Guide:Golem strategies

“The stone-faced ritualistic idol of the lihzahrdian tribe...”

Golem is a Hardmode boss, found at the end of the Lihzahrd Temple. It has high HP, high defense, and multiple limbs and phases.

Spawn Condition
Golem can be summoned by using the at the.

The Fight
Golem has a total of four attackable targets, but only two are necessary to defeat:
 * Golem Head - This is the main target during the first form. It will frequently spew two fire balls that bounce. At half health it will begin to fire lasers that increase in frequency when its HP lowers.
 * Golem Body - This is the main target during the second form. Its main attack is a jump attack.
 * Right Arm - This is an optional target. It uses a punch attack with a reach that can extend across the arena. It is recommended that you take these out first because they will become brutal if you leave them on for the third and fourth phase.
 * Left Arm - This is an optional target with the exact same moveset as the Right Arm. It uses a punch attack with a reach that can extend across the arena.

First Form
Once summoned, Golem will move around while slowly attacking with its fists. The head will continuously spit two fireballs that will bounce around the arena. The head (15000 HP) and arms are the targets during this phase, with the head being the main target. The arms don't necessarily need to be destroyed, but they can become a nuisance as the fight goes on. Note that Lihzahrd enemies can spawn in the arena.

When Golem's head HP reaches 50% (8000 HP), it will begin using Eye lasers. They start out at an average interval, but as the head's HP is reduced, the frequency of the lasers will increase. When the head's hit points reaches zero the second form begins. The lasers signal a DPS race and all focus should be concentrated on getting through each laser phase.

Second Form
Destroying the head stops the laser assault and reveals Golem's true form. The body (9000 HP) is the main target and destroying it will end the fight. The body will jump around and if the arms still exist, they will punch devastatingly faster compared to phase one. The head will be attacking while flying around. Note that the Head can pass through blocks.

When the body has 50% health left, the head will begin firing lasers again. Like the first form, the laser frequency will increase as the body's hit points decrease.

Terrain Preparation
If this is your first encounter with Golem, then you will not possess the capable of shaping the, so your customization is limited, unless you use  to disable the blocks under the altar. The arena that the fight occurs in is also varied in width/height. There are a few ways you can customize the default arena to make the fight much easier.


 * Create a small wall dividing the entrance and the arena, leaving an opening for your projectiles to get through. This becomes more difficult if your default layout has the entrance in the ceiling.
 * Create a much larger wall that divides the arena on either side of the altar leaving an opening at the top for you to leap through post-spawn and a spot for your weapons.
 * An assortment of small walls scattered through out the arena.
 * A small pit that you can leap into while Golem stomps and punches. This will allow you to deal heavy damage, but you have to be cautious about his eye lasers and fireballs. A heart statue in the pit with you can be useful in keeping you alive.
 * Teleporters for dodging the attacks and safe travel from side to side.
 * If you decided to fight Golem in the temple, then and  would be useful, because these mobs will still keep spawning during the fight and with banners it'll be much easier to get rid of them.

For safety reasons, you can and should use whatever pickaxe you currently own and remove all of the traps, as these can be hazardous in the fight.

Armor
At minimum one would want Hallowed armor, Chlorophyte armor,, , or , but it's advised to arrive in updated sets for your preferred specialization:
 * Turtle armor for Melee characters;
 * Shroomite armor for Ranged characters;
 * Spectre armor for Magic characters;
 * Tiki or Spooky armor for Summoners.

Weapons
All classes can fare well against Golem.

For Melee users:
 * The is extremely useful when using the wall strategy detailed above. Other spears can be used as well.
 * is also another recommended melee item that is good for the fight as its lifesteal helps quite a bit.
 * The is extremely useful as it does good damage, splits into three and is homing.
 * The 's piercing is convenient, as it can hit the Fists and the Head at the same time and deal massive amounts of damage.
 * will work against Golem if you have some decent dodging skills. Hold the left button with the flail and it will shoot flower petals at Golem.
 * can be obtained by the first encounter (obtained during the Solar Eclipse, which can be easily summoned from items in the Jungle Temple), and with the Yoyo Bag, it can kill the Golem in 60 seconds.
 * can be a very good as a secondary weapon.
 * The works well due to its high damage and its long reach and if you are using the wall technique and if you have already obtained the Truffle NPC.
 * The can also be a good weapon if used with a Cross Necklace and enough melee speed boost.

For Ranged users:
 * A or  coupled with  is recommended.
 * work well too so you can fly around without having to aim.
 * The will also work.
 * The with  is very effective, with arrows often hitting Golem many times.
 * A is extremely effective in the first part of the battle as its large projectile deals high damage to the whole boss.
 * A will stop Golem from attacking when shooting his fists, making the fight much easier. After destroying the fists, you may have to redirect the piranha to Golems head while dodging his lasers and fireballs.
 * The 's spread makes it a powerful secondary weapon.
 * The or  with  will tear through Golem's health and kill him very quickly.
 * In particular, the is equally effective and much safer than using the Rocket Launcher in an enclosed space.

For Magic users:


 * The will provide constant damage. If you're using them with Wings and Hermes/Frostspark/Lightning Boots, then fly in with the wings and put clouds above his head.
 * The, , and will allow for great sustain.
 * Spamming the on Golem's head is very effective as the explosion radius will damage the hands, stop the hands from attacking you and damage Golem heavily.
 * If you need an accurate weapon, the can be used.
 * The is a good alternative for the beginning of the fight, as it does a good amount of splash damage. Be mindful of it's high mana cost.

For Summoners:
 * The is extremely helpful. The Hydra will attack one of the side of Golem, making quick work of his fist.
 * The or even  will work nicely.

Accessories
Mobility is important due to the multiple ways damage is being dealt in the fight. Wings are very helpful and can be supported by accessories like Shiny Red Balloon and its equivalents. Wings may be dropped if one can jump multiple times, one would however need to equip more accessories. With equipping wings, players can also omit the Rocket Boots and its advancements, since running would mean hitting Golem and to fly over is a much safer alternative. If using wings, the Hoverboard is an excellent choice due to its ability to speed under Golem during its jumps and over its head during the first phases. Shield of Cthulhu, Tabi and Master Ninja Gear would suffice. However, players may get into trouble if they dashed into Golem with Shield of Cthulhu.

Charm of Myths is recommended since there is a lot of damage being passed around without a wall, so multiple potions may be necessary. The natural regeneration will also allow you to take advantage of easier phases of the fights. Alternatively, you can switch to Charm of Myths only when drinking health potions, and use another accessory for the rest of the battle. Star Veil and/or Obsidian Shield may also be useful to negate the chance of being clipped by multiple projectiles.

Avenger Emblem and other damage increasing emblems/accessories are very useful for quickly ending the 'hard' phases of the fight given the longer they last the bigger room for error. Magic Cuffs and Mana Flower can be useful for magic characters.

Potions

 * Increasing damage with Archery Potion, Magic Power Potion, or Thorns Potion is very helpful.
 * Ironskin Potion, Regeneration Potion, and Mana Regeneration Potion will assist in survivability.
 * Any item that provides Well Fed, such as Pumpkin Pie and Bowl of Soup, can be used.
 * Lifeforce Potion, Ammo Reservation Potion, Rage Potion, Wrath Potion etc. are very useful here as well as during any other battles.
 * Flasks can be very useful, especially a Flask of Cursed Flames or a Flask of Ichor.

Spiky Balls Strategy
Grab all of the spike ball traps and wire from the temple as you pass through it, then when you get to the chamber at the end follow these instructions. Feel free to build a short wall in the entryway to the Golem's summoning chamber to block off the temple's monster spawns from interrupting your fight. Build a vertical wall halfway through the room with three holes in it big enough for you to pass through (3 blocks high). Then build a horizontal walking path on the half of the room opposite from the half Golem's altar is on (as in, not on that side of the room) (One of your vertical wall holes should be level with your walking path, the other should be where your wall meets the ceiling, and the last should be where your wall meets the floor). Make sure there is one hole in it big enough for you to pass through (2 blocks wide) and also make sure you have a small pool space for honey (1 block high, 2 blocks wide). On the side of the room with the altar, build a ceiling using any block type straight across (make sure that your ceiling only covers the open space and not any nooks or crannies). Below the ceiling install as many spike ball traps as will fit, and then hook them up to a pressure plate which you will locate anywhere on your walkway for your convenience. Place a campfire and a heart lantern anywhere that makes sense, and be sure you've got the best armor you can get your hands on, plus as many speed increasing modifiers and at least the Lightning boots. Summon the Golem, then spend the first few minutes of the fight standing in the lower corner (away from the Golem) slashing/shooting/casting magic at the fist that can cross the room to punch you until it breaks. Then hop/fly onto your walkway and proceed to rain deadly spike balls upon the Golem. Focus on hitting your pressure plate as often as you can, while dodging the Golem's laser eyes (Phase 2) as best as you can by flying around your little corner of the room and dunking yourself in your honey pool as often as you can. When Golem's head detaches (Phase 3) be sure to hop over your ceiling hole to make it follow you there, then when you jump back to your walkway it should just hover overhead (instead of right next to you). Continue dodging, dunking, and stomping on your pressure plate until Golem is nothing more than a big pile of dust and drops. This works very effectively when trying to farm for the Picksaw or for money with above tier armor.

Small Space Strategy
Make a vertical wall, but put a 3 block gap at the bottom and top so you can get in and out. Also build a horizontal line (with blocks, not platforms) with a 3 block gap somewhere along it. The horizontal line should stop at the vertical line.When Golem spawns, he should jump up on the horizontal platform, but not go back down. This allows you to hit him continuously (Death Sickle highly approved), without taking too many potions (max 2-3). This also allows you to kill him fast. Also someone on top of the vertical line shooting on Golem is very helpful.

Bunny Cannon
The Bunny Cannon works well against Golem: set it up in an area Golem cannot reach (if the blocks are set just right, Golem will not be able to chase you), and fire away. Calculate Golem’s health and divide it by the bunny cannon’s damage (350), and that should give an approximate number of explosive bunnies to use.