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Vanguards

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

Vanguards

Vanguards
Type Boss
Location Chambers of Xeric
Combatants Three Vanguards (melee, ranged, magic)1
Fastest time about 50 seconds2
Melee Vanguard attack up to 16 through prayer, three hits per four-tick attack3
Tier rating High B tier (2022)4
Videos 5 (first 2022-03-19, latest 2025-05-01)
Main source COX CM Solo Teaching Stream OSRS

The Vanguards are a Chambers of Xeric room with three monsters, each a different colour: a melee, a ranged and a magic Vanguard. They spawn at fixed spots in random order and must be killed at the same time.561 Gnomonkey considers the room the hardest of the raid apart from Olm, and probably the hardest room of Challenge Mode besides Olm; the Vanguards hit very hard and are very tanky.718

His opinion of the fight has been constant in outline. In 2022 he rated it high B tier, one of the better Chambers fights with a lot of thought in keeping health similar and timing claw specs, but annoying when a hard Twisted bow shot forces a restart. He dislikes the reset mechanic and would put the room in high A tier if it punished the player with something like meteors instead.94

Mechanics

Each Vanguard is weak to the combat triangle style: melee the ranged one, range the mage one, and mage the melee one.65 The room resets if too much damage is done to a single Vanguard: all of them heal to full.56 The numbers over the Vanguards are the health at which each resets, so hitting past that number causes a reset; the Cox Editions plugin shows this, and the player needs to know the max hit of each weapon.1011 A plugin asterisk indicates when a Vanguard can be killed once the others are low enough.12 Once both remaining Vanguards are at reset the numbers disappear and they can simply be killed.1013 The player always gets three attacks at the start.8

  • The ranged Vanguard is rooted: it cannot move and stops attacking if the player stands under it.1415
  • The melee Vanguard hits up to 16 through prayer three times per attack (potentially 48 damage) on a four-tick attack speed, which makes it the last priority and by far the most dangerous.315
  • The mage Vanguard throws one guaranteed projectile plus two splats that are not guaranteed to hit, so health should be kept high.16
  • The player only takes ricochet rocks from the ranged and mage Vanguards when moving, so should stand still while hitting them.17
  • Safe spots: the melee Vanguard can be stuck on a lip, in a cave slot, or corner-trapped against a crystal; the mage Vanguard can be trapped on a crystal corner; whether the melee Vanguard aggros at other corners depends on how far it is from its spawn.1819 At the end of the room, with all at reset, he follows the melee Vanguard because he can safespot it and be completely safe.10

Strategy

His plan treats the ranged Vanguard as an anchor: follow it throughout, get it under its threshold with the weapon of choice, bow the mage Vanguard, and mage the melee Vanguard.141520 When they dig, he goes to the melee Vanguard, alternating each dig.15

Date Opening and sequence Cites
2023 (Challenge Mode) Cast at the melee Vanguard, bow the mage if it hits big, switch the bow to accurate for the ranger, then follow the ranger, scythe it below 70 HP while swapping to Masori for defence, step under it, range the mage, then hit the melee Vanguard on a big shot, flicking both Vanguards' prayers 2121
2024 Fang the ranged Vanguard (max about 49), Twisted bow the mage Vanguard below 90, Sanguinesti staff the melee Vanguard 1114
2025 Start with the ranged Vanguard, bow the mage, then the melee Vanguard on each dig 15

The mage Vanguard is the one he resets on, because the Twisted bow can hit around 90 and the number only updates after the projectile lands; his reset threshold in that run was 110.22 His maximum Twisted bow hit on Vanguards is 83.20 He likes swinging at a Vanguard below 50 and follows the ranger through the room.20

Setup and supplies

  • Weapon settings: staff on long range, bow on accurate and scythe on aggressive; with Blood Fury and Brimstone ring instead of Berserker ring (torture) he wants it on accurate.23
  • He takes his boots off for the first hits and normally casts at the melee Vanguard.24
  • He flicks Masori because Ink has no defence out of the armour, and flicks Rigour only a little, since a little prayer is enough.2526
  • He aims for at least 80 HP by Vanguards and, with his setup, has no brew for them, so he spams sweets on the way: all available health is needed.823
  • He recommends the Light bearer for an extra claw spec on Vanguards, on Muttadiles and for a bunch of hammers at Olm.27
  • Supplies from Vanguards are completely random, the worst being three brews and no revitalisation.12 After the room he picks up as much brew and revitalisation as possible, sips and drops the prayer enhance (it lasts through Vespula) and banks the rest.28 They are the main supply source for no-prep raids, so he suggests summoning a thrall, picking up all the brews and refreshing overload and enhance.29

Anything below about 110 is a really fast Vanguards time and his fastest is about 50 seconds; one run in 2023 was 230, which he called the most average Vanguards of his life.230 Doing too much to one Vanguard, or dying there, is typically a reset in Challenge Mode, and he often risks a reset or death for speed.8

Revision history

Date Video Change
2025-05-01 NEW Entry Mode CM CoX Guide (OSRS) Added the 2025 default plan, ricochet rock advice and no-prep supply notes.
2024-11-08 SOLO CM COX GUIDE + Shadow Running! (OSRS) Added the combat triangle matchups, threshold plugin, Fang/bow/staff plan, melee Vanguard damage and safe spots.
2023-06-14 COX CM Solo Teaching Stream OSRS Added weapon settings, prayer and gear tips, thresholds, time records and the Light bearer claw spec.
2023-02-02 The Chambers CM Experience (OSRS) Added Challenge Mode difficulty, HP and supply advice, and the opening and follow sequence.
2022-03-19 PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS Page created: three-Vanguard reset mechanic, tier rating of high B and opinion on the reset.
## See also

References

  1. NEW Entry Mode CM CoX Guide (OSRS), 2025-05-01. ▶ 13:21 ↩↩↩

  2. COX CM Solo Teaching Stream OSRS, 2023-06-14. ▶ 7:14 ↩↩

  3. SOLO CM COX GUIDE + Shadow Running! (OSRS), 2024-11-08. ▶ 30:15 ↩↩

  4. PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS, 2022-03-19. ▶ 49:22 ↩↩

  5. PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS, 2022-03-19. ▶ 48:21 ↩↩↩

  6. SOLO CM COX GUIDE + Shadow Running! (OSRS), 2024-11-08. ▶ 27:48 ↩↩↩

  7. SOLO CM COX GUIDE + Shadow Running! (OSRS), 2024-11-08. ▶ 27:03 ↩

  8. The Chambers CM Experience (OSRS), 2023-02-02. ▶ 4:58 ↩↩↩↩

  9. PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS, 2022-03-19. ▶ 48:54 ↩

  10. COX CM Solo Teaching Stream OSRS, 2023-06-14. ▶ 8:45 ↩↩↩

  11. SOLO CM COX GUIDE + Shadow Running! (OSRS), 2024-11-08. ▶ 28:17 ↩↩

  12. The Chambers CM Experience (OSRS), 2023-02-02. ▶ 6:04 ↩↩

  13. NEW Entry Mode CM CoX Guide (OSRS), 2025-05-01. ▶ 16:49 ↩

  14. SOLO CM COX GUIDE + Shadow Running! (OSRS), 2024-11-08. ▶ 29:43 ↩↩↩

  15. NEW Entry Mode CM CoX Guide (OSRS), 2025-05-01. ▶ 14:17 ↩↩↩↩↩

  16. SOLO CM COX GUIDE + Shadow Running! (OSRS), 2024-11-08. ▶ 31:47 ↩

  17. NEW Entry Mode CM CoX Guide (OSRS), 2025-05-01. ▶ 15:17 ↩

  18. SOLO CM COX GUIDE + Shadow Running! (OSRS), 2024-11-08. ▶ 30:47 ↩

  19. NEW Entry Mode CM CoX Guide (OSRS), 2025-05-01. ▶ 15:50 ↩

  20. COX CM Solo Teaching Stream OSRS, 2023-06-14. ▶ 8:11 ↩↩↩

  21. The Chambers CM Experience (OSRS), 2023-02-02. ▶ 5:30 ↩↩

  22. SOLO CM COX GUIDE + Shadow Running! (OSRS), 2024-11-08. ▶ 28:49 ↩

  23. COX CM Solo Teaching Stream OSRS, 2023-06-14. ▶ 7:41 ↩↩

  24. COX CM Solo Teaching Stream OSRS, 2023-06-14. ▶ 7:42 ↩

  25. COX CM Solo Teaching Stream OSRS, 2023-06-14. ▶ 9:19 ↩

  26. COX CM Solo Teaching Stream OSRS, 2023-06-14. ▶ 6:10 ↩

  27. COX CM Solo Teaching Stream OSRS, 2023-06-14. ▶ 32:05 ↩

  28. SOLO CM COX GUIDE + Shadow Running! (OSRS), 2024-11-08. ▶ 34:17 ↩

  29. NEW Entry Mode CM CoX Guide (OSRS), 2025-05-01. ▶ 17:22 ↩

  30. COX CM Solo Teaching Stream OSRS, 2023-06-14. ▶ 9:36 ↩

Bosses

Nex • The Wardens • Akkha • Doom of Mokhaiotl • Yama • TzKal-Zuk • Kephri • Zebak • Ba-Ba • Alchemical Hydra • Great Olm • Zulrah • Sol Heredit • General Graardor • The Nightmare • Vorkath • Araxxor • Corrupted Hunllef • Verzik Vitur • TzTok-Jad • Tormented Demon • Phosani's Nightmare • JalTok-Jad • Shellbane Gryphon • Vanguards • The Hueycoatl • Kree'arra • Tekton • Maggot King • Vasa Nistirio • Kalphite Queen • Maiden of Sugadinti • Muttadile • Ice Demon • Vespula • Sotetseg • Grotesque Guardians • Xarpus • Corporeal Beast • Smoke devil

Category: Bosses