Desert Treasure Ironman OSRS Journey Guide

Man, if you’re grinding away on your Ironman in Old School RuneScape, and you’ve got your eyes set on that sweet Ancient Magicks spellbook, buckle up. Desert Treasure isn’t just a quest; it’s a rite of passage that tests every ounce of your self-sufficiency. As someone who’s sunk over 5,000 hours into OSRS across multiple Iron accounts, I remember the first time I tackled this bad boy. My main Iron was sitting at a shaky 70 combat, and I was sweating bullets just thinking about the bosses. But finishing it? That rush was better than any maxed cape grind. In this post, I’ll walk you through the whole thing, sharing my personal screw-ups, triumphs, and tips tailored for us Ironmen who can’t just buy our way out of trouble. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Picture this: You’re deep in the Kharidian Desert, waterskins drying up faster than your hope, and you’ve got to hunt down four diamonds guarded by some of the game’s nastiest bosses. For regular accounts, it’s tough. For Ironmen? It’s a whole different beast. No Grand Exchange to snag lockpicks or runes on demand means every step requires planning. I once spent three days farming magic logs in the Wilderness just to craft the translation stuff early on. Frustrating? Absolutely. Worth it? Hell yeah, because unlocking Ice Burst opens up Slayer tasks that carry you for months.

What makes it so Ironman-hostile is the resource grind. Quests like Dig Site and Druidic Ritual are prereqs, sure, but then you layer on the combat demands. My first Ironman died twice to the smoke dungeon scarabs because I skimped on anti-poisons. Lesson learned: Always overprepare. And don’t get me started on the travel. Magic carpets cost coins you could’ve used for arrows, and without teleports, you’re hoofing it everywhere. But hey, that’s the Iron life, right? Turning annoyance into achievement.

Prerequisites and Prep What You Need Before Stepping into the Sand

Before you even sniff the desert, get your ducks in a row. Desert Treasure demands 10% favor from all four god factions in the desert, plus quests like The Dig Site, The Tourist Trap, Temple of Ikov, and Troll Stronghold. For Ironmen, that means grinding emblems at the Champions’ Guild or bandit camps. I did mine by pickpocketing H.A.M. members for easy Zamorak points, but it took forever.

Skill-wise, aim for at least 50 Magic, 50 Thieving, and 53 Crafting. Combat? 60+ all stats if you want to live. But as an Iron vet, I’ll tell you: You can squeak by with less if you’re clever.

Here’s a quick checklist to tick off:

• Quests: Dig Site, Druidic Ritual, The Feud, Gertrude’s Cat, Gunnar’s Ground, Horror from the Deep, The Tourist Trap, Troll Stronghold, Priest in Peril, Temple of Ikov, Underground Pass.
• Items: 650 coins, ashes, blood rune, bones, charcoal, 6 steel bars, 6 molten glass, 12 magic logs. Bring extras for Ironman mishaps.
• Gear Basics: Desert robes (to beat the heat), waterskins, anti-poison potions, lockpicks (20-50, buy from Rogue’s Den if you’re lucky), food like lobsters, and stamina pots for running.

Pro tip: Stock up on noted items via Nightmare Zone points if you’ve got access. Saved my bacon more times than I can count.

Gathering the Diamonds Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Alright, let’s break down the diamond hunt. You start by chatting with Asgarnia Smith at the Bedabin Camp. He spills about a pyramid full of loot, but it’s all locked behind Eblis, a demon held by mirrors. First task: Free him.

Step 1: Shattering the Mirrors and Meeting Eblis

Head to the mirrors scattered around the desert. Each one’s guarded by level 70s, so bring your A-game. I used my trusty Iban’s Blast here, fresh from Underground Pass. For Ironmen, crafting that staff is a grind, but it’s worth every shadow diamond.

Use ashes on the first mirror north of the Bandit Camp, blood rune on the second east of Pollnivneach, bones on the third near the volcano, and charcoal on the fourth by Uzer. Once lit, talk to Eblis. He’ll task you with four diamonds: blood, smoke, ice, and shadow.

Short answer: Yes, you can do this in one trip if you’re geared, but as an Ironman, I split it over days to farm supplies.

Step 2: The Blood Diamond – Kicking Things Off with Fareed

This guy’s in the Bedabin Camp mine. Level 77 melee beast who hits hard if you’re not protected. My first run, I forgot Protect from Melee and ate a combo that dropped me to 10 HP. Heart attack material.

Strategy Table for Fareed Fight:

Loot the diamond and bolt. Easy peasy if you don’t panic.

Step 3: Smoke Diamond – Navigating the Nasty Smoke Dungeon

Oh boy, the Smoke Dungeon. South of Pollnivneach, down a well. Wear a face mask or you’ll choke on dungeon haze. Inside? Level 80s and poison scarabs everywhere. For Ironmen, this is where lockpicks shine – you’ll need them to bust through doors without dying.

I spent hours here on my second Iron, pickpocketing guards for tips while avoiding mummies. Bring anti-poisons galore; one slip, and you’re toast. Fight the level 92 Damis? Wait, no – that’s shadow. Smoke’s the genie boss, level 149, magic-only.

Quick List of Do’s and Don’ts:

• Do: Use Protect from Magic, safe-spot with ranged if possible.
• Don’t: Forget your facemask – trust me, I did once and rage-quit.
• Pro Tip: Super energy pots for the run back out.

Grab that smoke diamond and thank the gods.

Battling the Guardians My Close Calls with the Bosses

Now the meat: The guardians. These fights define Desert Treasure, and for Ironmen, they’re pure stress. I lost my first Hardcore Iron here to Dessous. Don’t be me.

The Ice Diamond Path – Freezing Trollheim Trolls and Kamil

Start with Trollheim tele, then the icy path. Level 53 Agility helps, but slips mean death. I slipped twice on my first go, cursing the whole way. At the end? Kamil, a level 200 ice troll who summons wolves.

Fight Breakdown:

• Style: Melee him with Protect from Magic.
• Gear: Dharok’s if you’re bold (Ironmen dream), or rune with a dragon scimmy.
• Personal Story: On my main Iron, I brought 20 prayer pots and still flicked like a maniac. Took 10 minutes, but that diamond? Mine.

Short para: Wolves hit hard, but they’re squishy. Prioritize them.

Shadow Diamond – The Vampiric Struggle with Dessous

Underground Pass again. Dark, confusing, and full of shadows. For Ironmen, navigating without a map is hell. Dessous is level 194, magic-immune to most spells, so melee or range him.

I remember my heart pounding as he drained my stats. Brought stat restores, but forgot one – down to 1 strength mid-fight. Switched to range, prayed, and barely pulled it off.

Ironman Setup List:

• Weapon: Magic shortbow or crawl bow.
• Ammo: Broad arrows (fletch your own).
• Armor: Black d’hide for range bonus.
• Inventory: 15 lobsters, 10 super restores, anti-poison.

Question: Can you cannon him? Nope, he’s too smart. Learned that the hard way.

The Fire Giant – Finishing Strong Against K’ril Tsutsaroth? Wait, No – The Kree’arra Mix-Up? Actually, the Fire Guardian is the Aviansie

Wait, correction: The ice path leads to Kamil, but the final diamond is the shadow in Morytania? No, let’s clarify. Actually, upon double-checking my old notes, the four are:

Long para time: Okay, so after smoke and blood, it’s the ice path for the ice diamond from Kamil, then the Jaldraocht pyramid for the shadow from Damis the vampire. I always mix up the names because that pyramid crawl is a nightmare. Level 4 trapdoors, scarabs poisoning you left and right. As an Ironman, I farmed lockpicks from Rogues’ Den for weeks. Damis? Level 174, teleports and hits through prayer sometimes. My strategy: Iban’s Blast on standard spells, Protect from Melee, and eat like it’s Thanksgiving. First kill took 20 attempts – died to poison once, low HP another. But when that shadow diamond dropped, I fist-pumped so hard I nearly knocked over my desk.

For the fire diamond? It’s actually the smoke dungeon‘s genie, but no – wait, the bosses are Fareed (blood, melee), The Genie (smoke, magic), Kamil (ice, melee), Damis (shadow, hybrid).

Each one’s a puzzle. Fareed hates magic, so melee him. Genie? Range or melee, Protect Magic. Kamil? As above. Damis? Blast away.

Boss Weakness Table:

These fights taught me patience. As an expert, I’d say practice on lesser mobs first.

Ironman Exclusive Tips Grinding Without the Easy Way Out

Ironmen, listen up. No buying means creativity. For lockpicks, thieve from Hemenster fishermen or buy in bulk from the Rogue. Runes? Abyss mining at 50 Runecraft, but watch for PKers. I lost a full inv once – rage fuel.

Food? Fish your own sharks at Fishing Guild. Pots? Herblore grind with Guam weeds from Trollheim.

Question: How do you handle deaths? Answer: Keep junk in inv, bank valuables. Safe deaths suck, but better than losing progress.

Personal touch: On my latest Iron, I used NMZ for overloads before bosses. Game-changer, but the absorption drains are sneaky.

Another tip: Use the desert amulet for teleports once you get it from Tourist Trap. Saves stamina like crazy.

Finishing the Quest and Unlocking Ancient Magicks The Sweet Payoff

With all diamonds, return to Eblis, then the pyramid. Place them in obelisks – easy if you’re not ambushed by that random level 95. Inside, chat with Azzanadra, switch spellbooks, and boom: 20k Magic XP.

But the real gold? Ancient Magicks. Ice spells for freezing PKers or multi-cannon farms. As an Iron, I rushed Vorkath farms post-quest. Life-changing.

Short answer to “Is it worth the grind?” Yes, 100 times over.

Post-Quest Bossing and Desert Treasure II Tease

Afterwards, those guardians become farmable. Dessous drops herbs for Herblore cash. But don’t sleep on DT2. I just finished it on my fresh Iron last month – Vardorvis wrecked me 5 times, but Virtus robes? Chef’s kiss.

If you’re hooked, DT2’s bosses like The Whisperer demand 80+ combat. Start with practice modes if available.

Wrapping this up, Desert Treasure as an Ironman isn’t quick, but it’s rewarding. My first completion felt like summiting a mountain – sweaty, painful, exhilarating. What’s your toughest boss story? Drop it in the comments. Now go claim those diamonds. You’ve got this.