OSRS Ammonite Crabs Guide: The Best AFK Combat Training Spot

For any player looking to train their melee or ranged combat stats with minimal effort, the beaches of Fossil Island are the place to be. This is the home of the Ammonite Crabs, the undisputed kings of AFK "crab" training.

This guide will show you where to find them, why they are superior to their sandy cousins, and how to set up for the most effective low-intensity training sessions.

Why Ammonite Crabs are the Best

Ammonite Crabs follow the same principle as Sand Crabs or Rock Crabs: they are aggressive monsters with very high Hitpoints, low Defence, and a max hit of 1. This makes them perfect training dummies. However, Ammonite Crabs have one key advantage.

  • Massive Health Pool: Ammonite Crabs boast 100 Hitpoints. This is significantly more than Sand Crabs (60 HP) or Rock Crabs (50 HP).
  • More AFK Time: The higher health pool means you spend more time in combat with a single crab and less time waiting for it to respawn. This results in more consistent XP per hour and longer periods where you don't have to interact with the game.

Requirements and Location

  • Quest: You must complete the Bone Voyage quest to access Fossil Island.
  • Location: The crabs are found along the northern and eastern coasts of Fossil Island.
  • The Best Spot: The most popular location is a small cove on the northern coast, slightly northwest of the Museum Camp. This spot contains a cluster of three crabs that are close together.

The AFK Strategy

The strategy for Ammonite Crabs is simple and has been perfected over years of AFK grinding.

  1. Find a Spot: Locate a cluster of 2-3 crabs.
  2. Get Aggro: Walk near them to get their attention. They will become aggressive and attack you.
  3. Stand and Fight: Position yourself in the middle of the cluster and let auto-retaliate do the work. The crabs will attack you, you'll kill them, and as they respawn, they will become aggressive again.
  4. The 10-Minute Timer: The crabs will stop being aggressive to you after about 10-15 minutes. To reset their aggression, simply run a short distance away (about one screen length) and then run back. They will immediately become aggressive again.

Your goal is to maximize your Strength bonus for Melee or your Ranged Strength bonus for Ranged. Defence is not a concern as they only hit for 1.

  • Melee: Use your best Strength-boosting gear (Neitiznot Helm, Fighter Torso, Dragon Boots) and your best weapon. An Obsidian Platebody with a Toktz-xil-ak (obby sword) and Berserker Necklace is a very popular and effective setup.
  • Ranged: Use your best Ranged damage gear and a Toxic Blowpipe with cheap darts or a Magic Shortbow (i) with amethyst arrows.

Ironman Strategy

For Ironmen, Ammonite Crabs are a fantastic way to train combat stats without using any valuable food or prayer potions.

  • Early Game Combat: It's an ideal spot to grind out your early-to-mid game combat levels (e.g., 40-70 in all stats) before you start seriously training Slayer.
  • Fossil Collection: While killing the crabs, you have a rare chance of receiving unidentified fossils, which can be cleaned at the Museum Camp for XP lamps and other rewards.

Conclusion

Ammonite Crabs are the pinnacle of AFK combat training in OSRS. Their massive health pool provides the longest and most consistent AFK sessions, making them the perfect target for anyone looking to make progress on their combat stats while working, studying, or playing another account.

Don't have the time to sit at crabs for hundreds of hours? Our team can handle the grind for you.

→ OSRS Combat Training Services
→ For even more AFK training, check out the new Gemstone Crabs