OSRS Inquisitor's Armour Review: The Crush Specialist

Inquisitor's armour is a specialized set of Melee gear in Old School RuneScape, distinguished by its unique focus on the Crush attack style. Dropped by The Nightmare and Phosani's Nightmare, this set requires an unusual combination of 70 Strength and 30 Defence to equip.

Components and Stats

The set consists of three pieces:

  • Inquisitor's Great Helm: Provides +8 Crush Attack and +4 Melee Strength. Has negative Stab/Slash/Magic/Ranged attack bonuses. Defence stats are low (comparable to Adamant). +1 Prayer bonus.
  • Inquisitor's Hauberk: Provides +12 Crush Attack and +4 Melee Strength. Carries significant negative bonuses for other attack styles. Low defence stats. +2 Prayer bonus.
  • Inquisitor's Plateskirt: Provides +12 Crush Attack and +2 Melee Strength. Also has negative bonuses for other styles and low defence. +2 Prayer bonus.

Full Set Bonuses (Excluding Set Effect):

  • Crush Attack: +32
  • Stab/Slash Attack: -8
  • Magic Attack: -25
  • Ranged Attack: -20
  • Melee Defences: +128 Stab, +95 Slash, +141 Crush
  • Magic Defence: 0
  • Ranged Defence: +69
  • Melee Strength: +10
  • Prayer: +5

(Refer to data dump for precise individual item stats)

The Set Bonus: Crush Enhancement

The true power of Inquisitor's armour lies in its set effect, active only when using the Crush attack style:

  • Per Piece: Each equipped piece (Helm, Hauberk, Plateskirt) grants +0.5% Crush Accuracy and +0.5% Crush Damage.
  • Full Set Bonus: Wearing all three pieces grants an additional +1.0% Crush Accuracy and +1.0% Crush Damage.
  • Total Effect (Full Set): +2.5% Crush Accuracy and +2.5% Crush Damage.

Interaction with Inquisitor's Mace:

  • If the Inquisitor's Mace is also equipped, the set bonus calculation changes. Each armour piece individually provides a +2.5% damage and accuracy boost (for Crush attacks), but there is no additional bonus for wearing the full set. This results in a maximum of +7.5% Crush accuracy/damage when wearing the full set with the mace.

Comparison to Alternatives

  • Bandos Armour: Requires 65 Defence. Offers the same base Melee Strength bonus (+6 Chest + Legs) but lacks the Crush specialization and set bonus. Bandos has significantly higher defensive stats across the board and no penalties to Stab/Slash attack. See our Bandos Armour Review.
  • Torva Armour: Requires 80 Defence. Offers higher base Strength (+8 Chest + Legs) and much higher defensive stats than both Bandos and Inquisitor's. Lacks Crush specialization. See our Torva Armour Analysis.
  • Obsidian Armour: Lower defence than Inquisitor's, set bonus applies only to Obsidian weapons. Niche use.
  • Barrows Armour: Generally higher defence, no Strength bonus (except Dharok's effect). Degradable.

Uses and Verdict

Inquisitor's armour is a niche but powerful set designed for specific situations where maximizing Crush damage and accuracy is paramount. Its low defensive stats are a significant drawback, making it less suitable for general use or situations where taking damage is unavoidable.

Ideal Uses:

  • High-Defence Monsters Weak to Crush: Where the +2.5% (or +7.5% with Mace) accuracy boost significantly outperforms the raw stats of Bandos/Torva. Examples: Tekton (Chambers of Xeric), Vet'ion (pre-rework, potentially post-rework), certain Corporeal Beast strategies.
  • Maximizing Crush DPS: Against targets like Cerberus (when using the Inquisitor's Mace), Nightmare/Phosani's Nightmare itself, or specific Slayer tasks where Crush is optimal and defence is less critical.
  • Specific Pures/Builds: The 30 Defence requirement makes it accessible to certain account builds earlier than Bandos or Torva.

When NOT to Use:

  • General Slayer tasks where Stab/Slash is preferred.
  • Situations requiring high defensive stats or tanking ability.
  • Against low-defence monsters where the accuracy bonus is less impactful than raw Strength from Bandos/Torva.

Verdict: Inquisitor's armour is a highly specialized Melee set. Its strength lies entirely in boosting Crush attacks, particularly against high-defence targets or when paired with the Inquisitor's Mace. While offering the same base Strength bonus as Bandos, its poor defensive stats and penalties to other styles limit its versatility. It is best-in-slot for specific Crush-focused encounters but is generally outperformed by Bandos or Torva for all-around Melee combat. As a Zamorakian item, it provides protection in the God Wars Dungeon.

Acquiring this set requires defeating The Nightmare or Phosani's Nightmare, some of OSRS's toughest bosses. Consider our expert OSRS PVM Services for assistance.