If you want to explore all of the games quests, mini-games, and achievements however, you will need to have levels in every skill. Therefore the other combat types don't matter whatsoever, though you will need to train Def, HP, Prayer, and Summoning. If you just want to max out your combat level, the formula provided in KevinTheGreat's answer shows that it only uses the maximum level of your magic OR ranged OR attack/strength. 7 skills have been release since i started. Welcome to Old School RuneScape Relive the challenging levelling system and risk-it-all PvP of the biggest retro styled MMO. Some skills are 'interlaced', meaning that they can be used together. Some skills allow players to cook, chop down trees, make fires, use magic, make runes and more. Skills are trained by various repetitive actions that give experience in the skill, until enough experience is earned for the next level. Magic in its current form was released 17 March 2001 (not on chart). Skills are a player's attributes that can be advanced throughout the game. (Was initially released on 4 January 2001). Skills can increase a players ability in combat, gathering resources, processing materials, or performing other tasks. It was released as prayer on (not on chart.) Magic was initially divided into good magics and evil magics. Regardless, you will rarely if ever be forced to use a combat type other than your preferred one if you pick your battles. Skills are levels of abilities for a player to perform a given task. Melee can be useful when you run out of runes and ranged is good for certain enemy types and PvP strategies, but magic is already the most useful with teleport abilities, buffs, and enchantments. If you are only interested in fighting things and getting loot or PvP, then your non-main combat skills do not matter very much. Defence, HP, Prayer, and Summoning help in various situations regardless of your preferred combat method and you definitely will want to train those (unless you are going for a pure account or want to have a low combat level for your main stats for PvP). I will preface this answer with the assumption that you have a "main" combat skill which is the one you like the most and which your combat level is based on.