Old School RuneScape (OSRS) has long been known for its deep lore, intriguing quests, and challenging bosses. With its vast and ever-expanding world, players are constantly treated to new adventures and challenges, with some bosses becoming the focal point for many high-level players. One such boss that has been introduced in recent updates is Scurrius, The Rat King—a formidable and challenging encounter in the world of Gielinor.
In this guide, we’ll take a detailed look at how to prepare for and defeat Scurrius, along with strategies for managing his unique abilities, mechanics, and OSRS gold he offers. Whether you’re a seasoned player looking to tackle a new challenge or a novice wanting to learn the ropes, this guide will provide you with everything you need to know.
Introduction to Scurrius the Rat King
Scurrius the Rat King is a new boss added to OSRS as part of a recent update. Found deep within the Rat King’s Lair, located in a hidden part of the Forthos Dungeon, Scurrius presents an exciting new challenge for mid-to-high-level players. As a mutated, sentient rat who commands an army of rats, Scurrius is an unusual but captivating boss, combining traditional boss mechanics with a thematic twist.
He has a reputation for being one of the more difficult bosses to tackle, thanks to his ability to summon swarms of rats to overwhelm the player, along with his powerful attacks that can quickly deplete health if you’re not careful.
How to Access Scurrius the Rat King
Before facing Scurrius, players must first access his lair. This requires gaining entry to the Forthos Dungeon, which is situated beneath the Forthos Ruins. To reach this dungeon, follow these steps:
Location: The Forthos Ruins are located just south of the Hosidius House in Kourend, a region accessible after unlocking the Kourend & Kebos area via the Kourend Diaries or completing certain quests such as Client of Kourend.
The Forthos Dungeon: The dungeon is unlocked through a special series of steps involving the Forthos Ruins Key, a rare item dropped by the dungeon’s preliminary enemies. Players must fight their way through the dungeon to locate the entrance to Scurrius’ lair.
The Entrance to Scurrius’ Lair: Once inside, you’ll need to navigate through rat-infested tunnels before reaching the area where Scurrius resides. This involves defeating various rats and other dungeon creatures that guard the way.
Preparing for the Fight
Before stepping into the lair of Scurrius the Rat King, preparation is key. The fight against Scurrius is challenging and requires specific gear, supplies, and a good understanding of his attack mechanics. Here’s what you’ll need to prepare:
1. Gear Setup
Weapons: Scurrius has a mix of melee and magic-based attacks, so a hybrid setup is ideal. For optimal damage output, use a high-damage ranged weapon such as the Blowpipe, Karil’s crossbow, or Dark Bow. If you prefer to use melee, Chaotic weapons or a Scythe of Vitur work well for dealing with the rat swarms.
Armor: Since Scurrius deals both physical and magical damage, equip defensive armor to minimize the impact of his attacks. The Karil’s set or Armadyl set for ranged damage, or Karil’s, Ahrim’s for magical defense, are excellent choices. Void Knight gear is another solid option as it provides bonuses for both ranged and magic, increasing your versatility.
Special Weapons: If you’re looking to maximize your damage output, bringing special attack weapons such as the Dragon Claws or Armageddon can give you an edge, especially during phases where you need to deal burst damage to Scurrius.
Protection Prayer: You’ll need to equip Protect from Melee or Protect from Magic depending on the attack Scurrius is using at the time. His minions also deal both ranged and melee damage, so make sure to keep your prayers up at all times.
2. Supplies
Potions: Bring a variety of potions to help you throughout the fight. Key potions include:
Super restore potions (to restore Prayer points).
Saradomin brews or Sharks (for healing).
Prayer potions (to keep your Protection prayers up).
Ranging potions or Magic potions (for boosting your damage).
Food: Saradomin Brews, Sharks, or Anglerfish are ideal as they provide both high healing and useful boosts for your stats.
Teleportation: Having an emergency teleport such as Home Teleport or a Teleport to House tablet is highly recommended in case things go awry. Xeric’s Talisman can also be useful if you’re close to the dungeon entrance.
Scurrius’ Mechanics
Understanding Scurrius’ abilities and the fight’s mechanics is essential to success. The fight can be broken down into several phases, each with its own unique challenges. Scurrius is also assisted by his loyal army of rats, which adds an additional layer of complexity to the fight.
Phase 1: The Summoning of Swarms
Rat Summon: The Rat King’s primary attack during this phase involves summoning swarms of Rats. These rats come in waves and can overwhelm unprepared players quickly. They are weak but numerous, and they deal high damage if they swarm you. Use Area of Effect (AoE) abilities like Chinchompas or Ice Barrage to quickly deal with the rat swarms.
Sonic Rat Call: Occasionally, Scurrius will use a sonic screech, summoning even more rats while dealing damage to all nearby players. This attack requires fast movement and pray against magic if you’re too close.
Phase 2: The Rat King’s Fury
After Scurrius has summoned several waves of rats, he will enter a frenzied state. This is when his attacks become more powerful, and he begins using his Rat Fury attack. During this phase:
Rat King’s Lunge: Scurrius will start using a powerful lunge attack that can hit over 50 damage if you’re caught in the area of effect. Make sure to step back or use safe spots to avoid this attack.
Rat King’s Charge: Scurrius will charge at the player, and if hit, will deal damage while reducing defense stats. Be prepared to eat, restore prayer, and move quickly during this phase.
Phase 3: The Final Stand
In the last phase, Scurrius begins to use all of his abilities simultaneously while summoning a final wave of giant mutant rats. These rats are much stronger and faster than the previous waves, and they can take out unprepared players quickly.
Rallying Cry: At this stage, Scurrius can cast a buffing ability, increasing his damage and defense. His rats will gain a temporary damage boost. The key to success in this phase is to manage your food, stay focused on keeping Prayer up, and use AoE attacks to control the rats.
Rat King’s Death Curse: When Scurrius falls to low health, he will begin emitting a death curse, which deals consistent damage over time to all players within range. Players must either move out of range or quickly finish him off.
Strategy and Tips
Movement is Key: Always keep moving to avoid the Rat King’s Lunge and Sonic Rat Call.
AoE Attacks: Use AoE weapons and abilities to clear out rats quickly before they become overwhelming.
Keep Prayer Up: Protect from Magic or Melee is vital to survive.
Know When to Eat: Don’t wait until you’re low on health—eat proactively to avoid surprise damage.
Focus on Scurrius: While the rats are a nuisance, focusing on Scurrius himself will eventually bring the fight to a close.
Rewards
Upon defeating Scurrius, players are rewarded with a variety buy RuneScape gold, including:
Rat King’s Crown: A unique cosmetic item.
Rat King’s Tail: A rare drop used to create the Rat King’s Scythe, a powerful weapon.
Large amounts of Experience: In Ranged, Magic, and Defence depending on your combat style.
Special Seeds or Keys: These items can be used to unlock additional dungeons or powerful items.
Defeating Scurrius the Rat King is a challenging but rewarding encounter. With the right preparation, strategy, and understanding of his mechanics, you’ll be able to add this monstrous rat to your list of slain bosses in Old School RuneScape. Good luck, and happy hunting!