Everything About the Gemstone Crab
While grinding the Gemstone Crab, we wanted to know one simple thing: who actually has the most kills? Nobody was tracking it — so we built the end-all, ultimate source for Gemstone Crab kill counts, and wrote the guide below to help you farm the crab like a pro before you claim your rank.
What is the Gemstone Crab?
The Gemstone Crab is a world boss in Old School RuneScape that roams between three mines in the Tlati Rainforest of Varlamore. Reaching it only requires completion of the Children of the Sun quest to access Varlamore. It has no meaningful defence, weak offensive stats, and effectively infinite hitpoints — making it one of the most beginner-friendly training bosses in the game.
Rather than dying, the crab is worn down by everyone attacking it, and when its shared health bar empties it burrows, sheds a piece of shell, and relocates to another nest roughly every 10 minutes. That constant uptime lets huge groups pile on and train combat together with almost no downtime. For a deeper dive, read our complete Gemstone Crab guide.
Getting There
The crab lives deep in Varlamore. Once you have finished Children of the Sun, the fastest routes are:
- Civitas illa Fortis Teleport, then travel north-west toward the rainforest.
- Hunter cape teleport to the Hunter Guild (right next to a quetzal landing site).
- Quetzal whistle to the Hunter Guild for the same quick access.
- Varrock Teleport, run to the east gate, and take the quetzal Primio to Civitas illa Fortis.
- Charter ship to Civitas illa Fortis and run west.
- Fairy ring code AIS to Auburn Valley, then run north-west toward Renu.
Once the quetzal transport system is unlocked (after partial progress in Twilight's Promise), flying to Tal Teklan and running to the nearest nest is the smoothest option. If the crab isn't at the mine you arrive at, speak to Ru Merald nearby, or simply take the cave — it always leads to the current fight. Full step-by-step directions live in our location & travel guide.
How the Fight Works
- The crab stays at a nest for about 10 minutes, its shared health bar draining as the group attacks before it burrows and relocates.
- It focuses its attacks on one quadrant at a time, and there is a safe centre tile. Attentive players can dodge damage entirely; the hits are weak enough that AFK players can simply tank them.
- It moves between three mines in the Tlati Rainforest. Caves near each nest lead straight to its current location, so there's no need to world-hop.
- Ruby bolts (e) treat the crab as if it has 300 hitpoints and hit 60 on proc (66 with a Zaryte crossbow) — a strong, consistent way to climb the damage rankings for shell loot.
- The crab is not a Slayer task, so a Slayer helmet or black mask gives no bonus here.
Training Strategies
Melee
The simplest option. Swap between Attack, Strength, and Defence with your best weapon — no defence on the crab means almost everything hits.
Ranged
The comfiest AFK route. A crossbow with ruby bolts (e) is cheap, effective, and lets you rank high for shell loot.
Magic
Attack with your best spell, or cast Magic Imbue on the Lunar spellbook for passive Magic XP with fewer clicks.
The core decision is how AFK you want to be: stand still and tank light hits for background training, or reposition and use special attacks to maximise damage (and your share of the shell). See our AFK training guide and gear & setup guide for full loadouts.
Rewards & Loot
When the crab's health hits 0%, it burrows and sheds a piece of its shell, which remains for 90 seconds. The 16 players who dealt the most damage can mine the shell (with a pickaxe) for three random uncut gems each, drawn from the table below:
| Uncut gem | Chance per gem | High alch |
|---|---|---|
| Uncut opal | 9 / 32 | 12 |
| Uncut jade | 9 / 32 | 18 |
| Uncut red topaz | 6 / 32 | 24 |
| Uncut sapphire | 3 / 32 | 15 |
| Uncut emerald | 2 / 32 | 30 |
| Uncut ruby | 2 / 32 | 60 |
| Uncut diamond | 1 / 32 | 120 |
| Uncut dragonstone | ~1 / 500 | 600 |
Bring a pickaxe to mine the shell, plus an optional gem bag or a chisel to cut gems for Crafting XP. Full details and profit tips are in our loot table breakdown.
The Three Mines
The crab rotates between the north, east, and south-west Tlati Rainforest mines. Beyond hosting the crab, these mines are full of ore — copper, iron, coal, silver, gold, mithril, and adamant depending on the nest — so downtime between relocations can double as a Mining break.
Frequently Asked Questions
What level do you need for the Gemstone Crab?
There is no combat or skill level requirement. The only gate is completing the Children of the Sun quest to access Varlamore. Because the crab has weak attacks and effectively infinite health, even low-level accounts can train here safely.
Is the Gemstone Crab good XP?
Yes. Its near-infinite uptime, low incoming damage, and shared health bar make it one of the most relaxed AFK combat-training methods in the game. You can push higher damage for more shell loot, or stay fully AFK for background training.
Does the Gemstone Crab count as a Slayer task?
No. It is not assignable as a Slayer task, so a Slayer helmet or black mask gives no damage or accuracy bonus against it.
How do I get the gem loot?
When the crab is defeated it sheds a shell that lasts 90 seconds. The 16 players who dealt the most damage can mine the shell (a pickaxe is required, but no Mining level) for three random uncut gems.
What is the best way to deal more damage?
Ranged with ruby bolts (e) is a popular choice: the special treats the crab as having 300 hitpoints and hits 60 (66 with a Zaryte crossbow). Any high-DPS melee setup also works well since the crab has no meaningful defence.
Can I train Magic and Crafting at the same time?
Yes. Casters can use Magic Imbue on the Lunar spellbook for passive Magic experience, and you can bring a chisel to cut your gems for passive Crafting experience between kills.
Read the Full Guides
- What Is the Gemstone Crab? The Complete OSRS Guide
- Gemstone Crab Location: How to Get to the Tlati Rainforest
- Is the Gemstone Crab Good XP? The AFK Combat Training Guide
- Gemstone Crab Loot Table: Every Gem Explained
- Best Gear and Setups for the Gemstone Crab (Budget to Max)
- How to Get Verified on the Gemstone Crab KC Leaderboard
How Our Leaderboard Works
1. Create an account
Sign up and choose the display name that will represent you on the leaderboard.
2. Submit your KC
Upload a screenshot of your Gemstone Crab kill count and enter the number.
3. Get verified
An admin reviews your screenshot and approves or denies it with a reason.
4. Climb the ranks
Beat your own record and each newly approved higher count replaces your old one.
Every submission is checked by hand — see exactly what we look for on our verification page.
Ready to claim your rank?
Join the hunt and put your kill count on the board for all of Gielinor to see.