Guide:Plantera strategies

Plantera is a moderately hard boss that will spawn after defeating all three of the mechanical Hardmode bosses and destroying one of Plantera's Bulbs in the Underground Jungle.

First, Plantera has plenty of health to chew through, and a good amount of damage, so it would be best to set up a Heart Statue and Star Statue if you use magic,setting them to 1 second timers. Add a Heart Lantern and Campfire to boost your health regeneration further, a Crystal Ball and Star in a Bottle if you use magic, an Ammo Box for ranged, or a Sharpening Station if you use melee. A Bewitching Table is useful for all classes. If your arena is fairly large, try to set up more than one healing station like this, so that you can run in a big circle (or oval) and collect hearts on both ends of the loop.

The actual shape of your arena depends on how you want to fight. For a player who wants to have plenty of evasive space, excavating around a screen's worth of space inside the Underground Jungle and filling it with rows of platforms can work well. For more aggressive players, a smaller space excavated right next to a bulb can work too. Others will just use a stack of bombs to excavate a large area for flying and grappling. Plantera's spike balls do some significant damage and are used frequently during Plantera's first phase, however, they can only bounce off solid surfaces. If you don't mind taking the extra time, consider digging a hole at least 2 times deeper than you would use for the fight and stick to the top half of your arena, without the added threat of Plantera's spike balls, it is much easier to defeat.

Honey can be used for its regeneration, so you can make little pools for the regeneration benefit.

Bring a Hammer to remove the jungle walls so that in Plantera's second phase, the hooks can only grapple on to the blocks so it cannot grab you with its hooks, and thus you do not take damage from them.

Having five Abeeminations handy for Queen Bee allows for a free 200 HP heal that can be used at any time. The summoning item is one of the easiest to craft in the game, requiring only Bottled Honey, Stingers, Hives, and Honey Blocks. Additionally, sometimes you will take damage from Queen Bee instead of Plantera, saving you health.

Armor
At the very minimum, players should use Hallowed armor with the helmet to suit their class. Melee characters should use Turtle armor or Frost armor. However, equipping a Hallowed Mask instead of the Turtle Helmet offers greater defense and melee critical strike chance, only sacrificing the Turtle armor set bonus. Ranged characters should use Chlorophyte armor with the helmet or Frost armor. Magic users should use Chlorophyte armor with the headgear. The Leaf Crystal set bonus allows for some extra damage. Players farming Plantera should use Vampire Knives and Frost armor as it can keep you alive and drain Plantera's health. Summoners should use Spider armor or Forbidden armor.

Weapons
Summoner
 * Use a Bewitching Table and a Summoning Potion to increase your minion count to three. Summon three pairs of Twins or Spiders and a Queen Spider. Despite their higher damage, Pirates are not the best choice due to their lack of flying. If using Spider armor, apart from bringing the total minion count (with bewitching table and summoning potion) to 6, if the player chooses to use the Spider Staff, they will be granted an additional minion due to the fact Spider Staff's Spiders only count for .75 of a minion.  (Unfortunately, Plantera is immune to Venom.) If you aren't 100% dedicated to Summoner, you can use something to inflict Ichor to help the minions.

Melee

 * The Death Sickle is one of the best choices for melee.
 * Swords like the Terra Blade, True Night's Edge or Frostbrand are good choices for high damage.
 * Spears are very effective. The two best spears are the Chlorophyte Partisan, because is shoots out Spore Clouds, and the Mushroom Spear is the best because it shoots out deathly glowing mushrooms.
 * The Cutlass or the Terra Blade combined with the Hallowed armor can be very effective if the weapon has a good prefix.
 * Using the Light Disc proves effective if you have made multiple and used in a smaller arena.
 * The Yelets is very useful, as it can rip through its first phase very quickly, especially with a yoyo bag.
 * "Legendary" Modifier are very effective if you attempt to kill Plantera with a melee approach. This will defeat Plantera within 30-45 seconds. Plantera can be defeated easily even with Hallowed armor with this method, however, to ensure you stay alive, it is a wise choice to use Turtle armor, a Star Veil, and other "Warding" modifier (+4 Defense) accessories. Stacking further attack speed to 51% from accessories and armor by using full Hallowed armor, Mechanical Glove and a Fire Gauntlet (any modifiers) will speed up the fight even further, attacking so fast each swing is cut short, making short enemies like turtles difficult to hit with them. Using a Flask of Ichor also helps significantly. This method doesn't require any mobility accessories once Plantera is in melee range provided you have knockback immunity from a Shield and a Star Veil to help keep you alive for the duration of the fight as you can simply stand still and attack. This works well even on Expert mode.
 * The Shadowflame Knife is a good choice as well since it allows you to keep your distance and inflicts the Shadowflame debuff. Also, it bounces, which allows it to have three chances of hitting Plantera.
 * The Fetid Baghnakhs can obliterate Plantera in seconds, only requiring a quick source of health, so you can consider making a pool of honey and a few heart statues. Just stay in there and chew through Plantera's health.

Ranged

 * The Uzi is a popular choice, dealing high damage.
 * The Megashark or Clockwork Assault Rifle can be used for high damage, especially with Chlorophyte Bullets, Crystal Bullets, Ichor Bullets, Cursed Bullets or Explosive Bullets.
 * A Chlorophyte Shotbow with Holy Arrows, Cursed Arrows, or Ichor Arrows can be used to great effect.
 * If you have time, you can excavite a tall arena and use a Daedalus Stormbow paired with Holy Arrows which will be great against Plantera.
 * The Flamethrower performs admirably against Plantera itself but becomes devastating against its tentacle-like minions. It should be used as a second weapon, to quickly get rid of leashed minions.
 * If you play on the ,. Heart Arrows (bought from the Merchant during Valentine's Day) will freeze Plantera, making the fight very easy if you equip a shield.
 * The Dart Pistol paired with Ichor Darts or Cursed Darts can be deadly against Plantera.

Magic

 * The Nimbus Rod is often useful (even for non-magic users). It can deal continuous damage which can greatly help the fight, especially in vertical arenas.
 * Crystal Storm, Cursed Flames, Magical Harp, or Magic Dagger can be used for rapid attacking.
 * The Venom Staff performs very well against Plantera, dealing fast, high damage. (But Plantera is immune to its debuff.)
 * The Rainbow Rod is decent in this fight.
 * The Sky Fracture is a viable choice for the first phase of the fight.
 * Using the Golden Shower every so often can prove to be very helpful as it inflicts the Ichor debuff, increasing your damage input even more.
 * The Crystal Serpent can be a good weapon against Plantera.
 * If your arena is dug out high enough, the Meteor Staff's rapid targeted damage is very effective.

Potions

 * Greater Healing Potions or are important for staying alive.
 * Ironskin Potions and Regeneration Potions and Mana Regeneration Potions will help you survive much longer.
 * Anything that gives the Well Fed buff is welcomed help.
 * Increasing damage with buffs from potions such as the Archery Potion, Magic Power Potion, and any Flasks that Plantera is not immune to (Ichor is recommended, or Cursed Flames, if the world has Corruption) will make an enormous difference.
 * Clairvoyance from a Crystal Ball is recommended for magic users.
 * Endurance Potions and Wrath Potion are always a great choice as well.
 * Using Gravitation Potions and fighting in reversed gravity will mostly negate the threat of Plantera's spiked balls.
 * Using Thorns Potions will make Plantera take damage while touching you, which might be useful if you have high defense. These can only be crafted in a corruption world.

Accessories
Wings and Lightning Boots/Frostspark Boots will allow you to dodge Plantera's attacks.

Damage can be greatly boosted through combat accessories such as the Warrior, Ranger, Sorcerer, Summoner, and Avenger Emblems. A Moon Stone is also useful.

The Charm of Myths can be used for increased regen and the reduction of the Potion Sickness debuff time from one minute to 45 seconds. A Fire Gauntlet is helpful because of melee damage increase and causing the On Fire! debuff. A Magma Stone can be used as well for this debuff. As with most bosses, the Cross Necklace/Star Veil can be used to extend the invulnerability period after being attacked, allowing you to take less damage.

For defensive characters, Flesh Knuckles would be one of the useful items to use. Star Veil would help during the fight during taking damage. Warrior Emblem if you're using melee. Reforging all of the accessories to "Warding" modifier will help too.

Bezoars, or its upgrades, are essential to prevent being poisoned, as being poisoned makes the fight much harder.

If you find yourself with a free accessory slot, equip a Music Box to record the boss music.

The Battle
Plantera will attempt to chase after the player, always trying to make its main bulb overlap the player's space. It moves fairly slowly when compared to a player with speed-boosting equipment. This means a player in a large enough arena can easily keep a distance, assuming they just keep moving. As such, a good arena can make the fight much easier. The second stage begins when Plantera reaches 50% remaining health. The pink petals fall off to reveal a ferocious green maw and Plantera's speed is greatly increased.

Currently, Plantera will enrage and gain more defense, attack more frequently and deals massive amounts of contact and ranged damage if the player leaves the Underground Jungle (including to go to the surface), so surface-level arena strategies are impractical. One exception is taking advantage of Plantera's need to "grapple" to move by building a large enough space that Plantera cannot grapple up after you, and then firing down upon it. However, Plantera can grapple onto backgrounds, and since they go until reaching the underworld, you would have to clear them out first.

The player will want to focus on dodging attacks while shooting constantly at Plantera. Once plantera reaches its second form, the player should be very wary and try to avoid Plantera's lunges.

Ranged characters would also try to kill tentacles as soon as they appear. Due to the generally low defense of ranger's sets, getting caught by them often will kill the player really fast.

The Teleportation Trick


Make a long hallway (preferably longer than 150 tiles, but still shorter than 250 due to the bug pictured below, because of Plantera's movement speed in the second phase) out of any material you desire, and place a Teleporter on each end, and wire them together. Test it first. Then, summon Plantera. This strategy works out with Frost armor or Hallowed armor, a Megashark with Crystal Bullets, with the ironskin, regeneration, well fed and thorns buff. Using a Flamethrower is not recommended since it has a short range compared to other guns, and it won't be much of a help against the biters since the Crystal Bullets will already take care of them. Ichor Bullets are also a good idea, as they reduce defense, therefore doing more damage.

When it's climbing down toward you on one side, flip the trigger used to activate Teleporter. You will teleport to the other side, and Plantera will have to climb back at you. It is even possible to combine the Teleporters with a Timer to remove the need to activate a trigger or with a Pressure Plate, which will only require the player to jump for teleporting.

Boomerang-type weapons can fly indefinitely when using a teleportation trick. Before the boomerang returns, the player can teleport to the other end of the hall, and the boomerang will change directions and pierce enemies along the way.

Note that if the hallway is too long, Plantera will despawn. This was observed in a hallway as small as 200 tiles. If you use the mobile edition, you should make the hallway around 125-150 tiles long, as Plantera will despawn within a shorter range of the player. Also, note that you will need to use a Cobalt Shield to prevent being knocked off the teleporters and a Bezoar to keep from being poisoned by Plantera's poison seed attack.

Another method similar to the teleportation trick with ranged weapons is to use light discs and a flask of cursed flames which will cause Plantera to obtain the cursed fire debuff, which, unlike many bosses, it is not immune to. It's best to use a whole stack of 5 light discs and pressure plates on top of the teleporters. Build walls next to each teleporter, but only on the sides that face the inside of the tunnel. Then summon Plantera and throw the light discs, then jump to teleport to the other side of the unnel. Wait for the discs to come back to you, then teleport again. Repeat this until Plantera is defeated. If you have a set, Chlorophyte armor with a chlorophyte mask or Turtle armor will help quite a lot. Any minions will only help. Make sure to have some greater healing potions. Ironskin potions will also help. Remember that light discs are melee weapons. Even though light discs do not normally travel through blocks, they will go through the walls you made when you teleport. These walls will effectively protect from Plantera's thorn balls and seeds, and if you make sure you never let Plantera get too close to you, the only attack it has that could damage you is her hooks latching onto the walls you made, however, they should move off the blocks should they latch on at any time during the battle.

Using a Dart Pistol or Rifle with Crystal Darts may also be effective for this method.

Ring Around the Rosey method
It is little known that Plantera's AI can be manipulated to be trapped inside of a block for the first stage as the player flies around it. First, a standard arena must be built (15-20 tiles high and about 50 tiles long) then, around the middle, a floating 7x7 block must be built, leaving room for the player to fly around it while just being able to shoot Plantera (preferably with a Terra Blade or Flamethrower), this will take it into second stage often without taking any hits. The second stage gets a little more intense. This means that the block idea could be discarded for the remainder of the fight unless the player feels confident enough to keep Plantera inside.

Magical Harp method
This method is simple but needs strong armor, and a friend. Create two small boxes (preferably 6x6), and add teleporters to each and wire them up. Add a trigger, and you are done. Summon Plantera, get into one of the boxes, and use your Magical Harp inside the box. The projectiles will damage Plantera, and if you feel overwhelmed, teleport to the other box, and keep going. This strategy does not require many preparations, but this requires at least Chlorophyte armor. So, this is a good way to kill Plantera if you have good armor, good skills, and a good friend to help you.

Nimbus rod method
You will need a nimbus rod, a strong gun or sword and decent defense. First find a wide open space near a plantera bulb. Summon plantera, then use the nimbus rod twice on top of each other. Fly around plantera shooting with your gun, avoiding her seeds. In the second stage this will become harder as plantera will be quicker and will try to charge the player. Have a bed nearby so plantera doesn't despawn when you die. To deal extra damage you could use a crimson rod if there is a natural crimson in your world. This method should work on all editions but has only been tested on the. The second stage can be tricky as plantera gains speed so make sure you have the two clouds slightly further apart to keep dealing damage.

Spawn Point Method
This method only works on the, , and s. Simply build a house in the underground Jungle, set your spawn point and destroy the bulb. Run into the house and wait next to the bed, being careful not to let Plantera despawn. Equip an auto-swinging sword. Recommendations are Excalibur, Cutlass or a well reforged Chlorophyte Saber. If you are killed you will respawn in the house where Plantera is. Let Plantera sit on top of you while you slash it with the sword. This will make Plantera farming relatively easy. This method may not work on mobile every time due to the smaller screen. On the, the player runs a risk of everything including Plantera as every enemy despawns if all players die. Another tactic is to lure plantera towards your spawn point and continue from there how ever this will take a long time since he will be enraged. This tactic may also work on but this is unconfirmed.

Fetid Baghnakh Method
"Legendary" modifier are very effective if you attempt to kill Plantera with a melee approach. This will defeat Plantera within 30-45 seconds. Plantera can be defeated easily even with Hallowed armor with this method, however, to ensure you stay alive, it is a wise choice to use Turtle armor, a Star Veil, and other "Warding" modifier (+4 Defense) accessories. Stacking further attack speed to 51% from accessories and armor by using full Hallowed armor, Mechanical Glove and a Fire Gauntlet (any modifiers) will speed up the fight even further, attacking so fast each swing is cut short, making short enemies like turtles difficult to hit with them. Using a Flask of Ichor also helps significantly. This method doesn't require any mobility accessories once Plantera is in melee range provided you have knockback immunity from a Shield and a Star Veil to help keep you alive for the duration of the fight as you can simply stand still and attack. This works well even on Expert mode.

You want to make a small arena with a platform in the middle to grapple onto if you don't have a shield to prevent knockback. If you have other players, make a small alcove on the top or corner with a spot to move to so they can help you by firing into Plantera.