How Much XP are Frost Dragon Bones?
The answer to the burning question: Frost dragon bones grant 280 Prayer XP when offered at an altar, or 210 XP when buried. This makes them one of the most efficient bones for training Prayer in RuneScape, particularly for Ironmen or players aiming for a specific Prayer level quickly. Now, let’s delve deeper into the nuances of frost dragon bones and how to maximize your Prayer experience.
All About Frost Dragon Bones: A Comprehensive Guide
Frost dragon bones are a highly sought-after item in RuneScape, primarily for their exceptional Prayer XP yield. Beyond the raw XP value, understanding their acquisition, uses, and related strategies is crucial for any player looking to optimize their training.
Obtaining Frost Dragon Bones
The primary source of frost dragon bones is, unsurprisingly, frost dragons. These formidable creatures reside in the Asgarnian Ice Dungeon and are notoriously challenging to defeat, especially for lower-level players. They require decent combat stats and appropriate gear to efficiently farm. Here are the key ways to get them:
- Killing Frost Dragons: This is the most direct method. Frost dragons have a 100% drop rate for frost dragon bones. This means you are guaranteed to receive the bones upon defeating them.
- Grand Exchange (GE): For players with sufficient capital, purchasing frost dragon bones from the GE is a straightforward option. However, prices fluctuate based on supply and demand.
- Player Trading: Trading with other players can sometimes yield favorable deals compared to the GE, especially if you can negotiate a bulk purchase.
Maximizing Prayer XP with Frost Dragon Bones
While burying frost dragon bones provides a base 210 XP, offering them on an altar significantly increases the XP gain to 280. However, some altars offer even greater bonuses:
- Gilded Altar: This is the most popular option. A gilded altar in a player-owned house (POH) grants an additional 350% bonus, bringing the total XP per bone to a whopping 1260. Having a lit burner on the altar, which requires a servant to maintain, is essential to activate the bonus.
- Ectofuntus: This is another popular option, it offers a much slower experience but is free. By collecting bones and buckets of slime you can offer them to the Ectofuntus for around 4 times the XP of burying.
Alternative Bone Options and Comparisons
While frost dragon bones are excellent, other bones offer varying XP rates and accessibility:
- Dragon Bones: A common alternative, dragon bones provide 72 Prayer XP when buried and 252 XP when offered on an altar with no bonus. They are more readily available than frost dragon bones but less efficient.
- Superior Dragon Bones: Superior dragon bones grant 150 Prayer XP when buried and 525 XP when offered at a gilded altar. They are a good middle-ground option, offering more XP than dragon bones but being less expensive than frost dragon bones.
- Ourg Bones: These bones grant 140 XP when buried and 490 XP when offered at a gilded altar.
- Wyrm Bones: These bones grant 52.5 XP when buried and 183.75 XP when offered at a gilded altar.
The cost-effectiveness of each type depends on the current GE prices and your personal circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Frost Dragon Bones
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about frost dragon bones to further enhance your understanding:
1. What are the requirements to fight frost dragons?
While there are no hard skill requirements, it’s generally recommended to have at least 70 Attack, Strength, and Defence, along with decent gear like dragonhide or better armour and a reasonable weapon. A high Prayer level is also advantageous for protection prayers.
2. What’s the best gear to use against frost dragons?
Ranged gear is commonly preferred due to the dragons’ magic attacks and ability to freeze players in melee range. Dragonhide armour, a rune crossbow or better, and antifire potions are crucial. Melee is viable but requires careful positioning and prayer flicking.
3. How do antifire potions affect frost dragons?
Antifire potions, including super antifire potions, are essential for mitigating the dragons’ fiery breath attack. They significantly reduce the damage taken, making the fight much more manageable.
4. Is it worth using prayer potions while fighting frost dragons?
Yes, using prayer potions or super prayer potions is highly recommended to maintain protection prayers throughout the fight. This minimizes damage taken and increases your survival rate.
5. What’s the average cost per XP for using frost dragon bones?
The cost per XP fluctuates based on GE prices. Calculate the current cost of a frost dragon bone and divide it by the XP gained (1260 at a gilded altar) to determine the cost per XP. Regularly compare this with other bone types to identify the most cost-effective option.
6. How can I get to the Asgarnian Ice Dungeon?
The Asgarnian Ice Dungeon is located north of Falador. You can reach it by walking or using a teleportation method such as the Falador teleport or a games necklace to teleport to the Falador Park. From there, head north and descend into the dungeon.
7. What are some tips for soloing frost dragons?
- Use ranged combat to avoid melee range.
- Utilize prayer flicking to conserve prayer points.
- Equip antifire potions and protect from magic.
- Bring emergency food and potions.
- Consider using a cannon to speed up kills.
8. Are there any alternative methods to get frost dragon bones besides killing frost dragons?
While killing frost dragons is the primary method, they can sometimes be obtained as rare drops from other high-level creatures or through special events. However, these sources are not reliable for consistent farming.
9. How much money can I make killing frost dragons?
The profitability of killing frost dragons depends on the current prices of frost dragon bones and other valuable drops, such as dragonhide and rune items. With efficient kills, you can expect to make a decent profit per hour.
10. What are the benefits of training Prayer?
Training Prayer unlocks various protective prayers, offensive prayers, and support prayers that significantly enhance your combat abilities. High Prayer levels are essential for tackling high-level content.
11. Can I use frost dragon bones on the Wilderness altar?
Yes, you can use frost dragon bones on the Wilderness altar. However, the Wilderness altar is dangerous due to the risk of player-killers (PKers). It grants a 50% XP bonus, but the risk may not be worth it for many players. This gives 420 xp per bone, making the total at 1470xp.
12. How long does it take to get 99 Prayer using frost dragon bones?
The time required to reach 99 Prayer with frost dragon bones depends on your starting Prayer level and the method used (burying vs. offering). Using a gilded altar drastically reduces the time needed. Use a Prayer XP calculator to estimate the exact time.
13. Are there any quests that reward frost dragon bones?
No, there are no quests that directly reward frost dragon bones. However, some quests may indirectly lead to opportunities to obtain them, such as unlocking areas where frost dragons reside.
14. Can ironmen obtain frost dragon bones?
Yes, Ironmen can obtain frost dragon bones by killing frost dragons themselves or through other limited sources. They cannot trade for them on the Grand Exchange. This makes them a vital training method.
15. What are the advantages of using a bonecrusher with frost dragon bones?
The bonecrusher automatically buries bones dropped by monsters, granting a small amount of Prayer XP. While it’s not as efficient as offering bones at an altar, it provides passive XP while killing frost dragons, making it a useful addition for Ironmen and those looking for afk xp. It grants 3 XP per bone buried.