King Black Dragon
Early game · Melee · solo · recommended 70+ combat
Why Ironmen kill it
A dragon pickaxe source and the draconic visage. The lair itself is not Wilderness, but the only way in is through the Lava Maze in level 42 Wilderness.
Requirements to access
Skills
None
Quests
None
- Deep Wilderness lever; anti-dragon shield/antifire
Hardcore Ironman
The way in crosses the Wilderness (Lava Maze, level 42+): watch for player-killers. A death ends Hardcore status.
Drops worth chasing
| Drop | What it's for | Rate | 90% chance by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon pickaxeGear | Dragon pickaxe Faster mining than rune for the rest of the game. | 1/1,000 per kill | 2,302 kills |
| Draconic visageGear | Makes Dragonfire shield Dragonfire protection with strong Defence; good for Vorkath. | 1/5,000 per kill | 11,512 kills |
| Prince black dragonPet | The boss pet. | 1/3,000 per kill | 6,907 kills |
“90% chance by” is how many kills (or chests) give a 90% chance of having the drop; most players get it sooner, and some much later. Raid rates are a share of unique drops, which depend on points and team size. See every upgrade in order on the Ironman gear progression page.
Top kill counts
Are you ready?
Look yourself up; the planner lists which bosses your stats and quests unlock.
Other early game bosses
Requirements and drop rates (rates fetched 2026-10-01) checked against the Old School RuneScape Wiki (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0). Requirements are game facts; the descriptions here are our own.