Guide:Goblin Army strategies

The Goblin Army is an event that can be fought once a Shadow Orb/Crimson Heart is smashed or a is used. The event consists of goblin-like enemies. Once initiated, the event will continue until enough enemies are defeated.

Pre-Hardmode
The event enemies consists of, , , , and. Each enemy does what its name describes (except thieves and peons). The enemies can also break down doors to attack NPCs, stressing the player. When an enemy is defeated, it can drop.

Hardmode
In Hardmode, a new enemy, the, can spawn. This enemy attacks by conjuring and Chaos Balls. Defeating the Summoner can result in it dropping the, , or the.

Terrain Preparation
Due to the likely not being available and most enemies are grounded, a simple lava pit with a thin layer of lava is ideal. The lava should just thick enough to burn the enemies but not drops. Once hardmode is entered and the found, raise the lava levels so it burn copper coins but not silver. Don't worry about the spiky balls as you can buy them and there are better sources of damage. Make sure there are Town NPC's nearby if you wish to perform this strategy or the goblins will not spawn, and be wary of  and the. You can also add a roof in order to hang the relative.

Pre-Hardmode

 * should be used due to many armors being unavailable.
 * can also be used if one prefers mobility over defense.
 * A mage can use the with the  for magic damage.
 * The is also useful for mages.
 * After the player has defeated Queen Bee, Summoners can use.

Hardmode

 * can be used with the corresponding head piece for regeneration.
 * can be used with the corresponding head piece for crowd control.
 * gives the most defense and should be used with the corresponding head piece.
 * If one does not mind hybrid sets, warriors and rangers should use the,, and their corresponding.
 * A mage can use the with the, however, this is very frail. Otherwise, a wizard should use  if the other sets are unavailable.
 * A summoner should use with the . Summon all your minions with Spider armor, then switch to the Treads for one more.

For Melee Users

 * the is useful as it has high damage for its obtainment and shoots a projectile. If it is unavailable, the  can be used. If in a corruption world, the  should be used, as it has more range and is only slightly slower than the.
 * The is useful for dealing damage while under cover. If it has not been obtained, the  is a good backup.
 * As the goblins come in mass hordes, the or  can be used for piercing multiple enemies.
 * The is useful for dealing with pesky Sorcerers and Archers from a distance.
 * The or  can be used to disrupt enemy lines. On the , they can also be swung around to easily block attacks by Sorcerers.

For Ranged Users

 * The best bows available are the and the . However, if Queen Bee Has been defeated,  is an excellent option.
 * The should be used due to its rapid rate of fire. The  is also useful due to its high damage.

For Magic Users

 * The or are the best gem staves, but the  is useful for piercing damage and the  can be used for damaging passing goblins.
 * The is useful due to its rapid rate of fire.
 * The is useful for piercing damage.

For Summoners
Options are limited before Hardmode:


 * The is rare and weak, but will at least allow attacking from shelter.
 * After the player has defeated Queen Bee, the is quite useful.
 * The is even more powerful, but requires a dangerous trip down to the Underworld.

For Melee Users

 * the is useful as it has high damage.  If it is unavailable, the  can be used. The  is also useful.
 * The is useful due to the.
 * The and the  are good piercing weapons.
 * The is useful for dealing with the Goblin Summoner as it can be controlled.
 * The can be used to disrupt enemy lines due to the  (although some goblins are immune).
 * The is very useful if one can acquire it during the event.

For Ranged Users

 * The and the  (with  or ), and the  (with ) are all good bows. Even the  (with the ) is still useful due to its infinite pierce.
 * The and  (with the ) can be used if one has not obtained them.
 * The (with  or ), the  (with ), the, the , and the  (with the ) are excellent choices. The  (with the ) is even better if you've beaten The Destroyer.
 * The / and the are great for debuffs. Use for the Summoner,  for singular enemies, and  for crowds. The  is also good if one has beaten Skeletron Prime.

For Magic Users

 * The is useful for debuffs. The  is a weaker version. The  is great against crowds, while the  is useful for barriers. The  can be used for damage for passerby. The  is also good.
 * The, the , and the are all good weapons for debuffs and rapid damage respectively. The  can be used for close combat.
 * The is a very powerful weapon and can decimate the goblin forces. However, it requires a, which the player may not have. The  can kill multiple goblins at once fully charged. However, it is a rare drop from  . The  is also good. The  is good against crowds. The  is a good weapon, but it is dropped by deadly.

For Summoners

 * The is available early, and a solid improvement over the Pre-Hardmode options, especially with the spiders' ability to latch onto Summoners (putting walls behind your arena can make the spiders more mobile).  Later staffs such as the  are also good.
 * For sentries, one should use the as it is the best one available.

Potions

 * Any food that gives the gives minor stat buffs to everything. Good ones are the, , and.
 * , and  will help tremendously with survivability.
 * will aid in your dodging.
 * and are good for rangers.
 * and are must have for mages.
 * If you already have a minion, a lets you bring an extra one to the fight.
 * or are useful for almost all classes.

Pre-Hardmode

 * Any item is great for jump boosts. If you can, combine them with a.
 * are a great option, due to the speed increase.
 * A can help with healing. It's best to put it in the Vanity Accessories slot until you need to heal.
 * An can help with evasion. An  is easier to find, but doesn't work as well.
 * A will give you improved jumping abilities, including increased height and automatic jumping but it can only be found by fishing, with an incredibly rare 1:500 chance to get it.
 * If you're playing in Expert Mode, the the Shield of Cthulhu is a great choice for quick evasion and extra damage.
 * If you've found the, , an , an , and purchased , you can make , or, if you have . If you have , you can make , which is even better, although only possible on the Desktop edition.
 * The is a very good increase to DPS, especially on Expert Mode.
 * If you are going for a melee approach, the is a slight increase to your DPS.
 * The will dramatically reduce damage.

Hardmode

 * are extremely useful in hardmode.
 * Mobility accessories such as the or  are very useful as well.
 * Damage increasing accessories such as any Emblem, the or  and  are always a good choice.
 * Variants of the and  can prevent hits.
 * are still good for regaining Mana.