RuneScape is a game overflowing with items, most of which are, let's face it, entirely useless. But hidden within the clutter are gems-items that every account should aim to acquire at various stages of progression. Whether you're a midgame grinder, a skilling enthusiast, or preparing to take down some of the game's most fearsome bosses, the following list of must-have items will drastically improve your experience and get OSRS gold in Gielinor.

1. Mixed Hide Cape With the release of Vlemore, the Mixed Hide Cape has become the go-to cape for early to midgame accounts. While its appearance leaves much to be desired, it offers a +1 Strength bonus-enough to squeeze out an extra max hit. Available at just 15,000 GP with 60 Ranged and 50 Defence, it's the first real upgrade before you tackle the Fire Cape.

2. Glacial Tomato Hard to spell, easy to love. This Tier 55 melee weapon is a two-hander that outperforms the Granite Maul and even competes with the Dragon Scimitar until you get a Dragon Defender. It's a great training weapon for only 60k and is accessible at 55 Attack.

3. Dramen Staff The MVP of transportation, the Dramen Staff is unlocked early via the Fairy Tale questline. It allows access to the Fairy Ring network, offering free and fast teleports across the world. Early access to this staff drastically reduces travel time and improves efficiency.

4. Bottomless Compost Bucket This skilling item allows for storage of 5,000 compost buckets, significantly cutting down on cost and inventory clutter. Reducing ultracompost costs from 400 to 200 GP each, it saves money per farm run and is a game-changer for serious farmers.

5. Sunlight Hunter Crossbow The budget blowpipe of 2025, this 5k crossbow uses unique antler bolts and outclasses all other early ranged weapons. As soon as you can equip it, this should be your primary Ranged training weapon.

6. Mystic Vigor & Deadeye Prayers Unlocked from Royal Titans, these untradeable prayers are better than Eagle Eye and Magic Might, draining prayer points at the same rate while offering stronger buffs. They're essentially free and vastly improve midgame combat.

7. Dragon Defender Completely free and insanely powerful, the Dragon Defender is the best melee off-hand for most of the game. Once you hit 65 Attack and Strength, this should be your priority.

8. Rat Bone Weapons Bone Mace, Bone Bow, and Bone Staff are unlocked via Scurius and offer great early combat training. Over 100k XP per hour with a bit of profit? That's a win.

9. Fire Cape An iconic mid to late-game milestone, the Fire Cape offers +4 Strength and is second only to the Infernal Cape. Killing Jad is no small feat, but the reward is 100% worth it.

10. Arclight Free and effective against demons, Arclight offers a 70% damage and accuracy boost. It's ideal for bosses like Demonic Gorillas and Skotizo. Infuse it with shards for a future upgrade to Emberlight.

11. Slayer Helm (Imbued) The Slayer Helmet provides a 15% damage and 20% accuracy bonus on-task. It's so good that many players only kill Slayer monsters on-task just to use it. It's your go-to headgear for Slayer content.

12. Zombie Axe Versatile and powerful, this 1.1M weapon can slash and crush with excellent bonuses. It's great for everything from Gargoyles to general training.

13. Barrows Gloves The best gloves for a long time, Barrows Gloves require completion of Recipe for Disaster. They offer top-tier stats until very late-game alternatives, and the quest line unlocks many other benefits.

14. Mixology Gear (Prescription Goggles & Alchemist Amulet) These skilling items offer passive savings. Goggles have a 10% chance to save secondary ingredients, and the amulet gives a 15% chance to brew a four-dose potion. Great for expensive potions like Super Restores.

15. Berserker Ring (Imbued) For just 5M, you get +8 Strength bonus-which often means two extra max hits. It's easily the most impactful ring upgrade early on.

16. Rune Pouch Essential for any account, the Rune Pouch now comes with four slots thanks to Tombs of Amascut. You can buy it from the GE for 6M or earn it through Slayer or LMS.

17. Dragon Dagger (P++) The original special attack weapon. At just 25k, it's an effective and accessible option for increased DPS through special attacks.

18. Bonecrusher & Ash Sanctifier Earn passive Prayer XP from bones and ashes with these two items, available from hard diaries. Extremely useful during burst training or Slayer.

19. Mage Arena 2 Capes These best-in-slot magic capes require only 75 Magic and a short mini-quest. They're free and easy to acquire, especially compared to high-end mage gear.

20. Osmumten's Fang At under 10M, this weapon is possibly the strongest all-around weapon in the game. Highly accurate and effective against almost every monster, it's a mid-to-late game powerhouse.

21. Blood Moon Armor & Dual Makahedle This set is phenomenal for melee training and bossing, outshining even Bandos in someareas. It's particularly strong for fighting Naguas and other combat-heavy content.

22. Burning Claws A spec weapon comparable to Dragon Claws but only 15M. Deals 5% extra damage to demons and has a burn effect. Ideal for mid-to-late game bosses.

23. Ava's Assembler Still a solid ranged cape despite being outclassed by the Daeneris Quiver. Offers range strength and ammo-saving, making it a no-brainer post-Dragon Slayer II.

RuneScape's item progression is more flexible than ever, with more midgame and budget-friendly options available in 2025 than ever before. Whether you're training your first account or returning after a long break, having the right items at the right time can dramatically change your experience. These picks offer power, utility, and value without requiring billions of GP,sometimes you can get cheap OSRS GP,making them true essentials in your journey through Gielinor.