### Ascension Grips Overview Ascension Grips are tier 90 power gloves designed for Ranged combat. Released on **September 3, 2013**, they are obtained from the Ascension dungeon, specifically as a drop from Legiones, combined with tradeable Ascension shards. These gloves do not degrade, making them an enduringly popular choice for mid-to-high-tier Ranged setups and among efficiency-oriented players seeking a cost-effective glove option. Their rarity is tied to obtaining keys to fight specific bosses and players competing for those resources in the Ascension dungeon. The gloves’ value reflects demand from PvMers and their utility in progression toward endgame ranged gear. --- ### Price History and Analysis #### Historical Pricing Trends: From the available data: - Prices reached **9,005,000–9,985,000 GP in February 2023**. - Dropped significantly in April 2024, falling into the **3,566,000–4,938,118 GP range**. This enormous decline reflects broader market destabilization, correlating with major economic disruptions from dupes (most notably the **Scrimshaw dupe** in January 2023 and subsequent releases and GP influx events). Additionally, the **combat update in March 2024** and Treasure Hunter inflation likely worsened their price weakness as GP became more abundant, devaluing mid-tier items like Ascension Grips. #### Causes of Price Dips/Spikes: 1. **Duping Events**: High-level dupes (e.g., the **Scrimshaw dupe** in early 2023) resulted in massive inflation and price instability, reducing confidence in item stability. 2. **Treasure Hunter GP Injection**: In **April 2024**, Jagex added a notable 1B GP reward to Treasure Hunter, devaluing existing gold stores and mid-tier staples. 3. **Combat Update in March 2024**: The combat rework generated hype toward newer content, mainhand upgrades, and higher-tier goals, reducing demand for gloves like the Ascension Grips. Players instead focused on Necromancy gear and other higher-end setups. 4. **Easter Duplication Bug (April 2024)**: Localized inflation during this period likely exacerbated price drops further, as players flooded the market with newly duped gold chasing desirable upgrades. --- ### Price Prediction for the Coming Months #### Factors Supporting Price Increases: - **Sanctum of Rebirth (July 2024)**: This newly designed boss encounter encourages Ranged setups, which may spur demand. - **Necromancy Stabilization**: Following the integration of the Combat Level 152 cap, the renewed interest in legacy skills like Ranged will likely drive prices upward. - **Direct Demand for Budget Power Gloves**: Degradation-free, tier 90 gear remains a cornerstone for cost-conscious players. #### Factors Limiting Growth: - **Ongoing GP Saturation Issues**: The **May 2024 Max Cash Exploit** injected substantial GP into the economy, suggesting further inflation and supply competition. - **Mining and Smithing Update (August 2024)**: Diversification into other non-combat cost-efficient gains may lead to reduced Ranged player engagement. #### Price Forecast: Expect **moderate recovery** to **5.5M–6M GP by mid-to-late 2024**, hinged on renewed demand for mid-level items and content spurts like the **Sanctum of Rebirth** update. Long-term growth remains uncertain due to sustained inflationary pressures from past economic disruptions. --- ### Typical Flipping Margins Ascension Grips are a medium-activity item for flippers, offering margins ranging from **200k–500k GP** per transaction depending on market volatility. During price troughs, spreads can widen significantly, making them particularly profitable for short-term trades following GP injection events (like Treasure Hunter inflations). For consistent flipping, focus on periods of stable Ranged content activity. Optimal times to flip Ascension Grips: 1. Immediately after combat updates and balance passes that favor their use. 2. Around content releases like the **Sanctum of Rebirth** update that encourage players to re-engage with Ascension-tier weapons and gear. --- ### Advice on Similar Items #### Comparable Items to Invest In: 1. **Gloves of Passage**: While Complementary tier gloves for Magic combat, their power is similarly valued within the T90 range. 2. **Cinderbane Gloves**: BiS gloves for poison builds; valuable for hybrid styles and has recent usage spikes in Necromancy metas. 3. **Pernix Gloves**: An alternative to Ascension Grips, particularly if re-releases of Nex content drive fresh demand for Ranged sets. #### Seasonal Trends: - **Positive Outlook Seasons**: Updates pivoting toward Ranged boss encounters or PvM often support glove item markets (e.g., release of bossing content like **Sanctum of Rebirth** should inject hype into Ranged setups). - **Negative Outlook Seasons**: Economic inflation zones (Treasure Hunter GP releases, max cash manipulations) generally harm mid-tier gear like Ascension Grips. Content focused on alternative combat styles (Magic/Necromancy) can also diminish their demand. --- ### Strategic Recommendations - **Buy After Inflate Events**: Historically, price depressions occur shortly after GP injection events (e.g., dupes and Treasure Hunter updates). Capitalize on this to secure Ascension Grips at their lowest, projecting forward recovery timelines. - **Pair with Cinderbanes and Pernix Parallels**: Diversify your investments to hedge against downturns. Gloves benefiting from hybrid builds (e.g., Cinderbanes) tend to perform better than single-style gloves like Ascension Grips during style-neutral meta shifts. - **Seasonal Focus**: Track Ranged bossing-focused updates or holiday events encouraging PvM resurgence (e.g., Thanksgiving, Christmas patches). By timing purchases around stable floors and aligning with macroeconomic insight, Ascension Grips could offer excellent speculative returns in parallel with broader glove investments over the next 6–12 months.