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Ultimate OSRS Black Demon Guide Tips Strategies and Drops for Max Efficiency

Black demons in Old School RuneScape have been lurking in those dark dungeons for years, ready to swing their massive weapons at anyone foolish enough to step into their territory. If you’re grinding Slayer tasks or just hunting for some sweet loot, these guys can be a real handful. But don’t worry, I’ve been tackling them since the early days of OSRS, back when my bank was emptier than a noob’s inventory. As someone who’s racked up hundreds of kills, let me walk you through everything you need to know to turn these fiery fiends into your personal ATM.
Ever tried bursting a pack of them in Taverley? It’s chaotic, but oh so rewarding. Stick around, and I’ll share my setups, spots, and a few war stories that might just save your prayer pots next time Duradel assigns you a long task.
Picture this: you’re deep underground, torchlight flickering off jagged walls, and suddenly a hulking shadow lumbers toward you with eyes glowing like hot coals. That’s the vibe with black demons. They’re not your average low-level mob; these are level 172 bruisers with a reputation for dropping some seriously valuable gear if luck’s on your side.
Why bother with them at all? Well, for starters, they’re a staple Slayer task. Konar or Duradel love throwing them your way, especially once you hit higher levels. Plus, their drops include runes, herbs, and that elusive rare table access that could net you a dragon item or two. But here’s the kicker: despite their beefy stats, they’ve got some glaring weaknesses that smart players exploit.
Combat Stats and Why They Matter
Let’s break down the numbers so you can plan your attack. Black demons hit hard, but they’re not invincible. I remember my first solo run, miscalculating their slash attacks and chugging sharks like they were free samples at a Varrock market.
Stat | Value | Notes |
---|---|---|
Combat Level | 172 | Standard variant; higher in some spots like Catacombs (up to 184) |
Hitpoints | 157 | Solid health pool, but safespots make it manageable |
Attack | 145 | They swing melee only, max hit of 16 |
Strength | 148 | Packs a punch if you’re not praying |
Defence | 152 | Low for their level, easy to chip away |
Magic | 1 | Laughable; they’re melee tanks |
Ranged | 1 | Same story, focus on magic weakness |
Attack Speed | 4 ticks | About 2.4 seconds per swing |
Pro tip: They’re weak to demonbane weapons like the Arclight, which shreds their defense bonus. And get this, they’ve got a 40% weakness to water spells. Ever wondered why Water Surge feels so satisfying here? Because it does extra damage, turning a slog into a speedrun.
In the Wilderness variants, levels creep up to 188, but the strategy stays similar. Just watch your back for PKers, something I learned the hard way during a Krystilia task.
Prime Locations for Farming Black Demons
Where you hunt these beasts can make or break your task. I’ve bounced around all the spots over the years, from the stuffy depths of Brimhaven to the lava-scorched Chasm of Fire. Each has its perks, like spawn density or extra drops, but pick based on your gear and risk tolerance.
- Taverley Dungeon: My go-to for cannon setups. Tons of spawns, easy access with a dusty key or fairy ring.
- Chasm of Fire: High density on the bottom level, 17 spawns waiting for you. Bonus contracts if you’re into that Leagues meta.
- Catacombs of Kourend: Levels 178-184, drops totem pieces for dark totems. Darker Slayer helmet upgrade potential.
- Wilderness Slayer Cave: Risky but rewarding with Larran’s keys on task. Only for the brave.
- Brimhaven Dungeon: Fewer spawns, but close to nature altar for teleports.
- Edgeville Dungeon: Wilderness edge, quick runs but PK hotspot.
Short answer: If you’re new, start with Taverley. It’s forgiving and packed.
Diving Deep into Taverley Dungeon
Taverley Dungeon feels like home after all these years. You need a dusty key or 70 Agility to skip the blue dragons, but trust me, those shortcuts pay off. The black demon area is a maze of tunnels with 24 spawns crammed in tight. Perfect for multi-cannoning if you’ve got the ammo.
Nearby threats? Blue dragons breathing fire everywhere, and those poison spiders that nibble at your health. I once aggroed a whole room of blues while setting up my cannon. Chaos. Bring antipoison or just sprint past.
Farming tips from my notebook: Use the eastern safe spot for ranging. Line up three demons and plink away with chinning. On a good day, I clear 200-300 kills per hour here. But watch your stamina; those long runs back from the entrance drain you fast.
What about access? Fairy ring code BJQ drops you near the entrance, then a games necklace to Falador bank. Efficient loop, right?
Gear Upgrades That Changed My Black Demon Game
Gear is everything in OSRS. Early on, I rocked rune armor and a whip, eating hits like a champ. Now? Optimized setups for each style. Melee‘s straightforward with their low def, but ranged or mage lets you safe spot like a pro.
I’ve tested these on ironman accounts too, scraping by with mid-tier stuff. Question for you: What’s your budget? Under 1m or balling with BIS?
Melee Setup Breakdown
Go melee if you love the thrill of Protect from Melee. Arclight is king here, thanks to that demonbane passive.
Slot | Item | Why It Rocks |
---|---|---|
Head | Slayer Helm (i) | Boosts damage and accuracy |
Neck | Amulet of Glory | Teleports and stats |
Cape | Fire Cape | Best melee bonus |
Body | Bandos Chestplate | High strength, prayer bonus |
Legs | Bandos Tassets | Matches the set |
Weapon | Arclight | Demon slayer special |
Shield | Avernic Defender | Offhand power |
Gloves | Ferocious Gloves | Hybrid if needed |
Boots | Primordial Boots | Strength edge |
Ring | Berserker Ring (i) | Max damage output |
Inventory: Super combats, prayer pots, sharks, cannon with balls. I swap to a dragon defender on switches for that extra punch.
Ranged and Magic Alternatives
Ranged shines in safespots. Chinchompas or blowpipe for speed kills.
For magic: Ancient Magicks if you’re bursting, or standard spells with a trident. Their -10 magic def is a joke.
Quick list of must-haves:
- Ranged: Masori body, dragon crossbow, Ava’s assembler.
- Magic: Ahrim’s set for that magic bonus, occult necklace.
One time, I forgot my rigour prayer book in the bank. Task took twice as long. Lesson learned.
Strategies to Dominate Every Encounter
Strategies keep you alive and banking gp. Black demons are aggressive, so prayer flicking is key. But safespots? Game-changer.
How do you approach a pack? Cannon first to thin the herd, then mop up with your main style.
Long story short, here’s my step-by-step for a standard task.
- Scout the spot: Clear aggroed mobs.
- Set cannon: Aim for max hits on multiples.
- Pray melee: Flick if low on pots.
- Eat smart: Only when below 60 HP.
- Loot efficiently: Pick up ashes for demonic gorilla teleports later.
For solo: Stick to one style, burst if mage. Group? Coordinate cannons in Chasm for insane rates.
Ever PKed in Wildy while on demons? I did once, snagged a clue off a corpse mid-fight. Adrenaline rush.
But seriously, in Catacombs, prioritize totem drops. Use the prayer restore from the altar to stretch your pots.
Advanced Tricks from a Vet
Want to min-max? Use the Chasm’s contracts. Equip a sigil of blood for extra drops on kills. I farmed those for weeks, turning scraps into millions.
Safespot specifics: In Taverley, hug the eastern wall. Demons path right into your line of fire but can’t touch you.
Short para: Bursting with ice spells? Yes, freezes them solid.
And for ironmen: Skip the BIS, focus on Arclight quests. It’s worth the grind.
OH MAN, that time I got a dragon spear on kill 50. Screamed so loud my cat bolted.
Loot Table Secrets and Drop Rates
Drops are why we grind. Always ashes, plus coins, runes, and herbs. But the rares? That’s the lottery.
Common table hits often: 50 air runes, grimy ranarrs for herblore cash.
Rare access: 1/128 base, better in some spots. Wilderness ups it with looting bags.
Let me table this out for clarity.
Drop Category | Examples | Rate Notes |
---|---|---|
Always | Malicious Ashes (1-2) | 100%, use for teleports |
Weapons/Armor | Rune 2h Sword, Mithril Kiteshield | 1/128 common |
Runes | Chaos (10-25), Blood (5-7) | Frequent, sell quick |
Herbs | Grimy Ranarr, Irit | Herb table, 1/128-ish |
Rares | Dragon Med Helm, Runite Bar | 1/4096 via RDT |
Task-Specific | Brimstone Key, Totem Pieces | Varies by location |
In Chasm, contracts like “bloodied blows” boost melee drops. Stacked one with a lucky streak? Banked 50m.
Question: Chasing clues? Hard clues at 1/128, worth the scroll hunts.
Personal fave: Ensouled demon head for high-alch profit. Sold a stack once to fund my first Bandos set.
WOW, pulling a loop half mid-task feels like Christmas.
My Wildest Black Demon Tales from Years of Grinding
Alright, time for some stories. As an OSRS vet with over 2k hours, black demons have seen me at my best and worst.
First kill: Questing through Grand Tree, that Black Demon boss wrecked me five times. Safe spot? What’s that? I meleed it barehanded, down to 1 HP each try. Finally, a borrowed rune scim and some lobsters did the trick. Laughed about it later with clan mates.
Fast forward to Slayer level 80. Duradel hits me with 150 blacks. Headed to Taverley, cannon blazing. Halfway through, cannon misfires and aggroes blues. Sprinting with 10 HP, eating a super restore on the fly. Barely banked, but cleared the task in record time.
Then there’s the Wildy horror. Krystilia assigns 40 in Slayer Cave. Gear up heavy, but a clan of PKers jumps me at level 5. Lost my blowpipe, but sniped one back with a ancient mage. Revenge tasted sweet.
Group run in Chasm? Epic. Five of us, cannons syncing like a symphony. Dropped three dragon items in one hour. Split the gp, bought rounds at the Blue Moon Inn.
One quiet night, solo bursting in Catacombs. Totem base drops on kill 10. Then middle, then top. Full dark totem in under an hour. Friends called it rigged; I called it destiny.
These moments? They’re OSRS magic. What’s your craziest demon story? Drop it in comments.
Short answer: They’re addictive.
Pitfalls Newbies Fall Into and How to Dodge Them
Everyone messes up at first. I sure did, like forgetting anti-poison in Brimhaven and melting to spiders.
Common mistakes:
- No prayer: They hit 16s unprotected. Flick melee pray, always.
- Wrong spot: Wildy without alert? PK bait.
- Overpacking: Leave room for loot. Ashes stack, but rares don’t.
- Ignoring safespots: Why tank when you can range from afar?
Strong advice: Test your setup on one kill first. Adjust stats till you’re comfy.
In 2025, with updates tweaking drop rates, double-check wiki for Konar quoins. I missed a brimstone key once because of old info.
Long para time: Another big one is supply management. New players bring too few pots, thinking “it’s just demons.” Nope. A 200-kill task drains divine pots if you’re not careful. Calculate: 1 pot every 20 kills for bursting. Bank trips every 50. I use a spreadsheet now, sounds nerdy but saves milions in food waste. Pair with stamina pots for those dungeon jogs, and you’re golden. Oh, and teleports: Games necklace chain from Falador to Taverley entrance. Cuts downtime in half.
Ever skipped the Arclight quest? Huge regret. That weapon alone boosts kills by 20%.
Wrapping Up Your Black Demon Journey
There you have it, folks. From stats to stories, black demons aren’t just a task, they’re a rite of passage in OSRS. Gear up, pick your spot, and dive in. Whether you’re after gp, XP, or that one big drop, persistence pays off.
I’ve shared my setups because they worked for me, but tweak ’em to your playstyle. Hit up Taverley for your next task, and who knows? Might snag a rare that funds your next upgrade.
What’s next on your Slayer list? Drop a comment, and maybe I’ll guide that too. Happy hunting, adventurers.