Vanguard
Best in slot
The best setup using every item in the game, at 99s with potions and the best prayer.
Ranged
Best here
Toxic blowpipe · Dragon dart
Magic
Tumeken's shadow · Holy blessing
Melee
Scythe of vitur · Holy blessing
Other options by slot
The best ranged pick for each slot and the next best options. Each percentage is the DPS you lose by swapping in just that item against Vanguard.
Mechanics
Spread damage evenly across all three.
If their health drifts 40% apart (33.3% in teams of five or more), they shuffle and heal to full. Each one is weak to the style that beats its own: melee the ranged one, mage the melee one, range the mage one. You can tell them apart by their tentacles: rocks under them for ranged, raised for melee, none for magic. All three attack three times per attack, and the magic and ranged ones hit an area. Prayer doesn't block their damage but cuts it a lot.
Which style: Each vanguard's weakness. Use low-hitting weapons so you don't trigger the reset.
From the OSRS Wiki, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
Inventory
The OSRS Wiki's own “Max” setup for the Chambers of Xeric, slot for slot.
Twisted bow
Ranged weapon to swap to
Necklace of rupture
Ranged gear to swap into
Tumeken's shadow
Magic weapon to swap to
Occult necklace
Magic gear to swap into
Masori body (f)
Ranged gear to swap into
Masori chaps (f)
Ranged gear to swap into
Ancestral robe top
Magic gear to swap into
Ancestral robe bottom
Magic gear to swap into
Zaryte vambraces
Ranged gear to swap into
Blessed Dizana's quiver
Ranged gear to swap into
Confliction gauntlets
Magic gear to swap into
Imbued Saradomin cape
Magic gear to swap into
Masori mask (f)
Ranged gear to swap into
Toxic blowpipe
Ranged weapon to swap to
Ancestral hat
Magic gear to swap into
Voidwaker
Its special attack always hits, for 50-150% of your melee max
Saradomin brew(4)×3
Heals past your maximum, but lowers your attack stats
Anglerfish
Heals up to 22, and can take you past your maximum
Sanfew serum(4)
Restores prayer and stats, and holds poison off
Super combat potion(4)
Boosts Attack, Strength and Defence
Super restore(4)
Restores prayer and any stats that have been lowered
Ranging potion(4)
Boosts Ranged
Scythe of Vitur
Melee weapon to swap to
Bandos godsword
Its special attack lowers Defence by the damage it deals
Book of the Dead
Lets you raise thralls: resurrection spells need it worn or in your inventory
Divine rune pouch
Holds the runes for your spells in one slotThe wiki's own setups
Equipment and inventory as the OSRS Wiki's strategy page lists them for the Chambers of Xeric, slot for slot. These are what people actually take; the solved kits above are what the maths prefers. The inventory drawn above is the one with the “Max” gear, so that card shows only its equipment.
Minimum
Standard
Bowfa
Max
What it drops
8 drops, with rates from the OSRS Wiki. Open this boss in the planner for what a kill is worth at today's prices.
What it defends with
Combat tasks
2 tasks worth 8 points. Open the planner to track the ones you have done.
Elite
2 tasks
4 points each