Avernic defender

“A defensive weapon.”

The Avernic defender is the top melee off-hand: it has the highest strength bonus and the highest melee attack bonuses of anything you can wear in the shield slot. You make it by attaching an Avernic defender hilt from the Theatre of Blood to a dragon defender. It needs 70 Attack and 70 Defence and is the standard off-hand for any one-handed melee setup.

Equipment bonuses

Compared with the dragon defender it replaces, every melee number goes up: +30 / +29 / +28 stab, slash and crush attack, the same values as defence, and +8 strength. The cost is small: −5 magic and −4 ranged attack and defence.

Attack bonuses
+30
+29
+28
−5
−4
Defence bonuses
+30
+29
+28
−5
−4
Other bonuses
+8
+0
+0%
+0
Slot
Shield

Requires 70 Attack and 70 Defence to wield · shield slot · members. Its standout numbers are the +8 strength and the +30 / +29 / +28 melee attack bonuses shown above.

How to make the Avernic defender

The defender itself is untradeable, but both of its parts can be obtained separately.

Ways to obtain it
Dragon defender — dropped by the level 106 cyclopes in the Warriors' Guild basement. Lorelai lets you into the basement after you show her a rune defender.
Avernic defender hilt — a reward from the Theatre of Blood. The hilt is tradeable, so you can also buy it on the Grand Exchange instead of getting your own drop.
Combine them — use the hilt on the dragon defender. You can split them again later, but only the dragon defender comes back. The hilt is destroyed.

Start with the Dragon defender page if you do not have one yet.

Avernic defender vs other off-hands

For melee offence, no shield-slot item has higher bonuses. Only the Ghommal's versions, which keep the same bonuses, add anything on top. It has one more strength than the Dragonfire shield and far higher attack bonuses, so it is the right pick whenever you hit with a one-handed weapon.

Its defence is modest, roughly that of an adamant kiteshield. When you need to tank rather than deal damage, a real shield is the better choice.

You can also attach a Ghommal's hilt 5 or 6 to create Ghommal's avernic defender. That keeps the defender's bonuses and adds the hilt's benefits, and you can remove the hilt again. For full setups, see melee gear.

Avernic defender FAQ

What level do you need for the Avernic defender?
70 Attack and 70 Defence.
How do you get the Avernic defender?
Use an Avernic defender hilt on a dragon defender. The hilt comes from the Theatre of Blood and can be traded. The dragon defender drops from cyclopes in the Warriors' Guild basement.
Can you trade the Avernic defender?
No, the finished defender is untradeable. The hilt on its own is tradeable.
Can you get the hilt back if you dismantle it?
No. Dismantling gives you back the dragon defender, but the hilt is destroyed.
Is the Avernic defender better than the dragon defender?
Yes. It has +8 strength against +6 and higher attack and defence bonuses in all three melee styles.
What happens to the Avernic defender if you die to a player?
If it is not protected, it stays with you but breaks. Perdu repairs it for 600,000 coins. Since July 2026 the game values it at 600,000 coins when it picks which items you keep.
Is it better than the Dragonfire shield?
For attacking, yes. It has one more strength and much higher melee attack bonuses. The Dragonfire shield gives far more defence, so it suits tanking.

Update history

29 Jul 2026The defender is now valued at 600,000 coins for death protection, the same as its repair cost, so it no longer takes priority over more valuable items.
20 Sep 2023The coins dropped in its place on a PvP death above level 20 Wilderness rose from 300,000 to 600,000.
23 Aug 2018Its death-protection value was adjusted so it is kept over more items, though fewer than at release.

Source: OSRS Wiki — Avernic defender (Changes).