Dark beast/Strategies

Dark beasts are not aggressive after the Evolution of Combat. If a player attacks them with melee, they'll attack with melee too, even if the player runs behind any obstacle/monster (out of the attack range of the beast) and comes back. If the player uses range/magic at long-range, dark beasts will attack with magic.

Dark beasts use incredibly strong attacks, capable of hitting often on players using mid-high level gears. They are, however, weak to bolts, so using a crossbow of a decent level will be enough to kill them.

Ranged
Ranged is the best way to kill Dark beasts after the Evolution of Combat. When using this method, you will most likely be hit with large amounts of magic damage, so use Magic prayers or Deflect Magic, unless you can use Soul Split. Anguish is optional, but only if you can kill one Dark beast within 15 seconds, otherwise you will slowly lose your prayer.


 * Helm: Full slayer helm/Focus sight (task only) > Superior death lotus hood > Death lotus hood > Pernix coif > Morrigan's coif > Armadyl helmet > Karil's coif
 * Body: Superior death lotus body > Death lotus body > Pernix body > Morrigan's leather body > Armadyl chestplate > Karil's top
 * Chaps: Superior death lotus chaps > Death lotus chaps > Pernix chaps > Morrigan's leather chaps > Armadyl chainskirt > Karil's skirt
 * Gloves: Tracking gloves > Pernix gloves > Mercenary's Gloves > Armadyl gloves
 * Boots: Glaiven boots > Pernix boots > Armadyl boots
 * Weapons (2h): Royal crossbow > Zaryte bow > Karil's crossbow
 * Weapons (Dual): Ascension crossbow and Off-hand ascension crossbow > Chaotic crossbow and Off-hand chaotic crossbow > Karil's pistol crossbow/Armadyl crossbow and Karil's off-hand pistol crossbow
 * Ammo: Ascension bolts > Royal bolts > Bolt rack > Runite bolts
 * Aura:
 * Cape: Completionist cape > Max cape > Skill cape
 * Amulet: Demon Horn Necklace (with Bonecrusher) > Farsight Sniper Necklace > Saradomin's murmur > Amulet of fury > Dragon Rider Amulet > Amulet of glory
 * Ring: Ferocious ring (Kuradal's Dungeon only) > Ring of wealth

Note: Only use the demon horn necklace if you can use Soul Split and have brought a Bonecrusher with you. You can substitute the demon horn necklace with the Split Dragontooth Necklace if needed as both restore the same amount of prayer.

Recommended Prayers

 * Soul Split, Anguish

Recommended Abilities

 * Binding Shot, Bombardment, Fragmentation Shot, Piercing Shot, Dazing Shot or Needle Strike, Rapid Fire, Ricochet, Regenerate

Melee
Melee is the alternative way to kill them, however due to the beasts now being classified as mages, melee attacks will not hit as often on them and one should expect a kill in 20 to 30 seconds depending on weaponry and boosted stats. Avoid attacking multiple beasts at one time. Dual-wielding is needed otherwise kills will be even longer.


 * Helm: Full slayer helm/Slayer helm/Black mask (task only) Superior tetsu helm > Tetsu helm > Torva full helm > Bandos helm > melee-based Barrow helms
 * Body: Superior tetsu body > Tetsu body > Torva platebody > Bandos chestplate > melee-based Barrow platebodies
 * Legs: Superior tetsu legs > Tetsu legs > Torva platelegs > Bandos tassets > melee-based Barrow platelegs
 * Weapon: Drygore mace/Drygore longsword/Drygore rapier and off-hand variants, Chaotic longsword/Chaotic rapier/Chaotic claw and off-hand variants
 * Gloves: Pneumatic gloves > Torva gloves
 * Boots: Steadfast boots > Torva boots > Bandos boots > Dragon boots
 * Amulet: Demon horn necklace (with Bonecrusher) > Brawler's Knockout Necklace > Saradomin's whisper > Amulet of fury > Dragon Rider Amulet > Amulet of glory
 * Ring: Ferocious ring (only in Kuradal's dungeon) > Ring of wealth
 * Aura:
 * Cape: Completionist cape > Max cape > Skill cape

Note: If using prayers you can substitute the demon horn necklace for the split dragontooth necklace. Both give the same amount of prayer from the bones. Remember to take your Bonecrusher!

Recommended Prayers

 * Soul Split, Turmoil, Deflect Mage

Attack

 * Slice, Slaughter, Flurry, Backhand, Havoc

Strength

 * Assault, Berserk, Destroy, Kick, Punish, Decimate

Note: Only use one of the two (Backhand/Kick, Havoc/Decimate) as both reset once that skill is used.

Locations
Dark beasts can be found in two locations:

Temple of Light
The Dark beasts here are rarely killed because players are required to do a lengthy amount of quests and inventory spaces. Until the quest Within the Light is completed, players who wish to come here must kill a Mourner, wear all of their equipment, and use a key to open a door to the tunnels. This wastes many inventory spaces, and you will also need to recover lost health as the area has no banks, meaning you also waste a few pieces of food to recover the lost health from re-equipping your armour.

Dark beasts in here are numerous however, and are found throughout the tunnels. There is also a Runite rock nearby if you want to mine it if you feel the profit is too slow. When Within the Light is finished, you can use your Tiny elf crystals to teleport to the Temple of Light, removing the needed to grab mourners equipment and drops you nearby the Dark beasts. You can always recharge your crystals by giving them to Eluned, who charges a small fee in doing so.

Another way to get here, cost-free, easier (if you don't have the crystal) but slightly dangerous way is to take the Abyss. This will require a prayer potion to combat the prayer drain however. Upon entering the Abyss, take the Death Altar, leave the altar, and then switch the light beam towards the teal door. Then run to the Dark beast's location, which is not far from here. Upon ending the trip, make sure you go back, and use the Surge ability to bypass the barrier, and head back to the altar to fix the beams so you can return.

Kuradal's Dungeon
The Dark beasts here are often killed because of their relatively close proximity to a bank. However, the only problem with this location is that you must be assigned Dark beasts by Kuradal in order to kill them. There are six Dark beasts in a small room, so you do not have to wander far to attack another one. There are shortcuts along the way to help you reach them, but you need 90 Agility to make use of it.

General
Dark beasts aren't the best of droppers (their Dark bow is currently coins each). However, they do drop a fair number of Blue charms frequently, helpful for players if they cannot take on the harder monsters like the Kalphite King. They also drop a large number of items from the Rare drop table, and their relatively high slayer level means not many players able to kill them. They can also be a good source for parts of the Triskelion key, as they have a requirement of 90 Slayer and key pieces can be obtained from slayer monsters that require a Slayer level of 80+. One can camp them for a very long time when using the correct gear and prayers.