The Dragonwilds in RuneScape are a chaotic zone full of treasure, risk, and danger. Among the greatest threats players face here are invasions, intense encounters that can come from both PvE enemies and PvP players. Whether you’re farming, exploring, or completing a quest, knowing how to handle invasions effectively can make the difference between loot and loss.

This blog will guide you through everything you need to know about surviving and thriving during invasions in Dragonwilds.

Handling Invasions in RuneScape Dragonwilds: A Comprehensive Guide

RuneScape: Dragonwilds throws players into the unforgiving world of Ashenfall, where survival hinges on mastering crafting, combat, and resource management. Among the many challenges, invasions, dragon attacks and goblin warbands, stand out as chaotic, base-threatening events that can disrupt even the most carefully laid plans. These invasions aren’t just random annoyances; they’re core to the game’s survival-crafting identity, testing your preparation, adaptability, and strategic thinking. This guide dives deep into how to handle invasions effectively, offering practical strategies, tips, and insights to protect your base, survive the onslaught, and even turn these events to your advantage.

Understanding Invasions in RuneScape: Dragonwilds

Invasions in Dragonwilds come in two primary forms: dragon attacks and goblin warbands. Each presents unique challenges and requires tailored strategies to manage effectively.

Dragon Attacks: These are aerial assaults where a dragon flies over your location, dropping devastating attacks like poison or fire. They’re not boss fights but rather environmental hazards, often described as “magical weather events.” A warning message, “You are being hunted,” signals their approach, giving you a brief window to prepare. These attacks can strike randomly, sometimes repeatedly in the same area, and currently offer no direct way to fight back. They can destroy bases and kill players caught unprepared, especially in the early game.
Goblin Warbands: These are ground-based ambushes where enemies, like goblins or garous, teleport directly to your location, surrounding and overwhelming you. The ambush system is unpredictable, with enemies spawning regardless of your position, making preparation and quick reactions critical. Warbands often coincide with dragon attacks, creating chaotic scenarios where you’re dodging aerial assaults while fending off melee attackers.

Both invasion types are unavoidable in the current early access build (as of April 2025), but understanding their mechanics is the first step to surviving them. Below, we’ll break down strategies for preparation, combat, base defense, and post-invasion recovery, with a focus on actionable steps and game-specific mechanics.

Preparation: Setting the Stage for Survival

Surviving invasions starts long before the first dragon roars or goblin spawns. Preparation involves building a defensible base, stocking resources, and honing your skills to ensure you’re ready for the chaos.

Base Building for Defense

Your base is your sanctuary, but it’s also a prime target during invasions. Designing it with defense in mind can minimize damage and give you a safe haven.

Location Matters: Choose a building site with natural defenses, like elevated terrain or areas surrounded by water, to limit goblin access points. Avoid open plains where dragons can easily target you. Temple Woods, the starting area, is decent for early bases due to its resource abundance, but consider moving to Bramblemead Valley for better long-term defensibility.
Material Choices: Use sturdy materials like stone or sandstone for walls and roofs, as they’re more resistant to dragon attacks than wood. Unlock the grindstone recipe by finding granite to craft crushed stone and sandstone for stronger structures.
Roof Design: A proper roof is essential to protect against dragon poison attacks, which can penetrate incomplete structures. Use the snapping mode and Ghost Mode (press F while building) to ensure tight fits and avoid gaps. Unlock the Eye of Oculus skill (Construction level 11) for free-cam building, making it easier to perfect your roof and place defensive structures.
Multiple Bases: Build smaller outposts with Lodestones in different regions. This allows you to fast-travel away from an invasion if your main base is under attack, preserving your loot. Each Lodestone costs 15 Law Runes to use, so stock up on runes by mining rune essences and crafting them at a specialist table.
Storage and Bedrolls: Place multiple bedrolls in your base to set respawn points, reducing travel time after death. Store valuable items in chests to prevent loss, as dropped items can be destroyed during invasions.

Resource Stockpiling

Invasions can drain your resources, so maintain a surplus of key items to repair, heal, and fight.

Resource	Use	How to Acquire
Runes (Law, Fire, Earth)	Casting spells like Spectral Axe, Windstep, or Tempest Shield; fast-travel with Lodestones	Mine rune essences from floating rocks, craft into runes at a specialist table
Potions and Infusions	Healing, stamina boosts, and combat buffs like Evasive Infusion	Craft at a workbench using herbs, monster drops, or Goblin Bags
Hard Leather	Crafting armor and repairing gear	Craft at an upgraded Tannery using hides and Ram Horns (dropped by Rams in Stormtouched Highlands)
Coarse Thread	Crafting armor and equipment	Harvest Flax in Bramblemead Valley, convert to thread at a Spinning Wheel
Ash Logs	Building and crafting tables for Construction XP	Chop trees, use Spectral Axe spell for efficiency

Tip: Always loot everything, even seemingly trivial items like rocks or small food. Picking up new items unlocks crafting recipes, which can be critical during invasions. Empty chests completely to ensure they respawn with new loot after a few days.

Skill Development

Leveling up skills enhances your ability to survive invasions. Focus on these key skill trees:

Skill	Key Abilities	How to Level
Attack	Parry (Level 5): Staggers enemies; Tempest Shield (Level 11): Blocks all damage	Attack enemies with melee weapons; focus on tougher foes like goblins in Fractured Plains
Runecrafting	Unlocks spellcasting for combat and exploration	Mine rune essences, craft runes at a specialist table
Artisan	Bark to Bones (Level 11): Converts trees to bones for crafting	Craft items like leather and thread using Flax, hides, and bones
Construction	Eye of Oculus (Level 11): Free-cam building for precise base design	Place structures and furniture; craft multiple Crafting Tables for 12 XP each, then dismantle

Grinding Tip: For Attack, target weak enemies like Kebbits and chickens early on, then move to goblin camps for higher XP. For Construction, repeatedly build and dismantle Crafting Tables to farm XP efficiently.

Combat Strategies During Invasions

When an invasion hits, your combat skills and quick thinking determine whether you survive or lose everything. Here’s how to handle each type of invasion.

Dragon Attacks

Dragon attacks are currently unavoidable and non-interactive, meaning you can’t fight the dragon directly. Your goal is to minimize damage and survive until the assault ends.

Dodge and Move: When you see the “You are being hunted” warning, sprint to cover. Dragon attacks drain stamina, so keep potions or food (like cabbages) on your hotbar to restore stamina and health. Dodge by pressing Ctrl to avoid poison or fire blasts.
Use Shelter: Hide inside a well-roofed base to avoid poison attacks, which can penetrate incomplete structures. If caught outside, seek natural cover like caves or dense tree canopies. Note that dragons in the tutorial area may hit through walls, a known issue in early access.
Avoid Multi-Enemy Chaos: Dragon attacks don’t affect other mobs, so you might face goblins or other enemies simultaneously. Clear nearby enemy spawns before the dragon arrives to reduce threats.
Spells for Survival: Use Tempest Shield (Attack level 11) to block incoming damage temporarily. If you have Windstep, cast it to reach high ledges or escape to safer areas.

Goblin Warbands

Goblin warbands are fast-paced and overwhelming, with enemies teleporting directly to you. Preparation and ranged combat are key.

Ranged Combat Priority: Use a bow or magic (like Battlestaves) to engage enemies from a distance. Bows stagger enemies, slowing their advance, and require less stamina than melee. Craft short or longbows at a Crafting Table using wood and thread.
Parry and Melee Backup: If enemies close in, use Parry (Attack level 5) to stagger them by blocking at the last moment, creating openings for counterattacks. Switch to a melee weapon like the Goblin Swingslash (Tier 2, dropped by Goblin Bruisers) for high-damage follow-ups.
Kiting Strategy: Kite enemies by moving backward while firing arrows or spells. Use terrain like hills or narrow paths to funnel enemies, making them easier to manage.
Loot Drops: Defeating warband enemies can yield Goblin Bags, which contain potions, runes, or crafting materials. Goblin Bruisers may drop Lore Objects, unlocking recipes for weapons or base decorations. Prioritize looting after the fight, but stay alert for follow-up attacks.

Combining Threats

When dragon attacks and goblin warbands occur simultaneously, prioritize survival over combat:

Seek Shelter First: Get inside your base to avoid dragon attacks, then deal with any goblins that follow you indoors.
Clear Goblins Strategically: Focus on ranged attacks to thin the warband while staying mobile to dodge dragon strikes.
Use Buffs: Consume Evasive Infusion or healing potions to boost dodge chances and survivability. Craft these at a workbench using monster drops or herbs.

Post-Invasion Recovery

Invasions can leave your base damaged, resources depleted, and character weakened. Recovery is about rebuilding smarter and preparing for the next attack.

Repairing Your Base: Use the repair tab at your workbench to fix damaged structures or gear. Stockpile materials like ash logs, stone, and coarse thread for quick repairs. If your base is destroyed, consider relocating to a more defensible area.
Restocking Resources: Replenish runes, potions, and food by farming Flax, mining rune essences, and looting chests. Check respawned chests in previously cleared areas for new loot.
Learning from Losses: If you die, respawn at your bedroll and recover dropped items quickly. Analyze what went wrong, did your base lack a roof, or were you underprepared for goblin ambushes? Adjust your strategy accordingly.
Progressing the Story: Follow the main questline to unlock new regions and resources, like Copper and Tin Ore in Fractured Plains, which enable stronger bronze gear. This makes future invasions more manageable.

Advanced Tips and Tricks

For seasoned players looking to master invasions, these advanced strategies can give you an edge:

Vault Core Hunting: Explore Dragonkin Vaults to find Vault Cores, which unlock the Lodestone recipe for fast travel. Place Lodestones strategically to escape invasions or return to your base quickly. Look for orange glows in vaults to spot cores.
Spell Synergy: Combine spells like Spectral Axe (for resource gathering) and Tempest Shield (for combat) to streamline preparation and survival. Keep runes on hand, as they don’t weigh down your inventory.
Co-op Play: Invasions scale with player count, so team up with friends to divide tasks. Assign one player to craft and repair at the base while others gather rare materials or clear enemies. Co-op makes progression faster and invasions less overwhelming.
Exploit Terrain: Use Windstep to access high ledges or secret vaults during invasions, giving you a safe vantage point to attack from range. Destroy Crumbling Walls with a pickaxe or cut thorny vines to access hidden rooms with loot.
Gear Upgrades: Craft or find high-tier weapons like the Abyssal Whip (dropped by the Abyssal Demon in Whispering Swamp). This Masterwork melee weapon excels in close-quarters combat during warbands. Use ranged attacks to weaken the demon, then switch to melee when it staggers.

Known Issues and Workarounds

As of the early access build (April 2025), invasions have some bugs that affect gameplay:

Issue	Description	Workaround
Dragon Attacks Through Walls	In the tutorial area, dragon attacks can hit through walls and floors, ignoring line of sight.	Avoid lingering indoors during attacks in Temple Woods; move to open areas or other regions.
Frequent Dragon Attacks	Multiple attacks can occur in the same area, especially in co-op.	Fast-travel to another region using a Lodestone to reset the attack timer.
Ambush Spawning	Goblins teleport directly to you, even in enclosed spaces.	Stay mobile and use ranged attacks to keep enemies at bay.

Check the official known issues list on the Dragonwilds website or Discord for updates, as Jagex is actively working on fixes.

Community Feedback and Future Updates

The Dragonwilds community has voiced frustration with the frequency and destructiveness of invasions, particularly dragon attacks that destroy bases without counterplay. Players on Steam and Reddit suggest adding defenses, like anti-dragon wards, or logic to trigger invasions based on progression milestones. Jagex’s early access roadmap hints at a future dragon fight and new biomes like Fellhollow, which may introduce ways to combat dragons directly. Until then, focus on mobility, strong bases, and ranged combat to weather the storm.

Conclusion

Invasions in RuneScape: Dragonwilds are brutal, unpredictable, and central to the game’s survival challenge. By building defensible bases, stockpiling resources, mastering combat skills, and adapting to the chaos, you can turn these threats into opportunities for growth. Use ranged weapons and spells to manage goblin warbands, seek shelter during dragon attacks, and recover quickly with smart resource management. As the game evolves through early access, expect new mechanics to make invasions more interactive, but for now, preparation and resilience are your best allies. Embrace the danger, refine your strategies, and carve your path to the Dragon Queen in the wilds of Ashenfall.