OSRS Ancestral Robes Review (2025) – Still Best Magic Gear?

Q: Is Ancestral better than Virtus robes?

For pure magic damage % outside specific areas like GWD, Ancestral offers +4% (full set) while Virtus effectively gives +0% magic damage boost unless its passive effect for Ancient Magicks activates (1.5% per piece = 4.5% max for Barrage/Burst). Virtus does give prayer bonus which Ancestral lacks. Virtus is better inside GWD/Nex due to another passive. Generally, for max magic damage across most content like Raids (CoX, ToA), Ancestral is still preferred if you don't need the prayer bonus.

Q: Do I need Ancestral robes if I have Tumeken's Shadow?

Need? No. Want? Probably yes! Tumeken's Shadow damage scales heavily with Magic Accuracy. Ancestral provides the highest Magic Accuracy bonus (+68 for the set), maximizing the Shadow's potential far more than Ahrim's or other robes. While expensive, Ancestral unlocks the Shadow's true power.

Q: Are Ancestral Robes worth the price in 2025?

Their price has dropped significantly from their peak, making them more accessible (~78m for the set as of writing). Whether they're "worth it" depends on your goals. If you do a lot of high-level PvM where Magic is key ( CoX , ToA, high-level slayer bursting) and already own a good magic weapon, the consistent DPS increase is noticeable and saves time/supplies. For mid-game players, other upgrades like Occult, Trident, or Rigour might be better value first (see Gear Progression).

A full 2025 review of OSRS Ancestral Robes (Hat, Top, Bottom). See stats, damage boosts vs Ahrim's/Virtus, where they shine in PvM/PvP, price history & if they're worth buying.

Published on: April 29, 2025 by Tons of XP Team

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OSRS Ancestral Robes Review (2025) – Still Top Tier Mage Gear?

Ever since Chambers of Xeric (CoX) dropped in 2017, the Ancestral robe set (hat, top, bottom) has been the benchmark for top magic damage in Old School RuneScape. But now we have the insanely powerful Tumeken’s Shadow staff, the prayer-boosting Virtus robes, and new raid strategies. Does Ancestral still hold the crown? Let's check the stats and performance in 2025.

1. Ancestral Stats & Damage Boost

Here's what each piece gives you:

Piece	Magic Attack Bonus	Magic Damage Bonus	Basic Defences (Stab/Slash/Crush Approx.)
Hat	+8	0%	+1/+3/+2
Robe Top	+35	+2%	+6/+8/+10
Robe Bottom	+25	+2%	+4/+6/+8
Full Set	+68	+4%	(Combined is decent but not main focus)

No Hidden Effect: Unlike some sets, Ancestral is straightforward: high Magic Attack bonus and a direct +4% Magic Damage increase for the full set.
Stacks Multiplicatively: This +4% damage stacks with other boosts like the Occult Necklace (+10%) and the scaling from Tumeken's Shadow, leading to big hits.

Quick Damage Example:

Say Tumeken's Shadow base max hit calculates to 80.
With Occult (+10%) = 88 max hit.
With Occult + Full Ancestral (+4% more) ≈ 91-92 max hit (stacks multiply, not just add). That small % difference adds up over hundreds of casts in a raid.

2. Price Check - Getting Cheaper?

Ancestral used to be way more expensive. Let's look at rough Grand Exchange set prices:

Date	Approx. Set Price (Hat+Top+Bottom)
Early 2023	~120m GP
Early 2024	~95m GP
Mid 2025	~78m GP

It's become significantly more affordable, especially compared to top-tier melee (Torva) or ranged (Masori) sets.

3. How Ancestral Compares to Rivals

Let's see how it stacks up against common alternatives:

Metric / Gear Set	Ancestral	Virtus (Outside GWD/Nex)	Ahrim's (Degrades)
Magic Attack (Set)	+68	+55	+65
Magic Damage % (Set)	+4%	0% (See Note*)	0%
Prayer Bonus (Set)	0	+6	0
Melee Str Penalty	0	-2	0
Approx Set Cost '25	~78m	~310m	~2m

*Virtus Note: Virtus does have passive effects boosting Ancient Magicks damage (like Ice Barrage) and damage inside God Wars Dungeon & Nex. Outside those specific uses, for general spellcasting with powered staves like Trident/Sang/Shadow, Ancestral's raw +4% damage boost is usually better than Virtus's passives. Virtus main advantage elsewhere is the Prayer bonus.

4. Best Places to Use Ancestral

Where does Ancestral truly make a difference?

End-Game Raids & Bossing

Chambers of Xeric (CoX): Best-in-slot (BiS) for Olm head/hands phase, Ice Demon, Shamans, Guardians. See CoX points guide. Consider CM version: CoX CM guide.
Theatre of Blood (ToB): BiS for Nylocas waves (especially with Shadow barrages) if not using Elite Void for range swap. See ToB guide and gear progression. Hard mode info: HM ToB Guide.
Tombs of Amascut (ToA): BiS magic damage for Ba-Ba puzzle, Wardens core phase, Akkha shadows, Zebak acid phase (if maging). See ToA guide. Use with Fang.
God Wars Dungeon: Excellent for maging K'ril (Zammy GWD) or Kree'arra's minions (Arma GWD) with Sang/Trident.
Other Bosses: Kraken, Thermonuclear Smoke Devil, Zulrah (mage phase).

Slayer & Skilling

High-Level Slayer: Bursting/Barraging tasks like Dust Devils, Nechryaels becomes even faster XP/hr.
Magic Training: Maximizes XP/hr if training via combat spells.

PvP Use

Still the top choice for raw Magic max hit potential in PvP scenarios like PKing or LMS, especially with Shadow (though Shadow itself isn't ideal PvP). However, some players prefer Virtus for the Prayer bonus allowing longer trips or more smite potential.

5. Is Buying Ancestral Worth It for YOU?

Consider this before dropping the GP:

Good Reasons to Buy:

You own Tumeken's Shadow or Sanguinesti Staff - Ancestral maximizes their potential.
You frequently raid CoX, ToA, or ToB (especially HM) where magic DPS is key.
The ~80m cost is affordable relative to your bank or you can make it back relatively quickly (Money making vs Buying Gold).

Reasons to Maybe Wait:

You're still saving for a core weapon upgrade like Tumeken's Shadow (which is a bigger DPS boost overall).
You mainly camp Nex or GWD bosses where Virtus might offer comparable or better utility (prayer/specific passives).
Your current priorities are cheaper, high-impact items like Dragon Warhammer, Bowfa, or key spec weapons.

6. Style Points: The Twisted Ancestral Kit

You can attach a Twisted Ancestral Colour Kit (reward from CoX Challenge Mode) to make your robes teal and gold.
This costs extra GP (price of the kit, ~6m currently) and is purely cosmetic. It looks cool, but adds no stats. It becomes untradeable when attached (but kit can be removed, destroying robe piece).

Verdict: Still the Magic DPS King (Mostly)

Despite newer gear options, Ancestral robes remain the best all-around choice for maximizing Magic damage in most end-game PvM scenarios outside of Nex/GWD. The significant price drop makes them a more achievable and worthwhile upgrade than ever for serious raiders and bossers using high-tier magic weapons.

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Frequently Asked Questions

+Is Ancestral better than Virtus robes?

For pure magic damage % outside specific areas like GWD, Ancestral offers +4% (full set) while Virtus effectively gives +0% magic damage boost unless its passive effect for Ancient Magicks activates (1.5% per piece = 4.5% max for Barrage/Burst). Virtus does give prayer bonus which Ancestral lacks. Virtus is better inside GWD/Nex due to another passive. Generally, for max magic damage across most content like Raids (CoX, ToA), Ancestral is still preferred if you don't need the prayer bonus.

+Do I need Ancestral robes if I have Tumeken's Shadow?

Need? No. Want? Probably yes! Tumeken's Shadow damage scales heavily with Magic Accuracy. Ancestral provides the highest Magic Accuracy bonus (+68 for the set), maximizing the Shadow's potential far more than Ahrim's or other robes. While expensive, Ancestral unlocks the Shadow's true power.

+Are Ancestral Robes worth the price in 2025?

Their price has dropped significantly from their peak, making them more accessible (~78m for the set as of writing). Whether they're "worth it" depends on your goals. If you do a lot of high-level PvM where Magic is key (CoX, ToA, high-level slayer bursting) and already own a good magic weapon, the consistent DPS increase is noticeable and saves time/supplies. For mid-game players, other upgrades like Occult, Trident, or Rigour might be better value first (see Gear Progression).