Guide:Surviving in the Dungeon

After defeating Skeletron in a world, the player will gain access to the full Dungeon. This place contains a lot of items and weapons that will ease progression, so players will usually explore it before fighting the Wall of Flesh.

In Pre-Hardmode, the Dungeon is usually done after exploring the The Corruption or The Crimson, before or after the Jungle, and before the Underworld.

In Hardmode, the Dungeon will start spawning much stronger enemies after defeating Plantera, and the player will find the Cultists at the entrance after Golem has been defeated.

Recommended Gear
While Skeletron can be defeated at any time, it is recommended to do so with the gear obtained from the Jungle and the Corruption/Crimson, as it is the best available at this point.

Armor

 * Melee and Ranged players benefit equally from Crimson armor.
 * The Corruption exclusive Shadow armor trades the regeneration and the small damage upgrade from Crimson armor for much higher movement and melee speed.
 * Meteor or Jungle armor for Magic users. The former combines very well with the Space Gun, while Jungle armor works better with other weapons.
 * The Wizard set with the Wizard Hat and Diamond Robe provides higher stat buffs than both armors, but loses in defense.
 * Bee armor is the only armor for Summoners Pre-Hardmode.
 * Fossil armor is the best choice for Throwing users.

Weapons

 * Melee players should bring the Blade of Grass, Bee Keeper or the Amazon yoyo. The Ball O' Hurt or Meatball will help against crowds.
 * As for Ranged players, the Minishark and Boomstick are the best guns, while the Bee's Knees is the best bow.
 * Mages can quickly obtain the Water Bolt from the shelves with books on them. Other weapons like the Diamond Staff, Vilethorn or Crimson Rod can be used as secondary weapons.
 * A Summoner's only choice is the Hornet Staff, as the Slime Staff doesn't deal enough damage at this point.
 * Throwers will need Bone Throwing Knives and Javelins.
 * On Expert mode, the Bone Glove will drop from Skeletron. This weapon is the strongest available for throwers, and the Bones needed for ammunition can be easily obtained after a couple kills in the Dungeon.

Accessories

 * Rocket Boots or better, variants of the Cloud in a Bottle and, if playing on Expert Mode, the Shield of Cthulhu are essential for movement.
 * Shark Tooth Necklace gives a rather significant boost to weapons.
 * Mana Cuffs are always good when exploring as a mage.
 * The Expert mode exclusive Worm Scarf is always good for survivability.

Other

 * At least 300 Health and 200 Mana.
 * A stack of torches and Healing Potions.
 * A decent Hook for easier exploration.
 * The Nightmare/Deathbringer Pickaxe or Reaver Shark, as they are the only ones available that can break the Dungeon Bricks.
 * The Lifeform Analyzer can help when looking for Dungeon Slimes.

Location
The Dungeon can be found on the far left or far right of the map, opposite to the Underground Desert chasm and Jungle, and in the same side of the Snow biome. If you find a desert with a chasm, it can be found on the other side of the map. If the player tries to enter the Dungeon before Skeletron is killed, the Dungeon Guardians will instantly kill them when reaching the Underground depth.

Exploration
Just like the Jungle, the Dungeon has a much higher spawn rate than a normal biome, so it is easy to get overwhelmed by enemies. It's better to progress slowly, taking out any Water Candles seen as they will boost the spawn rate even further. The player will have to deal with many Angry Bones, as well as Cursed Skulls and Dark Casters. The latter two have the ability to attack through blocks, so caution is still needed when taking cover. Blazing Wheels and Spike Balls can also spawn. They cannot be killed and will do a lot of damage even if they do not directly target the player. Dart Traps are also more common than in other biomes, so a Dangersense Potion might be useful.

Unlike other biomes, the Golden Chests found in the Dungeon are locked, so Golden Keys will be needed to open them. They are a guaranteed drop from Dungeon Slimes and a rare drop from others. They can also be found in the occasional Wooden Chest. When looted, they contain an unique Weapon, an Accessory, or the Shadow Key needed to open Shadow Chests in the Underworld, as well as the standard Cavern loot.

The player may also find the Bound Mechanic. She can be saved by right clicking her, and then she will move in to an empty house if it's available. If she is killed after being released, she will still respawn like any other NPC.

Other Tips

 * When there are forks in the corridor, closing them with blocks can stop the Angry Bones from overwhelming you from behind or other directions. This makes it easier to clear one path at a time.
 * Moving far enough off-screen causes an inconvenient Spiky Ball or Blazing Wheel to disappear.
 * Spikes can be removed with a Pickaxe, or from a distance with Bombs.
 * You can disable the Dart Traps by harvesting them with a Pickaxe.
 * If the player wants the Ankh Shield, it is better to farm for the Nazar in Pre-Hardmode as it is more difficult to get it from the Post Plantera Dungeon.

Post-Plantera Dungeon
The dungeon becomes much more dangerous once you defeat Plantera. When it is defeated, the message "Screams are echoing from the dungeon..." will appear and much stronger enemies start to spawn. Additionally, enemies with more than 100 health have a small chance of spawning a Dungeon Spirit, which drops Ectoplasm when killed. This new material is used for the Spectre armor, which is the best available for mages until the Moon Lord has been defeated. It is also used to summon the Pumpkin and Frost Moons. The Biome Chests found previously can now be opened with their respective Keys.

Enemy spawns depend on the Background Walls of an area. A wall type contains its own variant of the Armored Bones, a Caster enemy, and a Skeleton with a ranged weapon. There is also a low chance that an enemy from another wall type will spawn as well.

Brick Walls

 * Blue Armored Bones will spawn on them. Compared to the other two, they deal the overall lowest damage but are also the hardest to kill, having higher health, defense and knockback resistance. They inflict the Broken Armor debuff on hit.
 * Necromancers are the casters of the area. They teleport very frequently and their beams are very hard to predict, but unlike the other two they can't attack through blocks. They inflict the Slow debuff on hit, and have a low chance of dropping the Shadowbeam Staff.
 * Skeleton Commandos use a Rocket Launcher to attack. The rocket hits hard and will explode on contact with any tile. They rarely drop their Rocket Launcher when killed.
 * Aditionally, the Paladin miniboss will spawn. They have a lot of health and defense and knockback immunity, making it very hard to kill. Its hammer attack also goes through blocks. Despite their high stats they aren't very mobile, and they can't attack while taking damage from the Player's own hits, so these two traits should be exploited when fighting one. They will rarely drop their Hammer and/or the Paladin's Shield when killed.

Slab Walls

 * Rusty Armored Bones will be found in this area. They have the overall highest damage, and average health and defense. They inflict either Bleeding or Slow on hit, but never both.
 * Ragged Casters will appear. They shoot three homing projectiles that will inflict the Blackout debuff, which will greatly reduce visibility. Because of their high damage and homing projectiles that go through walls, they should be prioritezed. They have a low chance to drop the Spectre Staff.
 * Skeleton Snipers carry a Sniper Rifle, and use it to shoot at players from far away. This attack deals massive damage, so the player should always watch out for them. They drop the Sniper Scope and/or Sniper Rifle when killed.

Tiled Walls

 * Hell Armored Bones will spawn. They have the overall lowest health and defense stats, while their attack damage is average. They inflict the On Fire! Debuff which will deal a high amount of damage over time, and it will also stop natural regeneration.
 * Diabolists are the casters of the area. They shoot a fireball that goes through blocks. This projectile explodes, creating a large fire sphere that lasts for a few seconds and deals massive damage on contact. They should be killed early, as their fire can limit the player's movement. They drop the Inferno Fork when killed.
 * Tactical Skeletons use their Tactical Shotgun to attack from a distance. While it does a lot of damage, they are unable to attack while being hit, so it will rarely get a chance to shoot if constantly attacked. They rarely drop their weapon when killed.

Additionally, Bone Lees and Giant Cursed Skulls appear on all wall types. The former is very mobile and does a lot of contact damage, making close ranged combat dangerous. The latter acts like a normal Cursed Skull, with the added ability to shoot a projectile.

There are many useful items that can be obtained from the new enemies, most importantly the Tabi and Black Belt from Bone Lee, the Inferno Fork from Diabolists, Magnet Sphere from the different Armored Bones, the Paladin's Hammer from Paladins, and the Sniper Scope and Rifle from Skeleton Snipers. Since there's no real reason to explore the Dungeon again players usually make a little farming spot on the walls with the enemies that drop weapons for their class.

Recommended Items
Like every other Hardmode environment, it is better to go in well prepared. It isn't a bad idea to defeat the Golem in the Jungle Temple beforehand, as the boss isn't too difficult but it drops very good weapons and accessories.


 * Melee users should use Chlorophyte or Turtle armor. If Golem has been defeated, then Beetle armor is available.
 * They should use the Terra Blade, Death Sickle, The Eye of Cthulhu or the Possessed Hatchet.
 * Ranged users have access to Shroomite armor, which is the best set available for them.
 * The Megashark and Onyx Blaster with Crystal Bullets are very powerful guns. Chlorophyte Shotbow with Holy Arrows is strong against all enemies, while the Stynger or the Pulse Bow with Venom Arrows are very strong against crowds. Dart Rifle or Pistol can also be useful when paired with Crystal Darts, due to their high damage, penetration and ricocheting abilities.
 * Mages should use Hallowed or Chlorophyte armor until enough Ectoplasm is obtained.
 * The Sky Fracture or Crystal Serpent are work best for single targets. The Magical Harp or Heat Ray are better against hordes of enemies. The Golden Shower is never bad to have.
 * Summoners should already have Tiki armor.
 * Their best Minion staves are the Optic Staff or Pygmy Staff, while the best sentries are the ones that the Tavernkeep sells, and once you open the Frozen chest, the Frost Hydra

Accessories

 * Wings are a must have at this point in the game.
 * Spectre Boots or their upgrades help a lot with mobility. If playing on Expert mode, the Shield of Cthulhu is better with its ability to dash.
 * Any Emblem, the Celestial Stone or Shell as well as any other combat accessory are always good to have.
 * Charm of Myths can be useful when healing.
 * Ankh Shield is useful for negating the many debuffs the enemies inflict.
 * Defensive accesories like the Worm Scarf or Star Veil are always welcome.
 * Magic Cuffs are decent for regaining mana as a mage.

Access and Location
For fast access to the dungeon it's best to use a Minecart track or a Teleporter. It's recommended to dig a tunnel down to the main part of the dungeon, so you don't have to maneuver through the entrance shaft. Choose your farming spot carefully. Stay as close to the entrance as possible, so that when you die, you can get your things back with ease. The spot should be protected from monsters spawning above you. Last, but not least, choose a spot where there is more or less equal distribution of brick, slab and tiled walls.

Other Tips

 * The Wisp in a Bottle dropped by the Armored Bones should be used as it can keep your surroundings lit infinitely without the need to use torches, once you obtain it.
 * Put Heart Lanterns and Campfires near your farming spot for faster health regeneration.
 * When fighting an enemy, keep shooting for a second or two after they are dead, because you never know when the Dungeon Spirit will spawn. The spirits fly around you rapidly, which makes it difficult to hit them with small-projectile weapons.