Guide:Duke Fishron strategies

"The mutant terror of the sea..."

Duke Fishron is a tough Hardmode Boss and one of the final Bosses in versions of Terraria. With very high movement speed, high damage, bubbly tornadoes as he spins, it's the one of the most difficult bosses in the game.

Spawn Condition
Duke Fishron can be spawned by using your with  as Bait.

It must then be defeated within the Ocean.

The Fight
Duke Fishron has two phases, with one additional phase in.

First Phase
Duke Fishron will attack in three different ways during the first phase. The first thing Fishron will do is begin his charging flurry. He will charge towards the player exactly five times, with a short pause between each charge.

After each charge, he will execute one of the two Projectile attacks:
 * The First attack fires around 20 ;
 * The Second attack will create two small Bubbles on either side of where he is located, that will each generate a Sharknado. The Sharknadoes are tall and do damage, but they also fire towards the player.

Second Phase
When Duke falls below 25,000 health, he will stay stationary for a second, then his eyes will glow as he enters his second stage. His damage, and speed increase significantly, however his defense drops to 40.

His charge flurry only has 3 charges, but they are a bit faster than before. He still has two kinds of projectile attacks, but their natures change:
 * The Detonating Bubble attack now causes him to move around in a circle, dropping the bubbles in a circle around his original location. This spreads out the bubbles, making it more difficult to hit them all.
 * His Sharknado attack upgrades to summon a Cthulhunado. He will fire a special bubble at you that is quite fast. When it hits you, it will spawn a Cthulhunado, a very tall tornado that does lots of damage and fires large quantities of Sharkrons. It also lasts much longer.

Note that, after the battle is over, care should still be taken. If he has launched a Cthulhunado, it may still fire Sharkrons. He may also have died within the Cthulhunado, so don't charge into it to collect his drops until it dissipates.

Dealing with Charge
Duke Fishron's charging attack is his primary attack, and one of the most difficult to dodge.

The key to dodging it is to try to move perpendicularly to where he is aimed, right before he makes his charge. For example, if you are horizontal with him when he is about to charge, you need to quickly up (or down, if you're already flying). If he is right above/below you, then you need to quickly move left or right.

Dealing with Sharknadoes
One important element of the Sharknado attack is that they will spawn in the location where Duke Fishron was when he fired the attack. And they will despawn almost exactly when he is ready to drop another pair of Sharknadoes.

As long as the player keeps in mind what attack Duke Fishron will do next, the player can put him in a position that makes it hard for the player to hit the Sharknadoes themselves. For example, during the charging flurry before the Sharknado attack, the player can move towards the edge of the screen, horizontally. That way, the player can run the other way knowing that they will not encounter Sharkrons from that direction. This also means that attacks towards Duke Fishron will also be towards the direction of incoming Sharkrons.

Also, note that Duke Fishron's first attack will always be bubbles.

Sharknadoes are quite tall; getting over them will require multiple jumps or some form of or.

Dealing with Cthulhunadoes
The upgraded Sharknado attack is a bit more difficult to deal with. It's taller, and it does more damage than the original, plus it fires more Sharkrons.

However, there is one thing that makes it a bit easier to deal with: the Cthulhunado will spawn in the location where you were when the bubble hit you. This gives you a bit more control over where the tornado spawns, so you have more of a chance (if you are fast) to make sure it doesn't spawn in an inconvenient place. You likely do not have the speed to outrun the attack, but you can help get it out of the way.

The downside of course is that, once the bubble hits you, you need to quickly move, lest it spawn on top of you.

Another important factor to note is that by no means necessary should you attempt to cross a Cthulhunado. They deal about 100 damage, which will turn the fight in Duke Fishrons favor. Always use Wings to fly over them. Alternatively, use the Rod of Discord to teleport to the other side.

Expert Mode
When he will have less than 9000 health, Duke Fishron will cloak himself in the background (which changes dramatically). He is hard to spot and it dashes at full speed. His contact damage is reduced, however it is easy to get hit by him multiple times in a row, as his high speed leave little time to react.

Play defensively, constantly zig-zagging up and down at 45 degree angles and using a homing weapon like the Possessed Hatchet or the Megashark with Chlorophyte Bullets so you can concentrate on moving while still dealing some damage. Make sure you keep changing direction as unpredictably as possible, and avoid settling into any repeating pattern of movement.

Use Wings instead of the Cosmic Car Key so you can change direction quickly, and keep your vertical speed high. Steampunk Wings are the best, but at a minimum you want Frozen, Flame or Spectre/Ghost wings.

Star Veil can reduce the damage that he inflicts, and don't forget to Quick Buff your potions, especially the Regeneration Potion and Lifeforce Potion.

Terrain Preparation
The Arena must be located in the Ocean, unless you're very confident to beat an enraged Fishron, which is usually not recommended.


 * Make an arena out of . It should stretch at least across the ocean. Make it 3-5 platforms high; each row should be at least 20 blocks away from each other. Leave a gap at either side for maneuver however.
 * The Arena must be very tall: the Tornadoes are very tall, and thus, it requires significant amount of flight time to go to the other side of it.

If you don’t want an arena you will want a Neptune's Shell and some Wings and keep jumping in and out of the water.

Gearing up
It's highly recommended to defeat Golem first if you haven't done already, as these tips will take that into account. If you have no idea how to reach Golem, check this Walkthrough section.

By this point, you should have 500 Health. If not, it's recommended to do so. You might need to beat at least one of the Mechanical Bosses in order to spawn.

Armor

 * For Melee characters, the Beetle armor with Scale Mail is recommended as it gives decent defense, while also paired with attack buffs, which stacks as the player damages the Boss or the Sharknados.
 * If the player desires high defense, use Beetle armor with Shell or Turtle armor instead.
 * For Ranged characters, the Shroomite armor or is highly recommended.
 * For Magic characters, Spectre armor or is highly recommended.
 * For Spectre armor, the set with the Spectre Hood helps with health drain, while the Spectre Mask boosts damage.
 * For Summoners, having both the Spooky and the Tiki armor is highly recommended, using the former to increase minion's, and the latter for the additional minion and higher defense.

Weapons
For Melee users:
 * are very useful for stealing life combined with decent damage. Also, the life steal works better on his second phase.
 * is useful to significantly lower Duke Fishron's defense.
 * The is a better choice if you have defeated the Martian Madness already.
 * The also performs well, though not as well as the Vampire Knives.
 * is also a good choice as its ability to spawn pumpkins works on the bubbles. It may not be the best for the whole fight, but it is definitely one of the best against the Bubbles.
 * Constantly throwing the or  while flying around can defeat him quickly.
 * is the best Yo-yo that can be used at this point.
 * When Duke Fishron shoots Bubbles, use to clear them.
 * The is somewhat low in damage, but it makes up for this by homing in on Fishron during the fight. Paired with a flask or the Fire Gauntlet, the player can focus more on dodging Fishron while the tiny eaters attack and do damage over time. Accumulating a swarm of them before Phase 3 in Expert mode helps do burst damage against Fishron when he's visible.

For Ranged users:
 * The or the, paired with  do very well; as these bullets have homing properties little aim will be required, leaving the player to focus on dodging the boss.
 * The is very useful with its extremely high  and splitting arrows, dealing damage to the Sharknadoes as well.
 * Ichor.png Ichor Arrows or Ichor Bullets will reduce his defense.
 * The is powerful against him, if you have defeated the Frost Moon.
 * The with  is useful.  are also good, but piercing weapons give the boss a 1/6 seconds immunity, and the other arrows may not hit him. It's best to use non-piercing arrows, preferably the former because of their high velocity.
 * The is very effective.
 * A (or, if you have defeated the Martian Madness event) is good for its wide spread, automatic firing, and low ammo consumption.

For Magic users:
 * Homing weapons like or  will let you focus on dodging.
 * Rapid weapons like or  rapidly recover health when paired with Spectre Hood, which is extremely helpful for the fight.
 * The spell is helpful as it reduces his defense.
 * If you have good aim, the does a lot of damage.
 * The is very good for attacking while he is stationary.

For Summoners:
 * Due to the ability to always have at least one Minion, or two with access to a Bewitching Table, summoning a minion prior to Duke Fishron may be helpful. However, due to his significant defense, weaker minions should be avoided; and due to his extreme speed, slower minions or those who use slower projectiles will be similarly ineffective. The Optic Staff, Xeno Staff, and especially the Deadly Sphere Staff can be quite helpful.
 * Maximize summon damage with buffs from food and potions, armor, and accessories when summoning minions, as the minions retain the increased damage even if the equipment is removed, until the minions are unsummoned or replaced.

Accessories
A must is Wings and Lightning Boots or better as primary choice. Though the Lightning Boots are not entirely required, due to you needing to stay in the ocean biome to not enrage. They are both fairly easy to get at this point. If you have defeated Duke Fishron, Fishron Wings will also help. Frog Leg can be used for more mobility. A shield will prevent knockback from Sharknadoes. If you are building an arena of ice blocks, a must have is Frostspark Boots. Equip accessories with damage, critical, or—if using magic—arcane, modifiers. Accessories such as the Celestial Stone, Fire Gauntlet, Sniper Scope, and emblems will also greatly improve damage output. Warding accessories can be used if the player desires extra defense.


 * If you would rather fight in the water, a Neptune's Shell or any higher tier accessory with the shell can be helpful, as it provides infinite water breathing and "infinite flight" while in the water.
 * Cross Necklace or Star Veil is recommended as the boss speed might cause several heavy hits on characters should the boss catch the player. The Sharknados may also flank the player hitting them consecutively especially on Duke Fishron's second phase.
 * Characters with Spectre Armor should consider using Magic Cuffs or Celestial Cuffs, as the damage dealt by Duke Fishron's attacks will often times completely restore their MP, allowing them to attack constantly while restoring HP. Care should be taken as the boss' high attack can make quick work of reckless players.
 * Magic users should also consider the Mana Flower.
 * If you are using The Eye of Cthulhu or another yoyo, use a Yoyo Bag.
 * If you have difficulty dodging his charges and/or bubbles, invest some time in getting a Tabi or Master Ninja Gear.
 * Charm of Myths will both allow for increased regen and reduced time for the Potion Sickness debuff.
 * The mount is a good replacement for Wings and can be better as it provides infinite air time. Unlike some Wings however, it may be somewhat slower.

Titanium armor, Black Belt / Master Ninja Gear, and Cross Necklace all can also come in handy because of attack dodging boosts, since Duke Fishron's attacks can deal a great amount of damage.

Potions and Buffs
As with any other Hardmode boss, it would be useful to prepare the following potions:
 * Inferno Potion is highly recommended as it will destroy the Detonating Bubbles Fishron spawns.
 * Greater Mana Potions are recommended for magic users.
 * Regeneration Potion and Ironskin Potion to survive. Two of each will last enough.
 * Endurance and Lifeforce potions for even greater survivability.
 * Pumpkin Pies will likely last the entire fight (Well Fed for 45/15minutes), and it's easy to craft.
 * Swiftness Potion helps you a lot to evade the Duke and its attacks.
 * Wrath and/or Rage Potions for a boost in damage output.
 * Magic Power Potion for magic users is recommended.
 * If a player has no arena, they can just use Water Walking Potions.
 * Gravitation Potions can free up an accessory slot, but it's recommended to use Featherfall Potions with them.
 * Melee characters that are good at dodging can use the Tipsy debuff.
 * If you are facing him at night, a Shine Potion, Night Owl Potion, and Hunter Potion will help a lot so that you don't have to worry about visibility.

Minecart Strategy
This strategy differs from others in that it doesn't use skybridge, replacing it with looped minecart track above the ocean, so the player won't have to deal with his enraged behavior. It does, however, need some more work than other ones, especially when building arena.

Materials

 * 600-1200 normal minecart tracks for building loop + 2 booster tracks
 * Any kind of hammer

Arena Preparation
The essence is to make looped minecart track approx. 60 tiles above Ocean itself. It should consist of at least 600 tiles; while shape is pretty loose, it should have at least two places in which player drastically changes altitude, as well as at least 100 tiles long flats.

One should also make a "Starter" - a short molo with boosters, from which player will summon Duke Fishron and quickly escape to the loop.

It should be noted also that arena shouldn't exceed Ocean biome.

Execution
When everything's done, player should sit in a minecart on "Starter" and summon the Fishron. As soon as it's done, one should quickly go to loop (boosters will help). At this point, everything that remains is to shoot Fishron while maintaining speed on track, healing a/o replenishing mana when needed. Some tips:
 * Use a homing weapon, especially if your arena is pretty large. Fishron will spend most time off-screen, and high speed will often change directions you're facing.
 * Though stock minecart shouldn't be used, Mechanical Cart is not a good choice. Even though with it provides defense bonus, as well as speed to avoid Fishron's charges, it will probably outrun him so much that he will despawn, which is possible on larger arenas. Higher speed means also that you will more often run into Sharknados.
 * Try to make arena consisting of approx. 800 tiles, but don't make it horizontally-long. If you do so, Fishron will frequently run into you, and Cthulunados in his second stage will quickly kill you as there won't be any way to dodge them.

"Meat Shield" strategy
If you have 2 or more players, consider having a "Meat Shield" (A player with Beetle armor w/ Shell and Warding accessories) to focus on dodging and keeping him away. The other player will have Spectre armor w/ Hood, a Laser Machinegun, a Mana Flower and 1-2 stacks of Greater Mana Potions. The defensive player will focus solely on dodging yet staying close to the offensive player, so that the Spectre Hood will heal the defensive player whilst draining Duke Fishron's health

Spike Strategy
You will need a minimum of Hallowed armor with vampire knives no matter your class. You will also need a Cross Necklace or Star Veil. Accessories such as the Black Belt, Celestial Stone, or any emblem will help GREATLY. To top it off you will need some Spikes from the skeleton dungeon. Just sit on the spikes, shooting him with your vampire knives. This works because when he attacks you, your cross necklace or star veil was working from the spikes, which caused only one damage which saves you TONS of health. If you are confident and have killed him before, use the Flairon to kill him in under a minute. This strategy doesn't work in 1.3 or higher.

Enraged Anti-Gravity Hook Strategy
When Enraged, Duke Fishron is much faster and does much more damage. But with this stategy, this strength can be turned into a weakness. What you must do is get an Anti-Gravity Hook and place one or more platforms in the air. After fishron becomes enraged, you use your anti-gravity hook in the platform and start using it to spin in a circle. This makes it possible to dodge all attacks. Keep in mind that this strategy only works with enraged duke fishron, because in his regular behavior he will use sharknados, cthulhunados, etc., and in his enraged behavior he will do nothing but attempt to ram you. Then you use the hook on the platform, start spinning and dodge his charges. It can be difficult to hit fishron with this strategy, so it's recommended to use a rapid gun with chlorophyte bullets.

Pre-Plantera Strategy
It is possible, although very difficult, to defeat Duke Fishron before fighting Plantera; either for a challenge or for a way to power-up early.

The Gear
The recommended strategy for this fight so early in the game is to use the Megashark with Chlorophyte Bullets, as it has a high damage output and the homing properties of the bullets will make aiming easier as you are moving around the arena. Chlorophyte ranged armor will provide the most defense at this point as well as a good damage boost and some additional damage output from the set bonus. For accessories, the Star Veil/Cross Necklace, and Charm of Myths are recommended. If you do not have enough pink slime to build a large arena, you will need Wings or a Horseshoe as well. The Flesh Knuckles and/or Worm Scarf will help reduce the damage you are taking and Ranger/Avenger Emblems to boost your damage output. A Moon Stone and/or Moon Charm can also help if you fight him during the night, providing defense and regeneration (and damage with the Stone). Having your accessories reforged to Menacing will help with dealing more damage to end the fight faster, but you will need to focus more on dodging Duke Fishron's attacks. Reforging to Warding instead will increase your survivability, but it will take a longer time and more ammunition to beat him.

For potions, a Gravitation potion is critical for this strategy, alternatively you may try with the Pigron mount. Inferno is helpful for killing his bubble projectiles. Lifeforce, Ironskin, Endurance, Wrath/Rage, Regeneration and any food for the Well Fed buff will make the fight easier. Also include a Heartreach potion if you plan to build heart generators as part of your arena. A Featherfall potion is NOT recommended, as the slower falling speed will make you more vulnerable to Fishron's charging attacks. Make sure to bring plenty of Greater Healing Potions from the biome mimics.

The Arena
Build a large box above ocean with which to fight Duke Fishron in; it should be at least 150-200 blocks tall and wide. It is not recommended to build up to space, as the slow fall effect will leave you more vulnerable to attacks. Using Pink Slime Blocks for the floor and ceiling will negate fall damage will allow you to free up an accessory slot as you will not require wings/horseshoes. Build side-walls on your arena to prevent falling out, and possibly leaving the Ocean as that will put Fishron into an enraged state. You will need a small opening from which to enter the arena and to fish from in order to summon him. Sunflowers, Campfires and Heart lanterns situated on the top and bottom of the arena will aid you with speed and regen. If you plan to build heart generators, it is recommended you build them on the outside edges of your arena. Otherwise, you could take too much damage if you land on or get stuck on them. They can also provide spots for Sharknados to land. Any heart generators built under your arena you will likely need a Heartreach potion to make use of.

As soon as you cast your line, move into the arena. As soon as you summon him, activate your buffs and reverse gravity. Then begin shooting in his general direction, your bullets will find their way to him. Each time you reach the top/bottom of your arena, reverse gravity so that you stay in a continuous fall. You will want to reverse sooner if you see that you may land on a tornado. Continue shooting and heal as often as possible. When he hits his second form, you will need to watch for the larger sharknados, as they will be able to form in air, but otherwise the strategy will not change. When he reaches his third form on expert, you will need to remember that he changes sides each time he reappears to charge at you; just keep shooting and you will kill the Duke.