Goblin Warlock

The Goblin Summoner is an enemy that can spawn when a Goblin Invasion occurs during Hardmode. It summons Shadowflame Apparations to attack the player. It has a chance to drop weapons which are themed after Shadowflame, all of which accordingly inflict the Shadowflame debuff.

Because of its high stats, uncommon appearance and relatively high difficulty compared to other goblins, it is often considered a mini-boss, and will present a challenge for new players.

Tips

 * It can be easily defeated with a ranged weapon (a rapid-fire ranged weapon may be recommended, as they have enough knockback to freeze it in place), a long platform suspended in the air, and Hermes Boots (or a Unicorn Mount/Minecart Track). Simply run away from the summoner continuously – if it is constantly moving it will not summon the Shadowflame Apparations.

Trivia

 * Although the Goblin Summoner drops various Shadowflame weapons, it will never use any of them in battle. Even the Shadowflame Hex Doll, which is clearly part of their sprite, is never used.
 * Despite being named "Goblin Summoner", they do not drop any summoning weapons, though this name likely references their ability to summon Shadowflame Apparations.
 * The Goblin Summoner is the only Hardmode-exclusive Goblin.

History
Invocateur gobelin 哥布林召唤师