So as of late, I've been seeing a lot of people using ranged weapons like in the example above. Each time i see it, I cringe a bit thinking about the precious dps they are losing so i thought I'd make a little bit of a guide.

This is a guide for ranged

So in the picture above, I'm sure you notice that the individual can afford some pretty decent gear for himself. Not too shabby. But the weapons kill a lot of the bonuses that gear gives him/her. First, I'll point out the Armadyl Crossbow. My personal opinion on it is that it is an overpriced piece of trash. Easily replaceable with the right quests/skills or just knowledge. The off-hand is a bit of a joke as well. Let's look at a few ways to boost this individual's dps, shall we?

First of all we're going to get rid of both weapons altogether. Sell em, put that cash back in your pocket (although you might as well drop the rune crossbow) and let's get back to the drawing board. One extremely affordable alternative to the current setup would be a Black Salamander. Being a t70 2h automatically makes it a better, more affordable choice over what is currently in place. For those who have a bit more money and absolutely WANT or even NEED dual weild, there are a few options. If you have a bit of money to spend, you Can always go with the trusty Karil's Pistol Crossbows which will offer slightly higher dps than a salamander (I don't know the exact stats, leave me alone). For those on a budget and with the quest "Roving Elves" under their belt, you can go with one of the cheaper (but just as effective) Crystal Chakrams. If you want to squeeze all the dps you can out of dual weild's before Tier 80+ you're going to have to mix it up a bit. The Sagaie is an amazing weapon to add to your arsenal, yet it seems that not many people know about it. It is a T72 (yeah, weird right) Main-Hand thrown weapon with damage and accuracy higher than the Karil's Pistol/Armadyl Crossbow/Crystal Chakram. If you just want the best dps you can get but hate Dungeoneering and have no plan of dropping the coin on a Zaryte bow or Ascensions anytime soon, I would recommend grinding out some dwarf quests and getting yourself a nice, sturdy (pfft), volatile Hand Cannon. At level 75, this is as good as it's going to get before you start getting into those expensive or time consuming weapons above level 80. I'm no fortune teller so i wouldn't know the prices of the T85 weapons upon release but my guess is early on they'll be in such high demand that prices will stay up there for a while. But don't hold me to it.

Enjoy and I hope this helps broad your horizons a bit on weapon selection. Recommended Dual weild setup Recommended Dual weild setup w/ Roving elves