Dark beast

Dark beasts are level 182 monsters found on the path to the Temple of Light and inside Kuradal's Dungeon. They require level 90 Slayer to kill. They are the only creatures to drop Dark bows and the only one besides Dragon implings to drop Death talismans. A dark beast can attack using magic or melee, but it only uses magic if the player initiates combat against the beast. If the beast initiates combat, it only uses melee. Since dark beasts are always aggressive regardless of how long the player has been present, players can avoid the magic attacks simply by having auto-retaliate activated and allowing the dark beasts to initiate combat. This allows players to safely kill dark beasts through use of the Protect from Melee prayer or the Deflect Melee curse.

For Slayer tasks, dark beasts are only topped in potential risk by Mithril dragons.

Locations

 * The Mourner Tunnels
 * Kuradal's Dungeon

Mourner tunnels
The dark beasts are in the tunnels between the Mourner headquarters in West Ardougne and the entrance to the Temple of Light.

When entering from the headquarters, the player must wear Mourner gear and have the New Key to enter the tunnels from the Mourner headquarters basement. Mourner gear can be obtained during and after the Mourning's Ends Part I quest, but the player must have started the Mourning's Ends Part II quest to obtain the new key and enter the tunnels.

The new key is easily obtain in the Mourner headquarters and can be readily discarded once in the tunnels to free up an inventory slot. Mourner gear is not well suited for fighting dark beasts, so players prefer to switch to prayer or melee gear once in the tunnels. Mourner gear takes up six inventory slots which could otherwise be used more efficiently. The gear and is sufficiently time consuming to obtain, however, so many players prefer not to discard it once in the tunnels. This leads players to seek other routes to the dark beasts.

After Mourning's Ends Part II, players can go to the Death altar via the Abyss and then reach the tunnels via the Temple of Light. This method requires the Crystal trinket from the quest to be in inventory to reset the light beam in the temple. This route is somewhat long and dangerous, however, as both the Abyss and the temple have aggressive monsters.

After the Within The Light quest, players can have Eluned help them add a Temple-of-Light teleport to their Teleport crystals. This teleport is a very fast and safe way to reach an area near the dark beasts and avoids cluttering inventory with Mourner gear, keys, or trinkets.

Kuradal's Dungeon
The dark beasts are deep in Kuradal's Dungeon, in the chamber before the final one containing the iron and steel dragons.

The entrance to the dungeon is in the Ancient Cavern. There are three ways to reach the entrance, two of which are dangerous, as discussed in the Kuradal's Dungeon article.

General
Players should turn on auto-retaliate, as this allows players to avoid the dark beasts' magic attacks. A dark beast can attack using magic or melee, but it only uses magic if the player initiates combat against it. If the beast initiates combat, it only uses melee. Dark beasts are always aggressive, so players using auto-retaliate can simply allow the beasts to initiate combat.

The melee attack of dark beasts is accurate and moderately high hitting, which means even well-armoured players will frequently take damage. Many players believe this makes it impractical to take food, use self-healing items like Guthan's set, or use most Summoning familiars like Bunyips. Instead, protection Prayers are recommended: either the Protect from Melee prayer or the Deflect Melee curse. Deflect Melee has an advantage in that some of the damage the dark beast would have inflicted is deflected back on the beast itself.

A weapon with a good slash bonus is recommended, as well prayer equipment with high prayer bonuses. Dark beasts can be slain using melee, ranged, or magic. If a Dwarf Cannon is used, then prayer equipment with higher magic defence is recommended, such as Monk's robes instead of Proselyte armour, as the cannon will occasionally cause dark beasts to use their magic attack. (This occurs when the cannon is running but the player is not currently in combat with a dark beast. In this case, the cannon will fire at all dark beasts in range, which counts as the player initiating combat.)

Recommended equipment
 * Slayer helmet or Black mask (if on a Slayer task) &gt; Helm of neitiznot &gt; Proselyte sallet &gt; Initiate sallet
 * Proselyte hauberk &gt; Monk's robes &gt; Initiate hauberk
 * Proselyte cuisse or Monk's robes &gt; Initiate cuisse
 * Gloves:
 * For strength bonus: Barrows gloves &gt; Combat bracelet
 * For prayer bonus: White gloves (only +1, so many players prefer to go for strength bonus instead)
 * Boots:
 * For strength bonus: Dragon boots &gt; Rune boots &gt; Climbing boots
 * For prayer bonus: Bandos boots or White boots (each only +1, so many players prefer to go for strength bonus instead)
 * Amulet of fury &gt; Amulet of glory &gt; Amulet of Strength or God stole
 * Soul Wars cape &gt; Ardougne cloak 3 &gt; Achievement cape(t) &gt; God cloak or Fire cape
 * Saradomin godsword &gt; Other Godsword &gt; Abyssal whip or Saradomin sword
 * Falador shield 3 &gt; Unholy Book &gt; Book of balance &gt; Falador shield 2 &gt; Rune defender &gt; Dragonfire shield
 * Ring:
 * For better chances at "rare drop table" items: Ring of wealth
 * For fast access and damage bonus: Ferocious ring (only for Kuradal's Dungeon)
 * For combat bonuses: Onyx ring (i) or Berserker ring (i) depending on personal preference &gt; dragonstone ring (i)
 * For prayer bonus: Explorer's ring
 * For safety: Ring of life or Ferocious ring

An alternate but somewhat risky method is to use prayer flashing. This method uses virtually no prayer points if implemented correctly. It is recommended to set protect from melee to your quick prayer and allow the beasts to initiate combat, as they will only use melee if they initiate combat. Since the Runetek 5 update, the method for prayer flashing has changed. To use this method, turn on your protection prayer before the enemy attacks, and turn it off the instant they attack. Using a weapon with the same attack speed as your enemy will help you time your flashes. This is risky, because if you get "off beat", your enemy can deliver unexpected damage, so it is best to wear good armour and bring a bit of food. However, if used properly, prayer flashing will eliminate the need to buy/bank for food on slayer tasks, and can extend your trips by literally hundreds of kills.

Melee using high stab defence
Players with high Summoning may wish to use the Unicorn stallion for its scroll effect and wear armour with high defence against stab attacks. This method is riskier than the general strategy, as a string of successive dark beast hits can cause a lot of damage, but is slightly cheaper. Super defence potions are necessary to avoid taking hits too often and an Abyssal whip is recommended over a Godsword to maximise defence.

Recommended equipment
 * Slayer helmet (if on a Slayer task) &gt; Black mask (if on a Slayer task) &gt; Torag's helmet - Guthan's helmet
 * Torag's platebody - Dharok's platebody &gt; Bandos chestplate
 * Torag's platelegs - Dharok's platelegs &gt; Bandos tassets
 * RFD gloves &gt; Combat bracelet
 * Dragon boots &gt; Rune boots &gt; Climbing boots
 * Fire cape &gt; Cape of accomplishment - Obsidian cape
 * Amulet of fury &gt; Amulet of glory &gt; God stole &gt; Amulet of Strength
 * Abyssal whip &gt; Dragon scimitar or Saradomin godsword &gt; Godsword
 * Elysian spirit shield &gt; Dragonfire shield
 * Ferocious ring (if killing them in the Kuradal's Dungeon as a Slayer task) &gt; onyx ring (i) &gt; dragonstone ring (i) &gt; Ring of life or Explorer's ring

Melee using Guthan's set
With Guthan's set and other healing gear and familiars, it is possible if care is taken to melee dark beasts without using prayer constantly. The danger as always is that a string of successive dark beast hits can cause a lot of damage, faster than Guthan's can heal it. It is best to have high Defence and Hitpoints (80-85 or more recommended), use at least a Bunyip as a healing familiar, and boost combat stats using Super sets. The special attack of a Saradomin godsword is also useful but not absolutely necessary. A fast slash weapon like an Abyssal whip can be brought, switching to the slower Guthan's warspear when healing is needed.

The key to this strategy is to watch hitpoints carefully. When they fall to about two-thirds normal level, the player should use healing gear. If they fall to about 30 or less, the player should take special measures. One measure is to bring 4-6 pieces of high-healing food (Monkfish or better; Rocktails are especially useful) and eat a piece when at low hitpoints. Another measure is to bring one prayer potion and turn on a melee protection prayer when hit points are low, turning it off when Guthan's heals hitpoints higher.

This strategy works if the player will collect and bank the more-valuable drops from the dark beasts (such as items worth about 2,000 coins or more). By the time the prayer potion or food is exhausted, the player is likely to have a full inventory. The player can bank, restock, and return to kill more dark beasts. If, however, the player is only collect the highest-value drops, then more prayer potions or food may need to be brought.

Recommended equipment
 * Guthan's helmet (optional if on a Slayer task: Slayer helmet &gt; Black mask, switching to Guthan's when needing to heal)
 * Guthan's platebody
 * Guthan's chainskirt
 * RFD gloves &gt; Combat bracelet &gt; Regen Bracelet
 * Bandos boots or Dragon boots &gt; Rune boots &gt; Climbing boots
 * Fire cape &gt; Cape of accomplishment or Obsidian cape
 * Amulet of fury &gt; Amulet of glory &gt; God stole &gt; Amulet of Strength
 * Guthan's warspear (if using weapon switching: Abyssal whip or Saradomin godsword)
 * Bring only if using a 1-handed weapon occasionally: Elysian spirit shield &gt; Dragonfire shield
 * Ring:
 * For better rare drops like dark bows: Ring of wealth
 * For fast access and damage bonus: Ferocious ring (only for Kuradal's Dungeon)
 * For combat bonuses: Onyx ring (i) or Berserker ring (i) depending on personal preference &gt; dragonstone ring (i)
 * For prayer bonus: Explorer's ring
 * For safety: Ring of life
 * Inventory: Super set, Emergency teleport, one Prayer potion or 4-6 Monkfish or better (Rocktails are very useful)

Ranged
Wealthier players with more time may choose Ranged over Melee. Advantages include the ability to use a Cannon without being 'half-blasted' and less risk during connection losses as well as the convenience of easy places to Range from. Disadvantages include a greater Prayer drain and the cost of ammunition. A crossbow is recommended over a Crystal or Dark bow to utilize the shield slot for a prayer bonus.

Recommended equipment
 * Armadyl helmet &gt; Blessed coif or Mitre &gt; Seers' headband 3
 * Armadyl chestplate &gt; Karil's leathertop - Black d'hide body or Proselyte cuisse - Monk's robe (top)
 * Armadyl plateskirt &gt; Karil's leatherskirt - Black d'hide chaps or Monk's robe (bottom)
 * RFD gloves &gt; Black d'hide vamb
 * Ranger boots &gt; Snakeskin boots or White boots - Bandos boots
 * Ava's accumulator or Cape of accomplishment &gt; God cloak
 * Amulet of fury &gt; Amulet of glory or God stole
 * Rune crossbow &gt; Toktz-Xil-Ul or Crystal bow &gt; Dark bow
 * Unholy book &gt; Falador shield 3 &gt; Falador Shield 2 &gt; Spirit shield
 * Ferocious ring (if killing them in the Kuradal's Dungeon as a Slayer task) &gt; archers' ring (i) &gt; onyx ring (i) &gt; dragonstone ring (i) &gt; archers' ring

Other notes
Recommended inventory:
 * Many Prayer potions if using a protection prayer strategy.
 * Food or other healing abilities and Super defence potions if not using protection prayers.
 * Super attack and Super strength potions if attacking the beasts with melee.
 * A teleport ability that is worn or takes up no more than one inventory slot, for fast banking. If the player's strategy risks taking damaging, this teleport should also be single-click for use in emergencies.

Players who have done Within the Light or Nomad's Requiem and wish to use protection prayers without having to use expensive prayer potions can do the following:
 * Wear a Soul Wars cape.
 * Wear an Ardougne cape 3.
 * Have in inventory one Teleport crystal that is attuned to the Temple of Light.
 * When prayer runs low, use the cloak to teleport to the Kandarin Monastery, recharge prayer, and use the crystal to return to the tunnels.
 * For a banking run (such as to deposit loot or swap a discharged crytal for a charged one), also teleport to the Kandarin Monastery, pray, and then run north-east to the east bank in East Ardougne.

Tiny elf crystals are a fairly frequent drop by Elf warriors, so players can readily obtain them and have Eluned charge quite cheaply (only 150 coins on the 5th and subsequent charging). Even a single dark beast drop is often worth more than this, making this method extremely economical.

Note that the Kandarin Monastery teleport of the Ardougne cloak 3 is 1-click, making it an emergency teleport as well as for fast praying and banking.

Dark beasts are quite large and cannot fit into several places along the edges of the tunnels, making these places Safe spots for players using ranged, magic, or long melee weapons like Halberds.

100% drop

 * Bones
 * poo on toast?

Coins

 * 64, 95, 152, 220, or 3000

Charms
Please add your charm drop rates to the next template: 
 * Blue (common)
 * Crimson
 * Gold
 * Green

Weapons

 * Dragon spear (rare)
 * Rune spear (rare)
 * Rune two-handed sword (rare)
 * Rune battleaxe (rare)
 * 5 Rune javelins
 * 20 Adamant javelins
 * Black two-handed sword
 * Black battleaxe
 * Black hatchet
 * 42 Rune arrows (rare)
 * 150 Steel arrows
 * Dark Bow (rare)

Armour

 * Dragon medium helmet (rare)
 * Rune chainbody
 * Rune full helm (rare)
 * Rune kiteshield (rare)
 * Rune sq shield
 * Adamant sq shield

Runes

 * 47 Air runes
 * 10 Chaos runes
 * 67 Nature runes
 * 45 Law runes
 * 3, 4, 5, or 45 Death runes
 * 7 Blood runes

Herbs

 * 1-2 grimy herbs, all types except Toadflax, Snapdragon, Torstol, Spirit weed, and Wergali

Other

 * Adamantite bar
 * Attack potion (3)
 * Death talisman
 * Cut Dragonstone (rare)
 * Ferocious ring (only in Kuradal's Dungeon)
 * Loop half of a key
 * Tooth half of a key
 * Nature talisman
 * Rune bar
 * Shield left half
 * 1-2 cooked Sharks
 * 100 noted Silver ores
 * Uncut Gems

Trivia

 * Dark beasts had an unmentioned graphic update that came out with the Dark bow.
 * Most players find it more profitable to kill Abyssal demons than dark beasts. Even though the dark bow drop rate from the beasts is the same or better than the Abyssal whip drop rate from the demons, the whip sells for more and abyssal demons only require 85 slayer, as opposed to 90 slayer for dark beasts. Also, abyssal demons can be killed significantly faster than dark beasts because the demons have fewer hitpoints (unless a cannon is used, in which case the kill rates are still only about the same).
 * Dark beasts were involved in the God Wars, as evidenced by the Revenant dark beasts that roam the Wilderness. It was likely they served Zamorak as it is known that he preferred to use creatures from other planes.
 * Living dark beasts have a significantly higher combat level and hitpoints than their Revenant counterparts but are much less dangerous.
 * There are two dark beast statues at the entrance of Iban's Temple.
 * Dark beasts used to be the monster requiring the highest slayer level (90), until the release of Ice Strykewyrms, which require level 93 slayer.