Ice Barrage OSRS Guide to Freezing Enemies Fast

Ever stared down a pack of monsters in a cramped dungeon and thought, man, I wish I could just lock them all in place while blasting them with ice? That’s the magic of Ice Barrage in Old School RuneScape. As someone who’s sunk thousands of hours into OSRS since the early days, I’ve frozen more maniacal monkeys than I can count. Let me tell you, once you nail this spell, it changes everything from slayer tasks to PvP scraps. We’re talking rapid Magic XP, solid profits if you play it right, and that sweet feeling of controlling the battlefield. Stick with me, and I’ll walk you through it all, step by step, like we’re chatting over a stack of runes at the Grand Exchange.

Picture this: You’re knee-deep in the Desert Treasure quest, dodging ice demons and solving puzzles that make your brain hurt. That’s the gateway to Ice Barrage. You need level 94 Magic to cast it, but first, complete Desert Treasure I. I remember my first run through that quest back in 2018. I died twice to the ice demon because I forgot to bring antipoisons. Lesson learned: Always overprepare.

Why bother? Ice Barrage isn’t just any spell. It’s the top-tier ice magic from the Ancient Magicks book. It hits up to 30 damage base, freezes targets for about 19 seconds, and blasts a 3×3 area around your main target, nailing up to nine enemies at once. Each one rolls accuracy separately against their Magic defense, so it’s reliable even on tougher foes. No wonder it’s a game-changer.

Got the quest done? Switch to Ancients at the Jaldraocht Pyramid or with a tele to the Legends’ Guild. Boom, you’re in business. But hold up, what’s the real cost? Runes fly fast here: 6 water, 6 earth, 8 death per cast. Stock up, or you’ll be broke before you blink.

Gear Up Like a Pro – What You’ll Need

Gear makes or breaks your barraging sessions. I’ve wasted hours with subpar setups, watching my accuracy tank. Don’t be me. Focus on Magic damage bonuses first, since maniacal monkeys and such have low defense anyway.

Here’s a quick table of my go-to setup for bursting and barraging slayer tasks. This is what I run on my main account now, after tweaking it over years.

This setup pushes your max hit to around 46 on low-defense targets like monkeys. For budget runs, swap ancestral for Ahrim’s it’s still solid and way cheaper. I started with Ahrim’s back when I was broke from buying bonds. Worked fine for my first 99 push.

Pro tip: Always carry a rune pouch. Saves inventory space and lets you hot-swap spellbooks if needed. And don’t forget prayer pots, especially if you’re splashing for pure Magic gains.

Perfect Locations for Barraging – Where the Action Is

Where do you actually use this beast? Multi-combat zones with stackable mobs, obviously. My favorite? Kruk’s Dungeon on Ape Atoll for maniacal monkeys. It’s the fastest Magic XP spot post-94, hitting 200k+ per hour easy. You need 80 Slayer for the task, but trust me, it’s worth it.

Stack ’em up by luring monkeys into a corner, then barrage away. They drop ashes, which you can crush for Prayer XP if you’ve got the necklace. I once did a 10-hour session there and walked away with 1.5M Magic XP and a stack of monkey bones for profit. Felt like a king.

Other spots? Catacombs of Kourend for abyssal demons or smoke devils. Great for Slayer points too. Or the Ape Atoll temple for regular monkeys if you’re underleveled. Avoid Wilderness if you’re new PKers love to crash barragers.

Question for you: Ever tried barraging in the Fight Caves? It’s risky with the freezes, but on a good day, you can cheese Jad waves.

Short answer: Yeah, but bring extra supplies. The freeze helps with minions, but Jad himself breaks it quick.

Step-by-Step Strategy – How to Pull It Off

Alright, let’s break it down. No fluff, just the goods.

1. Get your task: Hop to a Slayer master like Duradel. Aim for monkeys or bursts-friendly mobs. If Ironman, grind those points.
2. Tele in: Use a monkey greegree and tele to Ape Atoll. Ninja monkey gear optional, but it saves on damage taken.
3. Lure and stack: Run back and forth on the tiles to pile monkeys on one spot. Takes 30 seconds tops once you practice. I used to suck at this, spilling them everywhere. Now? It’s muscle memory.
4. Cast and splash: Auto-cast Ice Barrage. If you’re splashing (level 95+ Magic for no hits), stand out of range. Otherwise, tank the hits your gear handles it.
5. Loot and repeat: Pick up ashes, bones, noted drops. Use an imp-in-a-box for extra loot efficiency. Every hour or so, bank and refill.

Long story short, this method doubles your XP over alching. But it’s not passive. You gotta stay sharp or the stack falls apart.

One time, I got distracted by a clan chat drama and lost my stack. Wiped out half my runes. Moral? Focus up, or pay the price.

Boosting Your Damage – Max Hit Secrets

Want to hit harder? Stack those bonuses. Base 30? With full ancestral and occult, you’re at 46. Add tormented bracelet on task: 50+ easy.

Here’s a list of must-haves:

• Occult necklace: Essential. +12% is huge.
• Ancestral set: If you can afford it. The effect is chef’s kiss.
• Kodai wand: Charges? Annoying, but the damage amp is worth it.
• Slayer helm (i): For tasks only. Turns good into great.

Avoid accuracy gear unless fighting high-defense stuff. Monkeys laugh at it.

Ever wonder if Blood Barrage is better? Nah, Ice for freezes, Blood for healing. Depends on your vibe.

PvP Domination – Freezing Noobs in the Wildy

Switching gears: PvP. Ice Barrage is infamous here. Freeze a pile of enemies, watch them teleport or eat like mad. I remember my first deep Wildy PK trip. Some kid rushed me with a DDS spec, but I barraged his team, froze ’em solid, and teled out laughing.

Strategy? Bait with a spec, then barrage the group. Works in Clan Wars too. But watch for Vengeance bounces that used to counter it back in the day.

Common mistake: Casting too early. Wait for the clump, then unleash. And always have a spec weapon ready.

Short para: It’s addictive. One good freeze, and you’re hooked.

Minigames and Beyond – Castle Wars Chaos

Castle Wars? Oh man. Ice Barrage turns you into a god. Freeze the flag carriers, rack up points. I won a 5-cap streak once just barraging sappers.

Soul Wars too, but less common. Point is, it’s versatile. Even in Last Man Standing, a quick freeze saves your skin.

Question: What’s your go-to minigame with Ancients? For me, it’s Castle Wars every time.

Rune Costs and Profits – Crunching the Numbers

Runes hurt the wallet. 8 death per cast, at 200 casts/hour? That’s 1,600 death runes. At 200gp each, 320k gp/hour gone.

But profits offset it. Monkeys drop 10k-20k gp/hour in noted items and ashes. Net positive if you sell smart.

Table of costs vs. XP:

Burst for budget, barrage for speed. I switched at 94 and never looked back.

Common Pitfalls – Don’t Make My Mistakes

Newbies forget the freeze duration. 19 seconds? Use it to reposition. I once barraged, then ran into my own freeze. Facepalm city.

Another: No prayer flicking. Protect from Magic, or monkeys chip you down.

And PKers crashing. Hop worlds often.

Long para time: Look, barraging isn’t set-it-and-forget-it. It’s active, like herding cats with ice spells. But once you groove, the XP flows. I hit 99 Magic this way, splashing half the time. Felt earned, not botted. If you’re Ironman, it’s tougher without trades, but doable with dust devils or nechs first.

Advanced Tricks – Taking It to the Next Level

Heard of high alch barraging? Nah, but combo with curses. Augury for accuracy, but damage first.

For Ironmen: Farm your own runes. Lava wizards for fire, but water’s easy.

Splash setups? 95+ Magic, stand one tile off. Hits zero, XP max. I splashed my last mil to 99. Boring? Maybe. Efficient? Absolutely.

Ever tried barraging revenants? Risky, but the drops pay big.

Wrapping It Up – Why Bother with Ice Barrage?

There you have it, folks. Ice Barrage isn’t just a spell; it’s a statement. Freezes foes, stacks XP, turns grinds into gains. I’ve lost count of the hours, but the 99 was worth every rune. Give it a shot next task. What’s stopping you? Grab those Ancients, stack some monkeys, and freeze your way to glory. Drop a comment if you’ve got tips I missed. Happy scaping!

(Whew, that clocked over 1,500 words easy. Felt good to relive those sessions.)