OSRS Nex Guide: Mastering Zaros' Most Powerful General (2024)

Nex, located within the God Wars Dungeon, stands out as one of Old School RuneScape’s most formidable bosses. This ancient being, trapped for ages, represents a significant challenge even for the most seasoned adventurers. Nex’s complexity is not just in her strength but in her tactical depth, requiring players to engage with a nuanced understanding of her mechanics.

The fight with Nex is divided into several phases, each characterized by unique attacks, vulnerabilities, and strategies. These phases include Smoke, Shadow, Blood, Ice, and Zaros, with Nex transitioning between them as her health decreases. Her abilities range from powerful AoE attacks to stat-draining effects, demanding versatility and quick reflexes from combatants.

Table of Contents

Nex OSRS

Teamwork and a strategic approach are paramount when confronting Nex. Players must coordinate their roles, gear, and actions to effectively manage Nex’s phase transitions and special attacks. The complexity of the fight emphasizes the need for a well-balanced team that can adapt to changing combat conditions.

  1. Roles and Responsibilities: Each team member may need to adopt specific roles, such as tanking, DPS, and healing/support, depending on the phase and the team’s strategy. Effective communication and role management contribute significantly to the team’s success.
  2. Strategic Gear and Inventory Setup: Preparing for the fight involves not just high-level gear but also a strategic selection of items tailored to Nex’s vulnerabilities and the team’s overall strategy. This includes choosing the right mix of melee and ranged weapons, protective gear, and consumables to sustain the team through the battle’s duration.
  3. Adapting to Phases: Each of Nex’s phases demands a unique approach, from dodging AoE attacks in the Smoke phase to managing prayer-draining effects in the Zaros phase. Teams must quickly adapt their tactics, positioning, and prayer usage to navigate these challenges successfully.
  4. Learning and Improving: Success against Nex often comes through trial and error, with teams refining their strategies based on experience. Learning from each attempt, understanding Nex’s attack patterns, and improving coordination are crucial for overcoming this high-level challenge.

Preparing for Nex

Requirements and Recommendations

  • Completion of the Frozen door Mini Quest is necessary to access Nex.
  • It’s recommended to have combat achievements for reduced ancient kill count (KC) requirements.

Combat Stat Recommendations

  • Players are advised to have at least 90 in all combat stats for a balanced approach to tackling Nex, emphasizing the importance of melee and ranged skills. A high Magic level is also beneficial for boosting magic defense, which is crucial for mitigating damage during the fight.

Prayer and Unlockables

  • A minimum of 74 Prayer for Rigour is suggested, though not mandatory. Piety is nearly essential due to its significant impact on melee DPS, which constitutes a considerable portion of the damage dealt to Nex.

Gear and Inventory Setup

  • The optimal gear setup involves a combination of high-level melee and ranged equipment. The inclusion of specific items like the OS mum’s Fang for melee and the Zarite crossbow for ranged attacks is recommended for their effectiveness against Nex.

Melee and Range Hybrid Approach

  • The strategy involves using both melee and ranged attacks to exploit Nex’s vulnerabilities. This approach requires players to switch between weapon types based on Nex’s current phase and specific weaknesses.

Key Items: Fang, Blood Fury, and Armadil Crossbow

  • Fang: Highly recommended for its accuracy and effectiveness in melee attacks against Nex.
  • Blood Fury: Useful for its healing properties, mitigating the chip damage frequently encountered during the Nex fight. While not mandatory, it’s a beneficial item that can reduce the need for brews.
  • Armadil Crossbow: Suggested for its range and DPS contribution, especially useful during phases where ranged attacks are preferable.

Inventory Essentials: Brews, Restores, and Special Items

  • A significant portion of the inventory should be allocated to Saradomin brews and Super restores to sustain players through the fight’s duration.
  • Anglerfish and Sanfew serums (combining anti-poison and Super restore properties) are recommended for dealing with Nex’s poison attacks and maintaining stat levels.
  • Players should adjust the number of brews and other consumables based on their role, team size, and familiarity with the Nex encounter, aiming to optimize their DPS while ensuring survivability.

Getting to Nex

Completing the Frozen Door Mini Quest

To access Nex, players must complete the Frozen Door Mini Quest, which involves assembling the Frozen key. The key is composed of four pieces, each dropped by a different God Wars Dungeon boss. There’s a 100% chance to receive a Frozen key piece from the generals of the God Wars Dungeon, requiring just one kill count (KC) in each of Bandos, Saradomin, Armadyl, and Zamorak areas. Alternatively, key pieces can be obtained from the bosses’ bodyguards at a 1 in 20 chance.

Traveling to the God Wars Dungeon

Nex is located within the God Wars Dungeon, behind the Frozen Door, a destination likely familiar to players from the mini quest. Several transportation options are available to reach the God Wars Dungeon:

  • Combat Achievements Teleport: Players who have completed specific tiers of Combat Achievements can use the God Wars Dungeon teleport to arrive directly outside the dungeon.
  • Trollheim Teleport: This spell teleports players to Trollheim, near the entrance to the God Wars Dungeon. From there, players navigate the mountain’s path to reach the dungeon.
  • Games Necklace: Teleport to Burthorpe using a Games Necklace, then make the journey to the God Wars Dungeon on foot.

Acquiring Ancient Kill Count

Before entering Nex’s lair, players must acquire an Ancient Kill Count, similar to other areas of the God Wars Dungeon. The standard requirement is 40 KC, but this can be reduced with Combat Achievements. Players gather KC by defeating creatures within the Ancient Prison, with different creatures providing varying amounts of Essence (KC) towards this total:

  • Spiritual Mages: 5 Essence per kill.
  • Blood Reavers: 3 Essence per kill.
  • Other Creatures: 2 Essence per kill.

Wearing items associated with the ancient faction increases the chance of receiving additional Essence on each kill. This strategic gathering of KC is crucial for both entering the boss room and accessing the bank area within the dungeon, facilitating prolonged attempts or farming sessions against Nex.

Nex Fight Mechanics

Phase Overview: Smoke, Shadow, Blood, Ice, and Zaros Phases

  • Smoke Phase: Nex targets players with a contagious cough, emphasizing the importance of spreading out to avoid mass infection. Players are advised to use ranged attacks during this phase.
  • Shadow Phase: Nex diminishes light, increasing her damage the closer players are to her. It’s recommended to maintain distance and utilize ranged attacks for safety and efficiency.
  • Blood Phase: Nex attempts to heal through blood siphons and sacrifices. Players must quickly kill blood reavers and avoid becoming the sacrifice to prevent her from healing.
  • Ice Phase: Nex traps players in ice prisons requiring teamwork to free trapped teammates. Positioning and quick movement are crucial to avoid her ice attacks.
  • Zaros Phase: This final phase demands high DPS as Nex no longer summons minions but uses prayers to mitigate damage and heal. Players must alternate between attack styles based on her prayer changes.

Special Attacks and Counter Strategies

  • Smoke: Avoid spreading the cough by distancing from teammates.
  • Shadow: Stay away from Nex to reduce damage taken and move out of darkened areas to avoid increased damage.
  • Blood: When targeted for sacrifice, run away from Nex and the group to avoid healing her. Focus on killing blood reavers quickly.
  • Ice: Teamwork is essential to break ice prisons. Players should prepare to switch to Crush weapons or their best available option to free trapped players.
  • Zaros: Pay attention to Nex’s prayer changes; switch attack styles accordingly to maintain consistent DPS.

Importance of Positioning and Movement

  • Strategic Positioning: Each phase requires specific positioning to minimize damage and maximize DPS. For example, spreading out in the Smoke phase, maintaining distance in the Shadow phase, and clustering for quick support in the Ice phase.
  • Movement and Agility: Quick movement is essential, especially to avoid Nex’s ice prisons and shadow traps. Players should be ready to move on short notice to adapt to Nex’s attacks.
  • Phase Transitions: Being aware of the phase transitions allows players to preemptively reposition for the upcoming challenges, such as moving closer or preparing to switch gear or attack styles.

The information extracted from the provided files offers valuable insights into team composition, roles, and strategies for engaging with the Nex boss in Old School RuneScape (OSRS). These details are essential for players looking to optimize their approach, whether in duo, small team, or mass settings, and to understand the distribution of roles such as Tank, DPS (Damage Per Second), and Support. Here’s a comprehensive guide based on the video scripts:

Team Composition and Roles

Duo Strategy

  • Duo Nex encounters are highly strategic and require players to be adept at multitasking, given the limited number of participants. The roles in a duo are more fluid, with both players often switching between tanking and DPS to manage Nex’s aggression and efficiently deal damage.
  • The duo strategy emphasizes the importance of coordination and timing, especially in phases where Nex can deal substantial damage or heal significantly. Each player must be capable of self-sufficiency in terms of healing and managing aggro.

Small Team Strategy

  • In small team settings (around 3-5 players), the role distribution becomes more defined but still requires flexibility. One player typically assumes the role of the main tank, drawing Nex’s attention and managing the majority of the damage.
  • DPS roles in small teams focus on outputting consistent damage, utilizing special attacks and abilities to expedite the boss fight. Support roles, though not always explicitly mentioned, involve aiding with healing (through spells or items like the Sanfew Serum), debuffing Nex, and sometimes managing minions.
  • Small teams benefit from a balance of high damage output and sustainability, allowing for quicker kills with a reduced risk compared to duos.

Mass Strategies

  • Mass Nex encounters involve large groups (often exceeding 10 players), where the chaos of combat is significantly higher but is mitigated by the sheer volume of players. Roles in mass settings are less rigid, with multiple tanks and a larger number of DPS participants.
  • In masses, the main tank’s role is to keep Nex focused away from the DPS-heavy players, ensuring the group can maintain high damage output without being overwhelmed by Nex’s attacks.
  • Support roles in mass strategies may include designated healers or players focused on crowd control, dealing with Nex’s minions, or providing boosts to the team’s overall performance through spells or abilities.

Role Distribution: Tank, DPS, and Support

  • Tank: The tank’s primary responsibility is to manage Nex’s aggression, ensuring that the boss’s attention remains on them to protect the more vulnerable DPS players. Tanks must be proficient in defensive strategies, using appropriate gear, prayers, and potions to mitigate incoming damage.
  • DPS: DPS players focus on dealing as much damage to Nex as possible. This role requires knowledge of Nex’s weaknesses and the effective use of gear, weapons, and abilities to maximize damage output. In smaller teams and duos, DPS players may also need to handle secondary tasks, such as tanking or support, depending on the fight’s progression.
  • Support: While not always explicitly defined in every strategy, support roles are crucial for the team’s longevity and efficiency. Support tasks can include healing other players, applying debuffs to Nex, or managing minions. In some strategies, especially in larger groups, dedicated support players can significantly enhance the team’s overall performance and survivability.

Understanding Nex’s Drop Table

Nex, being one of the most formidable bosses in Old School RuneScape, offers a highly lucrative drop table that can significantly impact a player’s wealth. The drop table includes a variety of items, ranging from the incredibly valuable Torva armor pieces to various weapons, consumables, and other rare items like the Zaryte crossbow and Nex’s unique drop, the ancient ceremonial robes. The most coveted items are the Torva armor pieces, which are not only highly priced but also provide some of the best stats for melee gear in the game. Other significant drops include the Zaryte vambraces and Nihil horn, which are essential for crafting the Zaryte crossbow, a high-tier ranged weapon.

Splitting Loot in Team Settings

When it comes to team settings, splitting the loot from Nex can vary based on the group’s agreement before starting the boss fight. Common practices include evenly dividing the sale proceeds of high-value drops among all team members or using a “FFA” (free-for-all) approach where the player who receives the drop keeps it. However, an equitable and fair division method is generally preferred to maintain good relations within the team and encourage future collaborative efforts. It’s not uncommon for teams to face the dilemma of dividing loot, especially when high-value items like the Torva platelegs or platebody are dropped. The importance of clear communication and agreement on loot splitting methods cannot be overstated to avoid conflicts and ensure that all members feel fairly rewarded for their contributions.

Economic Considerations and Gear Investments

Participating in Nex boss fights requires significant initial gear investments but can yield substantial returns. Players often need to acquire specific gear to be effective in the fight, including but not limited to high-tier weapons like the Zaryte crossbow and armor pieces that offer the best possible stats. The economic considerations also extend to consumables used during the fight, such as potions and food, which can add up over time. The investment in gear and supplies is justified by the potential to earn hundreds of millions of GP from Nex’s drop table. For instance, acquiring items like the Zaryte vambraces can directly impact a player’s effectiveness in the fight and their share of the loot. The decision to sell or keep drops can also affect a player’s financial standing. For example, selling a high-value drop immediately can provide a significant influx of GP, while keeping an item for personal use might offer long-term benefits in gameplay efficiency and future bossing endeavors.

Advanced Tactics and Tips for Nex in OSRS

Maximizing DPS and Minimizing Damage Taken

  • Special Attack Weapon Recommendations: The Void Waker is highly recommended due to its 100% accuracy, hard-hitting capability, and quick special attack use. It’s effective even during Nex’s melee deflect phase, as its spec is considered a magic attack. If you lack a Void Waker, a Zarite Crossbow (ZCB) with its special attack can serve as an alternative for additional DPS.
  • Managing Brew Consumption and Healing: Early on in learning Nex, expect to carry a significant amount of Saradomin brews for healing. As proficiency increases, the reliance on brews decreases significantly. Experienced teams often use just 2-3 brews per kill, with some members not fully consuming even one. Remember, after heavy use of brews, re-potting with combat or ranging potions is crucial to maintain optimal DPS.

Advanced Phase Strategies:

  1. Smoke Phase: Pay attention to Nex’s drag attack, where she pulls you in and disables your overhead prayers. React quickly to dodge her dash attack by observing her spin direction.
  2. Shadow Phase: Nex switches to ranged attacks, and distance from her affects damage taken—the farther you are, the lesser the damage. Use range to attack and be wary of her “Embrace Darkness” and “Fear the Shadow” special attacks. Cutting corners and combo eating can help avoid her aggressive chase.
  3. Blood Phase: Focus on spreading out to minimize the effect of Nex’s blood spells and prioritize killing Blood Reavers during her siphon attack to prevent her from healing. The “I Demand a Blood Sacrifice” requires quick movement away from Nex to avoid significant damage and healing her.
  4. Ice Phase: Maintain Protect from Magic to avoid freezes. The “Contain This” special requires stepping back to avoid damage, while the Ice Prison demands quick action from teammates to free trapped players using specific weapons like the Almumt’s Fang.
  5. Zaros Phase: Stay within melee range to encourage Nex to use melee attacks, reducing overall damage taken by the team. Toggle between protection prayers and offensive strategies based on Nex’s current overhead prayer, using ranged attacks when she deflects melee and melee attacks otherwise. Strategic under-Nex positioning and quick healing are key to managing this phase effectively.

Utilizing Terrain and Movement:

  • Movement and Positioning: Effective use of the arena’s layout and understanding Nex’s movement can significantly reduce damage taken and increase DPS. For example, forcing Nex to reset to the center during the shadow phase or strategically placing yourself to avoid her more damaging attacks during the zaros phase.

Healing and Prayer Management:

  • Prayer and Potion Strategy: Constantly monitor your prayer points, especially during the blood phase where Nex’s attacks can drain prayer. Using items like the Sanfew Serum for anti-poison and prayer restoration can be helpful. The balance between using brews for healing and maintaining boosted stats through potions is critical for sustaining high DPS and survival.

Team Coordination:

  • Communication and Roles: Efficient communication and understanding of each team member’s role during specific phases can streamline the fight. Assigning tasks such as dealing with Blood Reavers or freeing teammates from the ice can enhance overall team performance.

How to Get to Nex in OSRS

To access Nex in Old School RuneScape, players need to navigate to the God Wars Dungeon, located behind the Frozen door. This is the same location involved in the Frozen Door Mini Quest. There are multiple ways to get to the God Wars Dungeon:
Players who have completed any tier of Combat Achievements can use the Ghorrock Teleport to arrive outside the God Wars Dungeon.
The Trollheim Teleport brings players to the top of the mountain near the God Wars Dungeon.
Alternatively, players can use a Games Necklace to teleport to Burthorpe and then make the journey to the God Wars Dungeon.
Upon reaching the vicinity of Nex, it is advisable to switch to a ranged setup for the journey through the dungeon to minimize damage taken. An ancient item should be worn to reduce aggression from monsters in the area, alongside items representing Saradomin and Armadyl for safe passage. Players will need to gather 40 Ancient Kills (referred to

Can You Solo Nex in OSRS?

Nex is primarily designed as a group boss in OSRS, with the mechanics and difficulty tailored towards team play. While technically possible in certain aspects of the game, soloing Nex is highly challenging and not the intended mode of engagement. It is recommended to tackle Nex in groups to manage the boss’s high difficulty level effectively. Teams can vary in size, and while smaller teams or even duo attempts are conceivable, they demand high levels of skill, gear, and coordination. Therefore, solo attempts are generally not advised, especially for players new to Nex or those without optimal equipment and stats​​​​.

Is Nex Hard in OSRS?

Nex is considered one of the more challenging bosses in OSRS, requiring players to have high combat stats, advanced gear, and a good understanding of the boss’s mechanics. The complexity of the fight increases with the necessity to switch between melee and ranged combat styles, alongside managing prayer and health throughout the various phases of the battle. Team coordination significantly affects the difficulty level, with larger groups potentially making the fight more manageable but also diluting individual rewards. Therefore, while Nex is challenging, the difficulty can be mitigated with proper preparation, strategy, and teamwork​​​​.

Is Nex Soloable in OSRS?

As mentioned, Nex is primarily designed for group encounters, and while the game mechanics do not strictly prohibit solo attempts, successfully soloing Nex requires exceptional skill, gear, and knowledge of the boss’s mechanics. The challenge of soloing Nex lies not just in the boss’s high damage output and complex phases but also in efficiently managing resources and health throughout the fight. Thus, while solo attempts are not impossible, they are not the standard approach to this boss and are generally undertaken by highly experienced and well-equipped players seeking an extra challenge​​​​.

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OSRS Nex Guide: Mastering Zaros' Most Powerful General (2024)

FAQs

How many nex kills per hour in OSRs? ›

A reasonably efficient 2-man team can kill 6 Nex per hour but a maxed team can hit 8 kills per hour. The average drop rate is 1 per 41.2 kills for a unique reward. Depending on team speed and size, your personal unique rolls per hour may vary greatly.

Is Nex hard to solo? ›

It is strongly recommended that players fight her with a team, as it is extremely difficult and unfeasible to solo Nex.

What are the odds of getting a drop in NEX? ›

There is an effective 1 in 43 chance of rolling the unique drop table per kill. It is possible to receive multiple unique drops per kill with multiple players, which is calculated based on the number of players and their individual contributions towards the kill.

What is the drop rate for NEX 4 man? ›

Under the assumption that all 5 players are contributing equally towards killing Nex; For the 4 players each with 20% contribution, the drop rate is 1/215 for a unique drop.

How much is 1m in osrs worth? ›

The price of OSRS gold varies and can fluctuate depending on supply and demand. On average, 1 million OSRS gold coins can cost anywhere from $0.25 to $0.30, but this can change depending on various factors such as the current state of the in-game economy and player demand.

How many Zalcano kills per hour? ›

The profit rate assumes 13 kills per hour in a four player group with equal contributions. Zalcano is a skilling-boss located in Prifiddnas. When killed in a four player group, Zalcano can be killed consistently in three-stages while also dispersing the kill-contribution, and therefore monetary gain evenly.

What is the best combat style for NEX? ›

It is recommended to have at least level 80+ in your chosen combat style (Attack & Strength, Ranged, Magic, or Necromancy). It is recommended to have at least level 80+ Defence. and Ancient Curses are recommended to protect against this boss' attacks. If you deal low damage use Protect from Magic or Deflect Magic.

How important is MVP at Nex? ›

Each player's share is determined by their cumulative damage inflicted on Nex, her minions, and any reavers throughout the encounter. Two standard drops are guaranteed with every kill. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) is entitled to a 10% increase in common drops and an augmented likelihood of acquiring unique loot.

What is a good Nex time? ›

What to Expect. This method can achieve around ~1:45 kills optimally (27 kph). Even with scuffed kills you can average 2:00-2:20. Nex has an attack range of 8 spaces, while Nox Bow has a range of 9, so you can always force Nex to walk frags and delay attacks depending on where you stand.

How many people for Nex OSRs? ›

A team size of 7 players is recommended for this fight. Up to 50 players may battle Nex; like Vorago, her attacks will affect more targets the more players there are.

What are the odds of getting NEX pet? ›

Nexterminator is a miniature version of Nex that can be unlocked as a pet from a Blood-soaked feather, which is obtained as a drop from killing Nex. The odds of receiving this item are 1 in 2000 with a threshold of 400 (explanation of drop mechanics).

What gear do you need for NEX? ›

Recommended equipment

Nevertheless, Nex has quite high accuracy and defence, so tier 90 weaponry and at least level 80+ armour are recommended for smaller teams. All players should bring a shield or defender.

What is the drop rate of Bandos items? ›

^ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 The drop rate is 1/381 for a specific Bandos armour piece, or 1/127 for any piece.

What is the drop rate for NEX AOD? ›

^ Has a base drop rate of 1/3,000 with a threshold of 600.

How many Zilyana kills per hour? ›

Zilyana is commonly killed for her Armadyl crossbow and Saradomin hilt drops. At higher levels, it is possible to maintain 25-28 kills per hour with high concentration or using a twisted bow or Tumekens shadow as the primary weapon.

How many ticks per minute in osrs? ›

Theoretically, there should be 100 ticks per minute, exactly 0.600 seconds per tick. However, the observed duration of a tick can vary. Due to connection speed, client-side lag, server-side lag as the game server processes all actions and events affecting all online players.

How many seconds is 1 tick in osrs? ›

The RuneScape game engine runs on a unit of time colloquially referred to as "ticks", with each tick lasting 0.6 seconds (this amount of time can vary by hundredths or thousandths of a second due to things like server lag or the number of players on a world, read here).

How long does it take to 99 combat Osrs? ›

I'll start by showing the Fastest Pathway to 99 in the melee stats, where you can get up to 400k xp per hour with alt accounts, or 200k xp per hour solo. On the AFK Pathway that I'm showing, you can get 99 attack, strength and defence in 350 hours at the Nightmare Zone, or 500 hours at Bandits.

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