The rune kiteshield is a free-to-play melee tank shield that needs 40 Defence to wield. It is the second-best smithable kiteshield, behind only the (members') dragon kiteshield, giving strong all-round melee defence — +44 stab, +48 slash and +46 crush defence — for almost no cost. You can smith one at 97 Smithing from 3 runite bars, buy it off the Grand Exchange for a few thousand coins, or get it from elite Treasure Trails and the rare drop table. It is the default F2P shield and a popular cheap tank piece even for low-risk rangers.
Equipment bonuses
Rune kiteshield is built for melee defence. It gives +44 stab, +48 slash and +46 crush defence plus +46 ranged defence, making it one of the strongest shields a free player can equip.
Attack bonuses
Defence bonuses
Other bonuses
The trade-off is in your accuracy: it carries -8 Magic attack and -3 Ranged attack (and -1 Magic defence), so casters lose hit chance while wearing it. In skill terms it needs only 40 Defence — no quest required.
Grand Exchange price history
How to get the rune kiteshield
There are several ways to get a rune kiteshield:
- Grand Exchange — the easiest route. It is fully tradeable with a buy limit of 70 every 4 hours and usually costs only a few thousand coins. Check the live price and history chart above before you buy.
- Smithing — with 97 Smithing you can make one by using 3 runite bars on an anvil while holding a hammer, granting 225 Smithing experience.
- Treasure Trails — it is a required item on an elite emote clue step (the Shayzien War Tent Shrug clue), so you may pick one up while doing clue scrolls.
- Rare drop table — any monster with access to the rare drop table can drop it.
You only need 40 Defence to wear it — there is no quest requirement.
Is the rune kiteshield worth it?
For a free-to-play melee or low-risk account, yes. It is the strongest shield you can equip in F2P and is dirt cheap, so it is easy insurance for any melee setup. The wiki notes it is even used as a tank shield by low-risk and Void rangers — despite its small negative ranged attack bonus, it is far cheaper than the members' Odium ward and adds a substantial melee defence bonus that the ward lacks.
For members it is a stepping stone rather than an endgame piece. It is beaten by the dragon kiteshield (the only smithable kiteshield above it) and, in the wider meta, by members-only defenders, spirit shields and the dragonfire/toktz-ket-xil family. As a cheap melee-defence shield for early or free accounts, though, it does its job well — see the melee gear guide for where it sits.
Rune kiteshield FAQ
What level do you need for a rune kiteshield?
You need 40 Defence to wield it. There is no quest requirement, unlike the rune platebody.
Is the rune kiteshield members only?
No. The rune kiteshield is available to free-to-play players and is the strongest shield an F2P account can equip.
How do you make a rune kiteshield?
With 97 Smithing, use 3 runite bars on an anvil while carrying a hammer. This gives 225 Smithing experience per shield.
Is the rune kiteshield the best F2P shield?
For free-to-play, yes — it gives the best all-round melee defence of any shield a free player can equip, with +44 stab, +48 slash and +46 crush defence. The only smithable kiteshield above it, the dragon kiteshield, is members only.
How much is a rune kiteshield worth?
It is cheap — typically only a few thousand coins on the Grand Exchange. For the current value and trend, see the live price and history chart above.
Update history
Source: OSRS Wiki — Rune kiteshield (Changes).
