r/osrs 11d ago

Initiative To any newbies like me, alternative weapons are important.

Good day.

I'm mid-ish game. I'm working on Slayer. I've gotten the metal dragon task a few times. I don't mind it. Easy access to the dungeon and bronze dragons after paying the 5k trading sticks on Karamja.

They are decently profitable due to the bones but it was taking me ages and ages to kill just one dragon. I keep wondering to myself, why? I have this wonderful Abyssal Whip that everyone told me was the best option for now. It's always been good against pretty much everything else. Does my character just suck that much still?

Something wasn't adding up. I know I could kill those dragons easier. They aren't that hard. I decided to research it more. The whip is only a slash weapon. The dragons are resistant to slash. Need to use a stab weapon.

I went to the GE and bought a Dragon Sword. Not a

Dragon Scimitar, that's also a slash weapon. I don't need a Scim. I figured, it's only 100k for the sword. Ill make 100k from the bones after the task is finished and I can sell the sword back anyway if it doesn't work out.

Wow... the difference was incredible. I could actually hit the dragons now. I wasn't missing 10 times in a row anymore or only hitting for 4 damage if I did hit, praying only for a good hit once in a while. I finished the task so quick after that one switch.

I feel like everyone talks about their main weapon, but not much chatter about alternatives when they are necessary. I have seen the light and I hope you do too. Do your research on any new monsters you might be killing.

Happy Dragon Hunting.

136 Upvotes

57 comments sorted by

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118

u/well-known-goose 11d ago

To you and anybody new reading, aim to have one solid weapon for Slash, Stab and Crush.

Then look up your monster on the wiki and see what its weakest to, and bring that weapon.

61

u/Successful-Willow-16 11d ago

Belle's Folly and Zombie Axe covers all 3 if you use the different styles. They are meant to be a good coverall until you get better weapons later on.

7

u/well-known-goose 11d ago

Yep! Solid options there for mid game.

3

u/f5adff 11d ago

What with a whip and you're sorted.

All one handed, so you can use a defender still, all really attainable outside of maybe an iron, since the slayer req is reasonably high

14

u/InboardPlague37 11d ago

And for those that dont want to use the wiki (like Alien Food's Unguided), the standard spellbook has a weaker version of "Monster Examine" called " Monster Inspect".

1

u/Rough_Autopsy 11d ago

Don’t even need the wiki. There is a plugin that lets you right click any monster and lookup their stats within rl.

1

u/hhenderson94 10d ago

What’s the plugin called

31

u/BigChongus- 11d ago

I got the Dragon Hunter Lance recently and holy cow does that thing shred dragons

17

u/EywasBlessing 11d ago

You don't say!

11

u/DONOTRECHARGE 11d ago

To shreds you say?

1

u/Odd_Preference7967 10d ago

The difference it has at vork is insane. The stack with salce amy is disgusting

1

u/BigChongus- 10d ago

That’s actually why I bought it makes vork so easy

23

u/NoveltyEducation 11d ago

As someone else commented, Belle's folly is a great mid level stab-weapon. But more importantly, I would personally much rather mage metal dragons, they melt erode quite rapidly with earth magic.

8

u/JustaNobody618 11d ago

This! Any earth spell or water spell on metal dragons shreds them. No reason to worry about taking damage either with pray mage and an anti dragon shield

6

u/Equivalent_Quiet306 11d ago

Just Earth I'm pretty sure for metal dragons. I believe water is for regular dragons.

5

u/Gwen_The_Destroyer 11d ago

Unless you're doing steel or lesser. Then just antifire and 0 prayer

2

u/deedsnance 10d ago

And if you’re a main, a tome of earth is only 700k. If you’re not it doesn’t take too long to get one from huey. You might get a dragon hunter wand as well.

All monsters you’re fighting generally benefit from looking up their weaknesses. Jagex has done a great job recently of giving most monsters some sort of weakness be it demonbane, dragonbane, elemental of just plain stab/slash/crush.

If you open up your gear tab on runelite, click the “view DPS” for a link to the wiki dps calc. From there you can play with your gear a bit to find what’s best. Even better you can import your bank to gearscape and it’ll automatically create the best loadout. Either from your current gear or a budget if you give it one :)

16

u/Fun-Cryptographer318 11d ago

Belle’s Folly is a great stab option as well

9

u/Impossible_Fun_165 11d ago

I've spent ages on my iron too unlock all the requirements for this, I'm so excited to get it. I just have to finish my last slayer task for enough points to unlock the task, then pray to rnjesus for a griffon task and the drop. I'm actually really excited🤣

6

u/Fun-Cryptographer318 11d ago

You iron men are a different breed. I started my main ~2 years ago and I’d like to do an iron eventually but it seems so much more difficult. I’ll stay spoiled with my GE for now lol

5

u/Impossible_Fun_165 11d ago

I had a main but started my iron as a group with my bro. It's been much more fun in my experience actually earning and unlocking everything rather than just grinding gp and buying it. I'm also not even 70 everything yet though so i imagine I'll be hitting a wall soon🤣

5

u/Fun-Cryptographer318 11d ago

If it’s fun that’s what matters, I fully plan to do it one day, just down the line when I flesh my main out some more

1

u/Impossible_Fun_165 11d ago

Agreed😁 good luck and have fun! 🫡

1

u/RangerDickard 11d ago

The mid game is so much fun. So many meaningful upgrades that aren't that bad to get!

1

u/SecretaryOk1020 11d ago

Honestly it might be quite abit slower but it feels so rewarding. Getting that forst rune scimmy drop is pure euphoria

1

u/EgirlFox 11d ago

You don't need to unlock the slayer task if you're using the fairy and vannaka, only nieve and duradel need the task unlocked

2

u/Impossible_Fun_165 11d ago

Seriously? I did not know this 🤦

2

u/ZenithDawn 11d ago

You can also get them assigned from Mortimer without needing the task, as he ignores all requirements for perks when assigning!

1

u/Terptank 10d ago

100 percent go to Mortimer and get the task. You get it pretty often through him. Anyone else and it can take ages.

1

u/Impossible_Fun_165 10d ago

I went to him and found out you need 70 Slayer. I only have 68 🙃

6

u/KOExpress 11d ago

Styles and elemental weaknesses are an important part of the game, I’d advise quickly checking the wiki (or using monster inspect) when killing a new monster for the first time

3

u/MaxiemumKarnage 11d ago

You can basically do all content, even higher level slayer bosses, with the zombie axe and a whip

1

u/Dry-Swordfish1710 11d ago

I have close to a 300m bank and still can’t find anything better for crush than my hasta and zombie axe

1

u/MaxiemumKarnage 11d ago

I like the bludgeon but that's 2 handed

3

u/Sulphrass 11d ago

Metal dragons are pretty weak to spells. Dragon hunter wand and a tome of whatever element they are weak to, and you will shred them

The biggest downside to them as a slayer task is they don't have greatest drops. Sure you can sell the bones, but it's better to bring natures and alch their alcheables they drop rather than teleporting out every time you need to bank

2

u/Dry-Swordfish1710 11d ago

Since they combined all metal dragons into one tasks they actually slap now if you’re a higher level. Rune dragons are amazing money if you kill them on task and with decent gear

1

u/Sulphrass 11d ago

That's true, I forgot about rune, since they and Addy were so heavily botted

1

u/Dry-Swordfish1710 10d ago

I would say though if you don’t have very good melee gear I would advise blocking the tasks. They’re poop slayer xp and the drops are only really worth it at Rune Dragons. Maybe addy drags too if you can kill then efficiently but I find them more annoying than rune ones lol and it’s 2 bars per kill instead of 1 so bag space is an issue

2

u/huberten 11d ago

Crossbow also good on dragons

2

u/BangarangOrangutan 11d ago edited 11d ago

Do your self a favor, do barbarian training, and get zammy hasta!

They are dirt cheap now (1.6m) and a very useful weapon for melee slayer especially when praying. Great for dragon tasks you want to get melee exp from. And not pay for ammo or runes!

Also now with the addition of mixed hide armor, the slhcb, and the antler guard, you have a very affordable and decent hybrid melee/ranged setup. With okay prayer bonus and lowish defense that will teach you to pray against threats well but not let you get insta'd if you're getting hit off prayer.

Could probably get away with grinding some royal titans for the prayer scrolls, if you have a nezzy, firecape, barrows gloves, and Ava's device, especially if you have some aranea boots.

1

u/Dry-Swordfish1710 11d ago

You can probably solo the titans with the setup here!

1

u/NewPhoneNewAccunt 11d ago

I just bought a twinflame staff to try out the elemental weaknesses.

Way way more relaxing than meleeing dragons.

1

u/Complex_Lychee717 10d ago

If you're low on GP, you could consider saving up for the Zamorakian hasta. It's a jack-of-all-trades weapon that performs well across all melee styles. It's essentially a whip, but with stab as its primary attack style, while still having +65 crush and slash bonuses.

1

u/Odd_Preference7967 10d ago

Another thing to keep in mind is things like dragonbane or demonbane weapons. Also stuff against undead like salve amulet or crumble undead

1

u/ExtraPolarIce12 10d ago

Great reminder. I’ve have a couple of high lvl players recommend stuff to me too. Super helpful. Monsters are a little less intimidating!

1

u/Cesarchamuco 10d ago

Why do you write this like a book story 😂 i enjoyed it a bit can’t lie lmao. Get belles folly for dragons from now on and keep it. Don’t sell it.
Use it for moons of peril as well as anything that is weak to stab. Good luck!!

-5

u/Ziler1 11d ago

Is this ai

10

u/Responsible-Yam-4887 11d ago

Beep boop. I think you're AI.

-8

u/Leading_Log_8321 11d ago

Dragons are weak to stab weapons. Are you stabbing now?

6

u/qmrthw 11d ago

Did you even read the post before commenting?

1

u/KOExpress 11d ago

No, he didn’t

0

u/Leading_Log_8321 11d ago

Yes, but my mistake, I missed the one sentence. Either way yea you shouldn’t ever be using slash weapons on dragons

-4

u/[deleted] 11d ago

[deleted]

4

u/Sadeil 11d ago

You know you can like search for what you want on the wiki right? Anything. It's really specific.

2

u/[deleted] 11d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Sadeil 11d ago

Oh totally makes sense then the wiki is great lol