Queen Black Dragon (Members):

Bigger is definitely better this week. It’s also hungrier and more likely to incinerate you! The Queen Black Dragon has arrived, after being announced at RuneFest last year, and she’s truly colossal. She is so gloriously, over-the-top huge, that we’ve had to zoom out the playing camera, just so you can keep track of all her attacks!

And boy does she attack. At a combat level of 2100, the Queen Black Dragon is the toughest single-way, single-player boss in RuneScape by quite some margin. She demands the greatest preparation, the keenest concentration and the most agile of reflexes. With that in mind, we recommend that you have a combat level of at least 120 before you attempt to take her on. You will also need a Summoning level of 60 to pass through the entrance to the Queen Black Dragon’s lair.

You might wonder why the Queen is so angry. Forced to sleep by dragonkin artefacts, she is using human souls to negate the artefacts’ magic. You’ll need to send her back to her slumber, which means weakening her and then re-activating those artefacts. But beware: she won’t take it lying down. The Queen has four combat stages, and each stage adds more frequent and more powerful attacks to her repertoire. Think you can survive grotworm swarms and fire waves? Then prepare for her crystal armour and time-stop magic! By the final stages you will have gone from being on your toes to being on your toenails.

Defeat the Queen and her riches are yours. A Barrows-style treasure chest appears, filled with bolts, combat items and dragonkin lore, as well as some items unique to this update. Perhaps the most anticipated is the dragon kiteshield. It requires a Defence level of 60 to wield, and looks spectacular with a dragon head motif on the front. If you’re particularly lucky, you might get your hands on some coral crossbow upgrades, which can be collectively forged into the Royal Crossbow: one of the most impactful ranged weapons in the game, particularly in long, protracted battles. To forge the Royal Crossbow, you’ll need a Smithing level of 70 and a Ranged level of 85 to wield it. Royal bolts can be gained from mid and high-level grotworms and the Queen Black Dragon’s treasure chest. Finally, royal dragonhides have been added to the drop tables of the mid and high-level grotworms, as well as the Queen Black Dragon. These new hides can be made into tradable ranged armour if you have a Crafting level of 87 or more, and can be worn if you have level 80 Ranged.

How to start fighting the Queen Black Dragon:

• Enter the grotworm caverns north-east of Rimmington.
• A shortcut to the QBD lair is inside the Grotworm Caves, near its entrance

Requirements:

• Level 60 Summoning
• It is recommended that you have a combat level of at least 120 to fight the Queen
• You do not need to complete Song from the Depths, but doing so gives you a damage reduction against the Queen Black Dragon

Mod TLQ RuneScape Content Developer

Diamond Jubilee Holiday Event (Free and Members):

We’re proud of our British heritage, and June 2nd is the beginning of a landmark weekend for anyone who’s British (or even a fan of our monarchy): it’s the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, our Queen! To mark the occasion, we’ve brought a little of the celebration to RuneScape, and free players and members alike can take part over the next two weeks, starting from today.

Travel to Varrock to take your place at the party. Gather with friends; talk to diplomats; buy fish’n’chips and cream teas from Bang Ersenmash’s stall (be quick, they only remain in game for the two weeks); purchase Jubilee-themed souvenirs from the entrepreneurial Will Shakenspear; and gain the permanent service of a Queen’s Guard for your POH (members only).

You can also get into the spirit of things with two tasks. The first is for members only and can be started by talking to Minnie Coop in the Varrock Marketplace. She has a job that will result in you keeping a pet corgi. Free players will be able to take Minnie’s corgis out for a short walk over the two week period. Just remember: a corgi is for life, not just for Jubilees.

The second task is the much-anticipated return of the Cryptic Clue Fest!

Cryptic Clue Fest:

Open to free players and members, this year’s edition of the Cryptic Clue Fest is just as fiendish as previous years. Talk to Essjay, again in the Varrock Marketplace, and you’ll be enrolled in an important effort: to make sure there are enough supplies for the two weeks of celebration.

Solve riddles, travel the world, swap answers with others, and generally unravel the Clue Fest conundrum to walk away with a diamond sceptre (free and members) and diamond crown (members): both fit for a queen.

Mod Ana RuneScape Content Developer

In Other News

• If you die during the Queen Black Dragon fight, your gravestone will be just outside the Summoning-restricted door to the Queen Black Dragon's lair.
• We've added some new tracks from the Queen Black Dragon updates to the Audio Downloads page.