OSRS Nex boss guide 2026: phases, team setups and the freeze mechanics

The five phases of Nex

Nex cycles through five phases in order: Smoke, Shadow, Ice, Blood and Zaros. The phase is announced by the corner you fight her in — each corner of the chamber maps to one phase — and each phase changes both her attacks and what the team needs to do.

Smoke introduces the cough virus: players gain a choking effect that drains them unless you wear a Slayer helmet (i) or a facemask. Shadow shifts her to a mostly-melee pattern where a tank holds her at the edge. Ice is the freeze phase, Blood spreads pools that must be kept apart from the team, and Zaros is the final phase where she stops holding back and the kill is decided.

• Smoke phase: cough virus — Slayer helmet (i) or facemask mitigates it.
• Shadow phase: heavy melee — the tank faces her away from the team.
• Ice phase: freezes + prison — break prisoners with stab/crush weapons.
• Blood phase: blood pools — keep the team spread.
• Zaros phase: final burn — call a target and finish.

Team setups that work

The ranged setup is the community standard because it is the easiest to execute and works in every team size. Bring a Zaryte crossbow as your primary weapon with ruby dragon bolts (e) against Nex, and switch to a Twisted bow for the mages and the blood reavers. Masori (f) is the best armour, with Zaryte vambraces, Dizana's quiver, the Necklace of rupture and a Lightbearer ring rounding out the set. The Zaryte crossbow's special attack is strong for free damage; the Voidwaker or Armadyl crossbow are alternatives.

The hybrid setup is higher DPS but only recommended for small teams. You melee with Osmumten's fang (stab) in Torva, an Avernic defender, Amulet of rancour, Infernal cape and Ferocious gloves, then switch to ranged (Masori + Zaryte vambraces + Twisted bow) for the Shadow phase, killing minions, and whenever Nex uses Deflect Melee in the final phase. In large teams the gear juggling becomes too much to manage, so masses should stay ranged.

Ice phase freeze mechanics (Mod Ash clarification)

The Ice phase freeze rules were the subject of a Mod Ash Discord clarification in February 2026, and they matter for positioning. Nex's Ice Barrage freezes for 15 ticks — but only if you are not praying Protect from Magic. If you keep Protect from Magic on during the freeze window you avoid the long freeze entirely.

The Glacies and the Spiritual Mages behave differently: they freeze for 6 ticks regardless of your prayer, and the freeze is decided by an accuracy roll of their magic against your magic defence. That means you cannot fully avoid their freezes through prayer — you need to be ready to move or be freed by teammates.

Ice Prison still needs breaking: at least two players should bring a stab or crush weapon such as Osmumten's fang, a Zamorakian hasta or a Dragon warhammer so prisoners are freed quickly.

Blood phase and team size

In the Blood phase Nex drops blood pools that damage anyone standing in them, and she heals from the pools. The standard answer is melee distancing: the team stands in melee range so Nex uses her single-target melee instead of her AoE magic. The wiki notes this is safely achieved in a team size of six or less, using follow-stalling or 5-tick stalling.

5-tick stalling means stepping one tile under Nex on the tick before her attack, then attacking immediately, which aligns her 4-tick attack cycle with your 5-tick weapon without losing DPS. Follow-stalling works in Smoke, Ice and Zaros phases but costs you DPS. Duo kills are possible and profitable, but the wiki is explicit that without brews duo kills are not possible.

• Blood phase: melee distancing in teams of six or fewer.
• 5-tick stalling: step under Nex on the tick before her attack, then attack.
• Duo: possible, but brews are required.
• Solo: extremely difficult and not recommended.

Masses, group worlds and practical tips

If you are learning Nex, join a mass on one of the official free-for-all group worlds: 332, 481, 505 and 523. Masses are forgiving because individual mistakes are absorbed by the group, and you still get a chance at the big drops. Players with hard Combat Achievements can open a private instance for 100,000 coins.

In the Smoke phase, designate a cough tank — typically a ranger with negative magic defence — who stands apart and absorbs the Choke virus. In the Shadow phase in small teams, use shadow resetting: everyone stands under Nex when she chases to the edge, which prevents her attacks until she returns to the centre. A Slayer helmet (i) also helps you survive the cough in masses, where the virus spreads most easily.