General Graardor OSRS Boss Guide
God Wars Dungeon - Medium difficulty
Updated September 2026
General Graardor leads Bandos' forces in the God Wars Dungeon and is the only reliable source of the Bandos chestplate, tassets and hilt. He hits hard with melee and a ranged ground slam, backed by three sergeants who each use a different combat style. He is the classic first GWD general for melee accounts and a mainstay of Bandos armour farming. This guide gives you a practical starting route, loadout direction, and decision-first checklist so you can get into consistent kills faster.
Quick Profile
AKA
Bandos
Location
God Wars Dungeon (Bandos chamber)
Requirements
70 Strength
Suggested Style
Melee
Encounter Type
Boss Room
Boss Overview
General Graardor is a boss room in thegod wars dungeon bracket. God Wars encounters are trip-efficiency fights where sustain and reset quality directly affect profit.
Graardor attacks mostly with melee but has a ranged ground slam that hits everyone in the room for 15-35, usable only when you are within melee range. His sergeants - Strongstack using melee, Steelwill magic and Grimspike ranged - chip away constantly, so most trips involve killing the right sergeants between boss kills to control incoming damage.
For a first kill, protect from Melee against Graardor and kill Sergeant Steelwill first to remove the magic damage that bypasses your prayer. Solo players either trap him with the door-and-altar method or run a ranged kiting setup, while teams simply stack on him and out-sustain the damage. Leaving the room resets his health and stats, so never retreat mid-kill expecting a free reset.
Your current setup should match your trip objective. If you are learning mechanics, favor sustain and control. If you are already consistent, add damage gradually.
Maximize safe kill volume per trip, then scale aggression.
How The Fight Works
Entry Setup
Open each run with a consistent setup routine to reduce avoidable errors.
Core Mechanic Loop
Use the same clean mechanic cycle each kill for General Graardor before adding optimizations.
Trip Sustain
Preserve supplies with low-risk choices so your average trip value stays stable.
Bank and Repeat
Reset quickly, review one improvement point, and keep run volume high.
Kill Method
1. Build your kill count
Kill the goblins in the Bandos antechamber to earn the 40 kill count required to enter the chamber.
2. Fight with Melee
Graardor is a melee-focused fight — bring a strong melee setup and Protect from Melee. Keep your spec weapon (e.g. BGS or Dragon claws) for the start of the kill to push through his defence.
3. Control minion damage
Graardor's three minions (Grimspike, Strongbones, and Sergeant Steelwill) hit hard between kills. Control them between kills or reset when supplies run low.
4. Loot the uniques
Bandos chestplate, tassets, boots, and the Bandos hilt. The pet General Graardor completes the room's long-term goals.
Prep Checklist
- Lock one stable loadout before you chase max DPS variants.
- Pre-plan your inventory around your expected trip length.
- Set one clear objective for each trip (KC, task, uniques, or practice).
Recommended Loadout
Scythe crushes Bandos. Bring BCP+tassets switch when scythe runs out. 2:1 method or 6:0 for solo.
Video Guides
Bandos Quick Guide - Solo Melee
by QuickOSRS
OSRS Solo Bandos Guide for Noobs - 6:0 Method
by King Condor
Mechanic Checklist
Minion control and clean room cycles matter more than one fast kill.
- Kill Sergeant Steelwill first between kills so your Protect from Melee actually covers the damage you take.
- If you need to bank, finish the kill first - Graardor's health and stats fully reset whenever the room is empty.
- His ranged ground slam only fires while you are inside melee range, so you cannot avoid it by stepping back one tile.
Common Mistakes
- Over-prioritizing damage upgrades before mastering mechanics.
- Bringing too many switches and losing consistency under pressure.
- Staying too long on weak supplies and losing overall hourly value.
Progression Targets
- Stage 1: Build a reliable General Graardor starter setup in Gear Picker and secure consistent clears.
- Stage 2: Optimize trip length through cleaner mechanics and inventory control.
- Stage 3: Add a stronger DPS variant and compare real run outcomes.
- Stage 4: Finalize a shareable General Graardor loadout set for your ongoing route.
Notable Drops
- Bandos chestplate
- Bandos tassets
- Bandos hilt
Boss FAQ
01What setup style should I start with for General Graardor?
Start with a Melee setup focused on consistency, then tune damage once your kill flow is stable. Build and test your own setup in the Gear Picker before long trips.
02Is General Graardor good for profit?
General Graardor can be strong for profit depending on your kill consistency, trip length, and unique drop luck. Prioritize repeatable clears over risky max-DPS setups.
03How should I use Gear Picker for General Graardor?
Create one baseline loadout, one safer sustain loadout, and one upgraded version. Share each link so you can compare and discuss setups quickly.
04Should I use Best in Slot Finder or Gear Picker for General Graardor?
Use Best in Slot Finder for recommendation-first starting points, then use Gear Picker to build and refine the exact setup you will actually run.
Sources & methodology
XP rates, requirements, and drop data in this guide are cross-checked against the OSRS Wiki and verified against in-game behaviour. Grand Exchange prices move daily, so treat GP/hr figures as estimates and confirm current prices with the OSRS Wiki price tracker before committing to a method.
Darren started playing the original RuneScape 2 back in the day and came back when Old School RuneScape launched. He's played on and off over the years and built OSRSToolkit to give players a single place to find reliable tools, calculators, and guides — all informed by real in-game experience.