Skip to content

Zulrah

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

Zulrah

Zulrah
Type Boss
Videos 6 (first 2022-03-12, latest 2025-05-07)
Main source Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS

Zulrah is a mid-level boss that Gnomonkey has covered with guides for max-efficiency mage/ranged switching (2022), budget Atlatl setups (2025) and, after Jagex made her meleeable, a halberd setup (May 2025). In 2022 he called her no longer the money boss she once was; in 2025 he describes her as easy and free to kill with several cheap setups.

Contents

Mechanics

  • Zulrah has four rotations: a mage phase, a green phase and two red phases; every kill starts with a green phase and then differs1. Gnomonkey recommends memorising rotations to pre-switch gear, using the Zulrah helper plugin (see RuneLite plugins) while learning and dropping it around 50 KC2. The RuneLite side panel shows where she will be3.
  • Max hit against her is capped at 50, and any hit above 50 is re-rolled into a 45 to 50 hit4. Her blue-phase magic attack maxes a 415; he notes her maximum hit is 41 and says to always hover food on her6.
  • The blue-phase attack can technically be tick-eaten, but the previous projectile has not landed before the next is fired, so the second hit reads health from before the first (at 45 HP taking a 25, the second can still hit a 41). He advises choosing intelligently between tick eating and combo eating5.
  • Snakelings are magic or melee; when Zulrah is not attacking and snakelings are out, ideally pray Protect from Magic7. In the green phase that spawns snakelings, pray mage rather than range8. If both snakelings are mage-type, the mage prayer can stay up without switching9.
  • In the mage phase he stands in the middle of the island so some mage snakelings get stuck10. The orange (tanky) phase has the lowest damage output but mage damage against it is much better, hence a mage bonus and boots switch11.
  • Killing Zulrah in the short green phase before she dives gets the Grandmaster Combat Achievement speed kill12.

Max-efficiency mage and ranged method (2022)

  • Gear: max mage gear with a Harmonised nightmare staff or Volatile nightmare staff; without a Harmonised staff, thralls and a Sanguinesti staff give similar kills per hour, with an Arcane spirit shield offhand13. Ring of suffering is camped; Archers and Seers ring switches are possible but harder and mainly for PvP14. Without a Volatile staff, blowpipe specs give similar DPS14. The inventory has an 8-way range switch; Barrows gloves instead of Zaryte vambraces is a very small loss14.
  • The blowpipe used to beat the Twisted bow on blue-face Zulrah but now the bow wins; the pipe is still used for pillar stalling and extra hits14. Dragon arrows are preferred as they raise the chance of landing 45 to 507. In his setup the Harmonised staff maxes a 49 on a four-tick attack, far better for accuracy and speed than the bow4. The Volatile staff special uses 55% energy, is very accurate and maxes an 80; he uses it on red phase7.
  • Supplies: two Divine ranging potions and two Anti-venom+, each potted only when useful; no prayer potions15. Also Gothics rest items for tick eating, carbon bonds for combo eating, and a Max cape (replace with food otherwise)15. Desert amulet for restores, Zulrah's teleport scrolls, and an Imbued heart, a minor boost on red Zulrah16. Law, Fire, Air and Wrath runes; Air runes stay out of the pouch because the Harmonised staff burns through them (16,000 can run out in a session), and Law runes teleport to the Seers' Village bank16. A fire rune on hand stops autocast being removed from the Harmonised staff17. Scales can be carried to stack them, and two slots left spare for loot17.
  • Opening: Preserve on during the run to the boat, Imbued heart, special primed; Augury after the boat, right-click Zulrah when the cutscene ends and use the Volatile spec18. If the spec is forgotten it can be used in the first phase, which gives four Harmonised casts and one spec19. The first phase transition is where ticks are most often lost: Rigor on with range switch hovered for blue, Augury for red (50% of the time), and for green he tanks the first hit to proc Vengeance19.
  • Green rotation: take the first venge, attack, pray Protect from Magic on snakelings; the Volatile spec barely recovers as she goes under, so it is primed and used on red20. She typically dies on red or earlier on green; blue is the hardest phase for lost ticks and needs Rigor primed and a fast switch to ranged21. With clean timing two blowpipe hits fit in blue; otherwise one pipe hit then back to the bow22. Blue example: six attacks before she dives22. In the first blue phase, two blowpipe shots then a Twisted bow shot fits, the bow landing on the last tick before submerging23.
  • Red Zulrah has two diverging paths; he covers south green rather than west first, and red pokes twice before diving12. After the final cast he runs through the fog to the pillar corner switching to ranged, taking a little poison damage to fit four Twisted bow shots by pillar stalling (bow, behind the pillar, pipe shot, bow, repeat for four attacks)24. If she has not damaged him by her third attack, he drops Protect from Magic and tanks the last hit on purpose, because venge will not proc if she appears west24. After the fourth shot she comes up south: run across switching to magic, use the Volatile spec, she comes up red, pokes twice, then blue (Twisted bow)25. On the west, keep praying mage while she only spawns snakelings25.
  • Between kills: teleport to Narda on an alt account, drop loot, use the altar, have the alt cast Vengeance, and teleport back with a scroll26.

Budget Atlatl setup (2025)

  • A mid-game guide for Ironmen starting Zulrah that also works on mains27. He uses magic (Twinflame staff) on green or red phases and the Eclipse atlatl otherwise2. Kills take roughly 120 to 140 ticks, usually two kills per trip (sometimes one or three), enough to maintain scrolls; with a Bofa, two to three kill trips give effectively unlimited scrolls2829.
  • Without teleport scrolls, bank with a dual ring and use fairy ring BJS; health can be restored at the fairy ring pool30. The stepping stone on the route requires 76 Agility, and a summer pie pre-pot can allow the jump31.
  • He says the Twinflame staff makes Zulrah much easier, a totally different boss, especially for mid-game Irons32. The Gearscape calculator can show all phases via its groups tab33.
  • In February 2025 he said the Atlatl is about 14% worse than the Bofa at Zulrah; the burn effect is lost when she dives, making it perhaps 20% effective and about 12% worse overall34. Since a player uses mage about half the time, the Atlatl suffices without a roughly 12 million Bofa3435.

Melee with halberds (May 2025)

  • Jagex changed Zulrah so she can be meleed with halberds; she has zero melee defence36. Gnomonkey says a Noxious halberd melee approach has basically replaced camping a single style such as Bofa, Twisted bow or Shadow36. The halberd does the same damage on every phase since it ignores her defences, so long red phases are no problem337.
  • Mid-level setup: Serpentine helm, Bandos, Barrows gloves, Dragon boots, Ring of suffering; upgrades or downgrades remain good38. Pharaoh's gloves are amazing on a main, a rancour is much better on an Iron, and Torva is insane39. Amulet of blood fury is great and extends trips, which are limited mostly by restores; rancour and torture are also good40. Inventory: divine super combats and a few restores, no anti-venom with the Serpentine helm41.
  • Rings: a Bellator ring until snakelings spawn, then the Ring of suffering, worth two max hits; switch back when they are gone, and put it on whenever snakelings hit424344. Bellator over Ultor since max hit matters less with the hit cap45. Echo boots recoil in a 3x3 and kill snakelings, so the suffering ring is not needed with them45. He is unsure about the Lightbearer but thinks it probably fine since the player is over the hit cap40.
  • Kills typically take 110 to 140 ticks, occasionally 145 to 150, with 86 and 101 seen; he nearly got a Grandmaster time with the cheap setup if the Crystal halberd spec hits three 100s46. Four, almost five kills with seven food left; a six or seven kill trip is probable44. He estimates about six fewer kills per hour than a maxed Twisted bow plus Harmonised staff switch setup47.

Profit, drops and opinion

  • April 2022 figures: about 35 kills an hour in a good hour versus about 25 with Twisted bow camping; a kill worth 122k gives 4.3m an hour, or about 3.5m GP/hr after 35 scrolls (about 800k)48. He says he does Zulrah for the mutagens and pet, not profit48.
  • He says she is no longer the "Money Snake": since the blowpipe nerf profit dropped and Vorkath has effectively taken her place; she is still a common Twisted bow rebuild boss and has the untradeable Magma and Tanzanite mutagens49. Mutagens are 1/3,277 for the table or 1/6,553 per colour; with Torva he calls her kind of dead content and cares less about mutagens, though still without one50.
  • The pet is 1/4,000, the only pet at that rarity he knows of, about a 115 hour grind at 35 kills an hour5150. He rated it low B tier (many gold farmers have it, now a grind)51.
  • In the March 2022 PvM boss tier list he placed Zulrah in high B tier, with plenty going on (hit counts before she dives, volatile staff specs for the melee phase, eight-way switches) but not A tier5253.
  • In May 2025 he called kills simple and told viewers to go kill Zulrah because it is free and easy54.

Revision history

Date Video Change
2025-05-07 NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS) Added melee Zulrah with halberds after the change (zero melee defence), gear, rings, kill ticks; opinion that halberd melee has replaced single-style camping.
2025-04-24 Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS Added budget Atlatl and Twinflame guide, rotations, travel, ticks per kill; said Twinflame makes Zulrah a different boss.
2025-02-22 No More Bofa Rush! (OSRS) Added Atlatl versus Bofa comparison (about 12% worse overall, Bofa not required).
2022-04-15 Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS Added the max-efficiency mage/ranged guide: gear, supplies, rotations, pillar stalling, 35 kills per hour, 3.5m GP/hr, mutagen and pet rates. Changed view of Zulrah's profitability (no longer the "Money Snake").
2022-03-19 PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS Added high B tier placement and a first-blue-phase Twisted bow timing tip.
2022-03-12 Pet Hunter Tier List (Bosses, Skilling, Etc) OSRS Page created: Zulrah pet at 1 in 4,000 and low B tier pet placement.
## See also

References

  1. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 2:20 ↩

  2. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 6:22 ↩↩

  3. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 7:29 ↩↩

  4. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 3:08 ↩↩

  5. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 3:55 ↩↩

  6. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 8:50 ↩

  7. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 3:27 ↩↩↩

  8. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 14:44 ↩

  9. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 11:32 ↩

  10. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 8:22 ↩

  11. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 8:41 ↩

  12. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 7:00 ↩↩

  13. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 0:32 ↩

  14. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 1:01 ↩↩↩↩

  15. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 1:27 ↩↩

  16. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 1:58 ↩↩

  17. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 2:26 ↩↩

  18. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 4:21 ↩

  19. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 4:52 ↩↩

  20. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 5:23 ↩

  21. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 5:56 ↩

  22. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 6:29 ↩↩

  23. PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS, 2022-03-19. ▶ 6:48 ↩

  24. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 7:27 ↩↩

  25. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 8:00 ↩↩

  26. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 6:59 ↩

  27. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 0:00 ↩

  28. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 13:18 ↩

  29. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 13:45 ↩

  30. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 4:19 ↩

  31. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 4:49 ↩

  32. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 24:30 ↩

  33. Budget Zul'rah Guide (Atlatl + BOFA) OSRS, 2025-04-24. ▶ 26:18 ↩

  34. No More Bofa Rush! (OSRS), 2025-02-22. ▶ 16:10 ↩↩

  35. No More Bofa Rush! (OSRS), 2025-02-22. ▶ 16:40 ↩

  36. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 0:00 ↩↩

  37. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 9:02 ↩

  38. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 0:26 ↩

  39. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 0:59 ↩

  40. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 14:05 ↩↩

  41. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 1:33 ↩

  42. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 2:01 ↩

  43. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 4:06 ↩

  44. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 12:36 ↩↩

  45. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 14:33 ↩↩

  46. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 8:33 ↩

  47. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 10:06 ↩

  48. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 8:59 ↩↩

  49. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 0:00 ↩

  50. Max Efficient ZULRAH (3.5M GP/HR) OSRS, 2022-04-15. ▶ 9:26 ↩↩

  51. Pet Hunter Tier List (Bosses, Skilling, Etc) OSRS, 2022-03-12. ▶ 11:59 ↩↩

  52. PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS, 2022-03-19. ▶ 6:14 ↩

  53. PVM Boss Tier List (ALL BOSSES) OSRS, 2022-03-19. ▶ 7:15 ↩

  54. NEW MELEE ZULRAH GUIDE (OSRS), 2025-05-07. ▶ 15:29 ↩

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