How to Charge Toxic Blowpipe in OSRS

The Toxic Blowpipe is one of the most powerful ranged weapons in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), prized for its rapid attack speed and venom-inflicting capabilities. Whether you’re battling bosses like Zulrah or grinding Slayer tasks, keeping your blowpipe charged is essential to maximize its effectiveness. This guide explains everything you need to know about charging the Toxic Blowpipe, from gathering materials to managing costs, ensuring you’re ready for any combat scenario.

Before diving into the charging process, let’s cover the basics of the Toxic Blowpipe. This two-handed ranged weapon requires 75 Ranged to wield and is crafted by using a chisel on a Tanzanite Fang, which requires 53 Fletching. Obtained as a drop from Zulrah, the blowpipe is a go-to choice for players due to its versatility in both PvM (Player vs. Monster) and PvP (Player vs. Player) combat.

Why Charging Matters

The Toxic Blowpipe cannot be wielded unless it’s charged, except when fully degraded while equipped. Charging it with Zulrah’s Scales and darts ensures it delivers its signature high damage output and venom effect, which has a 25% chance to inflict venom on enemies (100% when paired with a Serpentine Helm against NPCs).

Key Stats and Features

The blowpipe uses unpoisoned darts as ammunition and Zulrah’s Scales as its power source. Here are some quick facts:

Attack Speed: 2 ticks (1.2 seconds) on rapid, making it one of the fastest weapons in OSRS.
Range: 5 tiles by default, extendable to 7 with the Longrange style.
Special Attack: Toxic Siphon increases damage by 50% and heals for half the damage dealt, consuming 50% special attack energy.

Gathering Materials for Charging

Charging the Toxic Blowpipe requires two main components: Zulrah’s Scales and darts. Let’s break down how to acquire these materials efficiently.

Obtaining Zulrah’s Scales

Zulrah’s Scales are dropped exclusively by Zulrah, a solo-only boss located in the Zul-Andra shrine. Each kill yields a variable number of scales, typically 100–300, depending on your performance and luck. To farm scales effectively:

Gear Up: Use a mix of ranged and magic gear, such as a Trident of the Swamp and Armadyl armor, to handle Zulrah’s phases.
Learn Rotations: Zulrah follows predictable attack patterns. Study guides or use a rotation helper to minimize deaths.
Optimize Kills: With high stats (80+ Ranged and Magic), you can achieve 2–3 kills per trip, netting hundreds of scales per hour.

Choosing the Right Darts

The Toxic Blowpipe accepts various unpoisoned darts, from Bronze to Dragon. The type of dart affects both damage output and cost. Here’s a table to help you decide:

Dart Type	Ranged Strength Bonus	Approx. Cost (GP)	Best Use Case
Bronze	+7	2–5	Low-budget training
Mithril	+22	20–30	General Slayer tasks
Adamant	+28	80–100	Balanced cost vs. damage
Rune	+38	200–250	High-defense monsters
Dragon	+35	800–1,000	Bossing (e.g., Vorkath, raids)

Tip: Use Adamant or Mithril darts for most Slayer tasks to save money, reserving Dragon darts for high-level bosses where maximum DPS is critical.

Step-by-Step Guide to Charging the Toxic Blowpipe

Charging the blowpipe is straightforward once you have the materials. Follow these steps to ensure it’s ready for action.

Step 1: Acquire Zulrah’s Scales and Darts

Stock up on at least 1,000 scales and darts to start. A fully charged blowpipe holds up to 16,383 scales and darts, but partial charging works fine for shorter sessions.

Step 2: Combine Materials with the Blowpipe

To charge the blowpipe:

Open your inventory.
Use your darts on the Toxic Blowpipe (or vice versa).
Use Zulrah’s Scales on the blowpipe. The game automatically pairs one dart with one scale per charge, up to the amount you have or the blowpipe’s capacity.

Note: If you’re in a bank, you can right-click the blowpipe and select “Configure-Charges” to add materials directly from your bank, as long as you have enough scales and darts.

Step 3: Check Charge Status

Right-click the blowpipe and select “Check” to see how many charges remain. Each charge consumes one dart and one scale, but there’s a 1/3 chance to not use a scale per shot, effectively stretching your scales further.

Step 4: Uncharging (Optional)

If you need to retrieve your darts and scales (e.g., to sell the blowpipe), right-click and select “Uncharge.” All remaining scales and darts return to your inventory, but be cautious—this empties the blowpipe completely, making it unusable until recharged.

Managing Costs and Efficiency

The Toxic Blowpipe’s power comes at a price. Understanding its operating costs and optimizing usage can save you millions of gold over time.

Cost Breakdown

Here’s how the costs stack up:

Zulrah’s Scales: Approximately 250 GP each (prices fluctuate; check the Grand Exchange).
Darts: Vary widely, from 2 GP (Bronze) to 1,000 GP (Dragon) per dart.
Usage Rate: On rapid attack style, you fire about 3,000 darts per hour, consuming roughly 2,000 scales (due to the 1/3 chance to save scales).

For example, using Adamant darts (100 GP) and scales (250 GP), the cost per hour is:

Scales: 2,000 × 250 = 500,000 GP
Darts: 3,000 × 100 = 300,000 GP
Total: ~800,000 GP/hour

Tips to Reduce Costs

Maximize efficiency with these strategies:

Use Ava’s Device: Equip Ava’s Accumulator or Assembler to recover 60–80% of your darts, significantly lowering dart consumption.
Pick Up Darts: When safe (e.g., in PvM), manually collect darts after combat to reuse them.
Choose Cheaper Darts: For low-defense monsters, Mithril or Adamant darts offer great value compared to Rune or Dragon.
Farm Scales Yourself: Killing Zulrah directly ensures a steady scale supply without relying on the Grand Exchange.

Best Practices for Using the Toxic Blowpipe

Charging the blowpipe is only half the battle. Using it effectively ensures you get the most out of your investment.

Combat Style Selection

The blowpipe offers three combat styles, each with trade-offs:

Accurate: Boosts accuracy and damage but slows attack speed (3 ticks). Ideal for high-defense targets.
Rapid: Maximizes DPS with a 2-tick attack speed, perfect for most PvM scenarios. Use this for general tasks.
Longrange: Extends range to 7 tiles but sacrifices speed (3 ticks). Great for safe-spotting.

When to Use the Special Attack

The Toxic Siphon special attack is a game-changer in prolonged fights. Use it strategically:

Bossing: Activate against high-HP bosses like Vorkath to heal while dealing bonus damage.
Slayer: Save it for tough tasks (e.g., Brutal Black Dragons) to sustain health without food.
PvP: Time it to surprise opponents with a high-damage hit and heal advantage.

Protecting Your Blowpipe

In dangerous areas like the Wilderness, ensure your blowpipe is protected on death. If unprotected, all scales and darts drop alongside it, risking millions in GP. If protected, charges are retained upon respawn, making it safer for PvP or Revenant Caves.

Charging and maintaining the Toxic Blowpipe in OSRS is straightforward once you understand the process and costs. By farming Zulrah’s Scales, choosing the right darts, and optimizing your combat style, you’ll keep your blowpipe ready for any challenge, from Slayer tasks to endgame bosses. Whether you’re a mid-level player or a seasoned veteran, this weapon’s versatility makes it a must-have in your arsenal.