Bandos Melee Guide OSRS - Defeat General Graardor with Ease

Conquering General Graardor, the fearsome Bandos boss in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), is a rite of passage for melee enthusiasts. Located in the God Wars Dungeon, this Ourg general offers lucrative drops like the Bandos Chestplate and Tassets, making it a popular target for profit and glory. This comprehensive Bandos melee guide for OSRS will walk you through requirements, gear setups, strategies, and tips to maximize your kills per hour, whether you’re soloing or in a team. Let’s dive into the war-torn world of Bandos!

Before charging into Bandos’ Stronghold, ensure you meet the necessary requirements to access and survive the fight. General Graardor resides in the God Wars Dungeon, and his room has specific entry conditions.

Quest and Stat Requirements

Quests: Complete Death Plateau and partially complete Troll Stronghold up to defeating Dad.
Strength: Level 70 (non-boostable) to enter Bandos’ Stronghold.
Prayer: At least 43 for Protection Prayers; 70+ recommended for Piety.
Combat Stats: 80+ Attack, Strength, and Defence for efficient kills; 90+ for soloing.
Hitpoints: 80+ to withstand Graardor’s heavy hits.

Items Needed

Rope: Required for first-time access to God Wars Dungeon.
Hammer: Needed to enter Bandos’ Stronghold (goblins drop hammers, or bring a Dragon Warhammer).
God Items: One Bandos item (e.g., Bandos Boots) and one Zamorak item (e.g., Zamorak Cloak) to avoid aggression from minions outside the boss room.

Getting to Bandos’ Stronghold

Navigating to General Graardor requires preparation and a clear route through the God Wars Dungeon. Here’s how to get there efficiently.

Travel Route

The fastest way to reach the God Wars Dungeon is via a Trollheim Teleport, requiring completion of Eadgar’s Ruse. Alternatively, use a Scroll of Redirection from Nightmare Zone rewards to convert a House Teleport tablet into a Trollheim Teleport tablet. Bring two Trollheim Teleport tablets, and revert one to a House Teleport after arriving for emergency exits.

Kill Count Strategy

To enter Bandos’ Stronghold, you need 40 kill count from Bandos-aligned monsters (e.g., goblins, hobgoblins, or ogres). Goblins (level 12) north of the dungeon entrance are the easiest target. Equip a Bandos and Zamorak item to avoid aggression from other factions. Drop a food item to pick up a hammer from goblin drops if you didn’t bring one.

Recommended Gear for Melee

Melee is the most straightforward combat style for Bandos, as it faces no penalties from tank armor, unlike ranged setups. Below are gear recommendations for solo and team scenarios, balancing damage output and survivability.

Solo Melee Gear

Soloing requires high defensive stats to tank Graardor and his minions simultaneously. Prioritize strength bonuses while maintaining decent magic defence against Sergeant Steelwill’s magic attacks.

Slot	Best-in-Slot	Budget Alternative
Head	Neitiznot Faceguard	Helm of Neitiznot
Cape	Fire Cape	Skill Cape
Neck	Amulet of Torture	Amulet of Fury
Body	Bandos Chestplate	Fighter Torso
Legs	Bandos Tassets	Dragon Platelegs
Weapon	Scythe of Vitur	Abyssal Whip
Shield	Avernic Defender	Dragon Defender
Boots	Primordial Boots	Dragon Boots
Gloves	Ferocious Gloves	Barrows Gloves
Ring	Berserker Ring (i)	Warrior Ring

Team Melee Gear (Tank and Attacker Roles)

In teams, roles split into tank (absorbing Graardor’s hits) and attackers (maximizing DPS). Tanks prioritize defence, while attackers focus on strength.

Tank: Justiciar armor, Elysian Spirit Shield, and Dragon Warhammer for defence-lowering special attacks. Karil’s Top or Blessed D’hide can replace Bandos Chestplate for better magic defence.
Attacker: Bandos armor, Scythe of Vitur or Ghrazi Rapier, and Amulet of Torture. Bring a Dragon Warhammer or Bandos Godsword for special attacks if the tank lacks one.

Inventory Setup and Supplies

Your inventory determines how long you can stay in the fight. Balance food, potions, and utility items for optimal trips.

Recommended Inventory

Food (14-16): Sharks, Manta Rays, or Anglerfish for high healing.
Potions (4-6): 2 Saradomin Brews, 2 Super Restores, 1 Super Combat Potion, and 1 Stamina Potion.
Utility: 2 Trollheim Teleport tablets, 1 House Teleport tablet, Bones to Peaches tablets, and a Rune Pouch with Vengeance runes (Astral, Earth, Cosmic).
Special Attack Weapon: Dragon Warhammer or Bandos Godsword for defence reduction.

Tips for Inventory Management

Use Saradomin Brews sparingly during pauses to avoid stat reduction.
Cast Vengeance Other on the tank every 30 seconds to reflect damage.
Drop a brew to pick up a hammer from goblins to save inventory space.

Melee Strategy for General Graardor

General Graardor uses a melee attack (up to 60 damage, 2/3 chance) and a ranged attack (15-35 damage, 1/3 chance, hits all players in melee range). His minions—Sergeant Steelwill (magic), Grimspike (ranged), and Strongstack (melee)—add complexity. Here’s how to tackle the fight.

Solo Strategy

Soloing is challenging due to constant minion attacks. Use the following approach:

Prayer Setup: Activate Protect from Melee for Graardor and Piety for DPS. Flick Protect from Magic when Steelwill attacks.
Positioning: Stand in the center to control minion aggro. Walk under Graardor after every two whip hits to make him miss attacks, reducing damage taken.
Minion Priority: Kill Steelwill first (magic), then Grimspike (ranged), and finally Strongstack (melee). Use Blood Barrage with a Kodai Wand to heal if available.
Tick Eating: Eat food just before a high-damage hit lands to survive critical health situations.
Altar Use: Use the room’s altar to restore Prayer between kills, extending trips.

Team Strategy

Teams of three or more (one tank, multiple attackers) are more efficient. Follow these steps:

Tank Role: Enter first, activate Protect from Melee, and attack Graardor to draw aggro. Walk under Graardor after two hits to minimize damage. Use Dragon Warhammer specials to lower Graardor’s defence.
Attacker Role: Wait for the tank to engage, then attack Graardor with Protect from Missiles active. Position near the northwestern corner to avoid early aggro. Use Vengeance Other on the tank.
Minion Management: After killing Graardor, focus on Steelwill, then Grimspike, and Strongstack. Attackers can use High Alchemy on rune drops to save inventory space.
Respawn Positioning: Tanks stand near Graardor’s spawn; attackers hug the western wall to give the tank time to draw aggro.

Advanced Tips for Efficiency

Blood Barrage Stacking: Advanced soloists can stack minions and Graardor using Blood Barrage to heal while dealing damage. Position the melee minion south of the ranged or mage minion to align them.
Dolo Method: For 50+ kills per hour, use two accounts—one tanking with Blood Barrage and one DPSing with Tumeken’s Shadow—hopping worlds to skip respawn timers.
Prayer Flicking: Flick between Protect from Melee and Magic to minimize damage from Graardor and Steelwill, especially in solo setups.

With this Bandos melee guide for OSRS, you’re equipped to face General Graardor with confidence. Whether you’re chasing the Bandos Hilt or grinding for profit, proper gear, inventory, and strategy will ensure success. Good luck, and may the Big High War God spare you his wrath!