Ironman Slayer Guide OSRS: Block Lists, Points & Gear Progression
Get black mask at 58 slayer ASAP — 16.67% damage boost on task is huge. Unlock superiors first (imbued heart chance), then slayer helm, then blocks. Use Duradel for tasks, Konar for every milestone (10th, 50th, 100th). Imbue your helm via Emir's Arena — takes 30 mins, not hours.
Slayer is how you gear your ironman. The whip, trident, occult, zenyte shards — they all come from slayer. Here’s how to do it efficiently.
At a glance:
- First priority: Get black mask at 58 slayer (16.67% damage/accuracy boost)
- Points: Unlock superiors → slayer helm → slayer rings → blocks
- Best master: Duradel for tasks, Konar for every milestone (10th/50th/100th)
- Block list: Black demons, hellhounds, suqahs, greater demons, drakes
Black Mask — Get This ASAP
At 58 slayer, cave horrors drop the black mask. This is your #1 priority.
Why it matters:
- 16.67% damage AND accuracy boost on task
- Works immediately — no slayer points needed
- Later upgrades into the slayer helm (same boost, more slots)
How to get it:
- Kill cave horrors in Mos Le’Harmless (Cabin Fever quest required)
- 1/512 drop rate — expect 1-2 hours
- Bring a light source and antipoison
Priority Unlocks (Point Spending)
| Priority | Unlock | Cost | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bigger and Badder (superiors) | 150 | Best unlock — see below |
| 2 | Malevolent Masquerade (slayer helm) | 400 | Combines black mask + nosepeg + earmuffs + facemask |
| 3 | Ring Bling (slayer rings) | 300 | Teleports to all slayer locations |
| 4 | Block slots | 100 each | Remove bad tasks permanently |
| 5 | Broader Fletching | 300 | If doing broad arrows for fletching |
Bigger and Badder (Superiors) — 150 points
Get this first. Superior slayer monsters have a 1/200 chance to spawn when you kill their regular version.
Why it’s the best unlock:
| Drop | Rarity | Why You Want It |
|---|---|---|
| Imbued heart | 1/32 from superiors | +10% magic level boost, recharges over time — BIS for magic everywhere |
| Eternal gem | 1/25 from superiors | Infinite slayer gem — never buy another |
| Dust battlestaff | 1/128 from superiors | Unlimited air + earth runes |
| Mist battlestaff | 1/128 from superiors | Unlimited air + water runes |
The imbued heart is the golden drop. Many ironmen grind millions of slayer XP hoping for it. Getting superiors unlocked early maximises your chances across your entire slayer grind.
Imbuing Your Slayer Helm
The slayer helm provides 16.67% melee boost on task. Imbuing adds 15% ranged AND magic boost — essential for bursting and ranged tasks.
Imbue Methods (Best to Worst)
| Method | Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emir’s Arena (scroll of imbuing) | 200 points | 30-40 mins | Fastest. PvP matches, but points for losing too. |
| Soul Wars | 500 zeal tokens | 2-4 hours | Team-based minigame, depends on wins |
| Nightmare Zone | 1.25M points (625k with Hard CA) | 4-8 hours | AFK but slow, costs supplies |
Recommendation: Emir’s Arena. Even if you lose every match, you get 11-12 points. At 200 points needed, that’s ~18 matches or about 30-40 minutes. No supplies needed — gear is provided.
What to Imbue First
- Slayer helm — You use this constantly
- Berserker ring — Doubles strength bonus (+4 → +8)
- Archers ring — If doing a lot of ranged content
Slayer Masters
| Master | Combat Req | Slayer Req | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turael | 3 | — | Point boosting only (see bottom of guide) |
| Konar | 75 | — | Every milestone (10th, 50th, 100th, etc.) |
| Nieve/Steve | 85 | — | Before you can use Duradel |
| Duradel | 100 | 50 | Main master for everything else |
For most players: Just use your highest-level master for every task. Use Konar for milestone tasks (10th, 50th, 100th) for bonus points.
Block List
Block tasks that are slow AND have bad drops. You get 1 block slot per 50 quest points (max 6).
| Task | Why Block |
|---|---|
| Black demons | Long, mediocre drops (unless doing Demonic Gorillas) |
| Hellhounds | No drops at all, slow without cannon |
| Suqahs | Remote location, annoying to get to |
| Greater demons | Similar to black demons — slow, bad drops |
| Drakes | Slow kills, drops not worth the time |
| Wyrms | Slow, underwhelming drops |
Wilderness Slayer (Optional)
Krystilia in Edgeville assigns wilderness-only tasks. Separate streak from regular slayer.
Why consider it:
- Larran’s keys — Prayer XP (ensouled heads), runes, seeds, decent GP
- Points for blocking/skipping without touching your main streak
- Some tasks are fast (green dragons, ice giants)
Why skip it:
- PK risk (not for HCIM)
- Tasks can be remote/annoying
- Interrupts your main slayer progression
Verdict: Worth doing occasionally for Larran’s keys if you’re comfortable in the Wilderness. Skip entirely on Hardcore.
Key Milestones
| Level | Unlock | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | Cave horrors | Black mask — get this immediately |
| 65 | Dust devils | First burst task, major magic XP |
| 70 | Kurasks | Leaf-bladed battleaxe |
| 72 | Skeletal wyverns | Visage chance, good bones |
| 75 | Gargoyles | Very AFK, great gp and alchables |
| 80 | Nechryaels | Best burst task, seeds and herbs |
| 85 | Abyssal demons | Abyssal whip — essential melee weapon |
| 87 | Kraken | Trident — essential magic weapon |
| 91 | Cerberus | Primordial/Pegasian/Eternal crystals |
| 93 | Smoke devils | Occult necklace — BIS magic neck |
| 95 | Hydra | Claw (lance), incredible gp/hr |
Boss Variants (On-Task Only)
Several slayer bosses can ONLY be killed while on task. Plan your blocks/skips accordingly if you want to grind these.
| Boss | Task | Level | Notable Drops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kraken | Cave kraken | 87 | Trident of the seas, Kraken tentacle |
| Thermonuclear smoke devil | Smoke devils | 93 | Occult necklace, Smoke battlestaff |
| Cerberus | Hellhounds | 91 | Primordial/Pegasian/Eternal crystals |
| Grotesque Guardians | Gargoyles | 75 (+ Brittle key) | Granite maul, Black tourmaline core |
| Alchemical Hydra | Hydras | 95 | Hydra’s claw (lance), Hydra leather |
Bursting & Barraging
Dust devils (65) and nechryaels (80) should be burst/barraged in the Catacombs of Kourend.
Why burst:
- 200-300k+ magic XP/hr
- Great drops (herbs, seeds, runes)
- Passive prayer XP with bonecrusher
Setup:
- Proselyte armour (prayer bonus) + magic attack items
- Defensive casting (for defence XP)
- Bonecrusher + dragonbone necklace (prayer sustain)
- Rune pouch with blood/death/water runes
Method:
- Stack monsters in a corner (run through them)
- Cast Ice Burst/Barrage
- Collect loot with bonecrusher handling bones
- Repeat
Cannon Tasks
Use cannon to speed up tasks when you have cannonballs to spare:
| Task | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dagannoths | Lighthouse | Fast task, good for DK prep |
| Kalphites | Kalphite Lair | If not blocked |
| Bloodvelds | Catacombs | Good XP with cannon |
| Fire giants | Waterfall | If not skipping |
Gear Progression
Early (Pre-Black Mask)
- Helm of neitiznot / berserker helm
- Fighter torso (or rune plate)
- Dragon scimitar + dragon defender
- Rune / climbing boots
Mid (Black Mask, Pre-Whip)
- Black mask (swap to slayer helm when unlocked)
- Fighter torso
- Dragon scimitar → leaf-bladed battleaxe (70 slayer)
- Dragon defender
- Dragon boots
Late (Post-Whip)
- Slayer helm (i)
- Fighter torso → Bandos
- Abyssal whip + dragon defender → Avernic
- Dragon boots → Primordial boots
Magic (Bursting)
- Slayer helm (i)
- Proselyte top/legs (prayer bonus)
- Ancient staff / kodai wand
- Book of darkness / tome of fire
- Tormented bracelet (if you have zenytes)
Point Boosting & Task Skipping (Optional)
These methods are for players who need slayer points quickly or are just starting out. Most players can skip this and just use their best slayer master throughout.
Turael Boosting
Do 9 quick tasks at Turael, then your 10th at your highest-level slayer master for bonus points.
- Tasks like birds, dogs, cows, goblins take 1-2 minutes
- Gets you ~100+ points per hour early on
- Essential for unlocking superiors/helm quickly if starting from zero
When to stop: Once you have superiors + slayer helm + 2-3 block slots, stop boosting and do normal tasks.
Task Skipping
Once you have a comfortable point buffer (300+), you can skip undesirable tasks instead of doing them.
Skip candidates:
- Fire giants — Bad XP, bad drops
- Spiritual creatures — Unless maging for d boots
- Trolls — Tedious, mediocre rewards
- Elves — Unless you need crystal shards
- Steel/Iron dragons — Slow, not worth it
Expeditious & Slaughter Bracelets
- Expeditious bracelet — 25% chance to not count kill toward task (speeds up bad tasks)
- Bracelet of slaughter — 25% chance to not count kill toward task BUT you still get XP (extends good tasks)
Use expeditious on tasks you want done fast. Use slaughter on burst tasks (dust devils, nechryaels) to extend them.
FAQ
Should I rush 58 slayer for the black mask?
Yes. The 16.67% damage and accuracy boost affects every task after that. It’s one of the biggest upgrades you can get early and requires no slayer points — just the drop.
When should I stop Turael boosting?
Once you have superiors unlocked, slayer helm purchased, and 2-3 block slots filled. After that, the time spent on Turael tasks isn’t worth it — just do regular tasks.
Block or skip black demons?
If you still need zenyte shards from Demonic Gorillas, skip instead of block. Blocking permanently removes the task until you unblock. Once you have 4+ zenytes, then block.
Is Konar worth using as a main master?
No — her task locations are restrictive and XP rates suffer. Use her for every 10th task (milestone bonus points) then go back to Duradel.
Should I cannon every task?
No. Save cannonballs for tasks that can’t be burst and that you want done quickly. Bursting is more efficient for dust devils/nechryaels. Cannon dagannoths, kalphites, and similar multi-combat tasks.
Common Mistakes
- Not rushing black mask — The 16.67% boost is massive. Get 58 slayer and camp cave horrors.
- Rushing slayer helm before superiors — Superiors drop imbued heart, eternal gem. Get them first.
- Not imbuing slayer helm via Emir’s Arena — It’s 30 mins, not hours. Do it as soon as you have the helm.
- Blocking black demons when you need zenytes — Skip instead to keep Demonic Gorillas open.
- Blocking hellhounds when you want Cerberus — Skip instead until you’re done with the boss.
- Skipping burst tasks — Dust devils and nechryaels are the best magic training in the game.
- Using Nieve when you can use Duradel — Duradel gives better tasks and more points.
Related Guides
- Prayer Guide — 70+ Prayer for Piety makes a huge difference
- Smithing Guide — Cannonballs via Giants’ Foundry
- Food Guide — What to bring to tasks