Okay gang, buckle up. So, this whole Dragon Hunter Lance thing keeps popping up in my feeds, whispers in the CC… everyone saying it’s the new king against dragons, right? But I’ve been rocking different setups for ages. Figured it was high time I stopped yapping about testing it and actually did the damn test myself. Just grabbed my gear, headed out, and saw what my thumbs could manage.
Gearing Up and Setting the Scene
First things first, where to even try this? Vorkath seemed like the obvious punching bag. Everyone knows him, he’s a pain, and well… dragon. Felt right. Packed the usual basics: anti-dragon shield (duh, not gonna be that guy who forgets), best range gear I got for the blowpipe later, and my trusty Tentacle Whip plus Abyssal Dagger for the ‘other weapons’ part. Oh, and the star of the show: the Dragon Hunter Lance. Cost me an arm and a leg, or at least several Vorkath heads.
Wanted to keep it simple. No crazy spreadsheets, just me, the boss, and the death counter. Planned to do:
- Phase 1: Run a few kills with my regular stab setup – Tentacle Whip and Defender. Baseline, ya know?
- Phase 2: Switch entirely to the DHL. Same gear otherwise, see how it really feels whacking that blue boy.
- Phase 3: Try the blowpipe method everyone loves (just for kicks, comparing apples to weird spiky dragon oranges).
- Phase 4: Even dusted off the old Dragon Hunter Crossbow, see if the hype there still holds water against something pointy.
Actually Putting Boots on the Ground
Started with the Tentacle Whip kills. Felt… normal. Solid. Hit numbers were kinda bouncing around, sometimes decent 40s, sometimes sad little 8s. Had to juggle piety flicking like usual, manage food when I messed up a fireball dodge. Died twice because I’m dumb and walked into the poison pool like a tourist. Kill times? Averaged maybe 2:15. Felt like a grind.
Now, time for the Lance. Felt weird holding this giant polearm instead of a sword. Animation’s different. Went aggressive style because why not? First few whacks… okay, decent. But then, started seeing way more consistent high hits. Like, 50s popping up like confetti. Special attack felt meaty too. Suddenly wasn’t guzzling food as much. Why? Kills were ending faster. Ended up with kills averaging closer to 1:50. Died once (curse you, random lag spike during zombie spawn!), but mostly felt smoother. Less panic eating, more stabbing.
Tried the Blowpipe next. Oh man. Felt like tickling Vorkath from a distance. Yes, the walkspeed makes dodging the fireball a dream, but the damage? So. Slow. Saw my kill times balloon out past 3 minutes. Used way more prayer pots flicking Rigour constantly too. Felt inefficient as heck for a ‘dragon hunter’ setup on this guy.
Dusted off the Dragon Hunter Crossbow. More comfortable than the pipe, damage felt okay, ruby bolts doing their special thing sometimes. Averaged about 2:20 per kill. Better than pipe, for sure, but still lagged behind the Lance noticeably. Banking for more dragon bolts vs. just repairing the lance? Pain.
So What Actually Happened? The Nutshell
Look, here’s the messy truth from my muddled brain after the bloodbath:
- Tentacle Whip/Abyssal Dagger: It works! If you’re broke or just starting Vorkath, it gets the job done. It’s reliable. But it feels slower and you eat more food meaning less profit/kill. Manageable, but a slog.
- Dragon Hunter Lance: Hits dragons like a runaway truck specifically built to hit dragons. Faster kills meant less time getting punched in the face. Used less food. Felt less frantic overall. The difference wasn’t subtle.
- Blowpipe: Forget it. Seriously, for Vorkath? Just… don’t. Too slow, too expensive on darts and scales. Feels like bringing a toothpick to a dragon fight.
- Dragon Hunter Crossbow: Still solid! Especially if you prefer ranging or are doing other dragons elsewhere. But for Vorkath? The Lance just outpaced it damage-wise, and saving on bolts is a nice perk.
Bottom line? Against big, solo dragon bosses like Vorkath, the Dragon Hunter Lance absolutely lived up to the hype for me. It just cut through him noticeably quicker and smoother than my old stabbing gear. The speed difference translated directly into easier kills and feeling less stressed. Yeah, it’s pricey upfront, but the sheer time saving and reduced supply use make me think it pays for itself pretty quick if Vorkath is your gym.
Am I selling my whip? Nah, still good stuff elsewhere. But for dragon-slaying duty? The Lance has earned its permanent spot in the inventory. Case closed. For now. Til the next meta shift!