CraggyP's Steel/Iron Dragon Maging Guide

[craggyp]

Maging Steel/Iron Dragons

 

by CraggyP

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Why should I mage Steel/Iron Dragons?

 

 

 

You may be asking yourself "I've heard about this, but why should I mage/range metal dragons?" The answer is simple, and here's why:

 

1. [*:kqjn93nt]Its fun to kill very tough, very advanced monsters. Especially when you don't take any damage!
    
   [*:kqjn93nt]Its a good way to level your Magic skill. Its definitely not risk-free, but you do get rewards along the way, and you're constantly casting spells.
    
   [*:kqjn93nt]It can be very profitable.

 

However, there are some downsides:

 

1. [*:kqjn93nt]It can be dangerous, especially if you have no idea what you're doing.
    
   [*:kqjn93nt]It's very expensive, mostly due to the cost of runes. Profit really only comes when you're high enough level to kill Steels rapidly.

 

 

 

2. The best part: Rewards!

 

 

 

 

Now we get down to the bottom line! What can I get from Steel/Iron Dragons? Their drops are as follows:

 

 

 

Red = Really Rare

 

Orange = Rare

 

Green = Common

 

Underlined = I've gotten this drop (from either type)

 

Nothing = I don't know rarity/Not rare

 

 

 

Steel Dragon:

 

 

 

Gold: 470-3000

 

 

 

100%: Dragon bones, Steel bar(5)

 

 

 

Weapon: Adamant battleaxe, Adamant javelin(7,20), Rune axe, Rune battleaxe, Rune dart(p)(12), Rune javelin(7), Rune knives(5,7), Rune longsword, Rune 2h sword, Rune mace, Rune spear, Dragon spear

 

 

 

Armour: Adamant sq shield, Adamant kiteshield, Adamant platebody, Dragon platelegs, Dragon med helm, Dragon plateskirt, Rune kiteshield, Rune full helm, Rune sq shield

 

 

 

Runes/Arrows: Blood(15,20,25), Nature(67), Law(45) Rune(42), Steel(150), Soul(3,5), Death(45), Rune bolts(2-12)

 

 

 

Misc: Clue scroll(lvl 3), Curry(1-3), Shield left half(dragon), Uncut gems, Cut dragonstone, Half key, Runite bar, Runite limb, Silver ore(100), Super attack(3-dose), Super defence(2-dose), Super strength(1-dose), Nature talisman, Draconic visage

 

 

 

Iron Dragon:

 

 

 

Gold: 150-3000

 

 

 

100%: Dragon bones, Iron bar(5)

 

 

 

Weapon: Mithril 2h sword, Adamant javelin(20), Adamant axe, Adamant 2h sword, Adamant battleaxe, Rune 2h sword, Rune battleaxe, Rune mace, Rune axe, Rune javelin(4-7), Rune knives(5), Rune dart(p)(4,9) Rune spear, Dragon spear

 

 

 

Armour:Adamant sq shield, Dragon platelegs, Dragon med helm, Dragon plateskirt, Rune kiteshield, Rune med helm, Rune platebody, Rune sq shield, Rune full helm

 

 

 

Runes/Arrows: Blood(15-20), Death(45), Nature(67), Law(45), Soul(3), Steel(150), Rune(42), Adamant bolts(2-12)

 

 

 

Misc:Adamantite bar(2), Clue(lvl 3), Curry, Nature talisman, Runite bar, Runite limb, Silver ore(100 noted), Super attack(3 dose), Super strength(1 dose), Super defense(2 dose), Uncut gems, Cut dragonstone, Half key, Shield left half(dragon), Draconic visage

 

 

 

3. What are the suggested/required levels?

 

 

 

In order to have the best results, it is probably good to be at least level 60 Magic. Also, there are some minimal requirements in WC and an Agility level of 12 to pass the obstacles in the Brimhaven Dungeon. Having good Defense is beneficial but not necessary (I'm doing all of this with 57 Defense) and decent Attack/Strength is helpful if you want to try poisoning the dragons too. (More on this later!)

 

 

 

If its profit you're after, you pretty much have to be level 80+ in Magic. At level 60, you just use too many spells to really kill things efficiently. Maybe if you were level 75 or so with all of the best possible equipment you could do it. However, for the average person, the costs are just too high at lower levels. In the beginning, it's mostly an activity for leveling your Magic skill, one with a chance of getting some really great items. Also, its not as boring as alching 10,000 bows.

 

 

 

As far as what to hunt, I suggest that low level players (60-80) might want to start with Iron Dragons. They have pretty much the same drops as Steel Dragons, but are much easier and faster to kill. I got my Draconic Visage from an Iron Dragon, so you can obviously get good stuff from them. The stackables they drop (javelins, knives, darts, runes) tend to come in slightly lower numbers, but they take far less runes, and so in a runes-to-drops ratio, irons are better. Simply put, you'll get more stuff per trip on irons, pretty much no matter what level you are. Steel Dragons presumably have slightly better drop rates for the rare stuff, but a Ring of Wealth can help in this regard.

 

 

 

4. What do I wear?

 

 

 

The outfit you choose is extremely important. I have seen people in the caves wearing some random assortment of things and wondering why they have no success. The right equipment is a huge boost to your ability to hit Iron/Steel Dragons frequently.

 

 

 

This is the setup I use:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll go over what I have and what could be used instead, or what items are better:

 

• [*:kqjn93nt]Hat/Top/Bottom/Boots: The least you want to have is Mystic stuff here. The best is clearly Ahrims, followed by Infinity, Enchanted and then Mystic. Anything less is gonna hurt you on your spell hit rate. If you use a set without boots, the best boots are Infinity, then Wizard, then Mystic.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Cape: This is why I recommend level 60. The God Cape. It has, far and away, the best magic attack/defense stats for anything you can put in this slot. Nothing even comes close. Obsidian and Fire capes have decent defense, but the attack is really what you need, since dragons don't cast spells at you.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Amulet: I chose to use a Glory because of the teleports, in case of an emergency. Technically, I should never need it, but I get a bit forgetful sometimes when I resupply, and so it never hurts. Also, it has the same magic attack bonus as a Fury, but without the $4,000,000 price tag. A Magic Amulet also has +10 magic attack, but no teleports. Use what you see fit.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Weapon: Here is where some people differ, and its really about preference. Since I use Fire Bolt, I need 4 Fires, 3 Airs and 1 Chaos to cast it. Obviously, I need either a Fire Staff or an Air Staff. I use more Fires, but they're cheaper than Airs, enough so that 4 Fires cost less than 3 Airs. Also, if I run out of Chaos runes but have some Bloods, I can cast Wind Wave. Fire or Air, its up to you. As to whether it needs to be mystic, well, that only affects melee combat, and we're not planning on trying to beat these dragons to death.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Shield: You need something that blocks dragonbreath. Either the Anti-Dragonbreath Shield or the Dragonfire Shield. One is free, one costs $25,000,000. However, the Dragonfire Shield will charge quickly and once fully charged, will grant excellent defense bonuses good for trying to poison the dragons. Take what you have or can afford.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Gloves: If you're casting Bolt Spells, this has to be the Chaos Gauntlets, a reward from the Family Crest quest. If you're casting something else, use whatever gives the best bonuses. Most likely, Infinity or Mystic.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Ring: I see no reason not to go with the Ring of Wealth. It increases the chances of rare drops, and thats never a bad thing. Apart from that, no other ring gives an sort of magic bonus, besides the Beacon and Seers' rings, and really, they don't add anything I'm not willing to sacrifice for better loot.

 

 

 

5. What do I bring?

 

 

 

The stuff you bring with you is extremely important, and for extremely obvious reasons.

 

 

 

Here is my inventory at the beginning of each trip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again, an item-by-item summary. This should be fast, as there is not much choice concerning the things you bring.

 

• [*:kqjn93nt]Runes: Depending on what staff you have, you need either Airs or Fires. Chaos are of course required (or whatever rune corresponds to the attack spell you choose.) I also bring along a bunch of Nature Runes so I can alch the adamant and runite weapons/armor that they drop. Those drops aren't common, but common enough to warrant being able to cast the spell. Also, not recommended that you bring too many, because if you die, you lose them all, and they're really the most significant investment you make when you decide to mage Steel/Iron Dragons.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]One-Click Teleport: I like this because its great if I have to leave in an emergency. Not necessary though, and you may or may not have it depending on the method you use to get to the Brimhaven Dungeon. More on this later.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Anti-Dragonbreath Potions: This is one of those self-explanatory things. The combination of this potion and your Anti-Dragonbreath or Dragonfire Shield makes you invulnerable to dragonbreath attacks. The number you take will depend on how long you can last down there, and how much space you want open in your inventory. They last 5-6 minutes, so 5 4-dose potions will get you 100-120 minutes in the cave, which is 1:40 to 2:00 hours.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Prayer Potion: This is so you can maintain Protect from Melee while running to the Steel/Iron Dragon location within the dungeon. Also useful when trying to poison a dragon.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Food: The extremely diligent and attentive player can do this without taking any damage ever. But RuneScape players aren't known for these qualities. This is for those times when you kill a dragon and you're standing right next to another dragon who decides its time to head-butt you. Or when you're not paying attention and your potion runs out. Or when you get the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde random event. You get the idea. Its for emergencies. As long as you're out of melee range and watch where other dragons are when you kill your targets, a few hits from dragon breath will be healed in the 5-6 minutes of immunity each potion dose grants you.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]DDP++: For poisoning.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Bronze Axe: For navigating WC obstacles in the dungeon. One of these can be picked up at the pub in Brimhaven, so if you need to drop it to make room for stuff later, you can easily get another one free before your next trip.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]905gp: Tolls (ship to Brimhaven and cost of entering dungeon.) You will only need 875 if you chose a different method of getting to the dungeon.

 

Obviously, if you think you need more stuff, you can bring it, but its all about finding a balance between what you need and the space you leave open for the drops you receive. Mess with the numbers, see what works. Empty Vials can be dropped, and eating food frees up space.

 

 

 

6. Can I use Ranged?

 

 

 

Yes, you can! A level of 70+ is recommended if you want to have the best odds of killing at a profit. The techniques are essentially the same (anti-dragonbreath potions and anti-dragonbreath shield) and only a few minor tweaks are needed to your inventory. Here is a screenshot:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The equipment is all designed around increasing your ranged attack levels as far as they can go.

 

• [*:kqjn93nt]Top/Bottom/Gloves: Obviously, full Black Dragonhide Armor. Best Ranged set available, besides 3rd Age, which is virtually unobtainable.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Hat: Clearly, the Archer Helmet is the best. Well, technically a Robin Hood Hat would be better, but those are once more absurdly expensive. Same goes for the Ranger Boots.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Cape: A weight-reducing cape is pictured here, but an Attractor or Accumulator (you should have the Accumulator) would work well because they retrieve your ammo and give you a +2/+4 boost to your ranged attack. Every little bit helps.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Amulet: Glory is the best. Fury is technically better, but again, it costs so much...
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Ammunition: Bring whatever bolts you want. From what I've heard, the best enchanted bolts to use are:
  • [*:kqjn93nt]Pearl (Sea Curse - Water attacks are good against fire creatures. Downside: doesn't hit extremely often, and these are weak bolts if you don't get the spell to hit)
     
    [*:kqjn93nt]Emerald (Magical Poison - It's very helpful to poison the dragons)
     
    [*:kqjn93nt]Ruby (Blood Forfeit - Takes 20% of your enemy's hp at a cost of 10% of yours, which is very helpful, and the damage to you can be managed by keeping your hp at a low level. Can be risky, but the rewards can be great)
     
    [*:kqjn93nt]Diamond (Armor Piercing - Ignores targets' ranged defense, extremely useful)

If you don't have or can't afford enchanted bolts, I suggest using the best bolts you can afford to increase damage. You really don't want anything less than mithril bolts. Also, the new slayer ammunition, broad bolts, are said to be quite effective.

 

[*:kqjn93nt]Weapon: Runite Crossbow. End of story. You need a crossbow to wield the Anti-Dragonbreath Shield, and Runite is far and away your best option. Moving on...

 

[*:kqjn93nt]Shield: Anti-Dragonbreath Shield. 'Nuff said.

 

[*:kqjn93nt]Boots: Boots of Lightness aren't a terrible choice I guess. Ranger Boots are the best but very costly. If you want the best boot for ranged attack bonus that isn't Ranger Boots, you want *gasp* Snakeskin Boots! How odd. They have a use...

 

[*:kqjn93nt]Ring: Choice here between Ring of Wealth for the loot or Archer's Ring for the ranged attack bonus. Take what you can afford.

 

Here's a breakdown of the inventory:

 

• [*:kqjn93nt]Anti-Dragonbreath Potions: Duh.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Ranged Potions: I can only assume this is for increasing your ranged attack bonus. Not a bad idea! Works differently than Magic Potions by increasing the attack, not just adding levels. Since there are as many Ranged Potions as Anti-Dragonbreath Potions, I assume you want to take one every time you take the other? Just a guess.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Prayer Potion: Increases your Fishing level. Just seeing if you're paying attention. Gives more Prayer points, for those times you need to grab your arrows/loot and you want Protect from Melee.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Food: For healing. Next!
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]905gp: Tolls.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Water/Law Runes: Ardougne Teleport.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Fire/Nature Runes: For alching certain drops
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Bolt Pouch: It has been suggested that you use a bolt pouch to store different types of ammo in once space, and the idea sounds like a good one to me. Limited to 255 bolts of 4 separate types, if you need more ammo, buy more pouches. If you get more than 3 pouches, you might as well just use those spaces for larger amounts of bolts

 

Follow the same methods as listed in the following sections, except where it says to do something magical, do something ranged instead.

 

 

 

7. What do I do?

 

 

 

You're dressed to kill (literally!) and you've got everything you need in your trusty backpack. Its time to kill some things! Right... How do you get there? Well, there are 3 main ways people use:

 

1. [*:kqjn93nt]Ardougne Teleport/Teletab: This method is by far the easiest. Simply get what you need from the southeastern bank, walk east to the pier and take a boat to Brimhaven (30gp). When you're ready to come back, the teleport/teletab will bring you very close to the southeastern bank again. Rinse and repeat.
    
   [*:kqjn93nt]Edgeville/Draynor Glory Teleport: Use the Amulet of Glory to teleport to Karamja from whichever bank you're at. Walk to the Brimhaven Dungeon (just southwest of Brimhaven near a gold mining site.) Once finished, use the Glory to teleport to either Edgeville or Draynor. Rinse and repeat.
    
   [*:kqjn93nt]House Teleport: Use House Teleport to get you to your house, which you should relocate to Brimhaven. Once at your house, just leave and walk a little southwest. You're there! When done, use your Glory to get to Edgeville/Draynor, and from there just teleport back home. You guessed it; Rinse and repeat!

 

Now I'm on Karamja! What next? Well, if you don't have a WC axe, you need to head over to the pub and grab a free one. From the boat, walk east to the Agility Arena, then south to the pub. If you can't find it, quit RuneScape. Got your axe? Good, now head on over to the southwest of town, a bit beyond the POH portal. You should see a dungeon marker next to a mining marker. Talk to the man (Saniboch) outside, or just select the "Pay Saniboch" option, and go on in!

 

 

 

Once inside, you'll have to work your way past Wild Dogs (lvl 63), Moss Giants (lvl 42) and Fire Giants (lvl 86) while navigating skill obstacles (WC and one Agility), so it's suggested that you run with Protect from Melee prayer on. If you don't use the prayer, expect to take a little damage, but not much, as your biggest risk is a hit or two from the Black Demons (lvl 172) just outside the dragon cave. This is a good use for your food if you wanna preserve prayer points. The correct path can be found here. I didn't make this map, so I'm gonna link to it and allow credit where credit is due. Once you run the path a few times, it becomes automatic.

 

 

 

As you approach the dragon area, you'll run past some black demons. When you see them, go ahead and take a dose of Anti-Dragonbreath Potion and set up your auto-cast to whichever spell you're gonna use. After that, you just find a dragon, make sure you're out of melee range, and blast away.

 

 

 

Here is an example of where to stand...

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and where not to stand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a few minutes (5-6), your potion is gonna run out. By this point, you've probably killed at least 1 dragon, maybe 2 or even more. You'll know when your potion runs out because of 3 things:

 

1. [*:kqjn93nt]You'll hear a sound. I can't exactly describe it, but if you listen for it and watch the other 2 signs, you'll be able to identify it for future use.
    
   [*:kqjn93nt]The game text will change. With a potion active, you see 2 messages, one (shorter) message about your shield, the other about your potion. The shield message has "fire" for the last word, the potion one has "breath." As soon as you notice only 1 message, or notice that the last message you received ended in "fire," re-pot.
    
   [*:kqjn93nt]You'll take damage. This will be obvious because, instead of a blue splash and a "0," you'll see a red splash and a small number. Re-pot. Over the time that you're immune, you'll be able to heal that back, so don't just go eating food for less than like 20 damage.

 

Now you've been a 1-man (or woman) dragon-killing machine for an hour or two, but you're almost out of something! And you're pretty close to killing your dragon! Well, there are only a handful of things you could be running short on, so here's what to do if you find yourself in this situation:

 

• [*:kqjn93nt]You're running low on runes: If this is the case, see what else you can cast. With an Air Staff and a few Blood Rune drops, you can cast Wind Wave instead of your other spell. With some prayer, you can use Protect from Melee and attempt to stab it to death, since dragons seem to be particularly vulnerable to stab attacks. Use whatever attacks you can to try to finish it off, but keep an eye on your health
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]You're running low on HP/food: This isn't too bad of a situation. As long as you can remain attentive, control where you are in relation to other dragons, and re-pot quickly, you should be able to heal back quite a bit of health during your battles with the dragons. If you start to get really close to death, it may be safer to just teleport away. This is where a one-click teleport comes in handy.
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]You're running out of Anti-Dragonbreath Potions: This is the one shortage you're not gonna be able to overcome so easily. If you still have a decent amount of prayer left, consider turning on Protect From Melee and running within melee range. This way the dragon will divide its attacks between fire breath (which only does a little damage thanks to your shield) and melee (which you are immune to). You will last longer and may be able to finish off one last dragon before teleporting out. If you have some food left, go ahead and keep your hp up, but once you're out of food and potions, its time to head back to civilization.

 

Once you run out of something or kill your last dragon, head back to wherever you choose, re-stock your supplies and head on back into battle!

 

 

 

8. General Tips

 

 

 

There are a few things that are useful to know while you're down in a cave fighting powerful beasties, and they are as follows:

 

• [*:kqjn93nt]A good idea is to bring along a DDP++ (suggested in section 5) becuase you can poison the dragons. All you have to do is put on Protect from Melee, switch your weapon, select a "stab" attack (I choose defense for no particular reason) and then repeatedly activate your special until the meter runs out. After that, turn off auto-retaliate," run away a few paces, turn off Protect from Melee, switch weapons back, re-select your spell to auto-cast and turn auto-retaliate back on.
   
   
   
  I must emphasize this: If you do not have protect from melee prayer on, metal dragons will hit you for absurd amounts of damage. Only attempt to poison them if you have enough prayer for a short burst of Protect from Melee. I find that 5-6 points are sufficient if you have the pattern memorized.
   
   
   
  Sometimes you poison them, sometimes you don't. If you don't, I really don't suggest you keep trying. The special attacks of the DDP++ are the most efficient way to attempt a poisoning.
   
   
   
  Your special meter should refill completely every other dragon, so if you have your prayer potion or some prayer left over from getting to the dragons, go ahead and try to poison them. It really helps to kill them faster.
   
   
   
  Also, if you find yourself not hitting as much as you would like with your DDP++, go ahead and use any Super-Attack Potions you might pick up, they'll improve your chances greatly.
   
   
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]One of your worst enemies will be random events, especially the ones you have to respond to. The Mysterious Old Man, Cap'n Hand, Genies and Rick Turpentine are all fine, but you'll learn to despise the Sandwich Lady and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, because you won't be able to answer them in the midst of battle. Even the Security Guard might be a problem, but it is possible to talk to him if you time things right.
   
   
   
  If you do get a bad random event, run to the far side of the cave and hope you can talk to them. A good place to be is where a lot of other people have all the dragons distracted.
   
   
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]You can log in and out while in the dragon cave. I have done it numerous times and have never been attacked immediately upon coming back. However, this is not to say that it could not happen, and discretion is always the better part of valor.
   
   
   
  If you can leave the cave before logging out, it would be a good idea. If not, you probably won't get attacked. But don't claim I said it couldn't happen!
   
   
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]As far as I can tell, if you log out with time remaining on your anti-dragonbreath potion, you will still have that time when you log in. For instance, if you only use half of a potion's time before logging out, when you log back in, you will still be immune to dragon breath for the remaining half of the potion you drank before logging out.
   
   
   
  [*:kqjn93nt]Items basically fall into 3 categories:
   
  

1. [*:kqjn93nt]Stackables: These items are nice because no matter how many dragons drop them, they only take up one space in your inventory. Blood Runes, Rune Knives/Javelins/Darts, all types of Bolts. I tend to keep these regardless of what they are. If I get something better, I can always drop them later. Also, if you pick up bolts, remember that, assuming you're not ranging, you have an ammo slot open on your body. Simply equip them whenever you pick them up.
    
   [*:kqjn93nt]Alchables: These are the Adamantite/Runite armor/weapons dropped by the dragons. Doesn't matter what they are, they're all worth more than the Nature Rune it took to alch them. No sense keeping them, they're just taking up space.
    
   [*:kqjn93nt]Keepables: The items that are worth more un-alched. Dragon items, Draconic Visage (duh) and, for me, Runite Limbs. I feel like its better to keep these and make them into crossbows and sell them than to just alch them, however to each their own. If you choose to alch them, they're worth a decent amount.

 

 

 

9. Credits

 

 

 

This guide was made entirely by me. I got some ideas from people on the forums, but quite a bit of mental preparation went into my first Steel/Iron Dragon run, and my techniques were perfected over the course of the next several runs.

 

 

 

Thank you very much to Wesleyao for giving me the pic and the info on using Ranged to kill these beasties. All Ranged info is from him, so don't blame me! :wink:

 

 

 

Thanks for reading, hope I helped, and if you have any more specific questions, just post them and I'll try to answer them, as well as add the answers to the guide.

 

 

 

:D

[swordb88]

i would not suggest bringing a dds. u can get hit pretty hard by melee

[craggyp]

did you even read the guide? later I say that you need to use protect from melee when you try to poison them or you will die. it's in the "general advice" section. I suppose I might not have made it clear how much damage you'll take from melee attacks...

[shawrty4]

Very nice... I think ill attempt at least one run... could you inform me on how much anti drag pots are by any chance?

 

 

 

My run went very well... no drag items.. but i didnt die lol you should add what to alch/keep/dont enough pick up...

 

 

 

Shawrty4

[craggyp]

lol, sorry I didn't post prices, I don't pay for my anti-dragonbreath potions, a friend makes them and just gives them to me. of course, I promised her 25% of the next visage I find and sell... :D

 

 

 

zybez lists anti-dragonbreath potions at 3-4k each. never tried to buy any, so I can't confirm or deny, but world 2 or the runescape forums are a good place to confirm or deny this.

 

 

 

as far as what to alch/keep/ignore, I alch any rune/adamant weapons/armor I get, I keep all stackables/rune limbs/potions (which I drop later if I have to) and I really don't ignore anything. if I get curry, I eat it, super strength (1) I keep and combine as I get them, coins I keep... basically, I either keep or alch every drop, and the only non-stackable I keep is runite limbs. I think all of this info is in the "general tips" section, but I'll have a look at it.

 

 

 

thanks for the feedback, and hopefully you'll have more success in the future. fyi, besides getting very very lucky on the visage, I haven't gotten anything better than a cut dragonstone. I've killed maybe 300 dragons, and no clues either!

[gene_1266]

great guide! i am considering killing iron and steel drags now thx to u... :D :lol: :) :D :) :D : : :

[Wesleyao]

Nice Guide. 9/10 Just Because I Prefer Range. This Is What I Use To Range SO You Can Add It To Guide If You Want. Recomended Levels- 70+ Range. Can Be Lower But AT LEAST 61 For Rune CrossBow. Pretty Much Rest You Have. Here's The Pic Of What I Take.(Was A Little Low On Bolts. Take Maybe 500 To Last) Sorry I Can't Crop :oops:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bolts Are Emerald Tipped Mith Bolts(e). For Steel Drags Take Some Ruby Tipped Addy Bolts(e). But Take Sharks Or Monks In Place Of Lobs. Hope This Helps :thumbsup:

[Owned_Nex]

Interesting. I always meleed XD. There are a few things i must add.

 

 

 

Its actully BOLT spells that go with CHAOS Gauntlets. Not Strike.

 

 

 

Instead of mystic, you shold use prossy, initiate, monk's robe, or god robes. This is much mroe important for people,since you should still be + in magic bonuses. Prayer is much mroe important.

 

 

 

Slayer Dart, is one of the best spells to use here. Its very cheap for casting, and isin't too high lvl to use, and will not fail much.

[craggyp]

you know what? you're totally right about the bolt spells! I feel like an idiot. I'll go back and change that.

 

 

 

second: as a magic-user fighting these dragons, you never use prayer. there is no need, unless you want to poison them, and then you don't have them on for very long. so no, getting the prayer bonuses on that armor is not important. its very important if you're meleeing them (like you said you do) but for mages, we need all the magic attack bonus we can get.

 

 

 

slayer dart is a nice spell, but I believe it uses both mind and death runes, and requires that you be a level 55 slayer. it does more damage (19, as opposed to 15 with chaos gauntlets) but costs more per cast, so someone would have to work out the average damage per spell versus the average cost per spell and see which is less, but I have a feeling that cost per damage analysis would favor the fire bolt.

 

 

 

again, thanks for all the positive reviews, keep them coming, and I'll make those changes!

 

 

 

edit: wesley, tyvm for the pic of ranged equipment and inventory. I'll get it cropped and add it in, as well as your name in the credits :D

[mchainmail]

nice guide, i could see this going into the main tip.it guide. How many runes/kill does it take?

[craggyp]

well, at magic lvl 60 on irons, it was about 50-70 spells per kill. Now I'm at 69 and I'm down to about 50 per kill. or, another way to look at it: I used to kill 1.5 per anti-dbreath potion dose, now I kill 2-2.5. :D

[phata_elise]

I did a lot of metal dragon killing recently using both magic and ranged techniques. When using magic, I need about 50 casts per steel dragon and a bit less for iron dragons. At around 200gp per cast, each dragon costs you around 10k to slay. Pretty expensive...

 

You will need one of the rare drops to make cash this way.

 

 

 

I prefer to range the dragons. Emerald(e) bolts to poison the dragon and then I switch to mith bolts. I use 1 ranged pot every 2 antifire pots. At 91 ranged I can kill the dragons much faster with ranged than when using magic. And it's a lot cheaper too.

[Owned_Nex]

you know what? you're totally right about the bolt spells! I feel like an idiot. I'll go back and change that.

 

 

 

second: as a magic-user fighting these dragons, you never use prayer. there is no need, unless you want to poison them, and then you don't have them on for very long. so no, getting the prayer bonuses on that armor is not important. its very important if you're meleeing them (like you said you do) but for mages, we need all the magic attack bonus we can get.

 

 

 

slayer dart is a nice spell, but I believe it uses both mind and death runes, and requires that you be a level 55 slayer. it does more damage (19, as opposed to 15 with chaos gauntlets) but costs more per cast, so someone would have to work out the average damage per spell versus the average cost per spell and see which is less, but I have a feeling that cost per damage analysis would favor the fire bolt.

 

 

 

again, thanks for all the positive reviews, keep them coming, and I'll make those changes!

 

 

 

edit: wesley, tyvm for the pic of ranged equipment and inventory. I'll get it cropped and add it in, as well as your name in the credits :D

 

 

 

LoL. I forgot u dont need prayer. Instead more runes and ani fire pots.

 

 

 

Its true slayer dart costs more, but its much more effective. It is true you CAN hit 15, but its very rare. With slayer dart, you almost always hit 10+. The cost is worth it, since 2 fire bolts for me, dont add up to 1 slayer dart.

 

I've tried range too, and it owns.

[craggyp]

to each their own when it comes to what spell you use I guess. I seem to hit 10+ on fire bolt very frequently, so I'll keep using it.

 

 

 

I believe I mention several times in the guide that in order to make money, you need to be pretty high level and get rare drops. over time, this will happen. if you were level 90+ and took everything you got and sold it, then put that money back into buying more runes, I'm fairly certain you would at least break even, especially if you get lucky on a few visage/dleg drops.

 

 

 

and yeah I wanna try ranged once I get good enough. the problem is, its harder to be effective at lower levels.

 

 

 

phata_elise, what level magic are you? because 50 spells per steel is a pretty darn good rate. I'm at about that and I mage irons. as far as ranged, well obviously at level 91 you're going to be pretty effective. I'm sure when (if) I ever get that good I'll be raking it in too :)

 

 

 

ps: ever try pearl bolts? I've heard they're good, but confirmation would be cool :D

[rhan_wolf]

Does anyone know where to buy anti fire pots? Ive never seen anyone selling them.

[Italian5kamikaze]

Does anyone know where to buy anti fire pots? Ive never seen anyone selling them.

 

 

 

World 2 right outside fally bank, or just use the forums.

[Owned_Nex]

Im at about 30-40 casts of dart each steel.

 

 

 

BTW, i lucked out and got a visage meleeing. sold, andbought some darts and went maging. Got my second visage after 6 more trips, and about 300 killz

[CampbellMC]

Hey great guide, my only concern is the inventory for mage. I have been maging them for nearly a week now a couple hours per day. And I have found the best balence for pots and food is 10 Antifire and just 8 Food, always does me just fine, im thinking of increasing my antifires tho since im getting better at not using food and curry is dropped every so often anyways. (more so by steels and sometimes 2 at a time)

[craggyp]

pantim: you lucky *bleep* :D

 

 

 

campbell: yeah, as far as the inventory goes, I kinda gave a good starting spot and then said that it was possible (probably necessary) to tweak it to your liking. I tend to take fewer pots because I keep almost everything. if I don't have a reason to leave early, the time that 6 pots takes usually allows me to fill my inventory. I need less food these days too :)

[12pure34]

A few things I have to mention

 

1) A great guide. Certainly one I would see in the AOW any time soon.

 

 

 

2) The ranged part is good, but the bolt part is all messed up.

 

First of all, pearl tipped (e) bolts are great for their spec, which is quite infrequent. The bolt is quite weak and should never be used. They are steel I thought and very hard to gather 500 of. Never use these.

 

Ruby bolts (e) = bad plan. Means you will be taking hits. If you are going to try this, only use it as the first 5 hits or so, as the spec will have its maximum effect.

 

Diamond tipped bolts, if you can afford it.. heck! Use them, best bolt there is.

 

Emerald (mithril) (e) = 1 fine bolt. Use it if you can't afford the others.

 

Plain addamith = deadly indeed. Can compete with emerald bolts (e).

 

 

 

In order from which ones I would use, not considering what you can afford:

 

Diamond bolts (e)

 

Emerald bolts (e)

 

Addy bolts

 

Ruby bolts (e) combined with any other type, special means you WILL need food.

 

Pearl tipped bolts (e)

 

--> Accumulator must be stressed a bit more, as it saves you in bolts (you seem to keep more bolts then as you pick them off the ground)

 

 

 

Last thing, I promise

 

When you log out, try to walk back to the vine where you entered. This is a safe area where only a wild dog might attack you. It is not far and you can get ready for the entrance more easily.

 

 

 

Not really much I could add to this guide, it is by far one of the best written guides. Good job!

[Manwe]

I much prefer Range. I leveled both my mage and ranged up to 80 there (both were at 78) and while range takes longer, its way less expensive. I suggest for the mage taking 4 sharks + 1 monkfish for the food. Use the monk/lobby for if you get damaged by the dogs as i don't pray on way in till the Blk Demons.

 

 

 

I really should get a screen shot of me on ranged...

 

 

 

I take 1 ranged pot (4) for every 2 anti fires. I carry a bolt pack (carrying 250 emmy bolts) and have 1k mith bolts with me. As far as anti fires i normally take 16 (which means 8 ranged pots). I wear avas device, fremink range helm, glory, wealth, blk d hide body and legs, barrows gloves and use a rune c bow. I can last for hours (literally) and leave at about the 5 hour mark or after i get a dragon drop + clue. I then do the clue and sell the dragon drop and go back.

 

 

 

My method when used with my skills means that i pay off the run just off the alchable drops. (take 50 nats + fire runes btw) The first part of the run is rather annoying as you get too many drops to start. Keep all stackable and if you can't find buyer sell on karajima using gloves.

[craggyp]

12pure34: thanks so much for the advice on the bolts! I'll be sure to include that next time I edit, which should be any day now. also, thanks for the compliments about the guide.

 

 

 

the reason I made this was because I had heard about the ability to mage steel dragons, but never knew how it worked, and I couldn't find one place to get all the info I needed.

 

 

 

how does it work?

 

where do I go?

 

how do I get there?

 

what do I need?

 

 

 

I had to search about 10 different threads before I finally got the gist of what to do, and it seemed like it was a pretty popular thing to me, so I decided to take what little I had found and add all of the things I had learned and make it easier for people to find everything.

 

 

 

I took pics, kept track of everything I did, tried all sorts of new stuff, asked a few other mages what they did, and compiled it all in an easy-to-read format. mostly, I just want to make it easier for other people to learn about and try this method. hope I helped :P

[rhan_wolf]

I'm killing iron dragons right now useing your guide. Sorry if this has alreADY BEEN COVERED IN YOUR GUIDE AND I MISSED IT. but I was wondering if i will break even useing fire bolt at about 60 casts per kill. Also i paid 3.5k ea for my anti fires. Thank you :)

[craggyp]

at 60 per iron, I'm gonna say probably not. if we assume that you pay 140 for each chaos and 40 for 4 fires, thats 180 per cast. multiply by 60, and we end up with 10,800gp per kill. unless you get something worth that much every kill, its not gonna work. if you kept everything that dropped (bones and bars too) you would be able to reduce that number by bones price (1.3k) and 5 bars' price (maybe 900), making the total worth needed from drops 8.6k.

 

 

 

if you get lucky enough to snag a visage, and you sell it for 20m (thats a low price!) you can afford 100k chaos and 400k fires with 2m left over. that pays for a lot of kills.

 

 

 

it all depends on what you get. d legs can get you 10k more spells. getting a bunch of bloods, or runite limbs you can make into cbows, is always a good thing. however, until you're able to kill them in maybe 30-40, you're really not gonna make a profit. :( sorry.

 

 

 

keep leveling magic. once you hit the 80s (ok, I know, not easy) you'll be in much better shape. also, consider saving up to buy the best possible equipment :D

[rhan_wolf]

What equipment is the best? I know i need to get a god cape(only 57 mage right now) Im useing full blue mystic except for the gloves, with a glory.