How to Gauntlet OSRS A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners and Veterans

How to Gauntlet OSRS A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners and Veterans

The Gauntlet in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a thrilling solo minigame in Prifddinas that combines skilling, combat, and strategy. Whether you’re aiming for the coveted Crystal Armor Seeds, Enhanced Crystal Weapon Seeds, or just want to test your skills, mastering the Gauntlet is a rewarding challenge. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to conquer both the Regular and Corrupted Gauntlet, with tips to optimize your runs and boost your success rate.

The Gauntlet is a procedurally generated dungeon where players have a limited time to gather resources, craft gear, and prepare to fight the Crystalline Hunllef (or Corrupted Hunllef in the harder version). You cannot bring items into the Gauntlet, making resource management and efficiency critical.

Key Requirements

  • Quest Completion: Finish Song of the Elves to access Prifddinas.
  • Recommended Stats: 80+ in combat skills (Attack, Strength, Defence, Ranged, Magic), 70+ Prayer, and 70+ in Fishing, Cooking, and Herblore for efficiency.
  • Prayers: Unlock Piety (requires King’s Ransom and Knight Waves Training Grounds), Rigour, and Augury for optimal performance.

Regular vs. Corrupted Gauntlet

Aspect Regular Gauntlet Corrupted Gauntlet
Preparation Time 10 minutes 7.5 minutes
Hunllef HP 600 1000
Reward Rolls 2 rolls on regular loot table 3 rolls on upgraded loot table
Difficulty Moderate High

The Corrupted Gauntlet offers better rewards but is significantly harder due to the shorter prep time and tougher boss. Start with the Regular Gauntlet to learn mechanics before tackling the Corrupted version.

Preparation Phase Gathering Resources Efficiently

Need help with the Gauntlet Watch This Guide Tips Tricks

The preparation phase is where you gather resources to craft weapons, armor, food, and potions. Efficiency here sets the stage for a successful boss fight.

Navigating the Dungeon

The Gauntlet is a 7×7 grid with the starting room near the center, adjacent to the boss room. You have 10 minutes (7.5 for Corrupted) to explore and gather resources. Here’s how to optimize your route:

  • Check Nearby Rooms: Start by exploring rooms adjacent to the starting room for low-level monsters and resources.
  • Prioritize Demi-Bosses: Demi-bosses (Crystalline Bear, Dragon, Dark Beast) spawn in outer rooms and drop weapon components for Tier 3 weapons.
  • Use the Map: The in-game map highlights demi-boss spawn locations, so plan your route to hit these rooms.

Resource Collection Strategy

Focus on collecting these key resources:

  • Crystal Shards: Dropped by monsters or gathered via skilling (Mining, Woodcutting, Fishing). Used to craft armor, weapons, and vials.
  • Weapon Frame: Dropped by monsters, guaranteed from the third weak monster or any demi-boss. Needed for weapon crafting.
  • Raw Paddlefish: Fished from Fishing Spots for food. Cook 12–16 for Regular, 16–20 for Corrupted.
  • Grym Leaf: Picked or dropped, used for potions.
  • Other Materials: Crystal Ore, Phren Bark, and Linum Tirinum for armor (3 each for Corrupted).

Pro Tip: Lure monsters toward the next room while killing them to save time. One-tick resource gathering (e.g., mining while attacking) maximizes efficiency.

Crafting Your Gear and Supplies

Once you’ve gathered resources, return to the starting room’s Singing Bowl to craft your gear and supplies.

Weapon Crafting

You can craft three tiers of weapons (halberd, staff, bow). For beginners, aim for:

  • Tier 2 Weapon: Requires 80 shards (e.g., Attuned Crystal Bow or Staff). Tier 2 is sufficient for Regular Gauntlet.
  • Tier 3 Weapon: Requires a weapon frame and a specific component (e.g., Crystalline Bowstring for Perfect Bow). Essential for Corrupted Gauntlet speedruns.

Strategy: Craft one Tier 2 or 3 weapon (bow or staff) and a Tier 1 secondary weapon to counter Hunllef’s prayer switches. For Corrupted, prioritize a Tier 3 bow or staff for faster kills.

Armor and Potions

  • Armor: Craft Tier 1 armor (helm, body, legs) for Regular Gauntlet (60 shards total). For Corrupted, aim for Tier 2 armor if time allows (180 shards).
  • Potions: Craft 1–2 potions using Grym Leaf and Crystal Dust. These restore Prayer, run energy, and heal.
  • Food: Cook 12–16 Paddlefish for Regular, 16–20 for Corrupted. Each Paddlefish heals 20 HP.

Fighting the Crystalline Hunllef

The boss fight against the Crystalline Hunllef (or Corrupted Hunllef) is the culmination of your preparation. Understanding its mechanics is crucial.

Hunllef Mechanics

  • Prayer Switches: Hunllef uses a random protection prayer (Protect from Melee, Missiles, or Magic) and switches every 6 hits. Hits against its active prayer don’t count toward the switch.
  • Attack Pattern: Alternates between Ranged and Magic every 5 ticks. It switches styles every 4 attacks, including specials. Watch for a small animation to anticipate switches.
  • Special Attacks:
    • Prayer Disable: Used during Magic attacks, deactivates your prayers. Reactivate immediately.
    • Tornadoes: Summons tornadoes that chase you. Run to avoid damage.
    • Stomp: If you’re under Hunllef, it deals heavy damage. Move away quickly.

Damage Output: In Corrupted Gauntlet with Tier 1 armor, Hunllef hits up to 13 through prayer and ~60 off-prayer. Stay vigilant with prayer switches.

Boss Fight Strategy

Here’s a step-by-step approach to the fight:

  1. Check Prayer: On entering, check Hunllef’s protection prayer. If using the 5:1 method and it’s Protect from Missiles, consider restarting (Corrupted only).
  2. Positioning: Stay near the center to avoid being cornered by tornadoes. Use the RuneLite “Gauntlet” plugin to highlight safe tiles.
  3. Attack Rhythm: Use the 5:1 method (5 attacks with your main weapon, 1 with your secondary) to counter prayer switches efficiently.
  4. Prayer Management: Switch prayers (Protect from Missiles or Magic) based on Hunllef’s attack style. Sip potions to restore Prayer points.
  5. Special Attack Handling: Run from tornadoes, reactivate prayers after disable attacks, and avoid standing under Hunllef.

Pro Tip: Use Vengeance before entering to reflect some damage. Avoid taking hits off-prayer to conserve food.

Tips and Tricks for Success

Maximize your Gauntlet runs with these advanced tips:

RuneLite Plugins

  • Gauntlet Plugin: Highlights Hunllef’s tiles and tornadoes for easier dodging.
  • Tile Indicators: Shows your current and destination tiles, aiding movement precision.
  • Gauntlet Counter: Tracks Hunllef’s attack switches externally (e.g., gauntletcounter.herokuapp.com).

Speedrunning Tips

  • Fast Prep: Kill low-level monsters for a weapon frame, craft a Tier 1 staff and vial, then hunt demi-bosses for Tier 3 components.
  • Reset Early: If you don’t get a weapon frame quickly or Hunllef uses an unfavorable prayer (Corrupted), reset to save time.
  • One-Tick Gathering: Gather resources while attacking monsters to save ticks.

Rewards and Profit

Completing the Gauntlet yields valuable loot:

  • Regular Gauntlet: 2 loot rolls, including Crystal Shards and a chance at Crystal Armor Seeds.
  • Corrupted Gauntlet: 3 loot rolls, higher chance for Enhanced Crystal Weapon Seeds (Blade of Saeldor, Bow of Faerdhinen).
  • Profit: Corrupted Gauntlet averages 714,406 GP per completion at 6 runs/hour, though this drops to 172,556 GP without seeds.

Note: Crystal Shards’ value depends on usage (e.g., making Divine Super Combat Potions at 97 Herblore). Check Grand Exchange prices before investing.

With practice, the Gauntlet becomes a manageable and profitable activity. Start with the Regular Gauntlet to learn the ropes, then transition to Corrupted for better rewards. Good luck, adventurer!