Alchemical Hydra OSRS Guide: Karuulm's Killer Creation - Rune Fanatics (2024)

The Alchemical Hydra is the strongest slayer monster in the entire Old School Runescape world. You can only fight this monster when you are on a slayer task, and you have at least 95 slayers. The normal hydras can be killed regardless if you have a slayer task or not.

The alchemic hydra has a lot of different mechanics and interesting unique drops. It is more than worth it to fight this monster. Regardless if you are a regular account or an ironman, you will make a lot of money here if you do it right.

In this guide, I am going to go in-depth about the drops, the GP an hour, the gear you should wear, and the mechanics this hydra has. I am going to assume you have high-level gear and high stats, as the slayer requirement of 95 almost ensures you are combat 110 or above.

Where is the Alchemical Hydra in OSRS?

IMPORTANT! Wear your boots of stone, boots of brimstone, or granite boots before entering the dungeon. If you don’t wear those, you are going to have a horrible time in the dungeon and lose your gear. If you do not wear one of those boots, you will be damaged 4 hit points every 0.6 seconds. This will thus kill you in under 20 seconds.

You can find the alchemical hydra in the dungeon that lays below Mount Karuulm. There are multiple ways to get here quickly.

1. The fastest way is using Rada´s blessing (3) or (4) to teleport directly to the mountain. You will need to have done the Kourend Hard Diary for you to do this. With the (3) you can teleport up to 3 times a day, the (4) gives you an unlimited amount. So if you have a (3) make sure you have an alternative way to get there, in case you die and run out of teleports.
2. The other way to go there pretty quickly – though much slower than the first one – is going there by using the fairy ring. Use the code C I R and do not forget to use your dramen staff or lunar staff to teleport. You do not need to use it if you have completed the elite Lumbridge diary. Only the code C I R is going to teleport you there, if you use another code you will end up somewhere else, so make sure it is correct so you do not waste time.
3. The last good option to do here is using the skill necklace. This will get you all the way to the woodcutting guild. This is not that far away, but still quite a walk and if your agility is low and your gear is heavy, you might run out of running energy by the time you get there.

This is what you can get killing the Alchemical Hydra

Killing the hydra is going to make you quite a bit of money. Killing the hydra is going to get you on average over 160k per kill, depending on the market prices. The drops remain on the ground for 30 minutes so you will have to juggle your inventory if you brought a lot of food. The Hydra drops a lot of alchable items, so once you get the hang of killing it, bringing nature runes is a good idea.

Hydra bones:

They drop these 2 at a time, every time. The bones are worth 5k each, so they are pretty valuable. However, you will likely not have the inventory space to pick them up every time. It is worth it to quickly bury them in the time that the Hydra is going to respawn. This way you can get some prayer to expand the bones don’t go to waste.

Hydra’s eye, Hydra’s fang, Hydra’s heart:

You will get these drops in this order. They have a 1 in 181 chance of dropping on average per kill. So you will get all 3 after about 550 kills on average. These are all components to make the brimstone ring. This is one of the best rings in OSRS and is worth grinding for if you are an ironman.

Hydra tail:

While this drop is not worth a lot anymore, I still think it is a great (and underestimated) item. The hydra tail can be used to combine it with the bone crusher to make the Bonecrusher necklace. This will help you restore some prayer points when you bury bones, and could thus make your trips at the alchemical hydra a bit longer. You have a one in 513 chance of getting this drop when you kill an alchemical hydra.

Hydra leather:

This is another great drop to get at the Hydra. When you get this drop, you can transform your barrow gloves into ferocious gloves. These are the best gloves in slots for melee training. Hydra leather is quite a rare drop, only one in 514 hydra´s will drop it on average. The drop is worth over 4m and is one of the most expensive items you can get here.

Hydra’s claw:

This is the drop everyone is going to want at the Alchemical Hydra. The hydra’s claw is used to make the dragon hunter lance. This is the best weapon (by far) to kill dragons in Runescape with melee. The claw is worth over 39m gp! You have a one in 1001 chance of it being dropped by the Hydra, so it might be quite a while until you see this dropped.

Dragon thrownaxe:

This is a fun drop to get if you are a regular account. Ironmen can’t really do anything with it, since it is mainly used for the spec while PKing. They drop 500 to 1000 of these at a time. This drop is worth between 177k and 355k depending on market prices. You have a one in 2000 chance of getting this drop.

Dragon knife:

No matter what kind of account you have, this is an amazing drop to get at the Alchemical Hydra. These knives are rather rare. You only have a one in 2001 chance of getting this drop. Just like the dragon thrownaxe, they drop 500 to 1000 in a time. This is worth between 990k and 2m depending on the market prices. Ironmen can use these at Cerberus or another boss where wearing a shield comes in handy.

Weapons andArmor

These drops are the reason you are going to need alchemy runes. They drop a lot of this category of drops, and you get a roll for two of them at a time.

• Mystic fire staff: You have a 2 on 12.6 chance of getting these as a drop. They are worth 25k a piece and you can alch them. Definitely pick them up, as they will add up quite nicely.
• Mystic water staff: These are the same drop as the fire staff I just discussed. Treat them the same, alch them for the profit, as they will alch for their sales amount on the GE and you will save inventory.
• Battlestaff: This is another awesome drop to get. You have 2 chances in 20 to get this drop. The Hydra drops these 8 to 12 at a time noted. Do not alch these, as they are worth more on the GE
• Black D’hide body: This isn’t really worth a lot but since they drop them pretty often, you will get quite a nice cash stack if you are planning on killing hundreds of Alchemical Hydras. They are worth about 7k each.
• Dragon Longsword: You have a 2 in 33 chance of getting this drop. This drop is worth about 59k and is another great option for you to alch. So make sure you pick them up!
• Dragon med helm: One of the most iconic dragon armor drops in the entire world of OSRS is the Dragon Med Helm. You have a 2 in 33 chance of getting these. They are worth 58k and you can alch them right away to save inventory space.
• Rune platebody: You can get this drop quite often too. You have a one in 33 chance to get this drop, and you have 2 rolls. This is going to net you 38k per drop, and you should alch it right away for the maximum profit.
• Dragon battleaxe: You have 2 rolls to get a dragon battle-ax which drops on average once in 25 kills. These are worth 120k a piece! So that is a very nice boost to the total loot pile you are going to get here.
• Rune platelets: You have 2 rolls to get a rune platelegs to drop. They drop about once in every 67 kills and are another very nice alchable drop. These are worth about 37k, so you will get a nice amount of extra coins.
• Rune plate skirt: These are the exact same as the rune platelegs. They are worth the same amount and have the same drop rate.
• Mystic robe top (light): This is a one in 101 drops. You have 2 rolls to get it, and it is worth 70k. A lot of people don´t alch these because they look cool, however, I would just alch them as they take up inventory space.
• Mystic robe bottom (light): This is another cool drop that looks really cool on the floor when you get it. You have a one in 101 chance per kill to get this drop, and it is worth 47k. I suggest you alch it.

Runes and ammunition the Alchemical Hydra Drops

• Chaos rune: They drop quite a lot of chaos runes. You have a one in 8 chance of getting these, and they drop 150 to 300 at a time. However, this drop is worth only 7 to 14k.
• Death rune:If you need to get more death runes, then the Alchemical Hydra is a great source for them. You have a one in 8 chance of getting them, and they drop about 150 to 300 at a time. This is worth between 30 and 60k. Which is a very nice boost to your cash or rune stack.
• Blood rune: The Alchemical Hydra is one of the best ways to get more blood runes. They drop between 150 and 300 at a time, and you have a one in 16 chance of getting a roll. This will net you around 60 to 120k per drop.
• Astral rune:If you are an ironman struggling to get more astral runes, then the Alchemical hydra is a great option. They drop these on average once every 8 kills, and you get between 150 and 300 of them.
• Dragonstone bolts (e): The alchemical hydra drops a lot of dragon stone bolts (e). You have a one in 25 chance to get these, and they drop between 100 and 120 bolts at a time. This drop is worth a nice 50k on average.
• Onyx bolts (e):These are amongst the best drops you can get here. You can get 35 to 50 bolts at a time, and you get them about once every 50 kills on average. This drop is worth 300k to 430k. This will give your bank a very nice boost.

Herbs and seeds you should pick up

I would not recommend you to pick up all the herbs and seeds, as you might get in trouble inventory management-wise. Here are the ones you should pick up in my opinion.

• Grimy ranarr weed: This is a very nice drop to get. You can make prayer potions with it. They drop 10 to 15 noted at once. You have a one in 40 chance to get this drop.
• Grimy snapdragon: This drop is just as useful as the ranarr weed drop. You have a one in 40 chance of getting this drop, and they drop 10 to 15 at a time. This will help you make super restores.
• Grimy torstol: Another very useful drop. They drop 10 to 15 noted, and it is worth between 70k and 100k.
• Ranarr seed: One of the best seed drops for ironman. They drop these quite rarely and they are hard to see on the floor so look out for them, the drop is worth around 120k.
• Snapdragon seed: Just like ranarr seed, one of the best drops you can get here. The drop is worth up to 170k.
• Torstol seed: Torstol seeds are also dropped here sometimes. They drop 2 to 3 at a time. This drop is worth 140k.
• Maple seed: The maple seed drop is okay to pick up. You don’t have to if you do not have the inventory space, it is worth 50k.
• Yew seed: A very good seed to train your farming as an ironman. It is worth about 170k here.
• Magic seed: This is one of those drops that you need to look out for. The drop is worth almost half a million GP but is quite hard to see on the floor here.
• Palm tree seed: This is a very decent seed drop to get here. It is worth up to 100k.
• Dragonfruit tree seed: This drop is pretty rare, but it is the most valuable of all the seed drops. You have a one in 1000 chance of getting this drop on a kill and it is worth around 500k.
• Celastrus seed: A decent drop, but not worth as much as the dragon fruit tree despite being a much rarer drop. It is worth around 250k per drop.
• Redwood tree seed: The redwood tree seed is the rarest drop here. This drop is worth around 88k per piece.

Other drops

• Ikkle Hydra
• Clue scroll (elite)
• Alchemical hydra heads

The best gear to kill the alchemical hydra

I am going to tell you what the max gear is here. If you do not have something on this list, you can swap it out with a less effective option. The more items you have on this list, the better for your kills an hour of course.

• Head slot: Since you can only kill this monster on a slayer task, you are going to have to wear the slayer helm (i) here. There is no alternative for this.
• Necklace slot: The best necklace you can wear here is the necklace of anguish. It is by far the best necklace for ranging.
• Cape slot: You can use either a max cape if you have one, a ranging cape, or the Ava´s assembler, all of them are more or less the same in utility.
• Chest slot: I am of the opinion the armadyl chest plate is the best here. You can also use a crystal body. Both will give you a massive ranging attack boost.
• Legs slot: Crystal legs are a pretty good option here, but I prefer the armadyl chain skirt. It has better bonuses and it does not degrade.
• Weapon slot: The undisputed best weapon here is the twisted bow. No other weapon even comes close to fighting the alchemical hydra. If you don’t have one, a dragon hunter crossbow is also an Okay option.
• Shield slot: If you are using a crossbow, the twisted buckler is a good option here to use.
• Ranging slot: In the ranging slot, you should have either your dragon arrows or the ruby dragon bolts (e).
• Gloves slot: The best gloves to wear here are the barrows gloves if you are new to this boss. If you are experienced, you should bring blessed vambraces.
• Boots slot – You can wear the boots of brimstone here if you do not have the diary requirements for other boots. If you have, you can pick either the devout boots or the pegasian boots.
• Ring slot: Here I would either put the archer’s ring (i), the ring of the gods (I), or the ring of suffering (i). All of them are pretty good.
• Special weapon: As a special attack weapon I would recommend the Toxic blowpipe with dragon darts. This will help you heal the HP you have lost.

The alchemical hydra attacks explained

The hydra has 4 forms. I will explain all 4 of them here for you to effectively kill this boss and survive your first trip here.

Poison

When you start out fighting the alchemical hydra, it will shoot a poison attack at you. This one is pretty easy to avoid if you pay attention. Make sure you avoid standing in the poison pools as they damage you 12 hp every 0.6 seconds.

Once the Alchemical Hydra has 75% of hit points or less, the monster will turn blue. He will start fighting with lighting now.

Lightning

The hydra has now turned blue. It will fire electrical currents at you. You can only avoid these by running away from them and standing in the corner of the room. If you do not avoid them, you will get binded where you stand.

Not only will you be binded, but you will also get 20 hp. If you are fighting with range, you can still hit the hydra. If you are fighting him with melee, you will have to wait till you are no longer bound.

Once the hydra is 50 hit points or lower, it will change to a red color.

Flame

Now that the hydra is under 50% of its hit points it will start shooting flames at the player. You will have to avoid these flames. The best way is by walking and trying to predict where the flame is going to be. If you are hit by the fire, you are going to get hit for 20 hp. Not just that, you will get hit 5 times for 5 damage.

You can easily avoid these flames by paying attention. Do lookout for the attacks the hydra is shooting at you while you are walking away.

Enraged

The hydra is going to attack you alternating between range and magic. It will also shoot poison at you. This version of the hydra is really dangerous. If you miss your prayer even once you could get hit with over 80 hit points in one go. If you pay attention, you could defeat this version without taking any damage.

My tip is, you should make sure your prayer does not drop below 10. This way, you are going to avoid all of a sudden running out of prayer when you haven’t paid attention to it for a few seconds.

Frequently asked questions about the Alchemical Hydra in OSRS

Conclusion: A hard boss with great rewards

The Alchemical Hydra can be a pretty overwhelming boss when you try to fight him for the very first time. The hydra hits high and he hits accurately. A lot is going to depend on how well you can pay attention to your prayer and what to pray. You will also need to have some very good gear to fight the hydra. Going here in budget gear will make sure you either die or have very slow kills and short trips.

The loot of the Alchemical Hydra is some of the best in the entire game. With maxed gear, you can get up to 5 mils an hour fighting him. The drops are perfect to alch and the resources are very useful. However, you do need to have a slayer task to fight this boss and there also is the massive requirement of 95 slayers.

Looking for more interesting readings? Check out:

• Garden Of Tranquility OSRS Guide: An Interesting Farming Quest
• Kharedst Memoirs OSRS Guide [2022]: Teleport All Over Kourend
• Xeric’s Talisman [2022]: The Ultimate OSRS Guide