I’m going to level with you: my Old School Runescape bossing chops could use some work. My current account is the blueprint for AFKscape, with combat levels in the high 90s courtesy of the Gemstone Crab, and skill capes that were earned through the hardest grafts of all: standing still and occasionally clicking Redwoods, and cooking sharks down in the Rogue’s Den.
Don’t get me wrong, I love me some PvM. Slayer is probably my favorite skill the MMO has to offer, and I’ve spent more than my fair share of time at Barrows. However, the nervousness that comes with going into a big ol’ boss fight, knowing my pitiful bank is at stake, has long put me off really delving into the content I should be exploring. It’s only during Grid Master that I finally got Jad down to a fine art, before proceeding to khopesh the ever-living shit out of OSRS’ end-game goliaths. With the arrival of Old School Runescape’s new bovine boss, Brutus, I’m hopeful that what I would consider to be the game’s first true early game challenge will help prevent newer players from getting those same cold feet later on.
As it stands, there are a couple of simple giant bosses that you can tackle once you’ve spent a little bit of time in Gielinor: Obor and Bryophyta. Historically, the pair has been the gateway into bossing for most, though their drops aren’t really much to write home about, and there’s no real impetus to learn their mechanics or repeat encounters. They’re also considerably stronger than the Level 30 Brutus, coming in at levels 106 and 128 respectively. This legacy content hasn’t stood the test of time particularly well, and the encounters are hardly engaging.
Brutus, on the other hand, is a perfect ramp for newbies, be they free-to-play or members, to cut their teeth. The rampaging bull only has a max hit of three on his normal attacks, meaning players won’t need to pump up their Prayer stats beforehand, and can brute-force the fight with food alone, provided they don’t get blasted by his two special attacks (which hit through prayers, anyway). These are clearly telegraphed, and easy to dodge, making for a comfortable learning experience.
Brutus’s drops are also solid for fresh accounts. He always drops Bull Bones, which provide the highest amount of free-to-play Prayer XP (40) per remains, as well as T-Bone Steaks which heal a solid ten health apiece. He can also drop the logs required to cook the steaks, making him pretty self-sustaining, and considerably lighter on the bank balance to fight. Brutus only has 58 HP, so it’s a considerably shorter fight compared to the aforementioned giant duo.
Most importantly, there’s a 1/1000 chance of receiving the udderly adorable Beef, a tiny cow pet that has some of the best drop odds of any OSRS companion. Not only does Beef provide impetus for newer players to come back for far more than a second helping of Brutus, but he does so also for mid and even high level accounts that are deep in the pet-collecting sauce. It took over 1,200 Dharok’s maulings for me to bring Beef home, and I’m ready to 1v1 anyone that insults his cuteness; just don’t tell my pet fox that.
Due to Brutus’s tight design, you don’t need to worry about bringing alternate fighting styles outside of melee, chugging Prayer Potions, or bringing along special items to counter mechanics. All that’s required is a bit of concentration and some half-decent grub. Thanks to the Cowbell amulet you get from his unlock quest, The Ides of Milk, even if you do mis-click and take a quick trip to see Death, you can simply have it saved as one of your protected items.
Because of this, you can instantly teleport back to your grave, reclaim your gear, and jump straight back into the pen to give Brutus another go, without feeling the stress of racing against the clock to retrieve your stuff. It’s clear how much thought has gone into making the encounter as approachable as possible, and taking away the fear of losing GP, so hats off to Jagex for making it a smooth experience. Brutus is a brilliant little introduction to the world of bossing, and the new player experience is all the better for it. Now, it’s time to clear Desert Treasure 2 and give his demonic version a go… in a few months, maybe.
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