Monster attack speed

The Monster attack speed of a monster determines the rate of which a monster can attack. This is a factor which balances the attacking power of a monster.

The speeds of monsters are represented by a bar on which there are several possible values ranging from 9 (fastest) to 1 (slowest). The bar is separated into ten squares of lightening shades of blue. The value represents the number of squares shown, with 10 displaying a full bar and 0 displaying an empty bar. The delay time in seconds between each attack is equal to 6 - 0.6*(Speed Value). The 0.6 seconds is the basic unit of time that RuneScape runs on; all monster attack speeds are an integer multiple of this tick time.

An animation which cycles through each speed value

An animation which cycles through each speed value

Free to play Monsters

Attack Speeds of Various Monsters

Image	Monsters	Notes
Very slowInterval: 4.8 seconds	Bal'lak the Pummeller	Extremely fast, but generally low hits.
SlowInterval: 4.2 seconds	Flesh crawlers; Ranged skeletons in Daemonheim; Shadow-forger Ihlakhizan	Low hits but rapidly.
AverageInterval: 3.6 seconds	Most bare-handed monsters, including bare-handed humans; Wizards and Dark wizards; Elvarg; Melzar the mad; Monks of Zamorak; Barbarians; Most bosses in Daemonheim; Cockroach soldiers; Ice warriors; Ice elementals; Dungeoneering dragons; Forgotten rangers; Mysterious shades	Most common attack speed. The majority of these monsters, if not all, use melee and/or ranged attacks.
FastInterval: 3.0 seconds	Most humans and Forgotten warriors holding weapons with attack speed 5; most zombies holding weapons; Zombies in Daemonheim; dwarfs; Ice giants; all Revenants; Forgotten mages; Mercenary leaders; Gluttonous behemoth; Hobgoblin Geomancer; Magic Skeletons in Daemonheim	Generally hits harder and more often than monsters with faster attack speeds.
FastestInterval: 2.4 seconds	Hill giants; Moss giants; humans wielding crossbows; Forgotten warriors with 2h sword or maul; Brutes; Ramokees	Hits are slow, but can be quite damaging, particularly from brutes and forgotten warriors.
	White knights	They hit with two-handed swords.
	Bovimastyx	Bovimastyx are only encountered in Daemonheim.
	None	No monster hits with this speed.
File:Speedanim.gif	Astea Frostweb, To'Kash the Bloodchiller, Unholy cursebearer	The monster either has an irregular attack rate, or its speed is indeterminate.

Pay to play Monsters

Attack Speeds of Various Monsters

Image	Monsters	Notes
Extremely slowInterval: 5.4 seconds	Scarab swarms; Koschei the Deathless (final form); Zimberfizz (during Soul Wars tutorial), Har'Aken, Vanstrom Klause (during the Branches of Darkmeyer, final form)	The monster attacks once every game tick. Hits are usually low, but extremely fast.
Very slowInterval: 4.8 seconds	Rock lobsters; Abyssal leeches; Killerwatts; Commander Zilyana; Nomad (after going berserk), Bouncer (during Ritual of the Mahjarrat)	The monster attacks every other game tick. Hits are fast, but usually low/inaccurate.
SlowInterval: 4.2 seconds	Warriors and Market guards in Rellekka; Kree'arra; Dessous; Dessourt; Karamel; Damis (second form); Bush snakes; snakes on Mos Le'Harmless; all members of the Dwarven Black Guard; Yk'Lagor the Thunderous; Blink; Kal'Ger the Warmonger (after equipping Primal maul)	Hits are quite fast, but generally lower than those with slower attack speeds.
AverageInterval: 3.6 seconds	All Dragons; Earth warriors; Waterfiends; Strykewyrms; Nex; Corporeal Beast; Kal'Ger the Warmonger; Tormented demons; Giant Mole; Kalphite Queen; Karil the Tainted; Koschei the Deathless (first three forms); TzTok-Jad (melee only); Vyrewatch (within Darkmeyer only); Glacytes; Glacors (after Glacytes are defeated)	The standard attack speed, and the most common speed for monsters.
FastInterval: 3.0 seconds	Nomad (before going berserk); Aquanites; Fire giants; All Revenants; Nezikchened; Barrelchest; Pest Queen; General Graardor; Abyssal walkers; Gluttonous behemoth; Vyrewatch (ouside of Darkmeyer only); Necromancers; Vanstrom Klause (during The Branches of Darkmeyer); Glacors	Generally hits harder and more often than monsters with faster attack speeds.
FastestInterval: 2.4 seconds	Queen Black Dragon; Skeletal Wyverns; TokTz-Ket-Dill; K'ril Tsutsaroth; Suqahs; Jungle demon; Ahrim the Blighted; Dreadnaut; Rammernaut; Skeletal horror; the Phoenix; Runebound behemoth; Mutated jadinkos; Balance Elemental; Decaying avatar	Attacks are slow, but generally hit high.
	Chaos dwarf hand cannoneers; Dharok the Wretched; Black Knight Titan; Grotworms	Slow attacks, but usually with high accuracy and/or maximum damage.
	TzTok-Jad (ranged and magic); Dad; Vanstrom Klause (during Darkness of Hallowvale); most familiars	Very slow attacks, but high maximum damage and/or accuracy.
	Swamp monster head	Hits very slowly but generally hits very hard and often.
	Dreadnip	Attacks are extremely slow, but compensated by high damage and accuracy
File:Speedanim.gif	Cave horrors; Necrolord; Gravecreeper	The monster's speed is indeterminate, or the monster has an irregular attack rate.

See Also

• Weapon Attack speeds