Guide:Deerclops strategies

The Deerclops is a pre-Hardmode boss. It does not need to be killed to progress the game, but it drops several Don't Starve-themed items, including the useful pet item Eye Bone.

Spawning
The Deerclops can be spawned using the in the Snow biome, crafted from 3, 5  or , and a. It also naturally spawns at exactly midnight during a Blizzard in the Snow biome if one player has either 9 defense or 200 health. Despite being summoned or being naturally spawned in the Snow Biome, it can be fought at any biome.

The fight
The Deerclops has four attacks:
 * If it is close to the player, the Deerclops will smash the ground, summoning a wave of Ice Spikes that quickly travels towards them. Every third consecutive wave does not go as far, but spreads in both directions.
 * If it is not close enough to its target to use its Ice Spikes attack, the Deerclops will 'scoop' and then throw numerous chunks of Debris into the air that fall back down. These chunks can pass through blocks.
 * Deerclops occasionally stand in place and roar, inflicting the Slow Debuff on all players for 12 seconds / /.
 * In Expert Mode, Shadow Hands will be periodically summoned that either move forwards slowly, move forwards quickly and curve, or spin in place. Shadow Hands are summoned more frequently as the Deerclops' life gets lower.

If the player is above the Deerclops for too long, it will summon five Shadow Hands around the player.

The Deerclops can pass through solid blocks, but will quickly rise to the top of said blocks unless the player is below it.

If the player is more than 30 tiles away from it, the Deerclops will turn a dark shade purple and become immune to damage.

If the Deerclops is significantly offscreen, it will wander back and forth without directly seeking the player.

Terrain preparation
It is recommended to clear a large flat area in the Snow biome.

One or two layers of platforms is enough since Deerclops follows the player if they are 30 blocks away, passing through blocks and being immune to attacks.

Gearing up
It's recommended to have at least 300 health before you attempt to fight Deerclops. If using magic weapons, having the max amount of mana is recommended.

Armor

 * A full set of at least Gold armor should be acquired, but better armor is always an option. Other armor sets with set bonuses can be effective as well.
 * The Fossil armor or Necro armor are the only armor sets available for rangers, with Necro Armor obtainable in the Dungeon.
 * Crimson armor is excellent due to the high defense values and increased damage. Shadow armor is good too and suits a melee playstyle.
 * The Wizard set, with magic-boosting or defense-boosting leg armor, provides the most damage for magic users. If defense is preferred, the Jungle armor or Meteor armor can be used.
 * Meteor armor's set bonus can make Space Gun and Gray Zapinator much more effective against Deerclops since it reduces Space Gun's and Gray Zapinator's mana usage to 0.
 * The Obsidian armor is the best summoner armor set at this point in the game.
 * The Bee armor is an alternative set if Queen Bee has been defeated and if the Underworld has not been visited.
 * Molten armor is the best pre-hardmode armor set for melee classes, although it requires a visit to the Underworld and a pickaxe that can mine Hellstone.

Weapons
For melee users:


 * For swords, a solid choice would be the.
 * The and  are better, but they are harder to acquire.
 * The performs excellently if acquired.
 * or are good at killing Deerclops, due to their long range.
 * Flails are a solid choice, due to their range.
 * For yoyos, the and the  are a good option. The  is slightly better than these, but it requires defeating Skeletron and finding one in the dungeon. The  is better than the Valor and is possible to obtain before defeating Deerclops.

For ranged users:


 * Bow users should use a, , or if they've got it.
 * Bring along arrows that can pierce, such as or.
 * is an effective choice but requires a big arena to be used properly. It works best with Unholy Arrows or Hellfire Arrows if obtained.
 * has fast use time and infinite piercing, making it effective against Deerclops, however, it performs better at close-range, due to its inacuracy and arrow speed.
 * A or  are decent and the  can also be used. The  is also a very powerful choice.  users that have already defeated Skeletron can get the . However, it is very inaccurate, so staying close to the boss is mandatory if using this.
 * Note that is much less effective in Expert mode, especially in the latter stages of the battle.
 * The 's infinite piercing and high DPS makes this a viable choice, however, its ammo requires the user to take ammo conservation measures.
 * /  are the preferred bullets to use with the guns mentioned above.  work better with the former two, since they don't have problems with the invincibility frames caused by piercing attacks.

For magic users:


 * Crimson worlds will benefit from having the, as you can fire it once and then switch to another weapon, increasing damage output.
 * The is an excellent weapon, especially when combined with Meteor armor.
 * The is also an excellent weapon, thanks to its high damage output, especially with Meteor Armor.
 * The or  are both decent choices due to their low mana cost and decent piercing damage.
 * The is a decent choice, though the open space makes it unwieldy.
 * The is a solid choice, especially due to its low defense.
 * and its upgrade, can be used to quickly and repeatedly strike it with great accuracy.
 * The is a very strong option, while more difficult to obtain. However, the Underworld must be visited.
 * The is a decent option due to its homing and piercing capabilities.

For summon users:


 * The and the  are the strongest summoning weapons available.
 * The is a viable alternative if the Underworld hasn't been explored yet.
 * Out of the sentry weapons sold by the Tavernkeep, the best options are the Ballista Rod and the Explosive Trap Rod. The Ballista Rod has incredibly high damage and their bolts are capable of piercing, while the Explosive Trap Rod inflicts damage in an area of effect. While the sentries themselves are slow to attack, you can continually re-summon them to make them immediately attack, significantly reducing the cooldown time.
 * The combined with the  can deal tremendous amounts of damage, otherwise, the Snapthorn itself can be used.

Accessories

 * Anything that increases your vertical mobility is a godsend. The is good, but better choices would be the, the , or the and their upgrades, especially the . You can also use the and its upgrades or  for flight, and the for flight and if Rocket Boots are upgraded, speed.
 * Combining both Rocket Boots and its upgrades and Fledging Wings is viable, as it increases flight time and if Rocket Boots has been upgraded, speed.
 * The is a very good increase to DPS, especially on Expert Mode.
 * If Queen Bee has been defeated, the is an upgrade to the Shark Tooth Necklace, increasing both on survivability and damage.
 * If going melee or, the and  are useful, increasing DPS and enabling autoswing respectively.
 * The Feral Claws works for whips too, enabling auto-swing for whips.
 * Anything that reduces damage is very helpful, including Expert Mode-exclusive, , which also provides knockback immunity, and defensive reforges on accessories.


 * The increases critical strike chance for 3 seconds and chance to dodge on being attacked makes it a useful accessory against Deerclops.


 * If the has been obtained, use it, since Deerclops inflicts the Chilled and Frozen Debuff. Being immune to these effects makes manuevering around considerably easier.
 * 's dash is essential and makes the fight considerably easier.

Potions

 * Lifeforce Potions are extremely effective for survivability, assuming that a Shadow Chest has been opened.
 * Ironskin Potions, Endurance Potions, Warmth Potions, and Regeneration Potions will help tremendously with survivability.
 * Warmth Potions will reduce Deerclop's damage by 30%, using one will greatly increase survivability.
 * A food item that provides Well Fed, Plenty Satisfied, or Exquisitely Stuffed is very useful.
 * Swiftness Potions will aid in dodging.
 * Ammo Reservation Potions and Archery Potions are good for rangers, and Archery Potions specifically for bow users.
 * Magic Power Potions and Mana Regeneration Potions are a must have for mages.
 * If you already have a minion, a Summoning Potion lets you bring an extra to the fight.
 * Rage Potions or Wrath Potions are useful for almost all classes.
 * Honeyfins heal more than the average Healing Potion and can prove valuable.

Explosive Bunny strategy
Once able to fight Deerclops, first fill a small box with approximately 50 to 60, then summon the boss. Upon walking into the box, Deerclops will take a large amount of damage, potentially killing it.