Guide:Walkthrough

When progressing through Terraria, many players can be unsure of what they should do next and where they can go. Terraria is a open-ended game, where areas are only locked by your level of equipment. This progression guide is designed to provide a loose idea of where they should go for these players.

Also you should learn one important thing: Weapons > Armor. This means that the player should focus more on getting better offense than defense. Because of this, the early-game biomes do not have the "Recommended Armor" tab and have only recommended weaponry for Melee, Ranged and Magic.

=The Surface=

New players should refer to this guide: Getting Started

 Biome: Forest

Monsters: Green Slime, Blue Slime, Red Slime Purple Slime, and Pinky

Monster Drops: Gel

Notable Resources: Copper or Tin, Iron or Lead, Mushrooms, Daybloom, Sunflowers Chest Contents: Aglet, Blowpipe, Spear, Wooden Boomerang, Glowstick, Throwing Knife, Shuriken, Bottle, Climbing Claws, Umbrella

Recommended Equipment: Starting equipment

Recommended Life: 5 hearts

All new worlds will spawn players in the forest biome. This biome has the weakest monsters in the game.

The most important thing to do when starting a new world is building a shelter. Begin by collecting building materials, such as wood or stone. It is recommended that the shelter includes a Work Bench, a Chair, a Torch, and walls. This will ensure that the Guide makes this shelter his house, and will not wander out at night. Make a Wooden Sword, a Wooden Bow, a Wooden Hammer and some flaming arrows so that you have the means to survive the night. Alternatively, just stay inside and focus on building or digging.

If you decide to travel elsewhere rather than settle on your spawn, build a small shelter around your original spawn. When you die and respawn during the night, you can wait until morning for the monsters to despawn. While looking for the right place, you will usually find surface veins, mostly copper/tin and iron/lead. If you find enough of these metals, you can make an anvil and then a Copper/Tin Broadsword and a Copper/Tin Bow. Copper/Tin armor is completely skippable, as you will find better ores underground that you can make into better armor. Return to the shelter before the sun goes down.

 Event: Night

Monsters: Zombie, Demon Eye

Monster Drops: Shackle, Lens, Black Lens, Zombie Arm

Recommended Weaponry: Basic broadsword and bow from the resources you gathered, Flaming Arrows, Consumables.

Recommended Life: 5 hearts

Zombies and Demon Eyes will spawn on the surface at night, regardless of the biome. They are much stronger than the day monsters. Use the bow, as the zombies and eyes can be hit more easily and safely with it than with a sword.

It is recommended to stay inside at night. The monsters that come out at night can be very difficult for a new character. A bold player may be able to make a substantial amount of money by killing these monsters. This can be a very high risk, however, as it is easy to get overwhelmed. Zombies can "stack" on top of each other, making it look as if three or four zombies are only one. Unsuspecting players may try to kill the "single" zombie at their door, only to find that there are actually several more than they can handle. To prevent that, when a single zombie starts banging on the door, open the door and slay the zombie with your broadsword.

Many players will find it boring to sit still in a shelter for the whole night. Mining in a cave can be a viable alternative. Fewer monsters will be able to find their way into caves, and they tend to be easier to deal with inside. Mining at night can still be risky, however. Monsters can sometimes drop down on the player's head in caves, which can be very difficult to get out of. Avoid mining under off-screen ledges. It is recommended to start building a hellevator, and you will encounter some caves and veins on your way. But remember to put rope or platforms along the shaft, so that you can easily go up and down.

Build a Base
For a more in-depth guide on building bases: Bases

A base can take anywhere from a single in-game day to more than an in-game week to complete, depending on the player's tastes. It is not necessary, however, to build the entire base right away. Waiting to build the majority of the base can be advantageous, as it will allow the player to use the large stock of stone they will end up gathering as a by-product of mining. Regardless of when or what the player builds, it is recommended to build houses for the Guide, Merchant and Nurse, a campfire below or above the base, and a space for storage and crafting before progressing.

Surface Exploration
The surface has sparsely distributed iron/lead and copper/tin deposits. It is advantageous to the player to search for these ores. Chests can sometimes be found in the entrances of caves. The items they contain can be very useful for a new character. These chests will spawn in any surface biome but the treasures they contain are listed with the forest biome. A Spear is a perfect find, since it can hit an enemy multiple times and keep it away from you at any angle.

It is highly recommended to be cautious in snow and deserts, and Try to stay away from the jungle, corruption and crimson. The Corruption, Jungle and Crimson surface biomes are mid-game biomes, and will be too difficult for a new character. The Ice Biome is just a slightly more dangerous surface biome and if you jump over the slimes, nothing will happen to you. But these biomes don't contain any special items. The more useful of the two is definitely Desert, where you can sometimes find the Pyramid, especially in large worlds. Grenades are very useful here so that you are able to kill the two monsters, Vulture and Antlion, in one hit.

=The Underground=

For a more in-depth guide on mining: Mining Techniques

Once a satisfactory shelter has been completed, the player should begin mining. There are multiple methods of mining, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Digging a hellevator can allow the player easy access to the deeper areas of their mine. Another popular method is to explore the caves and tunnels that generate naturally. When a player reaches a dead end in a cave, they can find other caves using light from torches or other tools, a technique called "cave hopping". This method can yield more rewards than the shaft method, but it can be harder to enter and exit this type of mine. Many players will use a combination of the two methods to suit their current needs. Optimally you should dig a shaft beneath your house, then explore all caves you come across.

 Biome: Underground

Monsters: Blue Slime, Red Slime, Yellow Slime, Pinky, Blue Jellyfish, Giant Worm

Monster Drops: Gel, Glowstick, Whoopie Cushion

Notable Resources: Copper or Tin, Iron or Lead, Silver or Tungsten, Gems, Blinkroot

Chest Contents: The same as surface chests; pots are more common than on surface

Recommended Equipment: Starting equipment

Recommended Life: 5 hearts

The underground can be identified by its background (pictured to the right). It is the first layer below the surface. Copper and Iron deposits can be found in this layer. Silver and Gold can also be found, though less frequently.

It is recommended to have at least an iron sword or a bow before proceeding to the next layer. An upgraded pickaxe is also handy because of the small range of Copper Pickaxe. The player should try to find some Life Crystals while at this layer. Be sure to pack a lot of Torches and Glowsticks, if you already found some. You can also use Shine Potions and Night Owl Potions.

 Biome: Cavern

Monsters: Black Slime, Mother Slime, Baby Slime, Pinky, Giant Worm, Skeleton, Cave Bat, Blue Jellyfish, Piranha, Undead Miner, Tim

Monster Drops: Gel, Whoopie Cushion, Hook, Wizard Hat, Robot Hat

Notable Resources: Copper or Tin, Iron or Lead, Silver or Tungsten, Gold or Platinum,Gems, Glowing Mushrooms, Blinkroot, Lava, Silt

Chest Contents: Band of Regeneration, Magic Mirror, Angel Statue, Cloud in a Bottle, Hermes Boots, Enchanted Boomerang, Jester's Arrow, Extractinator, Flare Gun

Recommended Weaponry: Iron or Lead broadsword, Copper or Iron bow, or any of the surface chest weapons.

Recommended Life: 7 hearts

The caverns can be identified by their background (pictured to the right). It is the second layer below the surface. All pre-hardmode ores except Hellstone can all be found frequently in this layer (demonite and crimtane are rare in this layer). Glowing Mushrooms can also be found more regularly in this layer.

In this layer, the player should focus on finding Underground Cabins, golden chests, Gold, Platinum, Silver, Tungsten. Gems are very important too, as they allow you to make grappling hooks and staffs, which are powerful for this tier. Also you should search for as manyLife Crystals as possible. This layer is full of caves, so focus on spelunking rather than shaft-digging. In addition to collecting valuable ores and gems, Silt can be also good to collect. You can get gems from the Extracinator, which will greatly help you make a grappling hook.

The biggest threat here is not the monsters, but the traps: boulders and explosive traps can easily maul you if you are not careful. When you disarm a trap, hold on to the pressure plate: holding it will allow you to see wiring and thus automatically spot the traps. Also, you can easily plummet down to your death if you make a wrong move. Hold the Umbrella in your hand to safely descend long falls. Rope and Rope Coils may also be used to quickly and safely descend and ascend large caves.

When the player reaches the cavern layer, they should build a fourth NPC house. This should allow you to get the Demolitionist as soon as you find some Bombs or a Dynamite. A player may wish to opt out of getting the mining helmet, however, if they found an early source of Glowing Mushrooms, and they wish to use Shine Potions instead.

Avoid mining too deeply in this layer at this point in the game, the next layer after the caverns is the Underworld. If the player mines too closely to the Underworld, Underworld monsters will begin to spawn. Underworld monsters can be very difficult to deal with. If the player finds themselves being attacked by Fire Imps, it is highly recommended to turn back. As a rule of thumb, avoid mining down any further when the first lava pools are found.

=The Surface Revisited=

Once the player obtains strong enough weapons many mid-tier biomes open up. These biomes contain crafting materials as well as other treasures. It is recommended to build any NPC houses that have not been built yet. There should be at least ten NPC houses at this time.

 Biome: Desert

Monsters: Vulture, Antlion

Monster Drops: Antlion Mandible

Notable Resources: Cactus, Waterleaf

Recommended Equipment: Copper, Iron Bow

Recommended Armor: None, but if you have enough spare bars, crafting some armor pieces can only help

Recommended Life: 8 hearts

The desert doesn't contain much of interest other than crafting materials. The monsters in the desert are in the lower-mid tier, and can be easily dealt with using ranged weapons. If you visit the desert very early on you can craft equipment from cactus, which is slightly stronger than wooden equipment.

If you are lucky your desert may contain a pyramid, either jutting slightly out of the sand or buried underneath. Digging down through the pyramid's sandstone walls will bring you to a chamber with a chest which may contain a Flying Carpet or Sandstorm in a Bottle, both very useful accessories.

 Biome: Snow

Monsters: Ice Slime, Zombie Eskimo

Monster Drops: Gel, Eskimo armor

Notable Resources: Snow Block, Ice Block

The surface of the snow biome does not contain much of interest other than variants on the basic slime and zombie, and shouldn't be bothered with except to access the Underground Snow biome.

 Biome: Underground Snow

Monsters: Ice Slime, Ice Bat, Snow Flinx, Spiked Ice Slime, Undead Viking, Cyan Beetle

Monster Drops: Snowball Launcher, Viking Helmet

Chest Contents: Ice Boomerang, Ice Blade, Ice Skates, Snowball Cannon, Blizzard in a Bottle, Flurry Boots, Fish (item)

Recommended Weaponry: Silver or Tungsten broadsword, Iron or Lead bow, or a gem staff

Recommended Life: 8 hearts

The underground ice biome, which you can enter while exploring the cave layer, is slightly more difficult due to Spiked Ice Slimes. Though there is not much ore or gems in the snow biome, it is still worth exploring for its unique chest contents.

 Biome: Jungle

Monsters: Piranha, Snatcher, Jungle Bat, Jungle Slime, Doctor Bones (night only)

Monster Drops: Gel, Hook, Robot Hat, Archaeologist's Hat

Notable Resources: Moonglow, Jungle Rose, Jungle Spores

Recommended Weaponry:Enchanted Boomerang or an Ice Boomerang, Emerald Staff or a Sapphire Staff, Gold Bow with Unholy Arrows, at least a Gold Broadsword or a Spear

Recommended Armor: Silver

Recommended Life: 8 hearts

The jungle is one of the more difficult surface biomes. Underground chest weapons are recommended before attempting to explore it. The underground should not be attempted until later on.

 Biome: Corruption

Monsters: Eater of Souls, Devourer, Corrupt Goldfish

Monster Drops: Rotten Chunk, Worm Tooth

Notable Resources: Vile Mushroom, Deathweed, Demonite

Shadow Orb Contents: Ball O' Hurt, Band of Starpower, Musket, Shadow Orb, Vilethorn

Recommended Armor and Mobility items: Silver, Grappling Hook, Gem Hook or an Umbrella.

Recommended Weaponry Weapons from Underground Cave or Underground Ice chests, Spear or Trident, Gold Bow, Gold Broadsword, Bombs.

Recommended Life: 10 hearts

The corruption is a very difficult biome due to the swarms of Eaters of Souls. Exploring the corruption can be very rewarding, however. Smashing Shadow Orbs can yield very powerful items. Beware though, as breaking three Shadow Orbs will result in the Eater of Worlds being summoned. Demonite is found in small deposits in this biome, though a Gold Pickaxe is needed to mine it. Use Bombs and Dynamite to destroy Ebonstone and clear your way to orbs. You can also get Unholy Arrows here by killing Devourers and combining their Worm Teeth with regular arrows.

Also it's strongly recommended to cover the chasms with wood platforms or blocks, as the Eaters can easily knock you down a pit resulting in an instant death.

 Biome: Crimson

Monsters: Crimera, Face Monster, Blood Crawler, Blood Feeder

Monster Drops: Vertebrae

Notable Resources: Deathweed, Crimtane

Demon Heart Contents: The Undertaker, The Rotted Fork, Crimson Rod, Panic Necklace

Recommended Armor and Mobility items: Silver, Grappling Hook, Gem Hook or an Umbrella.

Recommended Weaponry Weapons from Underground Cave or Underground Ice chests, Spear or Trident, Gold Bow, Gold Broadsword, Bombs.

Recommended Life: 10 hearts

Sometimes the Crimson will replace the Corruption in your world. The Crimson monsters are the same difficulty as the Corrupt ones, but the cave generation is different: instead of deep holes, it contains one big neuron-shaped cave that you can descend more easily. Demon hearts are similar to shadow orbs, break 2 of them to get some good loot and force a Meteorite to crash. Each 3rd demon heart you break will summon the Brain of Cthulhu boss, which is a crimson counterpart to the Eater of Worlds, though much more difficult to kill, due to its teleporting abilities.

 Biome: Ocean

Monsters: Shark, Pink Jellyfish, Crab, Squid, Sea Snail

Monster Drops: Glowstick, Shark Fin, Diving Helmet, Black Ink, Purple Mucos

Notable Resources: Coral

Chest Contents: Breathing Reed, Flipper, Trident, Beach Ball, Water Walking Boots

Recommended Equipment: Gold, Gills Potions

Recommended Life: 10 hearts

The Ocean is notable for its crafting materials and chests. Chests found in ocean biomes contain unique treasures. New characters may have problems working in this biome because of sharks. Without access to crafting materials like waterleaf, finding a source of air can be a major issue. To loot the chests, run along the bottom of the ocean, loot every chest and when you run out of oxygen, use a Magic Mirror to get back home. If you do this quickly, no sharks should bother you.

Eye of Cthulhu
If the player meets all three of the following requirements, Eye of Cthulhu has a 1:3 chance of spawning each night:


 * Eye of Cthulhu has not been defeated in the current world
 * At least one player in the world has ten or more hearts
 * Three NPCs are present in the world

Shortly before Eye of Cthulhu appears, the player receives the message "You feel an evil presence watching you". Note that leaving the game and reopening it at this point will cancel the fight. Many players prefer to fight Eye of Cthulhu on their own terms by using a Suspicious Looking Eye to summon it at the beginning of the night as the Eye has to be defeated by dawn. Ranged weapons such as Shuriken or a Bow and an arena (see the Terrain preparation section in the Guide: Eye of Cthulhu strategies) will make the fight a lot easier.

 Boss: Eye of Cthulhu

Life: 2800

Damage: 15 (First Stage), 23 (Second Stage)

Defense: 12 (First Stage), 0 (Second Stage)

Minions: Servant of Cthulhu (8 Life, 12 Damage, 0 Defense)

Drops: Lesser Health Potions Unholy Arrows; Demonite Ore and Corrupt Seeds/Crimtane Ore and Crimson Seeds

Recommended Weaponry: Enchanted Boomerang or an Ice Boomerang, Gold Bow with unholy arrows, Musket or The Undertaker, Shurikens, Throwing Knives, Emerald Staff or higher, Vilethorn is also recommended.

Recommended Armor: Gold, Ranged Weapons,

Recommended Buffs:Hunter Potions, Ironskin Potions, Regeneration Potions

Recommended Life: 10 hearts

Piercing weapons are most efficient on Eye of Cthulhu, as they will damage it multiple times each attack. Melee weapons are not very effective on Eye of Cthulhu as it will usually fly out of reach. In its first stage, Eye of Cthulhu spawns minions and will try to ram the player. When Eye of Cthulhu has less than 1400 life, it will morph into its second stage. In its second stage, Eye of Cthulhu will stop spawning minions, but it will begin to move much faster, and do much more damage with each attack. If the player has Silver armor, piercing weapons or strong weapons and plenty of potions, Eye of Cthulhu shouldn't pose a major threat.

For more information, refer to Guide:Eye of Cthulhu strategies

Eater of Worlds / Brain of Cthulhu
After Eye of Cthulhu is defeated, the player should fight either the Eater of Worlds or the Brain of Cthulhu, depending on whether the world has Corruption or Crimson respectively.

Either boss will spawn upon smashing every third Shadow Orb or Demon Heart in a world. It is also possible to spawn them using Worm Food or the Bloody Spine. However smashing orbs/hearts will drop treasures like Vilethorn and Ball O' Hurt that can help defeat the boss.

 Boss: Eater of Worlds

Life: 65 (Head), 150 (Body), 220 (Tail)

Damage: 22 (Head), 13 (Body), 11 (Tail)

Defense: 2 (Head), 4 (Body), 8 (Tail)

Drops: Demonite Ore, Shadow Scale

Recommended Weaponry: Piercing Weapons, staves, Gold Bow with unholy or jester arrows

Recommended Armor: Silver, Ironskin Potions, Hunter Potions

Recommended Life: 12 hearts

Eater of Worlds has 50 segments. When one segment is destroyed, the two separated sections will become a new worm. Piercing weapons are extremely effective against this boss, as they will damage Eater of Worlds many times. Melee weapons are also effective. It is safer to fight this boss in an enclosed area, because the monsters that spawn in the corruption are noticeably more difficult to deal with in the open. The Eater of Worlds must be fought in the corruption biome. If the player leaves the corruption biome at any point during the battle with the Eater of Worlds, the boss will run away and will have to be resummoned.

For more information, refer to Guide:Eater of Worlds strategies

 Boss: Brain of Cthulhu

Life: 1000 (body), 100 (creeper)

Damage: 30 (body), 20 (creeper)

Defense: 14 (body), 10 (creeper)

Drops: Crimtane, Tissue Sample

Recommended Weaponry: Piercing Weapons, staves, Gold Bow with unholy or jester arrows

Recommended Armor: Silver, Ironskin Potions, Hunter Potions

Recommended Life: 12 hearts

The Brain of Cthulhu is the Crimson boss and can be summoned using the Bloody Spine. Players will notice that it's very similar to the previous Eye of Cthulhu boss. It has two stages (very similar to the Eye of Cthulhu boss) which are each slightly different. At the start, it spawns enemies called Creepers which must be killed in order to damage the boss. After it's health reaches 1000, it enters a second stage, with increased defense and speed. The Brain of Cthulhu can also teleport around the player. It is considered to be harder than the Eater of Worlds.

For more information, refer to Guide:Brain of Cthulhu strategies

 Biome: Meteorite

Monsters: Meteor Head

Notable Resources: Meteorite

Recommended Equipment: Shadow or Crimson, Obsidian Skull, Dynamite

Recommended Life: 12 hearts

Meteor blocks will damage the player when touched. If you managed to harvest Obsidian in the Cavern layer by mixing water and lava, craft an Obsidian Skull to prevent this damage. Meteor Heads will constantly spawn when there are 50 or more meteorite blocks in the area, so it is recommended to mine the meteorite as quickly as possible. Dynamite is very effective on meteorite for this reason. A few sticks of dynamite can mine most of the biome single handedly, minimizing the Meteor Head threat.

Smashing orbs/hearts has a 50% chance of spawning a meteor somewhere in the world. If a meteor spawns, and Dynamite is available, track it down and use the Dynamite or Sticky Bombs to mine it.

Events
Once you have progressed far enough, two different events will start to trigger randomly.

 Event: Blood Moon

Monsters: Corrupt Bunny, Corrupt Goldfish, The Groom

Monster Drops: Bunny Hood, Top Hat

A Blood Moon will only occur if at least one player in the world has over 120 life, and only on nights when a moon is present (any night except a new moon). Given those criteria, a Blood Moon has a 1 in 9 chance (11.11%) of occurring. During this time bunnies and goldfish will turn hostile, and the spawn rate of all other enemies will increase dramatically. Additionally zombies become able of pushing open doors. This can be prevented by placing a block or wooden platform on the inside of the door.

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Monsters: Goblin Peon, Goblin Thief, Goblin Warrior, Goblin Archer, Goblin Sorcerer

Monster Drops: Spiky Ball, Harpoon

Once you have smashed a Shadow Orb or Demon Heart, the goblin army has a 1 in 3 chance of invading each dawn. Once the first wave has been defeated, these odds drop to 1 in 15. The army makes its way to the center of the map, where you must defeat 80 goblins (plus 40 per additional player) to drive off the invasion. Of the goblin types, the sorcerer is the most annoying due to its ranged attacks and ability to teleport.

=The Dungeon=

After obtaining some combination of shadow, crimson, and meteor equipment, the player should explore either the underground jungle or the dungeon. The dungeon is preferred, as it contains more weapons and offensive items than the Jungle. The Dungeon can be found near the right or left edge of the map. To gain entrance to the dungeon, Skeletron must be defeated. To summon Skeletron, talk to the Old Man in front of the dungeon at night.

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Life: 4400 (Head), 600 (Hand)

Damage: 32 (Head), 32 (Hand)

Defense: 10 (Head), 10 (Hand)

Recommended Equipment: Shadow or Meteor, Piercing Weapons, Ironskin Potions

Recommended Life: 15 hearts

Like with other bosses, piercing weapons are very effective against Skeletron. Melee weapons are of limited effectiveness, as Skeletron floats out reach for much of the time. Like with other bosses, a player with a large stock of potions shouldn't have too much trouble with this boss.

For more information, refer to Guide:Skeletron strategies

After Skeletron has been defeated in a world, players should be able to enter the dungeon unimpeded.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #9172EC; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Dungeon

Monsters: Angry Bones, Big Boned, Short Bones, Blazing Wheel, Cursed Skull, Dark Caster, Spike Ball, Dungeon Slime

Monster Drops: Bone, Golden Key

Notable Resources: Switch, Life Crystal, Water Bolt, various lights, furniture, and decorations

Chest Contents: Aqua Scepter, Blue Moon, Cobalt Shield, Handgun, Magic Missile, Muramasa, Shadow Key

Recommended Equipment: Shadow, Crimson, or Meteor

Recommended Life: 15 hearts

Monsters respawn very quickly in the dungeon, so it can be difficult to progress. Movement enhancing items, such as the Grappling Hook or Cloud in a Bottle are highly recommended. Many of the surfaces in the dungeon are covered in damaging spikes, making it difficult to progress without some sort of movement aid.

It is recommended to get all of the treasures in the dungeon, as they are all useful for further progression. Water Bolt can also be found on bookshelves (pictured).

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #82CAFA; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Floating Island

Monsters: Harpy

Monster Drops: Feather, Giant Harpy Feather

Notable Resources: Silver or Tungsten, Gold or Platinum

Chest Contents: Shiny Red Balloon, Starfury, Lucky Horseshoe

Recommended Equipment: Gold or Platinum, Gravitation Potions

Recommended Life: 10 hearts

The easiest way to locate floating islands is to fly across the map using Gravitation potions at certain heights with the aid of a Depth Meter. Floating islands are typically found around 475ft on small maps, at 500-700ft on medium maps, and at 600-1000ft on large maps. In addition to several ore deposits and a chest, each island contains unique blocks and furniture. Looting floating islands is dangerous due to the constantly-spawning harpies.

=The Underground Jungle=

After completing the Dungeon, the player should next go to the Underground Jungle. The Underground Jungle can be found by mining directly downward from the surface jungle.

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Monsters: Hornet, Little Stinger, Big Stinger, Man Eater, Jungle Bat, Piranha, Dragon Stinger

Monster Drops: Stinger, Vine, Hook, Robot Hat

Notable Resources: Moonglow, Jungle Spores, Jungle Rose, Nature's Gift

Chest Contents: Feral Claws, Anklet of the Wind, Staff of Regrowth, Boomstick, Seaweed

Recommended Equipment: Shadow, Meteor, or Necro; Dungeon weapons

Recommended Life: 15 hearts

The underground jungle is the second-most difficult biome in pre-hardmode. An improperly geared player will have a difficult time surviving in this biome. Much like the corruption's Eater of Souls, the Underground Jungle's hornet will persistently swarm the player, while shooting poisonous stingers at them. The Minishark is particularly potent at taking care of hornets.

The risk of exploring the Underground Jungle can pay off. Some of the best items pre-hardmode can be found in or crafted from items in the Underground Jungle, such as Ivy Whip or Jungle armor.

The player should also look for a Hive so that he can kill the Queen Bee boss and get access to the Witch Doctor and imbuement flasks.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #FFFF11; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Boss: Queen Bee Life: 3400

Damage: 30

Defense: 8

Drops: Bottled Honey, Beenade, Bee Gun, Honey Comb, Bee Keeper, Hive Wand, Bee costume, Nectar

Recommended Equipment: Shadow with Thorn Chakram for melee, Jungle with Waterbolt for magic, and Necro with Minishark and Meteor Bullets for ranged; Cloud, Blizzard or a Sandstorm in a bottle.

Recommended Life: 15 hearts

The Queen Bee is a boss found in the Jungle Hives. It spawns when you break the Queen Larva in the Hive, or by using the Abeemination. It has three attack patterns: Be sure to beat this boss at your first try, as the Abeemination is VERY hard to craft. Beating this boss is necessary to get the Witch Doctor NPC and get the access to imbuement flasks.
 * charging at you horizontally
 * Shooting poisonous stingers at you.
 * Shooting bees at you(bullet users beware!)

=The Underworld=

After exploring the Underground Jungle, the player should go to the Underworld (also referred to as "hell"). The Underworld can be found covering the entire bottom of the map. It is reached by digging down from the caverns.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #C24641; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: The Underworld

Monsters: Lava Slime, Hellbat, Fire Imp, Demon, Voodoo Demon, Bone Serpent

Monster Drops: Demon Scythe, Obsidian Rose, Guide Voodoo Doll, Plumber's Hat

Notable Resources: Hellstone, Fireblossom, Hellforge, Demon Torch

Chest Contents: Dark Lance, Flower of Fire, Sunfury, Flamelash

Recommended Equipment: Shadow, Meteor, Jungle, or Necro; Jungle or Dungeon weapons; Obsidian Skull; Water Walking Potion, Obsidian Skin Potion, Night Owl Potion

Recommended Life: 20 hearts

The underworld is a very dangerous biome. Special care should be taken when working around lava. Lava damage can kill a player with 400 health in 10 seconds flat. Be cautious when mining Hellstone; lava spawns each time a block of hellstone is mined. The enemies in this biome are also very dangerous. Fire Imps can shoot through walls; Hellbats are hard to hit and have a very damaging attack; Bone Serpents behave like other worms and can tunnel through solid blocks; and Demons use a spell called Demon Scythe which can be particularly damaging if it isn't dodged.

The best items pre-hardmode can be found in or crafted from items found in this biome. The player should try to locate Shadow Chests, opened with the Shadow Key found in the Dungeon.

Be very careful when killing Voodoo Demons, particularly from range, as their voodoo doll can then drop into lava, summoning a very unwelcome Wall of Flesh!

Although the Underworld is theoretically the most difficult biome in pre-hardmode Terraria, mining Hellstone is reasonably easy and safe and can be done with relatively low-level equipment, especially with the aid of Obsidian Skin potions and Obsidian Skull. Water Walking potions are also very helpful, allowing you to walk on lava, and Night Owl potions do a great job of lighting up hell.

Before Summoning the Wall of Flesh
Defeating the Wall of Flesh will activate hardmode. Once a world has entered hardmode, there is no way to change the world back to normal mode. There is no turning back once the Wall of Flesh has been defeated. Hardmode is very difficult and will make what were once menial tasks very difficult and tedious. It is highly recommended that the player make as many preparations as possible before they summon the Wall of Flesh.

The following is a checklist of things to be done before the Wall of Flesh is summoned:


 * Obtain Maximum Health. If the player has not already done so, gather Crystal Hearts until the Life Bar has 20 hearts (400HP).


 * (Magic Users only) Obtain Maximum Mana. Any player that uses spells (other than the Magic Mirror) should gather Fallen Stars until the Mana Bar has 10 Stars. Note: Magic-user oriented gear will often add Mana Stars to the player's maximum mana. Ensure that the mana bar has 10 stars without any magic enhancing items equipped.


 * Gather Underworld-Tier Equipment. This must include a Molten Pickaxe. Other equipment will depend on personal tastes and can include but is not limited to: Molten Armor, Fiery Greatsword, Flamarang, Molten Fury, Phoenix Blaster, Sunfury, Flower of Fire, Flamelash, Demon Scythe and Dark Lance. Certain characters may opt to use Shadow Armor, Meteor Armor, Necro Armor, or Jungle Armor instead of Molten Armor. The Night's Edge is recommended over the other pre-hardmode swords if one has the resources to obtain it.


 * Gather useful accessories and miscellaneous items, such as: Hermes Boots, Lucky Horseshoe, Cobalt Shield, Band of Regeneration, Band of Starpower, Nature's Gift, Feral Claws, Ivy Whip, and Magic Mirror. Many of these accessories can be combined at the Tinkerer's Workshop.


 * Gather materials. Materials such as Copper and Iron will be needed to craft the items that summon mechanical bosses. Iron Ore and Gold Ore are used in Ironskin Potions and Spelunker Potions, respectively. Other materials, such as Wood, Stone, and Sand, should be stockpiled.


 * Gather potion ingredients. In hardmode, potions like Healing Potions, Ironskin Potions, and Regeneration Potions can be essential to survival. Other potions can also be useful, depending on the equipment setup the player is using. Gather a large stock of potion ingredients. Consider creating "farms" for more important ingredients. For more information on farming, see Guide:Gardening.


 * Search for Demon Altars. Many Demon Altars can be found in the corruption, so explore each corruption in the world. Dig tunnels to visible Demon Altars. They need to be easily accessible when hardmode begins.


 * Consider creating quarantines. Corruption and Hallow biomes are very dangerous, and can spread and "ruin" natural biomes. Quarantining the natural biomes can protect them from the corruption/hallow. For more information on how to do this, read Guide: Containing the Hallow/Corruption


 * Pick out a set of weapons and accessories, and reforge them. Defense is arguably the most valuable accessory stat for hardmode. Look for weapon stats that increase weapon damage and speed, or decrease mana cost. For more information about item prefixes, see Reforge.


 * Consider farming money. Reforging Hardmode weapons is prohibitively expensive. Some vendors sell new, more expensive items in Hardmode. For more information on farming money, see Guide:Making money.

Ensure that all of the necessary preparations are made. Again, there will be no turning back once the Wall of Flesh is defeated. Anything that is not finished now will be much harder to do later.

Wall of Flesh
To summon the Wall, you must drop a Guide Voodoo Doll dropped by Voodoo Demons into the lava in the Underworld.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #C97291; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Boss: Wall of Flesh

Life: 8000 (Eyes, Mouth), 320 (The Hungry)

Damage: 11-15 depending on health (Eye laser), 50 melee (Eyes, Mouth), 30-75 depending on health (The Hungry)

Defense: 12 (Eyes, Mouth), 10-40 depending on health (The Hungry)

Drops: Pwnhammer; Breaker Blade, Clockwork Assault Rifle, Laser Rifle, Warrior Emblem, Ranger Emblem, or Sorcerer Emblem

Recommended Equipment: Shadow, Necro, Jungle, or Molten; Ranged Underworld-tier weapons with AoE or piercing; Spectre Boots, Grappling Hook, Ironskin Potions, Regeneration Potions, Water Walking Potions

Recommended Life: 20 hearts

The Wall of Flesh will spawn just outside of the screen in the direction closest to the end of the world and start moving slowly towards you, speeding up as its health decreases. Due to the Wall of Flesh's tongue ability and The Hungry's short range, ranged weapons are highly recommended. Piercing and AoE weapons are very effective for taking out the hungry.

Consider building an arena for this fight, since the terrain in the Underworld is hostile enough to make success almost impossible otherwise. A long, uninterrupted land bridge of 500 blocks or more is ideal.

Once Wall of Flesh is defeated you will receive a message which says "The ancient spirits of light and dark have been released." You have now entered Hardmode.

=Hardmode=

Destroying the Wall of Flesh causes drastic changes in the world. A new biome, called the Hallow, covers a significant portion of the surface, and reaches deep underground. A large area has also been covered with corruption and extends deep below the surface. New, stronger monsters inhabit many of the biomes in the world, making them much more dangerous than before. The most dangerous monsters are those that live in the Underground Corruption, Underground Crimson, and Underground Hallow. Extreme caution is advised when exploring this new world. Enemy health goes up drastically, attack skyrockets, and even Demon Scythes may only do 10-20 damage to enemies with +100 health. YOU WILL DIE (unless you are a seasoned player, but in that case you wouldn't be reading this guide ;). It's not called hardmode for nothing. As stated before, use extreme caution.

Consider fighting the Wall of Flesh multiple times before proceeding. Many of the Wall of Flesh's drops can be useful for Hardmode.

The next main objective is to kill the three mechanical bosses: The Twins, The Destroyer, and Skeletron Prime. However, a player with equipment from normal mode will find themselves significantly outclassed by these mechanical bosses. Any player who wishes to fight these bosses should take time to gather Hardmode gear and accessories. Most of this gear is crafted from the new Hardmode ores, Cobalt / Palladium, Mythril / Orichalcum, and Adamantite / Titanium. However, these ores do not initially exist in a Hardmode world. They must be spawned by destroying Demon Altars or Crimson Altars with the Pwnhammer.

Smashing Altars
The easiest place to find altars is in the original Corruption or Crimson biomes, at the bottom of chasms. Be prepared for new enemies in the desert and at night. The Hallow will need to be crossed in order to reach some of the biomes on the map. In rare cases, a Corruption biome can be converted to Hallow upon initiation of hardmode. These biomes still contain Demon Altars.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color:#98AFC7; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Night (Hardmode)

New Monsters: Possessed Armor, Wandering Eye, Wraith, Clown (Blood Moon), Werewolf (Full moon)

Recommended Equipment: Molten

Be cautious when exploring the surface at night. New, more powerful monsters come out at night. A player used to traveling at night may find it difficult to progress when they are out after dark.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #D4A017; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Desert (Hardmode)

New Monsters: Mummy (unconverted desert only), Dark Mummy (Corrupted/Crimson Desert) Light Mummy (Hallowed Desert)

Monster Drops: Dark Shard (Corrupt/Crimson Desert) or Light Shard (Hallowed Desert)

Recommended Equipment: Molten

Natural deserts typically don't last long in hardmode. When corrupted, crimsoned, or hallowed, they become very similar to their respective biomes. Hardmode deserts are the only places where the Mummy can be found.

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New Monsters: Corruptor, Slimer, Corrupt Slime

Recommended Equipment: Molten

Corruption now spreads through the world at a fast clip. Players that are new to Hardmode should move through this biome as quickly as possible. An undergeared player will be easily overwhelmed in this biome.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #DC381F; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Crimson (Hardmode)

New Monsters: Herpling, Crimslime, Blood Jelly

Monster Drops: Meat Grinder

Recommended Equipment: Molten

Crimson spreads identically to corruption, and is just as dangerous.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #FF508C; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: The Hallow

Monsters: Pixie, Unicorn, Gastropod (night only)

Monster Drops: Pixie Dust, Unicorn Horn

Recommended Equipment: Molten

The Hallow spreads rapidly through the world, just like the Corruption. Be wary of the seemingly whimsical denizens of the Hallow. All of them are hostile, and are just as dangerous as their corrupted counterparts. Like with the evil biomes, players new to Hardmode should avoid staying in this biome for longer than necessary.

Once the player reaches the corruption or crimson, they should enter the correct chasm quickly. The chasms are much less exposed than the surface. Destroy altars methodically. Each time an altar is destroyed, wraiths will spawn and attack the player. Take time to kill the Wraiths after breaking each altar to avoid getting overwhelmed, or quickly smash a few and teleport back home (not recommended).

Each altar destroyed will spawn ore in various places throughout the world, spawning them more densely deeper down. The first altar destroyed will spawn Cobalt / Palladium. The second altar destroyed will spawn Mythril / Orichalcum. The third altar destroyed will spawn Adamantite / Titanium. The pattern will repeat with additional altars destroyed, spawning more Cobalt, then more Mythril, then more Adamantite. It is advantageous to destroy as many altars as possible before proceeding to mine the new ores. Take time to explore the chasms and destroy any altars found in them. Note, however, that each altar destroyed may spawn a new block of Ebonstone, Crimstone, or Pearlstone somewhere in the world, causing the respective biomes to spread from another location.

Mining Hardmode Ores
Once enough ore has been spawned, the player should begin mining Cobalt/Palladium with a Molten Pickaxe. Mythril/Orichalcum and Adamantite/Titanium can not be mined with normal mode pickaxes. Proceed with extreme caution. The most difficult biomes in Hardmode are found underground. The player should bring a stock of Ironskin potions, Regeneration potions, and Spelunker potions to use as they mine. If the player created a hellevator in normal mode, they should use it to access the lower layers quickly. Hardmode ores are more abundant deeper underground.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color:#CC9966; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Underground (Hardmode)

New Monsters: Toxic Sludge, Digger, Possessed Armor (night)

Recommended Equipment: Molten, Molten Pickaxe

This previously trivial biome has had its difficulty increased significantly. Hardmode Ores are not very common in this layer. It is best to pass through to lower layers.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color:#CCCCCC; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Cavern (Hardmode)

New Monsters: Armored Skeleton, Skeleton Archer, Giant Bat, Digger, Angler Fish (water), Green Jellyfish (water)

Recommended Equipment: Molten, Molten Pickaxe

This biome is very dangerous, but it is less dangerous than the Underground Corruption and the Underground Hallow. It is for this reason that this biome is one of the ideal biomes for mining hardmode ores. Don't underestimate the monsters in this biome. All of the monsters in this biome are very strong; the Armored Skeleton's "Broken Armor" debuff is particularly lethal, even for an endgame character. Consider returning to town and talking to the Nurse if hit by the debuff.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #B4508C; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Underground Hallow

Monsters: Chaos Elemental, Illuminant Bat, Illuminant Slime, Enchanted Sword

Monster Drops: Soul of Light

Notable Resources: Crystal Shard

Recommended Equipment: Mythril; Ironskin Potions and Regeneration Potions

This is one of the most difficult biomes in Terraria. It is recommended to mine elsewhere until Mythril Armor or better is obtained. Chaos Elementals and Enchanted Swords can easily reach the player, even when they are boxed in.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #7E587E; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Underground Corruption

Monsters: Clinger, Corrupt Slime, Corruptor, Cursed Hammer, Devourer, Slimer, World Feeder

Monster Drops: Soul of Night, Cursed Flame

Recommended Equipment: Mythril; Ironskin Potions and Regeneration Potions

As with the Underground Hallow, it is recommended that the player avoid this biome until they obtain Mythril Armor. The denizens of this biome will make mining extremely difficult for a player without hardmode armor.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #C11B17; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Underground Crimson

Monsters: Ichor Sticker, Floaty Gross, Blood Jelly, Blood Feeder, Crimson Axe

Monster Drops: Soul of Night, Ichor

Recommended Equipment: Mythril; Ironskin Potions and Regeneration Potions

Like the underground Corruption and Hallow, the Crimson should be avoided early on in hardmode.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #2E9AFE; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Underground Mushroom Biome

Monsters: Fungi Bulb, Anomura Fungus, Mushi Ladybug, Giant Fungi Bulb, Fungo Fish

Monster Drops: None

Recommended Equipment: Mythril; Ironskin Potions and Regeneration Potions

This biome should be avoided, since these monsters don't drop any special items, but their health is comparable to other underground biomes.

It can be very difficult to survive long enough in Hardmode biomes to mine enough ore. If the player finds they are having difficulty mining, they should consider mining in the Underground Jungle or look for ores on the ceiling of the Underworld. Both of these biomes have the same mobs as they did pre-Hardmode, making them considerably safer than almost anywhere else in the world.

Aim to upgrade to a Cobalt Drill or Palladium Drill as quickly as possible. The Cobalt Drill can mine Mythril/Orichalcum. The first 100 Mythril/Orichalcum ore mined should be used to craft a Mythril Anvil and then a Mythril Drill (or their Orichalcum counterparts). The Mythril Drill can mine Adamantite/Titanium (as can the Palladium Drill, letting you get a head start if you had Palladium instead of Cobalt). The first 30 Adamantite ore mined should be used to create an Adamantite Forge. Upgrading to an Adamantite Drill or Titanium Drill isn't crucial, as it does not grant access to any new ores.

Be mindful when opening chests. A seemingly innocuous treasure chest may be a Mimic posing as a chest. Mimics will chase the player when they approach or when attacked. A good approach is to shoot any chests with a ranged weapon before opening them. This will cause any Mimics to break their ruse and attack.

Use any leftover ore to upgrade armor, then weapons, and the chainsaw last. Keep mining until enough Adamantite or Titanium is collected to craft a full set of armor, and any weapons or tools the player may want.

Collecting Souls
Collecting souls (and other miscellaneous items) is the last task the player should complete before fighting the mechanical bosses. There are three types of souls dropped by normal monsters: Soul of Light, Soul of Night, and Soul of Flight. Soul of Light can be obtained from any monster found in the Underground Hallow. Soul of Night can be obtained from any monster found in the Underground Corruption or Crimson. Soul of Flight can be obtained from Wyverns. The order in which the player obtains these souls does not matter. However, it can be advantageous to gather Souls of Flight first, as the Wings can be very useful when navigating the Underground Hallow or Underground Corruption.

Soul of Flight
Wyverns can be found at very high altitudes, at around the same level as Floating Islands. Look for Wyverns on Floating Islands, as it is much easier to fight them this way. Another popular method is to fight them in the air using Gravitation potions.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #82CAFA; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Floating Island (Hardmode)

New Monsters: Wyvern

Monster Drops: Soul of Flight

Recommended Equipment: Adamantite, Piercing Weapons (Demon Scythe is particularly effective), Gravitation, Ironskin, Regeneration

The only hardmode addition to floating islands is the Wyvern enemy. These Wyverns are of interest because they drop Souls of Flight, which are required to craft wings.

Wyverns are very difficult to kill. They fly through the air using the same AI as worms, but they move much faster, do much more damage, and have a lot more life. They are very difficult to dodge and attack at the same time. Piercing weapons are very effective against the Wyvern, like with all segmented monsters.

Soul of Light
Souls of Light can be found by killing enemies in the Underground Hallow. Underworld Enemies spawned below the Underground Hallow will also drop Souls of Light. Keep a stock of Regeneration potions and Ironskin potions when exploring this biome. The easiest way to deal with hallowed enemies is to grapple to the ceiling and shoot at them with a ranged weapon. The opposite is true when dealing with Illuminant Bats. Drop to the ground and swing a melee weapon to deal with them. Try to gather crystal shards while looking for souls. Try to gather at least 50 souls, although more is better. If the Hallow in your world went through a Spider Nest, you can also farm the spiders, taking advantage of their fast spawn rate, for Souls of Light.

Soul of Night
Souls of Night can be found by killing enemies in the Underground Corruption and Crimson. Underworld Enemies will also drop Souls of Night if they spawn below the Underground Corruption or Crimson. Much of the same rules apply with this biome. Use Ironskin and Regeneration potions when exploring. Try not to stay in one place for too long in this biome. Clingers and Corruptors can both shoot projectiles, and World Feeders can easily attack a stationary player. Make use of the Rocket Boots and/or Wings to dodge projectiles and keep moving around. Gather at least 50 souls, more is better. Look for Cursed Flames or Ichor while gathering souls. Also, the spider nest farming method works well for Souls of Night too.

Miscellaneous Items
There are a few other important items not mentioned above.


 * Pixies from the surface Hallow will drop Pixie Dust, which is needed to make Greater Healing Potions, or combined with Unicorn Horns to make Holy Arrows.
 * Mummies from Corrupted Desert will drop Dark Shards; Mummies from Hallowed Desert will drop Light Shards. Collect these to craft the Dao of Pow.
 * Molds have an extremely rare chance to drop from enemies in the five main biomes (Hallow, Corruption, Crimson, Jungle, and Snow). They cannot be used just yet, but should be held onto due to their extreme rarity.
 * Mimics can appear in just about any biome. Look for Mimics using Hunter Potions. Hunt for mimics until one drops a Philosopher's Stone.

=The Three Mechanical Bosses=

Once you have a stockpile of the various hardmode resources, it's time to begin preparing to defeat the first three hardmode bosses. Each must be summoned with an item that can be crafted or dropped by enemies. It's also possible for one to spawn on its own at sunset, though the player will probably not be able to defeat it unless they are well prepared.

Recommended Equipment for Mechanical Bosses
Following is a list of equipment recommendations for use against the mechanical bosses. This is not an exhaustive list; other items may prove to be effective. This list assumes no Hardmode bosses have been defeated yet:

Ranged Characters

Recommended Weapons: Titanium Repeater or Clockwork Assault Rifle

Recommended Armor: Titanium armor with Titanium Helmet

Recommended Accessories: Spectre Boots, Wings, Ranger Emblem, Obsidian Shield, Philosopher's Stone; all with Defense (highly recommended) or Damage enhancing prefixes

Recommended Buffs: Ironskin Potion, Regeneration Potion, Shine Potion, Swiftness Potion, Bowl of Soup, Archery Potion (with Adamantite Repeater)

Magic Characters

Recommended Weapons: Laser Rifle, Flamelash,or Crystal Storm/Golden Shower. (Golden Shower works extremely well against the Destroyer when you aim the arc of the Destroyer.) Also, the Crystal Storm being the Mana Megashark of the game works very well against all hardmode bosses.

Recommended Armor: Titanium armor with Titanium Headgear

Recommended Accessories: Spectre Boots, Wings, Mana Flower, Obsidian Shield, Philosopher's Stone; all with Defense (highly recommended) or Damage enhancing prefixes

Recommended Buffs: Ironskin Potion, Regeneration Potion, Shine Potion, Swiftness Potion, Mana Regeneration Potion, Magic Power Potion, Bowl of Soup, Crystal Ball

Melee Characters

Melee characters tend to be less effective against Hardmode bosses. Players who wish to use melee weapons against Hardmode bosses should fight the Destroyer first. After killing the Destroyer, they should farm it for a while to maximize the chance for a Solar Eclipse to happen, then when it happens use the Battle Potion and a Water Candle to maximize the mob spawns and therefore, chances for the Death Sickle, which does well against all hardmode bosses. Melee users also should craft Cursed or Ichor flasks to help with the bosses.

Recommended Weapons: Dao of Pow, Titanium Sword (Destroyer only), or Titanium Trident (Destroyer Only), or Mushroom Spear (Destroyer Only)

Recommended Armor: Titanium armor with Titanium Mask

Recommended Accessories: Spectre Boots, Wings, Warrior Emblem, Obsidian Shield, Philosopher's Stone; all with Defense (highly recommended) or Damage enhancing prefixes

Recommended Buffs: Ironskin Potion, Regeneration Potion, Shine Potion, Swiftness Potion, Bowl of Soup, Ale

Building a Hardmode Arena
Proper terrain preparation is almost completely essential to successfully defeat all three mechanical bosses. Players who intend to solo the hardmode bosses will find the task very challenging without an adequate arena.

For solo players, build a very long bridge out of wood platforms. The bridge should be at least 1000 platforms long, but 2500 is recommended. Build the bridge a large distance from the ground; the ground should not be visible from any part of the bridge. Place blocks at each end of the bridge to prevent running off of the sides.

For team players, the arena can be much shorter. A team arena can be between 250-500 platforms long, but should also have 2-3 separate rows. Space the rows so they are not too close together, but are reachable with rocket boots.

Consider setting up Heart Statues and Star Statues on 1 Second Timers, as these can make the battles much easier.

Fighting the Mechanical Bosses
The Destroyer is arguably the easiest of the three bosses, and should be fought first. The Destroyer has a chance of spawning naturally at sunset with the message "You feel vibrations deep below..." It can also be summoned by using a Mechanical Worm at night.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #CDDBED; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Boss: The Destroyer

Life: 80000

Defense: 0 (Head), 30 (Body), 35 (Tail)

Damage: 60 (Head), 40 (Body), 20 (Tail), 22 (Death Laser)

Minions: Probes

Drops: 20-44 Hallowed Bar, 20-40 Soul of Might, 5-15 Greater Healing Potion

Recommended Equipment: See above section "Recommended Equipment for Hardmode Bosses"

The Destroyer is the hardmode version of Eater of Worlds. The Destroyer uses worm AI, burrowing into the ground and making long sweeping passes at the player. The Destroyer is much longer than the Eater of Worlds, and moves much faster. Unlike the Eater of Worlds, the Destroyer does not break into segments. The Destroyer's segments all have a shared life of 80000. All of its segments will be destroyed when this this life reaches 0. The Destroyer will release Probes as it takes damage. Probes will drop hearts when killed. If the Destroyer is not defeated before the sun rises, it will run away.

Piercing weapons and AoE weapons are particularly effective against this boss. The Destroyer will frequently try to trap you with its body. Use the grappling hook to get out of these situations. The Destroyer's drops come from its head when it is killed. When its health is very low, wait until the head is visible before finishing it off.

As of 1.2, hallowed equipment doesn't require boss souls, only Hallowed Bars, which you can farm up from the Destroyer. This means that the next 2 hardmode bosses can be easily skipped - especially considering that the Flamethrower and Magical Harp are seemingly underpowered compared to something like Death Sickle. Rainbow Rod is useful, though.

The next 2 bosses are roughly the same at the level of difficulty, so you it's up to you to decide who to fight now. It's recommended to fight the Twins before Skeletron Prime, since they yield a very useful magic weapon called the Rainbow Rod, and, as said before, Flamethrower is underpowered compared to other weapons of this tier.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #CDDBED; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Boss: Skeletron Prime

Life: 25000 (Head), 6000 (Cannon), 8000 (Saw), 8000 (Vice), 5000 (Laser)

Defense: 25 (Head), 50 (Head, while spinning), 25 (Cannon), 40 (Saw), 35 (Vice), 20 (Laser)

Damage (Melee): 50 (Head), 100 (Head, while spinning), 30 (Cannon), 52 (Saw), 45 (Vice), 29 (Laser)

Damage (Grenade): 40

Damage (Laser): 25

Drops: 19-35 Hallowed Bar, 20-40 Soul of Fright, 5-15 Greater Healing Potions

Recommended Equipment: See above section "Recommended Equipment for Hardmode Bosses"

Skeletron Prime is the hardmode version of Skeletron. Skeletron Prime behaves very similarly to its predecessor. It alternates between attacking with its various appendages and using a deadly spinning attack with its head. Skeletron Prime has very high life and can take a long time to kill. If Skeletron Prime is not defeated before the sun rises, it will use an attack that instantly kills the player on touch.

The damage from all of its arms can add up quickly. Try to destroy the arms before focusing on the head. The Prime Saw and Prime Vice are very difficult to avoid and should be destroyed first. The Prime Laser is only a medium threat and should be killed after the Vice and Saw. The Prime Cannon can be ignored. There are two methods to avoiding Skeletron Prime's attacks. The first is to use the maximum speed of Hermes Boots to stay out of reach (Prime Saw will always be able to keep up), combined with well-timed jumps to throw off the aim of Skeletron Prime's spinning head attack. The second method is to use Gravitation potions for a similar effect, though it can be harder to dodge some of Skeletron Prime's attacks this way.

The last of the three hardmode bosses are the Twins. This boss is the hardest of the three for most players, and should be defeated last. The Twins have a chance of spawning at sunset with the message "This is going to be a terrible night..." They can also be summoned by using a Mechanical Eye at night.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #CDDBED; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Boss: The Twins

Retinazer

Life: 20000

Defense: 10 (First Stage), 25 (Second Stage)

Damage (Melee): 50 (First Stage), 75 (Second Stage)

Damage (Laser): 20 (First Stage), 25 (Second Stage), 20 (Second Stage, Rapid Fire)

Spazmatism

Life: 20000

Defense: 10 (First Stage), 35 (Second stage)

Damage (Melee): 50 (First Stage), 75 (Second Stage)

Damage (Cursed Flame): 25 (First Stage), 30 (Second Stage)

Drops: 20-35 (Hallowed Bar), 20-40 Soul of Sight, 5-15 Greater Healing Potion (Drops from last boss to be killed)

Recommended Equipment: See above section "Recommended Equipment for Hardmode Bosses"

The Twins are the hardmode version of Eye of Cthulhu. Both Twins will alternate between their signature attack (Laser for Retinazer, Cursed flame for Spazmatism), and charging at the player. The two choose attacks independently of the other. There will be times when one uses their signature while the other charges, when they both use their signature, and when they both charge. When a Twin gets down to half health (12000 hp), it will transform into a more powerful second stage. They will gain a rapid-fire version of their signature attack and a much more damaging melee attack. The first Twin killed will not yield any drops. When the second Twin is killed, the listed drops will appear where it was killed. The eyes can be killed in any order. If the Twins are not defeated before the sun rises, they will run away.

Each twin is much more dangerous in its second stage. Focus on one Twin at a time, and only move on to the second Twin when the first is destroyed. Retinazer's stage one signature is less dangerous, so kill Spazmatism first. The Twins have a charging attack that is extremely difficult to dodge. This charging attack will cripple a player if they can't consistently dodge it. There are two methods to dodging the attacks, like with Skeletron Prime. The first method is to reach max running speed with Hermes Boots and use timed jumps to throw off the trajectory of the charge. Jump just as a Twin is about to start a charge, while maintaining run speed. This will cause the charging Twin to charge too high, and then overcorrect as they try to charge again. The second method is to use Gravitation Potions and constantly fall - they won't be able to catch up to you. If a Twin is off screen too long, it will despawn like any other enemy. This can be used to make Spazmatism despawn and simplify the fight greatly.

=Return to the Underground Jungle=

Once any mechanical boss has been defeated, new challenges unlock, and the player gains access to new materials to work with, starting with the souls and bars dropped by the boss. Hallowed Bars can be used to craft Hallowed Armor and several melee weapons, but most importantly the Drax or Pickaxe Axe which will be used to harvest the next tier of ore. The new souls (Might, Fright, and Sight) are used to craft 2-3 new weapons and tools each.

Once any mechanical boss is defeated, changes are made to the Underworld and the Underground Jungle, and a new event has a chance of occuring.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #FFFF00; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Event: Pirate Invasion

Monsters: Pirate Deckhand, Pirate Deadeye, Pirate Corsair, Pirate Crossbower, Pirate Captain, Parrot

Monster Drops: Coin Gun, Lucky Coin, Discount Card, Cutlass, golden furniture, sailor outfit

Recommended Armor: Adamantite Armor

Recommended Weaponry: the best you got, preferably piercing

It can occur after certain conditions are met, or alternatively, when the player uses a Pirate Map.

When a Pirate Invasion spawns or is summoned using a Pirate Map, a message will appear saying "Pirates are approaching from the (East/West)!" When the Pirates' initial wave reaches the spawn, their arrival is announced with "The Pirates have arrived!" See Pirate Invasion for more info and tips.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #DDCCAA; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Event: Solar Eclipse

Monsters: Frankenstein, Swamp Thing, Reaper, Vampire, Eyezor

Monster Drops: Death Sickle, Moon Stone, Broken Hero Sword, Broken Bat Wing, Eye Spring

Recommended Equipment: Hallowed or Chlorophyte

Solar eclipses occur randomly at dawn and last throughout the day, much like the Blood Moon. The enemies here are extremely dangerous and it may require gear from the hardmode jungle and dungeon to efficiently farm them. Sword users should take special note of the Broken Hero Sword that rarely drops- one can create the True Excalibur or True Night's Edge, while three are required for the Terra Blade.

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #C24641; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: The Underworld (Hardmode)

New Monsters: Lava Bat, Red Devil

Monster Drops: Magma Stone, Unholy Trident, Fire Feather

Recommended Equipment: Hallowed

Two new enemies now spawn in the Underworld. Lava Bats are simply a stronger version of the Hellbat. Red Devils are the real danger, being able to do over 100 damage with their trident attack.

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New Monsters: Moth, Moss Hornet, Angry Trapper, Arapaima, Giant Tortoise

Monster Drops: Uzi, Bezoar, Turtle Shell, Butterfly Dust, Tattered Bee Wing

Notable Resources: Chlorophyte Ore, Life Fruit

Recommended Equipment: Hallowed

Now that one or more of the mechanical bosses have been defeated, chlorophyte ore spawns throughout the underground jungle, and life hearts can occasionally be found growing amongst the foliage. Harvesting these two items should be top priority. Life hearts increase the player's health by 5, up to a maximum of 500, and chlorophyte can be crafted into weapons and armor a step above hallowed equipment.

Players using melee or ranged weapons can make even better armor by acquiring an additional material. Creating a house in the glowing mushroom biome will spawn the Truffle NPC, who sells the autohammer. The autohammer turns chlorophyte bars into shroomite bars, which are used to create shroomite armor, the best armor in the game for ranged attackers. Giant Tortoises drop turtle shells, which when combined with chlorophyte bars make turtle armor, a powerful melee armor set.

Plantera
Also found in the underground jungle is a mysterious purple bulb. Destroying this bulb with a drill or pickaxe summons the boss Plantera.

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Life: 30000

Defense: 14

Damage: 50

Drops: Temple Key, Grenade Launcher, Pygmy Staff, Venus Magnum, Nettle Burst, Leaf Blower, Flower Pow, Wasp Gun, Seedling, The Axe

Recommended Equipment: Chlorophyte, Turtle, or Shroomite

(to be added)

Upon defeating Plantera, the message "Screams are echoing from the dungeon..." appears, and powerful new enemies are added to the dungeon. The boss also drops the Temple Key, which is used to open the Jungle Temple.

Lihzahrd Temple
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Monsters: Lihzahrd (NPC) Flying Snake, Golem

Monster Drops: Lihzahrd Power Cell, Lizard Egg

Recommended Equipment: Chlorophyte, Turtle, or Shroomite

After defeating Plantera, you will pick up a Temple Key that is used to unlock the door to the Lihzahrd (also known as the Jungle Temple). It is small compared to the normal dungeon, but it contains far more traps.

Golem
At the bottom of the Lihzahrd there is a boss room with a lihzahrd altar. Using a lihzahrd power cell on it summons the Golem.

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Life: 15000 (Head), 8000 (Body), 6000 (Fist)

Defense: 24

Damage: 70

Drops: Stynger, Stynger Bolt, Possessed Hatchet, Sun Stone, Eye of the Golem, Picksaw, Heat Ray, Staff of Earth, Golem Fist, Golem Trophy, Beetle Husk

Recommended Equipment: Chlorophyte, Turtle, or Shroomite

(to be added)

=Return to the Dungeon=

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #9172EC; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Biome: Dungeon (Hardmode)

New Monsters: Rusty Armored Bones, Blue Armored Bones, Bone Lee, Paladin, Tactical Skeleton, Dungeon Spirit, Skeleton Commando, Necromancer, Giant Cursed Skull, Diabolist, Ragged Caster, Skeleton Sniper

Monster Drops: Shadowbeam Staff, Keybrand, Ectoplasm, Sniper Rifle, Rifle Scope, Tactical Shotgun, Paladin's Shield, Paladin's Hammer, Wisp in a Bottle, Magnet Sphere, Tabi, Black Belt, Spectre Staff, Inferno Fork

Recommended Equipment: Hallowed

After defeating Plantera, the dungeon's difficulty increases dramatically. There are stronger enemies and new drops from each. Also note that the dungeon has 5 biome-related chests. To unlock each one, you may need to defeat many of the respective biome's enemies to get a key mold, which is used to craft the key to unlock the chest.

=The Pumpkin Moon=

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Monsters: Scarecrow, Splinterling, Hellhound, Poltergeist, Mourning Wood, Headless Horseman, Pumpking

Monster Drops: Scarecrow costume, Spooky Wood, Cursed Sapling, Spooky Twig, Spooky Hook, Necromantic Scroll, Stake Launcher, Mourning Wood Trophy, Jack 'O Lantern Mask, The Horseman's Blade, Pumpking Trophy, Candy Corn Rifle, Raven Staff, Jack 'O Lantern Launcher, Bat Scepter, Black Fairy Dust, Spider Egg

Recommended Equipment: Chlorophyte, Turtle, Spectre, or Shroomite

The Pumpkin Moon is summoned at night using the Pumpkin Moon Medallion. Unlike the Blood Moon and Solar Eclipse, enemies appear in up to 15 consecutive waves, similar to an invasion. During this event, the moon turns orange with a jack 'o lantern face.

=The Frost Moon=

<div style="width: 600px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #BCC6CC; padding: 1em 1em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px outset #717D7D; border-bottom:2px outset #717D7D; border-right:2px outset #717D7D; -moz-border-radius: 15px;"> Event: Frost Moon

Monsters: Present Mimic, Flocko, GingerBread, Zombie Elf, Elf Archer, Nutcracker, Yeti, Elf Copter, Everscream, Krampus, Ice Queen, Santa-NK1

Monster Drops: Christmas Tree Sword, Festive Wings, Razorpine, Christmas Hook, Everscream Trophy, Blizzard Staff, North Pole, Ice Queen Trophy, Snowman Cannon, Baby Grinch Mischief's Whistle, Reindeer Bells, Elf Melter, Chain Gun, Santa-NK1 Trophy

Recommended Equipment: Chlorophyte, Turtle, Spectre, or Shroomite

The Frost Moon is summoned at night using the Naughty Present. It is the most difficult event in the game, as it is meant for endgame players. Like the Pumpkin Moon, enemies appear in 15 standard waves as well as 5 extra bonus waves. During this event, the moon changes color to look like the face of a snowman.