Mithril Dragon - Access and Combat Recommendations

Access Directions

The best way to get to the mithril dragons now is to use the fairy ring network. To do this you must first enable the new fairy ring in the Ancient Cavern by traveling to its location in the far southwest of the cave while carrying a spade and 5 (bittercap) mushrooms. Click on the "Enchanted Land" you find there to make it into a fairy ring, which you can thereafter access using code "B J Q".

When you want to fight the dragons, get yourself ready and have a ring of slaying and lunar or dramen staff in your inventory. Rub the ring and teleport to Rellekka, then use the fairy ring just to the west of the Slayer Cave. Go to Zanaris, then enter code "B J Q". While standing in the fairy ring, take your potions and set your proper weapon to its correct combat mode. Run east, past the brutal green dragons, until you find the stairs leading up to the mithril dragons. Take it and you'll immediately find yourself under attack by a dragon right near the stairs; this is the one I recommend fighting. The one in the alcove just to the north of the stairs is a viable alternative, but should only be used if another player is on the first one; otherwise, the one near the stairs will start to attack you while you are picking up drops.

Equipment

Mithril dragons can be meleed, ranged or maged. For a complete discussion and listing of equipment for each style, please consult the full Mithril Dragon Guide that is part of the RuneScoop Monster Secrets series; what follows is just a summary.

Meleeing: If you have level 85 Herblore (to use super antifire potions), use full Veracs for its set effect, on the stab setting ("Spike"). This is the fastest way to kill the dragons. If you don't have super antifires, use Karil's armor for magic defence, a dragonfire shield (preferred) or anti-dragon shield, and a leaf-bladed sword, which is a fast, accurate stab weapon.

For ranging, use a rune crossbow. Wear standard ranging gear, except I recommend the new Soul Wars cape instead of ava's device, if you have the cape: its +12 Prayer bonus is worth more than +4 Ranged. If you have 85 Herblore, wear an unholy book in your off hand, otherwise an anti-dragon shield.

For maging, wear Ahrims and other magic boosting gear. For a weapon, the new staff of light is ideal, if you are lucky enough to have one; otherwise, use a master wand or other item providing a 10% damage boost. Put a magic booster like a mage's book in your off hand unless you need an anti-dragon shield.

In all cases, wear standard high-level support gear, such as "Barrows" gloves and an amulet of fury. You will need a dramen staff or lunar staff to access the cavern, and be sure to keep a spare in the bank in case you die -- it makes life easier. A holy wrench will help your prayer potions go farther.

Note that despite my wearing a ring of wealth in my drop logs before, I no longer recommend it, now that it is known not to influence the important rare, special drops.

Supplies

For a complete discussion and listing of supplies for each type of combat, please consult the full Mithril Dragon Guide that is part of the RuneScoop Monster Secrets series; what follows is just a summary.

For starters, you need antifire potions or super antifire potions, depending on your level. And because mithril dragons have four attack styles, you are going to need to use both food and prayer.

For food, I recommend a selection of foods: I usually bring 15 salmon, 5 strawberry baskets and 5 monkfish. The salmon is cost-effective and can be eaten quickly to make room for drops; the strawberry baskets pack 345 LP in 5 bites into a single slot; and the monkfish heals 160 LP for a reasonable cost and should be used for healing while in combat. Put the strawberries and some of the salmon in your beast of burden and draw them out as needed.

For a typical trip you will need 2 to 4 prayer potions, depending on the speed of the method and how much prayer boosting gear you are wearing.

For ranging, I recommend adamant bolts; enchanted diamond and ruby bolts are better, but very expensive. Mages should bring appropriate runes for the highest level fire spell they can cast.

You should use combat boosters relevant to your chosen style: extreme attack, strength and defence for melee; extreme magic and defence for maging; or extreme ranging and defence for ranging. Of course, if you can't use extreme potions, use the super or regular versions instead.

Bring a stack of home teleport tablets, both to allow for a quick escape in case of emergency, and to let you recharge prayer and get to a bank when a trip is done.

Familiar

Use the best beast of burden you can summon. This will enable you to carry in extra supplies and carry out valuable drops like mithril bars and dragon bones.

Combat Notes

For a complete combat guide, including details on six specific methods, see the full Mithril Dragon Guide that is part of the RuneScoop Monster Secrets series; what follows is just a summary.

Mithril dragons are one of the most difficult single combat monster in the game. Do not attempt them unless you have high skill levels, good equipment and experience fighting difficult monsters.

You are going to want to use prayer to boost your stats and to protect against one of the dragon's attack forms. I recommend being on the new ancient curses if possible, especially for the higher level methods. You will use Protection from Melee or Deflect Melee for most of the methods, which have you wearing high magic defence gear. If using Veracs, you will instead use Protection from Magic or Deflect Magic, in combination with Piety or Turmoil to help protect against the dragons' powerful melee attacks. If ranging, I recommend using Leech Ranged and Leech Defence; if on the conventional prayer book, use Eagle Eye. If maging, use Leech Magic and Leech Defence, or Mystic Might if on the conventional prayer book.

The general combat sequence is to turn on prayer, make sure your weapon is set to the appropriate mode, and start fighting. Heal damage as needed, taking supplies from your familiar if you get unlucky with hits. Always stay in melee range, to ensure that the dragon doesn't supplement its magic attack with a ranged attack.

When a dragon dies, pick up its drops and put them into the beast of burden if there is room. Also top up your prayer and health. If the dragon respawns too quickly, you can usually get it to dance around helplessly by standing in the middle of the small room it resides in.

At the end of a trip, click your Teleport to House tablet. Recharge prayer, get to a bank and repeat the process.

Don't hesitate to leave early if you are low on supplies: these guys can kill you easily if you run out of food or prayer.

Drop Notes

Mithril dragons provide dragon bones and three mithril bars as standard drops. This is pretty good guaranteed loot on each kill, but of course the bars are unnoted so you have to transport them to the bank.

The dragons' standard drops are decent, but not too exciting given their high level. Rune armor and ammunition items are common, as are Barbarian mix potions of various sorts, and coin drops. Mithril dragons are also a good source of blood runes, frequently dropping them 27 at a time.

Mithril dragons have four special drops: chewed bones, ancient pages, the draconic visage and the dragon full helm.

Chewed bones can be used in the pyre spots around Otto's lake to get a prayer boost and a bonus item (including a bonus chance at a dragon full helm!) Ancient pages are copied into your logbook (and this can be done even if the logbook is in the bank). The draconic visage is an exceedingly rare item used to make the special dragonfire shield; after killing thousands of dragons I have never gotten one.

Mithril dragons often drop a single shark in addition to another item (plus the usual bars, bones and charms).