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[B][SIZE="5"][CENTER][IMG]http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/595/prayerico.png[/IMG]How to train prayer[IMG]http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/595/prayerico.png[/IMG][/CENTER][/SIZE][/B]
[B][SIZE="4"]Introduction[/SIZE][/B]
Prayer is one of the more confusing skill in Runescape. It is completely unique, in that the only way to train it (disregarding single use or rare rewards) is completely separate from its actual use, in combat. Also, all methods of training are available at all levels, the amount of exp you can gain per hour is exactly the same for most training methods, from level 1, to level 99. However, despite all these irregularities, its use in fighting high level or boss monsters is extremely valuable, as with the suitable prayers you can defeat a boss many levels below it, without taking any damage.

[B][SIZE="4"]What this guide will contain[/SIZE][/B]
this guide will show the fastest way to train, the cheap way to train and the free way to train prayer, as well as give an explanation on all the prayers, and the most effective ways to use prayers as a strong part of combat. Please note, around 90% of this guide is for Runescape members, as non members have 2 bone types, and no player altars or the ectofunctus

[B][SIZE="4"]Prayer training: the basics[/SIZE][/B]
While i will not go into good methods of training prayer, i will briefly explain the basics. You gain experience by burying bones, of which there is many varieties, all giving different amounts of experience. In player owned houses, you can find/build altars with up to a 350% prayer multiplier. If you have completed enough quests to unlock port phasmatys you have access to the ectofunctus, which slows down the burying process greatly, but gives a 400% multiplier. Using a combination of good bones and the multipliers is the most common way to train. Prayers are then used in combat, and are drained as you leave the prayers on (for instance 15% strength bonus). After you run out of prayer points, you can only recover prayer points by praying at an altar, dieing or drinking prayer potions.

[B][SIZE="4"]The regular prayer book[/SIZE][/B]
The regular prayerbook is the prayerbook used by most Runescape players, which contains all the basic prayers, and most importantly the protect from prayers. These prayers take 100% of damage from npc enemies, from a certain attack style (ranged, magic, melee, based on the prayer) and can be used, with or without prayer potions to take down enemies that are much stronger than you, due to being able to take 100% of the damage of the monster attacking you, without any negative attack bonuses, potentially negating the need for food and armour. This is in addition to the attack bonus prayers for each attack style, with the higher end prayers requiring quests or dungeonnering tokens to earn the use of
[IMG]http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/4571/prayers.png[/IMG]
[I]The prayer book[/I]

[B][SIZE="4"]The ancient curses book[/SIZE][/B]
The ancient curses are a book of prayers, only available after completing the quest "temple at Sennistien". The prayers in the book are referred to as "curses" everywhere in game, and by many players. These curses are slightly different to the regular prayers, with a slight focus on player versus player combat, such as "drain" curses which drain a small percentage of enemy strength, run energy, special bar or any other combat attribute. The "protect from" prayer are also replaced with "deflect" prayers which completely negate enemy damage, as well as a chance to reflect some of the damage back onto the attacking enemy.
[IMG]http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/8779/curses.png[/IMG]
[I]The curses book[/I]
[B][SIZE="4"]Prayer training: POH Altars[/SIZE][/B]
The most effective (and costly) way to train prayer in the game is to train your construction level to 85, and build a gilded altar in your player owned houses. This requirement alone costs around 10million coins, with around 3million needed to build the altar, without gaining any prayer exp. After this, teleport between your house and your bank with a full inventory of frost dragon bones and 2 marentill herbs for the burners, after you light the burners, use the frost dragon bones with the altar, offering them to the altar and gaining 630exp per bone, at a very fast offering rate, giving you a massive exp rate per hour, at a massive cost in gold per hour. This can be done at any level, because of the unique nature of prayer. If you are only looking to do a few runs, you can borrow someone else's altar by looking around on the house parties world.

[B][SIZE="4"]Prayer training: ectofunctus[/SIZE][/B]
the ectofunctus is the way to get the most experience out of any bones you have banked, or any bones you decide to buy, giving a massive 400% bonus to exp gained from bones offered to the ectofunctus. While this does not give the same exp/hour that a gilded altar in a player owned house gives, this is strongly recommended for players trying to make the most out of their money/bones. It is worth noting, that to use the ectofunctus you need to have completed:
The restless ghost
Priest in peril
Ghosts Ahoy! (recommended)
For the best ectofunctus strategy, teleport to and from the ectofunctus using an ectophial to get there (ghosts ahoy! required) and using a ring of kinship (Dungeoneering ring) or ring of duelling to teleport to a bank, and restock on bones. Once you teleport to the ectofunctus (with your inventory consisting of 9 buckets, 9 pots,9 frost dragon bones and your ectophial, first go into the basement, run round the "rings" until you reach the pool of slime, which you must fill your buckets with. Then, go back up to the first floor, and go up the stairs to the bone grinder, and grind all your bones, which will fill your buckets. Then, go down to the ground floor with your pots and your buckets, worship the ectofunctus (ground floor), then teleport to the bank, and start again!
[IMG]http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5162/ecto.png[/IMG]
[I]The ectofunctus[/I]
[B][SIZE="4"]Prayer training: Bonecrusher[/SIZE][/B]
Please note, this is the least efficient method of training prayer, and is only listed as a method for people who wish to train prayer "effectively" for free, despite the low exp/hour rate. It is also worth noting that you will achieve 99 in all combat skills you use while training prayer with this method before you reach 99 prayer. You have been warned. Anyway, this method involves buying the bone crusher from the dungeoneering reward trader, (63 dungeoneering is required to have the tokens needed, as well as 21 prayer) and kill any monster which is easy to kill and drops bones. The bone crusher is used because it automatically buries bones without any clicking required if it is in the inventory, and will save millions of clicks on the way to 99, as opposed to the relatively small time it takes to obtain one. The best monsters to "bone crusher train" on are cows, chickens, hill giants, ice giants, green dragons or potentially frost dragons. Good luck on levelling with this method, you will need it

[B][SIZE="4"]Effective use of prayer[/SIZE][/B]
When used with the best set ups of armour an inventory, as said many times before prayer can be the most useful part of combat, against monsters and bosses. While there are some monsters that hit through prayer, many do not and these are the monsters that are easy to kill using prayer to protect you while attacking them.
Prayer outfit:
besides any primary weapon you may have (though a dragon mace would add to the effect), aiming for the highest +prayer bonus in the equipment stats menu is what you're going for here, as the higher your +prayer bonus is, the slower your prayer points drain. Recommended equipment would be an unholy or holy symbol, a trimmed skillcape (or soulwars cape if possible) druid robes and a voids knight or dragon mace.
Prayer inventory:
These are what the majority of your inventory should be dedicated to. Prayer potions (4). Having a large amount of these effectively gives you unlimited prayer points, at a large cost per inventory.

[B][SIZE="4"]Prayer skillcape[/SIZE][/B]
Once you have reached 99 prayer, you will be able to buy the prayer skillcape from Jered at the monastery, for 99,000 coins.

[I]Congratulations, you have one of the most expensive 99's![/I]
[IMG]http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/8098/prayerskillcape.png[/IMG]
Written by Andrew "toycat" Adams