OSRS Bandos: General Graardor Strategy Guide

Are you almost done with OSRS and are just looking for the last challenges to push you to your limits? Well, if that's what you're after next, you're in luck as OSRS is home to quite a selection of challenges and tough bosses that will require a lot of grinding, luck, and skill to beat.

One of the many challenges you can face in the game is a fight against the Bandos forces and their leader, General Graardor. Aside from being an amazing fight, there's also some neat lore behind OSRS Bandos. In this guide, we'll talk about how you can beat General Graardor, and more. Let's talk about the lore behind Bandos first.

What is OSRS Bandos?

Bandos, also known as the Big High War God, is a deity in RuneScape with dominion over war. While he is less familiar to the human inhabitants of the realm, he commands a following of various, typically less intelligent races. Bandos is characterized by his intense aggression, love for violence, and a firm belief in obedience and glory achieved through warfare. He appears indifferent to the welfare of his followers and displays no concern even if substantial portions of his armies meet their demise. His sole purpose seems to revolve around the thrill of battle.

Most creatures who align themselves with Bandos are strong but not particularly intelligent. Goblins are an exception due to their lack of intelligence. However, they compensate for their lack of strength with sheer numbers. The majority of Bandos' followers exhibit unwavering loyalty driven by awe and respect, while some may have been coerced into their allegiance out of sheer fear.

For the goblins, Bandos provided four fundamental commandments during the Fourth Age, encapsulating his beliefs:

1. Not to flee from battle, as cowards must face death.
2. Not to show mercy, as the merciful are doomed to die.
3. Not to doubt the Big High War God, for doubters must perish.
4. Not to formulate individual plans, as thinkers must meet their end.

Bandos made his entry into Gielinor around the onset of the God Wars. He brought with him various races to fight in his name, including ogres, orks, goblins, and ourgs. At a certain juncture, the Dorgeshuun goblin tribe grew disillusioned, broke away from Bandos, and sought refuge deep beneath the earth to evade the war and escape his retribution. When Guthix, the slumbering god, awoke, Bandos, like most other major deities, was expelled from Gielinor. Despite being banished millennia ago, the descendants of his soldiers continue to exist, maintaining a steadfast devotion to their god.

Bandos is almost entirely forgotten by humans, largely due to Bandosians seldom discussing their deity with other races, nor do they commonly mention him by name. Within the Bandosian belief system, a legend speaks of a "Chosen Commander," selected by Bandos, who will ultimately lead the Bandosians to triumph over the entire world. In "Another Slice of H.A.M.," it is revealed that this Chosen Commander is Zanik.

The Bandos forces within the God Wars Dungeon are now led by General Graardor. He is the only living member of the Ourg race in OSRS. He's the star of the Bandos challenge and is certainly a force to be reckoned with.

How to Get To God Wars Dungeon

The God Wars Dungeon is situated to the north of Trollheim. To access it, you must have partially completed Troll Stronghold or fully completed the Easy Combat Achievements, granting you the ability to use the teleport on Ghommal's hilt 1. Additionally, you need either a Strength level of 60 or Agility level of 60. On your first visit, a rope is required. Without 61 Magic and the completion of Eadgar's Ruse (enabling the Trollheim Teleport), climbing boots are necessary each time. While Strength potions can be employed to boost your Strength, they cannot be used to access the Bandos area. It's crucial to equip items aligned with the gods before entering; otherwise, the followers of these gods will become aggressive, posing a threat to your character.

If you've completed Eadgar's Ruse and possess at least 61 Magic, you can use the Trollheim Teleport (or an equivalent teleport tablet) to arrive at the mountain's peak east of the Troll Stronghold. After landing, proceed down to the mountain's base and head north. Along the mountain, you'll find Agility shortcuts ranging from level 41 to 47, which can significantly shorten your journey. For those who've finished Making Friends with My Arm, a stony basalt can be employed for teleportation to the Troll Stronghold, although this entails a slightly longer run.

Players can reach Trollheim without sacrificing extra inventory slots for teleports by utilizing two scrolls of redirection on two house teletabs, creating two Trollheim teletabs. After using the first tab, you can revert the second one back into a house teletab, eliminating the need for the drop trick.

For those who cannot use the Trollheim Teleport, consider teleporting to Burthorpe using a games necklace, for example. This route necessitates climbing boots, a rope, the commencement of Troll Stronghold, and a stamina potion or some super energy potions for a faster journey. From there, follow the blue route either upwards, passing by the wounded soldier and Death Plateau, while ensuring you activate Protect from Range, or head southwest at the fork toward Tenzing's house. Progress north and follow the route to Dad's location. Depending on how far you've progressed in the Troll Stronghold quest, you may either face him in combat or find him absent. Subsequently, enter the cave to the north and follow the map's path leading north.

Upon reaching Trollheim through either method, proceed to the mountain's northern side, where you'll encounter thrower trolls. The pros advise using Protect from Missiles while near the thrower trolls. Head to the small alcove in the north and pass either the boulder or a wall crack. Continue heading north toward the entrance which is actually a hole in the ground. The area is afflicted with a chill effect that slowly drains your stats by 1 point every few seconds and depletes your run and special energy. This effect can be fully negated if you've lit the fire pit located southwest of the dungeon entrance, a task requiring the completion of Making Friends with My Arm.

There are high-level ice wolves in this area, so it's useful to activate Protect from Melee. If it's your first time entering the dungeon, use a rope on the hole, and descend.

Please note that the Agility shortcuts, specifically those involving climbing the rocky stoneholds northeast of the entrance and to the east of Trollheim, are one-way routes leading into level 22 and 31 Wilderness. However, you cannot use the shortcut from the Wilderness to access the GWD area.

Recommended Items

• Rope - Needed to access the dungeon for the first time. Two more needed if you want to get to Saradomin's Encampment immediately.
• Ring of Life - For solo players or first timers.
• Super restore potions
• High-level armor and weapons
• Saradomin brews
• 15+ Shark or better food
• One-click teleport - Ectophial, teleport crystal, teleport tablets, or teleport scrolls.
• Super combat potions
• Bones to peaches tablets
• A hammer or any warhammer - Needed to get to Bandos' Stronghold.

General Graardor Overview

General Graardor is located in the Bandos' Stronghold. Getting access to it requires Strength level 70 and a hammer. You'll also need to have the ecumenical key in your inventory to get to his room. Alternatively, you should've at least killed 40 of Bandos' followers inside the dungeon.

If you're going with the secondary route, focus on killing goblins instead as they are the easiest to kill.

Attack Mechanics

Graardor employs two forms of damaging mechanics. Mastering these is going to make the fight a lot easier.

• Melee Attack: Graardor delivers a straightforward punch that can cause a maximum of 60 damage. Approximately 2 out of every 3 attacks from Graardor are of the melee type.
• Ranged Attack: For his Ranged attack, Graardor thumps the ground, releasing shockwaves that affect all players within his chamber. These shockwaves deal damage ranging from 15 to 35 points upon a successful hit. Interestingly, even though it is classified as a Ranged attack, Graardor can only use it when in melee range of his current target. This type of attack occurs with a 1 in 3 chance during his attacks.

Bodyguards

Graardor is accompanied and protected by three goblin sergeants, each specializing in a distinct combat style:

• Sergeant Grimspike (Ranged Bodyguard): He hurls axes at his target, potentially inflicting up to 21 damage.
• Sergeant Steelwill (Magic Bodyguard): This bodyguard launches yellow projectiles at the target, which can deal a maximum of 16 damage.
• Sergeant Strongstack (Melee Bodyguard): Armed with a flail, he attacks his target, causing up to 15 damage.

The sergeants tend to prioritize the player who most recently damaged Graardor, typically focusing on the player whose attack coincides with the 5th tick. In essence, players with faster attack speeds are more likely to be targeted, as their attacks align with the 5th tick. This arrangement also means that a tank employing a Dinh's bulwark in Defense mode will rarely draw attention, making it feasible to prioritize Ranged Defense.

General Graardor Strategy

When you face General Graardor, be prepared for a formidable adversary. He boasts high Defense, possesses immensely powerful melee attacks, and wields Ranged abilities that can target all players in the room at once. Accompanying him are three goblin sergeants, each skilled in different combat styles: melee (Sergeant Strongstack), Ranged (Sergeant Grimspike), and Magic (Sergeant Steelwill).

In terms of Defense, the primary threat comes from Graardor's melee and Ranged attacks. If you are directly targeted by him, employ Protect from Melee while wearing gear with substantial Ranged Defense and moderate Magic Defense. In group settings, those not in Graardor's direct line of attack should opt for Protect from Ranged.

After Graardor's defeat, his sergeants will direct their focus to a single player, typically the one who lands the finishing blow. Since Magic attacks pose the greatest risk in most setups, switch to Protect from Magic and focus on eliminating Steelwill. Then, shift to Protect from Ranged to fend off Grimspike's formidable and precise attacks, leaving Strongstack – the least threatening of the three – for last.

General Graardor Solo Strategy

In solo encounters, you have the flexibility to choose from all three combat styles. However, employing Ranged is primarily reserved for advanced techniques involving kiting Graardor, as his armor offers scant Ranged Defense. The simplest approach is to engage Graardor with melee combat.

In the absence of justiciar armor, consider equipping a ranged body to minimize damage from Steelwill's attacks. Protect from Melee is essential to avert potential casualties due to Graardor's melee strikes. Maintain a health level exceeding 60 to avoid being overwhelmed by combined attacks from Graardor and one of the sergeants. With full justiciar armor, carry the complete set along with a spectral or elysian spirit shield. This combination confers robust Ranged Defense, significantly reduces the damage from potential hits, and diminishes Steelwill's accuracy and damage. Grimspike's impact is also less severe. Typically, prioritize the use of an amulet of blood fury for its sapping bonus. After defeating Graardor, your strategy should involve eliminating Steelwill first, followed by employing Guthan's or barrage to tackle Grimspike and Strongstack as necessary.

Graardor's attack speed is 6, with a 3.6-second interval between attacks. Weapons that attack once every 2.4 seconds (4-tick weapons) permit you to strike Graardor twice before he can counterattack. After delivering two blows, sidestep to avoid incoming attacks before resuming your offensive. If you use both a shield and defender, wield the defender during each odd-numbered attack, provided there is no interruption.

As a mage, your operation within the Ancient Magicks spellbook is essential. Cast Ice Barrage to freeze Graardor, although it's worth noting that his Magic Defense, despite being somewhat lowered with the introduction of the twisted bow, still maintains reasonable resistance. Activate Protect from Missiles, switching to Protect from Melee only if Graardor draws too near. Steelwill and Strongstack usually pose minimal threat. Following Graardor's defeat, your prescribed course of action should involve vanquishing Steelwill, followed by focusing on Strongstack and Grimspike to maximize the effectiveness of barrage spells.

Upon defeating Graardor, both he and his bodyguards yield bones as drops. To efficiently regenerate health, leverage Bones to Peaches, converting the bones into 32 health points each. Additionally, Graardor's loot consists of super restores, while his bodyguards provide kebabs, chilli potatoes, and sharks as food, facilitating extended journeys within the dungeon.

General Graardor Team Strategy

In a team setting, you'll find more flexibility when facing Graardor, as multiple players will be contributing damage, reducing the frequency of ranged attacks. Tanks can adopt a conventional or justiciar melee setup to absorb Graardor's blows. They should prioritize ranged defense over magic, as the bodyguards typically target those who damage Graardor.

An optimal tanking strategy involves using full justiciar armor along with Dinh's bulwark for even greater ranged defense. However, tanks are less likely to secure personal kills using this approach.Attackers can focus on maximizing their offensive capabilities over defense, but they should be prepared for more frequent hits from Steelwill. Avoid attacking Graardor until the base tank has grabbed his attention, as otherwise, you might end up tanking throughout the encounter.

After Graardor's defeat, take down Steelwill, Grimspike, and Strongstack in that sequence. Typically, it's courteous for the base tank to handle Strongstack solo, using Guthan's. Unless instructed otherwise, DPS players should also participate in eliminating Grimspike.

Teams can employ a clever strategy by dropping an item underneath Graardor's spawn location and engaging him in melee range. When Graardor selects a player to target, that player should quickly click on the dropped item. Leveraging unique mechanics similar to the chinchompa method for Kree'arra, Graardor will become immobilized, unable to attack. Each team member can take turns attacking Graardor until he shifts his focus to another player. In this case, the newly targeted player goes underneath and rapidly clicks on the item until Graardor meets his end. Please note that this strategy is specific to melee combat.

OSRS Bandos Extra Tips

1. Boost Potions and Sharing: In team encounters, you can use Boost Potion Share and Stat Restore Pot Share to significantly extend your trips, especially in duos. These potions can help enhance your team's effectiveness.
2. Walking Under Graardor: Tanks can gain some extra time to eat food without taking unnecessary damage by walking under Graardor. This can also be done at specific intervals to make Graardor miss an attack.
3. Bones to Peaches: Consider bringing Bones to Peaches spells to extend your trips. Each kill rotation yields 32 Hitpoints worth of bones.
4. Managing Food Drops: The minions will drop chilli potatoes and sharks. If you have excess food, continuously pick up and drop food to prevent it from disappearing.
5. Tick Eating: Experienced players can use the technique of "tick eating." This involves healing right before taking damage, effectively surviving a hit that would have otherwise been fatal.
6. Minion Targeting: During the fight, the bodyguards will target the most recent player who attacked Graardor. Players using weapons with a slower attack speed will be targeted less often in a team, which can be useful, especially when some players have significantly lower defenses.
7. Guthan's Equipment: Guthan's equipment can be used to heal on the melee and ranged minions if desired. Coordinate with your team to maximize healing opportunities. Adjust your inventory to bring fewer brews and more restores if you choose this healing method. Guthan's armor is also suitable primary equipment for tanks.
8. Slayer Task: If General Graardor is your assigned Slayer task, use a Slayer helmet variant of your choice to benefit from its accuracy and damage boost.
9. Amulet of Blood Fury: In tank setups, consider using an Amulet of Blood Fury, which emphasizes healing, defensive bonuses, and prayer bonuses.
10. Goblin Killcount: Goblins are an easy way to obtain Bandos killcount. They also have a chance to drop a hammer (approximately 1/15).

Rewards For Beating General Graardor

Why go through all the trouble to fight and beat General Graardor? Well, the rewards of course. These are the drops you can expect from fighting the General.

100%

Uniques

Weapons and armour

Other

Rare drop table

Tertiary

Take On General Graardor

General Graardor and the entire Bandos challenge can be difficult at first but don't worry. If you've followed our guide from beginning to end, you can take on him and every other tough boss in the game. There's much more to do in OSRS so you might as well start with taking on General Graardor.