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OSRS The Rat King Guide

The Rat King emerged from a player poll showcasing OSRS's commitment to community-driven content. This poll, a hallmark of OSRS's development approach, ensures that new features align with the desires and interests of its dedicated player base. The Rat King represents an upcoming mid-level boss who wants to challenge any type of player and allow you to obtain OSRS gold regardless of your level.

Mid-Level Bosses in OSRS

In Old School RuneScape, mid-level bosses offer a perfect balance of challenge and accessibility, ideal for players who are venturing beyond the realm of basic monsters but aren't quite ready for the game's most formidable adversaries and maybe players who haven’t gotten their OSRS fire cape yet. 

The Rat King stands tall among these bosses, offering a unique blend of strategy and skill requirements. Residing in the sewers of Varrock, this boss demands not only combat prowess but also strategic planning. You must navigate through intricate sewer networks, solving puzzles and battling lesser minions before facing the king himself. The Rat King is known for his unpredictable movements and diverse attacks, including a notorious tail sweep and a poisonous bite. 

Preparation is key; equip yourself with antidotes and gear that balances defense and agility. Remember, success against mid-level bosses like The Rat King offers substantial rewards and paves the way for tackling the more daunting challenges that lie ahead in the world of OSRS.

Development

The development team faced a choice between a 3-tick or 4-tick attack rate. After considering player feedback and highlighting the limited use of 3-tick weapons, a 4-tick rate (one attack every 2.4 seconds) was chosen. This mirrors the attack patterns of more commonly used weapons in OSRS, like scimitars or the Abyssal whip, helping players get used to the game's combat rhythm. While this is a change, it won't majorly impact your training, especially in fights against Scurrius, which still allows for effective XP gains. This update aims to enhance your combat experience and prepare you for future challenges in OSRS.

Rat Bone Weapons

The feedback about Old School RuneScape's Rat Bone weapons has been heard clearly, particularly regarding the 'ChargeScape' concern. Many players appreciated the concept of these weapons but were not keen on having to charge them. Initially, the charge mechanic was included to keep Rat Spine drops exciting and valuable. However, acknowledging the community's views, Jagex removed this charging aspect from the weapons altogether.

The Rat Bone Staff, on the other hand, will still require 1,000 Chaos Runes for its in-built spell, translating to 1,000 casts. Additional casts can be added with more Chaos Runes. This is a form of charge mechanic, but it aligns with how other staves with built-in spells work.

With removing the charge requirement, you might wonder what to do with the surplus Rat Spines. Rather than selling them off, there’s an option to exchange extra Rat Spines for XP Lamps, which are applicable for various combat skills like Attack, Defence, Hitpoints, Magic, Prayer, Ranged, and Strength. Additionally, the effectiveness of Rat Bone weaponry will work for all rat-type enemies, not just Scurrius and his minions.

Pet

While initially hesitant to add a pet to Scurrius due to concerns about impacting the loot table balance, Jagex has decided to introduce Scurry, a charming rat pet that can join you on your OSRS adventures, provided luck is on your side. This change aims to enhance your gaming experience while respecting the game's balance and integrity.

Encounter

This encounter is tailored to teach core PvM mechanics and help newcomers master combat skills. Scurrius and his pack are a test of your abilities in overhead Prayers, dodging, and handling multiple monsters simultaneously - essential skills for tackling more challenging bosses as you progress in the game. The recommended minimum requirement is 43 Prayer for Protect from Melee, with the encounter best suited for combat levels 60-90. It emphasizes skill and mastery of mechanics over high stats.

Players can face Scurrius solo or team up with friends. It is an ideal introduction to boss combat for new players or a cooperative learning experience for those at a similar skill level. The game includes convenient ways to regear and rejoin the action to encourage learning without excessive frustration.

For seasoned PvM veterans, Scurrius might not present a significant challenge, but the encounter still offers its own rewards and treasures, making it worth exploring regardless of your experience level. This update aims to enhance the PvM experience for all players, providing a stepping stone for newcomers while offering value to experienced adventurers.

Rewards

The rewards for battling Scurrius, The Rat King in Old School RuneScape, are taking a novel approach. Unlike typical boss battles that yield cash, unique items, and supplies, the primary reward from Scurrius will be Combat XP. This is a significant shift from the usual methods of gaining combat XP, such as passive training during Slayer tasks or at AFK spots. The aim is to offer a more engaging and rewarding combat training experience, especially effective when using the new Rat Bone weaponry.

Given the wide range of player levels targeted by Scurrius (levels 60 to 90), the reward needed to appeal to beginners and those gearing up for tougher challenges. The Rat Bone weaponry, obtained from defeating Scurrius, plays a key role here. Players can craft Rat Bone weapons like the Mace, Bow, or Staff by combining a Rat Spine with a Rune Mace, Yew Shortbow, or a Battlestaff, respectively, and 1,000 Chaos Runes. These weapons are specially designed for battling Scurrius and other Rat-type enemies, offering additional damage and, consequently, more XP.

For low-level players using these weapons against Scurrius, the XP gains are expected to be significantly higher than passive methods like Nightmare Zone and Crabs. Higher-level players might find their usual training methods more efficient, but the new approach offers an exciting alternative. The exact XP rates and weapon balance are still fine-tuned, so specifics are yet to be finalized.

In addition to XP, players can also earn a pet named Scurry, dropped by Scurrius. This adds an extra incentive to engage in this unique combat experience. With its specific use and crafting requirements, the Rat Bone weaponry represents a fresh and crafty way to enhance your combat training in OSRS.

In addition to the exciting combat XP rewards from battling Scurrius in Old School RuneScape, there's more in store for players. Any extra Rat Spines you gather can be traded for an Experience Lamp, offering a boost in skills such as Attack, Defence, Hitpoints, Magic, Prayer, Ranged, and Strength. While the Rat Spine isn't an exceedingly rare drop, it's not guaranteed either. So, if you don't get one right away, don't fret - other drops from the encounter will still provide a decent amount of cash, helpful for gear upgrades and encouraging you to explore other game content.

Other loot from Scurrius includes Rune items, standard supply drops, and ample Magic and Ranged ammunition, all suitable for the targeted level range of this encounter. It's a well-rounded reward system that caters to various player needs.