Guide:Deerclops strategies

The Deerclops is a Pre-Hardmode boss. It does not need to be killed to progress the game, but it drops several Don't Starve-themed items, including the useful pet item Eye Bone. The boss should be challenged after looting the Dungeon, due to Underworld items being useful in the fight.

Spawning
The Deerclops can be spawned using the, crafted from 3 ,5  or , and a.

This must be done in a Snow biome.

The Fight
The Deerclops has three primary attacks.


 * Summoning a wave of ice spikes from the ground
 * Throwing chunks of ice into the air
 * Summoning damaging nightmare hands that chase the player.

Furthermore, if you stray too far from the boss, it will darken, with its eye turning red. This is a signal that Deerclops is invulnerable. Returning back within its range will make the Deerclops vulnerable again.

Terrain Preparation
Build a row of platforms above the ground to more effectively avoid the attack in which the Deerclops flings ice.

Gearing Up
It's recommended to have at least 300 Health before you try to beat Deerclops.

Armor

 * A full set of at least Gold Armor should be acquired, but better armor is always an option. Other armor sets with set bonuses can be effective as well.
 * If one is offensively minded they can use armors that boost the damage of their weapons, such as Necro armor for rangers and Jungle armor for mages.
 * Crimson armor is excellent due to the high defense values and increased damage. Shadow armor is good too and suits a melee playstyle.
 * The Wizard set, with magic-boosting or defense-boosting leg armor, provides the most damage for magic users.
 * The Obsidian armor is the best summoner armor set at this point in the game
 * Molten armor is the best pre-hardmode armor you can obtain if the Eater of Worlds or the Brain of Cthulhu have already been defeated (You may skip Brain of Cthulhu spawning the boss and just killing the Creepers it spawns).

Weapons
For Melee users:


 * For swords, a solid choice would be the.
 * The and  are better, but they are harder to acquire.
 * The /  performs excellently if acquired.
 * or are good at killing Deerclops, due to their long range.
 * Flails are a solid choice, due to their range.
 * For Yoyos, the and the  are a good option. The  is slightly better than these, but it requires beating Skeletron and finding one in the dungeon. The  is better than the Valor and is possible to obtain before defeating Deerclops.

For Ranged users:


 * Bow users should use a or  if they've got it.
 * Bring along arrows that can pierce, such as or.
 * is an effective choice but requires a big arena to be used properly. It works best with Unholy arrows or Hellfire arrows if obtained.
 * A or  are decent and the  can also be used. The  is also a very powerful choice.  users that have already beaten Skeletron can get the . However, it is very inaccurate, so staying close to the boss is mandatory if using this.
 * Note that is much less effective in Expert mode, especially in the latter stages of the battle.
 * / are the preferred bullets to use with the guns mentioned above.  work better with the former two, since they don't have problems with the invincibility frames caused by piercing attacks.

For Magic users:


 * Crimson worlds will benefit from having the, as you can fire it once and then switch to another weapon, increasing damage output.
 * The is an excellent weapon, especially when combined with Meteor armor.
 * The or  are both decent choices due to their low mana cost and decent piercing damage.
 * The is a decent choice, though the open space makes it unwieldy.
 * The is a solid choice, especially due to its low defense.
 * or can be used to quickly and repeatedly strike it with great accuracy.
 * The is a very strong option, while more difficult to obtain. However, The Underworld must be visited.
 * The is a decent option due to its homing and piercing capabilities.

For Summon users:


 * The Vampire Frog Staff (or Imp Staff on  Old-gen console,  Switch, and  tModLoader) is the strongest summoning weapon available due to its high attack rate.
 * Of the sentry weapons sold by the Tavernkeep, the best options are the Ballista Rod and the Explosive Trap Rod. The Ballista Rod has incredibly high damage and their bolts are capable of piercing, while the Explosive Trap Rod inflicts damage in an area of effect. While the sentries themselves are slow to attack, you can continually re-summon them to make them immediately attack, significantly reducing the cooldown time.
 * The Snapthorn or Spinal Tap can be used to deal good damage at a range.

Accessories

 * Anything that increases your vertical mobility is a godsend. The is good, but better choices would be the  or the . Having a  will also greatly help as it will increase your jump height, it will be better if The Shiny Red Balloon is combined with any of the Cloud in a Bottle type accessory. The  would be a great addition. You can also use the  for flight, and the  for flight and speed.
 * The is a very good increase to DPS, especially on Expert Mode.
 * Hopefully, you have managed to find a . While equipped, it removes the Poisoned debuff; if you are short on accessory slots, you can equip it for a moment whenever you get poisoned.
 * If you are going for a melee approach, the is a slight increase to your DPS.
 * Anything that reduces damage is very helpful, including Expert Mode-exclusive, and defensive reforges on accessories.
 * As mentioned above, the can negate damage taken from the charges while also being a very useful to dodge her stingers.

Potions

 * Lifeforce Potions are extremely effective for survivability, assuming you have already found a Shadow Key and have visited The Underworld.
 * Ironskin Potions, Endurance Potions and Regeneration Potions will help tremendously with survivability.
 * A food item that provides Well Fed, Plenty Satisfied, or Exquisitely Stuffed is very useful.
 * Swiftness Potions will aid in your dodging.
 * The Honey buff will reduce poison damage, and allows healing while poisoned. If you don't have a Bezoar this is your key to survival.
 * Flipper Potion lets you swim swiftly through the honey, using it for its buff.
 * Ammo Reservation Potions and Archery Potions are good for rangers.
 * Magic Power Potions and Mana Regeneration Potions are must have for mages.
 * If you already have a minion, a Summoning Potion lets you bring an extra to the fight.
 * Rage Potions or Wrath Potions are useful for almost all classes.
 * Water Walking Potions, like the boots, let you walk on Honey.
 * Honeyfins heal more than the average Healing Potion and can prove valuable.

Explosive Bunny strategy
Once able to fight Deerclops, first fill a small box with approximately 50 to 60, then summon the boss. Upon walking into the box, Deerclops will take a large amount of damage, potentially killing it.