Strategies for King Black Dragon

The Old School RuneScape Wiki also has an article on: osrsw:King Black Dragon/Strategies

This article is a strategy guide for King Black Dragon. Information on mechanics, setups, and tactics is on this page.

Recommended levels and equipment

Requirements

Free-to-play boss

This boss can be fought in free-to-play. Please see below for free-to-play specific recommendations.

Level recommendations

65+ combat

It is recommended to have at least level 65+ in your chosen combat style (Attack & Strength, Ranged or Magic).

65+ Defence

It is recommended to have at least level 65+ Defence.

43+ Prayer

At least 43 is recommended to use protection prayers against this boss' attacks.

Gameplay

Protection prayers

This boss attacks using all three combat styles, so use any protection prayer if you do not have Soul Split.

Soul Split

If you deal high damage, you can use soul split during the fight instead of protection prayers.

Equipment recommendations

No weakness

This boss has no particular weakness, so you can use any combat style during this fight.

Tier 65+ armour

Use superior rock-shell, superior spined, superior skeletal, or better (see more recommendations).

Tier 70+ weaponry

Use tier 70 weaponry or better
(see recommendations).

Dragonfire protection required

Protection such as super antifires or elder overload salves is required to protect against this boss's dragonfire attacks.

Poison protection required

Protection such as super antipoisons or elder overload salves is recommended to protect against this boss's poison attacks.

Optional boosts

Damage-boosting familiar

Use a damage-boosting familiar to increase your damage: Ripper demon, Kal'gerion demon, Blood reaver, or Steel titan.

Dragon slayer

This boss is a dragon and dragon slayer effects provide additional damage against it.

Slayer helmet

This boss counts as a slayer task for 'black dragons'. The slayer helmet provides additional damage and accuracy if you are on task.

Poisonable

This boss is poisonable, and cinderbane gloves and weapon poisons deal additional damage.

Inquisitor susceptibility

The inquisitor staff deals +12.5% ability damage and has a flat +10% hitchance when used against this boss.

Seren godbow susceptibility

The Seren godbow's special attack is very strong against this target with all combat styles as it is a 5x5+ target.

Wilderness access bonus

Entering the arena using the Wilderness artefact grants a 10% damage increase, but you must avoid being killed by other players.

Strategy

The King Black Dragon fight is simple and does not require the player to respond to attacks unless they are using stat restoring potions to counter the effects of the shocking dragonfire. Ensure that your protection against regular dragonfire is maintained: if you turn off your prayer or your potion runs out, the dragonfire can hit you for up to 2,700 damage.

The King Black Dragon's melee attacks include a lunge attack (in which the middle head lunges forward to attack you) and a slashing attack (in which the King Black Dragon jumps and slashes at you with his claws). Both attacks deal the same amount of damage.

He also uses regular dragonfire attacks and three types of special dragonfire:

• Freezing dragonfire that binds the player in place for several seconds
• Shocking dragonfire that lowers all stats by 2 and drains Summoning points
• Poisonous dragonfire that inflicts poison damage (is not used in free-to-play)

If you are out of melee range the King Black Dragon will not move closer to you to attack with melee and will instead attack only with his dragonfire attacks. Even if you are attacking from within his melee range, he will still use dragonfire more often than melee attacks.

• 

  Normal dragonfire

• 

  Freezing dragonfire

• 

  Shocking dragonfire

• 

  Poisonous dragonfire

Free-to-play

The King Black Dragon can be killed in free-to-play, however it should not be attempted at low combat levels due to the lack of options to fully protect against taking damage from dragonfire. Players with at least level 100 combat should be able to kill him reliably. Free-to-play players have the option of using an anti-dragon shield or the Protect from Magic to give partial protection against regular dragonfire, but these do not stack together to give full protection.

Use of Protect from Magic allows you to use powerful two-handed or dual wielding weapons to increase your damage. Prayer potions should be used to maintain the prayer. Food and stat-boosting potions are also recommended. Completing the Archaeology tutorial and activating Font of Life can also be useful. It is the only relic power available in free-to-play and provides a permanent 500 life points boost.

Equipment recommendations

Slot	Item(s): best to worst
Weapon	Corrupt dragon weaponry Degrade to dust after around 30 minutes of use.	Gud raider axe 30,656,672 Main-hand only	Gravite weaponry Obtained through and recharged by using Dungeoneering tokens.	Rune weaponry
Head/body/legs	Corrupt dragon helm Corrupt dragon chainbody Corrupt dragon platelegs 181,391 for the full set Degrade to dust after around 30 minutes of use. The only power armour set available in free-to-play.	Gud raider chainbody 56,973,757 It is power armour and provides a 20.3 bonus.	Rune full helm + 3 Rune platebody + 3 Rune platelegs + 3 367,825 Is tank armour rather than power armour, so provides no damage bonus.
Hands	Rune gauntlets + 3 32,005
Feet	Rune armoured boots + 3 42,097
Cape	Team cape 612 Any team cape gives a 1.5 bonus in all styles.	Bladestorm drape 865 Gives a 1.5 bonus.
Necklace	Brawler's hook necklace Bought for 15,500 Dungeoneering tokens with level 50 Attack and Dungeoneering. Gives a 24.3 bonus.	Amulet of strength 3,683 Gives a 18.7 bonus.
Ring	Explorer's ring 4 Obtained from completing the Hard Lumbridge achievements Gives a 10.7 bonus in all combat styles	Asylum doctor's ring Obtained from completing Broken Home Gives a 7.7 bonus in all combat styles.	Ring of Luck 4,113 Gives a 3.6 bonus in all combat styles.

Slot	Item(s): best to worst
Weapon	Gravite weaponry Obtained through Dungeoneering using Dungeoneering tokens.	Mystic wand and Mystic orb 40,852
Head/body/legs	Battle hood Battle robe top Battle robe bottom 9,728,962 for the full set Obtained in uncharged state and is degradeable - must be repaired using Fist of Guthix tokens after around 6 hours of use. It is PvP armour and gives both an armour bonus and Magic style bonus.	Druidic mage hood Druidic mage top Druidic mage bottom 168,463 for the full set Obtained in uncharged state and is degradeable - must be repaired using Fist of Guthix tokens after around 6 hours of use. It is PvP armour and gives both an armour bonus and Magic style bonus.	Mystic hat (blue) Mystic robe top (blue) Mystic robe bottom (blue) 43,900 Is tank armour rather than power armour, so provides no damage bonus.
Hands	Mystic gloves (blue) 5,638
Feet	Mystic boots (blue) 5,893
Cape	Team cape 612 Any team cape gives a 1.5 bonus in all styles.	Spellstorm drape 354 Gives a 1.5 bonus.
Necklace	Arcane blast necklace Bought for 15,500 Dungeoneering tokens with level 50 Magic and Dungeoneering. Gives a 24.3 bonus.	Amulet of magic 1,923 Gives a 18.7 bonus.
Ring	Explorer's ring 4 Obtained from completing the Hard Lumbridge achievements Gives a 10.7 bonus in all combat styles	Asylum doctor's ring Obtained from completing Broken Home Gives a 7.7 bonus in all combat styles.	Ring of Luck 4,113 Gives a 3.6 bonus in all combat styles.

Slot	Item(s): best to worst
Weapon	Gravite weaponry Obtained through Dungeoneering using Dungeoneering tokens.	Magic shortbow 1,483	Rune weaponry
Head/body/legs	Blue dragonhide coif Blue dragonhide body Blue dragonhide chaps 11,942 for the full set	Is tank armour rather than power armour, so provides no damage bonus.
Hands	Blue dragonhide vambraces 2,011
Feet	Blue dragonhide boots 2,122
Cape	Team cape 612 Any team cape gives a 1.5 bonus in all styles.	Arrowstorm drape 2,924 Gives a 1.5 bonus.
Necklace	Farsight snap shot necklace Bought for 15,500 Dungeoneering tokens with level 50 Ranged and Dungeoneering. Gives a 24.3 bonus.	Amulet of power 5,051 Gives a 15.8 bonus in all combat styles.
Ring	Explorer's ring 4 Obtained from completing the Hard Lumbridge achievements Gives a 10.7 bonus in all combat styles	Asylum doctor's ring Obtained from completing Broken Home Gives a 7.7 bonus in all combat styles.	Ring of Luck 4,113 Gives a 3.6 bonus in all combat styles.