Skip to content

General Graardor

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

General Graardor

General Graardor

Type Boss
Location God Wars Dungeon (Bandos)
Requirements 90 Ranged minimum, 99 ideal for the solo1
Best gear Bow of Faerdhinen with crystal armour23
Gp/hr About 3.5m solo (2021)4; 5.4m+ as a duo (Nov 2021)5
Kills/hr 25 solo2; up to 30 as a duo5
Tier Lower A6
Videos 3 (first 2021-09-03, latest 2022-03-19)
Main source SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS

General Graardor, the Bandos boss of the God Wars Dungeon, has always been one of the harder God Wars bosses to solo.7 He hits very hard, so it is fairly common to duo him with a tank who pulls his aggro.8 Gnomonkey covers two methods: a solo method using the Bow of Faerdhinen with a cannon (the "9:0" method), and a tank-and-attacker duo.98

He places Graardor in lower A tier, saying the shield method lifts the boss out of B tier because methods change how interesting a boss is. He likes the skilled solo melee shield-flicking method and the "Bova" 9-0 / 7-0 method of clicking around the room, and finds a plain duo or "dolo" boring because it is just hitting the boss.10116

Requirements

Magic is a poor option: it is very low DPS, and a 6:0 with an armadyl crossbow is probably worse. Graardor also lacks the 200 Magic of the other bosses, so a twisted bow does not work for soloing him.72 The Bofa solo instead gives kills per hour similar to the other God Wars bosses with a twisted bow, and is also one of the best methods for the higher-tier solo Bandos combat achievements.22

Stat Solo (Bofa) Duo tank Duo attacker
Ranged 90 minimum, 99 ideal for the many max hits1 90+ (with 80+ Defence)12
Prayer 80 minimum; higher lengthens trips1 Over 8013 80+12
Agility 80 minimum; at 99 close to no stamina potions are needed1
Combat stats 90+, with Defence and Strength as high as possible13 90+ for a melee setup12
Magic 80 for thralls and Death Charge on the Arceuus spellbook14 84 for Pot Share, 93 for Vengeance Other12
  • The hard combat diary is highly recommended for private instances, since Bandos is extremely packed and teams can crash a public world.15
  • Song of the Elves must be completed to make crystal equipment.15
  • An Explorer's ring 4 allows high alchemy and extra run energy restoration. In the duo only one player needs it.112

Solo method (9:0)

Gear and inventory

Gear is full crystal armour, Bow of Faerdhinen, Anguish, Assembler (worn even with a max cape, since it always gives a max hit), Unholy blessing for Zamorak protection, Bandos bracers for Bandos protection and Pegasian boots.15 Devout boots give a prayer bonus, and a Ring of suffering raises defence and prayer bonus to lengthen trips. A Ring of endurance is decent without high Agility but unnecessary at 99.1616

The Bofa should not be imbued under most circumstances: it costs 2,000 crystal shards (equivalent to 200,000 shots to break even, and 20m gp in shards), and leaves a bow that becomes relatively useless once a twisted bow is obtained.16

The inventory holds a Kodai wand and ancestral robe top to cast Blood Barrage between kills, a blowpipe with dragon darts for the minions and HP specs, a cannon base, three anglerfish, seven Divine bastion potions, one stamina and seven restores.17 The ancestral top is 4% better DPS than an occult necklace on the minions, because some accuracy is needed; without it an occult necklace is brought, and the Kodai can be swapped for a nightmare staff or master wand.17 A rune pouch holds soul, death and blood runes for Blood Barrage. Bones to peaches tablets are not really needed, and another restore can be taken for longer trips.18

The Explorer's ring is for the many rune items Graardor drops and for run energy. The imbued heart only protects against the mage minion and is not necessary.19 A hilt from the hard combat achievements (transcribed "Gomel's Hilt") teleports to God Wars and can be swapped for a Trollheim tab, and the max cape restores HP and run energy between kills, provides the holy wrench effect and teleports out.20

Setup

Graardor is the fastest kill count of the whole dungeon, and faster still with the Bofa. The player hops to a free world, runs the main area tagging every goblin, then kills goblins near the door until a hammer drops.21 To enter, the player drops a restore inside the door, picks up the hammer and goes through, drops another restore on the other side, goes back for the first, then goes through a last time dropping the hammer and taking full supplies.21

Gnomonkey recommends enabling "highlight true tile" in Tile Indicators, turning on Boss Timers, marking General Graardor in NPC Indicators and importing his tile markers into RuneLite via the world map import option.22 The orange marker is where the cannon base goes, for red clicks. Each tile is a checkpoint "like Mario Kart", and the cycle starts at the green marker between kills.23

The cycle

Before entering, sip a Divine bastion, use the imbued heart, turn on Preserve, and pray Protect from Melee and Rigor. A private instance pulls the entry coins from the bank if they are unlocked.24 On entering, fire at Graardor, let him walk closer, run through him and immediately place the cannon base on the orange tile; at least two hits are likely during setup.24 Then run to checkpoint nine, fire once, wait for Graardor to approach, and run to checkpoint one. The move from nine to one is lenient.25

  1. Fire twice from the green marker, run to checkpoint one and fire again.2323
  2. Fire once at each of checkpoints two to five.23
  3. At checkpoint six fire, then click the cannon base.23
  4. As soon as the true tile is over checkpoint seven fire again, then move to eight and nine firing each time, and loop back to checkpoint one until Graardor is dead.9

Because the player red-clicked to path to the cannon base, Graardor is stuck in place while the player runs through him, so running straight through him is always safe.9 The cycle is nine attacks taking zero hits, hence "9:0".9

  • If a tick is lost, move to the next checkpoint and pray melee until Graardor falls back into the cycle, which usually takes a couple of checkpoints and always fixes itself.9
  • After a mistake Gnomonkey often runs immediately to checkpoint six and through him with the cannon, or runs to checkpoint nine and waits for Graardor to approach before going to checkpoint one.26
  • To eat, eat, run to the next checkpoint, click Graardor as if firing, then move to the next checkpoint. The grey tiles are optional clicks that save some run energy.26
  • Switch to Protect from Range when it is safe, because the ranged minion hits hardest.25
  • The cannon must be picked up and replaced within 20 minutes or it despawns; a replacement comes from Nulodion, also if forced to teleport out.27

Minions

After Graardor dies, turn run off, put on the max cape if owned, and switch to the blowpipe to kill the mage minion with specs and Rigor.25 The player stands near the ranged minion and casts Blood Barrage on the melee and ranged minions, flicking both; at 99 HP or with excess food drops, the two are piped down to save blood runes.28 Flicking the minions' attacks reduces the blood runes needed and guarantees a return to 99 HP; damage is calculated as soon as the animation starts. Flicking is a useful skill for the Inferno and can be practised safely at God Wars.2828

Between kills, extra restore drops are juggled if they do not fit, run energy is kept off where possible, drops are picked up, the altar is used if not on cooldown, and the player walks to the green tile with run on.27

Duo method

A duo has a tank and an attacker. Running it with an own alt (dolo) keeps the full gp amount, and is the time to "grant out" a pet drop for someone with an alt who wants it.5 It is doable on an ultimate ironman, as the tank and main take manageable damage.29

Tank

The tank is ideally on the Arceuus spellbook with 80 Magic for thralls and Death Charge, though alchs can be brought instead. Higher Magic helps tank the magic minion, which causes about half of the damage taken.14 Gear is absolute max tank gear: bulwark, full Justiciar, Infernal or Fire cape, Guardian boots, Barrows gloves, Ring of suffering and Unholy blessing.14 A Berserker ring gives a higher max hit only when the tank is max potted, so Gnomonkey recommends the Ring of suffering for defence and prayer bonus.30

The Amulet of blood fury is very important because it keeps health high. Bandos armour could probably replace Justiciar but is inferior in max hit and dramatically worse in defence, so he highly recommends full Justiciar.30 The inventory has Guthan's armour (absolutely necessary), and a Bandos godsword for extra DPS each kill, which he considers better than a Dragon warhammer. It also has about 10 cheap food healing 22 and around 8 super restores. The Arceuus spellbook gives extra DPS withdrawals, and Death Charge gives additional Bandos godsword specs.3031

Attacker

The attacker uses the Bofa with crystal armour, an Amulet of anguish and the max cape. Ava's assembler does not give a max hit with the Bofa, though a Prayer or Hitpoints cape also works.32 Pegasian or blessed dragonhide-style boots, a Ring of suffering or Ring of the gods, and Zamorak bracers with War blessing (or vice versa) are acceptable.3

The Bofa is by far the best DPS at Bandos because of his high defence. A toxic blowpipe is still over 30% worse and causes the attacker to be targeted by minions more often due to odd minion mechanics.3 Without the Bofa, Gnomonkey recommends max melee with a rapier or Abyssal tentacle, which is far better than a blowpipe, replacing ranged potions with food and restores and bringing a Bandos godsword in place of the blowpipe.33

The inventory has Guthan's (absolutely necessary), six Divine bastion potions and six super combats for pot sharing, a blowpipe with dragon darts for the minions and special-attack healing, two emergency anglerfish and five super restores.33 The attacker must be on the Lunar spellbook with mud, death and astral runes to Pot Share and cast Vengeance Other on the tank; without the Magic for Vengeance, earth, astral and water runes are brought instead. Blowpipe darts are picked up after minions unless a max cape is worn.34

On the standard spellbook (no Arceuus, no Explorer's ring 4), alchs are brought, optionally with lava runes for Bones to Peaches, otherwise tablets; the Arceuus spellbook requires the Book of the Dead.31 The rune pouch holds blood, cosmic and fire runes with loose death and soul runes plus Bones to Peaches tabs; one player must bring an Explorer's ring 4. The standard spellbook frees space for restores or food, and an imbued heart adds magic defence.35

The fight

  • Both players pray Preserve before entering; the attacker pot shares a super combat. The tank enters first, immediately specs with the Bandos godsword and starts attacking with the bulwark.36
  • Once the tank has attacked, the attacker swaps in a Divine bastion, enters, prays Rigor and Protect from Ranged and attacks at once. A melee attacker prays Piety and Protect from Ranged.37
  • If either player needs prayer the attacker pot shares restores; if the tank's Strength drops to 116 or lower, another super combat is shared, and Divine bastion is re-potted when it runs out.38
  • Graardor has a unique mechanic: if his attack lands it is guaranteed to hit at least 15 and up to 35, but it can still be blocked for a zero, so the tank setup helps dramatically.37
  • His melee maxes at 60 and shreds even tank armour, so the tank needs Protect from Melee, and as a rule of thumb eats below 40 health.29
  • After he dies both players attack the mage minion, praying Piety; whoever the mage attacks prays Protect from Magic.39
  • If one player is full and the other low, attacking stops so the other can heal with Guthan's. If both are at max HP they switch to DPS gear and kill the remaining minions, with the attacker dumping blowpipe specs on them in the Bofa setup.40
  • Without a full Guthan's heal, bones are picked up and turned with Bones to Peaches, and the melee minion's kebab drops heal more than expected. The player with the Explorer's ring alchs drops and collects coins, and both cram food and restore drops.40
  • The tank sits next to Graardor's respawn point with the attacker well away, and must attack him first on respawn, otherwise he gets stuck on the attacker. If so, the attacker runs around praying Melee while the tank hits him until he switches aggro.38

Drops and profit

Date Value per kill Gp/hr Source
Sep 2021 (about) About 145k incl. minions (about 150k per later recollection) About 3.625m at 25 kills/hr; rounded to 3.5m solo 48
Nov 2021 About 180k (184,982 quoted later) About 5.4m total (later "just over 5.5m") at 30 kills/hr; about 2.75m each when splitting 85

Gnomonkey advises taking the wiki's value per kill and multiplying by kills per hour to get future gp/hr: 25 for the solo and 30 at most for the duo.441 Without uniques a kill is worth only about 24k, so the Bandos chestplate and tassets drops are needed to make money.42

Solo trips last 25 to as many as 75 kills, as long as restore drops last. Divine potion doses cap trips at two and a half hours, but restores usually run out at one to two hours.44 Duo trips can last up to two hours depending on food and restore drops.8

Revision history

Date Video Change
2022-03-19 PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS Added opinion: rated lower A tier because of the shield method; preferred skilled solo methods over a plain duo.
2021-11-25 Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS Added the tank-and-attacker duo method with gear, requirements, mechanics and about 5.4m gp/hr.
2021-11-25 Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS Updated value per kill to about 180k (was about 145-150k in September 2021) and kills per hour to 30.
2021-09-03 SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS Page created: solo Bofa 9:0 method, requirements, gear, inventory, cycle, minions and about 3.5m gp/hr.
## References

  1. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 0:57 ↩↩↩↩↩

  2. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 0:29 ↩↩↩↩↩

  3. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 3:59 ↩↩↩

  4. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 8:15 ↩↩↩↩↩

  5. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 0:58 ↩↩↩↩

  6. PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS, 2022-03-19. ▶ 23:21 ↩↩

  7. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 0:00 ↩↩

  8. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 0:28 ↩↩↩↩↩

  9. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 5:20 ↩↩↩↩↩

  10. PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS, 2022-03-19. ▶ 22:25 ↩

  11. PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS, 2022-03-19. ▶ 22:54 ↩

  12. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 1:30 ↩↩↩↩↩

  13. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 1:25 ↩↩

  14. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 2:04 ↩↩↩

  15. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 1:27 ↩↩↩

  16. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 1:53 ↩↩↩

  17. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 2:26 ↩↩

  18. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 3:48 ↩

  19. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 2:54 ↩

  20. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 3:21 ↩

  21. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 3:35 ↩↩

  22. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 4:22 ↩

  23. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 4:54 ↩↩↩↩↩

  24. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 6:21 ↩↩

  25. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 6:48 ↩↩↩

  26. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 5:52 ↩↩

  27. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 7:43 ↩↩

  28. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 7:17 ↩↩↩

  29. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 7:15 ↩↩

  30. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 2:32 ↩↩↩

  31. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 3:04 ↩↩

  32. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 3:39 ↩

  33. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 4:29 ↩↩

  34. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 4:56 ↩

  35. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 3:31 ↩

  36. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 6:27 ↩

  37. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 6:46 ↩↩

  38. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 8:13 ↩↩

  39. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 7:30 ↩

  40. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 7:41 ↩↩

  41. Bandos DUO Guide (DOLO) 60 Kill Trips OSRS, 2021-11-25. ▶ 8:42 ↩

  42. SOLO BANDOS (BOFA) 9:0 - 3.5m GP/HR OSRS, 2021-09-03. ▶ 8:41 ↩