Ascension crossbows are some of the best-ranged weapons in Runescape, and they are the only way to obtain the tier 90 range defender. The acquisition of the crossbow is a long grind, but with the right setup and knowledge, it can be relatively easy. This guide will go through the process of obtaining an ascension crossbow, and how to optimize your setup to make the grind as easy as possible.

The ascension crossbow consists of two main components: the dragon crossbow limbs, and the signets from each of the six ascended legios. Dragon crossbow limbs drop from tormented demons with a drop rate of 1 in 256. The six signets drop from each of the six legios, with a drop rate of 1 in 50. So in total, you'll need to kill each legio 50 times, plus tormented demons for the dragon crossbow limbs, to have a full ascension crossbow.

Grinding the Ascension Crossbow

Grinding out the ascension crossbow can be a long and arduous process, especially if you're on a budget. The best way to grind the ascension crossbow is to make use of the Slayer Dungeon in the Monastery of Ascension. The slayer monsters in the dungeon drop the keys needed to fight each legio, with a drop rate of 1 in 384. You'll need to kill each legio 50 times, so that's about 20,000 slayer monsters in total. 

The best monster to kill in the slayer dungeon is the Capsary Eye due to its low health. However, this means that you'll need to capture their souls and place them in your slayer dungeon in order to mass-kill them. This requires 99 slayer, so it may not be an option for Ironmen who don't have access to the quest point cape. 

Optimizing Your Setup

The most important part of the grind is making sure your setup is optimized to kill the Capsary Eyes as quickly as possible. You should make use of the Decimation bow, as it is one of the strongest two-handed range weapons that doesn't require ammunition. 

The Perks you should use on your gear are Precise 6, Ruthless 1, Biting 2, and Scavenging 4. The Precise 6 and Ruthless 1 Perks will increase your damage output, while the Biting 2 Perk will increase your accuracy. The Scavenging 4 Perk will give you a chance to receive rare components from the monsters you kill, which can be very useful.

In terms of Prayers, you should make use of the Leech Range Strength Prayer, with the Amulet of Zealots. This will increase the Prayer's effectiveness to 18%, which is far more than the 12% you would normally get from level 99 Prayer. 

Finally, you should make use of the Equilibrium aura, as it will increase your minimum hit by 25%. This will help you kill the monsters more quickly, but it does limit your grind to within your aura window. Fortunately, recent changes to auras have made this less of an issue, as you can log out and the timer won't reset. 

Conclusion

The ascension crossbow is a powerful ranged weapon, and it can be obtained relatively easily with the right setup and knowledge. This guide should provide you with the information you need to successfully grind out an ascension crossbow, and make the process as easy as possible.