[RS3] Dragonkin Laboratory (ED2) Guide

The Dragonkin Laboratory is the second Elite Dungeon in RuneScape, designed for 1-3 players to embark on a challenging combat and narrative experience. Located in the Deep Wilderness Castle Ruins, this dungeon offers unique loot, Dungeoneering experience, and tokens as rewards. To tackle this dungeon, players must use the grouping system to form a team of 2-3 adventurers.

Unlike the first Elite Dungeon, the Dragonkin Laboratory is contained within a single map, making navigation and exploration more streamlined. Inside, players will encounter various monsters, some of which can also be killed for slayer assignments. Collecting souls from these slayer creatures is possible in both story and normal modes of the dungeon.

The storyline revolves around Bryll Thoksdottir's call for help. After Seiryu the Azure Serpent was freed from a corrupting influence, Bryll learned about an underground laboratory where cruel experiments were conducted. She seeks the assistance of brave adventurers to explore this laboratory, having set up a safe zone in the surrounding area. The laboratory was once extensively used by the Dactyl Dragonkin in their quest to find a cure for the Stone's curse, but it was ultimately abandoned after a disastrous experiment.

Within the Dragonkin Laboratory, players will face three formidable bosses: Astellarn, Verak Lith, and the Black Stone Dragon. To tackle these dragon foes effectively, players can utilize the Dragon Slayer perk and Dragonbane ammunition, which work on all dragons, including the bosses themselves.

By conquering the challenges within the Dragonkin Laboratory, adventurers can earn valuable rewards and further immerse themselves in the rich lore and thrilling encounters of RuneScape's Elite Dungeons.

Getting there

1. There are several methods to access the Dragonkin Laboratory in RuneScape:

2. Use the boss portal in War's Retreat.

3. Use the boss portal in the Max Guild (requires 99 in every skill).

4. Use a Dragonkin Laboratory teleport, which can be purchased from the dungeon's reward shop or the Elite Dungeon Reward Shop in Daemonheim.

5. Walk east of the Demonic Ruins to the peninsula north of Daemonheim (requires traveling through the Wilderness).

6. Use the Ring of kinship to teleport to Daemonheim, and then run east to the treasure chest. Use the teleport on the chest and select Dragonkin Laboratory (requires completion of Impressing the Locals).

7. Use the teleport on the treasure chest outside The Shadow Reef, the Temple of Aminishi, or The Zamorakian Undercity (requires completion of Impressing the Locals).

8. Use the Grouping System to teleport to the Dragonkin Laboratory with a team.

Levels and equipment

90+ combat

It is recommended to have at least level 90+ in your chosen combat style (Attack & Strength, Ranged or Magic).

90+ Defence

It is recommended to have at least level 90+ Defence.

95+ Prayer

At least 95  and Ancient Curses are highly recommended to improve your damage.

96+ Herblore

Use the best combat potions that you have to increase your hit chance and damage. Overloads are recommended at level 96 .

86+ Invention

Augmented gear with basic perks is sufficient at 86 .

Gear and presets in the Dragonkin Laboratory will vary depending on the player's skill level and whether they are participating in the dungeon solo or in a group. Here are some effective presets for different skill levels and team sizes:

1. Solo Low-Level Preset:

Dragon Slayer Perk

Elder Overload Salve or Elder Overload with Super Antifire Flask

Melee or Ranged Setup (based on preference and combat style)

Food for sustain

Prayer Restore Potions (adjust quantity based on run duration)

2. Solo High-Level Preset:

Dragon Slayer Perk

Elder Overload Salve or Elder Overload with Super Antifire Flask

Best-in-Slot Melee or Ranged Setup

Enhanced Excalibur or a healing special attack weapon

Divine Super Combat Potion or other stat-boosting potions

Food for sustain

Prayer Restore Potions (adjust quantity based on run duration)

3. Group Low-Level Preset:

Dragon Slayer Perk

Elder Overload Salve or Elder Overload with Super Antifire Flask

Decent Melee or Ranged Setup

Food for sustain

Prayer Restore Potions (adjust quantity based on run duration)

Group High-Level Preset:

Dragon Slayer Perk

Elder Overload Salve or Elder Overload with Super Antifire Flask

Best-in-Slot Melee or Ranged Setup

Enhanced Excalibur or a healing special attack weapon

Divine Super Combat Potion or other stat-boosting potions

Food for sustain

Prayer Restore Potions (adjust quantity based on run duration)

The Dragon Slayer perk is crucial for boosting your DPS during the dungeon. Elder overload salves are helpful due to their anti-dragonfire effect, which applies to many enemies in the dungeon. Players may choose to use a full slayer helmet or its upgraded variants for better efficiency against the dragons in the dungeon. Note that generic dragon tasks from Laniakea allow the slayer helmet to work on all draconic enemies in the dungeon.

Remember, gear and presets can be tailored to your playstyle and preferences, and you may need to make adjustments based on the duration of your runs and the level of challenge you wish to tackle.

Overview

The Dragonkin Laboratory is a large underground complex featuring 3 dragon bosses: Astellarn, Verak Lith, and the Black Stone Dragon. As part of the Elite Dungeons series, it is an instanced map with magical barriers that require killing specific enemies to progress.

All dragons in the dungeon can be slain for their respective slayer assignments, making the Dragon Slayer perk highly effective. The "Dragons" task from Laniakea allows players to use the slayer helm on all dragons in the dungeon, including the bosses, significantly boosting efficiency.

Ranged and Magic are viable options in this dungeon. Mechanised chinchompas provide AoE damage, while the Seren godbow's special attack is effective against large monsters. Magic, with the Vulnerability spell and 4-tick auto attacks, results in faster runs overall. Melee is effective for most of the dungeon but may face accuracy issues against celestial dragons and bosses, especially for inexperienced players.

The dungeon includes lava strykewyrms for assignments, providing a safer alternative to wilderness ones. Chromatic and gemstone dragons use normal dragonfire, reducible with Protect/Deflect Magic or antifire protection. Celestial dragons and bosses do not use dragonfire. Extended super antifire potions can be used for the whole dungeon, lasting through Verak Lith and the gemstone dragons.

If not using antifire potions, players should always keep Protect/Deflect Magic active, especially when multiple dragonfire-using dragons attack simultaneously. Soul Split flicking is risky without antifire protection as dragonfire damage cannot be flicked against and can cause instant death with multiple attacks at the same tick.

By carefully utilizing gear and combat strategies, players can navigate the Dragonkin Laboratory and conquer its formidable challenges to earn valuable rewards.

Bosses and minibosses

The Dragonkin Laboratory features three main bosses and several minibosses that can be encountered during the raid. Unlike the main bosses, minibosses do not need to be defeated to progress through the dungeon and function more like common mobs found throughout the area. Their appearance is random, so it is possible to encounter different minibosses in each attempt, adding an element of unpredictability to the raid. Players can choose to engage with these minibosses for additional challenge and potential rewards, but they are not required to be defeated to complete the raid.

Engaging in combat with either the main bosses or minibosses in the Dragonkin Laboratory will grant players rolls on their respective drop tables. Defeating these enemies in normal mode rewards players with 5,000 dungeoneering tokens, while story mode grants 500 tokens.

The minibosses share the same drop table as common mobs found in the dungeon, while the main bosses have their own unique boss drop table in addition to the common mob table.

While the appearance of the minibosses is random, the spawns of these minibosses are set and four of them are always guaranteed to appear in each raid attempt.

Successfully defeating all the main bosses and minibosses in the Dragonkin Laboratory will reward the player with a significant number of tokens - 35,000 tokens in normal mode and 3,500 tokens in story mode. These tokens can be used to access various rewards and unlock new content in the game.

Both bosses and mini-bosses are denoted on the minimap as ().

Sections (group)

This section serves as a comprehensive explanation of the mechanics within the Dragonkin Laboratory. It is particularly beneficial for those starting in group mode, as it provides a general understanding of what to expect within the dungeon. For beginners attempting solo mode, it is also recommended to read through this guide to familiarize themselves with the dungeon's mechanics before transitioning to the solo guide.

In group mode, the focus typically revolves around dealing as much damage as possible while avoiding death, rather than adhering to specific meta rotations or roles. This is especially true for learners, as they may not follow optimized strategies closely. Therefore, the pathing and strategy outlined in this section aim to provide general advice that can benefit groups of all skill levels. Players seeking to further improve their performance may consider attempting the dungeon in solo mode.

A balanced group setup usually includes at least one mage to apply the Vulnerability spell, which enhances the group's damage output. Players can choose between ranged and melee based on personal preference. Coordinating AoE lures in a group can be more challenging, making mechanized chinchompas less effective. However, when dealing with groups of melee enemies, it is advantageous to stand close together to maximize the impact of area-of-effect attacks. The enemies in the dungeon will target the closest player, allowing the damage taken to be distributed among team members with some coordination.

Bosses:

Astellarn

Astellarn is the first of the three major bosses in the Dragonkin Laboratory with 250,000 health.

She utilizes all three combat styles during the fight. Her melee attack involves a bite, while her ranged attack launches celestial arrows. Her magic attack, known as celestial dragonfire, is particularly dangerous, as it has a large cone area-of-effect (AoE) and a 100% hit chance. Although it is possible to avoid the magic attack, Astellarn will quickly adjust her position if she finds that the attack cannot damage the player, making it challenging to completely evade. To minimize damage, it is recommended to stand west of Astellarn throughout the entire fight.

Standing on the west side provides more space compared to the north, which is beneficial when luring neutron stars into the wyrmhole. Additionally, celestial rain, another attack, occurs less frequently in this area. Moreover, positioning west of Astellarn is far enough to avoid getting hit by her frequent melee and ranged attacks, which often occur if standing south of her.

Unlike the other two bosses in the dungeon, Astellarn remains static and does not move from her spot during the encounter.

Mechanic 1: Pulsars

Periodically, Astellarn will summon a pulsar with 20,000 health. These pulsars are dangerous as they explode and cause cannonball-type damage with 100% accuracy throughout the entire arena. The damage they inflict is scaled based on the number of people present in the dungeon, including players outside of the fight. For example, in a trio encounter, each pulsar explosion can deal up to 2,200 damage.

Although the pulsars will eventually despawn after the next one appears, it is crucial to destroy them as soon as they spawn due to their slow rate of appearance. The explosions can pose a significant threat to the group, especially if multiple pulsars are active at the same time. Promptly dealing with the pulsars will mitigate the damage they cause and ensure a safer fight for the entire team.

Mechanic 2: Wyrmhole + Neutron Star

During the battle, Astellarn may target a player as a wyrmhole anchor, indicated by a small bar filling up. Once filled, a black wyrmhole appears either under or around the chosen player, depending on their position. Despite its appearance as a 5x5 black hole, the wyrmhole has a 7x7 area of effect (AoE). It inflicts rapid damage of up to 500 on the rim and up to 2,500 in the direct center per tick if players are near an unstable wyrmhole.

To handle this mechanic, the anchored player should position themselves between two quadrants, ensuring that the celestial rain (explained in the next mechanic) does not completely envelop the wyrmhole. The player should immediately surge or run towards Astellarn when the wyrmhole appears, as this will ensure the most optimal placement.

Following the wyrmhole's summoning, Astellarn will summon a neutron star that targets a player in the arena. The star has 500,000 health and must be lured into the black wyrmhole to avoid disaster. If the neutron star touches any player in the arena, a message will appear, indicating that the star has exploded and dealing 5,000 damage to all players present. Only one star spawns for every wyrmhole, so it is crucial to avoid contact with the neutron star to prevent delays in defeating Astellarn.

To avoid the star's explosion, the group should stay close together and only move when the star has been spotted. This coordination ensures that the star does not explode prematurely while attempting to follow a player. Properly managing the wyrmhole and neutron star mechanics is essential for a successful encounter with Astellarn.

Mechanic 3: Celestial Rain and Phase Shifting

When Astellarn's life points reach 200,000, she will announce, "The cosmic pathways open to me.," triggering the occurrence of celestial rain in one of the four quadrants of the arena. Additionally, Astellarn will begin phase shifting, causing all damage dealt to her (excluding poison) outside a stabilized wyrmhole to be significantly reduced.

The celestial rain starts with a damage of 50 per half-tick, which gradually increases to 550 if players remain standing in it for too long. This damage is soft typeless damage, which means that it can be reduced with defensive abilities. However, players should be cautious when using Resonance to heal from Astellarn's attacks, as the celestial rain will consume the player's Resonance hit.

If the celestial rain completely covers a wyrmhole, it is recommended to restart the fight. The rain periodically changes its position, but it may occasionally remain in the same spot again. When this occurs, the damage is reset to the lowest amount.

In some situations, a wyrmhole might be placed between two quadrants, with one of them covered in rain and the neutron star spawning in the clear section. In such cases, players can use defensive abilities like Debilitate or Reflect while running into the rain to reduce the damage taken. Players should then move out of the rain when the star stabilizes the wyrmhole.

It is crucial to ensure that the entire group is inside the boss arena when initiating the encounter, as the barrier blocking the room will immediately go up once the boss becomes aggressive. If any member of the group is outside the arena, a restart may be necessary. However, in Astellarn's case, she only becomes aggressive when players wander to the southern end of the arena. Thus, it is important to stay within the arena to avoid any issues with the encounter.

Verak Lith

Verak Lith, the black dragon and second boss of the Dragonkin Laboratory, boasts an impressive health pool of 600,000.

In combat, Verak utilizes both magic and melee attacks. His melee strikes have a halberd-like range, but he doesn't actively pursue targets to engage in melee combat, unlike his relative, the King Black Dragon. During group encounters, he may switch targets occasionally. If Verak's primary target is within two spaces of him, he will exclusively use melee attacks. However, if his primary target is three or more spaces away, he will unleash magic attacks that target all players in the arena, dealing up to 4,000 damage. To minimize the overall damage taken by the team in group encounters, it's advisable to have one player serve as the tank, keeping Verak engaged in melee range.

Verak's special attack sequence follows a specific pattern, with a four auto-attack gap between each ability:

1. Magma Spires

2. Elements of the King Black Dragon

3. Magma Spires

4. Black Dragon Dive Bomb

5. Magma Spires

6. Elements of the King Black Dragon

7. Magma Spires

8. Summon Flame Vortex

It's crucial to note that Verak refrains from attacking while executing his special abilities. Players must be prepared to handle each special attack effectively during the encounter.

Mechanic 1: Magma Spires

During the battle, Verak Lith will summon magma spires with a message stating, "Verak Lith slams his tail against the ground, and the earth shakes beneath your feet!" These spires will appear near each player's position and deal up to 2,500 melee damage with a 100% hit rate. To mitigate this damage, it is recommended to use Resonance to heal, as Verak Lith's autoattacks can be somewhat inaccurate, and the predictable nature of this attack makes it easy to anticipate and heal from. Each spire has 15,000 health and must be destroyed, as they provide Verak with complete damage immunity while active. The number of spires generated corresponds to the number of players in the arena.

Mechanic 2: Elements of the King Black Dragon

Verak Lith will launch poison, ice, or shock energy for each player in the room, indicated by the message, "Verak Lith's poison/ice/shock energy ricochets off you and launches into the air!" This attack deals up to 2,000 damage with a 100% hit rate and will land on a random tile near the player, with a 3x3 radius. If the energy is not collected, it will explode, dealing 3,900 damage to all players in the room. Players must quickly absorb the energy by standing on the tile it landed on, which triggers a message stating, "You absorb Verak Lith's poison/ice/shock energy and feel it building up inside you. Find something to disperse it quickly!" After absorbing the energy, players must deposit it into the nearby eggs, but they cannot use the energy on its respective eggs. For example, players who absorbed poison energy must deposit it into the shock or ice eggs. Failure to disperse the energy in time results in an explosion for 9,000 damage to the player alone. As of August 28, 2018, Resonance will no longer heal the damage caused by this attack. However, both types of attack can still be reduced as they are considered soft typeless damage. Using Reflect and Debilitate can help mitigate the damage, but coordination may be challenging in a group.

Mechanic 3: Black Dragon Dive Bomb

Verak Lith will target a player with a black dragon dive bomb, indicated by the message, "A black dragon is dive bombing you! Watch out!" A circle will appear, indicating the starting point, and an arrow shows the direction of the dive bomb. The dragon tracks the targeted player, but there is a short delay before the strike, allowing the player to dodge it immediately. The dragon may use shock, poison, or ice, and all three forms of attack deal up to 6,500 magic damage in a 3x3 area. Players on the edge of the AoE will be hit with a high damage magic autoattack, while players directly in the flight path will be dealt several extremely high damage typeless hits. This damage can be reduced or blocked.

Mechanic 4: Summon Flame Vortex

Verak Lith will yell, "Let the flames melt the flesh from your bones," and a seemingly harmless 3x3 patch of fire will appear at the target's location. However, the fire will soon transform into large flame vortices that rapidly hit nearby players for up to 3,100 damage. Players must immediately run or surge away from the targeted area, as the large flame vortices can extend up to an 8x8 area. The fire does not deal damage immediately; there is a delayed hit. To maximize damage, players can use Death's Swiftness, Sunshine, or the Zaros godsword's special attack after Verak has performed the attack and place it as far away as possible to ensure they are not moved out of their damage-boosting area by the flame vortices.

Black Stone Dragon

The Black Stone Dragon, a formidable gemstone dragon, stands as the ultimate challenge in the Dragonkin Laboratory with a staggering 650,000 health.

This powerful dragon utilizes all three combat styles in battle. Its melee attacks consist of devastating bites, while its ranged attacks unleash deadly gemstone shards, and its magic attacks deliver destructive gemstone dragonfire. The magic attack is especially dangerous, covering a large cone AoE and boasting a 100% hit chance. To optimize positioning and safety during the fight, it is recommended to stand slightly west of the dragon.

The Black Stone Dragon possesses unique mechanics that demand careful attention and coordination from players.

Phase 1:

The initial phase of the battle lasts until the Black Stone Dragon reaches 520,000 health. During this phase, her attack rotation follows a specific pattern:

1. 3 auto-attacks

2. Gemstone Shards

3. 2 auto-attacks

4. Black Stone Dragonbreath

5. Repeat

Mechanic 1: Basic Attacks - Three Combat Styles

The Black Stone Dragon employs all three combat styles during this phase. She uses melee attacks, rapid gemstone shards as ranged attacks, and small black orbs for magic attacks. Her ranged and magic attacks hit all players within range. The magic attacks have a 100% hit chance and cause additional AoE damage if players stand close together. To avoid this extra damage, players should spread apart during her magic attacks.

To optimize protection against her attacks, her target should move slightly away during her magic attack to increase the reaction time to defend against her powerful melee attack, which can hit over 4,000 damage. Her magic and ranged attacks, on the other hand, typically hit around 3,000 damage. The animation of her ranged attack is obvious and long enough for prayer flicking, while her melee attack is often entirely invisible due to animation overlaps.

Mechanic 2: Black Stone Dragonbreath

The Black Stone Dragon occasionally breathes black dragonfire on the area surrounding her current target. This attack has 100% accuracy and can deal over 2,000 magic damage, which may be reduced. Dragonfire protection is not needed for this attack, and it can be easily avoided by moving out of the way. In phase 2 and 3, black dragonfire serves as a typical indicator that the gemstone shard attack is coming up next. In some rare instances, black dragonfire may be used after a gemstone shard attack due to an improper attack rotation.

Mechanic 3: Gemstone Shards

The Black Stone Dragon can release gemstone shards at all players in the arena, indicated by the player's screen shaking. If players do not move out of the way, they suffer 5,000 melee damage, and the dragon will heal from it. Moreover, players' adrenaline will be drained to 0% with a 50% adrenaline gain debuff for 15 seconds. To avoid this devastating attack, players must quickly move away from the shards.

Phase 2:

Mechanic 4: Black Hands

Upon reaching 520,000 life points, the Black Stone Dragon will fly to the middle of the arena, and four black hands will emerge from the shackles in the center. Each hand possesses 80,000 health and attacks players standing adjacent to them, except diagonally. Periodically, the hands will slam the ground, launching a black projectile that homes in on players. This attack has a 100% hit rate and can deal up to 5,500 magic damage.

Players should take note of the animation indicating the incoming projectile, and they can use Resonance to heal from the attack. Additionally, the hands emit smaller shadow hands that deal up to 3,000 damage per tick to players within range. Players can use Flanking switches to their advantage during this phase.

Phase 3:

In this phase, the Black Stone Dragon's attack pattern is as follows:

1. 3 auto-attacks

2. Shadowfire Spiral

3. 3 auto-attacks

4. Shadow Anima Bomb

5. 3 auto-attacks

6. Black Stone Dragonbreath

7. Gemstone Shards

8. Repeat

Note that occasionally the attack pattern may be distorted, such as additional shadow bombs or dragonfire that is not part of the regular pattern. This is rare, but players should be prepared for any variations.

Mechanic 5: Shadowfire Spiral

During this phase, the Black Stone Dragon will gather shadowfire into a spiral formation, dealing up to 4,500 damage per tick to anyone standing on it. Players can easily avoid this attack, as the flames have a 1x1 AoE. While performing this attack, the dragon will also heal slightly.

Mechanic 6: Shadow Anima Bomb

The Black Stone Dragon will occasionally target a random section of the room and launch a shadow projectile that explodes, dealing up to 4,000 typeless damage with a 100% hit rate. The attack ignores general defensive abilities, making it crucial for players to move out of the way. Flanking can be used by players during this mechanic.

Mechanic 7: Outrage

Upon reaching 260,000 health, the Black Stone Dragon will enter a state of invulnerability and fly all over the room. She will launch shadowfire lines at nearby players, dealing up to 4,500 damage per tick. Players can avoid this attack by staying away from her range. After this phase, the fight returns to the start of the final phase, repeating the pattern. Players can use Soul Split and damage-boosting ultimates during the final phases to increase their chances of success.

Mastering the mechanics and coordinating attacks with the team are essential to defeat the Black

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