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Dusk and Dawn OSRS Gargoyle Boss Slayer Guide

Ever stared up at the Slayer Tower roof, heart pounding, wondering if those stone eyes are judging you? Yeah, me too. As someone whos sunk thousands of hours into Old School RuneScape, grinding Slayer like its my full-time gig, the Grotesque Guardians Dusk and Dawn have become my twisted little obsession. These winged nightmares arent just another tick box on your task list; theyre a rite of passage for any serious PvMer. If youre knee-deep in gargoyles and dreaming of that sweet pet drop, stick around. Ill walk you through everything from the basics to boss-crushing strats, all while sharing the dumb mistakes that nearly ended my banking sessions early.
Picture this: its late night, my screens glowing blue from the game window, and Im finally at 75 Slayer. The brittle key feels like a golden ticket in my inventory. But oh man, that first trip? Total chaos. I forgot my rock hammer and spent 20 minutes chasing Dawn around like a headless chicken. Laughed about it later, but trust me, it stings. So, lets make sure you dont repeat my blunders. Ready to shatter some stone?
Getting to Dusk and Dawn isnt a casual stroll. You gotta earn it, friend. First off, hit that 75 Slayer mark. No shortcuts here; its the gatekeeper to the rooftop arena. While youre grinding those levels, farm brittle keys from regular gargoyles. Drop rate? About one in 50, give or take. Annoying? Absolutely. But hey, isnt that the OSRS charm?
Once youve got the key, head to the Slayer Tower in Morytania. Climb to the second floor UK thats third for you Yanks and look for the rickety door. Use the key, and boom, youre on the roof. Ring that creepy Cloister Bell, and watch the cutscene unfold. Dusk and Dawn awaken, all snarls and shadows. Pro tip: After five kills, the bell gets a quick-start option. Saves you from rewatching that intro every time.
Requirements wise, what levels should you rock? Melee around 75, Magic at 75 for those switches, and Ranged at 70. Prayer? 70 minimum for Piety. Anything less, and youre eating rocks faster than you can pray. Oh, and dont sleep on 43 Prayer for protection prayers. Sounds basic, but I once forgot and turned a 10-kill trip into a supply nightmare.
Quick Gear Breakdown Before You Step In
Gear up right, or kiss your brews goodbye. Heres a simple table to keep it straight no overwhelming spreadsheets here.
Slot | Budget Option | Mid-Tier Upgrade | Endgame Beast |
---|---|---|---|
Helm | Helm of neitiznot | Neitiznot faceguard | Serpentine helm |
Neck | Amulet of glory | Amulet of torture | Occult necklace |
Body | Proselyte hauberk | Bandos chestplate | Torva platebody |
Legs | Proselyte cuisse | Bandos tassets | Torva platelegs |
Weapon | Rune scimitar + rock hammer | Abyssal whip + rock hammer | Scythe of vitur |
Shield | Unholy book | Avernic defender | Dragon defender |
Boots | Dragon boots | Primordial boots | Eternal boots |
Ring | Berserker ring (i) | Berserker ring (u) | Bellator ring |
This setup scales with your bank. I started on budget, upgraded as drops rolled in. That rock hammer? Essential. Gargoyles turn to dust without it. Bind it to your slayer helm for easy swaps.
Got your kit? Good. Now, lets talk the fight itself. Its not your standard boss bash; these two tag-team like pros.
The Fight Phases Breaking Down Dusk and Dawn Mechanics
Alright, deep breath. The battle splits into four phases, alternating between Dawn and Dusk. Dawn flies high, forcing ranged or halberd attacks, while Dusk grounds you with melee only. Switch prayers mid-fight, and watch those mechanics like a hawk. Mess up? Youre dodging rubble and blasts left and right.
Phase One Dawn Takes the Skies
Dawn starts aggressive, hurling ranged hits that smack twice up to 9 damage each. Shes airborne, so no melee unless youve got a halberd. I always flick Protect from Missiles here. Stand next to her to bait melee swings sometimes she drops down for a slash.
Dusk lurks in the corner, slashing if you get too close. Up to 15 damage, but Protect from Melee cuts it to a tickle. Keep distance until Dawns health dips to 55%. Thats your cue.
Personal story time: My second kill, I got cocky and ignored Dusk. One slash later, half my health gone. Lesson learned stay aware, even when the flyers stealing the show.
Phase Two Enter the Guardian of Dusk
Dawn ascends, and Dusk wakes up grumpy. Hes melee only no Magic or Ranged phases him. Swap to crush gear, like that Bandos setup, and go to town. But watch his specials.
Every few cycles, Dusk glows and slams the ground. Explosive wave incoming damage spikes if youre adjacent. Step back, easy. Then comes the blind flash: He curls wings over his face, then bursts em out. Get caught? Knockback and stun. Time it right run in as wings expand, smack him safe.
Dawn aint idle up top. She drops rocks shadows mark the tiles. Nine or ten chunks, varying speeds. Dodge left, dodge right its like deadly rain. I once ate three in a row; felt like a noob all over again.
Question for you: Ever timed a dodge perfectly and felt like a god? Yeah, thats the rush. Answer? Practice on lower health packs first.
This phase drags if youre undergeared. Dusk hits hard, around 20-25 max. Brew up, pray Piety, and chip away. At 50% health, Dawn rejoins for round three.
Phase Three Double Trouble Returns
Dawn lands again, back to ranged hell. Same as phase one, but now Dusks active too. Prioritize Dawn shes squishier. Use blowpipe or crossbow for quick licks.
Dusk keeps slashing, so prayer flick between Missiles and Melee. Stand under Dusk to force his melee on Dawn, minimizing your risk. Smart, right?
Rubble drops more frequent now. Multitask: Attack, dodge, pray, repeat. Its chaotic, but thats where the fun hides. I remember a trip where I nailed 20 kills straight no deaths. Flow state, pure bliss.
Phase Four Dusks Final Rage
Dawn bites it at 50%, flies off for good. Solo Dusk time. He enrages, specials ramp up. Explosions every 10-15 seconds, blinds more punishing. Rocks? Non-stop party.
Strategy: Lure him to the edge, control space. Use specs like Dragon Warhammer for stuns, or SGS for heals. At low health, hell spam prisons energy bars trap you if you linger. Burst out fast, or its damage city.
End it with a rock hammer smash. Boom, dust. Loot table awaits.
Phases sound overwhelming? Theyre not once you click. Just remember: Patience beats panic every time.
Slayer Task Tips How to Grind Gargoyles Efficiently
Dusk and Dawn shine on Slayer tasks. Gargoyles assign often post-75, and these bosses count towards it. Plus, double XP if youve got the perk. Who doesnt love that?
Cannon or No Cannon? The Great Debate
Cannons speed up regular garg packs, but bosses? Skip it. Mechanics hate the clutter. I tried once explosions everywhere. Disaster.
Instead, focus bursts. Use Slayer helmet, Salve amulet for that undead bonus. 20% accuracy boost? Gold.
Extending Tasks for Max Gains
Got a short task? Use a Gargoyle extender. Worth every point. Turns 50 kills into 200, more boss chances. I extended one to 300 once. Pet almost dropped. Almost.
List of must-haves for long grinds:
- Lightbearer fairy Doubles spec restores, lifesaver for Sgs switches.
- Mushroom potatoes Prayer and heal in one. Farm em if you can.
- Overloads and prayers Keep stats maxed; no dipping allowed.
- Guthans set For free heals on multi-hits. Budget kings.
Short para here: Ever run out of food mid-boss? Sucks. Always overpack.
Longer one: Back in my mid-game days, Id hop worlds for cannon spots, blasting gargoyles till dust clouds choked the chat. Slayer Tower felt like home. But bosses changed it all. That first brittle key drop? Fist pump moment. Now, I aim for 50-60k GP per hour, plus Slayer XP that melts levels. If youre ironman, its tougher drops scarcer but the grind? Pure.
Gear and Inventory Setup for Success
Inventorys your lifeline. No room for fluff. Heres mine, tweaked over hundreds of kills.
Potions first: 4 Overloads, 4 Super restores, 2-3 Saradomin brews, Ranging pots for Dawn phases. Food? Anglerfish or sharks, 10-15 stack.
Switches: Blowpipe for Dawn, whip or scythe for Dusk, godsword for specs. Rock hammer bound, obviously.
Table for inventory slots:
Category | Items | Why It Matters |
---|---|---|
Pots | Overloads (4), Brews (3) | Sustain through enrage. |
Food | Anglerfish (8) | Quick heals, high HP. |
Weapons | Tbow, Blowpipe, Whip, Hammer | Phase coverage. |
Misc | Teleport tabs, Lightbearer | Escape and utility. |
I add Guthans for food gen on longer trips. Adjust for your style.
Ever wonder why pros look so chill? Its the prep. Nail this, and fights flow.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
We all screw up. Me? More than most. Heres the hall of shame.
- Forgetting the hammer Instant regret. Bind it, dummy.
- Prayer neglect One tick off, and youre rubble food. Flick constantly.
- Bad positioning Hug walls for rock dodges, but not too close to Dusk.
- Underestimating blinds Time em wrong, stun-locked. Practice on alts.
I once died to a rock spam. Banked 200k, laughed it off. Learn from my pain.
Question: Whats your worst boss death? Mine was a Vorkath tick error, but Dusk comes close.
Answer: Usually gear slips or lag. Happens. Respawn, retry.
Loot Table and Drop Rates The Good the Bad and the Pet Chase
Drops? Meh, honest. Gargoyle drops mostly, but uniques tempt you back.
Common: Alchables, herbs, seeds. 100-200k GP average.
Uniques table:
Item | Drop Rate | Value (GP) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Noon (Pet) | 1/5,000 | Priceless | Winged terror, worth it all. |
Granite hammer | 1/512 | 300k | Spec weapon, fun to use. |
Raven egg | 1/256 | 50k | Pet chance, always nice. |
Mystic robe top | 1/512 | 70k | Mage gear, quick flip. |
Pet hunts the real draw. I got mine at kill 87. Screamed like a kid. You?
Dawn drops more herbs, Dusk favors ores. Balance your flips.
Personal Stories My Wild Rides with Dusk and Dawn
Man, where do I start? Early days, I treated these guys like speedruns. Rushed phases, ate every special. Died four times in one trip. Friends roasted me in clan chat: “Expert player, huh?”
Then, that turnaround. Maxed Prayer, learned timings. Hit a 15-kill dry streak on uniques, but XP poured in. Felt unstoppable.
One night, grinding for pet two. Kill 200. Nothing. Rage-quit, came back next day kill 201, Noon appears. Teary-eyed log-out. OSRS magic, right?
Another time, duoed with a buddy. He tanks Dusk, I snipe Dawn. Laughed through mechanics. Community rocks.
Funny fail: Lag spike mid-blind. Woke up in lobby, loot lost. Cursed Jagex for hours. Moral? Stable connection or bust.
These fights built my skills. From noob to vet, all thanks to stone birds.
Advanced Strategies for Speed Kills and Pet Hunting
Wanna optimize? Burst Dawn with Tbow specs early. Phase one melts.
Dusk? Warhammer proc on cooldown, then clip with switches. Aim sub-2 minute kills.
Pet hunting: Longer tasks, more rolls. Track KC obsessively.
Elite clue? “From Dusk…” 10 kills no leave. Tough, but Guthans carries.
Pro tip: RuneLite plugins. Tile markers for rocks, DPS counter for fun.
Short answer to speed: Practice. Lots.
Why Dusk and Dawn Deserve Your Time
Look, not every boss wows. But these? Unique mechanics, solid XP, pet chase. In a game of grinds, they stand out.
I log in craving that rhythm attack, dodge, smash. Builds muscle memory for bigger stuff like Inferno.
Community buzz? Forums lit with buffs talk. Recent QoL helped animation stalls. Jagex listens, sometimes.
If youre stalling at 70 Slayer, push. This awaits.
Wrapping Up Your Next Slayer Epic
There you have it, folks. Dusk and Dawn, demystified. Gear up, grind smart, and claim that roof. Whats your plan first trip solo or with mates?
Drop a comment if this helped. Happy slaying, and may the pet gods smile on you.