Updated November 11, 2026
If Velgar isn't flying in RuneScape: Dragonwilds, the boss fight may not be behaving as expected. Instead of taking to the sky and launching poison barrages, Velgar can remain near the edge of his arena, repeatedly use close-range attacks, or stop attacking altogether.
The confusing part is that Velgar's normal attacks already depend on how close you stand to him. A melee-focused fight can therefore look different from a ranged or magic encounter.
However, missing flying phases and normal melee behavior are not necessarily the same thing.
This guide explains how Velgar's phases should work, why he might stay grounded, and what you can try if the boss becomes stuck or stops attacking.
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Quick Answer: Why Is Velgar Not Flying?
Velgar normally takes flight after losing approximately 25%, 50%, and 75% of his health. These transitions occur when his remaining health reaches roughly 75%, 50%, and 25%.
If Velgar stays grounded instead, try these steps:
- Change your position: Move away from the arena edge or any location where you've been standing throughout the fight.
- Create some distance: Avoid remaining directly beside Velgar for the entire encounter.
- Test ranged or magic attacks: See whether fighting from farther away changes his behavior.
- Check the next health threshold: Watch for a flying transition as his health decreases.
- Restart the encounter if necessary: If Velgar becomes completely unresponsive, consider beginning a fresh attempt.
Important: Repositioning and switching combat styles are troubleshooting tests, not guaranteed fixes. If Velgar continues taking damage, you may still be able to defeat him without seeing the expected flying phases.
📋 Table of Contents
- Is the Velgar Boss Fight Broken?
- How Velgar's Flying Phases Should Work
- Why Velgar Stays at the Arena Edge
- Does Melee Combat Prevent Velgar From Flying?
- What to Try When Velgar Won't Fly
- Velgar Not Attacking or Standing Completely Still
- Velgar Bug in Multiplayer: What to Check
- Is There an Official Velgar Bug Fix?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Velgar Boss Fight Broken?
Not every unusual Velgar encounter is necessarily broken.
Velgar has several ground-based attacks, and the moves he chooses can depend on your distance from him.
For example, standing close to the boss can trigger claw strikes and bites. Moving farther away may cause him to use different attacks.
The more suspicious behavior occurs when Velgar loses most of his health without performing the flying transitions normally associated with the fight.
Another problem is when he stops attacking entirely.
These situations are worth distinguishing because they may have different causes.
| What Happens | What It May Mean |
|---|---|
| Velgar repeatedly uses claw strikes or bites | Normal close-range attack selection |
| Velgar never flies after losing most of his health | Possible phase-transition issue |
| Velgar remains near the arena edge | Possible positioning or AI issue |
| Velgar stops moving and attacking | Possible targeting or encounter bug |
| Velgar resets or behaves strangely in co-op | Possible multiplayer encounter issue |
The key difference: A boss that remains grounded but continues fighting is not necessarily experiencing the same problem as a boss that becomes completely inactive.
If Velgar is still attacking and taking damage, the encounter may remain completable even when its expected phases are missing.
How Velgar's Flying Phases Should Work
Velgar is a dragon boss encountered during the Dragon Slayer questline at Velgar's Rise.
His fight combines close-range attacks, ground-based area attacks, poison breath, and aerial poison barrages.
Understanding the normal pattern makes it easier to recognize an encounter that isn't progressing as expected.
Ground Phase: Claws, Bites, and Poison
While Velgar is on the ground, he can use several attacks.
These include:
- Claw Strike: A close-range attack against nearby players.
- Bite: Another attack used when you're within melee range.
- Claw Slam: Sends damaging earth spikes toward your position.
- Head Swing: Sweeps across the area in front of Velgar.
- Dragon Breath (Poison): Creates a poisonous area in a cone extending from the boss.
Claw strikes and bites are associated with close-range combat, while his other attacks can threaten players who stand farther away.
This means that changing your position can affect which attacks you encounter.
However, distance-dependent attack selection should not automatically be confused with the boss's health-based flying transitions.
Flying Phase: Poison Barrage
Under the normal fight pattern, Velgar takes flight each time he loses roughly another quarter of his health, until the final 25%.
| Velgar's Remaining Health | Expected Behavior |
|---|---|
| Around 75% | First flying phase |
| Around 50% | Second flying phase |
| Around 25% | Third flying phase |
| Final 25% | Continue fighting until Velgar is defeated |
During the flying phases, Velgar launches poison barrages across the arena.
Red-orange circles appear on the ground to indicate where the attacks will land.
Move outside these warning areas before the poison strikes.
Some circles can overlap, making it especially dangerous to remain in the same location.
Poison protection and appropriate food can also help you survive the encounter.
How to Recognize a Missing Flying Phase
A normal fight includes transitions between grounded combat and aerial poison attacks.
A suspected phase-transition issue looks different:
- Velgar remains grounded after crossing the expected health thresholds.
- He repeatedly performs the same close-range attacks.
- The usual poison-barrage phases never appear.
- The encounter may continue until Velgar is defeated.
If Velgar reaches very low health without flying once, the encounter may be skipping its expected aerial mechanics.
That does not automatically mean the fight is impossible to finish.
Why Velgar Stays at the Arena Edge
Velgar's behavior can be influenced by player positioning inside the boss arena.
A known positioning-related issue can prevent Velgar from attacking when a player occupies a particular area of the arena.
However, this does not establish that the same issue causes every missing flying phase.
If Velgar remains near the same ledge or appears unable to target you properly, changing position is a reasonable first troubleshooting step.
What to Check
Move to another part of the arena and watch how Velgar responds.
Avoid remaining against the outer edge or beside the same obstacle throughout the encounter.
Then check whether:
- Velgar begins targeting you differently.
- His ground attacks change.
- He resumes moving or attacking.
- A flying transition occurs at the next expected health threshold.
The purpose is to test whether your location is affecting his behavior.
Do not assume that one specific position causes every Velgar bug. A stationary boss and a boss that skips flying phases may be experiencing different issues.
Does Melee Combat Prevent Velgar From Flying?
There is no confirmed rule that melee combat disables Velgar's flying phases.
What is established is that his ground attacks depend partly on player distance.
If you're standing close to Velgar, he can use attacks such as claw strikes and bites.
Fighting from farther away may expose you to different attacks.
This can make a melee-focused encounter appear much simpler than one fought with ranged weapons or magic.
However, the boss choosing close-range attacks does not necessarily explain why he would skip a health-based flying transition.
Melee vs. Magic: What Changes?
| Combat Style | What You May Notice |
|---|---|
| Melee | More close-range attacks, including claws and bites |
| Ranged | Greater distance from the boss and different attack opportunities |
| Magic | Another way to test Velgar's behavior outside melee range |
| Mixed combat | Helps determine whether changing distance affects the encounter |
If Velgar has been repeating the same ground attacks, switching to ranged or magic combat may help you determine whether distance is influencing the fight.
Should You Switch to Magic?
You can try it, but switching to magic is not a guaranteed fix.
Move away from Velgar and attack from a different position.
Watch whether he begins using other attacks or resumes his expected behavior.
If nothing changes, don't repeatedly switch weapons expecting the missing flying phases to return.
The encounter may have a separate phase-transition problem.
What to Try When Velgar Won't Fly
If Velgar stays grounded or stops responding, work through the following steps.
Start with the options that don't require restarting the fight.
Fix 1: Move Away From the Arena Edge
If you've been standing in one location throughout the fight, move elsewhere.
Avoid remaining beside the same ledge or obstacle.
Watch whether Velgar begins moving, targeting, or attacking differently.
This is worth trying because certain arena positions can interfere with his attack behavior.
If he starts responding normally, continue the fight and observe the next health threshold.
Fix 2: Create Distance From Velgar
If you've been fighting exclusively in melee range, move farther away.
Give the boss enough space to target you from a different distance.
Remain ready to dodge, because Velgar has attacks that can threaten players outside melee range.
The goal is to determine whether his behavior changes when you're no longer directly beside him.
Fix 3: Try Ranged or Magic Attacks
Use a ranged weapon or magic attack if you have one available.
Attack from a safe distance and watch for changes in Velgar's movement or attack selection.
If he begins using a broader range of attacks, continue fighting and check whether the next expected flying phase occurs.
This is a diagnostic step, not a confirmed repair.
Fix 4: Watch the Next Health Threshold
Velgar's flying phases normally occur when his remaining health reaches approximately 75%, 50%, and 25%.
If you're still early in the encounter, continue dealing damage and observe the next transition.
A short delay doesn't necessarily mean the boss is permanently stuck.
However, if Velgar passes several expected thresholds without taking flight, he may be skipping the normal phase sequence.
Fix 5: Restart the Encounter if Velgar Stops Responding
If Velgar becomes completely inactive, first check whether he still responds to movement or attacks.
Try changing position and approaching from a different distance.
If the boss remains motionless and the encounter cannot progress normally, consider leaving and beginning a fresh attempt.
A restart may cost time and consumables, and it isn't guaranteed to resolve the problem.
Avoid deleting your character, resetting your world, or reinstalling the game solely because Velgar skipped a flying phase.
Fix 6: Continue the Fight if Velgar Is Still Taking Damage
A missing flying phase doesn't always prevent you from defeating Velgar.
If his health continues decreasing and the fight remains active, you may be able to finish the encounter.
This can be preferable to restarting when you're already close to victory.
However, if you want to experience the complete intended boss mechanics, you may prefer to retry the encounter.
Quick decision: If Velgar is still taking damage, continuing may be reasonable. If he's completely unresponsive or the encounter cannot progress, reposition and consider restarting.
Velgar Not Attacking or Standing Completely Still
A boss that stops attacking is different from one that simply remains grounded.
Velgar may appear motionless, fail to target your character, or stop responding after an encounter has already begun.
If this happens, focus on restoring normal targeting behavior rather than trying to force a flying phase.
What to Do
- Move away from your current arena position.
- Avoid standing against an obstacle or the outer edge.
- Approach Velgar and then create distance to test his response.
- Check whether he reacts to attacks.
- If the encounter remains inactive, consider starting a fresh attempt.
If Velgar becomes inactive after you die and return to the arena, a fresh attempt may be worth testing.
Do not assume the missing flying-phase issue and a completely stationary boss share the same cause.
Velgar Bug in Multiplayer: What to Check
Velgar can also behave unexpectedly during multiplayer encounters.
Possible symptoms include attacks appearing out of sync, inconsistent ranged-hit behavior, or the boss resetting during combat.
These problems may be separate from missing flying phases.
If You're Fighting With Friends
Try these checks:
- Make sure everyone is participating in the same active encounter.
- Have players move away from unusual positions around the arena.
- Observe whether Velgar responds differently to individual players.
- If the encounter becomes unresponsive, consider starting a fresh attempt.
- If practical, compare the behavior with a solo encounter.
Testing solo can help determine whether the issue is specific to your multiplayer session, but it does not prove that multiplayer is the underlying cause.
Having Trouble Joining a Dedicated Server?
If you're unable to join your friends' dedicated world because of an Incorrect Password error, see our RuneScape Dragonwilds Incorrect Password? Dedicated Server Fix (PC, PS5 & Xbox) guide.
This is a separate connection problem and does not directly explain Velgar's missing flying phases.
Is There an Official Velgar Bug Fix?
Jagex has documented a positioning-related issue where standing in a particular part of Velgar's arena can prevent him from attacking.
However, that does not confirm that the same problem causes missing flying phases.
Official updates have also addressed other Velgar-related problems, including a Dragonkin Altar reset when exiting the fight and misaligned poison-breath visual effects on PS5.
Those fixes should not be confused with a confirmed solution for missing aerial transitions.
If you're experiencing the issue, check the official RuneScape: Dragonwilds news and patch notes for any update specifically addressing Velgar's phase transitions, targeting, or arena positioning.
Until a fix for the exact symptom is confirmed, changing position and combat range remains a reasonable troubleshooting approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Velgar not flying in RuneScape Dragonwilds?
Velgar may be skipping his expected flying phases if he remains grounded after passing the usual health thresholds. Player positioning can also affect his attack behavior. Try moving elsewhere in the arena and testing combat from a different distance.
Is Velgar supposed to fly at 75%, 50%, and 25% health?
Yes. Under the normal encounter pattern, Velgar takes flight after losing roughly each quarter of his health until the final 25%. These phases include aerial poison barrages.
Does melee combat stop Velgar from flying?
There is no confirmed mechanic stating that melee attacks prevent Velgar from flying. Close-range combat affects which ground attacks he uses, but that is different from disabling his health-based phase transitions.
Can magic attacks make Velgar fly again?
Magic attacks may help you test whether distance or positioning is influencing the encounter. However, switching to magic is not a guaranteed fix for missing flying phases.
Why does Velgar stay at the edge of the tower?
Velgar may remain near the arena edge during ground combat. If he never changes phases or stops attacking, positioning or encounter AI may be involved. Try moving away from your current location to see whether his behavior changes.
What should I do if Velgar stops attacking completely?
Move to another part of the arena and check whether Velgar begins targeting you again. If he remains inactive and the encounter cannot progress, consider restarting the fight.
Can I defeat Velgar without seeing his flying phases?
Possibly. If Velgar continues taking damage and his health reaches zero, the encounter may still be completable even when the usual flying phases are missing.
Is the Velgar boss bug happening in multiplayer?
Unusual Velgar behavior can also occur during multiplayer encounters. However, targeting problems, animation issues, and missing flying phases should not automatically be treated as the same bug.
Should I restart the Velgar fight?
Restarting may be worth trying if Velgar becomes completely unresponsive or the encounter cannot progress. If he is still taking damage and the fight remains active, you may be able to finish without restarting.
Has Jagex fixed the Velgar flying-phase bug?
Jagex has documented a related arena-positioning issue and released fixes for other Velgar problems. However, those changes do not establish a confirmed fix for every missing flying-phase report. Check official patch notes for updates addressing the exact symptom.
Final Thoughts
If Velgar won't fly in RuneScape: Dragonwilds, first determine whether he's simply using close-range attacks or actually skipping his expected flying phases.
Changing position, creating distance, and testing ranged or magic attacks can help you understand what's happening.
If Velgar remains grounded but continues taking damage, finishing the fight may still be possible. If he becomes completely unresponsive, restarting the encounter may be the better option.
The important distinction is that missing flying phases and a completely inactive boss are not necessarily the same problem. Identifying the symptom will help you choose the most appropriate next step.
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