OSRS General Graardor Guide: Defeating the Ourg Warlord

General Graardor, the hulking Ourg leader of Bandos's army in the God Wars Dungeon (GWD), is one of Old School RuneScape's most iconic bosses. Known for his devastating melee attacks and coveted Bandos armour drops, taking him down requires strength, defence, and smart tactics. This guide covers how to defeat General Graardor.

Located in Bandos' Stronghold (north-west area of the main GWD), you'll need 70 Strength and a hammer to bang the door for entry. To access his inner chamber, you need 40 Bandosian kill count (KC) – easily obtained from Goblins – or an Ecumenical Key. Completing Combat Achievements reduces the KC needed.

General Graardor's Mechanics

Graardor hits hard and has high defence, making him a formidable opponent:

  • Melee Attack: A powerful punch that can hit up to 60 damage. This is his primary attack (2/3 chance).
  • Ranged Attack: Graardor slams the ground, sending shockwaves that hit all players in the room for 15-35 damage. Despite being Ranged, he only uses this when in melee distance of his current target (1/3 chance).
  • Defence: Graardor has very high Magic Defence, making Magic attacks generally ineffective (except for specific advanced strategies like Blood Barrage tanking in dolo setups). Melee and Ranged are the preferred combat styles.

The Bodyguards

Graardor is flanked by three goblin sergeants:

  • Sergeant Steelwill (Magic): Hits up to 15 damage. Often the highest priority target after Graardor due to lower Magic defence on typical gear setups.
  • Sergeant Grimspike (Ranged): Hits up to 21 damage. Accurate and dangerous if not praying Ranged.
  • Sergeant Strongstack (Melee): Hits up to 15 damage. Usually the lowest priority.

The sergeants tend to target the player who last damaged Graardor. After Graardor dies, they usually focus on the player who dealt the final blow.

Strategy Insights

  • Prayer: The player tanking Graardor must use Protect from Melee. Other team members or solo players kiting should generally use Protect from Missiles to negate Grimspike's damage. After Graardor dies, the targeted player should switch to Protect from Magic to kill Steelwill first, then Protect from Missiles for Grimspike.
  • Positioning & Kiting (Solo/Tank): Due to Graardor's slow attack speed (6 ticks), players using faster weapons (4 or 5 ticks) can employ hit-and-run tactics. Attack twice (for 4-tick weapons), then walk under Graardor before his next attack hits. This significantly reduces damage taken. Ranged kiting methods (like 6:0 or 7:0) are complex but effective for experienced solo players.
  • Healing: Bring high-healing food (Brews/Restores or Sharks/Anglerfish). Bones to Peaches tablets are highly effective, providing 32 HP per kill rotation from the Big Bones dropped by Graardor and his sergeants. Guthan's set can be used to heal on Strongstack and Grimspike. Blood Barrage can be used by solo magers or dolo tanks for healing.
  • Team Strategy: A designated tank absorbs Graardor's melee hits while DPS players focus fire. Attackers should stand away from the tank and pray appropriately (usually Ranged). An advanced melee team strategy involves dropping an item under Graardor and having the targeted player click it rapidly to 'stall' him, preventing attacks.
  • Dolo Strategy (Max Efficiency): Using two accounts simultaneously – one tanking with Blood Barrage and one DPSing with max Magic (Tumeken's Shadow) – allows for very fast kills and hopping worlds to bypass respawn timers. This is complex and resource-intensive.

Refer to the detailed strategy sections in the provided data for specific setups (Melee Tank, Ranged Attacker, Solo Magic, etc.). General recommendations include:

  • Weapon: Osmumten's Fang, Ghrazi Rapier/Blade, Abyssal Tentacle, Scythe of Vitur (Melee). Bow of Faerdhinen, Twisted Bow, Zaryte Crossbow (Ranged). Tumeken's Shadow (Magic, high-end only). Dragon Warhammer or Bandos Godsword for defence reduction spec. Saradomin Godsword for healing spec.
  • Armour: High Ranged Defence gear is crucial for tanks (Bandos, Justiciar, Masori). Torva offers best Melee DPS. Use Protect from Melee. Attackers often use Bandos/Masori and Protect from Missiles.
  • Inventory: High-healing food/Brews & Restores, Super Combat/Ranging potions, Bones to Peaches tablets, Hammer (if needed), Emergency teleport, Bandos item. Consider Guthan's set or runes for Blood Barrage for healing.

Notable Drops

  • Uniques: Bandos Chestplate (1/381), Bandos Tassets (1/381), Bandos Boots (1/381), Bandos Hilt (1/508), Godsword Shards (1/254 any shard).
  • Other: Rune items (Longsword, 2h, Platebody, Pickaxe), Grimy Snapdragons, Snapdragon Seeds, Super Restores, Magic Logs.
  • Tertiary: Pet General Graardor (1/5,000), Elite Clue Scrolls (1/250), Long/Curved Bones.

(Drop rates are estimates based on the Wiki/Drop Rate Project data provided).

Conclusion

General Graardor remains a popular and profitable boss due to the high value of Bandos armour. While his melee attacks are lethal, understanding his mechanics, utilizing proper prayers, and employing kiting or tanking techniques can lead to consistent kills. Whether solo or in a team, defeating the Bandosian general is a true test of strength and endurance.

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