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Burning claws

This article is compiled from the videos of GnomonkeyRS. It records what Gnomonkey said, with sources, not verified game fact. See About.

Burning claws

Burning claws
Type Special attack weapon
Special attack cost 35% (was 30% until 2026)12
Burn chance 45% on spec3
Value ~20-23m in 2024; ~10m at 300 raid level45
Bonus 5% damage against demon-type monsters6
Obtained Tormented Demon grind7
Videos 8 (first 2024-07-15, latest 2026-07-22)
Main source Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS)

Burning claws are a special attack weapon similar to Dragon claws, but they apply a burn and had a lower special attack cost of 30% until 2026831. Ironmen need two Burning claws to combine them into the full set8. They are unique among spec weapons in that they can spec on either stab or slash, which makes them good in unusual situations6. The Tormented Demon grind is how they are obtained7.

Gnomonkey's verdict changed over time. In 2024 and 2025, after extensive testing, he calls them excellent and often better than Dragon claws; in mid-2026 he agrees they were overtuned, accepts the nerf and says they are now an early spec weapon outclassed by others9122.

Contents

Mechanics

They apply a burn (45% chance to proc on spec) with a 30% spec cost at the time of the 2024 videos3. Against demon-type monsters they get a slight 5% damage buff, usually about two max hits6. They take longer to spec with than normal claws because of the low spec cost, so the main-hand weapon is swung a bit less; Dragon claws equal out when the main hand is around 14 DPS10. Overall they are 2-6% better than the places Dragon claws would be used, unless the target has low HP or extremely low defence6. He guesses they max 42 against the Scythe's 50 but are close, without having calced it11.

Special attack style is changeable: they can go on stab or slash, and because most of Tombs of Amascut is weak to stab, stab makes a super accurate special on every boss there5. A remark in June 2025 puts the quirk differently, saying the special itself uses only one style7.

Where they are used

Tombs of Amascut

In 2024 he calls them the best spec weapon in Tombs of Amascut until raid level 375, extremely high value at around 20 to 23 mil4. They must be on stab, as most things are weak to stab over slash, or they will be very bad12. He prefers them to Dragon claws because Dragon claws do not spec using slash defence while Burning claws can13. By 2025 he calls them amazing against Baba, Kephri and Akkha, with best possible spec DPS until above raid level 375, where Akkha is avoided14. At a 300 raid level they cost about 10 million and beat a Voidwaker, and he recommends bringing them5.

Boss Notes
Kephri Specs hit a consistent 40; the red hitsplats are burn damage dealing an additional 10 over time15. He drops a brew, instantly specs, then summons a thrall; the claws hit well even on her fairly high defence16
Akkha Amazing, but Akkha jumps as soon as they are used, so he recommends two Keris pokes first, which makes him jump around less17. Good on his shadows but not the final phase, because the burn makes him jump18
Warden He swaps to slash since Warden has no weakness and the claws have more slash bonus (95) than stab (83)19. With adrenaline potions they allow many specs, which he calls incredibly strong20. In 2024 he said they were not great here because of extremely high defence breakpoints18
Ba-Ba, Zebak Good on Ba-Ba; on Zebak only if a Zaryte crossbow is not available, and not great6
Core Significantly worse than a Dragon dagger special: lower max hit and the burn does not apply18

In the 2024 videos he rated them good in ToA for anything under a 400 invocation with defence drain6.

Theatre of Blood

Technically better at Theatre of Blood but bugged: the burn is halved and rounded down to zero when Bloat stands up and runs around, and the Nylocas Vasilias is completely immune21. They are very good on Sotetseg at all drains and beat Dragon claws, since leftover spec is usually available and Chally is poor at finishing Sotetseg21. On Xarpus the burn triggers his turn and he kills you after Screech, so they should not be used unless the team fully drains him, and then they only match Dragon claws' DPS22. On Verzik they should not be used in P1 even though the burn hits her; in P2 she heals the burn damage with red crabs, so timing matters; in P3 they are really good, especially post-tornadoes22. Overall they are worth bringing in addition to Dragon claws but not replacing them, and absolutely do not replace the Chally for its last-hit value23.

Other content

  • Colosseum: best in slot by about 5% over Dragon claws, especially on Soul where there is leftover spec, and all mobs have gigantic health pools so the burn ticks24. On Sol Heredit they give a bonus spec at the end of the kill, and in 2024 he considered them directly better than Dragon claws while expecting a nerf3.
  • Vardorvis: best in slot, with the spec best used around the beginning and middle of the kill25.
  • Vorkath: a simple melee camp walk gave his first-attempt Grandmaster time, a 53.4 second personal best against a typical 6025. Triple speccing stacks the burn, though it is halved during the acid phase and nullified during the freeze, and they are still the best option25. In September 2025 he calls them an amazing spec on the 50M budget setup, basically a max claw spec2627.
  • Chambers of Xeric: the Zaryte crossbow and Voidwaker remain king because of high defences and nothing being weak to slash or stab; they were awful on Vasa Cristallus18.
  • Inferno: not as good, since nothing lives long enough for the burn, and claws exist to finish targets quickly24.
  • Nex: defence too high and too much healing; ranked below the Voidwaker and far below the Zaryte crossbow, and testing there dragged on too long28.
  • Corporeal Beast and Sarachnis: use a Voidwaker spec at Corp, the only thing not reduced by his mechanics. Sarachnis is completely immune to burn despite being a demon, which he calls an oversight28.
  • Alternatives: a good spec if the Voidwaker is not yet owned or Wilderness content is being avoided on an Ironman, but wherever a Zaryte crossbow is used they will not beat it10.

Release and nerf

After release there was controversy, with some calling them bad and some good, and he notes an untested item at the start of an update is volatile9. He tested them eight-plus hours a day in every location, outside of calcs that were not yet updated, lacked proper formulas or were bugged, and with Mo Goat Kirby concluded they are good89.

In the Summer Sweep-up the special attack cost rose to 35% from 30%12. He agrees they were overtuned: very good in Tombs of Amascut and the Colosseum and a sidegrade to Dragon claws when they were supposed to be a worse stepping stone, and they were better than the Voidwaker up to invocation level 375, which felt strange129. He thinks the nerf is justified but sad for people who liked using them everywhere, especially early on an ironman29. Regular claws, and probably the Voidwaker, are now better nearly all the time2. He enjoyed using them everywhere, for example super good in early Tombs of Amascut, and they are now an early spec weapon that gets outclassed by others2.

Revision history

Date Video Change
2026-07-22 SUMMER SWEEP-UP CHANGES ARE HERE (OSRS) Confirmed the Summer Sweep-up nerf and changed opinion: now outclassed by other spec weapons.
2026-06-04 The New Summer Sweep Update is CRAZY (OSRS) Added spec cost increase from 30% to 35% and the view that they were overtuned.
2025-09-06 WIKI GUIDES - VORKATH V2 (OSRS) Added Vorkath use in the 50M budget setup.
2025-06-28 TOA 300 IRONMAN/BUDGET Guide (OSRS) Added trivia on style, Baba/Kephri/Akkha tactics and Warden on slash.
2025-06-25 NEW 300 TOA BUDGET GUIDE (OSRS) Added style switching in ToA and 300 raid level recommendation.
2024-10-24 EASY 300 ToA Budget Guide (OSRS) Added value (20-23 mil) and Tombs of Amascut stab recommendation.
2024-07-26 Colosseum SW Pillar Master Guide (OSRS) Added 45% burn proc chance, Sol Heredit use and Scythe comparison.
2024-07-15 Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS) Page created: mechanics, per-boss testing results and release controversy.
## See also

References

  1. The New Summer Sweep Update is CRAZY (OSRS), 2026-06-04. ▶ 39:46 ↩↩↩↩↩

  2. SUMMER SWEEP-UP CHANGES ARE HERE (OSRS), 2026-07-22. ▶ 8:35 ↩↩↩↩↩↩

  3. Colosseum SW Pillar Master Guide (OSRS), 2024-07-26. ▶ 20:14 ↩↩↩↩

  4. EASY 300 ToA Budget Guide (OSRS), 2024-10-24. ▶ 1:55 ↩↩

  5. NEW 300 TOA BUDGET GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-06-25. ▶ 4:28 ↩↩↩

  6. Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS), 2024-07-15. ▶ 10:33 ↩↩↩↩↩↩

  7. TOA 300 IRONMAN/BUDGET Guide (OSRS), 2025-06-28. ▶ 3:26 ↩↩↩

  8. Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS), 2024-07-15. ▶ 10:21 ↩↩↩

  9. Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS), 2024-07-15. ▶ 15:11 ↩↩↩

  10. Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS), 2024-07-15. ▶ 14:42 ↩↩

  11. Colosseum SW Pillar Master Guide (OSRS), 2024-07-26. ▶ 22:37 ↩

  12. EASY 300 ToA Budget Guide (OSRS), 2024-10-24. ▶ 2:24 ↩

  13. EASY 300 ToA Budget Guide (OSRS), 2024-10-24. ▶ 11:35 ↩

  14. TOA 300 IRONMAN/BUDGET Guide (OSRS), 2025-06-28. ▶ 4:24 ↩

  15. EASY 300 ToA Budget Guide (OSRS), 2024-10-24. ▶ 16:07 ↩

  16. TOA 300 IRONMAN/BUDGET Guide (OSRS), 2025-06-28. ▶ 12:48 ↩

  17. TOA 300 IRONMAN/BUDGET Guide (OSRS), 2025-06-28. ▶ 25:47 ↩

  18. Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS), 2024-07-15. ▶ 11:04 ↩↩↩↩

  19. TOA 300 IRONMAN/BUDGET Guide (OSRS), 2025-06-28. ▶ 27:48 ↩

  20. TOA 300 IRONMAN/BUDGET Guide (OSRS), 2025-06-28. ▶ 28:18 ↩

  21. Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS), 2024-07-15. ▶ 11:28 ↩↩

  22. Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS), 2024-07-15. ▶ 12:08 ↩↩

  23. Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS), 2024-07-15. ▶ 12:28 ↩

  24. Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS), 2024-07-15. ▶ 13:16 ↩↩

  25. Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS), 2024-07-15. ▶ 14:15 ↩↩↩

  26. WIKI GUIDES - VORKATH V2 (OSRS), 2025-09-06. ▶ 10:52 ↩

  27. WIKI GUIDES - VORKATH V2 (OSRS), 2025-09-06. ▶ 14:54 ↩

  28. Tormented Demons Guide + Triple KC CA (OSRS), 2024-07-15. ▶ 13:48 ↩↩

  29. The New Summer Sweep Update is CRAZY (OSRS), 2026-06-04. ▶ 40:38 ↩↩

Items

Inferno gear • Bow of Faerdhinen • Burning claws • Tumeken's shadow • Toxic blowpipe • Atlatl • Dagannoth Kings • Scythe of Vitur • Soulreaper axe • Confliction gauntlets • Mixed hide armour • Voidwaker • Perilous Moons • Twisted bow • TzHaar-Ket Breaker • Osmumten's fang • Eclipse atlatl • Oathplate armour • Eye of Ayak • Venator bow • Bone dagger • Emberlight • Heka of Tumeken • Rubium • Sanguinesti staff • Dark crab • Eldritch veil • Void Knight equipment • Avernic treads • Crossbow bolts • Blood fury • Daeyalt Essence Mine • Noxious halberd • Torva armour • Divine potion • Soulflame horn • Surge potion • Ascension crossbow • Dharok's armour • Amulet of rancour

Category: Items