A High Level Approach to Iron Dragons

[green9090]

I've been doing a lot of slayer lately, and got more metal dragon assignments than I would have liked in a row. I had been ranging them, but decided to try something a little different. What I discovered was a way to cut costs by 100-500% while not sacrificing efficiency.

 

 

 

I assume for this guide that I am speaking to an audience experienced in using the standard prayer method of fighting iron dragons. Thus, I won't be telling you things like how to get there, because there are plenty of other guides for beginners. This guide is for very high levels who already know what they are doing.

 

 

 

Here's what you will need:

 

 

 

90+ attack and strength. Probably could be done with less, but it wouldn't be nearly as fun.

 

95+ defence, the higher the better. This is very important, the lower your defence is the more you will be spending.

 

43+ prayer. Highly recommended to have at least 60 or 70.

 

68 summoning. Bunyip is involved. 88 would probably be much much better, but this works with a bunyip.

 

Veracs top, bottom and helm or slayer mask. Very important for the combo of great defence and prayer bonuses.

 

A leaf-bladed sword. I did some tests and this is clearly better than the whip. You hit lower, sure, but you also hit about 3 times more often.

 

Common sense. It's better to waste a dose of prayer potion than end up in Lumbridge with <5 minutes to get all the way to Brimhaven dungeon.

 

 

 

Here's some things that are really, really nice to have, but not strictly necessary:

 

 

 

An iron dragon task. This works great when you've got 99 attack and strength and the 15% black mask bonus.

 

As A First Resort complete, granting access to the pools of win.

 

A Dragonfire shield. The extra defence is absolutely awesome here.

 

A Saradomin Godsword. This is how you'll cut your costs by 500%. Alternatively, the enhanced excaliber sword from the hard Seers' Village achievement diary is a good runner-up if you don't own a Saradomin Godsword, as each special (full spec bar) will heal you 20 and act as a dose of super defense potion. If you own neither of this, you can use the ancient mace from Death to the Dorgeshuun, which heals prayer but not hp with the spec.

 

70 prayer and access to piety.

 

An Amulet of Fury. Mostly for the extra prayer, otherwise a glory works.

 

 

 

Here's your equipment setup:

 

 

 

Helmet: Slayer helmet>Black mask/Veracs helm>Neitiznot>Berserker

 

Amulet: Fury>Glory

 

Body: Veracs>Bandos>Other barrows

 

Legs: Veracs>Bandos> Torag/Dharoks

 

Cape: Fire>Trimmed skill>god cloak>untrimmed skill/obsidian>other

 

Boots: Dragon/Bandos*>Rune>Climbing

 

Weapon: Leaf-bladed sword>Whip

 

Shield: Dragonfire>Antifire

 

Ring: Berserker/life/wealth

 

Gloves: Barrows/Dragon Slayer. I prefer barrows, but whatever.

 

 

 

*Bandos boots have +1 prayer and 1 higher in all melee def. Dragon boots have +4 strength and are much cheaper. I prefer dragon, but Bandos could be a good option too.

 

 

 

Here's what you'll bring:

 

 

 

SGS if you have it, otherwise excaliber, ancient mace, dds or something else to spec with.

 

2 super sets.

 

Enough antifire potions to last however long you want to stay.

 

If you have an SGS, bring about 75% as many prayer pots as antifires. If you don't, about 150% as many.

 

Holy Wrench.

 

Woodcutting axe.

 

Entrance fee.

 

Alchs.

 

Teleport out.

 

Slayer gem if you want it.

 

2 or 3 Bunyip pouches, depending on your expected trip length.

 

 

 

And finally the strategy. This assumes you use an SGS or ancient mace, if not ignore the awesome parts:

 

 

 

First, use the Ooglog hp, prayer, and run pools if you can. Then, head on down to the iron dragons, and take a sip of antifire, super attack, defence, and strength potion. Try to find a world in which the irons nearest the entrance are free, and fight those. Summon a Bunyip as soon as you take damage. Fight as long as you can without using prayer (don't go below 60 hp in case of lag), and then flip on protect from melee when you need it. You'll notice now just how awesome the Bunyip effect is. Let him fill you up to an acceptable amount of hp, and then flip the prayer off again.

 

 

 

If you have an SGS, then as soon as you can probably use two good specs in both the prayer and hp categories (or just prayer with the ancient mace), head on up to the black demon area. Make sure you do not switch weapons until a dragon is NOT attacking you (I found this out the hard way and got nailed a 17 and a 26). Then turn on piety and unload your specs on a dog or demon. Then replace your shield and whip, and go back to fighting iron dragons.

 

 

 

If you are using excaliber, then instead simply switch to that sword and use the special when your hp runs around 30 or 40 below normal.

 

 

 

When your bunyip runs out, summon a second one as soon as you have under full hp. If you don't have enough summon energy, there's an obelisk right out next to the black demons that you can use to top off.

 

 

 

If you do this right, you should use dramatically less prayer potion than you normally would for this task, with hardly any extra effort. Take advantage of curry drops as extra time without prayer on, and use your SGS wisely, and you might not have to use any prayer potion at all. That's right; my first time using this (at maxed melees and 73 prayer), I used ONE DOSE of prayer potion for 73 iron dragons. And I was in the middle of inventing it at the time.

 

 

 

Good luck using this method, and please post questions if you have them!

 

 

 

Edit: I tried this on steel dragons, which did not work out well for a few reasons.

 

 

 

First, it's impractical to use an SGS for steels because they aren't sitting right by the entrance. If you leave, then an iron will probably attack you, and that's a big pain. So no SGS.

 

 

 

Second, they hit hard. Like, 22 is not uncommon through super potted 99 def and Veracs with DFS hard. The healing you get from a Bunyip does not last long.

 

 

 

Because of this, I suggest bringing Proselyte armor instead of Veracs. For steel dragons you really do need the prayer.

[mario_sunny]

Very good method. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has discovered the limitless power of the bunyip!

 

 

 

Delicious guide, easy to read, short and to the point. However, the requirements are pretty darn high; you ask for both a weapon that is 80M? and 90+ melee stats. I think I'll stick with ranging, but if I ever get an sgs I'll definitely try this method.

[wioneo]

EDIT: Waka waka and such

 

 

 

Nice guide, but as long as I'm still too poor to afford a new sword, I'll have to use the old ways.

[green9090]

Very good method. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has discovered the limitless power of the bunyip!

 

 

 

Delicious guide, easy to read, short and to the point. However, the requirements are pretty darn high; you ask for both a weapon that is 80M? and 90+ melee stats. I think I'll stick with ranging, but if I ever get an sgs I'll definitely try this method.

 

 

 

Yeah, sorry about the high requirements. I'm sure you can see, though, that the high requirements are definitely there for a reason. This isn't a guide for your average level 110, but it was something that I found incredibly useful, and I hope others in my position will as well. And for those of you without the requirements, who knows, maybe you can think of something to make this useful for you, which I overlooked because of being too high a level to need it?

 

 

 

Also, though the SGS makes things way way way easier, this method can help a LOT even without it. You'd be amazed how much it helps to be healing while you pray, and then you can go ahead and take the prayer off again. Mix that up with a few bowls of curry and you're still probably cutting your prayer pot use in half, more if you have good defence. If I can survive off of two SGS specs worth of prayer per 5 minutes, that really isn't very many prayer pots. Each spec is probably about equal to 1/3-1/2 of a dose of prayer potion.

[xSxqPowerx]

Very nice guide, however I definitely prefer just melee pray + pietying the whole task, which I can rip through in around 40 minutes.

[green9090]

Very nice guide, however I definitely prefer just melee pray + pietying the whole task, which I can rip through in around 40 minutes.

 

Considering I made it though a task of 73 dragons (which is above average) in just about 50 minutes (judging by my bunyip timer) for a cost of 11 doses of antifire, 1 dose of prayer pot, and 1 super set... I think the savings in prayer potion are worth the 10 minutes tops. Unless you can make enough to buy however many prayer potions you used in 10 minutes?

[Logdotzip]

Would you advise to wear a platebody other than a brassard, as it has significantly less of a defence bonus than the other melee barrows chestplates have. I think lost prayer bonus by using, say, a guthan plate is compensated by you being hit less, could you agree / maybe test this?

[green9090]

Would you advise to wear a platebody other than a brassard, as it has significantly less of a defence bonus than the other melee barrows chestplates have. I think lost prayer bonus by using, say, a guthan plate is compensated by you being hit less, could you agree / maybe test this?

 

Well, a Guthan plate has 20 crush defence on Veracs, but is lacking 5 prayer bonus. To me, it feels like 1 prayer bonus is worth much more than 4 crush defence.

 

 

 

Keep in mind that you get to heal hp while your prayer is on, so prayer lasting longer = more hp. I would not recommend trying to do this in armor other than Veracs.

[mchainmail]

I've started doing this. However, I kept the prosy top and used verac's skirt. It was a good mix between defense and prayer. I still used a ppot per 10 dragons, but that's a lot less than the alternate multiple-trip scenario.

 

 

 

(on task, melee stats in the upper 80s)

[green9090]

Interesting... Proselyte top is -30 more crush def for +3 more prayer. On the other hand, it doesn't need repairs. I might try it out next time I go down there.

[Aussietroopa]

I personally have 52 summoning, and I'm not maxed melee. I am currently 95 attack, 96 strength, 97 defence 99 hitpoints. I can do an entire Iron or Steel Dragon task with 4 Anti Fire (4) Potions, and the rest of my inventory with Prayer Potions. This is faster then this method, I also use a d mace instead of a Dragon Dagger, as I personally find it to hit higher. Also i use Pros, Dfs, etc and Black Mask, and I'm sure I finish faster then 40 minutes. I finish the entire task on one inventory as well, and I don't bother with prayer flashing, as I personally prefer to afk slayer task's.

[green9090]

If you don't bother with the SGS, this method doesn't slow you down in any way. Just throwing that out there, since you seem to think that this method wastes time. Think of it like finding free prayer potion on the ground.

 

 

 

I'm also going to go ahead and say that I HIGHLY doubt that you can finish a task of 73 irons in under 40 minutes. That's a ridiculous claim.

[Aussietroopa]

If you don't bother with the SGS, this method doesn't slow you down in any way. Just throwing that out there, since you seem to think that this method wastes time. Think of it like finding free prayer potion on the ground.

 

 

 

I'm also going to go ahead and say that I HIGHLY doubt that you can finish a task of 73 irons in under 40 minutes. That's a ridiculous claim.

 

 

 

 

 

73? Sorry missed that. My average task is around 45-50. And yes, I do it quite easily in under 40 minutes.

[green9090]

That I'll believe, but my test task was 73 dragons, which took 50 minutes. That adds up to a better kill rate than you, and I didn't use prayer potions. That's gotta count for something, right?

[tiwaz1]

grate guide most try it sometime (9,5/10)

 

 

 

I just what to add too things

 

 

 

1. There is an bronze axe laying in the Brimhaven inn. So you not need to carry it when you slaying

 

 

 

2.pics. everyone love pic ( I do)

[green9090]

grate guide most try it sometime (9,5/10)

 

 

 

I just what to add too things

 

 

 

1. There is an bronze axe laying in the Brimhaven inn. So you not need to carry it when you slaying

 

 

 

2.pics. everyone love pic ( I do)

 

1. That definitely works, but I prefer just keeping extra axes in my bank and then alching it when I get in there.

 

 

 

2. My computer is weird about taking screenshots, or I would. There are, however, PLENTY of metal dragon guides around complete with many pics showing you exactly what to do, if you need to get the ropes. :)

[TheManapker]

:o nice guide oi

 

 

 

Another trick not many people know... or maybe just because i've never seen anyone do... anyway, do those Zanik quests (im sorry i forgot up to which one but i believe Death to the Dorgeshuun) and get the ancient mace.

 

You probably already know this but the amount you hit with the mace, you get in prayer points.

 

 

 

I sometimes like to wait til my spec is back, and i run to the dogs' area and use the spec on them, you can get a nice 10-20+ back off them.

[green9090]

:o nice guide oi

 

 

 

Another trick not many people know... or maybe just because i've never seen anyone do... anyway, do those Zanik quests (im sorry i forgot up to which one but i believe Death to the Dorgeshuun) and get the ancient mace.

 

You probably already know this but the amount you hit with the mace, you get in prayer points.

 

 

 

I sometimes like to wait til my spec is back, and i run to the dogs' area and use the spec on them, you can get a nice 10-20+ back off them.

 

Not a bad trick if you don't have an SGS, I forgot about that weapon! No hp restore probably makes it worse than SGS though. I'll add that to the first post, thanks!

[Yohbilleh]

Can you also use this for slayer tasks eg black demons

[green9090]

Can you also use this for slayer tasks eg black demons

 

Absolutely, and it's way way easier with easier monsters. I haven't prayed on black demons since I was around 118 combat (pre-summoning), when I would just use Guthans to stay alive. Nowadays with a bunyip and SGS in addition to my Guthans, it doesn't even feel dangerous to do so. For somebody your level though, you would probably want to hybrid prayer if you can use a bunyip, since they can hit pretty hard at lower levels. If you can't use a bunyip yet, you might be better off praying full time, or just ranging them.

[Yohbilleh]

Can you also use this for slayer tasks eg black demons

 

Absolutely, and it's way way easier with easier monsters. I haven't prayed on black demons since I was around 118 combat (pre-summoning), when I would just use Guthans to stay alive. Nowadays with a bunyip and SGS in addition to my Guthans, it doesn't even feel dangerous to do so. For somebody your level though, you would probably want to hybrid prayer if you can use a bunyip, since they can hit pretty hard at lower levels. If you can't use a bunyip yet, you might be better off praying full time, or just ranging them.

 

 

 

Actually im 90+ attack stats and 99 defence. I wouldn't call myself a low level.

 

 

 

Well this makes me get a SGS now. *waits for price to significantly drop*

 

 

 

This method kind of doesnt work without SGS seeing as half the time you're praying which only halves the pray pots used.

 

 

 

Maybe you could put in something on the regeneration bracelet? If you flip on Rapid heal with the bracelet on, you're looking at 4 extra hp per minute

[green9090]

The regeneration bracelet is worthless if you'd be using barrows gloves otherwise- those gloves are just too good.

 

 

 

Sorry I assumed your sig was current, it says "106+ combat" and I responded accordingly :P. If you can use a bunyip and Guthan's, you should be totally set for black demons. Use super sets.

[Wrench_150]

Definitely a useful guide when I become way richer with better stats. I'll probably blow off the irons or mage them. A great guide though and summoning seems quite useful.

[Freesia]

The ancient mace has like the stats of a mithril so statistically I doubting it can actually hit irons if you aren't really hitting very well with whip. However, i don't actually own the weapon, so I'm not too sure how well it actually hits in game.

[green9090]

The ancient mace has like the stats of a mithril so statistically I doubting it can actually hit irons if you aren't really hitting very well with whip. However, i don't actually own the weapon, so I'm not too sure how well it actually hits in game.

 

You definitely wouldn't use it on an iron- it's two handed!

 

 

 

The idea is to take it and spec on a dog or black demon, both of which have extremely low defense for 90+ melees potted and piety. A Sara Godsword would obviously hit better and almost always give more prayer, but it's balanced slightly by the fact that you only get 1/4 what you hit in prayer with the SGS spec, and everything you hit with the ancient mace. No healing from the mace though.