Black dragon

{{#NewWindowLink:2007:Black dragon|}}

This article is about the the standard variant. For the variant encountered while Dungeoneering, see Black dragon (Daemonheim).

[view]
**Black dragons** are powerful monsters like all other adult dragons. An anti-dragon shield, a dragonfire shield, or an antifire potion or even both of them is highly recommended when fighting them as it can reduce the maximum hit of their breath from about 5000+ to around 500. They are level 100. They are not as popular as the weaker blue dragons and green dragons, but their chance of dropping the much coveted Draconic visage and their guaranteed drop of black dragonhide makes them worthwhile to kill. Players must kill a black dragon during the Freeing Sir Amik Varze part of Recipe for Disaster. A black dragon slayer task can also be completed by killing baby black dragons, the King Black Dragon or the Queen Black Dragon.

The hide and bones give each black dragon kill a guaranteed drop value of 5,967 coins, in addition to their possible drops of runes and rune equipment.

## Locations

Black dragons can only be found in four locations across RuneScape:

* Taverley Dungeon - Requires dusty key or level 70/80 agility for use of shortcuts (There are only two).
* Lava Maze Dungeon in level 55 Wilderness (Two dragons).
* Evil Chicken's Lair after starting the Sir Amik Varze subquest of Recipe for Disaster (Four dragons). (A raw chicken is required to enter the Evil Chicken's lair, but there are two chickens right outside the entrance, and a rope to access the baby black dragon.)
* Daemonheim - Warped floors.

### Taverley Dungeon

This location is usually not crowded, because there are only two dragon spawns, and it is also a considerable distance from a bank. However, if a player has yet to complete the Sir Amik Varze subquest of Recipe for Disaster, which is needed for the Evil Chicken's lair, this is the best location. It is highly recommended that players have at least 70 agility (65 if you eat a summer pie) for the shortcut to the blue dragons to save yourself a lot of walking. The other shortcut is the "Taverley dungeon spiked blade shortcut" which requires an agility level of 80 (75 with a summer pie) to overcome the obstacle. Players under approximately 110 combat may want to bring an antipoison in case they get poisoned by a spider. Use the Taverley lodestone for a quick banking method. If players want to hunt these dragons, it's highly advisable that you gain access to the Evil Chicken's lair. If a player has been assigned black dragons as a task and have yet to unlock the Chicken's lair, it's advisable that you kill baby black dragons to finish the task.

It is possible to safespot black dragons, despite their use of a magical attack in addition to their dragonfire; while standing next to the fire obelisk, their magical attacks cannot reach you. Their weakness, crossbows, cannot reach the dragons from the safe spot, but weapons with a farther range, like Shieldbows and the Zaryte bow, can.

### Lava Maze

The main problem with this location is not the risk of PKers, but the remote location, as PKers are not often seen in such deep wilderness, especially if in an unpopulated world. Antipoison is recommended in case you are poisoned by spiders. You must get past the Lava Maze above, which makes it undesirable for PKers to kill players. The nearest banking spot would be the Mage Arena, but it is still dangerous. You can use the Wilderness obelisks to teleport to lower levels of the Wilderness, then teleport out with a Home teleport spell.

### Evil Chicken's Lair

This location is the best and most recommended area to kill black dragons. The lair is accessible during and after the Sir Amik Varze subquest of Recipe for Disaster and requires a raw chicken to access. There are two chickens near the altar in case you forget to bring a raw chicken. This is the best location to hunt them because Zanaris bank is close by. After the Evolution of Combat update, there is no longer a safespot since dragons can use magical attacks. There are several spawns to satisfy several players. For players who use super-antifire potions, it is recommended to take some before entering the lair, as one of the dragons spawns close to the portal.

Note: If you haven't finished the subquest, you could still kill the black dragons as many times as you wish. However, the drops will be black dragonhide, dragon bones, and the dragon token. If the player picks up a dragon token and keeps it, they would receive normal drops.

## Strategy

*See main article: Black dragon/Strategies*
## Drops

### Other Items

1. ↑ Only while on a Slayer challenge from Vannaka.
2. ↑ Only during the Fur 'n' Seek wish list.
3. ↑ Only with RDT drops.
4. ↑ Must be 99 Summoning.
5. ↑ Estimated at 1/13,099 using gathered Adventurer's Log data as of 18 September 2012

### Rare drop table drops

This monster has access to the rare drop table.
 The ring of wealth is **not** required to access the table.

## Trivia

* In RuneScape Classic black dragons were the strongest monsters in RuneScape until the release of the King Black Dragon.
* They are the only chromatic dragon to drop the draconic visage.
* Like all other dragons in RuneScape, besides the King Black Dragon, the black dragons received a graphical update on July 5, 2010.
* Black dragons are the rarest of the chromatic dragons: there are 4 in the Evil Chicken's lair, 2 in the Wilderness, and 2 in Taverley dungeon.
* They were, for a long time, regarded as the weakest monsters in the game that drop the draconic visage, due to the difficulty in killing Iron dragons and Skeletal Wyverns. Although Frost dragons are easier to kill, they require 85 Dungeoneering and a reasonably higher combat level to fight than Black dragons. Frost dragons use all three types of combat and dragonfire, as opposed to the black dragon's regular attack and dragonfire, therefore making them quite an easy target for Draconic visages.
* For some time, black dragons had a higher combat level than the King Black Dragon
* Prior to 17 June 2013, these monsters were weak to arrows. The update changed their weakness, along with those of other Chromatic dragons, to bolts, enabling players to exploit their weakness without need for super antifire potions or the Protect from Magic prayer.

fi:Black dragon
nl:Black dragon