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Grotesque Guardians OSRS Guide
The Grotesque Guardians, Dusk and Dawn, are a challenging yet rewarding mid-level boss encounter in Old School RuneScape (OSRS). Located atop the Slayer Tower, these gargoyle bosses require a Slayer level of 75 and a specific task to fight. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to tackle the Grotesque Guardians efficiently, from requirements and gear to strategies and loot. Whether you’re chasing the Noon pet or aiming for unique drops like the Black Tourmaline Core, this guide has you covered.
Before you can face the Grotesque Guardians, you need to meet specific requirements and prepare adequately. This section covers the essentials to ensure you’re ready for the fight.
Slayer and Quest Requirements
- Slayer Level 75: Required to receive a gargoyle Slayer task or a Grotesque Guardians boss task.
- Brittle Key: A one-time-use item dropped by regular or marble gargoyles (1/150 drop rate) while on a gargoyle Slayer task. This unlocks permanent access to the rooftop arena.
- Rock Hammer: Needed to finish off the Guardians, similar to regular gargoyles. The “Gargoyle Smasher” Slayer perk (150 points) automates this process if unlocked.
- Recommended Quests: Completing “Making Friends with My Arm” and parts of “Recipe for Disaster” (for Barrows gloves) can enhance your combat effectiveness.
Recommended Stats and Gear
While you can attempt the Guardians with minimum requirements, higher stats and better gear significantly improve efficiency. Here’s a recommended setup:
- Combat Stats: 80+ Attack, Strength, Defence, and 70+ Prayer (for Piety or Rigour). 80+ Ranged is ideal for Dawn phases.
- Melee Gear: Abyssal Whip, Dragon Defender, Bandos Chestplate, Bandos Tassets, Primordial Boots, Barrows Gloves, Amulet of Torture, and Slayer Helmet (i).
- Ranged Gear: Toxic Blowpipe (rune or dragon darts), Armadyl Chestplate, Armadyl Chainskirt, Pegasian Boots, and Ava’s Accumulator.
- Special Attack Weapon: Saradomin Godsword (SGS) for health and prayer restoration or Dragon Claws for high burst damage.
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 4 Prayer Potions (4) | Prayer restoration |
| 2 Saradomin Brews (4) | Healing and stat boosting |
| 1 Super Restore (4) | Counteract Saradomin Brew stat drain |
| 10 Sharks | Primary healing |
| Rune Pouch ( runes for Teleport) | Quick banking |
| Slayer Ring | Teleport to Slayer Tower |
Getting to the Grotesque Guardians
Reaching the Guardians requires navigating the Slayer Tower and accessing the rooftop. Here’s how to get there efficiently.
Fastest Travel Methods
- Slayer Ring: Teleports directly to the Slayer Tower entrance.
- Fairy Ring (CKS): Lands west of Canifis, a short run south of the tower.
- Salve Graveyard Teleport: Places you south of the tower, near the graveyard.
Once inside, run north, climb the rope (requires 61 Agility), head southwest, and ascend the stairs to the roof entrance. Ring the Cloister Bell to start the fight. After five kills, you can use the “Quick-start” option to skip the cutscene.
Tips for Safe Travel
- Nose Peg: Equip when reclaiming items after death to avoid damage from Aberrant Spectres on the second floor.
- Instanced Arena: The fight is instanced, so your items are safe in a magical chest near the roof entrance if you die, but a second death before reclaiming will result in permanent loss.
Battle Strategy and Phases
The Grotesque Guardians fight consists of four phases, requiring you to switch between melee and ranged combat while managing special attacks. Below is a detailed breakdown of each phase.
Phase 1: Dawn (Ranged)
Dawn is airborne and immune to melee, so use ranged attacks (Toxic Blowpipe recommended). Dusk is unattackable, using his wing to block damage.
- Prayer: Use Protect from Melee to reduce Dusk’s slash attack (max hit 15) by 80%. Stand next to Dawn to bait her melee attacks, minimizing her ranged damage.
- Positioning: Stand under Dusk and pray Protect from Missiles to negate his damage and reduce Dawn’s ranged hits (max hit 9 per hit, two hits).
- Tactic: Attack Dawn until she reaches 55% health. Using a Venator Bow can maximize DPS by bouncing arrows between Dawn and Dusk.
Phase 2: Dusk (Melee)
Dusk becomes attackable, while Dawn ascends. Switch to melee gear and focus on Dusk.
- Prayer: Keep Protect from Melee active to reduce Dusk’s slash attack.
- Special Attack: After the first hit, retreat three tiles to avoid Dusk’s explosive AoE attack. Dodge falling rubble to prevent heavy damage.
- Tactic: Attack Dusk until he reaches 55% health, triggering the lightning special attack.
Phase 3: Dawn and Lightning (Ranged)
Both Guardians perform a lightning strike attack, creating 3×3 AoE vortices that deal 5-10 damage per tick. Dawn becomes attackable again.
- Movement: Move to a clear tile to avoid vortices. Watch for delayed vortices and falling rubble, which can combo for fatal damage.
- Prayer: Switch to Protect from Missiles and use ranged gear to attack Dawn.
- Energy Spheres: Dawn launches three spheres that grow in size and heal her for 90 HP if not absorbed. Click them quickly to absorb (2-20 damage based on size) and prevent healing.
- Tactic: Kill Dawn and use the rock hammer (unless Gargoyle Smasher is unlocked) to finish her off.
Phase 4: Dusk (Melee)
Dusk absorbs Dawn’s essence and becomes more aggressive, using both melee and ranged attacks.
- Prayer: Use Protect from Melee to mitigate his slash attack. Protect from Missiles can reduce his ranged orbs (max hit 21) by half.
- Special Attack: Avoid the prison of purple flames, which heals Dusk if you’re trapped. Move out quickly to resume attacking.
- Tactic: Melee Dusk until he’s defeated, using SGS special attacks to sustain health and prayer.
Loot and Rewards
The Grotesque Guardians offer a variety of drops, including uniques, supplies, and resources. Each kill provides two rolls on the standard drop table and a guaranteed 50-100 granite dust.
Notable Drops
| Item | Drop Rate | GE Value (GP) |
|---|---|---|
| Black Tourmaline Core | 1/1,000 | 7,922,732 |
| Granite Maul | 1/250 | 594,852 |
| Granite Gloves | 1/500 | ~800,000 |
| Jar of Stone | 1/5,000 | 3,099,599 |
| Noon (Pet) | 1/3,000 | Untradeable |
- Average Kill Value: Approximately 77,727 GP (80,009 GP on a Konar task). Without uniques, it’s around 51,300 GP.
- Unique Drop Chance: 1/48 per kill, including Granite Maul, Gloves, Ring, and Hammer.
- Granite Dust: Enhances cannonballs’ max hit from 30 to 35, useful for Slayer training.
Profit and Efficiency Tips
- Kills per Hour: Experienced players can achieve 24-30 kills per hour, yielding ~1.1M GP profit after supplies.
- Extend Trips: Use SGS special attacks and pray flicking to conserve supplies. Bring more food initially until you master the mechanics.
- Double Trouble Perk: Unlocking this (500 Slayer points) makes each kill count as two for your Slayer task, speeding up task completion.
Tips for Success
Mastering the Grotesque Guardians requires practice and attention to detail. Here are some additional tips to improve your performance.
Combat and Prayer Management
- Prayer Flicking: Flick between Protect from Melee and Missiles to minimize damage, especially in Phase 3.
- Quick Switches: Practice swapping between melee and ranged gear to maintain DPS and avoid downtime.
- Health Management: Use Saradomin Brews sparingly to avoid excessive stat drain, and follow with Super Restores.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Standing in Vortices: Always move to a clear tile during the lightning attack to avoid rapid damage.
- Ignoring Spheres: Failing to absorb Dawn’s energy spheres can prolong the fight by healing her significantly.
- Overusing Supplies: Balance food and potion use to extend trips, especially without high-end gear.
Learning Resources
If you’re struggling, consider these resources:
- YouTube Guides: Channels like “OSRS Best in Slot” and “LuckyCharmGold” offer visual walkthroughs.
- Reddit Threads: The r/2007scape community has detailed posts, such as u/molgoatkirby’s sub-1:20 guide for budget setups.
- OSRS Wiki: The official Grotesque Guardians strategy page provides in-depth mechanics and drop rates.
With practice, the Grotesque Guardians can become a profitable and enjoyable boss to farm. Focus on mastering phase transitions, optimizing your gear, and managing supplies to maximize kills per trip. Good luck hunting that Noon pet!