Ancient wyvern shield

“A magical shield with a wyvern visage.”

The Ancient wyvern shield is a magic shield made from a wyvern visage, and one of the best magic off-hands in the game once it is fully charged. It needs 70 Magic and 75 Defence, plus a started Dragon Slayer I. It also blocks dragonfire and stops the freeze from a wyvern's icy breath, which makes it the natural shield for Fossil Island wyverns.

Equipment bonuses

The table shows the uncharged shield, which is the tradeable form: +15 magic attack, +2% magic damage and +15 magic defence, with −55 ranged defence. Each charge adds +1 to its melee and ranged defences, up to +50 at 50 charges. Fully charged it has +72 / +80 / +75 melee defence and −5 ranged defence.

Attack bonuses
−10
−10
−10
+15
−10
Defence bonuses
+22
+30
+25
+15
−55
Other bonuses
−2
+0
+2%
+0
Slot
Shield

Requires 70 Magic and 75 Defence to wield, and a started Dragon Slayer I · shield slot · members. The bonuses above are for the uncharged shield. Charges raise its melee and ranged defences, but not its magic defence.

Grand Exchange price history

Grand Exchange daily average
25M
90-day high—
90-day low—
90-day change—
Grand Exchange daily average prices (source: prices.runescape.wiki). Tap the chart for any day’s price.

How to get the Ancient wyvern shield

Only the uncharged shield can be traded. You either buy one or make one from a wyvern visage.

Ways to obtain it
Grand Exchange — the uncharged shield is tradeable, with a buy limit of 8 every 4 hours.
Wyvern visage — a very rare drop from the Fossil Island wyverns in the Wyvern Cave. Skeletal wyverns do not drop it.
Make the shield — Go to the House on the Hill on Fossil Island with the visage, an elemental shield and a hammer. Use the visage on the strange machine at the north end of the house. You need 66 Magic and 66 Smithing (boosts work). You get 2,000 experience in each, but your Magic level is drained to 0.

To charge it, use Fossil Island fossils or numulites on it. Identified fossils are the cheaper way, and rare fossils cannot be used. A full charge with numulites alone takes 25,000 of them.

Ancient wyvern shield vs other shields

Against the Arcane spirit shield, a fully charged wyvern shield is close on stats but gives less magic: +15 magic attack and 2% damage against +20 and 3%. It does have much better stab and slash defence, and it protects against dragonfire.

Against the Dragonfire shield and the Dragonfire ward, it is the magic option of the three. The Dragonfire shield suits melee and the ward suits ranged. Only the wyvern shield fully stops the icy breath freeze from wyverns, but it does not stop other freezes, such as those from Vorkath or the King Black Dragon.

Its operate effect fires a freeze blast that can hit about 15 damage, at up to 10 squares. You can use it once every two minutes, and it uses one charge each time. For full magic setups, see magic gear.

Ancient wyvern shield FAQ

What are the requirements for the Ancient wyvern shield?
70 Magic and 75 Defence to wield, and you must have started Dragon Slayer I. Making one needs 66 Magic and 66 Smithing.
How do you make an Ancient wyvern shield?
Take a wyvern visage, an elemental shield and a hammer to the House on the Hill on Fossil Island, then use the visage on the north strange machine. It drains your Magic level to 0.
How do you charge the Ancient wyvern shield?
Use Fossil Island fossils or numulites on it. It holds up to 50 charges, and each one adds +1 to its melee and ranged defences.
Can you trade a charged Ancient wyvern shield?
No. Only the uncharged shield can be traded. Use Empty to remove all charges first. The charges are lost and nothing is returned.
Does the Ancient wyvern shield protect against dragonfire?
Yes. It blocks dragonfire, and it also stops the freezing effect of a wyvern's icy breath. It does not stop other freezes, such as Vorkath's.
Ancient wyvern shield or Arcane spirit shield?
The Arcane spirit shield has more magic offence, with +20 magic attack and 3% damage. The wyvern shield, when charged, has better stab and slash defence and protects against dragonfire.
Does the Ancient wyvern shield lose charges?
Yes. Each use of the freeze blast costs one charge, and it loses all charges if it is dropped on death in an unsafe area.

Update history

11 Mar 2026Trading the shield was turned back on.
25 Feb 2026Trading was briefly disabled while a bug that let players claim the shield for free was fixed.
29 May 2024Its magic damage bonus went from 0% to 2%.
7 Feb 2024Its freeze blast now gives only Defence experience, not Magic and Hitpoints.

Source: OSRS Wiki — Ancient wyvern shield (Changes).