The Toxic Blowpipe is one of the most well-known and widely used weapons in Old School RuneScape (OSRS). Ever since its release as a rare drop from the boss Zulrah, it has remained a fan favorite among both casual and experienced players. Even after years of balance changes, new items, and shifts in the game's meta, the blowpipe continues to be one of the best ranged weapons in the game for a variety of activities. But the question many players are asking in 2025 is: Is the Toxic Blowpipe still worth using?

The answer is yes — and here's why.

What is the Toxic Blowpipe?

The Toxic Blowpipe is a two-handed ranged weapon that uses darts as ammunition. To use it, players need to have at least level 75 Ranged. In addition to requiring darts, the weapon also needs Zulrah's scales to operate. These scales are consumed slowly as the weapon is used in combat, which gives it a maintenance cost. However, the high attack speed and overall damage output make it well worth it.

In terms of stats, the blowpipe offers a +30 Ranged attack bonus and +20 Ranged strength bonus. It attacks every 2 game ticks (1.2 seconds) when set to the Rapid attack style. That speed alone is a major advantage, especially in OSRS, where faster weapons tend to have better overall DPS, even if they hit for slightly lower individual damage.

The blowpipe also has a 25% chance to apply venom to its target, dealing additional damage over time. It has a special attack that lets players heal for 50% of the damage dealt and regain 25% of their run energy, making it more versatile in both PvM and long grinds.

Why is the Blowpipe Still So Good?

What makes the blowpipe stand out after all these years is its combination of speed, damage, and accessibility. Its fast attack speed helps players hit more often, and even if some attacks miss or hit low, the sheer volume of hits adds up to consistent damage. The venom effect adds to this, providing passive damage that can finish off enemies or reduce their health faster during longer fights.

This makes the blowpipe particularly strong against monsters with low to medium defense. Even though it struggles a bit against high-defense bosses, it still holds up very well in many common PvM encounters and Slayer tasks.

Another huge advantage of the blowpipe is how customizable it is based on the type of darts you use. Here's a simple overview of dart types, their strength bonuses, and how much they cost to use per hour (approximate costs, using either Ava's Assembler or Accumulator):

· Mithril darts: +9 Ranged strength | 3K–4.2K GP/hour

· Adamant darts: +17 | 12.6K–17.6K GP/hour

· Rune darts: +26 | 103K–145K GP/hour

· Amethyst darts: +28 | 117K–163K GP/hour

· Dragon darts: +35 | 1.7M–2.5M GP/hour

As you can see, you can scale your dart choice depending on the activity. For example, mithril or adamant darts are great for Slayer, while dragon darts might be better for high-end bossing when every bit of damage matters.

How Easy is it to get the Blowpipe?

One of the key reasons the blowpipe is still so popular is because of how easy it is to obtain. In the main game economy, it currently costs around 8 million OSRS gold, which is relatively affordable even for mid-level accounts. You can earn this in a few hours of decent money-making or by flipping items at the Grand Exchange.

If you're playing on an Ironman account, the process is a bit longer since you'll need to kill Zulrah yourself. But the good news is that Zulrah is one of the most farmable bosses for Ironmen. With only around 500K worth of budget gear, you can start killing Zulrah and eventually get the blowpipe yourself. It might take a while depending on RNG, but it's one of the more realistic boss drops for a solo Ironman to grind.

The only requirement to wield the blowpipe is 75 Ranged — no quests, diaries, or other requirements. That makes it a natural part of most players' ranged progression, sitting between cheaper options like the magic shortbow (i) and more expensive late-game weapons like the Twisted Bow or Bow of Faerdhinen.

How Does the Blowpipe Compare to Other Ranged Weapons?

In terms of tick speed and DPS, the blowpipe outperforms many other weapons when fighting low-defense enemies. The only other weapons that hit as quickly are darts and throwing knives, which have lower damage and don't scale nearly as well. The magic shortbow (i) and Craw's bow are slower (3-tick weapons), and while they have niche uses, they don't compete with the blowpipe's speed or flexibility.

That said, the blowpipe isn't always the best choice. Against enemies with high Ranged defense, the accuracy and damage can fall off, especially if you're using weaker darts. In these cases, other weapons like the Twisted Bow, Armadyl crossbow, or Zaryte crossbow might be better. But for everyday combat, Slayer, and most mid-tier bosses, the blowpipe continues to be the strongest and most efficient option.

Best Use Cases for the Toxic Blowpipe

There are two main areas where the Toxic Blowpipe shines: Slayer and Bossing.

Slayer Creatures:

Against low-defense Slayer monsters, the blowpipe is unmatched. Because it hits so often and applies venom, you get very quick task completion times, even with low-cost darts. Amethyst or adamant darts are ideal here to keep your costs low while still getting great performance. Some ideal Slayer targets for the blowpipe include:

· Crawling hands

· Cave crawlers

· Bloodvelds

· Suqahs

· Greater demons

· Dust devils

· Aberrant spectres

· Wyrms

· Kalphites

· Magic axes

· Moss giants

· Revenants

Boss Monsters:

For bossing, you'll need to adjust your dart choice depending on the fight. While dragon darts offer the best damage, they are extremely expensive. For most bosses that aren't too tanky, amethyst darts work just fine.

Here are some bosses where the blowpipe performs well:

· Zulrah – Works great with amethyst darts

· Vorkath – Viable with amethyst darts

· Kalphite Queen – Excellent for quick kills

· Fight Caves – Great for clearing waves quickly

· Inferno – Useful in certain waves; not ideal for Zuk

· God Wars Dungeon minions – Efficient and consistent

· Skotizo – Solid all-around damage

· Hespori – Quick kills

· Tombs of Amascut (ToA) – Viable in some rooms

· Chambers of Xeric (CoX) – Effective in some rooms

· Theatre of Blood (ToB) – Works well in select rooms

· Quest bosses – Ideal for many mid-to-late game quests

In most of these cases, you won't find a faster ranged weapon for the price and accessibility.

Is the Toxic Blowpipe Worth Using in 2025?

Yes, the Toxic Blowpipe remains one of the most valuable ranged weapons in Old School RuneScape. Even though new weapons have entered the game and some of the higher-end bosses demand better gear, the blowpipe still fills a critical role for mid-game content, Slayer, and even parts of the late game.

Its combination of fast attack speed, flexible ammo options, venom application, and healing utility makes it incredibly useful. Whether you're doing Slayer for XP, bossing for drops, or just looking for a solid all-around ranged weapon to use, the blowpipe still gets the job done.

It's easy to obtain, easy to use, and scales well with different account types and playstyles. The only downside is the cost of scales and darts over time, but this can be managed by using cheaper darts for most tasks and saving expensive ones for bosses.

In summary, the Toxic Blowpipe is still worth it in 2025. If you don't have one yet, you're missing out on one of the best weapons in the game for general PvM. Whether you're a main OSRS account or an Ironman, adding this weapon to your arsenal is one of the best steps you can take for efficient ranged training and combat.

RSorder Team