OSRS Drake Guide

In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), Drakes are formidable dragonlike creatures that can be challenging to defeat and are occasionally assigned as high-level Slayer tasks. Despite their difficulty, Drakes drop valuable items, with improved drop rates when tackled as a Slayer task. Killing Drakes can also be a profitable activity, potentially earning you significant OSRS Gold through their valuable drops.

Among their drops are Drake bones, which provide slightly more Prayer experience than dragon bones, and unique items like Drake claws and teeth. The claws can upgrade the boots of stone to boots of brimstone, and the teeth can upgrade holy sandals to devout boots. These items can be sold for substantial amounts of OSRS Gold, making Drakes a lucrative target.

Defeating Drakes becomes more manageable with the right gear, efficient use of supplies like Prayer potions, and understanding their mechanics. This guide will cover everything you need to know about taking on Drakes in OSRS.

Requirements

To kill Drakes in OSRS, you need to meet several requirements. Firstly, you need a Slayer level of 84 to be assigned a Drake task and to be able to damage Drakes. Secondly, you need access to Mount Karuulm, the only place where Drakes are found. This area is on the continent of Great Kourend, requiring some quests to fully unlock. You also need boots of stone, brimstone, or granite boots to navigate the Drake's dungeon safely.

There is a Slayer Master named Konar near the dungeon entrance who sells boots of stone. Other Slayer Masters also carry these boots, but Konar is the most convenient due to her proximity to the Drakes' location.

Lastly, having certain stats will help you fight Drakes effectively. While these stats are not mandatory, they significantly ease the battle. For melee combat, you should have at least 80 in Attack, Defence, Strength, and Hitpoints, and at least 70 in Prayer to use Piety. For Ranged combat, aim for at least 75 Ranged, and for Magic, at least 85 Magic.

Location

Drakes are found in the Mount Karuulm Slayer Dungeon, accessible via the elevator at the mountaintop settlement. Ensure you wear your boots of stone, brimstone, or granite boots to avoid constant damage. If you have completed the Elite Kourend and Kebos Diary, you won't need these boots.

There are several ways to reach Mount Karuulm:

1. Fairy Ring: Use code CIR to teleport to the foot of the mountain and then walk up. With 62 Agility, you can use two shortcuts to reduce travel time.

2. Skills Necklace: Teleport to the Farming Guild and run north. You can use the Agility shortcuts mentioned above.

3. Battlefront Teleport: Use the Arceuus spell requiring 23 Magic, then run northwest to Mount Karuulm.

4. Rada's Blessing 3 or 4: Teleport directly to the mountaintop, with three teleports per day for Blessing 3 and unlimited for Blessing 4.

Mechanics

Drakes are considered draconic and are weak to the Dragon Hunter Lance and Dragon Hunter Crossbow. While they don't fully breathe fire, they have a special attack to watch out for. After every seven attacks, Drakes launch a unique fireball that deals four hits of 6-8 damage each. You can avoid this by moving at least one tile away or mitigate it with dragonfire protection.

Using an anti-dragon shield or drinking antifire potions can reduce the damage from this attack. A super antifire potion offers complete protection, allowing you to use other items in your shield slot. Combining the Protect from Missiles prayer with your chosen fireball mitigation strategy can significantly reduce the damage taken.

Equipment Recommendations

Melee

For melee combat, equip your highest strength bonus gear, such as the Bandos chest plate and tassets, fire cape, and berserker ring. The Dragon Hunter Lance is the best weapon for Drakes, but other good options include the Ghrazi rapier, Blade of Saeldor, or Abyssal whip. In your shield slot, use the Dragon Defender or Avernic Defender, or save on potions with an anti-dragon shield.

Ranged

For Ranged combat, use high Ranged bonus gear like the Armadyl chest plate and chain skirt, or God dragonhide as an alternative. Equip an Archer's ring and the best neck item, such as an amulet of fury or necklace of anguish. The Dragon Hunter Crossbow is the best weapon, but other crossbows work too. Use the best ammunition your crossbow can handle, like dragon bolts, preferably enchanted diamond dragon bolts for their ability to bypass high defenses.

Magic

For Magic combat, use gear that maximizes Magic damage output, such as the Occult necklace and Ancestral robes. If Ancestral isn’t available, use Ahrim’s robes. Equip a Seer's ring, god cape, and a god blessing or Rada's Blessing. The Shadow of Tumeken is the highest damage output item, followed by the Trident of the Swamp or Seas. Your shield slot options are limited to the Ancient Wyvern Shield or anti-dragon shield.

Universal Equipment

Regardless of combat style, wear your imbued Slayer Helm during Slayer tasks for increased efficiency. Bring Prayer potions, a holy wrench, and optionally a bonecrusher if not collecting bones. A herb sack is useful due to frequent herb drops, and a rune pouch is essential, containing runes for your chosen combat spells or fire and nature runes for melee or Ranged.