Barrows

The Barrows activity is an area-based combat activity, released on 9 May 2005, which is popular since it can be very profitable for players. It involves defeating six powerful spirits, or seven after completing Ritual of the Mahjarrat, each with their own special strengths and weaknesses.

The rewards can include pieces of Barrows equipment which can be worth up to 3.2m. The unofficial world for Barrows is world 31. Some players choose to use this world due to the high number of players who go to barrows meaning there are more people to bless/repair your grave if you die. There are also more players in the crypts, making everyone less of a target for the monsters that inhabit the tunnels.

The objective of the Barrows mini-game is to defeat the seven Barrows brothers: Ahrim the Blighted, Dharok the Wretched, Guthan the Infested, Karil the Tainted, Torag the Corrupted, Verac the Defiled and Akrisae the Doomed (after Ritual of the Mahjarrat).

Each brother has his own burial mound. To reach the brother inside, the player must stand on top of the mound and dig with a spade. The player will end up in a small chamber: one of the brother's tombs. In the centre of this tomb, there is a small sarcophagus. When the player opens it, the spirit of the brother buried in that tomb will attack them. The player should then kill the brother and move on to the next burial mound.

The Barrows brothers are fought one at a time. They are very strong, with a very high Defence, so only skilled players should attempt the Barrows game (although lower-levelled players can still do it with the right equipment). Each brother also has a different special attack, which is the same as the set effect of their armour set. Therefore, there are different approaches to killing each brother, and different orders to kill them in.

One of the brothers' tombs will have a tunnel hidden in his sarcophagus, instead of the brother himself. If the player chooses to enter the tunnel, they will enter the Crypts, a series of nine rooms with passages running between them. The rooms are arranged in a 3x3 grid. The player will start out in one of the outer rooms and must find their way to the central room, in which the reward of the activity is hidden. However, 3 out of 4 doors leading to the central room are locked, so the player will have to find the right door by trial and error, while avoiding the monsters that live in the Crypts. The right door to the central chamber will be a puzzle door; the player has to solve a puzzle before they can pass through.

There is a catch: in the Crypts, the player may randomly be attacked by any brother they haven't killed yet. This is why it is important to kill all the other Barrows brothers before going down the tunnel. If the player hasn't killed all the brothers before they enter the tunnel, they should kill them if they spawn, or run and walk to the treasure vault.

When the rewards chest in the centre room is opened, any brothers that were not killed before will spawn. The sixth brother, whose mound the Crypts are in, will always spawn. The player should now dispose of the Barrows brothers that attack, and search the chest to get their reward. The chance of getting a piece of Barrows armour has been speculated to be between 1 in 12 and 1 in 20. The player can also choose not to kill all six brothers before searching the chest, but this will result in a smaller chance of receiving Barrows armour.

Background

 * Main article: Morytania Campaign

The Barrows brothers were powerful, ancient warriors of Saradomin who fought in the God Wars. Their powers were granted to them by a Zarosian Mahjarrat confirmed to be Sliske. As the brothers and their accompanying army progressed further into enemy territory in Morytania, a stranger continued to follow them until the brothers became weaker after establishing a strong reputation as nearly invincible warriors for the course of the war.

Finally, the brothers were grievously wounded in battle and died of their infectious wounds simultaneously in the army's camp. The army spent several days and nights holding off the enemy army to construct burial mounds, the Barrows, to honour the fallen brothers.

As the army began its retreat, the stranger who had given the brothers their powers cast a magical spell on the crypts, corrupting the bodies of the brothers and binding them to guard the Barrows icon. In The Temple at Senntisten, the player is tasked with retrieving the artefact by Azzanadra.

The Crumbling tome, obtained by searching the hut near the mounds or by talking to the Strange Old Man, provides a detailed account of how the brothers came to be buried.

In the quest "Ritual of the Mahjarrat" (released on September 14th 2011) Sliske attempts to add the player to his collection of Barrows Brothers but Akrisae jumps in the way and is converted instead. From that point on he is Akrisae the doomed: he is relatively weak and specialises in prayer.

Minimum

 * Priest in Peril completed.
 * Spade. Players who have forgotten their spades can buy one for 4 coins from the Strange Old Man who wanders about the Barrows or the general store in Burgh de Rott for 3 coins if they have cured the shop owner. Players who didn't bring any coins can quickly get some by killing the Afflicted in nearby Mort'ton, as they drop 3-15 coins frequently. One may also pick up the vials a bit south of the general shop and sell them to the shop.

Recommended

 * It is useful to complete In Search of the Myreque to access a shortcut from Canifis to The Hollows and then the Swamp Boaty from there to Mort'ton.
 * Starting Nature Spirit is useful for faster travel to the Barrows area. Also in the grotto unlocked during Nature Spirit is an altar which works just like the one in the Monastery by Edgeville.
 * The In Aid of the Myreque quest gives access to a bank in Burgh de Rott, which is close to the Barrows. (There are no altars in or near Burgh de Rott, so solely using this bank means prayer-using players will use more Prayer potions than usual. Using this bank can be effective when using food instead of prayer. The nearest altar is in the Nature Grotto to the northwest of Mort'ton, or in Darkmeyer if using Drakan's medallion.)
 * The Darkness of Hallowvale quest allows players to do the Burgh de Rott Ramble activity, which can be used for fast access from the Paterdomus area to Burgh de Rott and then Mort'ton.
 * Fairy ring transportation is helpful for transporting into the area, either ring BKR in the Mort Myre Swamp or ring DLS in the Myreque Hideout tunnels. This requires at least starting A Fairy Tale Part II for access to the fairy rings.
 * Having 500 total NPC level on Temple Trekking is handy because you can tele to Burgh de Rott using the games necklace so you don't have to trek across the swamp.
 * Possibly the best tool to use would be Drakan's medallion due to it offering a teleport to the entrance of Barrows. It is can also provide a teleport to Burgh de Rott. It can only be used by players who have completed The Branches of Darkmeyer up to the point where Vanescula indentifies it as Drakan's medallion.

Suggested skill levels

 * 70+ Strength or 60+ Ranged.
 * 70+ Attack and 70+ Defence are very helpful.
 * 70+ Magic and Desert Treasure completed if you want to use Ancient Magicks.
 * 43+ Prayer. Players are highly recommended to use protection prayers, like Protect from Melee, at level 43, or deflection curses like Deflect Melee, at level 71, to avoid most damage by the Barrows brothers. Be aware that Verac the Defiled will occasionally hit through prayer. The Ancient Curses are slightly more useful than the standard prayers, since they occasionally deflect a few points of damage back on the brothers.
 * Players with 55+ Slayer and 70+ Magic can use Magic dart (if wielding a Slayer staff or Staff of light) since it is has a good damage/gp ratio.
 * 70 in Magic, Attack, and Ranged for black salamander.
 * There is one other way to kill them easily: have level 60 attack, 60 strength, and 60 defence. Attack a brother with a dragon dagger (p++) and get him poisoned, then run behind the sarcophagus and wait for him to die. Nothing can go over the sarcophagus, including magic and ranged.
 * Access to Ancient magicks for an easy method of completing this activity. Use a freeze spell such as ice barrage, and then attack a brother from an angle while using the magic attack for the salamander, as this gives you a safe spot, however this will not work for Karil or Ahrim, as they use attacks that work from a distance.

Other helpful items, quests, and tips

 * A one-click teleport for emergency escapes if things go wrong. An Ectophial (requires the Ghosts Ahoy quest) is useful for escaping and for banking at Port Phasmatys.
 * An Ardougne cloak is also useful, as its teleport is to the Kandarin Monastery, which has altars for recharging prayer. The cloak has a prayer bonus, which also helps conserve prayer points, and is moderately close to a fairy ring by the Tower of Life or to a bank in East Ardougne. Getting the cloak, however, requires completion of at least the easy part of the Ardougne Tasks.
 * If not using fairy rings, the Kharyrll Teleport portal in a Player-owned house is useful for getting to Canifis. 50 Construction is needed to build the portal room, or use of someone else's portal room on a house party world. If using this method then building an altar in a room close to the portal room is recommended.
 * Do not bring Summoning familiars as they cannot be used in the Barrows. Pets may be brought, however.
 * World 31 is the unofficial Barrows world, as it is the house party world which allows players to use each other's houses to restore prayer and teleport to Canifis. World 31 is also widely used because of Barrows clans; a clan will bless your grave if you die and or sometimes give away supplies.
 * Bringing a Falador shield is also useful for its great prayer bonus and to restore prayer points.
 * Due to the 15 March 2011 update, the Ring of wealth now has a particularly noticeable effect on the rewards from the chest, so it is recommended to always bring one.
 * Along with the recommended weapons, a dragon mace has a useful prayer bonus along with a decent special to get rid of the annoying skeletons.
 * NOTE: The only Barrows Brothers that can hit through their respective Protection Prayer Is Verac the Defiled. You will be immune to all of the other Barrows Brother's attacks when using the correct protection prayer. However, Ahrim's stat reducing spells still have a chance to hit you and reduce your defence, strength and attack. Be wary of this because it could bring you low enough to potentially be unable to kill him before your food and potions run out.
 * Completing Ritual of the Mahjarrat will add a new seventh Barrows brother, who's grave is connected directly to Verac's tomb. Only those who have completed the quest can hope to find the Akriase's set when looting the Barrows' chest. Please note that the Salve amulet and Salve amulet (e) will not work on the barrows brothers.

Location
The Barrows is due east of Mort'ton, in Morytania. To reach the entrance of the Barrows, cross the bridge to the east of Mort'ton and follow the path which curves to the north-east. The Barrows themselves are in the enclosed area to the south of the entrance.

Drakan's medallion, available after completing The Branches of Darkmeyer, can teleport players directly to Barrows, but uses one of ten charges when teleporting from anywhere outside of Morytania. There are several other routes to Mort'ton.


 * If the player has done In Search of the Myreque: From Canifis, go south of the Hair of the Dog pub and go through the trapdoor there, entering a small basement. There is a secret door in the south wall of the basement (it is not visible in the main window but can be seen on the mini-map). Click on the door to pass through into a cave, which is part of the Myreque Hideout area. Go south through the cave to a set of large doors. Go through the doors to return to the surface in The Hollows, which is infested with ghasts. Go south and slightly west and cross the bridge that was repaired in the quest. Go south and slightly east to the Swamp Boaty. Use it to sail to Mort'ton, arriving next to the bridge to the Barrows.


 * If the player can use the Fairy rings: Use ring DLS to go to a cave in the Myreque hideout complex. Exit the cave through the south opening and then exit the next cave to the north. The player appears in the main cave near the secret door; just follow the directions above from this cave.


 * If the player has not done In Search of the Myreque: From Canifis or Paterdomus, enter the ghast-infested Mort Myre Swamp through the gate near the Canifis farming patch. Go south and cross the bridge to the winding path that leads to Mort'ton. Follow this path, cross the bridge into the town and continue east to the other side of town where the bridge to the Barrows is located. Note: This route is long and time consuming to travel. Bring energy potions to replenish your running, and explorer rings are somewhat useful (ring 3 recommended). Also Ghasts can turn your food rotten if you don't get away fast enough.


 * If the player can use the Fairy rings: Use ring BKR to go directly to the Mort Myre Swamp and then follow the direction above from the swamp. This ring, however, does not significantly reduce the amount of distance to be traveled.
 * Another alternative, if one hasn't completed In Search of the Myreque, is to enter the swamp and then make their way to The Hollows, as opposed to the Nature altar. See below.


 * An easy route to the Barrows before and following each run can be accessed if the player has completed In Search of the Myreque, has permission to utilise the Fairy Rings, and has completed a set of Ardougne Tasks. This builds onto the use of the Fairy Ring code DLS: by teleporting using the Ardougne Cloak to the Monastery, the altar there can be used to recharge prayer, while running east towards the Tower of Life, the Fairy Ring there can be accessed, transporting the player to Zanaris, where there is a bank to restock. Then, using the Fairy Ring, dial DLS, exit the tunnel south and take the Swamp Boat to Mort'ton, which is just a short walk from Barrows.

Equipment
The equipment a player should wear and carry in inventory depends on the strategy the player is going to use.

Prayer is steadily drained in the crypts and tunnels, so players using protection prayers should bring around 2-5 prayer potions for the Prayer skill Protect from Melee. The exact number depends on the player's prayer level and the efficiency of the strategy the player uses to kill the brothers. An Ancient mace (from the Another Slice of H.A.M quest) or Saradomin godsword can be used to recover some prayer points. A player with a high prayer level who can kill the brothers quickly often only uses one potion, while a player who uses melee against all the brothers may need 4-5. Higher levelled players (100+), with 60 or higher prayer, may be able to complete the Barrows activity without any prayer potions, unless Dharok is in the tunnels.

More potions will be needed if the player plans to play the activity repeatedly without going to an altar to pray between playings.

It is also advised to bring food, such as Monkfish or better (Lobsters may not be sufficient if the player takes a lot of damage), combat equipment, and a fast method of Teleportation (Varrock Teleport is suggested by some because players could sell their loot and restock on things they need at the Grand Exchange). Some players also recommend bringing a holy wrench, as more prayer points are gained from each dose of a prayer potion when the wrench is in one's inventory. Other players regard the wrench as a waste of space, as carrying another prayer potion instead of the wrench will yield more prayer points.

Four of the six brothers are highly vulnerable to Magic, and it is highly recommended to use magic against them – such as Ancient magicks, salamanders, or Magic dart – as other methods will be time consuming. Players who do not pray can wear strong melee armour and still use Magic, as these brothers' low magic defence means they will still be hit often and hard.

It is possible to use safe spots in a very few places when fighting the brothers, which allows the use of ranged and magic without using prayer or taking damage. There are no safe spots in the crypts (the places with the sarcophagi); both the sarcophagus itself and the rocks on the floor block combat. In the tunnels, most rooms and all short corridors do not have safe spots. The long corridors have some rocks in them, which can be used as safe spots. One of the 'corner' rooms (i.e. the north-west, north-east, south-west and south-east ones) has some rocks near the middle of the room, portions of which can be used as a safe spot. (Contrary to some players' beliefs, the rope ladder in the first room, by which the player enters the tunnels, cannot be used as a safe spot.)

Equipment overview
This suggests some types of equipment that can be used. Note that these general suggestions can be overridden with items for a particular strategy, as discussed below.

It should be noted that maximizing magic bonuses is not necessary, as many players find it is quite possible to use spells effectively while wearing near-full melee armour. This does not mean magic bonuses should be disregarded completely, but that one should consider mixing more defensive armour into their set to increase his or her longevity.

Players may prefer to wear a Ring of wealth as it may add supplies such as sharks and prayer potions to the chest, possibly allowing for longer trips. If one feels that they are at risk of dying, a Ring of life should be used instead.

Void knight armour can be an excellent choice for this minigame. It allows players to save inventory space when using multiple attack styles, as only the helmet must be changed to match the attack style. Be aware that this armour has low defence, and is only recommended for players with 80 defence or higher.

Magic using the standard spellbook
One widely used method which is cost-effective is using the Magic Dart spell. This is very accurate on the brothers who use melee and range, but another weapon will be needed to deal with Ahrim who has high magic defence. This method requires 55 Slayer and 50 Magic to use. The maximum hit of the spell is equal to 100 plus the player's Magic level, rounded down, hitting a maximum of 190+ at level 90+ Magic. The lowest max hit that this spell can have is 150.

Over time, this method usually at least earns back the runes that were used, as all of the runes for the spell can appear in the final chest.

Another good spell is Wind Wave, which can be efficiently used on all of the brothers except Ahrim, who has high magic defence. At level 62 magic, players can hit 170 with the spell. If using Fire Wave, most of the time it will take around 10 spells (which is 50 airs, 70 fires, and 10 bloods) to kill one brother, though it rarely occurs.

This method is much more efficient with a Staff of light, with its +15% magic damage bonus. The staff has a special attack called Power of Light. When activated, this special attack reduces any melee damage that is received by 50% for one minute. However, it does not work on Verac as his special ability pierces it. The staff also has a special rune-saving ability; while wielded, there is a 1/8 (12.5%) chance that any combat spell cast with this staff will not use up any runes.



Dwarf multicannon
A Dwarf multicannon is very useful when used to fight in the crypts. It is a ranged weapon, so the player can stand on the opposite side of the sarcophagus from a brother while the cannon fires. (Armour or protection prayers may be necessary until the player gets the sarcophagus between the player and the brother.) The cannon can be set up before clicking the sarcophagus itself to start the fight. The cannon is especially useful against Dharok the Wretched, because of the high damage he can inflict, and Ahrim the Blighted, whose weakness is ranged attacks. Note that, even with a cannon, good armour or protection prayers may be needed against Ahrim, who uses magic attacks, and Karil the Tainted, who uses ranged attacks.

Ancient Magicks
For players who have completed Desert Treasure, Ancient Magicks is a great method to use against the melee brothers because they have low magic defence, but it is one of the more expensive methods if a lot of runes are used. Using the Ancient Magicks method allows for a more prolonged stay at the Barrows. It is recommended to use ice spells because they freeze the brothers and thus cannot attack the player. All runes used in the ice spell can be obtained over time from the rewards chest. However, over time, it is possible to use more runes, especially expensive ones, than you get from the chest. One of the best ways to do this is mixing Ice spells with Blood spells. Using Ice and Blood Blitz means that less food is required, as the player will also be using the Blood effect. This is effective against brothers and monsters in the tunnels.



Black salamander
Players with 70 Attack, Ranged and Magic can use Black salamanders. This is claimed to be one of the best ways to do the Barrows because the salamander has Combat styles for Attack, Ranged and Magic, meaning it is effective against each of the brothers. In practice, it is most effective only against the melee-using brothers, and a melee weapon is faster against Ahrim and Karil. The black salamander can hit up to 2.5 times the player's level in the combat style it is set to. For example, when set to the magic Blaze style, a player with level 70 magic could hit up to 175.

Black salamanders use cheap Harralander tar as ammunition. The downside is that the rewards chest does not give the tar as a reward, so player must constantly replenish it over time by making it or buying more from the Grand Exchange.

Players need to bring Black salamanders and at least 80 Harralander tar (preferably more, just in case) when using this weapon. This method may be combined with the Ancient Magicks method as salamanders can be used diagonally.

NOTE: Red salamanders may be used as Tarromin tar is more cost effective but does less damage.

Balanced offence
The fast way to kill the brothers is to attack their weaknesses. This method uses protection prayers against all six, magic against the melee brothers, melee against Karil, and ranged against Ahrim. Alternately, melee can also be used against Ahrim, as he does not have a strong melee defence, either. (It is possible to use only melee against all six, but fighting the melee brothers with melee takes much more time and expenditure of food or prayer potions or both.)

Some players hesitate to use a balanced offence because they believe they need to clutter their inventory with full sets of armour and weapons for all three combat styles. However, that is not necessary. The basic idea is to maximize magic offence and only bring the key items for the other styles.

Range-only approach
This method is only for the most confident of barrows raiders, +75 range +60 defence +43 Prayer is highly recommended. This method is mainly for "ranger tanks", since you will only be ranging (your attack/strength stats don't matter). Dharok should be tackled first while you have full prayer as he can kill you in a single hit if your prayer runs out. Ahrim should be the last to be faced (as he is weak against ranged).

Melee-only approach
This method is not recommended unless the player has 80+ Attack, Strength and Defence (preferably 90+ Attack to inflict damage more often than missing). Even then, melee will still be more tedious and potion/food consuming than a ranged/magic based approach. This method can be effective for higher level players because they can kill the brothers quite quickly without using much food or prayer potions (0-3 pieces of food eaten and 0-2 prayer potion doses per run). Using a chaotic longsword combined with super/extreme potions and Turmoil or Piety can be effective.

Protection prayers should be used against Karil, and especially Dharok but may not be needed against the others.

Void Knight armour
Some players use Void Knight equipment, because for all three combat styles it has useful set effects as well as fair defence. With this strategy, players always wear the Void knight top, Void knight robe, and Void knight gloves and bring all three Void knight helmets (melee, ranged, magic) and weapons for all three combat styles, switching between the helmets and weapons as appropriate. All other armour slots (neckwear, footwear, ring, shield, and cape) are usually equipped with some combination of magic-boosting armour, to increase magic effectiveness against the four melee brothers, prayer armour, to prolong prayer points.

Players wishing to save inventory slots can dispense with taking the Void ranger helm and a ranged weapon, as melee is just about as effective against Ahrim as is ranged.

If not using prayer, bring good food. The Void melee armour is not as strong defensively as other melee armour. If using prayer, be aware that Void Knight armour does not provide many offensive boosts, although the set effect is still useful.

Other arrangements
For players using prayer, good prayer armour can be used. Proselyte armour can be used even when attacking the melee brothers with magic, since their magic defences are low.

Sacred clay armour can also be effective, because of its transforming abilities.

Freezing and Ranging
This method is very cheap but can be difficult to use. At least 82 Magic and 80+ Ranged are recommended. The equipment used is either Void Knight equipment for damage boost or Armadyl armour. For this method, the player should first kill Karil and Ahrim with prayer as needed. Then, they should kill the melee brothers without using prayer, by freezing them and ranging them so as to avoid the risk of being killed in melee combat.

Multiple Barrows Trips
For making money, it isn't enough to do a Barrows trip every now and again. Sometimes it takes several trips to get a piece of Barrows equipment, even when killing all six brothers every time, although eventually the equipment will be gained. Doing multiple trips can be very profitable. One important aspect of making multiple trips is to minimise the amount of time it takes to return to the Barrows after banking or recharging prayer.

A good technique to do multiple barrows trips is to have the following (this a fast method, but can be altered): Using the above setup, when going to Barrows, wear a ring of duelling. When you are teleporting out of Barrows, use the ring's Mobilising Armies teleport and run east to Oo'glog (be careful, as there are several aggressive creatures there, including the ogress champion, which is level 99, in the way), where you can take advantage of the spa facilities there: After this, run to the bank and get your method for getting to Canifis and simply go back to the Barrows. This method is good as you get extra prayer and life points, and it costs very little to get your prayer and life points up to full. It is also repeatable, as long as you have rings of duelling and teleportation methods to Canifis.
 * Several rings of duelling
 * The ability, and the runes, to cast Kharyrll teleport (requires 66 Magic and Ancient Magicks). Alternatively, a teleport to house (runes or tablet) and a Kharyrll portal in a Portal Chamber (requires 50 Construction). The Ectophial is an alternative for players unable to use Ancient Magicks.
 * Completed As a First Resort.
 * The Salt-water spring will replenish your energy and keep it near 100% for up to 25 minutes (useful for running to Barrows);
 * The Thermal bath will replenish life points and remove any poisons/diseases. It will also give 15%-20% extra life points;
 * The Sulphur spring will replenish your prayer points and give 10% extra prayer points.


 * The House teleport method is more cost effective if you plan on doing more than 100 Barrows runs. It also allows you to keep your normal spellbook.

Another method is to use the bank in Burgh de Rott. It's extremely effective; however, it requires the completion of In Aid of the Myreque. This method will cost extra prayer potions because there is NO altar nearby, however it is extremely useful for players who have not completed Desert Treasure and/or cannot use the Canifis teleport. Check the map for the route.

Those who have completed Branches of Darkmeyer can use Drakan's medallion to teleport to and from the Barrows to Burgh de Rott to bank or, even more conveniently, Darkmeyer to replenish prayer and bank. For those who also have an Ardougne cloak, they can teleport right next to the altar, recharge, then use the medallion to teleport to Burgh de Rott, recharge if necessary, bank, and teleport directly back to Barrows. This only uses up 1 charge per trip, thereby requiring less times recharging, and the cloak teleport is closer to an altar than the medallion is.

Exploring the Barrows
The above-ground portion of Barrows consists of six grave mounds inside a fence. A prayer-using player should prepare to fight the brother in the mound before entering, as preparing after entering the mound will waste prayer points, which constantly drain away when inside the Barrows. To enter a mound, the player just walks on top of it and uses a spade. The player enters a crypt with a sarcophagus in the centre, walks next to the sarcophagus, starts praying if using prayer, and clicks on the sarcophagus. Everytime but once, the brother who is buried there will appear and attack. The player then defeats the brother, climbs the stairs to exit and repeats the procedure at each of the mounds. It is recommended to go in this order: Dharok, Karil, Verac, Guthan, Torag, and finally, Ahrim.

At one of the crypts, the brother will not appear. Instead, the player finds an entrance to a maze-like lower level of tunnels. If the player has not killed all the other brothers in their crypts yet, it is not recommended to enter the tunnels at this time. Once all the others have been killed, the player should return to this crypt and enter the tunnels.

The tunnels contain nine rooms in a 3x3 grid, connected by short and long corridors. The player must find the way to the central room and the rewards chest there. Some of the doors will be locked, so the player must explore.

The room in which the player enters the tunnels has a rope ladder leading out. It will often not have any monsters in it the first time the player enters it (but will if entered subsequently). All other rooms and corridors always have some monsters in them (if only the sixth brother) when entered. When passing through a door, the sixth brother may appear and attack. If he does not appear before the chest is reached, he will definitely appear when the chest is opened. Kill the last brother when he appears. Once the chest is opened, the player can get the treasure by searching the chest.

After the chest is looted, the tunnels start collapsing, which will damage the player. Most players teleport away after looting the chest. Some retrace their route back to the room with the rope ladder to leave via the Burrows (typically to bank at Burgh de Rott).

It is not required to kill all the brothers before looting the chest, but the chance of getting Barrows equipment from the chest increases as more brothers are killed. It is possible to skip every brother but the one in the tunnels.

Killing the monsters in the tunnels (other than the last brother) does not increase the chance of getting Barrows equipment. Some players believe that the other loot from the chest is increased by killing monsters, since a monster kill count is shown on the screen, but this not confirmed.

The brothers

 * For strategies for defeating the Barrows brothers, consult the Barrows Strategies page.

The six Barrows brothers are buried in six different crypts. Players have to enter each brother's crypt by digging atop the mound with a spade. Each brother has a special effect that can activate at random when the brother attacks. Some of the specials are quite dangerous, while others are not. Each crypt contains a specific brother:
 * Dharok the Wretched uses melee and is weak against magic. It is highly recommended to use a melee protection prayer (Protect from Melee) when fighting him, as his special effect is to hit for very high damage when his health is low. He can hit in the 600's when he is almost defeated.
 * Karil the Tainted uses ranged and is weak against melee, although magic can be used a bit less effectively. It is recommended to use a ranged protection prayer (Protect from Missiles) as Karil hits fast and hard. Karil's special effect lowers the player's agility level, which can disrupt running energy regeneration in the Tunnels, but it should not bother you too much. If using melee against Karil, it is advised to attack Karil before Ahrim, as Ahrim's special attack drains attack, strength and defence from the player.
 * Ahrim the Blighted uses magic and is weak against ranged, although melee is almost as effective. It is recommended to use a magic protection prayer (Protect from Magic), although players with high magic levels and good magic armour should fight him without prayer. Ahrim's special effect drains attack, strength, and defence from the player. This is not usually a problem unless the player takes a long time to kill Ahrim and thus has a lot of Strength drained. If this happens, the player may want to recover Strength before finishing the Barrows.
 * Verac the Defiled uses melee and is weak against magic. It is recommended to use a melee protection prayer or some prayer with a high defence bonus (Piety) as this will decrease the chance of him hitting and lower his max hit on you. Verac's special effect is the ability to hit through prayer and defence, so bring food as he can sometimes get several strong hits.
 * Guthan the Infested uses melee and is weak against magic. It is not strictly necessary to use a melee protection prayer against him, although many players do. Guthan's special effect sporadically heals him when he damages the player, by as much damage as he dealt. A melee protection prayer negates Guthan's effect, since he will end up hitting 0 constantly. A player who does not pray and cannot kill Guthan quickly may face a very long battle, which can also cost a lot of food and may be dangerous to lower-levelled players.
 * Torag the Corrupted uses melee and is weak against magic. Many players do not use a melee protection prayer against him. Torag's special effect drains run Energy. Players do not need run energy until doing the tunnels and can easily rest up if needed before entering them. See below for more information about the tunnels.
 * Akrisae the Doomed uses melee and is relatively weak to all attack styles; however, he uses prayer and switches in response to attack. Praying against him in most cases is not recomended. A very useful strategy is usiing Korasi's sword as the magic based special forces him to switch prayers.

Be aware that if you start fighting a brother and leave the crypt or tunnels during the fight (such as accidentally clicking the stairs in a crypt), when you return, you will have to fight that brother again from the start.

Attack plan
The most common plan of attack is to kill the brothers according to how dangerous they are (most dangerous first), leaving the one in the tunnels until last:

One of the tombs is the entrance to the underground, it changes every run. It is recommended to leave this tomb until the end to increase chances of getting an item.


 * Notes:
 * 1) Some players prefer to fight Karil before Dharok, as to allow more special attack energy (for e.g. Dragon claws or a Dragon dagger (p++)) to regenerate for the fight against Ahrim.
 * 2) Players who pray against some brothers but not others should always first fight the brothers they will pray against. Since prayer drain will occur even when not using prayer, this order preserves the most prayer points for the fights using prayer.

Some players who use God spells, like Claws of Guthix, together with Charge against the melee brothers prefer to kill these brothers first. This typically ensures that Charge need be cast only once. Some others prefer using salamanders as their ammunition is very cheap. Order if using magic:
 * 1) Dharok
 * 2) Verac
 * 3) Torag
 * 4) Guthan
 * 5) Karil
 * 6) Ahrim

Tips:


 * Dharok is considered the most dangerous and even most food-using players use prayer against him. Prayer completely negates his special. He is very dangerous if a player does not use prayer or runs out of prayer during the fight, as when he is badly hurt his special can hit extremely high, potentially killing some players in one hit.
 * For most players, it is almost essential to pray against Karil. Using a special attack such as the Dragon dagger's or Dragon claws', along with a Strength/Attack-boosting prayer like Piety, dispatches him quite quickly. However, if no prayer is used, take caution: Karil usually hits quite hard and very often.
 * Some prayer-using players prefer to start with Verac, as his special can inflict damage through prayer. If too much damage is dealt to the player, they can go bank to replenish and kill the remaining five in one return trip.
 * Ancient Magicks players comfortable with how freezing works start with Karil and Ahrim, using prayer, and then go on to Dharok. If done correctly, Dharok can be repeatedly frozen and attacked without being able to hit back.

Prayer Drain
The vengeful spirits of the Barrows brothers constantly drain Prayer at a set rate as long as a player is in a crypt or the underground tunnels. The drain rate is  points every 10 seconds, where   is the "brothers slain" number (visible in the bottom-right corner of the screen). Thusly, as players progress through the activity and kill more brothers, the drain rate of prayer increases from 8 points per 10 seconds to 13 points per 10 seconds (when 5 are killed and thus when in the tunnels for most players) to finally 14 points per 10 seconds (or 15 points per 10 seconds after completing Ritual of the Mahjarrat for Akrisae).

Prayer drain is a particular concern when fighting Dharok the Wretched. Players should watch their prayer at all times since Dharok hits higher when his life points are low. If a player runs out of prayer while Dharok is at low life points, Dharok could deal very high hits and possibly a 1-hit death. It is advised to kill Dharok first so that prayer does not drain too quickly when fighting him.

A common misconception is that The Temple at Senntisten quest stops the prayer drain. This is not true.

Entering the Tunnels


The underground tunnel is a small series of interconnected rooms separated by doors and hallways. Monsters roam the tunnels and one will generally spawn whenever a player opens a door. The monsters that appear are:

Each defeated monster adds 1 to the "kill count". The room in the centre of the maze always contains a chest, inside which are the rewards.
 * Crypt Rats (level 43)
 * Bloodworms (level 52)
 * Crypt Spiders (level 56)
 * Giant Crypt Rats (level 76)
 * Skeletons (level 77)
 * Giant Crypt Spiders (level 79)

Some doors in the maze will be locked:
 * The first room in which the player appears when entering the tunnels is always a corner room and all but one door in it are locked. This room can only be exited (or entered) by the one unlocked route.
 * Of the four doors leading to the central, chest room, only one is unlocked.

The corner room in which the player appears is chosen at random, as are the various doors that are locked.

Players must navigate the passageways while fending off the monsters that attack them, and locate the door that gives access to the chest. The remaining brother(s) that they haven't fought in the crypts will appear at some point. As long as all brothers have not been slain, there's a random chance a remaining brother will appear each time a door is opened. (If multiple brothers have not been slain, they could continue to spawn if a player continues to open doors. The chances are slight but possible that one must fight off more than one brother, as any of the brothers spawned are coded to have priority to attack the player, essentially making the area a multi-combat zone. This is extremely dangerous if different parts of the combat triangle are being used against the player.) Also, as long as all brothers have not been slain, it is certain that a remaining brother will appear when the chest is opened.

Prayer drains in the tunnels, so to save on prayer potions do not drink them while running the tunnels unless a remaining brother appears and attacks. When this happens, drink one dose and activate a suitable protection prayer straight away before drinking any more (and thereafter drink as needed to maintain prayer, as prayer drains quite quickly). When the fight is over let your prayer run down again.

Entering The Chest Room
Once the player locates the operational door that leads to the chest, they will have to solve a simple puzzle in order to open the door. Choosing the correct answer opens the door; choosing a wrong answer resets the tunnels and changes which doors are locked and which are open. NOTE: If you are solving the puzzle monsters WILL still attack you if you are in combat with them. The possible outcomes are shown below:

Please note that the position of the correct answer is not the same each time that particular puzzle is presented; however, the shape itself will always be correct.

As monsters will interrupt your puzzle, you will find it very annoying. To solve the puzzle, go to the other side of the room, wait for the attacking NPC to come to you, and then run to the puzzle door and quickly solve it before the monster catches up. You must be very fast at clicking so it is recommended to memorize the answers well.

The seventh brother
The seventh brother(s) can spawn either when the player opens the chest in the centre of the maze or he can randomly appear when a player opens a door to another room. This can give an advantage to rangers or mages as there are rocks in the hallways which can be used as safespots as shown in the map above. Currently (2 March 2011) there is a glitch in which multiples of the seventh brother can attack players in the catacombs.

Note that if a player enters the tunnels before killing six brothers, any other unkilled brothers may spawn when a door is opened.

Once the seventh brother is dead and the chest room found, players will be able to search the chest, take the loot, and leave the tunnels as soon as possible, either through running out or teleporting. When taking the loot, you should check the ground around you before you leave. If your inventory is full or fills up when the chest is opened, rewards will appear on the ground instead. If you leave, these rewards will not be there when you return!

Players who stay in the tunnels are hit repeatedly by falling rocks, which will cause harm and can kill players with low life points. Some players prefer to teleport out.

If you are under attack when the seventh brother spawns (most likely if they spawn when the chest is opened), the monster attacking you will stop and you can fight the brother.

Rewards

 * NOTE: If you leave without having taken the reward, your kill count of both brothers and crypt monsters will be saved. You can come back any time to finish.

If you have not killed all the Barrows brothers by the time you reach the chest, when you click the chest one will appear and attack you. However, you can search the chest and get the loot without having to kill him. (It is recommended in this case to turn on the proper protection prayer to prevent the brother from killing you.)

Excerpt from RuneScape site: "If you have killed the 6 brothers you stand the best chance of receiving a Barrows item from the chest." Most people believe that a high number of monster kills makes the player have a better chance at getting a barrows item.

People may also believe that getting a higher kill count lowers the chance of receiving a Barrows item; this is not true either. Only the killing of the 6 brothers adds to the chance of getting a Barrows item. Killing the 6 brothers without any additional kill counts often yield Mind runes, Death Runes, Chaos runes, Coins, and a Barrows item as a reward. However, if a player gets one or more crypt monster kill count, they also have an increased chance to receive Blood runes and Bolt racks, however they can still be looted without killing additional monsters.

Barrows/Rewards

An item of Barrows equipment is not a guaranteed reward, even if all six brothers are slain, and receiving an item is fairly uncommon, however the activity is still profitable. The average ratio is one Barrows item in about 4 to 20 chest loots. Although very rare, it is also possible to receive 2 or even 3 Barrows items from one chest. It is even possible to get 2 items from 1 brother, or 2 of the same piece of equipment, for example, two Dharok's platelegs.

You have a better chance to get a better reward (excluding Barrows items) when you are wearing the Ring of wealth.

Music
The following music tracks are unlocked here:
 * Dance of the Undead - In the mound area
 * Dangerous Way - In the crypts and tunnels

Trivia



 * As confirmed in Postbag from the Hedge Issue 44, Sliske did indeed control the Barrows brothers, and granted them their ghostly reanimations. However, the sickness that caused their death is still unknown. They are referred to (by Azzanadra) as Sliske's "Barrows toys".
 * Barrows is another word for a tumulus, which is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave (called a crypt in the activity) or graves, which is probably where the name of the activity comes from (tumulus is Latin for mound, small hill).
 * After the RuneTek5 update, safespotting any of the Barrows brothers has become impossible, because they just move and continue to attack after a few hits (about 2-3). However, they can still be frozen by the Ancient Magicks Ice spells or the Zamorak godsword special attack, and then attacked diagonally with Magic or Range (this includes Black salamanders and Halberds).
 * There is a bug in the tunnels where it is possible to have two or more Barrows brothers spawned. As long as all six brothers have not been killed, there is a chance a brother will spawn each time the player passes through a door in the tunnels. When a brother spawns and is not killed, passing through a door can thus spawn another brother. It is possible to have two (or more) brothers in the same room attacking the player: the player enters the room, spawning a brother, leaves the room (often by accident, as it is easy to click on a door by mistake), and re-enters the room, whereup another brother happens to spawn. This bug still is not fixed. This also affects the monsters in the rooms, for example, you can get a skeleton in a room where there would only be Giant crypt rats and Crypt rats.
 * A game of Barrows is part of The Temple at Senntisten quest. You need to kill all six brothers and loot the chest for a Barrows icon.
 * Due to the quest The Temple at Senntisten, there were changes to the graphics of the Barrows brothers' heads that pop up when a player's Prayer is drained.
 * The Before The Fall wallpaper would suggest the Barrows Brothers used green equipment but the gained equipment is all brown. Also in the FunOrb game Armies of Gielinor, the Saradomin Strikes campaign shows that the equipment was originally brown.
 * On 25 May 2010, Barrows received an update: while standing north of the area, thunder can be heard.
 * The Barrows mounds go in order of age in clockwise formation. Ahrim is in the centre, Dharok in the north-east mound, Guthan in the south-east one and so on.
 * The Brothers' names are in alphabetical order from oldest to youngest (Ahrim, Dharok, Guthan, Karil, Torag, Verac).
 * Each Brother is specialised in a certain combat skill: Ahrim>Magic, Dharok>Strength, Guthan>Constitution, Karil>Ranged, Torag>Defence, Verac>Attack, and Akrisae>Prayer. This is also shown in their Special Attacks.
 * The Barrows Brothers in their undead form could be based on Barrow-Wights from JRR Tolkien's middle earth. The barrow-wights lived in hills/burial mounds called barrow downs and were sent there to prevent the resurrection of an old kingdom. Similarly, the barrows brothers live in burial mounds and are guarding the barrows chest to prevent players looting it.

Barrows (minipeli) Barrows Barrows