Pest Control Guide

Pest Control is the instanced team minigame on the Void Knights' island - defend the Void Knight from waves of pests, break the shielded portals, and win commendation points toward void equipment. The minigame teleport lands at 2656, 2644 on the dock.

Three lander boats board by combat level, so you play with players near your own bracket.

How a match works

Board a lander to queue; when the boat fills, it launches to the island. The Void Knight stands in the middle - pests spawn toward him while shielded portals around the edge spawn more. Damaging pests and portals builds your activity score; the knight must survive the match for the win.

Portals drop their shield on a rotation - the unshielded one is your target. Kill it and the next opens.

The activity score

The score matters: it is what separates a contribution from a leech. Every point of damage to a pest or portal counts, so idling earns nothing and fighting earns points.

Commendation rewards

Wins pay commendation points, spendable at the Void Knight shop on the island: void knight helmets (melee/ranged/magic), void robes, void gloves, the mace and seal, plus herb packs and XP lamps. The void set is the mid-tier BiS for ranged and a staple for bossing.

Choosing a boat

The three landers board at different combat brackets - novice, intermediate, veteran - so the island match always mixes players near your level. Higher brackets spawn tougher pests but pay the same commendation points per win, so play the bracket you can actually carry.

The void set

Void knight armour is the signature buy: the void range set was BiS ranged for years in OSRS and remains the mid-tier standard here. The void mage and void melee variants cover the other styles - three helmets, one shared robe and glove set, so one commendation investment covers every style you play.

• Three helmets cover melee, ranged, magic.
• The robe set effect needs the full set plus a helmet.
• Commendations also buy herb packs and XP lamps.

Winning consistently

The match is lost when the Void Knight dies - which usually means one portal was ignored while the team chased pests. The winning habit is portal focus: break the unshielded portal the moment it drops, and only fight pests between portal phases.

Activity score is the second discipline: a leeching run earns nothing, so always be swinging at something - pest, portal, or spinner.

• Prioritize spinners - they heal the portals.
• Defilers and torchers are the knight-killers; kill them on sight.
• Stay near the knight when no portal is open.

The commendation math

A win pays commendation points scaled by boat tier - the veteran lander pays the most per match. A full void set runs roughly 850-1200 points depending on pieces, so budget a few dozen wins for the set.

Points also buy the XP lamps and herb packs, which makes losing streaks feel less wasteful - every match contributes something.

Related minigames guides