Skeletal Wyvern/Strategies

Skeleton wyverns are a dangerous foe. The below lists generally accepted strategies to make defeating skeleton wyverns easier.

Slayer Master Tip
"Skeletal wyverns are extremely dangerous, and they are hard to hit with arrows as they slip right through. To stand a good chance of surviving, you'll need some elemental shielding from their icy breath."

Armour
There is much dispute as to what is the most effective setup when killing Skeletal Wyverns. A number of options are listed below. For each case, there are numerous players that consider it the best strategy.

Melee: Proselyte armour
This setup comprises:
 * Slayer helm > Helm of neitiznot
 * Proselyte armour > Initiate armour
 * Soul Wars cape > Ardougne cloak 3/4 > Cape of Accomplishment (trimmed)
 * Amulet of fury > Stole > Amulet of glory
 * Dragonfire shield > Chaos shield > Cosmic shield > Body shield > Mind shield > Elemental shield
 * Gloves (barrows) > Regen bracelet
 * Dragon boots > Bandos boots

The player uses the Protect from Missiles/Deflect Missiles prayer to reduce damage, sacrificing some melee defence in favour of a high prayer bonus. (High-level players with 95+ Prayer may choose to use Soul Split on Ancient Curses to eliminate the need for food.) The player may also choose to use Turmoil, Piety or weaker accuracy-boosting prayers to speed up kills, but at greater cost. At least one Prayer potion will be needed using this setup, and more if using boosting prayers. Players who have the Reverence Aura can increase their prayer usage. This Aura decreases the rate prayer points are lost and increases the prayer points restored. Verac's armour combines a good prayer bonus with a good melee defence.

Melee: Barrows/Bandos armour
This setup comprises:
 * Slayer helm > Helm of neitiznot
 * Bandos chestplate and Bandos tassets > Barrows armour
 * Fire cape > Cape of Accomplishment (trimmed) > Soul Wars cape > Ardougne cloak
 * Amulet of fury > Amulet of glory > Amulet of power > Stole
 * Dragonfire shield > Chaos shield > Cosmic shield > Body shield > Mind shield > Elemental shield
 * Gloves (barrows) > Regen bracelet
 * Dragon boots > Bandos boots

In this alternative, players simply tank the Wyverns by maximising their range and melee defences and disregarding protection prayers. High level food like Shark or Monkfish is recommended. The player's prayer points can instead be used on Piety or Turmoil, and bringing at least two Prayer potions is strongly advised, as well as being easily paid for by the Wyvern bones collected. Another effective option is to wear Guthan's armour, using a one-handed weapon but bringing the spear along. When you need extra healing, or are trying to conserve food, go outside the entrance and attack the ice giants and warriors to heal yourself. This slows down trips, but greatly increases the number of Wyverns you can kill in one trip.

Ranged: Armadyl/Dragonhide armour
By far the best choice for players ranging Skeletal Wyverns is the Armadyl chestplate and Armadyl chainskirt, although Black dragonhide armour will suffice. The player may then choose to add prayer bonus using a Stole and Soul Wars cape / Ardougne cloak, etc. or to add accuracy and defence using an Amulet of ranging, etc. A higher prayer bonus will save money on Prayer potions, while a higher Ranged bonus allows for faster kills. Using the Protect from Missiles/Deflect Missiles prayer is strongly advised.

Weapons
There is also dispute as to the most effective attack style when fighting Skeletal Wyverns. Wyverns have a high resistance to stab and range, a moderate resistance to slash and a weakness to crush. Given that one of the correct shields must be worn while fighting skeletal wyverns (mentioned above) - and, that most of the powerful crush weapons, such as the Chaotic maul and Dharok's greataxe, are 2-handed weapons - a crush weapon can't be used without risking heavy damage from the ice breath attack.

Melee: Slash

 * Chaotic longsword > Chaotic Rapier (slash) > Abyssal whip > Korasi's sword > Dragon scimitar

For most players, one of the above weapons will deal the fastest possible damage. Regardless of the chosen weapon, either Super attack and Super strength or the Extreme potion. Special attack energy should be used to heal with Enhanced excalibur, which will also eliminate the need for Super defence if the player has it available. The Soul Split curse can greatly help here to keep health replenished.

Melee: Crush

 * Chaotic maul* > Dragon mace > Tzhaar-ket-em > Dragon battleaxe > Ancient staff

The dragon mace has the slight advantage of a +5 prayer bonus and a good special attack, but in general this setup is unlikely to be effective in regards to speed or damage. It may be the best option for players with lower than level 70 Attack, who cannot wield the abyssal whip, chaotic weapons or Korasi's sword. Even with 70 or higher Attack, these weapons may still be a better choice due to the wyverns' weakness to crush. The ancient staff is the fastest of the recommended crush weapons, but also the weakest, and it also gives a slight penalty to Prayer. The obsidian mace may be enhanced by wearing a Berserker necklace, but this also sacrifices some accuracy. Needless to say, a Super set will be essential, preferably with an Enhanced excalibur in the inventory, if available.


 * Note that the chaotic maul is a highly effective method of killing wyverns, but involves very high risk as the player will be without protection from the wyvern's breath. Soul Split and/or Unicorn stallion are recommended if using the maul, but may still not be effective enough, as the wyvern's breath can very easily hit over 500 against players without protection. This becomes particularly dangerous if the wyvern freezes the player.
 * Be prepared to be laughed at if using Ancient Staff.

Ranged: Rune/Chaotic crossbow

 * Chaotic crossbow > Rune crossbow

Wyverns can be killed with range from a distance, causing the player to only have to worry about their ranged attacks. When using Protect from Missiles/Deflect Missiles, no damage will be taken if you stand far enough away. The range of the Wyverns' icey breath attack is 6, while the range of their ranged attack is 7. As long as you are at least 7 spaces away ranging, you will never be hit. The great drawback here is that the wyverns are highly resistant to range attacks, and except for Ranged pures, killing this way will take significantly longer than when using the aforementioned melee methods. Level 80 Ranged is highly recommended, and the use of Ranging potion and/or prayers such as Eagle Eye or Rigour will help in increasing the speed of the kills. It is also important to note a ranging safespot can be utilised by trapping it on one side of the entrance cave, and ranging it from there. This method can only be used if they are unaggressive.

The Dwarf Multicannon can also be assembled and used to speed up kills, but once again the wyverns are resistant to it and the bones may no longer cover the cost of the ammo used.

Familiars and Potions
It is possible to last vast amounts of time at wyverns collecting bones with a Pack yak familiar and Soul Split. By using the Pack Yak's "Winter Storage" scrolls to deposit bones into your bank, combined with a decent weapon (for example, a Chaotic Longsword), Deflect Melee, and Soul Split almost all the damage done by the wyverns can be negated.

If you cannot summon a Pack yak, then the Unicorn stallion or Bunyip familiar will most likely be the best option, as wyverns inflict damage quite reliably.

All melee strategies work best when combined with a Super set or Extreme set; rangers should also bring Ranging potion.

Evaluation
There is no perfect method to kill skeletal wyverns. Players may have to sacrifice speed for cost and vice versa. All these methods have their own advantages and disadvantages and it is really up to the player to decide which method best suits them. However high Prayer and Summoning levels are certainly extremely beneficial.

Tips

 * Heal while frozen. You cannot move or attack, but can still eat food, or activate Enhanced excalibur's special attack.
 * While ranging, it is possible to use a safespot. The safespot is the entrance cave, you can trap it on one side and range it from there.
 * If you are standing by the cave entrance, you can go through it while frozen, and simply wait safely for the effect to wear off.
 * Skeletal Wyverns are not vulnerable to the effects of the Salve Amulet or the spell Crumble Undead. Although they are made of bones, they are not classified as undead creatures but rather as animated bones.
 * Dragon Slayer Gloves do not have any effect on Skeletal Wyverns because they are not classified as dragons (even though they drop the Draconic Visage).
 * The Antifire potion has no effect on the wyvern's ice breath attack; neither do Ice gloves.
 * Always bring a healing familiar, such as a Bunyip, or a Beast of burden such as a Spirit terrorbird to carry extra food.
 * A Bolt pouch may be useful, as the player can collect dropped Mithril bolts, Adamant bolts and Runite bolts all in one inventory slot.
 * "Walk" the Wyvern, by constantly walking through it, to get it closer to the door ensuring a close emergency exit.
 * If Ranging Wyverns and protecting against ranged, try to get as far away from the Wyvern as possible. As the Wyvern's ice breath has a lower range than its ranged attack, it will only use its range attack, which will be completely nullified by the protection prayer, therefore negating the need to eat food. However, bring a few pieces of food or a Enhanced Excalibur in case the Wyvern near you begins to attack you after another Wyvern has been killed, as the damage stacks.
 * Once they become non-aggressive, there is a safe spot for rangers where they can't attack you at all. That's because their ranged attack has a shorter range than your crossbow on long-range mode, and if you trap them you won't get attacked. This is also possible on rapid-style but becomes more difficult.
 * Cannons are allowed and will make your kills faster for the cost of less profit.