Scythe vs Rapier

The Scythe of Vitur (400M+) and Ghrazi Rapier (120M) are the two premier melee weapons in OSRS. The answer to which is better depends entirely on what you are fighting.

Scythe Wins At:

Any 3x3 or larger monster: Scythe hits up to 3 targets in a single swing, tripling DPS against large monsters
Theatre of Blood: Scythe is BIS for Maiden, Bloat, Sotetseg, Xarpus, and Verzik P1/P2
Tekton (CoX): Massive 3x3 monster. Scythe destroys him
Cerberus: 3x3 boss, Scythe is clearly superior
Nightmare/Phosani: Large boss, Scythe dominates

Rapier Wins At:

Any 1x1 or 2x2 monster: Single-target DPS with lower attack speed
Slayer tasks: Zero operating cost vs Scythe charges
Budget considerations: 120M vs 400M+ and no charge cost
Vorkath (melee method): 1x1 target, Rapier is better than Scythe

Operating Costs

Scythe: Uses 3 Blood Runes + 1 Vial of Blood per swing. Costs approximately 500-1000 GP per attack. This adds up to 500K-1M/hr in charges. Not viable for Slayer.

Rapier: Zero operating cost. Use it anywhere without worrying about charges.

Which to Buy First?

Rapier first if you primarily do Slayer and general PvM
Scythe first if you primarily raid (especially ToB)
Osmumtens Fang (100M) is actually better than both for many bosses due to its accuracy mechanic. Consider this as an alternative.

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