Guide:The Destroyer strategies

The Destroyer is one of the bosses unlocked when the game enters Hardmode. It is extremely strong, dealing very high damage to the player even when the player has high-tier armor. It is generally recommended as the first boss to fight following the Wall of Flesh.

Terrain Preparation
The type of preparation you'll be making depends on your approach. If you are using melee, The Destroyer is best fought on an arena consisting of tall walls with multiple layers of Wood Platforms. This will allow players to move around the arena freely, and to keep a good watch on where the boss is. If you are using ranged, pick a wide, open, flat area, with plenty of clear space for flying and dodging. The Destroyer can clear a lot of vertical space. Like any other burrowing enemy, it can only control its movements in tiles/blocks.

It may be interesting to summon and kill Eye of Cthulhu (he will die in a matter of seconds when engaged with hardmode guns) before summoning the destroyer in order to spawn an extra one-use pool of Hearts.

Armor
Mythril Armor or higher is highly recommended for this fight, as The Destroyer hits quite hard. Note that full Adamantite armor will reduce damage from body segments down to 17 or so, making this boss fairly easy to solo if you do plenty of mining first.

Melee
If a you have enough defense then you can go in swinging with a melee weapon, but be prepared to take some damage from the Probes that spawn from its body. Melee is quite strong in this fight, much as it was against the Eater of Worlds. Each swing can hit multiple segments at once, and since its health is shared through all of its segments this can lead to massive damage. A Phasesaber is a good option as its damage is high and it is fairly easy to acquire by this point. Large weapons like the Breaker Blade can make things easier by extending your reach. Spears are effective for the shear number of hits you'll get for each click.

Ranged
If you've collected a Clockwork Assault Rifle from the Wall of Flesh then it would be a good idea to use this against The Destroyer; but if you do not have one, a shotgun will also be useful due to high damage and multiple shots. Piercing rounds such as Meteor Shot can hit multiple segments on each shot, dramatically increasing damage output. Crystal Bullets are also a very good choice, since each of the shards that break off also deal damage (Around 10-20 per shard) to the boss, and the shards pierce. If the assault rifle is not available, then an Adamantite Repeater loaded with Unholy Arrows or Hellfire Arrows should do fine. Ranged characters should equip some form of wings as they should probably spend most of the fight high in the air.

Hellfire Arrows will hit 4-5 parts in most cases. Holy Arrows do slightly less damage per hit, but summon 3 fast, penetrating stars, easily making up for the lack of brute power. Holy Arrows also have the added benefits of helping to control Probes/mobs that spawn during the fight and possible re-use. The true downside to Holy Arrows is acquiring them: Pixie Dust is easy enough to farm from Pixies, but you also need Unicorn Horns from Unicorns, which are a rarer spawn. On the bright side, 1 Horn = 35 arrows. (Hellfire Arrows are easy to acquire once you have 1.1 equipment to use down in the Underworld to mine for Hellstone.)

A Clockwork Assault Rifle could be viable with Crystal Bullets, though that method may take a while due to The Destroyer's fairly high defense ratings. It might pay to keep that weapons to deal with the Probes and mobs, however. [Note: I've personally attempted this with a Megashark and Crystal Bullets, as I was trying to farm Soul of Might. While viable, damage over time suffers from the Megasharks lower damage. It'll work. It just takes longer. The Clockwork Assault Rifle is comparable to the Megashark. I wound up switching back to my Repeater and Arrows.]

A Ranger Emblem helps a bit with the extra damage. Also, if possible, a Star Cloak is advisable. You will get hit often, so taking advantage of that fact by returning the favor in the form of stars helps. The Destroyer is very long, so you're bound to hit it.

Accessories should be reforged to either increase defense (if you're not good at evasion) or damage (if you're a decent dodger.) An Obsidian Shield is advised for the increased defense and no-knockback effect.

Magic
Magic users are going to have extremely low defense, and are going to have the hardest time with this fight. If you have a Demon Scythe then it is highly advised to spam it like crazy, with the help of a Mana Regeneration Potion. A Laser Rifle would also be a good choice because of it's high rate of fire, but wouldn't deal nearly as much damage as the Demon Scythe.

Potions and Buffs

 * Hunter Potion - Depending on your setup, this can be very helpful to track The Destroyer movements underground and dodge it. Also makes sighting mob spawn easier since this is a night fight.
 * Ironskin Potion - A combination of melee adamantite armor, ironskin potions, and an obsidian shield will reduce probe damage to around 20 and body damage to a paltry 10.
 * Bowl of Soup - Further stat boosts.
 * Swiftness Potion - Easier dodging.
 * Thorns Potion - Most of the damage you will be taking will be from contact with the boss.
 * Regeneration Potion - Survival boost.

Shine Potions and Night Owl Potions are helpful, but not really essential. They just make sighting other mobs and the terrain easier. Featherfall Potions and Gravitation Potions are also useful if you want more control while in the air or have limited access to the three flight accessories.

The Fight
The Destroyer is almost exactly the same as the fight with the Eater of Worlds, in that it digs around and launches up at you every chance it gets. Just sidestep the body and keep wailing away at it. Occasionally it will launch a few volleys of Death Lasers at everyone fighting him. These hit for about 15-20's on players with 40-50 defense. The Destroyer also spawns Probes throughout the fight. It spawns them very often at first, and then the spawn rate slows down a good bit as you kill them off. Probes drop a 20HP Heart when killed at a 100% drop rate, so for the most part health isn't an issue with this fight, combined with the regeneration potion, and any health potions you have.

Like most other bosses, if everyone is killed The Destroyer leaves. The Destroyer will also leave if you cannot kill it before sunrise. After a few minutes of bashing away at it's health, the machine will fall, but be warned that the loot spawns at the head when killed. Since Souls are not affected by gravity, this can make them very difficult to find after the fight has ended.

Melee
Keep swinging your sword toward the destroyer, when he starts firing lasers, start jumping around platforms. The walls of a proper arena should block most of the lasers, making the fight much easier. Try to focus on the probes since they are the primary source of damage you will be taking. He should go down in around 5 minutes.

Ranged
Fly. The trick is to stay above The Destroyer and not get trapped under it. If you do, take the hit from the body and get out from under it. It's VERY long and can easily turn back in on itself and not give you breathing room. Also, if you're using Hellfire Arrows, you run the risk of killing yourself from the AoE damage. Keep at range and above it as much as you can while letting loose fire on it. Even if you can't see it, keep firing if you at least know the general direction it's in. It's long, so "spray and pray" is actually a viable tactic. (If you hear the metallic "clinking" hit sound effect, just keep shooting in that direct until you see it again or the sound changes.)

The Probes are both a blessing and a curse. A curse as they get in your way and can attack you for decent damage with their lasers (a bit more if you collide with them). They are a blessing in disguse, however, as they can be a source of health by killing them when you have less that full health: They can drop Hearts for later healing. The same can be said of the regular mobs that spawn during the fight. Careful management of Health Potion usage and Heart collecting will keep you nice and stocked on health (along with use of the Renegeration Potion.) Just drop to the ground when it relatively clear and gather some. The Hunter Potion will let you see The Destroyer in the ground, so you'll know if you have to evade instead or can keep going for the hearts.

A secondary weapon for use against the Probes and mobs can be handy, especially if using Hellfire Arrows as your main weapon. The Probes follow you, so you can easily damage yourself with Hellfires if they rush into close right before you fire on them (or get in the way when firing on The Destroyer.) It's even mopre important if you end up on the ground. Inadvertantly firing at your feet with Hellfires can easily ruin the fight for you.

If you're fighting on a wide, flat plain, it might pay to occasionally just run across it until The Destroyer appears. Doing so might cause it to spread a large portion of its body along the ground, making it an easy target from the air. If you have the horizontal space (and speed), make use of it by flying a decent distance back and forth instead of only staying in a particular (horizontal) area to help spread its body out. The more of the body you can keep exposed (and accessible to attacks), the more opportunities you have to deal damage.

On the other hand, if you want to hit the ground (say for gather Hearts), you can fly straight up and hover a while until The Destroyer jumps straight up at you. You can then drop to the ground quick to gather what you need/want while the The Destroyer recovers from its attack attempt. It takes a while for it to loop back around from a high jump. Remember, outside of solid blocks/tiles, borrowing enemies have little control of their movement. This give you the time to take a breather or collect some pick-ups on the ground.

Krazl's Spam Melee Method
Requirements: Dao of Pow, Adamantite armor, Band of Regeneration, Cross Necklace, Regeneration Potion(s), Ironskin Potion(s), Meteorite ore x100ish

Optional: Star Cloak, Spectre Boots, Angel Wings/Demon Wings, Healing Potion(s), Bowl of Soup

Step 1: Prepare for battle!

Create a single line bridge of meteorite preferably 100ish or more blocks long. If preferred wall off the edges and place doors at the bottom. This arena will be used for all of the hardmode bosses.

Step 2: Fighting Smart

Instead of flying around with antigravity potions and using ranged weapons, make sure you do not have an obsidian skull/shield/horseshoe equipped. As such you will constantly be taking 1 damage from standing on the meteorite floor and will be invincible for most of the fight. Focus on doing damage with the Dao of Pow and simply avoid the mouth as much as possible, killing probes if/when you need hearts. Avoid jumping as this usually causes you more harm than simply standing on the meteorite for 1 damage. I recommend crafting the Light Disc x5 with the rewards from this boss. If you hate farming shadow/light souls simply make an artificial meteor biome in the underground hallow and corruption and hang grappled above it while holding a water candle.

There is a straightforward video tutorial of someone using a similar method here:

MushrooMars' Death-by-Music method
Requirements: AT LEAST Mythril Armor, with hood, a Magical Harp, a Mana Flower, 99 Greater Mana Potions, under 5 Greater Healing Potions, other accessories of your choice (reccommended: Sorcerer Emblem, Cross Necklace, all with Arcane prefix)

Step 1: Don't bother preparing; you won't need to. While it does increase your chances of winning to create an arena that lessens the effect of the Death Laser barrages, I went out one night and decided "I'm going to fight The Destroyer", crafted the Mechanical Worm, and beat The Destroyer.

Step 2: Simpler is better. So fight that way. The battle pretty much consists of holding down left click and prioritizing Probes over the worm itself. Because Probes drop hearts 100% of the time, you can actually tank most of the damage you receive as long as you chase those hearts. Don't forget about your Healing Potions if you get too low on health. Remember that the closer to yourself you click, the slower the projectiles of the harp move. Use this to your advantage. As long as you have everything you need, you can fight The Destroyer twice in one night using only the Magical Harp.

Chainsaw Method
Requirements: Minimally Mythril Armor (with a helmet), although Adamantite Armor (again, with a helmet) is vastly preferred. You'll also want around 10 Greater Healing Potions. As far as accessories go, have a Cross Necklace, a Cobalt Shield or Obsidian Shield, a Philosopher's Stone if you can, and a Warrior Emblem. Some of these accessories (i.e. NOT the Shield) can be omitted, but every one you omit makes the fight harder (especially the Warrior Emblem). You might want wings for mobility and a sword to kill the Probes with; this sword can be a Phasesaber, a Breaker Blade, an Adamantite Sword, or even Excalibur if you've killed The Destroyer before. It doesn't really matter, just have a sword (Even a Fiery Greatsword will do!). Finally, you need this method's namesake: a Chainsaw, preferably of the Adamantite variety. If you've made one, a Hamdrax can be used, although it isn't that much better, and has the problem of ripping apart any arena you've built to fight him in.

Step 1: Get all that stuff, or as much of it as you think you need. I personally pulled this off without the Warrior Emblem, but I had a Ruthless Adamantite Chainsaw for maximum damage output. I also had Adamantite Armor and all of my accessories were very well reforged (+4% damage or +4 defense). Basically, your mileage may vary if you omit too many items, but it can be made up for.

Step 2: Make a simple arena with multiple layers of Wooden Platforms. Walls are optional, and the wider the platforms are, the better. The arena isn't necessary on the damage side but helps with survival.

Step 3: Fight. The strategy here is to stand next to his body when he erupts from the ground with your chainsaw running. Every single one of his segments will pass through it and take damage multiple times, resulting in potentially thousands of damage. If he crosses himself, then position yourself to attack the crossing point, resulting in double damage. In fact, if you're good, you can maneuver to make him cross himself. Use the sword (you have one, right? If you don't the chainsaw works) to deal with the probes. Of course, you'll be swimming in a sea of healing and hurting, so try to stay afloat. But also try not to use any healing potions unless you really need to. Although this method is designed to maximize damage output, dodging is still a necessity, especially being sure to not stand directly in The Destroyer's body while cutting him up. You'll also want to avoid his head if possible (because it does massive contact damage); this is where the arena comes in handy. Once his health gets low, make sure to kill him where his head is above ground (and preferably in sight).

Flamethrower Method
Requirements: I assume you'd have Adamantite Armor if you killed Skeletron Prime, but you might not. At least have Mythril Armor. Here you have a choice between a helmet and a mask. The helmet provides superior defense, but the mask makes you deal more damage with the Flamethrower (which you obviously need). You need approximately the same accessories as you need for the Chainsaw Method, except you'll want a Ranger Emblem instead of a Warrior Emblem. You're still going to be fighting up-close. You'll want at least 250 Gel for ammunition, but bring 400 just to be safe.

Step 1: Get all of the required stuff, or as much of it as you think you need. Because the Flamethrower has even higher damage output when used correctly, you may be able to omit more.

Step 2: Make an arena as described in the Chainsaw Method.

Step 3: Fight. Like the Chainsaw Method, get up close to him when he erupts from the ground, except in this method you coat him in flames. Try to aim the Flamethrower such that it points as parallel to his body's direction of travel as possible, rather than perpendicular; this makes it deal more damage. Sweep the Flamethrower around to take care of Probes, and like the Chainsaw method, be sure to grab all the health and try not to be hit by The Destroyer's head or body. Also like the Chainsaw Method, make sure to keep track of his head's location and kill him only when it's above ground.

Random's Sniper Method
Requirements: Any gun (although a minishark or better is recommended), and a large supply of ammo (meteor or crystal bullets offer the best results). It is unnecessary to bring anything else, however range damage boosting equipment and potions are highly recommended.

Step 1: Before the fight, build a platform high above where you plan to fight. Wings, Rocket Boots, and an Ice Rod are the easiest way to achieve this. The platform should be roughly 175-200 feet above the ground, and no less than 30 blocks wide.

Step 2: Summon the Destroyer and make your way up to your platform as fast as possible. Once there, remove a single block in the middle of it, and proceed to fire your weapon strait down through the hole. If your platform is high enough, the Destroyer will not be able to get close enough to hit you. Furthermore, due to the mechanics of the probes they will only separate directly below you, and subsequently be killed by your stream of bullets. Your platform also servers to trap the other unpleasant corruption spawn.

Notes: I used an average of 700 crystal bullets per kill, using a 26 damage Clockwork Assault Rifle. The fight takes about half the night. The only damage I took was when I decided to finish things at close quarters to make sure that I could see the head when it died (so as to avoid searching for the loot).