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While Guthix Sleeps Ironman Guide (OSRS 2026): Requirements, Quest Chain, Prep Checklist & Rewards

While Guthix Sleeps for OSRS ironmen: every requirement and prerequisite quest, fastest routes to 72 Thieving and 65 Herblore, a prep checklist and HCIM risks.

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While Guthix Sleeps (WGS) is a Grandmaster quest and, since 20 October 2026, the only entry requirement for The Fractured Archive, the fourth raid. It is also one of the longest unlocks in the game: six unboostable skill levels between 62 and 72, 180 quest points, Warriors' Guild entry, and 41 prerequisite quests plus a miniquest.

This page is the ironman prep sheet, not a walkthrough. The OSRS Wiki already has the full walkthrough and the quick guide; keep one open when you start. Everything below is about getting to that point without a Grand Exchange: what each requirement costs you, what order to do the chain in, what to bank before you talk to Ivy Sophista in Taverley, and which fights can end a hardcore. Every number is from the wiki as of October 2026.

The three walls

  1. 65 Herblore. The wiki's ironman Herblore guide calls it arguably the hardest skill to train on an ironman, and expects around 67 to 69 by the time all hard diaries are done if you make every potion along the way. For most irons, WGS is ready when the hard diaries are.
  2. 72 Thieving and 66 Agility. Long, but the methods pay you back: Thieving funds Miscellania and Agility gets you graceful.
  3. The levels hidden in the chain. 61 Crafting, 60 Mining and 55 Woodcutting for Lunar Diplomacy, 60 Strength and 56 Slayer for The Path of Glouphrie, 55 Smithing for Defender of Varrock and 85 combat for Dream Mentor. None of them are boostable.

Requirements

While Guthix Sleeps

  • 180 Quest pointsNeeded to start
  • 72 ThievingNot boostable
  • 67 MagicNot boostable
  • 66 AgilityNot boostable
  • 65 FarmingNot boostable
  • 65 HerbloreNot boostable
  • 62 HunterNot boostable
  • 49 FiremakingLight the sapphire lantern
  • Warriors' Guild entryAttack + Strength of 130, or 99 in either
  • 95 CombatRecommended

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RequirementBoostableWhat it means for an ironman
180 quest pointsn/aThe whole prerequisite tree is worth 77 QP. The other 103 come from quests outside the chain.
72 ThievingNoThe highest skill level anywhere in WGS or its chain.
67 MagicNoYou cast Astral Contact four times during the quest, and Astral Contact is itself a level 67 Lunar spell. Lunar Diplomacy already needs 65.
66 AgilityNoThe Path of Glouphrie only needs 45, so the last 21 levels are for WGS alone.
65 FarmingNoGarden of Tranquillity needs 25.
65 HerbloreNoEadgar's Ruse needs 31 (boostable).
62 HunterNoDefender of Varrock needs 52 first.
49 FiremakingNot markedUsed to light the sapphire lantern. Lunar Diplomacy needs 49 unboosted, so you will have it.
Warriors' GuildNoSee below.
95 CombatRecommendedDream Mentor needs 85 to start.

Warriors' Guild entry

Ghommal only lets you in with a combined Attack and Strength of 130, or 99 in either, and the wiki says temporary boosts do not count. You need to get inside during the quest to recruit Ghommal, Harrallak Menarous and Sloane.

The chain does most of the work. The Path of Glouphrie forces 60 Strength (unboostable), so 70 Attack finishes the sum. The quests on the way pay a lot of melee XP: The Grand Tree 18,400 Attack, Waterfall Quest 13,750 Attack and 13,750 Strength, Fight Arena 12,175 Attack, Tree Gnome Village 11,450 Attack, Death Plateau 3,000 Attack, and The Path of Glouphrie itself 30,000 Strength.

The prerequisite quest tree

WGS lists ten direct prerequisites: Defender of Varrock, The Path of Glouphrie, Fight Arena, Dream Mentor, The Hand in the Sand, Wanted!, Temple of the Eye, Tears of Guthix, Nature Spirit and A Tail of Two Cats. Their chains pull in 31 more quests and the Enter the Abyss miniquest, for 41 quests and 77 quest points in total. These are the highest skill levels anywhere in that tree:

Highest levels in the prerequisite chain

  • 61 CraftingLunar Diplomacy
  • 60 MiningLunar Diplomacy
  • 60 StrengthThe Path of Glouphrie
  • 56 SlayerThe Path of Glouphrie
  • 55 SmithingDefender of Varrock
  • 55 WoodcuttingLunar Diplomacy
  • 47 RangedThe Path of Glouphrie
  • 40 DefenceLunar Diplomacy
  • 35 RunecraftWhat Lies Below
  • 5 ConstructionThe Eyes of Glouphrie
  • 85 CombatDream Mentor

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All of those are unboostable. One more is easy to miss: The Path of Glouphrie needs a mith grapple and a crossbow, and an ironman has to make the grapple (59 Fletching and 59 Smithing, both boostable) or get it as a drop in the Ancient Cavern, which opens after the first part of Barbarian Firemaking at 35 Firemaking.

The tables below follow the order in which the wiki's ironman optimal quest guide reaches each quest, grouped by stage. Our own quest order uses the same dependencies.

Stage 1: early account

No real skill gates: The Restless Ghost, Romeo & Juliet, Gertrude's Cat, Demon Slayer, Rune Mysteries, Tree Gnome Village, Waterfall Quest, Druidic Ritual, Black Knights' Fortress (12 QP), Priest in Peril, Nature Spirit, Jungle Potion (3 Herblore), Death Plateau and Goblin Diplomacy. The ones with something to know:

QuestGateIronman notes
Enter the Abyss (miniquest)Rune MysteriesStarts in level 4-7 Wilderness. The wiki tells hardcores to be extremely cautious.
Fight ArenaNoneEvery fight is safespottable. 2,175 Thieving and 12,175 Attack XP.
Below Ice Mountain16 QPThe level 25 Ancient Guardian is optional with a pickaxe and 10 Mining.
Recruitment DriveBlack Knights' Fortress, Druidic RitualDying to Sir Leye costs hardcore status. UIMs need an empty inventory and nothing worn. 1,000 Agility and 1,000 Herblore XP.
The Grand Tree25 Agility (boostable)Level 172 black demon, safespottable. 7,900 Agility XP.
Shield of ArravA partnerIronmen are allowed to trade the certificate halves; the wiki points to the "OSRS SOA" chat channel to find one.
The Lost Tribe13 Agility, 13 Thieving, 17 Mining (boostable)
Icthlarin's Little HelperGertrude's CatNeeds willow logs (30 Woodcutting). 4,500 Thieving and 4,000 Agility XP.
Wanted!32 QP, Recruitment Drive, The Lost Tribe, Priest in Peril, Enter the Abyss5,000 Slayer XP.

Stage 2: mid-game

QuestGateIronman notes
Creature of Fenkenstrain20 Crafting, 25 Thieving (boostable)4 Smithing for a bronze wire. Gives the ring of Charos.
Garden of Tranquillity25 Farming (not boostable)Olivia in Draynor sells every seed. The Wise Old Man activates your ring into the ring of Charos(a) early in this quest; keep it for WGS. 5,000 Farming XP.
A Tail of Two CatsIcthlarin's Little HelperTwo 2,500 XP lamps for skills above 30. Put them on Herblore.
Troll Stronghold15 Agility (boostable)Troll General (113) is safespottable.
Eadgar's Ruse31 Herblore (boostable, but you boost twice)Needs a ranarr potion (unf): grimy ranarr from chaos druids, or the Sorceress's Garden at 45 Thieving. 11,000 Herblore XP.
The Fremennik TrialsNoneA raw shark: 76 Fishing, or buy one from Frankie's Fishing Emporium in Port Piscarilius. Dying to Koschei in his first three forms is a safe death.
Shilo Village20 Crafting, 32 Agility (boostable)4 Smithing for a bronze wire. Nazastarool is safespottable.
The Eyes of Glouphrie46 Magic, 5 Construction (not boostable)Needs a mud rune (13 Runecraft, or the Mage Training Arena shop) plus maple and oak logs. 12,000 Magic XP.
Temple of the Eye10 Runecraft (not boostable)Unlocks Guardians of the Rift, which Lunar Diplomacy accepts as access to the elemental altars.
Lost City31 Crafting, 36 Woodcutting (boostable)Tree spirit (101) is safespottable.
Temple of Ikov42 Thieving (boostable), 40 RangedThe Ranged requirement can be bypassed. 10,500 Ranged XP.
Tears of Guthix43 QP; 49 Firemaking, 20 Crafting, 20 Mining (boostable)Needs the sapphire lantern you will use again in WGS. Unlocks a weekly minigame that gives XP in your lowest skill, so the wiki suggests doing it as soon as you have 49 Firemaking.
The Hand in the Sand17 Thieving, 49 Crafting (not boostable)9,000 Crafting XP.
Family Crest40 Mining, 40 Smithing, 59 Magic, 40 Crafting (boostable)Takes you into the Wilderness section of Edgeville Dungeon, where you fight Chronozon (170, safespottable).
What Lies Below35 Runecraft (not boostable)

Stage 3: the four walls

QuestGateIronman notes
Lunar Diplomacy61 Crafting, 60 Mining, 55 Woodcutting, 65 Magic, 49 Firemaking, 40 Defence, 5 Herblore (none boostable)Bring a finished bullseye lantern, a dramen staff and the four elemental talismans, or use the Abyss or Guardians of the Rift. Unlocks the Lunar spellbook and Baba Yaga's astral rune stock, and the reward includes 50 astral runes, plenty for WGS's four Astral Contacts. The Dream World here is on the wiki's safe-death list.
Dream Mentor85 combatFour bosses (343, 223, 274 and 108) with no prayer. The wiki says this dream world is not safe, and the lectern is the only way out: no teleport works, ring of life included. 10,000 Magic and 15,000 Hitpoints XP, plus a dreamy lamp worth 15,000 XP in any combat skill except Attack and Prayer (the wiki's ironman order puts it on Magic).
Defender of Varrock55 Smithing, 52 Hunter (not boostable)Armoured zombies (85) in a multicombat dungeon and chaos golems (70). 15,000 Smithing and 15,000 Hunter XP, plus a 5,000 XP antique lamp (any skill at 30 or higher) from Historian Minas in the Varrock Museum.
The Path of Glouphrie60 Strength, 56 Slayer, 56 Thieving, 47 Ranged, 45 Agility (not boostable)Mith grapple and crossbow. Three warped terrorbirds (138); the wiki recommends earmuffs or a slayer helmet. 30,000 Strength, 20,000 Slayer, 5,000 Thieving and 5,000 Magic XP.

Fastest ironman routes to each level

These come from the wiki's Ironman Guide page for each skill, plus the quest XP the chain hands you on the way.

72 Thieving

LevelsMethodNotes
1-18Hazeel Cult (1,500 XP) and Fight Arena (2,175 XP)No requirements for either
5+Cake stall in East ArdougneSteal from the safespot; bank the cakes for questing
25-45Hosidius fruit stallsAround 37,000 XP an hour on the two stalls inside the house; bank the strange fruit
30 / 34The Feud (15,000 XP), Death on the Isle (10,000 XP, needs 32 Agility)The two largest rewards on the wiki's ironman Thieving quest list
45+Blackjacking bandits in PollnivneachVery click-intensive. The wiki advises hardcores to wear an escape crystal in case they disconnect
50Rogues' DenNeeds 50 Thieving and 50 Agility; around 90 minutes for the full rogue outfit
50+Stealing valuables in VarlamoreLow intensity; needs Children of the Sun
55+Knights of ArdougneSlower but easier; take the medium Ardougne Diary first
64+Stone chests under Molch280 XP per chest; the wiki quotes 90,000-110,000 XP an hour at around 78 with a lockpick. 45 Farming lets you use the Farming Guild bank. Bring antipoison

The chain adds 4,500 Thieving from Icthlarin's Little Helper, 5,000 from The Path of Glouphrie, 2,812.4 from The Fremennik Trials and 1,000 each from Creature of Fenkenstrain and The Hand in the Sand. The cash from blackjacking and knights is the wiki's suggested way to fund Managing Miscellania; see our money making guide.

66 Agility

LevelsMethodNotes
1-36Recruitment Drive (1,000), The Tourist Trap (4,650 twice; pick Agility), The Grand Tree (7,900), Death on the Isle (7,500)Two of these are in the WGS chain anyway
AnyRooftop coursesA new course every 10 levels (Canifis at 40, Seers' Village at 60). Marks of grace buy graceful. Alch or fletch between obstacles
40-60Brimhaven Agility Arena50,000-60,000 XP an hour; 200 coins to enter
50 / 62Colossal Wyrm Agility CourseUp to 31,181 XP an hour on the basic course and 42,834 on the advanced course, plus blessed bone shards for Prayer
30+Agility PyramidSlower XP but each pyramid top is 10,000 coins: roughly 130,000 coins an hour at 30-50

Icthlarin's Little Helper (4,000) and The Fremennik Trials (2,812.4) add a little more. The Hallowed Sepulchre, the wiki's fastest method from 72, only starts once you are past the requirement.

65 Herblore

LevelsMethodNotes
1-26QuestsDruidic Ritual, Jungle Potion, Recruitment Drive, Zogre Flesh Eaters, The Dig Site, Shades of Mort'ton and Heroes' Quest give 9,350 XP between them
ChainEadgar's Ruse (11,000), A Tail of Two Cats (two 2,500 lamps)Both are WGS prerequisites
LampsEvery experience lamp and book of knowledgeThe wiki's advice. Its ironman quest order spends the medium diary lamps, the Defender of Varrock antique lamp and all six chapters of the Sins of the Father tome (15,000 XP each, for a skill already at 60) on Herblore
60+Mastering Mixology in AldarinNeeds Children of the Sun. Much more XP per herb and no secondaries
AlwaysMake every potion you canSee the ladder below

The wiki's potion ladder up to the requirement, with the ironman source for each secondary:

LevelPotionSecondary and where it comes from
3Attack potionEye of newt packs from Betty in Port Sarim
26Energy potionChocolate dust from Hudo at the Grand Tree, or chocolate bars from Hudo, Rok's Chocs Box in Nardah or the Culinaromancer's Chest
38Prayer potionSnape grass spawns on the Hosidius hobgoblin peninsula and Waterbirth Island
45Super attackEye of newt from Betty
52Super energyMort myre fungus from Bloom in Mort Myre Swamp or sulliuscep mushrooms
55Super strengthLimpwurt roots grown in flower patches at 26 Farming; the seeds drop from kurasks, nechryaels and deviant spectres
63Super restoreRed spiders' eggs from spidines in the Tower of Life or temple spiders in Forthos Dungeon

Herbs come mostly from farming: Miscellania with 10 workers on herbs at all times, herb runs with ultracompost, master farmers for seeds, Slayer drops (nechryael in the Slayer Tower for herb seeds) and Wintertodt. Super restores at 63 also matter for the Balance Elemental fight. Our Herblore guide has the full ladder.

65 Farming

LevelsMethodNotes
1-37QuestsFreeing the Goblin generals (1,000), Fairytale I (3,500), Forgettable Tale... (5,000), The Garden of Death (10,000), Garden of Tranquillity (5,000) and Enlightened Journey (3,000) give 27,500 XP
34-65Tithe FarmThe wiki's pick for rapid XP to 65. Also unlocks auto-weed, the seed box and the herb sack
AlwaysTree runs with ultracompost, herb runsHerb runs are your Herblore supply; Resurrect Crops covers the odd dead tree

Seeds come from bird houses on Fossil Island, Slayer drops, master farmers (from 38 Thieving) and Wintertodt. 65 Farming also opens medium Farming contracts, which the wiki calls the most consistent seed source for ironmen.

62 Hunter

LevelsMethodXP an hour (wiki)
1-9Natural history quiz in the Varrock Museum (1,000 XP)n/a
9-13Feldip weasels with a noose wandAround 13,000
13-25Desert devils near UzerAround 18,500
25-39Sapphire glacialis butterflies (Rellekka, Farming Guild, Mons Gratia)Around 28,500 at 25
39-43Embertailed jerboas at Locus OasisUp to 50,000 with 3 traps
43-57Spotted kebbits with falconry (500 coins)60,000-70,000
57-62Dark kebbits with falconry75,000-80,000

Run bird houses on Fossil Island the whole way (Bone Voyage); they also feed your Herblore and Farming. Eagles' Peak at 27 gives 2,500 XP, and Defender of Varrock pays 15,000 Hunter once you have its 52. Hunters' Rumours in Varlamore open from 46, and orange salamanders in the Necropolis (after part of Beneath Cursed Sands) are an AFK option at 60.

67 Magic

Our Magic guide has the full route. The short version: five quests to 34, then the Arceuus Library (15 XP per Magic level per book, around 120-150 books an hour, so 108,000-135,000 XP an hour at 60) and the Mage Training Arena from 33. The chain pays 12,000 from The Eyes of Glouphrie and 2,150 from The Grand Tree on the way up, then 5,000 from Lunar Diplomacy, 10,000 from Dream Mentor plus its 15,000 XP dreamy lamp, and 5,000 from The Path of Glouphrie once you are past Lunar Diplomacy's 65.

49 Firemaking

The wiki route is to cut and burn oak logs to 39 and teak logs from there; teaks are south-west of Castle Wars or south of Civitas illa Fortis. Wintertodt needs 50, so it comes straight after.

The chain's other levels

LevelForThe wiki's ironman route
61 CraftingLunar DiplomacyGlassblowing from 35, with buckets of sand and soda ash bought from trader crewmembers. The same glass makes WGS's unpowered orb (46) and lantern lens (49). See our Crafting guide.
60 MiningLunar DiplomacyIron ore to 45, then 3-tick granite. The Motherlode Mine is moderately efficient from 55 and pays for the coal bag and gem bag.
55 SmithingDefender of VarrockGold ore at the Blast Furnace from 40 (230,000+ XP an hour, around 4 coins per XP), or the cheaper Giants' Foundry. See the Smithing guide.
55 WoodcuttingLunar DiplomacyTeaks from 35; Wintertodt from 50 Firemaking also trains Woodcutting.
60 Strength, 47 RangedThe Path of GlouphrieNormal combat training; Temple of Ikov gives 10,500 Ranged.
56 SlayerThe Path of GlouphrieSee the Slayer guide. Wanted! gives 5,000 Slayer.
59 Fletching, 59 Smithing (boostable)Mith grappleOr the Ancient Cavern drop. See the Fletching guide.
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Prep checklist: what to bank before you start

Bank these before talking to Ivy Sophista

Ring of Charos(a)1
Ring of Charos(a) × 1 (Or 500 coins)
Knife1
Knife × 1 (Broav pitfall trap)
Seed dibber1
Seed dibber × 1 (Unless Barbarian Farming is done)
Lantern lens1
Lantern lens × 1
Unpowered orb1
Unpowered orb × 1
Bronze med helm1
Bronze med helm × 1 (Disguise)
Iron chainbody1
Iron chainbody × 1 (Disguise)
Sapphire lantern (unlit)1
Sapphire lantern (unlit) × 1 (Light it at 49 Firemaking)
Astral rune4
Astral rune × 4 (Astral Contact x4)
Air rune8
Air rune × 8 (Astral Contact x4)
Cosmic rune7
Cosmic rune × 7 (4 Astral Contact, 3 charge orb)
Water rune30
Water rune × 30 (Charge Water Orb)
Antipoison(4)1
Antipoison(4) × 1
Games necklace(8)1
Games necklace(8) × 1 (Tears of Guthix, Burthorpe)
Falador teleport (tablet)3
Falador teleport (tablet) × 3
Taverley teleport1
Taverley teleport × 1
Feldip hills teleport1
Feldip hills teleport × 1
Ardougne cloak 11
Ardougne cloak 1 × 1 (Monastery, near Fight Arena)

Plus combat gear for three styles, the Surok runes below, and 20 coins for pink dye. Charge Water Orb (56 Magic) is the lowest charge orb spell; any of them works.

Where each required item comes from on an ironman:

ItemIronman source
Ring of Charos(a), or 500 coinsCreature of Fenkenstrain, activated in Garden of Tranquillity. It is lost on death; pickpocket Dr Fenkenstrain for a replacement. 500 coins does the same job.
Lantern lensGlassblow molten glass at 49 Crafting. A finished bullseye lantern also hands its lens back when you use a cut sapphire on it.
Unpowered orbGlassblow molten glass at 46 Crafting.
Bronze med helm and iron chainbodyPeksa's Helmet Shop in Barbarian Village sells the helm (or smith it at 3 Smithing); smith the chainbody from 3 iron bars at 26 Smithing. A black armour set also works. You only wear them to get into the Black Knights' Fortress.
Sapphire lanternA bullseye lantern with a cut sapphire in it: 49 Smithing for the frame and 20 Crafting for the sapphire. Buy the bullseye lantern from Miltog for 600 coins after Death to the Dorgeshuun, pickpocket one from cave goblins at 36 Thieving, or get an unfinished one from wall beasts at 35 Slayer. You already made one for Tears of Guthix, and it is kept on death.
Astral Contact runes (4 casts)8 air, 4 astral and 4 cosmic runes on the Lunar spellbook. Baba Yaga on Lunar Isle sells astral runes after Lunar Diplomacy.
Charge orb runes30 runes of one element and 3 cosmic runes, cast on the standard spellbook. You cast it on a floor tile, not an obelisk.
Combat gearTwo styles for the Black Knight Catacombs, a standard-spellbook Magic setup for Surok, all three styles for the Balance Elemental.

The wiki's recommended extras: 95 combat, a Taverley teleport, fairy ring access (AKS for Feldip Hills, ALS for McGrubor's Wood), Falador teleports or a ring of returning set to Falador, antipoison, and a combat bracelet, games necklace or Strength cape for the Warriors' Guild. Bring a coal bag and log basket too: a side room in Movario's base holds 100 death runes, 100 fire runes, 100 coal and 100 magic logs, all unnoted. Hand Movario's notes to Thaerisk before you go back for it: the quickest way out with the loot is to fail the weight puzzle on purpose, which jails you and confiscates the notes even if they are in your bank.

You do not need to bring: the mort myre fungus, a log (a bronze axe is available next to the hunting expert if you carry no axe), pink dye, the snapdragon seed (Thaerisk gives one free), papyrus and charcoal, the restore potion, the single runes for the battered door (a chest in the base has them), or any herbs. The druid spirits in the Ancient Guthixian Temple drop exactly the ingredients your eight statues need, and the spade, hammer and chisel are on a skeleton at the bottom of the chasm.

Runes for the Surok Magis fight

Surok is the boss that takes the most planning on an ironman, because he can only be damaged by combat spells and his special attacks each need a specific counter spell. Powered staves do nothing to him; Iban Blast works. Per-cast costs from the wiki:

SpellLevelRunes per castUsed for
Wind / Water / Earth / Fire Blast41 / 47 / 53 / 591 death plus air, water, earth and fireDamage, and countering his elemental surges with the opposite element
Wind / Water / Earth / Fire Wave62 / 65 / 70 / 751 blood plus elementalsThe same, once you can cast all four
Bind / Snare / Entangle20 / 50 / 792 / 3 / 4 nature plus earth and waterThe Agile Warrior
Weaken / Enfeeble11 / 731 body / 1 soul plus earth and waterThe Strong Warrior
Telekinetic Grab331 law, 1 airGrabbing the lit explosive
Low / High Level Alchemy21 / 551 nature plus 3 / 5 fireAlching the explosive straight after

The wiki says to bring the highest spell tier you can cast in all four elements. With 67 to 74 Magic that is the Blast tier on death runes, because Fire Wave needs 75. If you use RuneLite's "No Bad Alchs" plugin, turn it off for this fight.

Dangerous fights for hardcore ironmen

Nothing in While Guthix Sleeps is a safe death

The wiki's Hardcore Ironman safe-death list includes the Dream World in Lunar Diplomacy and the first three rounds against Koschei in The Fremennik Trials. Nothing else in the chain is on it, and neither is any part of While Guthix Sleeps. Every fight below can end a hardcore.

FightWhereLevelWhat the wiki says
Sir LeyeRecruitment Drive20Dying to him costs hardcore status
Wilderness travelEnter the Abyss, Family Crestn/aLevel 4-7 Wilderness, and the Wilderness section of Edgeville Dungeon
The Inadequacy, The Everlasting, The Untouchable, The IllusiveDream Mentor343 / 223 / 274 / 108Not safe; no prayer allowed; no teleports, ring of life included; leave through the lectern
Warped terrorbirdsThe Path of Glouphrie138Three of them; earmuffs or a slayer helmet reduce their ranged hits
Armoured zombies, chaos golemsDefender of Varrock85 / 70The zombie dungeon is multicombat
AssassinsWGS, Taverley167Pray Protect from Missiles. After the "Now!" arrow lands, swap to Protect from Melee: the other assassin's dragon dagger special can hit 53+ unprotected
Mercenary axemen and mageWGS, McGrubor's Wood131 / 112Idria can kill them for you if you wait
Elite Black KnightsWGS, Black Knight Catacombs138Everything in the catacombs is aggressive unless you wear elite black armour or the Dark Squall robes. Flat armour of 7, so bring Magic and crush or heavy ranged
Surok MagisWGS, Black Knight Catacombs265450 Hitpoints. Pray Protect from Magic. Each uncountered special hits 45+. Your gravestone appears in the catacombs; the Dark Squall robes are always kept, so you can walk back in disguised
Balance ElementalWGS, Ancient Guthixian Temple524750 Hitpoints, standard hits up to 40 and a special up to 89 that drains stats and prayer. Below 50% you get one tick to switch prayers. Bring all three styles or it protects against both of yours at the end
Tormented demonsWGS, Ancient Guthixian Temple450Two at once, but touching the Stone of Jas boosts your stats to 255 for this fight

A few things that change how risky those fights are:

  • Teleports are blocked inside Movario's base from the stairs down to the old battered door until you solve the weight puzzle. Using the wrong rune on the door, or opening a trapped chest without searching it first, deals 18 to 20+ damage.
  • The Balance Elemental can be hidden from. It routefinds around melee safespots, but the wiki describes ducking behind the Stone of Jas or a pillar to reset, and the quick guide says lower levels and hardcores can use a pillar for the entire fight. Bring an emergency teleport that is not runes, because the elemental can drain your Magic, plus super restores and food; Menaphite remedy (88 Herblore) helps if you have one. Travelling into the chasm removes any boosts, so drink potions after you arrive. If you die, your gravestone is in the Chasm of Tears with Movario and Darve.
  • You can sit out the tormented demons. Hide behind the south-western column and the Guardians of Armadyl kill them, which takes upwards of 10 minutes. Don't let the game log you out for idling, because that resets the fight. Teleporting out to restock resets it to the demons rather than the elemental.

See the HCIM guide for the general rules.

Rewards

RewardAmount
Thieving XP80,000
Farming XP75,000
Herblore XP75,000
Hunter XP50,000
Quest points5

That is 280,000 XP, and 150,000 of it is Herblore and Farming XP that an ironman would otherwise pay for in herbs and seeds. The other rewards, from the wiki's reward list:

  • The Ancient Guthixian Temple and Tormented Demons. Level 450, 600 Hitpoints, unaggressive, and they count as greater demons for Slayer (assigned by Chaeldar, Nieve and Kuradal). They drop the tormented synapse at 1/500, a burning claw at 499/250,000 (two make the burning claws special attack weapon), and 2 Guthixian temple teleports at 1/12. A fire shield cuts damage from anything that is not demonbane or abyssal by 20%. Our boss order places them.
  • Duradel's notes from Kuradal, who replaces Duradel after the quest with the same 100 combat and 50 Slayer requirements. Reading them gives Slayer XP equal to 15 times your Slayer level, once, and lets you build the synapse weapons:
WeaponWieldMade fromSkill to make
Emberlight77 AttackArclight (fully charged or infused) and a synapse, at an anvil with a hammer74 Smithing (boostable)
Scorching bow77 RangedMagic longbow (u) and a synapse74 Fletching (boostable)
Purging staff77 Magic, 50 AttackBattlestaff, iron bar and a synapse, at an anvil with a hammer74 Crafting (boostable) and 55 Smithing (not boostable)
  • The Fractured Archive raid. See our Fractured Archive ironman guide.
  • Elite black armour (40 Defence), the Dark Squall robes, and access to the Black Knight Catacombs.
  • The broav, if you keep it.
  • The Movario's base loot covered above.

Two Slayer masters change after the quest: Turael is replaced by Aya and Duradel by Kuradal. If you finished Dragon Slayer II first, an extra cutscene plays at the end; its intro is about a minute long and cannot be skipped.

Where it fits in your ironman progression

WGS is late-game on an ironman. The wiki's ironman optimal quest guide places it near the very end, after Monkey Madness II, Dragon Slayer II and Secrets of the North and just before Song of the Elves, and it tells you to train Farming to 65 and Thieving to 72 right before it. On our full walkthrough it sits in Goals after Barrows gloves, after you have started the Tombs of Amascut.

What WGS opens up comes in two stages:

  1. Straight away: Tormented Demons in the Ancient Guthixian Temple, for burning claws and the synapse weapons. They also drop the Guthixian temple teleport scrolls that bring you back.
  2. Later: The Fractured Archive. The quest gets you in, but the wiki suggests 90+ Hitpoints, Attack, Strength, Defence and Ranged with 96+ Magic for the raid, and the miniquest recommends 110 combat. Keep your sapphire lantern: the light creatures in the Chasm of Tears are how you get down to the archive until you have teleport scrolls or the Archivist's folio.

Quest XP is fixed, so there is nothing to gain by waiting once you have the levels: the Tormented Demon drops start paying the day you finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the requirements for While Guthix Sleeps in OSRS?

180 quest points, 72 Thieving, 67 Magic, 66 Agility, 65 Farming, 65 Herblore and 62 Hunter (none of them boostable), 49 Firemaking to light a sapphire lantern, and entry to the Warriors' Guild (Attack plus Strength of at least 130, or 99 in either). You also need ten quests and everything behind them: Defender of Varrock, The Path of Glouphrie, Fight Arena, Dream Mentor, The Hand in the Sand, Wanted!, Temple of the Eye, Tears of Guthix, Nature Spirit and A Tail of Two Cats. The OSRS Wiki recommends 95 combat.

Can you boost for While Guthix Sleeps?

No. The wiki marks the Thieving, Magic, Agility, Farming, Herblore and Hunter levels and the Warriors' Guild entry as unboostable, and the guild itself refuses temporary boosts. The 49 Firemaking is only for lighting the sapphire lantern, but Lunar Diplomacy already needs 49 Firemaking unboosted. The levels hidden in the prerequisite chain are unboostable too: 61 Crafting, 60 Mining and 55 Woodcutting for Lunar Diplomacy, 60 Strength and 56 Slayer for The Path of Glouphrie, and 55 Smithing for Defender of Varrock.

What is the hardest While Guthix Sleeps requirement for an ironman?

65 Herblore, for most accounts. The wiki's ironman Herblore guide calls Herblore arguably the hardest skill to train on an ironman, because every herb and secondary has to be gathered, and expects around 67 to 69 Herblore by the time all hard diaries are done if you make every potion along the way. Quests take you to 26, Eadgar's Ruse in the chain adds 11,000 XP, and Mastering Mixology from 60 gives more XP per herb. 72 Thieving and 66 Agility take longer in hours but are simple to train.

Is While Guthix Sleeps safe for hardcore ironmen?

No. None of its fights are on the wiki's list of safe deaths for Hardcore Ironmen, so dying to the assassins, Surok Magis, the Balance Elemental or the tormented demons costs you your status. The chain adds more: the wiki says Dream Mentor's dream world is not safe and blocks every teleport including the ring of life, and dying to Sir Leye in Recruitment Drive also ends a hardcore. Only Lunar Diplomacy's Dream World and the first three rounds against Koschei in The Fremennik Trials are listed as safe.

What does While Guthix Sleeps unlock?

5 quest points and 280,000 XP (80,000 Thieving, 75,000 Farming, 75,000 Herblore and 50,000 Hunter), the Ancient Guthixian Temple and its Tormented Demons, Duradel's notes from Kuradal (one-time Slayer XP and the ability to make the Emberlight, scorching bow and purging staff from tormented synapses), the Black Knight Catacombs, elite black armour, and entry to The Fractured Archive raid.

How do you unlock The Fractured Archive in OSRS?

Complete While Guthix Sleeps. It is the only hard requirement. The raid sits at the bottom of the Chasm of Tears, which you reach with a games necklace to Tears of Guthix and a lit sapphire lantern, and The Fractured Archive miniquest starts the first time you try to enter the lobby. The miniquest recommends 110 combat, and deaths inside the raid are not safe for hardcore ironmen.

What quests do you need for While Guthix Sleeps?

Ten direct prerequisites and their chains: 41 quests plus the Enter the Abyss miniquest, worth 77 quest points between them. The ones that gate the most skills are Lunar Diplomacy (61 Crafting, 60 Mining, 55 Woodcutting, 65 Magic), Dream Mentor (85 combat), Defender of Varrock (55 Smithing, 52 Hunter) and The Path of Glouphrie (60 Strength, 56 Slayer, 56 Thieving, 47 Ranged, 45 Agility).

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