Desert strykewyrm

Desert strykewyrms are slayer monsters located east of Al Kharid, over a stile due east of the palace. They can only be killed if the player is assigned to kill them by a slayer master (level 77 Slayer required).

A wyrm initially appears as a mound on the ground; the mound may be still or may move about. Before battle can be initiated with the wyrm, a player assign a desert strykewyrm task must investigate the mound by clicking on it. This causes the player's character to perform the stomp emote, after which the wyrm bursts out of the ground. When the wyrm appears, the player should immediate click on it to start combat, as otherwise a small amount of time will be wasted before combat begins. (Note that doing the stomp emote itself from the emote tab while standing next to the mound will not cause the wyrm to surface.)

If the player is not on a desert strykewyrm task, investigating the mound still causes the player's character to perform the stomp emote, but the wyrm does not burst forth. Instead, the character will then perform the think emote.

The desert strykewyrm standard attacks are melee and ranged. The wyrm will usually use melee and only occasionally use range when the player is next to it. If the player is not next to it, the wyrm will use range.

The desert strykewyrm also has a special attack, which consists of it burrowing under the ground, moving toward the player, and then bursting out, dealing 300 life points to all players immediately adjacent to the wyrm (not just the player fighting it). Running over the strykewyrm right as it bursts out of the ground is very dangerous, as it will hit the player twice with its special attack, for a total of 600 life points.

The special attack can be avoided by running 2-3 squares away from where the attacking player is standing when the wrym starts to burrow. Timing is important; hesitating a moment when the wyrm burrows means it will almost certainly hit. Many players run directly away from the wyrm when it burrows, but this is not the most effective escape tactic, since the wyrm always moves toward where the player was standing when it burrowed and then forward another square. Running off to either side makes it easier to escape. Running toward and beyond where the wrym goes to ground can be the most effective escape tactic, as it is the faster way to put distance between the player and where the wyrm will surface. Timing is very important with this latter tactic, however, as flubbing it is a good way to get hit twice by the special attack.

When running away from the special attack, it is best to click on the ground itself instead of the minimap, as the player can react to the tactical situation in the area. (For example, if another wyrm is doing a special attack, do not click in its path. This cannot be seen on the minimap.) A player should not click on another mound when trying to get away, as the player will run up to (not onto) the mound and stop, which might leave the player too close to the attacking wyrm.

The wyrm's special attack can be disabled by standing near any kind of obstacle.

This special attack on average occurs on average on the order of once every 5-10 attacks. Depending upon how fast the player can kill a desert strykewyrm, this means that a special attack will not occur with each wyrm battle, but a special attack per 2 or 3 wyrms is very likely.

The special attack of the Enhanced Excalibur is very useful for healing in the occasional event you are unable to dodge.

The area is in the desert, so waterskins or an enchanted water tiara are needed here. The Lunar spell Humidify is useful to fill up waterskins. Players may bring a knife to refill their waterskins from nearby healthy cacti.

Be careful where you step! You will get hit 300 life points by running over another player's monster when it goes to ground!

It is also possible to wear desert robes while killing these for higher combat levels (90+) to prevent too much damage.

Drops

 * Coins (extremely common)
 * Nothing (semi-common)

Runes

 * 15 Death runes (uncommon)
 * 2-100 Water runes (uncommon)
 * 15 Law runes (uncommon)

Weapons and armour

 * Focus sight (rare)
 * Rune hatchet (uncommon)
 * Shield left half (extremely rare)
 * 5 Rune javelins (very rare)
 * Mithril battleaxe (uncommon)
 * Rune spear (very rare)
 * Dragon spear (extremely rare)

Seeds

 * Cadantine seed
 * Avantoe seed
 * Kwuarm seed
 * Toadflax seed
 * Irit seed
 * Watermelon seed
 * Poison ivy seed
 * Snapdragon seed
 * Maple seed
 * Yew seed
 * Magic seed
 * Cactus seed
 * Torstol seed

Herbs
All herbs are noted.
 * Grimy guam (1-2)
 * Grimy marrentill (1-2)
 * Grimy harralander (1-2)
 * Grimy tarromin (1-4)
 * Grimy toadflax (1-15)
 * Grimy ranarr (1-4)
 * Grimy avantoe (1-4)
 * Grimy kwuarm (1)
 * Grimy lantadyme (2)
 * Grimy dwarf weed (1-4)
 * Grimy irit (1)

Other drops

 * 2 cooked Swordfish (uncommon)
 * 2 Waterskins (4) (common)
 * Super defence potion (2 doses) (very common)
 * Uncut ruby (common)
 * Uncut sapphire (common)
 * Uncut emerald (common)
 * Uncut diamond (common)
 * 5-10 Potato cactus (noted) (uncommon)
 * 10 Yew logs (noted) (uncommon)
 * 3 Adamant bars (noted) (uncommon)
 * Tooth half of a key (rare)
 * Air talisman (uncommon)
 * Body talisman (rare)
 * Mind talisman (rare)
 * Earth talisman (rare)
 * Fire talisman (rare)
 * Chaos talisman (rare)
 * Nature talisman (uncommon)
 * Water talisman (rare)
 * Level 3 Clue scroll (rare)
 * 120 Pure essence (noted) (common)

Trivia

 * The release of strykewyrms was hinted with the Twitter Clue "Three strykes and they're out" and the Chaos Elemental hint in the Postbag From the Hedge a few weeks earlier.


 * Desert strykewyrms along with the rest of the strykewyrms are the first monsters in RuneScape that make use of Particle Effects.
 * As of 03/09/2010 a bug exists in the game where you can stop Strykewyrms from burrowing into the ground by having a Banner carrier summoned. However this only works when the carrier is close by, i.e. it musn't be stuck behind something.

Desert strykewyrm