Runebound behemoth



The Runebound behemoth is a Dungeoneering boss monster encountered on the Occult floors, requiring a Dungeoneering level of 71 to encounter and fight. It is a Behemoth created by imbuing Rune magic onto it as a way of taming them and making them more powerful. This method was developed by Lexicus Runewright.

The behemoth is a large beast with the ability to use all three protection prayers simultaneously. While these prayers are active, it is invulnerable to any damage, except vengeance and poison damage. However, within the room are three active crystals (mage, range, melee) that must be deactivated to remove the respective protection prayer for a few seconds. Players must wait nearly 30 seconds before deactivating each crystal, meaning that 2 attack styles are advised for faster killing. It mainly attacks with both range and magic if no protection prayers of the player are activated. If a player activates Protect from Magic, the monster will exclusively use its range attacks, and vice versa. It will also use melee if the player gets within melee distance.

Like other behemoths, if a player runs under the Runebound behemoth, it will trample the player under its body, hitting between 300 and 400. Caution should be taken when entering a room and running to deactivate a crystal. It will trample you immediately if you stand under it for even a second. This is unlike other behemoths, where you have to wait for several seconds to be trampled. Getting trampled will result in "The beast tramples you." It deals much more damage from its other counterparts when getting trampled.

The Runebound behemoth also has a special attack, in which it first roars charging energy, then scatters yellowish balls of acid into the air. This is a magic spell with a short delay before hitting the floor and thus hitting you. Massive damage is dealt from this attack, up to 900 damage each time, which cannot be nullified by Protect from Magic. It can only use its special attack if none of the 3 crystals are deactivated at any one time, and stops using it when even one of them is deactivated. Whenever it uses this special attack, he resets his protection prayers and the crystals do not become active again, meaning you having to wait another 30 seconds if you had just activated them.

Many players do not like this boss because you have to run around to deactivate the crystals and it hits very hard, which annoys players. If low on health and this boss targets you, use your gatestone/group gatestone teleport to prevent death. Most of the time, when all other players are in the room, it will end up right by the entrance of the room, so the player the behemoth has targeted must run to an adjacent room to get the boss out of the entrance to prevent those coming in from getting trampled.

At higher levels, it can kill players with ease, so wearing a full set of melee armour and using protect magic will help avoid a quick death from its ranged attacks. Wind Surge seems to be somewhat effective on him, but not that much. Fire spells will barely hit him, so avoid using those spells. Mages with soul runes can help by lowering its attack, defence, and its max hit, which makes players more happy.

There are currently three known ways to avoid its special attack.

The first and most efficient method can only be performed right before entering its room. While it is roaming through its room, the behemoth will periodically shout "Rraaaaawr!" and perform the special attack animation as if it was using the special attack, but no orbs will be launched. About 2 seconds after the animation ends, quickly enter the room and deactivate one of the crystals to prevent it from using the attack again, then keep making sure there is always at least one crystal deactivated.

The second method is to teleport outside when the Runebound behemoth starts charging the special attack and re-enter a little bit after, once the acid has disappeared. The acid seems to target one spot, not the whole room.

The third and most dangerous method is to run away from the acid orbs as they quickly approach you.

Strategy
The idea is to constantly move between the crystals to de-activate one of the Behemoth's protection prayers, while changing attack styles. If a player carefully watches the protection prayer sigils over the monster's head, there should be no problem with the special attack. Dress for protect against range (or melee); and pray against Magic.

By bringing in two types of attack, and running between the appropriate two crystals, the boss is easily defeated without it being able to get off a special attack. Moderate food (10 Bouldabass, eg) is all that is needed, depending on player combat level.

For example, a player might bring in range and melee weapons. Carefully avoiding being stomped, the player runs to the Warrior Crystal, disables the boss's anti-Melee prayer and attacks. When the Melee prayer sigil re-appears over the monster's head, the player then runs to the range crystal and switches to a range weapon.

The boss will continue to take damage, and as the crystals are alternately de-activated, it will not be able to generate its powerful special attack.

It is also possible to simply stand behind one of the crystals to prevent the boss from using its standard ranged and magic attacks. This makes a solo strategy involving a single attack style workable, but will not prevent the Behemoth from using the special attack.

The best way to do this is to just deactivate two of the crystals, since the behemoth will "block" you from getting there, and the trample attack is too high and too fast, so the crystal of the mage and warrior should be deactiavted. The beast will get the prayer back BEFORE the crystal gets activated, so deactivate the other one before it gets to its special attack.

Solo Strategy
It is possible to solo the Runebound behemoth with a good tactic. This strategy needs 64 Magic to be done correctly. All you will need is a lot of cosmic and law runes. First, create normal gatestone outside of the boss room. When he activates his special attack, quickly run into room to the crystal, which matches with your attack style (for example: If you're attacking with magic, run to Mage Crystal). Drop group gatestone at it and attack the behemoth. When behemoth regains his prayer, quickly teleport out of room using your normal gatestone. Create gatestone and drop it in front of boss room. When he activates his special, teleport to your group gatestone, de-activate the crystal and attack him again. Repeat this technique until he's dead.

Drops

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Runebound behemoth