After training some of your skills and completing a few quests, you might feel ready to enter the mid-game of Old School RS (OSRS). One crucial item you'll need during this phase is the Dragon Defender. This guide will walk you through obtaining this essential mid to late-game offhand weapon and explain why it's so important.

Requirements for Starting the Dragon Defender Grind

To begin your journey towards acquiring the Dragon Defender, you must meet a simple requirement: a combined level of 130 between your Attack and Strength skills. This can be achieved with various combinations, such as 65 in each or 60 Attack and 70 Strength. Alternatively, reaching level 99 in either skill will also grant you access to the Warrior's Guild, where the Defender grind takes place.

If you haven't yet reached the required levels, several methods can help you get there quickly. Training at Sand Crabs or Ammonite Crabs offers a low-effort, high-experience rate, or you can level up both skills simultaneously by training with Slayer tasks.

Preparing for the Warrior's Guild

Gear and Inventory Setup

Before heading to the Warrior's Guild, ensure you have the following gear and items:

    • Teleportation: Combat bracelet or a game's necklace. The combat bracelet teleports you right outside the Warrior's Guild, while the game's necklace will teleport you to the Burthorpe Games Room, requiring a short run to the guild.

    • Melee Gear: Equip your best-in-slot melee gear for effective combat.

    • Food: Bring a decent amount of low-health food like lobsters or bass for healing, as you'll likely be there for a while.

    • Potions: Super strengths or super combats are useful for boosting your melee stats while training.

    • Armor: A set of either black or mithril armor (full helm, platebody, and legs) for farming tokens.

Farming Warrior's Guild Tokens

To farm the tokens required for Defender access, head to the animation room in the Warrior's Guild. Here, you'll use your armor to animate a warrior, which you must then kill to receive tokens. Black or mithril armor provides the best time-to-token ratio. Aim to collect around 2,000 tokens, which should be sufficient for your Defender grind. If you run out of tokens, you can always return to the animation room to farm more.

Entering the Cyclops Room

Once you've gathered your tokens, resupply your potions and food, and head upstairs to the Cyclops room on the second floor. Speak to Kamfreena to gain entry, where each minute inside will cost 10 tokens. The drop rate for each Defender tier is 1 in 50 kills, with the Dragon Defender having a 1 in 100 drop rate.

Acquiring the Dragon Defender

1. Bronze to Rune Defenders: Start by farming for the Bronze Defender. Once it drops, exit the room to avoid wasting tokens. Use the Defender on Kamfreena to get her dialogue, then re-enter the room to farm for the next Defender tier. Keep the current Defender in your inventory at all times.

2. Token Management: Efficiently manage your tokens by leaving to resupply food and potions as needed. If you get unlucky with drops, you may need to farm additional tokens.

Here's a breakdown of my personal experience:

    • Bronze Defender: 120 tokens

    • Iron Defender: 90 tokens

    • Steel Defender: 330 tokens

    • Black Defender: 590 tokens

    • Mithril Defender: 10 tokens

    • Adamant Defender: 100 tokens

    • Rune Defender: 470 tokens

The Final Step: Dragon Defender

Once you've obtained the Rune Defender, exit the Cyclops room and head to the basement. Speak with Lorelai to access the higher-level Cyclopses. Ensure you have at least 100 tokens before entering. These Cyclopses are tougher, so use overhead prayers like Protect from Melee if you have them. Otherwise, bring high-healing food or make frequent trips to the bank.

Keep killing Cyclopses until you obtain the Dragon Defender. The drop rate is 1 in 100 kills, but persistence pays off. Congratulations! You now have one of the best melee offhand items in OSRS.

Why the Dragon Defender is Important

The Dragon Defender is a critical item for several reasons:

    • Combat Efficiency: As one of the best melee offhands in the game, the Dragon Defender provides excellent attack and defense bonuses, significantly improving your combat performance.

    • Longevity: The Dragon Defender remains useful from mid to late game. Its versatility means it can be used in various combat scenarios for a long time.

    • Upgradability: In the late game, you can upgrade the Dragon Defender using the Avernic Hilt from the Theatre of Blood, transforming it into the best melee offhand in the game.

    • Dragonfire Shield Alternative: While the Dragon Defender is a top-tier offhand for general melee combat, it also serves as a viable alternative to the Dragonfire Shield when fighting dragons.

Conclusion

Obtaining the Dragon Defender is a pivotal step in progressing through OSRS. With its excellent stats and upgradability, it's an item that will serve you well into the late game. By following this guide, you'll efficiently gather the necessary tokens and Defenders, making your mid-game journey smoother and more enjoyable.

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RSorder Team