Commander Zilyana has two phases in Hard Mode.
Attacks[]
- Melee attack: A single-target slash of her sword; max hit: 1,900
- Mage attack: A multi-target lightning that envelopes every player in the room; max hit: 1,900
Zilyana has a fast attack speed, making her attacks both quick and accurate. During her second phase, she may summon lightning for every attack. The lightning bounces from tile to tile and deals rapid and heavy damage.
Strategy[]
The first phase is similar to the standard fight. Unlike normal mode, Zilyana's health is reduced to 50,000, although because she has two phases, she effectively has 100,000 life points. Once she reaches 0 health, she will become unattackable for 10 seconds. Players should attack her bodyguards with basic abilities to build adrenaline at this time. Slain bodyguards immediately respawn when the second phase starts.
In the second phase, Zilyana can create lightning with each attack, which deal 200-1700 typeless damage per tick if the player stands on them, which can kill players very quickly. Zilyana spawns one for each player in the room. If players continue to run from Zilyana, she will not perform this attack, as she can only use it after attacking a player.
Once Zilyana reaches 0 health for a second time, she will regenerate 50 life points and collapse on the floor while an adrenaline bar quickly fills overhead. Players must use any damaging ultimate ability (Metamorphosis and Berserk do not count, since they only boost the player's damage) before the bar over her head fills. If it fills, she will yell "This isn't over!", restore 25,000 life points, and resume attacking the player. Using Incendiary Shot is discouraged, since Zilyana's adrenaline bar can likely fill before its delayed hit registers.
Onslaught is the ideal ultimate ability for all three styles because it only drains 25% adrenaline after dealing one hit and finishing Zilyana off. Due to its cooldown, it can be used for every other kill.
Sunshine and Death's Swiftness can kill Zilyana through their AoE damage as long as Planted Feet is not used, but she must be the player's current target at the time of the abilities' activation. Zilyana cannot be killed by the AoE if the ability was activated when the player was attacking a bodyguard.
Once Zilyana is dead, kill off the minions and stall adrenaline for the next kill.
Ranged[]
The player should attack Zilyana while running around the room, reducing the amount of times she hits the player and for rangers/magers it will allow Fragmentation Shot and Combust to hit for two times the damage as long as she moves around. Ranged users should use Deflect/Protect from Melee, while Magic and Melee users should use Deflect/Protect from Magic. Both styles can use Soul Split to restore lost health.
Recommended action bar setup for rangers:
- If using a 2h crossbow, Needle Strike should be swapped for Dazing Shot.
Rapid Fire is best used at the start of the kill as moving around terminates it due to being a channelled ability. It is not recommended to use this on the second phase as Zilyana is more likely to hit harder and summon lightning tiles. Snipe is also a channelled ability, but can be used while moving (and have its accuracy increased by 25%) if Nightmare gauntlets are worn.
Onslaught and then Deadshot should be saved for the finishing blow.
Magic[]
Recommended action bar setup for mages:
- If using a staff, Concentrated Blast should be swapped for Sonic Wave.
Cast Vulnerability on Zilyana as soon as she spawns; it persists through her phase change.
Metamorphosis is useful as it boosts the player's magic damage by 62.5% for 15 seconds even while moving.
Asphyxiate is best used at the start of the kill as moving around terminates it due to being a channelled ability. It is not recommended to use this on the second phase as Zilyana is more likely to hit harder and summon lightning tiles.
Onslaught and then Tsunami should be saved for the finishing blow.
Melee[]
The player should attack Zilyana using the hit and run tactic to minimise damage taken. This is vital during the second phase as for every hit she does has a chance to summon lightning in the room. Debilitate is useful as it reduces Zilyana's damage inflicted by 50% for 10 seconds - meleers take more damage than any other style so this is recommended.
It is not advised to use Berserk as Zilyana can hit up to 2800 in a single hit while in Berserk mode, possibly leading to a short and deadly trip for the player.
Recommended action bar setup for 2h melee:
Onslaught and then Pulverise should be saved for the finishing blow; the latter restores 50% of the player's adrenaline upon killing a target.
Recommended action bar setup for dual wielding melee:
Onslaught and then Overpower should be saved for the finishing blow.
Equipment[]
Inventory[]
200 | |||
1000 | 1000 |
The following is only a recommendation.
- Food: Rocktail soup > Rocktail > Shark
- Prayer restore: Prayer potions and prayer renewal
- Combat potions: Overloads > Extreme potions > Super potions
- Adrenaline potion
- Runes for your best spell, if using Magic
- Familiar: Bring a beast of burden, and summon a healer once it is empty.
- Beast of burden: Pack yak > Spirit pack pig (tier 3) > War tortoise > Spirit terrorbird
- Healer: Unicorn stallion and scrolls > Bunyip > Fire/Ice/Moss titan and scrolls
- Emergency teleport, also used to leave the chamber