The dragon hunter lance is a one-handed stab spear and dragonbane weapon requiring 78 Attack to wield. It attacks every 4 ticks (2.4s) and deals +20% accuracy and +20% damage against draconic creatures — dragons, wyverns and the Great Olm — making it the go-to melee weapon for dragon-based bossing and slayer. It is created by combining a hydra's claw (dropped by the Alchemical Hydra) with a Zamorakian hasta. As a tradeable item it sits around 58M on the Grand Exchange.
Equipment bonuses
The dragon hunter lance offers +85 stab attack and +70 melee strength with a fast 4-tick (2.4s) attack speed. It is built around its stab attack style, so it pairs best with stab-favouring combat against draconic targets.
Attack bonuses
Defence bonuses
Other bonuses
Wielding it requires 78 Attack plus the Firemaking, Fishing and Smithing sections of Barbarian Training; against non-dragon targets it is a solid but unremarkable fast stab spear.
Grand Exchange price history
How to get the dragon hunter lance
The dragon hunter lance is not a direct drop — you create it by using a hydra's claw on a Zamorakian hasta. A warning appears noting the process cannot be reversed; confirming combines the two parts into the lance.
The hydra's claw is dropped by the Alchemical Hydra at a rate of 1/1001. Both the claw and the finished lance are tradeable, so you can buy a claw (or the completed lance) on the Grand Exchange rather than farming the boss yourself.
You also need a Zamorakian hasta, which is made by using a Zamorakian spear on a magic fang from Sulphur Nagua, or bought from other players.
Dragonbane passive effect
The lance's dragonbane passive gives +20% accuracy and +20% damage when fighting draconic creatures such as dragons, wyverns and the Great Olm. The effect excludes Elvarg and revenant dragons.
This bonus stacks multiplicatively with both Void Knight equipment and the imbued slayer helmet, so a slayer-task dragon hit with Void plus the lance compounds all three multipliers. Because the lance is one-handed, it can be paired with a defender or shield, unlike two-handed dragonbane alternatives.
Is the dragon hunter lance worth it?
For any content with draconic monsters, the dragon hunter lance is one of the strongest melee options in the game thanks to its +20% accuracy and damage passive and fast 2.4-second attack speed. It is a core pick for the Alchemical Hydra, Vorkath, the Great Olm in the Chambers of Xeric, and dragon-based slayer tasks.
Outside of dragon content the passive does nothing, so it is a situational rather than all-purpose weapon — a general melee setup still wants weapons like a fast scimitar or a crush option for the broader meta. See where it fits in the wider melee gear picture, and use the Boss Gear Finder to confirm it is recommended for your target.
Dragon hunter lance FAQ
What level do you need for the dragon hunter lance?
You need 78 Attack to wield it. You also need the Firemaking (excluding the pyre step), Fishing and Smithing sections of the Barbarian Training miniquest, and the Smithing section additionally requires the Tai Bwo Wannai Trio quest.
How do you get the dragon hunter lance?
You create it by using a hydra's claw on a Zamorakian hasta. The hydra's claw is dropped by the Alchemical Hydra at a rate of 1/1001. The finished lance is tradeable, so you can also just buy it on the Grand Exchange.
What is the dragon hunter lance's special attack?
It has no special attack. Unlike the Zamorakian hasta it was built from, the lance has no special attack and no prayer or defensive bonuses, but it gains the dragonbane passive in exchange.
What does the dragon hunter lance do against dragons?
Its dragonbane passive gives +20% accuracy and +20% damage against draconic creatures such as dragons, wyverns and the Great Olm. The bonus stacks multiplicatively with Void Knight equipment and the imbued slayer helmet. It does not apply to Elvarg or revenant dragons.
Is the dragon hunter lance better than the dragon hunter crossbow?
They cover different combat styles — the lance is the melee dragonbane weapon and the crossbow is the ranged one. For melee dragon bosses like Vorkath or the Alchemical Hydra, the lance is the standard melee pick. Use the Boss Gear Finder to see which style is recommended for a given boss.
How fast does the dragon hunter lance attack?
It has a 4-tick attack speed, which is one attack every 2.4 seconds — the same speed as a scimitar and faster than most other spears.
How much is the dragon hunter lance worth?
It trades around 58M coins on the Grand Exchange, though the live price moves — check the price chart above for the current value. Its high alchemy value is 180K.
Is the dragon hunter lance still good?
Yes. It remains one of the best melee weapons in the game for any dragon-based content thanks to its +20% accuracy and damage passive. Its 2019 release and a 2022 rebalance raised the requirement to 78 Attack, but it is still a core piece for dragon slayer tasks and bosses.
Update history
Source: OSRS Wiki — Dragon hunter lance (Changes).
