Strategies for King Black Dragon

OS

This article is a strategy guide for King Black Dragon. Information on mechanics, setups, and tactics is on this page.

The King Black Dragon (or KBD) is one of the stronger dragons in RuneScape and should not be underestimated. It drops various sought-after items, such as Hard / Elite clue scrolls, dragon rider boots and gloves, King Black Dragon heads and the elusive draconic visage. Players with low combat-related levels should avoid fighting the King Black Dragon. Players should bring only items they are willing to lose.

Location and getting there

The King Black Dragon is located slightly west of the Lava Maze, in the King Black Dragon's Lair.

Players can either access his lair from either the Wilderness or with an ancient artefact north of the Monastery of Saradomin. Players who enter his lair from the Wilderness gain a 10% damage increase.

The King Black Dragon lair is just wide-open space. There is nowhere to hide.

Attacks

The King Black Dragon has various attacks. His melee attacks include a lunge attack (in which the middle head lunges forward to attack you) and a slashing attack (in which the King Black Dragon jumps and rends you with his claws). Both attacks deal the same amount of damage.

As with all dragons, the King Black Dragon uses normal dragonfire. He also uses special dragonfire; poisonous dragonfire can inflict poison (though it can be easily shrugged off in most cases), freezing dragonfire binds the player for several seconds, and shocking dragonfire can lower all stats by 2. His normal dragonfire can be dealt with the same way as with chromatic dragons, while his shocking dragonfire will still be able to deal significant damage even full dragonfire protection.

Normal dragonfire

Poisonous dragonfire

Freezing dragonfire

Shocking dragonfire

Recommended equipment (members)

• Melee
• Magic
• Ranged

Recommended equipment for High level melee

Slot	Item (most effective → least effective)
	Slayer helmet/ Black mask (if on slayer task)	Malevolent helm	Torva full helm	Bandos helmet	Superior tetsu helm >  Tetsu helm >  Verac's helm
	Amulet of souls /  Blood amulet of fury	Brawler's knockout necklace	Amulet of fury /  Dragon Rider amulet	Saradomin's whisper	Amulet of glory
	Completionist cape	Max cape	TokHaar-Kal-Ket	Fire cape	Strength cape
	Malevolent cuirass	Torva platebody	Bandos chestplate	Superior tetsu body >  Tetsu body	Verac's brassard
	Malevolent greaves	Torva platelegs	Bandos tassets	Superior tetsu platelegs >  Tetsu platelegs	Verac's plateskirt
	Drygore weaponry	Lava whip /  Tetsu katana	Chaotic weaponry /  Attuned crystal dagger	Korasi's sword /  Abyssal vine whip	Abyssal whip
	Zaros godsword	Noxious scythe	Dragon Rider lance	Godsword	Barrows equipment
	Drygore weaponry	Tetsu wakizashi	Chaotic weaponry /  Off-hand attuned crystal dagger	Jessika's sword	Enhanced Excalibur
	Dragonfire shield	Anti-dragon shield	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Razorback gauntlets	Goliath gloves	Torva gloves	Bandos gloves	Pneumatic gloves
	Emberkeen boots	Torva boots	Bandos boots	Steadfast boots	Dragon boots
	Asylum surgeon's ring /  Ring of death	Sixth-Age circuit	Onyx ring (i) /  Warrior ring (i)	TokKul-Zo	Ring of wealth
	Vampyrism aura	Penance aura	Invigorate aura	Poison purge aura	N/A
	Sign of death	Sign of life	Scrimshaw of vampyrism	Illuminated Book of Law	N/A

Recommended equipment for High level Magic

Slot	Item (most effective → least effective)
	Full slayer helmet/ Hexcrest (if on task)	Tectonic mask	Virtus mask	Hood of subjugation	Superior seasinger's hood >  Seasinger's hood
	Amulet of souls /  Blood amulet of fury	Arcane stream necklace	Amulet of souls /  Blood amulet of fury	Saradomin's hiss	Amulet of glory
	Completionist cape	Max cape	TokHaar-Kal-Mej	God cape	Defence cape
	Tectonic robe top	Virtus robe top	Garb of subjugation	Superior seasinger's robe top >  Seasinger's robe top	Ganodermic poncho
	Tectonic robe bottom	Virtus robe legs	Gown of subjugation	Superior seasinger's robe bottom >  Seasinger's robe bottom	Ganodermic leggings
	Seismic wand	Seasinger kiba	Virtus wand /  Attuned crystal wand	Abyssal wand	Ahrim's wand
	Noxious staff	Staff of darkness	Chaotic staff /  Attuned crystal staff	Armadyl battlestaff	Staff of light /  Greater runic staff
	Seismic singularity	Seasinger makigai	Virtus book /  Attuned crystal orb	Abyssal orb	Ahrim's book of magic
	Dragonfire ward	Anti-dragon shield	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Celestial handwraps	Virtus gloves	Gloves of subjugation	Dragon slayer gloves (if on slayer task)	Static gloves
	Hailfire boots	Virtus boots	Boots of subjugation	Ragefire boots	Ganodermic boots
	Asylum surgeon's ring /  Ring of death	Sixth-Age circuit	Onyx ring (i) /  Seers' ring (i)	TokKul-Zo	Ring of wealth
	Vampyrism aura	Penance aura	Inspiration aura	Poison purge aura	N/A
	Scrimshaw of the elements	Sign of death	Sign of life	Illuminated Book of Law	N/A

Recommended equipment for High level Ranged

Slot	Item (most effective → least effective)
	Full slayer helmet/ Focus sight (if on slayer task)	Sirenic mask	Pernix cowl	Armadyl helmet	Superior death lotus hood /  Death lotus hood
	Amulet of souls /  Blood amulet of fury	Amulet of fury /  Dragon Rider amulet	Saradomin's murmur	Amulet of ranging	Amulet of glory
	Completionist cape	TokHaar-Kal-Xil	Ava's alerter	Max cape	Defence cape
	Sirenic hauberk	Pernix body	Armadyl chestplate	Superior death lotus chestplate >  Death lotus chestplate	Karil's top
	Sirenic chaps	Death lotus chaps	Pernix chaps	Armadyl chainskirt	Karil's skirt
	Ascension crossbow	Death lotus dart	Chaotic crossbow /  Attuned crystal chakram	Armadyl crossbow	Karil's pistol crossbow /  Blisterwood stake
	Noxious longbow	Royal crossbow /  Attuned crystal bow /  Zaryte bow	Hand cannon (with  Hand cannon shot)	Crystal bow /  Black salamander	Karil's crossbow
	Off-hand Ascension crossbow	Off-hand Death Lotus dart	Off-hand chaotic crossbow /  Off-hand attuned crystal chakram	Off-hand Armadyl crossbow	Karil's off-hand pistol crossbow /  Off-hand blisterwood stake
	Dragonfire deflector	Anti-dragon shield	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Dragonbane bolt /  Dragonbane arrow	Ascension bolts /  Araxyte arrow	Royal bolts	Ruby bolts (e)	Runite bolts
	Ascension grips	Swift gloves	Pernix gloves	Armadyl gloves	Tracking gloves
	Flarefrost boots	Pernix boots	Armadyl boots	Glaiven boots	N/A
	Asylum surgeon's ring /  Ring of death	Sixth-Age circuit	Onyx ring (i) /  Archers' ring (i)	TokKul-Zo	Ring of wealth
	Penance aura	Vampyrism aura	Sharpshooter aura	Inspiration aura	Poison purge aura
	Scrimshaw of cruelty	Sign of death	Sign of life	N/A	N/A

Inventory

1

Emergency teleport 1 Overload OR super/extreme potions 1 Super antifire / Antifire 1 Prayer renewal 1 Antipoison++ (optional) 4-6 Super restore / Prayer potion* Rest of the inventory full of food such as rocktails / sharks If using magic, runes for combat spells If flasks are unavailable, regular 4-dose potions may be used.

Recommended equipment (free-to-play)

Protection against magic mitigates most of the dragonfire damage, meaning an anti-dragon shield obsolete. It is recommended to kill the KBD in a group of at least 3, as the kills will be a lot faster and safer.

• Melee
• Magic
• Ranged

Recommended equipment for High level Melee

Slot	Item (most effective → least effective)
	Corrupt dragon helm	Rune full helm	Rune helm	Adamant full helm	N/A
	Brawler's hook necklace	Amulet of strength	Amulet of zealots	N/A	N/A
	Warpriest cape	Veteran cape (5 year)	Bladestorm drape	Team cape	N/A
	Gud raider chainbody	Corrupt dragon chainbody	Rune platebody or variants	Rune chainbody	Adamant platebody
	Corrupt dragon platelegs	Rune platelegs	Adamant platelegs	N/A	N/A
	Gud raider axe	Gravite weaponry	Rune weaponry	Adamant weaponry	N/A
	Anti-dragon shield (mole)	Anti-dragon shield	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Rune gauntlets	Adamant gauntlets	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Rune boots	Adamant boots	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Explorer's ring 4	Asylum doctor's ring	Ring of luck	Ring of potency	N/A

Recommended equipment for High level Magic

Slot	Item (most effective → least effective)
	Battle hood	Mystic hat (blue)	Batwing hood	N/A	N/A
	Arcane blast necklace	Amulet of magic	Amulet of zealots	N/A	N/A
	Warpriest of Zamorak cape	Veteran cape (5 year)	Spellstorm drape	Team cape	N/A
	Battle robe top	Mystic robe top (blue)	Batwing torso	N/A	N/A
	Battle robe bottom	Mystic robe bottom (blue)	Batwing legs	N/A	N/A
	Gravite wand	Mystic wand	Splitbark wand	N/A	N/A
	Anti-dragon shield (mole)	Anti-dragon shield	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Mystic gloves (blue)	Batwing gloves	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Mystic boots (blue)	Batwing boots	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Explorer's ring 4	Asylum doctor's ring	Ring of luck	Ring of potency	N/A

Recommended equipment for High level Ranged

Slot	Item (most effective → least effective)
	Blue dragonhide coif	Green dragonhide coif	Carapace helm	N/A	N/A
	Farsight snap shot necklace	Amulet of power	Amulet of accuracy	Amulet of zealots	N/A
	Warpriest of Zamorak cape	Veteran cape (5 year)	Arrowstorm drape	Team cape	N/A
	Blue dragonhide body	Green dragonhide body	Carapace torso	N/A	N/A
	Blue dragonhide chaps	Green dragonhide chaps	Carapace legs	N/A	N/A
	Gravite knife	Rune javelin	Rune knife	N/A	N/A
	Anti-dragon shield (mole)	Anti-dragon shield	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Blue dragonhide vambraces	Green dragonhide vambraces	Carapace gloves	N/A	N/A
	Blue dragonhide boots	Green dragonhide boots	Carapace boots	Studded leather boots	N/A
	Explorer's ring 4	Asylum doctor's ring	Ring of luck	Ring of potency	N/A

Inventory

Bring a defence potion and potions pertaining to your combat style (i.e. bring ranging potion if using ranged). Use of stat boosting prayers (eg ultimate strength) is highly recommended, if using prayer, bring a prayer potion Fill the rest of your inventory with anchovy pizza and / or swordfish to heal. (Anchovy pizza gives higher healing per inventory slot if you have expensive spices equipped) Wearing Expensive Spices increases the healing of food, and may be preferable to a stat boosting amulet. Anchovy pizza, as a two bite food, has its healing increased by 100 rather than by 50 If using magic, bring runes for combat spells (since the KBD is not weak to any specific style, air spells are recommended to free up an extra inventory slot)