With Raids 4 on the horizon, the OSRS community is already doing what it does best: speculating and placing huge item bets.
A recent popular thread on Reddit’s Grand Exchange forum featured a player openly yolo-investing tens of billions into potential Raids 4 winners. The core thesis was simple:
“Raids 4 will finally make crush the meta.”
If that happens, several currently underloved items could explode in price. If it doesn’t… they could sit flat (or sink even more).
This article breaks down:
- The main crush-based bets (Inquisitor’s, mace, Elder maul)
- The community pushback (Scythe, fang, stab setups, tbow, tank gear)
- What Raids 4 might realistically look like
- And how a normal player might approach speculation without nuking their bank
The Original Bet: “I’m All-In on Crush”
The OP’s logic from the thread:
- Each raid has favored a different style so far
- Crush has been “ignored” for a long time
- Therefore, Raids 4 is due to be crush-favored content
Based on that, they’ve loaded up on three key items:
1️⃣ Inquisitor’s Armour Sets
- Bought around 115M per set
- Currently near all-time lows
- Thesis: if Raids 4 bosses are weak to crush, Inq becomes the default melee armour again
- Upside: strong – armour re-entering the meta after a lull tends to spike hard
- Risk: Jagex could design bosses around other weaknesses (stab/magic/range), or keep scythe dominant
2️⃣ Inquisitor’s Mace
- Bought around 160M each
- High-risk, high-reward bet
- Thesis: if Raids 4 needs crush, mace could become BiS melee weapon and multiply in price
- Some replies estimate 3–4x upside if everything lines up
However, a big chunk of comments push back:
- “As long as Scythe of Vitur stays the way it is, Inq mace will never be better.”
- Scythe already has a crush attack style, hits multiple targets, and still dominates much of the late-game PvM meta.
- Jagex would have to deliberately design around scythe for mace to truly shine.
3️⃣ Elder Maul
- Bought at around 88M after it tanked post-Sailing
- OP sees this as the safest pick of the three
- Elder maul has always had a role in defence reduction / heavy-hitting situations
- Even with cheaper options (Dragon Warhammer, etc.), many believe it will keep a niche in Raids-style content
Community Reactions: Scythe, Stab, and Tank Scenarios
The comments are where the real insight lives. A few big themes showed up:
“Scythe is Inquisitor’s Biggest Enemy”
Several players argued that as long as Scythe of Vitur:
- Has a crush style
- Hits multiple times per swing
- And isn’t heavily nerfed
…it’s very hard for Inquisitor’s mace to be strictly better.
For mace to become the clear winner, Raids 4 would likely need:
- Single-target bosses
- Very high defence, where flat armour values hurt scythe
- Mechanics that discourage or disable scythe (size issues, restrictions, etc.)
Some players floated ideas like:
- Defence reduction caps similar to Tombs of Amascut
- Bosses designed with flat armour that punishes multi-hit weapons
But even then, others pointed out:
“If defence caps exist, people might just bring Fang instead of mace.”
“Crush Has Been Bad for Years – It Needs Love”
On the bullish crush side:
- Players noted crush has been underwhelming in most newer content
- Jagex has historically tried to revive old gear by tying it into new content (Bandos → Torva, Armadyl → Masori, etc.)
- Following that pattern, some argued Raids 4 could:
- Introduce a new crush mega-rare
- Or add an attachment or upgrade path linked to Inquisitor’s mace or armour
Others pushed back hard on the “attachment” idea, saying it would feel bad to:
Get one of the rarest items in the game and not even be able to use it without grinding a second rare item.
Reasonable counter: items like Kodai Insignia and Ward (f) already work this way, so Jagex isn’t opposed to the concept.
Alternative Bets: Stab, Tbow, and Tank Meta
Not everyone is on Team Crush.
Some alternative speculation from the thread:
- Stab gear:
- We already have strong slash/crush armour (Torva, Oathplate, Inq)
- A “missing” stab armour set could be introduced via Raids 4
- If bosses are low-defence, stab-weak targets, rapiers and stab gear could surge
- Ranged-focused raid:
- A few posters suggested Raids 4 could lean into range/mage diversity, especially with Shadow and existing range power
- One comment: “It’s going to be tbow spam like every other boss lol.”
- Tank-based activity:
- Some joked (half-seriously) about Elysian Spirit Shields or other tank gear skyrocketing if Raids 4 is built as a tank-heavy, multi-role encounter
What Might Raids 4 Actually Look Like?
We don’t know the exact design, but based on past raids, a few patterns are likely:
- Multiple combat styles required
Every raid so far has demanded gear switches and style swaps room to room.
It’s unlikely Raids 4 becomes a pure “all crush, all the time” activity. - Dedicated roles could be emphasized
Some players would love to see content where you have true roles:- Main melee
- Dedicated ranger
- Dedicated mage
- Tank / support
This would spread value across many items rather than just one set.
- Old items will probably get some love
Jagex often uses new content to revive older gear. Whether that’s Inquisitor, a new stab set, tank armour, or a spec weapon remains to be seen.
Should You Copy These Raids 4 Bets?
Here’s a more grounded way to look at it from a flipper’s perspective:
✅ Reasonable Long Bets
- Inquisitor’s armour at floor-ish prices
- Elder maul after a hard dump
Both have enough historical usage that they’re not pure lottery tickets.
⚠️ Higher-Risk Speculation
- Inquisitor’s mace as a “Raids 4 must-have”
- Requires very specific design decisions from Jagex
- Competes directly with Scythe and Fang
- Could absolutely boom… or just stay niche
❌ Don’t Do This
- Go all-in with your entire bank
- Assume Jagex will design the raid around your favourite item
- Forget that raids usually demand multiple styles and team flexibility
Practical Takeaways for RuneFlippers
If you want exposure to a potential crush revival without nuking your bank:
- Scale in, don’t ape in.
- Pick a % of your bank you’re comfortable risking (5–15%)
- Spread it across Inq armour, Elder maul, and a couple of alternative bets
- Diversify by style.
- A few crush bets
- A stab/range hedge (rapier, ranged gear, etc.)
- Maybe a tank or niche item you believe in
- Watch Jagex communications.
- Dev blogs, design sneak peeks, and beta info will move prices long before release day.
- Remember: other people are the floor.
- As one commenter joked, they thought Inq was at its price floor…
then realized the giga-whale from the thread was the floor. - Some of these price levels are being held up only by rich speculators.
- As one commenter joked, they thought Inq was at its price floor…
Final Thoughts
The Raids 4 betting game is already in full swing, even without a single official mechanic revealed. Crush believers are piling into Inquisitor’s and Elder maul, while others are hedging on stab sets, ranged buffs, or tank gameplay.
Will crush finally get its moment in the spotlight?
Maybe.
Will some people make or lose billions on these bets?
Absolutely.
For most players, the smart play is:
Treat Raids 4 speculation as one part of your portfolio, not your entire bank.
