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RSGOALS · RS3

DefenceRS3 Ironman Defence Training Guide

Use defensive XP toggle on Slayer, or quest lamps.

Defence goes to level 99. Every method below is self-sufficient: no Grand Exchange, only what you gather, craft or earn yourself.

Last verified against the RuneScape Wiki: 28 September 2026 ·

Training path

2 stages from level 1, each starting at the level you unlock it.

  1. Levels 1–30

    Holy Grail quest (15,300 Defence XP) + early quests; The Blood Pact for free starter weapons

  2. Levels 30–99

    Slayer with defensive XP / shared XP mode

Quests that give Defence XP

20 quests have a set Defence XP reward (lamps and choice rewards not counted).

  • A Clockwork Syringe
  • A Shadow Over Ashdale
  • A Soul's Bane
  • Between a Rock...
  • Defender of Varrock
  • Dimension of Disaster: Defender of Varrock
  • Dragon Slayer
  • Elemental Workshop III
  • Heroes' Quest
  • Holy Grail
  • In Aid of the Myreque
  • In Search of the Myreque
  • King's Ransom
  • Nature Spirit
  • Observatory Quest
  • Olaf's Quest
  • Salt in the Wound
  • The Blood Pact
  • The Fremennik Trials
  • What Lies Below

What Defence unlocks for an Ironman

Gear and quality-of-life items from our gear progression and utility lists that need a Defence level.

  • 1

    Deathwarden robes (T10)

    Gear

    Necromancy armour, tier 10. Source: Free from Sostratus, City of Um (after Necromancy!)

  • 20

    Deathwarden robes (T20)

    Gear

    Necromancy armour, tier 20. Source: Craft after Kili Row

  • 30

    Deathwarden robes (T30)

    Gear

    Necromancy armour, tier 30. Source: Craft after Kili's Knowledge I

  • 40

    Deathwarden robes (T40)

    Gear

    Necromancy armour, tier 40. Source: Craft after Kili's Knowledge II

  • 40

    Mystic / Splitbark / Batwing robes

    Gear

    Magic armour, tier 40. Source: Buy mystic from Oziach (after Dragon Slayer) / splitbark from Wizard Jalarast / craft batwing from bat drops

  • 50

    Deathwarden robes (T50)

    Gear

    Necromancy armour, tier 50. Source: Craft after Kili's Knowledge III

  • 50

    Rune armour

    Gear

    Melee armour, tier 50. Source: Smithing or monster drops

  • 60

    Black dragonhide armour

    Gear

    Ranged armour, tier 60. Source: Craft from your own black dragonhide (60 Crafting for the body)

  • 60

    Deathwarden robes (T60)

    Gear

    Necromancy armour, tier 60. Source: Craft after Kili's Knowledge IV

  • 60

    Dragon armour

    Gear

    Melee armour, tier 60. Source: Drops (chainbody: Kalphite Queen / dust devils; platelegs) + platebody smithed from ruined dragon armour pieces (tormented demons, 90 Smithing)

  • 65

    Royal d’hide armour

    Gear

    Ranged armour, tier 65. Source: Craft from royal dragonhide (QBD / grotworm drops; 65 Crafting)

  • 70

    Ahrim’s robes

    Gear

    Magic armour, tier 70. Source: Barrows minigame

  • 70

    Armadyl armour

    Gear

    Ranged armour, tier 70. Source: Kree’arra (GWD1)

  • 70

    Bandos armour

    Gear

    Melee armour, tier 70. Source: General Graardor (GWD1)

  • 70

    Barrows armour (Dharok/Verac/Guthan/Torag)

    Gear

    Melee armour, tier 70. Source: Barrows minigame

  • 70

    Deathdealer robes (T70, power)

    Gear

    Necromancy armour, tier 70. Source: Craft after Kili's Knowledge V (power): upgrade T60 Deathwarden with Hermodic plates (Hermod drop)

  • 70

    Deathwarden robes (T70, tank)

    Gear

    Necromancy armour, tier 70. Source: Craft after Kili's Knowledge V (needs The Spirit of War)

  • 70

    Subjugation robes

    Gear

    Magic armour, tier 70. Source: K’ril Tsutsaroth (GWD1)

  • 80

    Anima Core of Zaros

    Gear

    Melee armour, tier 80. Source: Dormant anima core (GWD2 drops) + Crest of Zaros (Vindicta & Gorvek)

  • 80

    Deathdealer robes (T80, power)

    Gear

    Necromancy armour, tier 80. Source: Craft after Kili's Knowledge VI (power) + Hermodic plates

  • 80

    Laceration boots

    Gear

    Melee armour, tier 80. Source: Slayer dinosaurs on Anachronia (feral dinosaurs from 90 Slayer)

  • 85

    Pernix (t80, Nex) / Death Lotus (t83, Ports)

    Gear

    Ranged armour, tier 83. Source: Nex / Player-owned Ports (Death Lotus made at 90 Crafting)

  • 85

    Tetsu armour (t83)

    Gear

    Melee armour, tier 83. Source: Player-owned Ports (made at 90 Smithing)

  • 85

    Virtus (t80, Nex) / Seasinger (t83, Ports)

    Gear

    Magic armour, tier 83. Source: Nex / Player-owned Ports (Seasinger made at 90 Runecrafting)

  • 90

    Deathdealer robes (T90, power)

    Gear

    Necromancy armour, tier 90. Source: Craft after Kili's Knowledge VII (power) + Hermodic plates

  • 92

    Masterwork armour

    Gear

    Melee armour, tier 92. Source: Smithing (Trimmed masterwork)

  • 95

    Robes of the First Necromancer

    Gear

    Necromancy armour, tier 95. Source: Rasial, the First Necromancer

Voice of Seren

Defence is boosted in the Iorwerth district of Prifddinas. When the Voice of Seren is active there, Defence training in the district earns +20% XP, as does Slayer, Attack and Strength. See which districts are active now.

Key XP milestones

Total XP needed to reach each level, from the standard RuneScape XP formula.

LevelTotal XP
50101,333
70737,627
926,517,253
9913,034,431

Common questions

How should an Ironman train Defence?

Use defensive XP toggle on Slayer, or quest lamps. The path in this guide: 1–30, Holy Grail quest (15,300 Defence XP) + early quests; The Blood Pact for free starter weapons; 30–99, Slayer with defensive XP / shared XP mode.

Which quests give Defence XP?

20 quests give a set Defence XP reward, including A Clockwork Syringe, A Shadow Over Ashdale, A Soul's Bane, Between a Rock..., Defender of Varrock, Dimension of Disaster: Defender of Varrock, Dragon Slayer and Elemental Workshop III and 12 more.

How much XP is level 99 Defence?

Level 99 Defence needs 13,034,431 XP.

More Ironman guides

Attack training →Ironman Attack path from 1 to 120.Strength training →Ironman Strength path from 1 to 120.All skill guides →Training paths for all 29 RS3 skills, built for Ironmen.Gear progression →Where each Ironman gear upgrade comes from and what it takes.

Game updates change things fast. If something here is out of date, and we'll fix it.