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Inferno pillars

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

Inferno pillars

Inferno pillars
Type Mechanic
Location Inferno
Pillars West, South and North
Key skills Pillar stacks, corner trapping, safe spotting112
Related Jal-ImKot, Zulrah
Videos 10 (first 2021-05-21, latest 2025-12-07)
Main source Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS)

Inferno pillars are the three structures in the Inferno that monsters path around and that the player hides behind. Gnomonkey treats them both as a resource (pillar health) and as the main tool for solving waves.3 The North pillar is the one he cares about, because it can always be used to solve a wave, though it may involve flicking.45 The same ideas appear in the Colosseum and in the pillar stalling technique used against Zulrah.67

Contents

Which pillar matters

  • North: always possible to solve a wave from here. He can cast on things at it from about 50 angles, whereas things on the West and South pillars are hard to get at. He has seen many people die trying to save South and West while leaving things on North.458 A north pillar cannot be dropped, so nibblers on it must be dealt with.9
  • West: the least important pillar, and he does not risk health to save it from nibblers. It is also called the decoy pillar: standing a tile off a monster, when a melee digs the other monster can act as a pillar and get stuck on the player, which works with mages, rangers and any NPC.1011
  • South: for speedruns he wants West and South dead, ideally with South going down on wave 50, so monsters come to the North pillar.12 In 2024 he planned to lose his South pillar late.13

Learners often panic and run west or south, which is usually a bad instinct.4

Pillar health

In 2024 he describes the Inferno as adding pillar health as an extra resource alongside special attack and health; his plugin shows the current pillar health.3 A play at low pillar health is not the same as at high health. If pillars have more health the player does not need to reach them as quickly, and at 99 health the player can tank something to get nibblers off a pillar.14 In early waves at 99 health he goes for the nibblers immediately, because pillar health cannot be healed but the player's health can.15

The early priority is killing nibblers as fast as possible, since nothing can kill the player early, keeping more pillar health.16 After wave 50, nibblers get one cast only and are never chased.17

A falling pillar hits the southwest tile of monsters for half their health, so mages can be killed by pillar collapse; he tries to kill both mages at the same time.18

Positioning and tile markers

  • He starts waves west of the pillar, then moves to the tile north of the North pillar for dangerous waves, as it is more likely to protect from the ranger; going to the northeast corner after casting at nibblers also lets him corner trap dangerous monsters east of the pillar.19
  • His markers include the nibbler spawn tile, a tile three tiles behind the pillar where he starts later waves (also the melee corner-trap tile and a spot to Blood Barrage nibblers on the north pillar), a tile for luring Jad healers at triples, and four tiles for Zuk.20 Yellow tiles are for Zuk and triples, one is an Addy tile not used on a first cape, a green tile lets him hit nibblers on a pillar through it, and another lets him cast at nibblers on his own pillar. The markers can be imported from the pastebin on his Inferno guide.21
  • The area between the pillars behind a pillar is usually a safe spot from both sides and where melees are most often handled.22
  • Standing in the middle of the pillar instead of the side lets melees step over and get in; standing right of the pillar can corner trap melees coming down the side.23
  • Spells have a 10 tile range, so bloblets can be cast on from the middle of the pillar, and stepping to a corner can drag a spawn closer for a 10-tile weapon.24
  • The player can instantly turn the corner of a pillar whatever cycle monsters are in, because there is always a tick to switch to the next prayer, so rotating pillars at any moment is very helpful.25

Safe spots and corner traps

Monsters work off their southwest tile, the only part that tries to reach or attack the player. If that tile sees the player but the rest is stuck behind something, the monster is safe spotted.1 Monsters always try to move west or east before north or south, so any monster can be corner trapped; this is why the North pillar is primarily used, as most things spawn south of it.1 He advises committing this knowledge to instinct, because melees must be safe spotted rapidly in later waves.26 See Jal-ImKot for melee-specific details.

Pillar stacks

A pillar stack is a ranger and mage (or other combination) lined up behind each other at a pillar. The back monster sees the player first and the front monster a tick later, creating an off-tick that allows the player to alternate prayers.227 Wave 62 is an extremely hard wave, and a pillar stack wave is arguably the hardest of the Inferno.28

Solving a stack

  1. Start from the middle of the pillar and step out so the back enemy sees the player first, then the front. Stepping out from a corner means everything sees the player on the same tick.2927303132
  2. Pray against the back enemy (watch for the ranger animation), click a target while praying, wait for the flicker, then alternate.2333132
  3. If the back enemy is too far away to see the player, start a few tiles out, pray range while stepping out, then pray mage and run in so the mage sees the player a tick later.34
  4. A mage respawning something takes eight ticks, two of his attacks, so the cycle does not change.32

Other details:

  • The monster in the front cannot be clicked (the player is dragged), but the back one can; with the Bow of Faerdhinen this lets him kill the ranger first.35
  • He typically kills the mage first, and if scared can kill the back monster and accept the respawn.36 He prefers things not to respawn, since a mage respawning things causes stacks and monsters getting stuck in each other.37
  • A blob in the stack is covered too, because the player is effectively flicking all three attackers.36 One-tick flicking does not always work with two different mobs, though it always works with a blob.38
  • When two monsters are on a four-tick cycle one tick apart, the player can alternate; two ticks apart requires two-ticking.39
  • With a bat in front, start one tile away in the centre; with a blob in front, start two tiles away. Blobs elsewhere in the stack are solved by alternating prayer against the back then front monster.40
  • If timing is off, get back behind the pillar and drink brew.41 On first cape, camp ranged prayer until the bat is dead, then shoot something and look for the ranger animation.42
  • In a bad spawn, a player can run through a mage, which he calls crazy tech no one ever does, but is almost always fine compared with taking damage from everything.43
  • On one bad ranger-blob-melee spawn he corner traps the mage, rotates the pillar, kills the melee fast while flicking, then prays ranged and alternates with the ranger.44
  • On a southwest-side stack, the thing in the back hits first: move two tiles out, pray ranged, step out, pray mage, click the mage and alternate off the range animation.45
  • His wave routine is to immediately kill the melee, go behind the pillar and solve the wave while getting ready to kill the mage.46
  • He points to We Do Raids' Inferno guide (by Hayo) for a solve for basically every pillar stack.4147

Colosseum stacks

  • Same stacking idea: start from the middle of the pillar, go to the stacking tile and pray against the back enemy, then the front.31
  • One stack does not work the normal way: with a Mage in the stack, going the usual direction means the small Mage sees the player at the same time, so he goes the opposite way, praying against the Mage and running out right after it attacks.48
  • Off-ticks can be forced by walking along an axis or running to a corner so an enemy sees the player earlier, jiggling slightly.49 He says to go for off-ticks even if he must tank a ranged hit to set one up.50
  • A Manticore attacks for five ticks and recharges for five, ten in total. A mob is off-ticked relative to it if it attacks during the orb attack style, or two ticks before or after the Manticore attacks.5152
  • With a Manticore, pray against the back then front thing. With two enemies in front of one, start two or three tiles out and pray against the front enemy first, then the back, so the order is backwards.5354
  • When flicking against a Manticore plus another enemy, he stares at whichever target attacks first and flicks through prayers every two attacks.55
  • Right after an enemy attacks, there are four or five ticks in which any different attack that lands is off-ticked.56
  • The Manticore's first attack style indicates whether to re-set the stack: ranged and both seeing the player on the same tick means off-ticked, while mage means going back around and setting up again.57 Quickly recognising an off-ticked stack and redoing it on the other side is the biggest Colosseum skill.6
  • If enemies are off-ticked, the player can also immediately SGS spec back.58

Pillar stalling (Zulrah)

Pillar stalling means getting out of Zulrah's line of sight behind a pillar during the green phase, peeking out every six ticks to cast, then returning behind.7

  • It keeps Zulrah above water longer, giving more damage and fewer phases, which makes a Jad phase almost impossible with this setup.7 Each submerge costs about three pieces of food worth of ticks.59 He estimates phases are roughly twice as long, though stalling is impossible during snakeling spawns.60
  • He recommends the attack timer metronome plugin for timing.61
  • With a Bofa and blowpipe setup, he steps behind the pillar, fits in a blowpipe shot and moves back; Zulrah still makes four attacks but the player gets extra shots.62 He argues this is a major reason not to use a Bofa camp setup, which cannot meaningfully pillar stall.63
  • Pillar stalling also works with melee, with an awkward walk to fit in hits and a little poison damage. The player runs up and hits on every attack, increasing DPS and reducing damage, and the fourth attack is a Crystal halberd spec.6464 Most kills in that setup follow the same pattern with a few stalls, mainly throwing on the Ring of suffering for snakelings.65

Revision history

Date Video Change
2025-12-07 NEW Golden Trio for First Inferno Cape (OSRS) Added positioning around the middle of the pillar and the wave 62 stack.
2025-05-07 NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS) Added melee pillar stalling at Zulrah.
2025-04-24 Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS Added pillar stalling at Zulrah.
2024-06-15 Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS) Added Colosseum stacks, Manticore timing and forcing off-ticks.
2024-06-13 Inferno Teaching Stream - Mage Rebalance (OSRS) Added pillar health as a resource and pillar collapse damage.
2024-03-25 Colosseum GUIDE Teaching Stream #1 (OSRS) Added Colosseum recognition of off-ticked stacks and stepping out from the middle versus corner.
2024-01-17 IRONMAN Inferno Teaching Stream (OSRS) Added stack timing, one-tick flicking limits and a bad-spawn solve.
2022-11-04 Inferno (BOFA) Guide OSRS Added pillar stack alternation details and mage-first priority.
2022-07-22 Inferno (Twisted Bow) Teaching Stream OSRS Added nibbler priorities, which pillars to sacrifice and speedrun pillar order.
2021-05-21 Inferno Guide OSRS (Waves + Triple Jads + Zuk) Page created: tile markers, North pillar priority, safe spots, corner traps and basic stack solves.
## See also

References

  1. Inferno Guide OSRS (Waves + Triple Jads + Zuk), 2021-05-21. ▶ 22:08 ↩↩↩↩

  2. Inferno (BOFA) Guide OSRS, 2022-11-04. ▶ 1:01:39 ↩↩↩

  3. Inferno Teaching Stream - Mage Rebalance (OSRS), 2024-06-13. ▶ 19:58 ↩↩

  4. Inferno Guide OSRS (Waves + Triple Jads + Zuk), 2021-05-21. ▶ 21:21 ↩↩↩

  5. Inferno (Twisted Bow) Teaching Stream OSRS, 2022-07-22. ▶ 1:10:57 ↩↩

  6. Colosseum GUIDE Teaching Stream #1 (OSRS), 2024-03-25. ▶ 18:39 ↩↩

  7. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 1:27 ↩↩↩

  8. Inferno (Twisted Bow) Teaching Stream OSRS, 2022-07-22. ▶ 1:12:58 ↩

  9. Inferno Teaching Stream - Mage Rebalance (OSRS), 2024-06-13. ▶ 49:31 ↩

  10. Inferno (Twisted Bow) Teaching Stream OSRS, 2022-07-22. ▶ 57:27 ↩

  11. Inferno (Twisted Bow) Teaching Stream OSRS, 2022-07-22. ▶ 1:07:45 ↩

  12. Inferno (Twisted Bow) Teaching Stream OSRS, 2022-07-22. ▶ 59:19 ↩

  13. Inferno Teaching Stream - Mage Rebalance (OSRS), 2024-06-13. ▶ 51:04 ↩

  14. Inferno Teaching Stream - Mage Rebalance (OSRS), 2024-06-13. ▶ 20:31 ↩

  15. Inferno Teaching Stream - Mage Rebalance (OSRS), 2024-06-13. ▶ 21:00 ↩

  16. Inferno (Twisted Bow) Teaching Stream OSRS, 2022-07-22. ▶ 2:57 ↩

  17. Inferno (Twisted Bow) Teaching Stream OSRS, 2022-07-22. ▶ 54:58 ↩

  18. Inferno Teaching Stream - Mage Rebalance (OSRS), 2024-06-13. ▶ 56:22 ↩

  19. Inferno Guide OSRS (Waves + Triple Jads + Zuk), 2021-05-21. ▶ 21:42 ↩

  20. Inferno Guide OSRS (Waves + Triple Jads + Zuk), 2021-05-21. ▶ 20:41 ↩

  21. Inferno (Twisted Bow) Teaching Stream OSRS, 2022-07-22. ▶ 53:24 ↩

  22. NEW Golden Trio for First Inferno Cape (OSRS), 2025-12-07. ▶ 14:51 ↩

  23. NEW Golden Trio for First Inferno Cape (OSRS), 2025-12-07. ▶ 34:33 ↩

  24. NEW Golden Trio for First Inferno Cape (OSRS), 2025-12-07. ▶ 38:53 ↩

  25. Inferno (Twisted Bow) Teaching Stream OSRS, 2022-07-22. ▶ 56:25 ↩

  26. Inferno Guide OSRS (Waves + Triple Jads + Zuk), 2021-05-21. ▶ 22:11 ↩

  27. Colosseum GUIDE Teaching Stream #1 (OSRS), 2024-03-25. ▶ 22:07 ↩↩

  28. NEW Golden Trio for First Inferno Cape (OSRS), 2025-12-07. ▶ 1:18:13 ↩

  29. Inferno Guide OSRS (Waves + Triple Jads + Zuk), 2021-05-21. ▶ 28:42 ↩

  30. Colosseum GUIDE Teaching Stream #1 (OSRS), 2024-03-25. ▶ 30:42 ↩

  31. Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS), 2024-06-15. ▶ 5:02 ↩↩↩

  32. NEW Golden Trio for First Inferno Cape (OSRS), 2025-12-07. ▶ 1:13:14 ↩↩↩

  33. IRONMAN Inferno Teaching Stream (OSRS), 2024-01-17. ▶ 18:38 ↩

  34. Colosseum GUIDE Teaching Stream #1 (OSRS), 2024-03-25. ▶ 11:05 ↩

  35. Inferno (BOFA) Guide OSRS, 2022-11-04. ▶ 1:02:37 ↩

  36. Inferno (BOFA) Guide OSRS, 2022-11-04. ▶ 1:03:11 ↩↩

  37. Inferno (BOFA) Guide OSRS, 2022-11-04. ▶ 1:04:10 ↩

  38. IRONMAN Inferno Teaching Stream (OSRS), 2024-01-17. ▶ 37:33 ↩

  39. IRONMAN Inferno Teaching Stream (OSRS), 2024-01-17. ▶ 38:02 ↩

  40. Inferno Guide OSRS (Waves + Triple Jads + Zuk), 2021-05-21. ▶ 29:08 ↩

  41. Inferno Guide OSRS (Waves + Triple Jads + Zuk), 2021-05-21. ▶ 29:35 ↩↩

  42. IRONMAN Inferno Teaching Stream (OSRS), 2024-01-17. ▶ 22:40 ↩

  43. IRONMAN Inferno Teaching Stream (OSRS), 2024-01-17. ▶ 48:21 ↩

  44. IRONMAN Inferno Teaching Stream (OSRS), 2024-01-17. ▶ 51:21 ↩

  45. IRONMAN Inferno Teaching Stream (OSRS), 2024-01-17. ▶ 35:29 ↩

  46. Colosseum GUIDE Teaching Stream #1 (OSRS), 2024-03-25. ▶ 15:12 ↩

  47. NEW Golden Trio for First Inferno Cape (OSRS), 2025-12-07. ▶ 1:14:19 ↩

  48. Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS), 2024-06-15. ▶ 8:09 ↩

  49. Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS), 2024-06-15. ▶ 9:30 ↩

  50. Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS), 2024-06-15. ▶ 22:33 ↩

  51. Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS), 2024-06-15. ▶ 10:37 ↩

  52. Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS), 2024-06-15. ▶ 11:03 ↩

  53. Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS), 2024-06-15. ▶ 11:32 ↩

  54. Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS), 2024-06-15. ▶ 15:11 ↩

  55. Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS), 2024-06-15. ▶ 15:37 ↩

  56. Soulreaper Axe Colosseum Guide (OSRS), 2024-06-15. ▶ 21:50 ↩

  57. Colosseum GUIDE Teaching Stream #1 (OSRS), 2024-03-25. ▶ 18:10 ↩

  58. Colosseum GUIDE Teaching Stream #1 (OSRS), 2024-03-25. ▶ 31:41 ↩

  59. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 22:48 ↩

  60. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 23:15 ↩

  61. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 6:52 ↩

  62. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 19:20 ↩

  63. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 23:45 ↩

  64. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 5:36 ↩↩

  65. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 10:45 ↩

Mechanics

Colosseum invocations • Yama contracts • Invocations (Tombs of Amascut) • Jal-ImKot • Inferno pillars • Jal-Ak • Alt account • Thralls • Nex gear setup • Tempoross • Turael • Inferno waves • Jal-Nib • Doom of Mokhaiotl: rock block method • Monkey Room • Fortis Colosseum pillars • Phantom barrage • Awakened bosses • Melee gear progression • Demonic Brutus • Jal-MejRah • Prayer flicking • Butterfly Tech • Fortis Colosseum setup • Doom of Mokhaiotl: melee punish • Sulliuscep • Botting • Off-ticking • Corner trapping • Doom of Mokhaiotl: car attack • Combat Achievements • Doom of Mokhaiotl: shield phase • Pest Control • Blood Barrage • Nylocas • Great Olm 4-1 method • Nex reset • Triple Jad • RuneScape 3 combat • Tightrope skip

Category: Mechanics