If you’re wondering whether it’s best to use Nightmare Zone or Slayer to train your stats, the most straightforward answer would be Slayer. Suppose you only have to play either one for the rest of your account’s existence, Slayer would be the best way to go. However, the notion of having to play only either one or the other isn’t entirely true. Both of these methods have their perks of doing. Moreover, both methods should be utilized to maximize your combat stats depending on the player. 

For this reason, this article will delve deeper into the distinction between playing in the Slayer or Nightmare Zones and some perks you possibly expect from each. 

Slayer

• Plenty of Money you can make
• Slayer can boost “Non-Slayer” Money Makers

One of the most important skills in Runescape you should be training overall, the main thing about Slayer is the money you can make from it. A lot of good money makers are locked between Slayer levels, though a good amount of it requires a good Slayer level. However, even the ones that don’t can still be affected by Slayer tasks. 

• Black Mask: 16.7% Melee Accuracy and Str while on task
• Imbued: +15% Mage Accuracy, +15% Ranged Accuracy & Str on task

The black mask in the Slayer helmet gives the bonuses mentioned above, which is already pretty hefty, to say the least, allowing for faster kills, more loot, more profit, and fewer supplies needed. This makes it easier to kill stronger monsters, especially those who don’t have their fire cape yet. Wearing a slayer helmet while on ask can already make a very big difference since it helps boost your XP a little bit while doing more damage. 

Perks of Slayer 

1. A Change of Pace

In terms of training your stats in Slayer than Nightmare Zone, you get to change up what you’re occasionally doing. The change of pace of what you’re fighting all the time is more convenient since you constantly get new slayer tasks, unlike Nightmare zone, most of which training methods can get repetitive. This makes it easier to stay motivated and interested in the grind, especially since not all Slayer tasks can be great or make much money. 

However, it is important to realize that not every task has to be perfect. Some tasks may make you plenty of money, others plenty of XP, and the other tasks are fairly quick, which is good for Slayer points. Many Slayer tasks have all these features, but even if you get one that doesn’t make much cash, keep in mind that slayer XP and Slayer points are also a reward for doing Slayer and do not make it any more worthless. 

2. Learning the Game 

Another underrated benefit that you get from constantly fighting different monsters in Slayer is that you get to learn more about the game at the same time. Here, you get to learn different gear, monsters, and even just learn the map.

Furthermore, you get thrown into different situations instead of being stuck into one repetitive grind, allowing you to learn many things. It’s also possible to train Slayer using one style of combat, but different monsters have their weaknesses, so it’s best if you change up your gear depending on which monster you’re up against. You can also consult the game’s official wiki to learn more about a particular monster’s weakness. 

3. Learning the Map 

Considering how Slayer takes you to different areas filled with different monsters, training in Slayer will also force you to learn more about the map. Through this, you’ll also save much more time since you know exactly where you’re going. The map also has useful icons that tell you which teleports are nearby certain areas. 

Nightmare Zone (NMZ)

While it’s true that Slayer is a better option than Nightmare Zone in case you have to choose between the two, a combination of both is very much significant to your game experience. 

Generally, Nightmare Zone is very fast, not at low levels, but it’s basically how combats usually work – slow at low levels and fast when you get your stats up. You can manage at least a 100k XP an hour in attack strength and defense using max strength gear and detox. However, if you’ve only just unlocked Barrow’s gear, you won’t be able to see those rates quite yet, similar to Slayer. 

Perks of NMZ

1. Gets your Stats Up Quickly

On average, NMZ will be faster XP than Slayer minus the Slayer XP. Also, some Slayer tasks can be very long and annoying when you’re stuck in a particularly boring task. NMZ can help increase your stats quickly, which translates to better Slayer gains simultaneously. 

2. NMZ is very AFK 

The biggest benefit of NMZ is how easily AFK-able it is. It requires minimal attention to train your stats and little to no downsides if you mess up in any way or if you’re not paying enough attention. It’s also fairly easy to multitask and get extra gains here. Moreover, if you do AFK too hard, there are only small consequences for it. 

If you’re trying to multitask with another project or doing some other stuff, you can still fit in an extra hour with NMZ, which adds up in your stats pretty quickly. 

Summary

In a nutshell, the best answer to the question is that you should do both. However, Slayer tends to be more efficient., which means that if you can train Slayer, this is the option to go for. On the other hand, Nightmare Zone’s perks tend to give you value for afk hours, allowing for faster Slayer gains when you get back to it.