### **Greater Barge Ability Codex Summary** The **Greater Barge Ability Codex**, released on **May 22, 2021**, unlocks the **Greater Barge** ability for melee players. It enhances the base Barge ability, allowing players to immediately reset the cooldown of Assault or Destroy after use, boosting damage output and significantly improving DPS rotations. The codex is obtained as a rare drop from the **Archaeology-related Tier 80 boss, Kerapac**, particularly in hard mode, making it a sought-after upgrade for high-tier PVMers. Its rarity lies in several factors: its dependency on a high-difficulty boss tied to the Elder God Wars Dungeon content, its critical value to melee DPS rotations, and its relatively niche appeal (melee users only, unlike other general-use codices). Given these traits, it is subject to cyclical demand, fluctuating GP supply, and player behavior during updates that impact combat relevance. --- ### **Price Analysis and Prediction** The price trends of the Greater Barge Ability Codex over time show significant volatility, driven by both in-game events and macroeconomic factors such as wealth introduction and content relevance. Here's a breakdown of key events affecting historical price points: 1. **Initial Spike - Mid-2021 (Release)** - During its launch and the initial popularity of Kerapac, the codex maintained high value (e.g., ~400M-600M GP) as melee users sought to optimize builds. 2. **Decline - Early 2022** - The price dropped sharply in early 2022, coinciding with the removal of the Duel Arena and subsequent economic shifts due to gold surpluses entering circulation. These destabilizations in GP reduced liquidity but also incentivized PVMers to farm the ability more actively, increasing its supply. 3. **Early-2023 Low (~120M)** - The major gold dupes in early 2023 caused temporary inflation and devalued items like the codex, which were non-essential for many. Additionally, reduced general player confidence and PVM-focused updates deprioritized melee-specific enhancements, lowering demand. 4. **Recent Rebound - Post-Necromancy Update (August 2023 Onwards)** - Melee regained relevance with indirect buffs and post-Necromancy adjustments to combat mechanics, briefly pushing the price back to ~150M. However, the Hero Pass backlash and continuous exploit-related GDP inflation capped further appreciation. 5. **Spike to 198M - Combat Update (March 2024)** - The content update for RuneScape's combat system renewed focus on PVM improvements, making melee setups viable and drawing attention to the Greater Barge codex again. #### **Short-Term Prediction (3-6 months):** - **Price Range:** 90M-160M GP. - The upcoming **Bond price increase (June 2024)** and **Sanctum of Rebirth boss release (July 2024)** will indirectly support melee content. However: 1. Supply may increasingly outstrip demand as existing codices circulate back into the market, especially in slower PVM times. 2. Exploit clean-up patches and Jagex's economic interventions could stabilize GP inflation, softening overall item values. 3. New melee weapons/synergistic gear from upcoming expansions could cause a brief uptick. Thus, expect a **slight decrease in price as demand cools post-combat patch**, barring new melee-specific updates. --- ### **Flipping Margins** The flipping margins for the Greater Barge Ability Codex often range between **5-15M** under normal conditions. Peaks during hype cycles (e.g., ~March 2024's Combat Update) can expand the margins to **25-35M**, depending on your buying/selling efficiency. #### **Optimal Strategy:** 1. **Buy dips during economic instability:** Look for buying points after events like exploits or GP influxes (e.g., Max Cash update in May 2024) where prices frequently crash. 2. **Sell during melee meta shifts:** Key updates to melee-based weapons, gear, or boss synergies tend to drive short-term spikes (e.g., Sanctum of Rebirth’s speculative impact). --- ### **Complementary Items to Invest In** Investing in related items enhances hedging against market volatility. Here are top items to consider alongside the Codex: 1. **Berserker Aura** - A powerful melee aura frequently bundled with melee upgrades like Greater Barge. When melee becomes meta, its price often correlates. 2. **Fractured Staff of Armadyl Components** - Future combat updates emphasize hybrid builds, so diversifying into mage PVM-related drops balances potential melee declines. 3. **Luck-Enhancing Gear (Hazelmere’s Signet Ring, Luck of the Dwarves)** - PVMers farming Greater Barge Codices often prioritize luck-maximizing investments—these surge during lucrative drop windows. --- ### **Seasonal Trends** **Positive Price Trends:** - **Summer (July-September):** Major boss updates (e.g., Sanctum of Rebirth) and boosted player activity during vacation months drive increased melee/PVM upgrade demand. - **January-March:** Post-holiday GP influx and combat/niche PVM content updates raise interest. **Negative Price Trends:** - **Winter (November-December):** Heavy promo-focused months like Treasure Hunter sales or seasonal holiday drops (e.g., Black Partyhat in December 2023) distract gold from core upgrade purchases. - **Post-Dupe/Event Patches:** Any moment following large-scale GP floods (such as April 2024’s dupe events) results in value losses as players liquidate holdings. --- **Conclusion:** Greater Barge’s price trajectory hinges on melee relevance and RuneScape’s fluctuating economy. Its current state (~198M post-spike) is unlikely to hold, with corrections toward 110M-140M in the medium term. Flipping opportunities remain strong, but diversifying into related gear and adapting to seasonal trends maximizes efficiency in this speculative market.