Brutal black dragons

Safespottable dragons in the Catacombs of Kourend, dropping bones, hides and a steady flow of alchable equipment.

MembersIntermediateLow riskLow attention

Brutal black dragons are the highest-value dragon task in the game, and unusually the money comes from the dragonhide and bones rather than from any rare. Every kill pays, which makes the rate steady rather than swingy.

They hit extremely hard with dragonfire, so an extended antifire and a dragonfire shield are not optional extras — they are what makes the fight survivable at a sensible food cost.

The Catacombs of Kourend is the usual location because the spawns are close together and the Slayer helmet bonus applies throughout. Ranged from a safe distance is the standard approach and it removes most of the incoming damage.

This is a Slayer-gated method rather than something you can do on demand. If you want to farm it, extending the task or using a Slayer ring to return is worth more than any gear upgrade.

What you actually do

1Take a black dragon task and travel to the Catacombs of Kourend or the Lithkren vault.
2Use an antifire and Protect from Melee, and fight them one at a time.
3Pick up the dragonhide and bones; both are worth carrying.
4Bank when supplies run out.

Getting the most from it

Extended antifire plus an antifire shield means the dragonfire stops mattering, which is what makes these viable.
They hit hard for their level. Protect from Melee is not optional at lower Defence.
Ranged from a safespot is slower but far cheaper in supplies if you are learning them.