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General Graardor Guide OSRS: Ultimate Bandos Boss Strategy for 2025

Welcome to the ultimate guide for taking down General Graardor in Old School RuneScape (OSRS)! Whether you’re a seasoned PvM enthusiast or a newcomer looking to tackle one of the God Wars Dungeon’s iconic bosses, this comprehensive General Graardor guide for OSRS will equip you with everything you need to succeed. Known as the Bandos boss, General Graardor offers exciting combat and lucrative loot, including Bandos armor and godsword shards. Let’s dive into strategies, gear setups, and tips to maximize your kills in 2025!
General Graardor is the fearsome leader of Bandos’ forces within the God Wars Dungeon. As the only known surviving member of the Ourg race, he’s a towering, melee-focused boss who resides in Bandos’ Stronghold. Accessing his lair requires 70 Strength and navigating the perilous dungeon, making this a mid-to-high-level PvM challenge. With his powerful attacks and loyal bodyguards, defeating Graardor is no small feat—but the rewards are worth it.
Why Fight General Graardor?
So, why should you take on this hulking behemoth? Here’s what makes General Graardor a popular target:
- High-Value Drops: Bandos chestplate, tassets, and boots are best-in-slot melee gear.
- Godsword Shards: Essential for crafting powerful godswords.
- Consistent Profit: Average kills, including minions, yield around 155,952 GP.
- Slayer Task Potential: Assignable as a task for extra XP and loot boosts.
Preparation for General Graardor: Requirements and Gear
Before charging into Bandos’ Stronghold, preparation is key. This section covers the prerequisites and recommended setups to ensure you’re ready for battle.
Requirements to Access General Graardor
You’ll need to meet these minimum requirements:
- 70 Strength: Required to enter Bandos’ Stronghold (unboostable).
- God Wars Dungeon Access: Complete Death Plateau and partial Troll Stronghold (defeat Dad).
- 40 Kill Count: Kill 40 Bandos followers, or use an ecumenical key.
- 43 Prayer: For protection prayers—higher is better.
- Hammer: To enter the stronghold (toolbelt works).
Recommended Gear Setups
Your gear depends on whether you’re tanking or DPSing, and whether you’re solo or in a team. Here are two solid setups:
Melee Tank Setup (Solo or Team)
- Helmet: Slayer Helmet (on task) or Neitiznot Faceguard
- Amulet: Amulet of Blood Fury (healing) or Amulet of Torture
- Chest: Justiciar Chestguard or Bandos Chestplate
- Legs: Justiciar Legguards or Bandos Tassets
- Weapon: Dragon Warhammer (for spec) or Abyssal Whip
- Shield: Dinh’s Bulwark or Dragon Defender
- Cape: Infernal Cape or Fire Cape
- Rings: Ring of Suffering (i) or Berserker Ring (i)
Ranged DPS Setup (Team)
- Helmet: Armadyl Helmet or Void Ranger Helm
- Amulet: Necklace of Anguish
- Chest: Armadyl Chestplate or Elite Void Top
- Legs: Armadyl Chainskirt or Elite Void Robe
- Weapon: Bow of Faerdhinen or Twisted Bow
- Cape: Ava’s Assembler
- Rings: Archers Ring (i)
- Ammo: Dragon Arrows or Amethyst Arrows
Inventory Setup
A well-planned inventory can make or break your trip. Here’s a typical loadout:
Item | Purpose |
---|---|
Super Combat Potion | Boosts melee stats |
Prayer Potions (4-6) | Sustains protection prayers |
Shark/Manta Ray (15-20) | Primary food source |
Emergency Teleport | Quick escape (e.g., Trollheim Tab) |
Bones to Peaches Tab | Extra healing from minion bones |
General Graardor Fight Mechanics and Strategy
Understanding Graardor’s attacks and how to counter them is crucial for success. Let’s break down his mechanics and the best strategies.
Graardor’s Attack Patterns
General Graardor uses two main attacks, supported by his three bodyguards:
- Melee Attack: A devastating punch dealing up to 60 damage (2/3 chance).
- Ranged Attack: A ground slam hitting all players in the room for 15-35 damage (1/3 chance, requires melee range).
- Bodyguards: Sergeant Strongstack (melee), Steelwill (magic), and Grimspike (ranged) each add extra pressure.
Solo Strategy: Melee Tanking
For solo players, melee is the most straightforward approach:
- Enter the room with Protect from Melee active.
- Position yourself to agro Graardor immediately.
- Use Dragon Warhammer specials to lower his defense.
- Focus on Graardor first, then kill Steelwill (magic), followed by Strongstack and Grimspike.
- Stand against the western wall during respawns to buy eating time.
Tip: Prayer flicking between Protect from Melee and the minions’ styles can extend trips significantly.
Team Strategy: Tank and DPS
In a team, coordination is key:
- Tank: Wears high-defense gear (e.g., Justiciar) and uses Protect from Melee to hold Graardor’s attention.
- DPS: Ranged attackers deal damage from a distance, avoiding agro until the tank secures it.
- Kill order remains Graardor, Steelwill, Grimspike, Strongstack.
- Use Boost Potion Share or Vengeance spells to support the team.
Tips and Tricks for Mastering General Graardor
Ready to optimize your kills? These advanced tips will help you dominate Bandos’ Stronghold.
Prayer Flicking for Efficiency
Mastering prayer flicking can reduce food usage:
- Flick Protect from Melee on Graardor’s attack ticks.
- Switch to Protect from Magic or Ranged when minions target you.
- Practice timing to conserve prayer points.
Maximizing Loot and Trip Length
Extend your trips and profits with these hacks:
- Bones to Peaches: Convert minion bones into extra healing.
- Enhanced Excalibur: Use its special for free heals.
- Instances: Pay for a private instance to avoid crashers and speed up kills.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
Don’t fall into these traps:
- Attacking Too Early (Team): Wait for the tank to agro Graardor.
- Ignoring Minions: Their damage adds up—kill them after Graardor.
- Overeating: Balance food with prayer to avoid wasting supplies.
Loot and Rewards from General Graardor
The loot is the payoff for your efforts. Here’s what you can expect from General Graardor in OSRS.
Unique Drops
These rare items are the big-ticket rewards:
Item | Drop Rate | Value (GE, April 2025) |
---|---|---|
Bandos Chestplate | 1/381 | ~18M GP |
Bandos Tassets | 1/381 | ~27M GP |
Bandos Boots | 1/381 | ~300K GP |
Godsword Shard | 1/254 (any piece) | ~150K-200K GP each |
Average Profit Per Kill
Including uniques and minion loot, the average kill is worth approximately 155,952 GP. Without uniques, it’s still a respectable 22,961 GP from Graardor plus 12,557 GP from minions. At 27 kills per hour, that’s over 4M GP/hour on a lucky streak!
Slayer Task Bonus
If assigned Graardor as a Slayer task, equip a Slayer Helmet for a 16.67% accuracy and damage boost, making kills faster and more profitable.
That wraps up our General Graardor guide for OSRS! Armed with these strategies, gear recommendations, and insider tips, you’re ready to storm Bandos’ Stronghold in 2025. Whether you’re chasing that elusive Bandos Tassets or just grinding for GP, good luck—and may RNGsus be with you!