The short version
30-second read- Tier 3 is where most accounts stall. The cause is rarely mechanics; those bosses expect twenty kills on one inventory rather than one kill on a full one.
- Learn new bosses in cheap gear. Cheap setups mean more attempts, so upgrade only once you survive consistently and the upgrade buys speed, not survival.
- Practise one mechanic per trip. Ignore kill time entirely, read the full mechanics section beforehand, and use that boss's Combat Achievement tasks as a practice list.
- Raids come after clean tier 3 trips. Once you can finish trips there without avoidable damage, raids assume that baseline and build on it.
OSRS PvM Progression in Short
Good OSRS PvM progression follows skills, and gear comes second. Learn prayer switching at Scurrius, a boss with no requirements that uses all three combat styles, then reading attack animations at Barrows or Sarachnis, then trip management at Zulrah or Vorkath, then phases and team roles at Slayer bosses, God Wars and the raids. The endgame tier (Inferno, Colosseum, Theatre of Blood, Awakened DT2 bosses) assumes all four.
Every boss teaches one or two specific skills, and the ones worth learning early carry over to everything above them. If you only want the ranked list, the boss progression ladder sorts all 97 bosses easiest to hardest.
Each boss on the site has a 1 to 5 difficulty rating. This page walks up that scale, so the answer to "which boss next" is whichever entry in the next tier your account already qualifies for.
The one rule that matters throughout: learn a boss on cheap gear until you stop dying, then upgrade. Turning up in best-in-slot to learn mechanics just makes each death expensive without making it less likely.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Bosses indexed | 97 |
| Difficulty scale | 1 introductory to 5 endgame |
| First skill to learn | Prayer switching under pressure |
| Second skill to learn | Reading an attack animation instead of a timer |
| Third skill to learn | Managing supplies across a whole trip, not one kill |
| What actually gates progression | Consistency, not gear — most players over-gear and under-practise |
The Progression Scale
Every boss on the site is rated 1 to 5. This is what each tier means in terms of what it asks of you, and how many bosses sit at each level.
| Tier | Count | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Introductory | 8 | Brutus (the Cow Boss), Bryophyta, Gemstone Crab, Giant Mole |
| 2 — Easy | 11 | Amoxliatl, Barrows brothers, Chaos Fanatic, Crazy Archaeologist |
| 3 — Moderate | 32 | Ancient Wyverns, Artio, Basilisk Knights, Blood Moon |
| 4 — Hard | 30 | Abyssal Sire, Akkha, Alchemical Hydra, Araxxor |
| 5 — Endgame | 16 | Awakened DT2 bosses, Corrupted Hunllef, Doom of Mokhaiotl, Fortis Colosseum waves |
You do not need to clear a whole tier before moving up. You need to be consistent at two or three bosses in a tier, because consistency is the thing that transfers.
Tier 1: Learn Prayer Switching Here
These are cheap to attempt, cheap to die at, and each one has exactly one mechanic to learn. Do not skip them because they look trivial — the muscle memory is the point.
| Boss | Type | Requirement | Main reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brutus (the Cow Boss) | Standalone | The Ides of Milk | Mooleta, bottomless milk bucket, cow slippers |
| Bryophyta | Mini-boss | Mossy key from moss giants | Bryophyta's essence (unlimited-charge staff) |
| Gemstone Crab | Shared-damage XP boss | Children of the Sun | Passive melee XP, gemstone drops |
| Giant Mole | Standalone | Spade + light source (Falador Park) | Mole claw and skin for Falador Hard Diary |
| Obor | Mini-boss | Giant key from hill giants | Hill giant club |
| Scurrius | Standalone | None (Varrock sewers) | Scurrius' spine, bones for Prayer XP |
| Tempoross | Fishing boss | 35 Fishing | Fish barrel, tackle box, soaked pages |
| Wintertodt | Firemaking boss | 50 Firemaking | Pyromancer outfit, warm gloves, tome of fire |
If you can complete a full trip at two of these without checking a guide mid-fight, you are ready for tier 2.
Tier 2: Learn to Read Animations
Tier 2 bosses punish reacting late. The step up is that you stop switching prayers on a timer and start switching them because you saw the attack start.
| Boss | Type | Requirement | Main reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amoxliatl | Standalone | The Heart of Darkness | Glacial temotli, pendant of ates, Moxi pet |
| Barrows brothers | Minigame-style chest | Priest in Peril | Barrows equipment (Dharok's, Ahrim's, Karil's…) |
| Chaos Fanatic | Wilderness mini-boss | Deep Wilderness | Odium / malediction shard 1 |
| Crazy Archaeologist | Wilderness mini-boss | Wilderness (Fossil Island coastline) | Odium / malediction shard 2, fedora |
| Deranged Archaeologist | Mini-boss | Fossil Island access | Unidentified fossils, Fossil Island notes |
| Hespori | Farming boss | 65 Farming + Hespori seed (Farming Guild) | Bottomless compost bucket, anima seeds |
| King Black Dragon | Standalone dragon | Antifire protection | Dragon pickaxe, draconic visage |
| Kraken | Slayer boss | 87 Slayer + cave kraken task | Trident of the seas, kraken tentacle |
| Sarachnis | Standalone | Slash weapon or knife for the web (Forthos Dungeon) | Sarachnis cudgel, strong herb and seed loot |
| Thermonuclear Smoke Devil | Slayer boss | 93 Slayer | Occult necklace, smoke battlestaff |
| Zalcano | Mining/Smithing boss | Song of the Elves + 70 Mining/Smithing | Crystal tool seed, zalcano shard |
Tier 3: Learn Trip Management
This is where most accounts stall, and the reason is almost never mechanics. It is that a tier 3 boss expects you to survive twenty kills on one inventory rather than one kill on a full one.
| Boss | Type | Requirement | Main reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Wyverns | Elite monster | 82 Slayer + elemental/mind shield | Granite legs, wyvern visage |
| Artio | Solo Callisto variant | Wilderness singles-plus area | Same unique table at lower rates |
| Basilisk Knights | Elite slayer monster | 60 Slayer + The Fremennik Exiles + mirror shield | Basilisk jaw (neitiznot faceguard) |
| Blood Moon | Moons of Peril boss | Perilous Moons quest | Blood moon armour set, dual macuahuitl |
| Blue Moon | Moons of Peril boss | Perilous Moons quest | Blue moon armour set, blue moon spear |
| Calvar'ion | Solo Vet'ion variant | Wilderness singles-plus area | Same unique table at lower rates |
| Cerberus | Slayer boss | 91 Slayer + hellhounds task | Primordial / pegasian / eternal crystals, smouldering stone |
| Chaos Elemental | Wilderness (multi) | Deep Wilderness | Dragon pickaxe, pet chaos elemental |
| Dagannoth Kings | Three-boss lair | A second player, pet rock + rune thrownaxe, or 85 Agility | Berserker / archer / warrior / seers rings, dragon axe |
| Dagannoth Prime | Magic king | A second player, pet rock + rune thrownaxe, or 85 Agility | Seers ring, Dagannoth Prime pet |
| Dagannoth Rex | Melee king | A second player, pet rock + rune thrownaxe, or 85 Agility | Berserker ring |
| Dagannoth Supreme | Ranged king | A second player, pet rock + rune thrownaxe, or 85 Agility | Archers ring, dragon axe |
| Eclipse Moon | Moons of Peril boss | Perilous Moons quest | Eclipse moon armour set, eclipse atlatl |
| Gauntlet demi-bosses | Prep-phase demi-bosses | Song of the Elves | Crystal shards and paddlefish for the Hunllef fight |
| General Graardor | GWD general (Bandos) | 70 Strength + hammer + 40 kill count | Bandos chestplate and tassets, bandos hilt |
| K'ril Tsutsaroth | GWD general (Zamorak) | 70 Hitpoints + 40 kill count | Zamorakian spear, staff of the dead, zamorak hilt |
| Kalphite Queen | Standalone (two phases) | Two ropes (or the Hard Desert Diary) | Dragon chainbody, Kq head |
| Maggot King | Standalone | The Blood Moon Rises | Elder venator fang, crimson kisten |
| Muttadiles | CoX boss room | Chambers of Xeric | Raid points toward CoX uniques |
| Penance Queen | Barbarian Assault boss | Barbarian Assault wave 10 | No drops. One kill plus 375 honour points in each role buys the fighter torso |
| Revenant Maledictus | Revenant Caves boss | Revenant Caves access | Amulet of avarice, ancient relics/emblems |
| Scorpia | Wilderness (multi) | Deep Wilderness | Odium / malediction shard 3 |
| Shellbane Gryphon | Slayer boss | 51 Slayer + gryphon task + Troubled Tortugans | Belle's folly, gryphon feather |
| Skotizo | Slayer mini-boss | Dark totem (base, middle and top pieces) | Dark claw, jar of darkness, skotos pet |
| Spindel | Solo Venenatis variant | Wilderness singles-plus area | Same unique table at lower rates |
| The Mimic | Clue-scroll mini-boss | Mimic casket from an elite or master clue | Ring of 3rd age, 3rd age items |
| The Royal Titans (Branda & Eldric) | Dual boss | None (Asgarnian Ice Dungeon) | Deadeye and Mystic Vigour prayer scrolls, giantsoul amulet |
| Vanguards | CoX boss room | Chambers of Xeric | Raid points toward CoX uniques |
| Vasa Nistirio | CoX boss room | Chambers of Xeric | Raid points toward CoX uniques |
| Vespula | CoX boss room | Chambers of Xeric | Raid points toward CoX uniques |
| Vorkath | Standalone dragon | Dragon Slayer II | Dragonbone necklace, vorki, superior dragon bones |
| Zulrah | Standalone (rotational) | Regicide | Tanzanite fang / magic fang / serpentine visage |
Tier 4: Learn Phases and Team Roles
Tier 4 fights have distinct phases with different rules, and several of them expect you to hold a role in a team rather than solve everything yourself.
| Boss | Type | Requirement | Main reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abyssal Sire | Slayer boss | 85 Slayer + abyssal demons task | Abyssal dagger, bludgeon pieces, abyssal whip |
| Akkha | ToA path boss | Tombs of Amascut | Raid points toward ToA uniques |
| Alchemical Hydra | Slayer boss | 95 Slayer + hydra task | Hydra's claw, hydra leather, brimstone ring pieces |
| Araxxor | Slayer boss | 92 Slayer + spider or araxyte task | Noxious halberd pieces, araxyte fang |
| Ba-Ba | ToA path boss | Tombs of Amascut | Raid points toward ToA uniques |
| Callisto | Wilderness (multi) | Deep Wilderness + anti-PK setup | Voidwaker hilt, dragon pickaxe, tyrannical ring |
| Commander Zilyana | GWD general (Saradomin) | 70 Agility + 40 kill count | Armadyl crossbow, saradomin sword and hilt |
| Corporeal Beast | Standalone | None (games necklace or level 21 Wilderness entrance) | Spirit shield and sigils |
| Crystalline Hunllef | Gauntlet boss | Song of the Elves | Crystal armour seeds, enhanced crystal weapon seed |
| Demonic Gorillas | Elite monster | Monkey Madness II | Zenyte shard, heavy ballista parts |
| Duke Sucellus | DT2 boss | Desert Treasure II (Awakener's orb for Awakened) | Magus vestige, eye of the duke, chromium ingot |
| Grotesque Guardians | Slayer boss (duo) | 75 Slayer + brittle key | Black tourmaline core, granite gloves, granite ring |
| Kephri | ToA path boss | Tombs of Amascut | Raid points toward ToA uniques |
| Kree'arra | GWD general (Armadyl) | 70 Ranged + mith grapple + 40 kill count | Armadyl armour, armadyl hilt |
| Mad Angel (Wyrmscraig) | Post-quest boss | Fallen From Grace | Hallowfell, jar of light, Aggy pet |
| Nylocas Vasilias | ToB boss | Theatre of Blood | Progress toward ToB purple |
| Pestilent Bloat | ToB boss | Theatre of Blood | Progress toward ToB purple |
| Phantom Muspah | Standalone (form swapping) | Secrets of the North | Venator bow shard, ancient icon |
| Sotetseg | ToB boss | Theatre of Blood | Progress toward ToB purple |
| Tekton | CoX boss room | Chambers of Xeric | Raid points toward CoX uniques |
| The Hueycoatl | Standalone (segmented) | Children of the Sun | Dragon hunter wand, hueycoatl hide |
| The Maiden of Sugadinti | ToB boss | Theatre of Blood | Progress toward ToB purple |
| The Nightmare | Standalone (multi-phase) | Priest in Peril (Morytania access) | Inquisitor's armour, nightmare staff, harmonised orb |
| Tormented Demons | Elite monster | While Guthix Sleeps | Burning claws, synapse, tormented synapse |
| TzTok-Jad (Fight Caves) | Wave challenge | Access to the TzHaar Fight Cave | Fire cape, tzrek-jad |
| Vanstrom Klause | Quest boss | Sins of the Father | Blisterwood flail, access to Darkmeyer |
| Venenatis | Wilderness (multi) | Deep Wilderness + anti-PK setup | Voidwaker gem, treasonous ring, dragon pickaxe |
| Vet'ion | Wilderness (multi) | Deep Wilderness + anti-PK setup | Voidwaker blade, ring of the gods, dragon pickaxe |
| Xarpus | ToB boss | Theatre of Blood | Progress toward ToB purple |
| Zebak | ToA path boss | Tombs of Amascut | Raid points toward ToA uniques |
Tier 5: Endgame
These are the fights people practise for weeks. They combine everything below them and add a failure condition that ends the attempt rather than costing you a few hitpoints.
| Boss | Type | Requirement | Main reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awakened DT2 bosses | Awakened variants | Awakener's orb + base boss cleared | Higher unique odds; beating all four unlocks the ancient blood ornament kit |
| Corrupted Hunllef | Corrupted Gauntlet boss | Song of the Elves | Higher enhanced seed rate, blade of saeldor |
| Doom of Mokhaiotl | Endless delve boss | The Final Dawn | Eye of ayak, avernic treads, Mokhaiotl cloth |
| Fortis Colosseum waves | Wave challenge | Children of the Sun | Dizana's quiver, sunfire splinters |
| Great Olm | CoX final boss | Chambers of Xeric | Twisted bow, elder maul, kodai insignia, dragon claws |
| Nex | Ancient Prison boss | The Frozen Door + 70 Agility, Hitpoints, Ranged, Strength | Torva armour, zaryte crossbow, ancient hilt |
| Phosani's Nightmare | Solo-only variant | Priest in Peril; solo only | Higher unique rates, Phosani's pet |
| Sol Heredit (Fortis Colosseum) | Wave challenge | Children of the Sun | Dizana's quiver, sunfire fanatic armour |
| The Leviathan | DT2 boss | Desert Treasure II | Venator vestige, leviathan's lure |
| The Whisperer | DT2 boss | Desert Treasure II | Bellator vestige, siren's staff |
| Triple Jads (Inferno wave 69) | Wave challenge | Inferno access | Clears the hardest pre-Zuk wave |
| Tumeken's and Elidinis' Warden | ToA final boss | Tombs of Amascut | Tumeken's shadow, masori armour, osmumten's fang |
| TzKal-Zuk (Inferno) | Wave challenge | A fire cape, sacrificed on first entry | Infernal cape, jal-nib-rek |
| Vardorvis | DT2 boss | Desert Treasure II | Executioner's axe head, ultor vestige |
| Verzik Vitur | ToB final boss | Theatre of Blood | Scythe of vitur, ghrazi rapier, avernic defender hilt |
| Yama | Contract boss | A Kingdom Divided | Oathplate armour, Soulflame horn |
There is no shortcut into this tier. Every player who is consistent here spent time being inconsistent at tier 3 and 4 first.
How to Actually Learn a New Boss
A routine that works
- Read the whole mechanics section before your first attempt, not during it
- Go in on gear you would not mind losing, and expect to lose it
- Pick one mechanic per trip to get right, and ignore your kill time entirely
- Watch your own deaths rather than someone else's kills — your mistakes are not their mistakes
- Only upgrade gear once you are surviving consistently, so the upgrade buys speed rather than survival
- Use the Combat Achievement tasks for that boss as a structured practice list
FAQ
What does PvM mean in OSRS?
Player versus Monster: any combat against NPCs, from Slayer tasks and bosses to raids. The opposite is PvP, fighting other players. PvM progression is the order you learn those fights in.
What should my actual first boss be?
Scurrius in the Varrock Sewers if nothing else is unlocked. It has no requirement, 500 hitpoints in its solo version, and it uses melee, ranged and magic. Obor and Bryophyta are the other cheap starts, each needing a key from hill giants or moss giants. Do full trips at one of them until prayer switching stops being something you think about.
When am I ready for raids?
When you can complete trips at tier 3 bosses without taking avoidable damage. Raids assume that baseline and add team coordination on top of it.
Do I need best-in-slot gear to progress?
No, and buying it early actively slows you down, because you learn less from a death you can absorb. Learn on cheap gear, then upgrade to go faster.
Should I follow profit or difficulty when choosing the next boss?
Difficulty. A boss you die at is not profitable at any drop table, and the skills from a lower tier transfer upward while the GP does not.
How long does it take to get good at a boss?
Long enough that your kill count is a better measure than your hours. Most players are consistent somewhere between 20 and 100 kills depending on the fight's length and complexity.
Can BILS teach me instead of doing it for me?
Yes. Coaching keeps you in the fight while a team member walks you through it, which is a different product from having the content completed for you.
Still stuck on a mechanic? Ask the team on our Discord, it is free.
Bottom Line
Pick the next boss by difficulty tier, not by drop table. The skills from tier 1 and 2 are what make tier 4 possible, and no amount of gear substitutes for them.
The single best change most players can make is to stop learning bosses in expensive gear. Cheap setups mean more attempts, and attempts are what teach you.
If you want the content completed rather than learned, our PvM team plays it by hand. If you want to learn it, ask about coaching instead.
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