This is a comprehensive guide inspired by Mo Kirby's Yama Melee and Rage tutorial, which showcases the incredibly effective free tick melee method. If you've been struggling with Judge of Yama's Phase 3 or looking to increase your DPS and OSRS gold without getting melee'd, this method is going to transform how you approach the fight.

The free tick method makes use of a built-in mechanic in the Yama fight: dodging a fireball with Mark of Darkness active reduces your melee cooldown by one tick. When executed correctly, it allows consistent 3-tick attacks with weapons like Emberite or Arité, leading to significantly better damage output than other popular strategies such as Donafly. In this guide, we'll break everything down-from P3 basics to advanced tick-saving patterns-so whether you're new to the fight or optimizing for perfection, you'll walk away prepared.

Understanding Yama's P3 Basics

Before you dive into the free tick melee method, you need to understand how Phase 3 works. Most deaths in P3 happen not due to lack of damage, but due to players being overwhelmed by mechanics or surprised by attacks. Here's how to make sense of it all:

·Auto Attack Patterns: Yama alternates between magic and ranged attacks every 7 ticks. Watch the animation on your character:

·Fire animation = Pray Mage

·Shadow swirl = Pray Range

·Avoiding Melees: Yama's melee attacks are deadly in P3, as they trigger Void Flares-healing the boss and forcing you to stop and clear them. Avoid melee at all costs.

·Wave Mechanics: These appear in hourglass-shaped patterns. The diagonal wave always goes northwest to southeast in solos and if you're hosting a duo. In joined duos, it's flipped (northeast to southwest).

·Fireball Specials: These are accompanied by shadows that land one tick after the fireball explodes. If dodged one tile away (perpendicularly) from the fireball while Mark of Darkness is active, your attack speed increases.

Yama's Attack Cycle

Yama P3 follows a predictable loop:

1.56-tick intro phase-Includes the first wave and a short gap before the first Void Flare.

2.70-tick repeating cycle-Includes waves, Void Flares, and Fireball Specials.

Here's what to expect:

·Void Flares spawn during the first Fireball Special after the wave ends. These appear mid-Fireball, so be ready.

·Fireball Specials occur:

·Every 2 autos if there are no waves

·Every 3 autos if waves are present, but note that the fireball special may start on the same tick as an auto-one of the few exceptions to his attack timing.

·By understanding this cycle, you'll always know what's coming next, preventing surprises and helping you plan your positioning.

General Strategy for Melee DPS

The free tick method depends on dodging fireballs while maintaining aggressive positioning. Here's a simplified version to help you get started:

·Never get melee'd. Missing a tick is always better than getting hit and spawning Void Flares.

·Watch animations closely. You can use a visual metronome plugin set to 7 ticks for practice, but many players internalize the rhythm over time.

·Use the Purging Staff Special to clear Void Flares quickly-three ticks to kill both with it.

·Mark of Darkness Duration Tip: Cast Mark of Darkness with Purging Staff equipped for a 5-minute duration instead of 1. Do this during the last Judge of Yama minion phase to cover all of P3.

Fireball Dodging Fundamentals

Fireballs are the most important and trickiest mechanic to master. Here's what you need to remember:

·Direction of diagonal line depends on solo or duo host/join. Memorize your version to react quickly.

·Safe attack timing: You can always attack one tick before a fireball explodes, then run to a safe spot before shadows land.

·Unsafe timing: Never attack:

·One tick after the first fireball explosion

·Two ticks after the last fireball explosion

·Three ticks after Yama's auto lands

·Positioning for Tick Save: Be one tile away from the center fireball when dodging, with Mark of Darkness active, to get the free tick. You cannot be directly under a fireball at any time during the dodge or attack attempt.

Tile Markers and Visual Cues

Use tile markers to make dodging waves and fireballs simpler:

·Waves: Set two blue tile markers where you can move vertically. When waves cross those tiles, click to run up to Yama.

·Early Wave Skip Option: Move two tiles east early to attack Yama faster, then return two tiles west after. Optional tile markers can help you learn the rhythm.Advanced Tick-Saving Patterns

Once you've mastered the fundamentals, you can graduate to optimal fireball cycles. These are categorized by the tick you attack relative to Yama's attack and whether the horizontal or vertical fireball line appears first.

1. God Cycle-Attack same tick as Yama (2 ticks before fireballs spawn)

·Hard to get unless you never miss a tick.

·Highest DPS potential.

·Movement-heavy but worth learning first.

2. Regular Cycle-Attack same tick fireballs spawn

·Simpler than god cycle.

·Moderate DPS boost.

·Can be done with fireballs at melee distance or farther away.

·Be careful with vertical line if you spawn them far away; positioning can get awkward.

3. Ultra God Cycle-Attack one tick before fireballs spawn

·Easiest and most powerful if it aligns with vertical fireball start.

·You get three free tick attacks every time.

·If you get a close P3 spawn, you can chain Ultra God Cycles from the start.

·Saves 6+ seconds compared to Donafly before Void Flares even spawn.

Each of these six possible cycles (based on 3 tick timings and 2 fireball orientations) shares similar movement patterns. Master one and you'll adapt to others faster.

Summary Checklist

Here's a quick reference to keep in mind:

·Never get melee'd-triggers Void Flares, major DPS loss.

·Watch Yama's animation to know what to pray.

·Fireballs:

·Dodge one tile from center to get free tick with Mark of Darkness.

·Only attack one tick before a fireball explodes.

·Never attack two ticks after the last explosion.

·Use tile markers to predict waves.

·Ultra God and God Cycles are optimal, but regular cycles still save time.

·Mark of Darkness should last 5 minutes using the Purging Staff.

·You don't need to restart a long loop if you mess up. Each fireball set is a fresh chance.

Final Thoughts

The Yama Melee Free Tick method may seem complex at first, but once you understand the rhythm and positioning, it becomes second nature. Unlike Donafly, which relies on rigid cycles, this method is flexible, forgiving, and far more efficient and more OSRS GP when mastered.

So, equip your Emberite, mark those tiles, and start practicing. Each fireball dodged is one tick closer to mastering Meleama!