OSRS Hydra Guide: Strategies & Gear Setup

Alchemical Hydra is a draconic creature that requires 95 slayer to kill. It is the boss version of Hydra and is only assigned as a slayer task by Konar. It is found in the lower level of the Karuulm Slayer Dungeon in Mount Karuulm. It is very profitable to kill, but can only be killed when assigned a Hydra task and requires high-level combat stats to kill consistently. Killing a Hydra is also a requirement for the elite Kourend & Kebos Diary. 

Requirements for Killing Alchemical Hydra

• 95 slayer
• Elite Kourend & Kebos diary or boots of Stone, boots of Brimstone, or Granite boots to protect yourself from the extreme health of the dungeon floor

Recommended Combat Stats for Killing Hydras

• 75+ ranged
• 85+ hitpoints
• 74+ prayer

Location of Hydra

The Alchemical Hydras are located in the lower level of Karuulm Slayer Dungeon, a dungeon beneath Mount Karuulm, west of Lovakengj. Its lair is at the northern side of the dungeon, east past the Hydra chamber, as shown below.

Here are the fastest ways to get here:

• Rada’s blessing 3 or 4: players can get any of these items by completing the Kourend & Kebos Hard diary. They can teleport the player straight to the dungeon. Rada’s Blessing 3 offers 3 daily teleports, while Rada’s Blessing 4 provides unlimited teleports.
• Fairy ring CIR: Mount Karuulm is not far from this fairy ring.
• Skills necklace: players can use the skills necklace to teleport to the farming guild, south-west of Mount Karuulm.
• Battlefront teleport: This teleports the player southeast of Mount Karuulm.

Gear and Inventory Setups for Alchemical Hydra

Best Ranged Gear Setup

Head slot: Slayer helmet (i)

Neck slot: Necklace of anguish

Cape slot: Dizana’s quiver

Body slot: Masori body(f)

Leg slot: Masori chaps(f)

Weapon slot: Twisted bow

Ammo slot: Dragon arrow

Glove slot: Zaryte vambraces

Boot slot: Pegasian boots

Ring slot: Lightbearer

Cheaper Ranged Gear Setup

Head slot: Slayer helmet (i)

Neck slot: Necklace of anguish

Cape slot: Ava’s assembler

Body slot: Armadyl chestplate

Leg slot: Armadyl chainskirt

Weapon slot: Toxic blowpipe

Ammo slot: Rada’s blessing 4

Glove slot: Barrows gloves

Boot slot: Pegasian boots

Ring slot: Venator ring or bracelet of slaughter to extend trips

Inventory Setup for Alchemical Hydra for Ranged

• 1-3 divine ranging potions
• 4-15 prayer potions, depending on how experienced you are and how long you plan to stay
• 1 antidote++
• House tablets
• Fill the rest of your inventory with good food.

Best Melee Gear Setup

Head slot: Slayer helmet (i)

Neck slot: Amulet of rancour

Cape slot: Infernal cape

Body slot: Torva platebody

Leg slot: Torva platelges

Weapon slot: Dragon hunter lance

Ammo slot: Avernic defender

Glove slot: Ferocious gloves

Boot slot: Primordial boots

Ring slot: Lightbearer

Spec weapon: Bandos godsword

Cheaper Melee Gear Setup

Head slot: Slayer helmet (i)

Neck slot: Amulet of torture

Cape slot: Fire cape

Body slot: Bandos chestplate

Leg slot: Bandos tassets

Weapon slot: Osmuten’s fang

Ammo slot: Rada’s blessing 4

Shield slot:  Dragon defender

Glove slot: Barrows gloves

Boot slot: Primordial boots

Ring slot: Berserker ring (i) or bracelet of slaughter to extend trips

Spec-weapon: Saradomin godsword

Inventory Setup for Alchemical Hydra with Melee

• 1-3 divine super combat potions
• 4-15 prayer potions, depending on how experienced you are and how long you plan to stay
• 1 antidote++
• House tablets
• Fill the rest of your inventory with good food.

Hydra’s Attacks

Hydra has 2 heads. The one on the left attacks with magic, while the one on the right attacks with ranged. In addition to these attacks, Hydra has several special attacks, which are different for each phase. There is no way to determine Hydra’s first attack when you step in the room, but it uses ranged more than magic.

Hydra’s Phases and Special Attacks

The Alchemical Hydra has four phases. It will change phase when at 75%, 50%, and 25% of its total health, 275. Its head will fall off each time this happens, and it will roar, signifying the start of the next phase.

In Hydra’s first two phases, it will attack with 2 instant hits, which deal less damage individually. When Hydra’s head on the side falls off, the attacks become a single hit that can deal more damage. After every 3 phases, Hydra will sway its heads backward as a signal that it is switching combat styles after every 3 basic auto-attacks, regardless of damage dealt.

Poison Phase

This is the Hydra’s first phase. It has a green carapace and should be lured to the red chemical pool.

Poison blobs

After its first 3 attacks in this phase, the Hydra will launch 4 or 5 poison blobs, one to the player’s location and the others to around areas around it. The blobs have a 3x3 splatter effect with a maximum damage of 7 and standing on the poison pools deals up to 12 poison damage per tick. 

The best way to avoid this attack is by standing west of the red chemical vat, at the south, then moving north 2 tiles when the Hydra is positioned over the chemical pool. Move west when Hydra spits poison to avoid the one targeting you and the other four will hit east.’

Lightning Phase

Hydra is with a blue carapace in this phase and should be lured to the green chemical pool. 

Electric ball

While in this phase, Hydra will launch an electric ball at the centre of the room, which spawns four lightning currents in the four corners of the chamber. These lightning attacks will move to the player's location and cause a maximum damage of 22. 

The best way to avoid getting hit by the lightning is to start near the middle of the room and loop around one of the last lightning spawns, to escape the box they form. When Hydra gets to 50% its health, the bottom-left head falls off, and it will change its carapace to red/ The player should run west to the blue vent.

Flame Phase

Hydra will have a red carapace in this phase and should be lured to the blue chemical pool. 

Stun attack

In this phase, the Hydra will sometimes walk to the chamber’s centre and inflict a stun on the player. While stunned, the player can still attack the Hydra. 

Fire attack & Tracking Fire

Hydra will move to a random location if the player is under them. When it gets to the centre, it will breathe a 5x5 layer of fire to the player’s sides based on their location before staring down the middle and launching a tracking fire that tracks the player’s movement and travels significantly faster the further the player is or if they start running. Both fires can damage the player up to 25, followed by 5 damage up to 5 times.

The best way to avoid the tracking fire attack is to walk in a straight line as the fire trails. Players can trap the flames by standing on a tile adjacent to the green vents, as shown in the image above.

Enraged Phase

When Hydra reaches 25% of its health, its middle head falls off, and it changes its carapace to grey, the enraged phase. It will start this phase with a combat style opposite of what it used in the previous phase; it will use magic if ranged was used in the flame phase. Hydra no longer needs to be lured to any chemical pools in this phase. Its attack speed will increase every four ticks, and it can deal up to 55 damage per hit.

Alternating Attacks

Hydra will alternate between both combat styles after every single auto-attack. There is no warning animation for these attacks like in the previous phases. To avoid damage, switch prayers accordingly for the rest of the fight. 

Poison blob

During this phase, Hydra will use the poison blob attack from phase 1 and continue to use it after every 9 subsequent auto-attacks. The amount of poison Hydra will spit depends on if any other attack is on the field. If it is an empty field, Hydra will spit 5 poison blobs.

Strategy for Fighting the Hydras

Tile Markers

It’s important to mark the tiles, as shown in the image below. They will show you the best position for each phase during the fight.  Then follow the steps below accordingly.

• At the start of the fight, drink your skill-boosting potion, pray ranged, and move to Tile 1 to trap him at the red chemical pool. If he uses magic first, switch prayer to protect against magic. Watch Hydra closely. When he moves his head backward, signaling he is about to switch combat style, switch protection prayer accordingly.
• When Hydra spits the poison blobs, move to tile 2. Continue to move after a few attacks till you get to tile 5 while switching prayers accordingly.
• When Hydra enters the Lightning phase, move to tile 6 (blue tile) to trap it at the green chemical pool. When Hydra roars, since he is trapped and his defence is lowered, move to tile 7 at the corner of the room. Continue to attack and change prayers accordingly
• Wait till Hydra performs the Electric ball and one of the lightning currents gets to his feet, then run to tile 8 at the other corner of the arena. After the attack has stopped, move over to tile 9.
• While attacking Hydra, wait on tile 9 till it turns red, then move over to tile 10 (red tile). Wait till he roars, then move over to tile 11 to get close to him (he has no melee attack, so this is safe). 
• When Hydra starts moving to the centre of the room, go over to tile 12. Don’t attack him till he gets to the center of the room. When he gets to the centre, he will do the fire attack on two sides of the arena. As soon as he releases the tracking fire, move to tile 13, and it won’t damage you at all then continue to attack him
• Continue attacking Hydra till he switches to the enraged phase. As soon as he switches to that phase, pray the opposite of the protection prayer you were using and switch prayers after every attack. 
• After 3 attacks, he will release the acid blobs. Move 2 tiles away from where you are standing to avoid this. Note that the acid does not count as a prayer switch, leave your prayer the same way and wait for him to resume his standard attacks before switching. 
• Continue attacking Hydra till he is dead while switching prayers. If he stays alive for too long in the Enraged phase, he will do the acid blob attack after 8 attacks

GP per hour from Killing the Alchemical Hydra

With the recommended stats and gear, players can kill the Hydra about 25 times each hour. The average kill is worth 212K GP. This results in a profit of 4.2M GP per hour after the costs of food, potion and ammunition is deducted.

Drops from the Alchemical Hydra

Always Drops
2 Hydra bones

Pre-roll Drops
Hydra's eye (1/181), Hydra's fang ( 1/181), Hydra's heart (1/181), Hydra tail (1/513), Hydra leather (1/514), Hydra's claw (1/1,001), 500–1,000 Dragon thrownaxe (1/2,000), 500–1,000 Dragon knife (1/2,001)

Weapons and Armour
Mystic fire staff (1/12.63), Mystic water staff (1/12.63), 8–12 noted Battlestaff (1/20.2), Black d'hide body (1/20.2), Dragon longsword (1/33.67), Dragon med helm (1/33.67), Rune platebody (1/33.67), Dragon battleaxe (1/50.5), Rune platelegs (1/67.33), Rune plateskirt (1/67.33), Mystic robe top (light) (1/101), Mystic robe bottom (light) (1/101).

Runes and Ammunition
150–300 Chaos rune (1/16.83), 120–200 Death rune (1/16.83), 150–300 Blood rune (1/16.83), 100–200 Astral rune (1/16.83), 12–24 Dragonstone bolts (e) (1/50.5), 25–50 Onyx bolts (e) (1/101)

Herbs
10–15 Grimy avantoe (noted) (1/64.6), 25–30 Grimy kwuarm (noted) (1/80.8), 10–15 Grimy ranarr weed (noted) (1/80.8), 10–15 Grimy snapdragon (noted) (1/80.8), 25–30 Grimy cadantine (noted) (1/80.8), 25–30 Grimy dwarf weed (noted) (1/80.8), 25–30 Grimy lantadyme (noted) (1/107.7), 10–15 Grimy torstol (noted) (1/107.7)

Seeds
2–3 Ranarr seed (1/420.8), 2–3 Snapdragon seed (1/420.8), 2–3 Torstol seed (1/579.9), 30–45 Watermelon seed (1/60.1), 2–3 Willow seed (1/701.4), 2–3 Mahogany seed (1/701.4), 2–3 Maple seed (1/701.4), 2–3 Teak seed (1/701.4), 2–3 Yew seed (1/901.8), 2–3 Papaya tree seed (1/901.8), 2–3 Magic seed (1/1,263), 2–3 Palm tree seed (1/1,263), 2–3 Spirit seed (1/1,578), 2–3 Dragonfruit tree seed (1/2,103), 2–3 Celastrus seed (1/2,103), 2–3 Redwood tree seed (1/3,156)

Other
40,000–60,000 Coins (2 × 1/10.43), 2–4 Shark (2 × 1/14.43), 2–3 Ranging potion (3) (2 × 1/14.43), 2–3 Super restore (3) (2 × 1/14.43), 30 (noted) Dragon bones (2 × 1/28.86), 1 Crystal key (2 × 1/101), 2,550–25,550 Coins (2 × 1/2,101)

Rare Drop Table
N/A Nothing (2 × 1/16.57), 3,000 Coins (2 × 1/16.57), 1 Loop half of key (2 × 1/16.57), 1 Tooth half of key (2 × 1/16.57), 1 Uncut sapphire (2 × 1/16.57), 1 Uncut emerald (2 × 1/16.57), 1 Law rune (2 × 1/16.64), 1 Death rune (2 × 1/16.64), 42 Steel arrow (2 × 1/16.64), 42 Rune arrow (2 × 1/24.96), 3 Adamant javelin (2 × 1/24.96), 1 Rune sq shield (2 × 1/82.22), 3 Dragonstone (2 × 1/82.22), 100 (noted) Silver ore (2 × 1/82.22), 1 Uncut ruby (2 × 1/103.3), 1 Rune kiteshield (2 × 1/122.88), 1 Dragon med helm (2 × 1/122.88), 1 Dragon spear (2 × 1/143.37), 1 Shield left half (2 × 1/873.14), 1 Rune spear (2 × 1/819.43), 1 Nature talisman (2 × 1/819.43), 3 Rune javelin (2 × 1/182.79)

Tertiary
1 Brimstone key (1/40), 1 Clue scroll (hard) (1/100), 1 Alchemical hydra heads (1/256), 1 Clue scroll (elite) (1/500), 1 Jar of chemicals (1/2,000), 1 Ikkle hydra (1/3,000)