OSRS Barrows Guide
Barrows remains one of the best early-to-mid game PvM activities in Old School RuneScape. It’s accessible, nostalgic, mechanically simple, and still a solid money maker in 2026 for mains and Ironmen alike. This Barrows Brothers gear & strategy guide covers everything you need to know: requirements, optimal kill orders, tunnel strategies, modern gear setups, RuneLite plugins, and profit expectations.
Barrows Requirements (2026)
Barrows has very low entry requirements, making it ideal for newer PvMers.
New to PvM? If Barrows feels intimidating, consider starting with the Scurrius Boss Guide first. Scurrius teaches core PvM fundamentals like prayer usage, positioning, and damage uptime, making Barrows much easier afterwards.
Mandatory quest:
-Priest in Peril
Recommended stats:
-50+ Magic or Ranged
-60+ Melee
-43+ Prayer (essential)
Gear requirements:
-Tank armour (Rune or better)
-A decent Magic weapon (details below)
If you meet these, you’re more than ready for Barrows.
New to combat training? If you’re still working on your stats, following an efficient OSRS Combat Training Guide can help you reach Barrows-ready levels much faster.
What Is Barrows?
Barrows is a hybrid PvM minigame-style boss encounter located in Morytania. Instead of a single boss fight, you defeat six Barrows Brothers, each with unique combat styles and special effects.
Your goal is to:
-Kill all six brothers
-Navigate the underground tunnel
-Loot the reward chest for runes, coins, and valuable Barrows equipment
How to Get to Barrows (Fastest Methods)
No membership? If you don’t have an active membership and want to try Barrows, consider purchasing membership cheaply through Ezosrs.com to access the Morytania area and all related content.
Best options by account type
Main accounts
Barrows Teleport tablet (Grand Exchange)
Ironmen
Morytania Legs 3 teleport
Fairy Ring BIP → run north
High-level players
Barrows portal in your POH (83 Magic)
Combine with a Rejuvenation Pool for ultra-fast runs
How Barrows Works
Barrows consists of two phases:
1. Crypt Phase
You dig into each mound and fight the brothers individually.
2. Tunnel Phase
One random crypt leads to the underground tunnel. Save this for last.
There are six brothers total:
Prayer Drain Effect
While inside crypts, prayer drains by 10 points every 18 seconds.
🔑 Ghommal’s Hilt 2 (Medium Combat Achievements) completely negates this drain and is highly recommended.
Barrows Brothers – Combat Breakdown
Barrows Brothers Combat Table
| Brother | Attack Style | Max Hit | Special Effect | Recommended Prayer | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dharok | Melee | 57 | Damage increases as HP lowers | Protect from Melee | Magic |
| Ahrim | Magic | 20 | 20% chance to drain Strength by 5 | Protect from Magic | Ranged / Melee |
| Karil | Ranged | 20 | 25% chance to drain Agility | Protect from Ranged | Magic / Melee |
| Verac | Melee | 23 | Hits through prayer & defence | None (ineffective) | Magic |
| Torag | Melee | 24 | 25% chance to drain run energy | Optional | Magic |
| Guthan | Melee | 24 | Heals himself on hit | Optional | Magic |
Individual Notes & Tips
Dharok – Highest threat. Always pray melee and kill early. Magic melts him quickly.
Ahrim – Can drain stats even through prayer. Bring a restore potion.
Karil – Extremely accurate. Always pray ranged.
Verac – Prayer is useless; rely on tank armour and food.
Torag – Inaccurate and low pressure. Prayer optional.
Guthan – Occasionally heals but rarely dangerous.
Barrows Tunnel Guide
After killing 5 brothers, enter the tunnel crypt.
Tunnel basics
-Static layout
-Random door paths
-Central reward room
Right-click doors to check which ones open.
Strange Old Lockpick
-Opens any door
-Uses 1 charge per door (~2k GP)
-Convenience vs profit tradeoff
Faster tunnel navigation directly increases your GP per hour at Barrows. Players focused on maximizing profits often combine Barrows with other methods from a OSRS Money Making Methods guide to keep upgrades flowing.
Tunnel puzzles
-There are four puzzle types. RuneLite’s Barrows Brothers plugin highlights the correct answer automatically.
-Final Brother
The last brother may:
-Ambush you in the tunnel
-Spawn at the reward chest
Be prepared.
Reward Potential Explained
After killing all brothers, your reward potential caps at 66%.
To optimize loot:
-Kill 2–3 additional monsters in the tunnel
-Aim for 80–86% reward potential
❗ Higher than this reduces rune efficiency. ❗
Best Barrows Kill Order (2026)
The “Prayer vs Food” Strategy
Prayer-intensive brothers:
-Dharok
-Ahrim
-Karil
Food-only brothers:
-Guthan
-Torag
-Verac
Recommended order
1. Dharok
2. Ahrim
3. Karil
4. Guthan
5. Torag
6. Verac
This minimizes prayer usage and allows zero prayer potion runs if using Ghommal’s Hilt 2.
Best RuneLite Plugins for Barrows
1. Barrows Brothers (Default)
-Tracks remaining brothers
-Solves tunnel puzzles
-Shows tunnel layout
2. Barrows Door Highlighter (Plugin Hub)
-Highlights correct tunnel doors
-Faster runs without lockpick
Both plugins significantly increase efficiency.
Barrows Gear Setup (2026)
You’ll mainly use Magic, with small Ranged and Melee switches.
Elemental Weakness Update
Barrows brothers have a 50% weakness to Air spells, making air-based Magic extremely effective.
If you’re missing key upgrades like a Trident of the Swamp, Occult Necklace, or tank armour, you can skip the grind and buy them directly by purchasing OSRS gold from Ezrsgold.com, or by purchasing specific gear items directly from Ezosrs.com, letting you jump straight into efficient Barrows runs.
Buy OSRS Gold
Magic Weapons
-Staff of Air + Wind spells
-Warped Sceptre
Best-in-slot
-Trident of the Swamp
Off-hand
-Ghommal’s Hilt 2 (BIS)
-God book (Magic + Prayer bonus)
Ranged Switch
Used mainly for Ahrim.
-Toxic Blowpipe (best)
-Magic shortbow + rune arrows
-Black d’hide body
-Ava’s device
Melee Switch
Useful for tunnels and Karil.
Good options:
-Abyssal whip
-Zombie axe
-Dragon scimitar
Armour & Slots
Helmet:
-Neitiznot / tank helm
Body & Legs:
-Torag’s (cheap & tanky)
-Dragon or Rune (budget)
Boots:
-Rune or Dragon boots
Cape:
-Imbued God Cape (BIS)
-Ardougne Cloak (budget)
Amulet:
-Occult necklace (BIS)
-Fury / Glory (budget)
Ring:
-Ring of dueling (Ferox Enclave banking)
Low level / Ironman
Higher Level
Inventory Setup
| Item | Purpose |
| Spade | Dig into Barrows crypts |
| Barrows Teleport | Fast travel to Barrows |
| Magic Gear | Primary combat style |
| Ranged Switch | Efficient kills on Ahrim |
| Melee Weapon | Tunnel & Karil kills |
| Food | Sustain against Verac / Guthan / Torag |
| Prayer Potions | Protect prayers |
| Restore Potion | Counter Ahrim stat drain |
| Stamina Potion | Faster tunnel navigation (optional) |
| Strange Old Lockpick | Open any tunnel door (optional) |
Is Barrows Profitable in 2026?
Yes – absolutely.
1/17 chance for a Barrows item
Item values range from ~160k to several million GP
Average chest value
~50k GP base
~79k GP with Morytania Hard Diary (50% more runes)
GP per Hour (2026)
| Setup | Runs / Hour | Avg Chest Value | GP / Hour |
| Low-level / Ironman | 10–12 | ~50k | 500k–600k |
| Mid-level main | 12–15 | ~65k | 780k–975k |
| Optimized (Hard Diary) | 15–20 | ~79k | 1.2M–1.6M |
Profit varies heavily depending on Barrows item luck, diary completion, and run efficiency.
Final Thoughts
Barrows remains one of the best beginner-friendly PvM activities in OSRS. It teaches prayer switching, gear swapping, and resource management while offering steady profits.
A few hours of Barrows per week can easily fund:
-Combat upgrades
-Prayer training
-Early PvM gear progression
Good luck in the crypts!
If you make any money from Barrows, you can consider selling it for real-life currency via Ezrsgold.com
