Guide:Walkthrough

When progressing through Terraria, many players can be unsure of what they should do next and where they can go. Terraria is a open-ended game, where areas are only locked by your level of equipment. This progression guide is designed to provide a loose idea of where they should go for these players.

=The Surface=

New players should refer to this guide: Getting Started

 Biome: Forest

Monsters: Green Slime, Blue Slime, Purple Slime, Pinky

Monster Drops: Gel

Notable Resources: Copper, Iron, Mushroom, Daybloom

Chest Contents: Aglet, Blowpipe, Spear, Wooden Boomerang, Glowstick, Throwing Knife, Bottle

Recommended Equipment: Starting equipment

Recommended Life: 5 hearts

All new worlds will spawn players in the forest biome. This biome has the weakest monsters in the game.

The first thing to do when starting a new world is build a shelter. Begin by collecting building materials, such as wood or stone. It is recommended that the shelter includes a Table, Chair, a Torch, and walls. This will ensure that the Guide makes this shelter into his house, and will not wander out at night.

If it is still daytime when the shelter is finished, explore the immediate area. Iron can usually be found nearby, and can be used to obtain an early Anvil. Copper can also be found, which is useful for making a Copper Hammer, Copper Bow and Copper armor if an anvil is available. Return to the shelter before the sun goes down.

 Biome: Night

Monsters: Zombie, Demon Eye, Corrupt Bunny (Blood Moon only), The Groom (Blood Moon only)

Monster Drops: Shackle, Lens, Black Lens, Bunny Hood (Blood Moon only), Top Hat (Blood Moon only)

Recommended Equipment: Iron

Recommended Life: 8 hearts

Zombies and Demon Eyes will spawn on the surface at night, regardless of the biome. They are much stronger than the monsters in the forest biome. Caution is advised.

It is recommended to stay inside at night. The monsters that come out at night can be very difficult for a new character. A bold player may be able to make a substantial amount of money by killing these monsters. This can be a very high risk, however, as it is easy to get overwhelmed. Zombies can "stack" on top of each other, making it look as if three or four zombies are only one. Unsuspecting players may try to kill the "single" zombie at their door, only to find that there are actually several more than they can handle.

Many players will find it boring to sit still in a shelter for the whole night. Mining in a cave can be a viable alternative. Fewer monsters will be able to find their way into caves, and they tend to be easier to deal with inside. Mining at night can still be risky, however. Monsters can sometimes drop down on the player's head in caves, which can be very difficult to get out of. Avoid mining under off-screen ledges.

A little later in the game there is a chance of a night event occurring called the Blood Moon, which temporarily increases the monster spawn rate - among other things. It is recommended for inexperienced players to remain indoors and bar doors with blocks to prevent Zombies from breaking through them. More advanced players can farm the increased enemy spawns for coins.

Build a Base
For a more in-depth guide on building bases: Bases

Once the temporary shelter is completed, it is time to start on a base of operations. A base can take anywhere from a single in-game day to more than an in-game week to complete, depending on the player's tastes. It is not necessary, however, to build the entire base right away. Waiting to build the majority of the base can be advantageous, as it will allow the player to use the large stock of stone they will end up gathering as a by-product of mining. Regardless of when or what the player builds, it is recommended to build houses for the Guide, Merchant and Nurse, and a space for storage and crafting before progressing.

Surface Exploration
The surface has sparsely distributed iron and copper deposits. It is advantageous to the player to search for these ores. If the player finds enough, the player may be able to craft some new tools and armor before they begin mining. Chests can sometimes be found in the entrances of caves. The items they contain can be very useful for a new character. These chests will spawn in any surface biome but the treasures they contain are listed with the forest biome.

It is highly recommended to stay in the forest biome. The other surface biomes are mid-game biomes, and will be too difficult for a new character.

=The Underground=

For a more in-depth guide on mining: Mining Techniques

Once a satisfactory shelter has been completed, the player should begin mining. There are multiple methods of mining, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Digging a mine shaft can allow the player easy access to the deeper areas of their mine. Another popular method is to explore the caves and tunnels that generate naturally. When a player reaches a dead end in a cave, they can find other caves using light from torches or other tools, a technique called "cave hopping". This method can yield more rewards than the shaft method, but it can be harder to enter and exit this type of mine. Many players will use a combination of the two methods to suit their current needs.

 Biome: Underground

Monsters: Blue Slime, Red Slime, Yellow Slime, Pinky, Blue Jellyfish, Giant Worm

Monster Drops: Gel, Glowstick, Whoopie Cushion

Notable Resources: Copper, Iron, Silver, Gems, Glowing Mushroom, Blinkroot

Chest Contents: Band of Regeneration, Magic Mirror, Angel Statue, Cloud in a Bottle, Hermes Boots, Enchanted Boomerang, Jester's Arrow

Recommended Equipment: Starting equipment

Recommended Life: 5 hearts

The underground can be identified by its background (pictured to the right). It is the first layer below the surface. Copper and Iron deposits can be found in this layer. Silver and Gold can also be found, though less frequently and only much deeper down. Glowing Mushrooms can also be found, though infrequently at this layer.

The player should focus on finding copper and iron while in this layer. It is recommended to have full iron armor and silver weapons before proceeding to the next layer. The player should also try to find two or three Life Crystals while at this layer.

When the player reaches the caverns, they should build a fourth NPC house. This should allow them to get the Demolitionist. It is recommended to buy the Mining Helmet at about this point, or very soon after. A player may wish to opt out of getting the mining helmet, however, if they found an early source of Glowing Mushrooms, and they wish to use Shine Potions instead.

 Biome: Cavern

Monsters: Black Slime, Mother Slime, Baby Slime, Pinky, Giant Worm, Skeleton, Cave Bat, Blue Jellyfish, Piranha, Undead Miner, Tim

Monster Drops: Gel, Whoopie Cushion, Hook, Wizard Hat, Robot Hat

Notable Resources: Copper, Iron, Silver, Gold, Demonite, Gems, Glowing Mushroom, Blinkroot, Lava

Chest Contents: Band of Regeneration, Magic Mirror, Angel Statue, Cloud in a Bottle, Hermes Boots, Enchanted Boomerang, Jester's Arrow

Recommended Equipment: Iron

Recommended Life: 8 hearts

The caverns can be identified by their background (pictured to the right). It is the second layer below the surface. Copper, Iron, Silver and Gold can all be found frequently in this layer. Glowing Mushrooms can also be found more regularly in this layer.

In this layer, the player should focus on upgrading to Silver equipment, then Gold equipment. They should also try to find a hook for a Grappling Hook, and as many Life Crystals as they can find, at least three or four. This layer can be very dangerous for an under-geared player. The player should not attempt to progress through this layer if they have not yet obtained Iron equipment. Regardless of what equipment is currently available, it is recommended to bring lots of potions, including a few Ironskin Potions.

Avoid mining too deeply in this layer at this point in the game. The next layer after the caverns is the Underworld, which is a mid-game area. If the player mines too closely to the Underworld, Underworld monsters will begin to spawn. Underworld monsters can be very difficult to deal with, even with a mid-game character. If the player finds themselves being attacked by Fire Imps, it is highly recommended to turn back. As a rule of thumb, avoid mining down any further when the first lava pools are found.

=The Surface Revisited=

Once the player obtains complete gold equipment many mid-tier biomes open up. These biomes contain alchemy ingredients as well as other treasures. It is recommended to build any NPC houses that have not been built yet. There should be at least ten NPC houses at this time.

 Biome: Desert

Monsters: Vulture, Antlion, Mummy

Monster Drops: Antlion Mandible

Notable Resources: Cactus, Waterleaf

Recommended Equipment: Iron

Recommended Life: 7 hearts

The desert doesn't contain much of interest other than alchemy ingredients. The monsters in the desert are in the lower-mid tier, and can be dealt with using iron equipment or better.

 Biome: Jungle

Monsters: Piranha, Snatcher, Jungle Bat, Jungle Slime, Doctor Bones (night only)

Monster Drops: Gel, Hook, Robot Hat, Archaeologist's Hat

Notable Resources: Moonglow, Jungle Rose, Jungle Spores

Recommended Equipment: Gold

Recommended Life: 10 hearts

The jungle is one of the more difficult surface biomes. Gold equipment is recommended before attempting to explore it.

 Biome: Corruption

Monsters: Little Eater, Eater of Souls, Big Eater, Devourer, Corrupt Goldfish, Piranha

Monster Drops: Rotten Chunk, Worm Tooth, Hook, Robot Hat

Notable Resources: Vile Mushroom, Deathweed, Demonite

Shadow Orb Contents: Ball O' Hurt, Band of Starpower, Musket, Orb of Light, Vilethorn

Recommended Equipment: Gold

Recommended Life: 10 hearts

The corruption is a very difficult biome due to the swarming of Eaters of Souls. Exploring the corruption can be very rewarding, however. Smashing Shadow Orbs can yield very powerful items. Beware though, as breaking three Shadow Orbs will result in the Eater of Worlds being summoned. Demonite is found in small deposits in this biome, though a Gold Pickaxe is needed to mine it.

 Biome: Ocean

Monsters: Shark, Pink Jellyfish, Crab

Monster Drops: Glowstick, Shark Fin, Diving Helmet

Notable Resources: Coral

Chest Contents: Breathing Reed, Flipper, Trident

Recommended Equipment: Gold, Gills Potions

Recommended Life: 10 hearts

The Ocean is notable for its alchemy ingredients and chests. Chests found in ocean biomes contain unique treasures. New characters may have problems working in this biome. Without access to alchemy ingredients like waterleaf, finding a source of air can be a major issue.

 Biome: Snow

Monsters: Green Slime, Blue Slime, Purple Slime, Pinky

Monster Drops: Gel

Notable Resources: Snow Block

The snow biome is generated in each new world created between the 15th and 31st of December. Worlds created on other days have a roughly 33% chance of containing a snow biome. Snow Biomes contain little of interest, but it should be noted that snow blocks cannot be converted by hallow or corruption.

Eye of Cthulhu
If the player meets all three of the following requirements, Eye of Cthulhu has a 1:3 chance of spawning each night:


 * Eye of Cthulhu has not been defeated in the current world
 * At least one player in the world has ten or more hearts
 * Four NPCs have moved into houses in the world

Shortly before Eye of Cthulhu appears, the player receives the message "You feel an evil presence watching you". Note that leaving the game and reopening it at this point will postpone the fight. Many players prefer to fight Eye of Cthulhu on their own terms by using a Suspicious Looking Eye to summon it at the beginning of the night as the Eye has to be defeated by dawn. Ranged weapons such as Shuriken or a Bow and an arena (see the Terrain preparation section in the Guide: Eye of Cthulhu strategies) will make the fight a lot easier.

 Boss: Eye of Cthulhu

Life: 2800

Damage: 15 (First Stage), 23 (Second Stage)

Defense: 12 (First Stage), 0 (Second Stage)

Minions: Servant of Cthulhu (8 Life, 12 Damage, 0 Defense)

Drops: Demonite Ore, Unholy Arrows, Corrupt Seeds

Recommended Equipment: Gold, Ranged Weapons, Hunter Potions, Ironskin Potions, Regeneration Potions

Recommended Life: 10 hearts

Piercing weapons are most efficient on Eye of Cthulhu, as they will damage it multiple times each attack. Melee weapons are not very effective on Eye of Cthulhu as it will usually fly out of reach. In its first stage, Eye of Cthulhu spawns minions and will try to ram the player. When Eye of Cthulhu has less than 1400 life, it will morph into its second stage. In its second stage, Eye of Cthulhu will stop spawning minions, but it will begin to move much faster, and do much more damage with each attack. If the player has Gold equipment and plenty of potions, Eye of Cthulhu shouldn't pose a major threat.

For more information, refer to Guide:Strategies for killing Eye of Cthulhu

Eater of Worlds
After Eye of Cthulhu is defeated, the player should fight Eater of Worlds.

Eater of Worlds will spawn upon smashing every third Shadow Orb in a world. It is also possible to spawn Eater of Worlds using Worm Food. This is not recommended, however, as smashing Shadow Orbs will drop treasures like Vilethorn and Ball 'O Hurt that can help defeat Eater of Worlds.

 Boss: Eater of Worlds

Life: 65 (Head), 150 (Body), 220 (Tail)

Damage: 22 (Head), 13 (Body), 11 (Tail)

Defense: 2 (Head), 4 (Body), 8 (Tail)

Drops: Demonite Ore, Shadow Scale

Recommended Equipment: Gold, Piercing Weapons, Ironskin Potions, Hunter Potions

Recommended Life: 12 hearts

Eater of Worlds has 50 segments. When one segment is destroyed, the two separated sections will become a new worm. Piercing weapons are extremely effective against this boss, as they will damage Eater of Worlds many times. Melee weapons are also effective. It is safer to fight this boss in an enclosed area, because the monsters that spawn in the corruption are noticeably more difficult to deal with in the open. The Eater of Worlds must be fought in the corruption biome. If the player leaves the corruption biome at any point during the battle with the Eater of Worlds, the boss will run away and will have to be resummoned.

For more information, refer to Guide:Strategies for killing Eater of Worlds

Smashing Shadow Orbs has a small chance of spawning a meteor somewhere in the world. If a meteor spawns, and a Gold Pickaxe is available, craft an Obsidian Skull and track it down (A Nightmare Pickaxe is needed to mine the Obsidian for an Obsidian Skull).

 Biome: Meteorite

Monsters: Meteor Head

Notable Resources: Meteorite

Recommended Equipment: Shadow, Obsidian Skull, Dynamite

Recommended Life: 12 hearts

Meteor blocks will damage the player when touched. Equip an Obsidian Skull to prevent this damage. Meteor Heads will constantly spawn when there are 50 or more meteorite blocks in the area, so it is recommended to mine the meteorite as quickly as possible. Dynamite is very effective on meteorite for this reason. A few sticks of dynamite can mine most of the biome singlehandedly, minimizing the Meteor Head threat.

Events
After defeating the Eye of Cthulhu there will be random events like the attack of the Goblin Army: The criteria for a goblin invasion to occur at all is as follows:
 * You must have at least one person in the game with 200+ current life.
 * You must have smashed at least one Shadow Orb or Demon Heart.
 * You must not have had an invasion within seven in-game days.

=The Dungeon=

After obtaining some combination of shadow equipment and meteor equipment, the player should explore the dungeon. The Dungeon can be found near the right or left edge of the map. To gain entrance to the dungeon, Skeletron must be defeated. To summon Skeletron, talk to the Old Man in front of the dungeon at night.

 Boss: Skeletron

Life: 4400 (Head), 600 (Hand)

Damage: 32 (Head), 32 (Hand)

Defense: 10 (Head), 10 (Hand)

Recommended Equipment: Shadow or Meteor, Piercing Weapons, Ironskin Potions

Recommended Life: 15 hearts

Like with other bosses, piercing weapons are very effective against Skeletron. Melee weapons are of limited effectiveness, as Skeletron floats out reach for much of the time. Like with other bosses, a player with a large stock of potions shouldn't have too much trouble with this boss.

For more information, refer to Guide:Strategies for killing Skeletron

After Skeletron has been defeated in a world, players should be able to enter the dungeon unimpeded.

 Biome: Dungeon

Monsters: Angry Bones, Big Boned, Short Bones, Blazing Wheel, Cursed Skull, Dark Caster, Spike Ball, Dungeon Slime

Monster Drops: Bone, Golden Key

Notable Resources: Switch, Chain Lantern, Life Crystal, Water Bolt

Chest Contents: Aqua Scepter, Blue Moon, Cobalt Shield, Handgun, Magic Missile, Muramasa, Shadow Key

Recommended Equipment: Shadow or Meteor

Recommended Life: 15 hearts

Monsters respawn very quickly in the dungeon, so it can be difficult to progress. Movement enhancing items, such as the Grappling Hook or Cloud in a Bottle are highly recommended. Many of the surfaces in the dungeon are covered in damaging spikes, making it difficult to progress without some sort of movement aid.

It is recommended to get all of the treasures in the dungeon, as they are all useful for further progression. Water Bolt can also be found on bookshelves (pictured). The dungeon has a substantial amount of Life Crystals in it, making it easy for a player to reach maximum life by the time they are finished with the dungeon. Also note that Floating Island chests are locked with the golden keys obtained in the dungeon, so after you have finished it is advisable to keep at least three keys to open them.

 Biome: Floating Island

Monsters: Harpy

Monster Drops: Feather

Notable Resources: Silver, Gold

Chest Contents: Shiny Red Balloon, Starfury, Lucky Horseshoe

Recommended Equipment: Gold, Gravitation Potions

Recommended Life: 10 hearts

Although it is possible to do so beforehand, there is little point in visiting floating islands until you've obtained Golden Keys from the Dungeon to unlock the Gold Chests there. The easiest way to locate floating islands is to fly across the map using Gravitation potions at certain heights with the aid of a Depth Meter. Floating islands are typically found at 100-475ft on small maps, at 500-700ft on medium maps, and at 500-1000ft on large maps.

Harpies spawn around floating islands if not in the middle third of the map. Harpies are less dangerous since 1.1.

=The Underground Jungle=

After completing the Dungeon, the player should next go to the Underground Jungle. The Underground Jungle can be found by mining directly downward from the surface jungle.

 Biome: Underground Jungle

Monsters: Hornet, Little Stinger, Big Stinger, Man Eater, Jungle Bat, Piranha, Dragon Stinger

Monster Drops: Stinger, Vine, Hook, Robot Hat

Notable Resources: Moonglow, Jungle Spores, Jungle Rose, Nature's Gift

Chest Contents: Feral Claws, Anklet of the Wind, Staff of Regrowth

Recommended Equipment: Shadow, Meteor, or Necro; Dungeon weapons

Recommended Life: 15 hearts

The underground jungle is the second-most difficult biome in normal mode. An improperly geared player will have a difficult time surviving in this biome. Much like the corruption's Eater of Souls, the Underground Jungle's hornet will persistently swarm the player, while shooting poisonous stingers at them.

The risk of exploring the Underground Jungle can pay off. Some of the best items pre-hardmode can be found in or crafted from items in the Underground Jungle, such as Ivy Whip or Jungle armor.

=The Underworld=

After exploring the Underground Jungle, the player should go to the Underworld (from popular belief it may also be known as "hell"). The Underworld can be found covering the entire bottom of the map. It is reached by digging down from the caverns.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #C24641; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: The Underworld

Monsters: Lava Slime, Hellbat, Fire Imp, Demon, Voodoo Demon, Bone Serpent

Monster Drops: Plumber's Hat, Demon Scythe, Guide Voodoo Doll

Notable Resources: Hellstone, Fireblossom, Hellforge, Demon Torch

Chest Contents: Dark Lance, Flower of Fire, Sunfury, Flamelash

Recommended Equipment: Shadow, Meteor, Jungle, or Necro; Jungle or Dungeon weapons; Obsidian Skull; Water Walking Potion, Obsidian Skin Potion, Night Owl Potion

Recommended Life: 20 hearts

The underworld is a very dangerous biome. Special care should be taken when working around lava. Lava damage can kill a player with 400 health in 10 seconds flat. Be cautious when mining Hellstone; lava spawns each time a block of hellstone is mined. The enemies in this biome are also very dangerous. Fire Imps can shoot through walls; Hellbats are hard to hit and have a very damaging attack; Bone Serpents behave like other worms and can tunnel through solid blocks; and Demons use a spell called Demon Scythe which can be particularly damaging if it isn't dodged.

The best items pre-hardmode can be found in or crafted from items found in this biome. The player should try to locate Shadow Chests, opened with the Shadow Key found in the Dungeon.

Be very careful when killing Voodoo Demons, particularly from range, as their voodoo doll can then drop into lava, summoning a very unwelcome Wall of Flesh!

Although the Underworld is theoretically the most difficult biome in normal Terraria, mining Hellstone is reasonably easy and safe and can be done with relatively low-level equipment, especially with the aid of Obsidian Skin potions and Obsidian Skull. Water Walking potions are also very helpful, allowing you to walk on lava, and Night Owl potions do a great job of lighting up hell.

Before Summoning the Wall of Flesh
Defeating the Wall of Flesh will activate hardmode. Once a world has entered hardmode, there is no way to change the world back to normal mode. There is no turning back once the Wall of Flesh has been defeated. Hardmode is very difficult and will make what were once menial tasks very difficult and tedious. It is highly recommended that the player make as many preparations as possible before they summon the Wall of Flesh.

The following is a checklist of things to be done before the Wall of Flesh is summoned:


 * Obtain Maximum Health. If the player has not already done so, gather Crystal Hearts until the Life Bar has 20 hearts.


 * (Magic Users only) Obtain Maximum Mana. Any player that uses spells (other than the Magic Mirror) should gather Fallen Stars until the Mana Bar has 10 Stars. Note: Magic-user oriented gear will often add Mana Stars to the player's maximum mana. Ensure that the mana bar has 10 stars without any magic enhancing items equipped.


 * Gather Underworld-Tier Equipment. This must include a Molten Pickaxe. Other equipment will depend on personal tastes and can include but is not limited to: Molten Armor, Fiery Greatsword, Flamarang, Molten Fury, Phoenix Blaster, Sunfury, Flower of Fire, Flamelash, Demon Scythe and Dark Lance. Certain characters may opt to use Shadow Armor, Meteor Armor, Necro Armor, or Jungle Armor instead of Molten Armor.


 * Gather useful accessories and miscellaneous items, such as: Hermes Boots, Lucky Horseshoe, Cobalt Shield, Band of Regeneration, Band of Starpower, Nature's Gift, Feral Claws, Ivy Whip, and Magic Mirror. Many of these accessories can be combined at the Tinkerer's Workshop.


 * Gather materials. Materials such as Copper and Iron will be needed to craft the items that summon hardmode bosses. Iron Ore and Gold Ore are used in Ironskin Potions and Spelunker Potions, respectively. Other materials, such as Wood, Stone, and Sand, should be stockpiled.


 * Gather potion ingredients. In hardmode, potions like Healing Potions, Ironskin Potions, and Regeneration Potions can be essential to survival. Other potions can also be useful, depending on the equipment setup the player is using. Gather a large stock of potion ingredients. Consider creating "farms" for more important ingredients. For more information on farming, see Guide:Gardening.


 * Search for Demon Altars. Many Demon Altars can be found in the corruption, so explore each corruption in the world. Dig tunnels to visible Demon Altars. They need to be easily accessible when hardmode begins.


 * Consider creating quarantines. Corruption and Hallow biomes are very dangerous, and can spread and "ruin" natural biomes. Quarantining the natural biomes can protect them from the corruption/hallow. For more information on how to do this, read Guide: Containing the Hallow/Corruption


 * Pick out a set of "hardmode" weapons and accessories, and reforge them. Defense is arguably the most valuable accessory stat for hardmode. Look for weapon stats that increase weapon damage and speed, or decrease mana cost. For more information about item prefixes, see Reforge.


 * Consider farming money. Reforging Hardmode weapons is prohibitively expensive. Some vendors sell new, more expensive items in Hardmode. For more information on farming money, see Guide:Making money.

Ensure that that all of the necessary preparations are made. Again, there will be no turning back once the Wall of Flesh is defeated. Anything that is not finished now will be much harder to do later.

Wall of Flesh
To summon the Wall, you must drop a Guide Voodoo Doll dropped by Voodoo Demons into the lava in the Underworld.

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Life: 8000 (Eyes, Mouth), 320 (The Hungry)

Damage: 11-15 depending on health (Eye laser), 50 melee (Eyes, Mouth), 30-75 depending on health (The Hungry)

Defense: 12 (Eyes, Mouth), 10-40 depending on health (The Hungry)

Drops: Pwnhammer; Breaker Blade, Clockwork Assault Rifle, Laser Rifle, Warrior Emblem, Ranger Emblem, or Sorcerer Emblem

Recommended Equipment: Shadow, Necro, Jungle, or Molten; Ranged Underworld-tier weapons with AoE or piercing; Spectre Boots, Grappling Hook, Ironskin Potions, Regeneration Potions, Water Walking Potions

Recommended Life: 20 hearts

The Wall of Flesh will spawn just outside of the screen in the direction closest to the end of the world and start moving slowly towards you, speeding up as its health decreases. Due to the Wall of Flesh's tongue ability and The Hungry's short range, ranged weapons are highly recommended. Piercing and AoE weapons are very effective for taking out the hungry.

Consider building an arena for this fight. A long, uninterrupted land bridge of 500 blocks or more is ideal.

Once Wall of Flesh is defeated you will receive a message which says "The ancient spirits of light and dark have been released." You have now entered Hardmode.

=Hardmode=

Destroying the Wall of Flesh causes drastic changes in the world. A new biome, called the Hallow, covers a significant portion of the surface, and reaches deep underground. A large area has also been covered with corruption and extends deep below the surface. New, stronger monsters inhabit many of the biomes in the world, making them much more dangerous than before. The most dangerous monsters are those that live in the Underground Corruption and the Underground Hallow. Extreme caution is advised when exploring this new world.

Consider fighting the Wall of Flesh multiple times before proceeding. Many of the Wall of Flesh's drops can be useful for Hardmode.

The main objective in Hardmode is to kill the three Hardmode bosses: The Twins, The Destroyer, and Skeletron Prime. However, a player with equipment from normal mode will find themselves significantly outclassed by these Hardmode bosses. Any player who wishes to fight these bosses should take time to gather Hardmode gear and accessories. Most of this gear is crafted from the new Hardmode ores, Cobalt, Mythril, and Adamantite. However, these ores do not initially exist in a Hardmode world. They must be spawned by destroying Demon Altars with the Pwnhammer.

Back to the Corruption
The easiest place to find Demon Altars is in the original Corruption biomes, at the bottom of chasms. Travel to the closest corruption in your world. Be prepared for new enemies in the Desert and at night. The Hallow will need to be crossed in order to reach some of the Corruption biomes on the map. In rare cases, a Corruption biome can be converted to Hallow upon initiation of hardmode. These biomes still contain Demon Altars.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color:#98AFC7; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Night (Hardmode)

New Monsters: Possessed Armor, Wandering Eye, Wraith, Clown (Blood Moon), Werewolf (Full moon)

Recommended Equipment: Molten

Be cautious when exploring the surface at night. New, more powerful monsters come out at night. A player used to travelling at night may find it difficult to progress when they are out after dark.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #D4A017; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Desert (Hardmode)

Monsters: Vulture, Antlion, Mummy; or Dark Mummy and Corruption biome monsters (Corrupted Desert); or Light Mummy and Hallow biome monsters (Hallowed Desert)

Monster Drops: Dark Shard (Corrupt Desert) or Light Shard (Hallowed Desert)

Recommended Equipment: Molten

Natural deserts typically don't last long in hardmode. When corrupted or hallowed, they become very similar to their respective biomes. Hardmode deserts are the only places where the Mummy can be found.

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New Monsters: Corruptor, Slimer, Corrupt Slime

Recommended Equipment: Molten

Corruption now spreads through the world at a fast clip. Corruptors spawn in packs and spit a corrosive bile that spreads corruption wherever it hits. Players that are new to Hardmode should move through this biome as quickly as possible. An undergeared player will be easily overwhelmed in this biome.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #FF508C; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: The Hallow

Monsters: Pixie, Unicorn, Gastropod (night only)

Monster Drops: Pixie Dust, Unicorn Horn

Recommended Equipment: Molten

The Hallow spreads rapidly through the world, just like the Corruption. Be wary of the seemingly whimsical denizens of the Hallow. All of them are hostile, and are just as dangerous as their corrupted counterparts. Like with the Corruption, players new to Hardmode should avoid staying in this biome for longer than necessary.

Once the player reaches the corruption, they should enter the correct chasm quickly. The chasms of the corruption are much less exposed than the surface. Destroy Demon Altars methodically. Each time a Demon Altar is destroyed, wraiths will spawn and attack the player. Take time to kill the Wraiths after breaking each altar to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Each Demon Altar destroyed will spawn ore in various places throughout the world, spawning them more densely deeper down. The first Demon Altar destroyed will spawn Cobalt. The second Demon Altar destroyed will spawn Mythril. The third Demon Altar destroyed will spawn Adamantite. The pattern will repeat with additional Demon Altars destroyed, spawning more Cobalt, then more Mythril, then more Adamantite. It is advantageous to destroy as many Demon Altars as possible before proceeding to mine the new ores. Take time to explore the chasms in each corruption and destroy any Demon Altars found in them. Note, however, that each Demon Altar destroyed may spawn a new block of Ebonstone or Pearlstone somewhere in the world, causing the Corruption or the Hollow to spread from another location.

Mining Hardmode Ores
Once enough ore has been spawned, the player should begin mining Cobalt. Mythril and Adamantite can not be mined with normal mode pickaxes. Cobalt can be mined with the Molten Pickaxe. Proceed with extreme caution. The most difficult biomes in Hardmode are found underground. The player should bring a stock of Ironskin potions, Regeneration potions, and Spelunker potions to use as they mine. If the player created a hellevator in normal mode, they should use it to access the lower layers quickly. Hardmode ores are more abundant deeper underground.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color:#CC9966; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Underground (Hardmode)

New Monsters: Toxic Sludge, Digger, Possessed Armor (night)

Recommended Equipment: Molten, Molten Pickaxe

This previously trivial biome has had its difficulty increased significantly. Hardmode Ores are not very common in this layer. It is best to pass through to lower layers.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color:#CCCCCC; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Cavern (Hardmode)

New Monsters: Armored Skeleton, Skeleton Archer, Giant Bat, Digger, Angler Fish (water), Green Jellyfish (water)

Recommended Equipment: Molten, Molten Pickaxe

This biome is very dangerous, but it is less dangerous than the Underground Corruption and the Underground Hallow. It is for this reason that this biome is one of the ideal biomes for mining hardmode ores. Don't underestimate the monsters in this biome. All of the monsters in this biome are very strong; the Armored Skeleton's "Broken Armor" debuff is particularly lethal, even for an endgame character. Consider returning to town and talking to the Nurse if hit by the debuff.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #B4508C; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Underground Hallow

Monsters: Chaos Elemental, Illuminant Bat, Illuminant Slime, Enchanted Sword

Monster Drops: Soul of Light

Notable Resources: Crystal Shard

Recommended Equipment: Mythril or Adamantite; Ironskin Potions and Regeneration Potions

This is one of the two most difficult biomes in Terraria. It is recommended to mine elsewhere until Mythril Armor is obtained. Chaos Elementals and Enchanted Swords can easily reach the player, even when they are boxed in.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #7E587E; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Underground Corruption

Monsters: Clinger, Corrupt Slime, Corruptor, Cursed Hammer, Devourer, Slimer, World Feeder

Monster Drops: Soul of Night, Cursed Flame

Recommended Equipment: Mythril or Adamantite; Ironskin Potions and Regeneration Potions

The Underground Corruption is tied with the Underground Hallow as the most difficult biome in Terraria. As with the Underground Hallow, it is recommended that the player avoid this biome until they obtain Mythril Armor. The denizens of this biome will make mining extremely difficult for a player without hardmode armor.

It can be very difficult to survive long enough in Hardmode biomes to mine enough ore. If the player finds they are having difficulty mining, they should consider mining in the Underground Jungle or look for ores on the ceiling of the Underworld. Both of these biomes have the same mobs as they did pre-Hardmode, making them considerably safer than almost anywhere else in the world.

Aim to upgrade to a Cobalt Drill as quickly as possible. The Cobalt Drill can mine Mythril. The first 100 Mythril ore mined should be used to craft a Mythril Anvil and then a Mythril Drill. The Mythril Drill can mine Adamantite. The first 30 Adamantite ore mined should be used to create an Adamantite Forge. Upgrading to an Adamantite Drill isn't crucial. The Mythril Drill can mine every ore in the game, though the Adamantite Drill is slightly faster.

Be mindful when opening chests. A seemingly innocuous treasure chest may be a Mimic posing as a chest. Mimics will chase the player when they approach or when attacked. A good approach is to shoot any chests with a ranged weapon before opening them. This will cause any Mimics to break their ruse and attack.

Use any any leftover ore to upgrade armor, then weapons, and the chainsaw last. If the player wishes to craft Hallowed equipment after defeating the Hardmode bosses, they should craft and save all of the Cobalt, Mythril, and Adamantite variants of the desired Hallowed item. Keep mining until enough Adamantite is collected to craft a full set of Adamantite armor, and any Adamantite weapons or tools the player may want.

Collecting Souls
Collecting souls (and other miscellaneous items) is the last task the player should complete before fighting the Hardmode bosses. There are three types of souls dropped by normal monsters: Soul of Light, Soul of Night, and Soul of Flight. Soul of Light can be obtained from any monster found in the Underground Hallow. Soul of Night can be obtained from any monster found in the Underground Corruption. Soul of Flight can be obtained from Wyverns. The order in which the player obtains these souls does not matter. However, it can be advantageous to gather Souls of Flight first, as the Wings can be very useful when navigating the Underground Hallow or Underground Corruption.

Soul of Flight
Wyverns can be found at very high altitudes, at around the same level as Floating Islands. Look for Wyverns on Floating Islands, as it is much easier to fight them this way. Another popular method is to fight them in the air using Gravitation potions.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #82CAFA; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Floating Island (Hardmode)

Monsters: Harpy, Wyvern

Monster Drops: Feather, Soul of Flight

Recommended Equipment: Adamantite, Piercing Weapons (Demon Scythe is particularly effective), Gravitation, Ironskin, Regeneration

There is little of interest on Floating Islands of Hardmode other than the Wyverns that occasionally spawn around them. These Wyverns are of interest because they drop Souls of Flight, which are required to craft wings.

Wyverns are very difficult to kill. They fly through the air using the same AI as worms, but they move much faster, do much more damage, and have a lot more life. They are very difficult to dodge and attack at the same time. Piercing weapons are very effective against the Wyvern, like with all segmented monsters.

Soul of Light
Souls of Light can be found by killing enemies in the Underground Hallow. Underworld Enemies spawned below the Underground Hallow will also drop Souls of Light. Keep a stock of Regeneration potions and Ironskin potions when exploring this biome. The easiest way to deal with hallowed enemies is to grapple to the ceiling and shoot at them with a ranged weapon. The opposite is true when dealing with Illuminant Bats. Drop to the ground and swing a melee weapon to deal with them. Try to gather crystal shards while looking for souls. Try to gather at least 50 souls, though more is better.

Soul of Night
Souls of Night can be found by killing enemies in the Underground Corruption. Underworld Enemies will also drop Souls of Night if they spawn below the Underground Corruption. Much of the same rules apply with this biome. Use Ironskin and Regeneration potions when exploring. Try not to stay in one place for too long in this biome. Clingers and Corruptors can both shoot projectiles, and World Feeders can easily attack a stationary player. Make use of the Rocket Boots and/or Wings to dodge projectiles and keep moving around. Gather at least 50 souls from the underground corruption. More is better. Look for cursed flames that drop from World Feeders and Clingers while gathering souls.

Miscellaneous Items
There are a few other important items not mentioned above.


 * Pixies from the surface Hallow will drop Pixie Dust, which is needed to make Greater Healing Potions
 * Mummies from Corrupted Desert will drop Dark Shards; Mummies from Hallowed Desert will drop Light Shards. Collect these to craft the Dao of Pow.
 * Mimics can appear in just about any biome. Look for Mimics using Hunter Potions. Hunt for mimics until one drops a Philosopher's Stone.

Recommended Equipment for Hardmode Bosses
Following is a list of equipment recommendations for use against Hardmode Bosses. This is not an exhaustive list; other items may prove to be effective. This list assumes no Hardmode bosses have been defeated yet:

Ranged Characters
Recommended Weapons: Adamantite Repeater or Clockwork Assault Rifle

Recommended Armor: Adamantite Armor with Adamantite Mask

Recommended Accessories: Spectre Boots, Wings, Ranger Emblem, Obsidian Shield, Philosopher's Stone; all with Defense (highly recommended) or Damage enhancing prefixes

Recommended Buffs: Ironskin Potion, Regeneration Potion, Shine Potion, Swiftness Potion, Bowl of Soup, Archery Potion (with Adamantite Repeater)

Magic Characters
Recommended Weapons: Laser Rifle, Flamelash, or Crystal Storm (Destroyer only)

Recommended Armor: Adamantite Armor with Adamantite Headgear

Recommended Accessories: Spectre Boots, Wings, Mana Flower, Obsidian Shield, Philosopher's Stone; all with Defense (highly recommended) or Damage enhancing prefixes

Recommended Buffs: Ironskin Potion, Regeneration Potion, Shine Potion, Swiftness Potion, Mana Regeneration Potion, Magic Power Potion, Bowl of Soup, Crystal Ball

Melee Characters
Melee characters tend to be less effective against Hardmode bosses. Players who wish to use melee weapons against Hardmode bosses should fight the Destroyer first, then craft the Light Disc to use against the other two Hardmode bosses

Recommended Weapons: Dao of Pow, Adamantite Sword (Destroyer only), or Adamantite Glaive (Destroyer Only)

Recommended Armor: Adamantite Armor with Adamantite Helmet

Recommended Accessories: Spectre Boots, Wings, Warrior Emblem, Obsidian Shield, Philosopher's Stone; all with Defense (highly recommended) or Damage enhancing prefixes

Recommended Buffs: Ironskin Potion, Regeneration Potion, Shine Potion, Swiftness Potion, Bowl of Soup, Ale

Building a Hardmode Arena
Proper terrain preparation is almost completely essential to successfully defeat all three Hardmode bosses. Players who intend to solo the hardmode bosses will find the task very challenging without an adequate arena.

For solo players, build a very long bridge out of wood platforms. The bridge should be at least 1000 platforms long, but 2500 is recommended. Build the bridge a large distance from the ground; the ground should not be visible from any part of the bridge. Place blocks at each end of the bridge to prevent running off of the sides.

For team players, the arena can be much shorter. A team arena can be between 250-500 platforms long, but should also have 2-3 separate rows. Space the rows so they are not too close together, but are reachable with rocket boots.

Consider setting up Heart Statues and Star Statues on 1 Second Timers, as these can make the battles much easier.

The Hardmode Bosses
The Destroyer is arguably the easiest of the three bosses, and should be fought first. The Destroyer can be summoned by using a Mechanical Worm at night.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #6D7B8D; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Boss: The Destroyer

Life: 80000

Defense: 0 (Head), 30 (Body), 35 (Tail)

Damage: 60 (Head), 40 (Body), 20 (Tail), 22 (Death Laser)

Minions: Probes

Drops: 20-30 Soul of Might, 5-15 Greater Healing Potion

Recommended Equipment: See above section "Recommended Equipment for Hardmode Bosses"

The Destroyer is the hardmode version of Eater of Worlds. The Destroyer uses worm AI, burrowing into the ground and making long sweeping passes at the player. The Destroyer is much longer than the Eater of Worlds, and moves much faster. Unlike the Eater of Worlds, the Destroyer does not break into segments. The Destroyer's segments all have a shared life of 80000. All of its segments will be destroyed when this this life reaches 0. The Destroyer will release Probes as it takes damage. Probes will drop hearts when killed. If the Destroyer is not defeated before the sun rises, it will run away.

Piercing weapons and AoE weapons are particularly effective against this boss. The Destroyer will frequently try to trap you with its body. Use the grappling hook to get out of these situations. The Destroyer's drops come from its head when it is killed. When its health is very low, wait until the head is visible before finishing it off. The Souls of Might can be very difficult to find if the Destroyer is killed while its head is off screen.

The next two bosses are fairly similar in terms of difficulty. Most players will find the Twins to be harder to defeat than Skeletron Prime, so it is recommended to fight Skeletron Prime next. Skeletron Prime can be summoned by using a Mechanical Skull at night.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #6D7B8D; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Boss: Skeletron Prime

Life: 30000 (Head), 7000 (Cannon), 10000 (Saw), 10000 (Vice), 6000 (Laser)

Defense: 25 (Head), 50 (Head, while spinning), 25 (Cannon), 40 (Saw), 35 (Vice), 20 (Laser)

Damage (Melee): 50 (Head), 100 (Head, while spinning), 30 (Cannon), 52 (Saw), 45 (Vice), 29 (Laser)

Damage (Grenade): 40

Damage (Laser): 25

Drops: 20-30 Soul of Fright, 5-15 Greater Healing Potions

Recommended Equipment: See above section "Recommended Equipment for Hardmode Bosses"

Skeletron Prime is the hardmode version of Skeletron. Skeletron Prime behaves very similarly to its predecessor. It alternates between attacking with its various appendages and using a deadly spinning attack with its head. Skeletron Prime has very high life and can take a long time to kill. If Skeletron Prime is not defeated before the sun rises, it will use an attack that instantly kills the player on touch.

The damage from all of its arms can add up quickly. Try to destroy the arms before focusing on the head. The Prime Saw and Prime Vice are very difficult to avoid and should destroyed first. The Prime Laser is only a medium threat and should be killed after the Vice and Saw. The Prime Cannon can be ignored. There are two methods to avoiding Skeletron Prime's attacks. The first is to use the maximum speed of Hermes Boots to stay out of reach (Prime Saw will always be able to keep up), combined with well-timed jumps to throw off the aim of Skeletron Prime's spinning head attack. The second method is to use Gravitation potions for a similar effect, though it can be harder to dodge some of Skeletron Prime's attacks this way.

The last of the three hardmode bosses are the Twins. This boss is the hardest of the three for most players, and should be defeated last. The Twins can be summoned by using a Mechanical Eye at night.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #6D7B8D; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Boss: The Twins

Retinazer

Life: 24000

Defense: 10 (First Stage), 25 (Second Stage)

Damage (Melee): 50 (First Stage), 75 (Second Stage)

Damage (Laser): 20 (First Stage), 25 (Second Stage), 20 (Second Stage, Rapid Fire)

Spazmatism

Life: 24000

Defense: 10 (First Stage), 35 (Second stage)

Damage (Melee): 50 (First Stage), 75 (Second Stage)

Damage (Cursed Flame): 25 (First Stage), 30 (Second Stage)

Drops: 20-30 Soul of Sight, 5-15 Greater Healing Potion (Drops from last boss to be killed)

Recommended Equipment: See above section "Recommended Equipment for Hardmode Bosses"

The Twins are the hardmode version of Eye of Cthulhu. Both Twins will alternate between their signature attack (Laser for Retinazer, Cursed flame for Spazmatism), and charging at the player. The two choose attacks independently of the other. There will be times when one uses their signature while the other charges, when they both use their signature, and when they both charge. When a Twin gets down to half health (12000 hp), it will transform into a more powerful second stage. They will gain a rapid-fire version of their signature attack and a much more damaging melee attack. The first Twin killed will not yield any drops. When the second Twin is killed, the listed drops will appear where it was killed. The eyes can be killed in any order. If the Twins are not defeated before the sun rises, they will run away.

Each twin is much more dangerous in its second stage. Focus on one Twin at a time, and only move on to the second Twin when the first is destroyed. Retinazer's stage one signature is less dangerous, so kill Spazmatism first. The Twins have a charging attack that is extremely difficult to dodge. This charging attack will cripple a player if they can't consistently dodge it. There are two methods to dodging the attacks, like with Skeletron Prime. The first method is to reach max running speed with Hermes Boots and use timed jumps to throw off the trajectory of the charge. Jump just as a Twin is about to start a charge, while maintaining run speed. This will cause the charging Twin to charge too high, and then overcorrect as they try to charge again. Terraria still has more to offer. It is still getting updated, and still getting new bosses and items added, so there will always be new things to do.