little space for supplies when you miss mechanics.
- Joining a speed group as a learner. Explain your experience first and request a patient team.
- Treating ToB Entry as Normal. Entry teaches cues, but Normal demands more from every player.
- Choosing TFA for its newest loot. Its boss chain and current contribution rules reward prepared teams, not new accounts chasing one lucky drop.
OSRS Raids for Beginners FAQ
Can I do an OSRS raid solo?
Yes. ToA Entry is the simplest starting place for most solo learners. CoX and ToB have solo possibilities, but they are more demanding; ToB Entry can be attempted alone. Fractured Archive permits solo attempts without offering a beginner-friendly solo scale.
Is 70 combat enough to start raiding?
There is no single combat-level requirement for all raids. The relevant quest gate, your actual Attack/Ranged/Magic/Prayer skills, weapons and ability to survive matter more. For a first ToA attempt, focus on viable main combat stats and protection prayers, then upgrade gradually.
Which raid is best for earning GP?
Higher theoretical rewards do not guarantee better earnings. Failed runs, supplies, team size and low unique-drop chances matter. A raid you can finish consistently is a better starting goal than a costly mode that you rarely clear.
Do I need a Twisted bow to raid?
No. Expensive weapons speed up some encounters but are not universal access requirements. A balanced loadout with the correct attack styles and enough supplies matters much more for learning.
Are ToB Entry Mode drops the same as Normal?
No. Entry Mode has reduced ordinary loot and no chance at the normal unique rewards or pet. Use it to learn boss mechanics before taking on Normal ToB.
Is Fractured Archive harder than Theatre of Blood?
Jagex positions Fractured Archive as its toughest raid. Individual players may find particular Theatre fights harder, but neither Normal ToB nor Fractured Archive is a sensible first stop without strong PvM practice.
