Guide:The Twins strategies

"This is going to be a terrible night..."

The Twins are the Hardmode version of the Eye of Cthulhu. They are part of the trio of the mechanical bosses, alongside with The Destroyer and Skeletron Prime.

Spawn Condition
The Twins can be spawned by fulfilling either of these conditions:
 * Smash a / . They will then have a 10% chance of appearing when night falls. Note that this condition is shared with the rest of the mechanical bosses, which increases as more of the three are defeated. This method will only work if The Twins have yet to be defeated;
 * Use a during Hardmode at night.

The Twins must be killed before dawn (4:30 a.m.), otherwise they flee and despawn.

The Fight
The Twins, as the name suggests, are two separate monsters, both of which must be defeated. They have a combined health of 0 /, shared between them. Retinazer is distinguished by its red iris and lasers, while Spazmatism can be identified by its green iris and cursed flames projectile.

When an Eye is reduced to 40% of their maximum health, it will transform, gaining a slight boost in offense and defense. Each Eye transforms independently once reduced to 0 / HP (Retinazer) / 0 /  HP (Spazmatism); the other eye remains in its original form until it is reduced to the appropriate amount. When one is destroyed, the other will continue attacking in the same pattern.

It is a good idea to focus on one eye, since the fight becomes easier if a single eye has been defeated. Additionally, the fight becomes considerably harder if both eyes are on their second form.

Retinazer
In its first form, Retinazer will fire lasers at the player at a steady but somewhat slow rate. This is occasionally interrupted by charging attacks, which mirror that of its partner. Retinazer does slightly less damage than Spazmatism, but this is offset by its higher accuracy thanks to the speed of the lasers. When not charging, Retinazer will always be aligned diagonally with the player, positioned above them.

When it changes into its second form, it will no longer engage in charge attacks. Instead, its lasers will progressively fire at a faster rate as it loses health. This is occasionally supplemented by a weaker but much more rapid laser attack that tracks extremely well. To avoid this, try to fall as fast as you can, and you can be left unscathed. With wings it is possible to "zig-zag" up and down to dodge the lasers. This is made trickier as the fight goes on, with Retinazer using quicker lasers that are much harder to dodge.

Spazmatism
Spazmatism, like Retinazer, alternates between firing Cursed Flames from a distance and engaging in charging attacks. The flames do more damage than the lasers, but are not as fast and thus easier to dodge. However, the Cursed Inferno debuff can be very dangerous for its high damage over time and its ability to stop health regeneration. Its charge attacks are faster and more agressive than Retinazer.

Spazmatism's second form changes its attack pattern dramatically. Its Cursed Flame attack becomes a constant stream of flame, which will last for several seconds (and deal large amounts of damage). However, it does not chase the player as quickly as it does in its first form, making avoiding the attack somewhat easier. Once it stops spewing flame, it will charge with greatly increased speed, which also does a lot more damage. Much like Retinazer, it is a good idea to fall as fast as you can while it is charging, and you should be okay. Redirecting Spazmatism's charges is easier than it sounds; if you jump as he slows down, he will charge over you. This causes Spazmatism to charge at you from either above or below, making him easier to dodge if you just run.

Terrain preparation
The Sky above the surface is highly recommended for the Twins arena, as vertical movement is required to dodge most of the attacks.


 * A very long Sky Bridge (if possible made out of or ) is optimal. Continuously running with  /  /  /  causes both to miss you with their projectiles very often, and keeps each Twin at a stationary horizontal position most of the time, allowing you to fire continuously at it without switching your aim. Wings will help dodge each of the Twins' second phases. Using Asphalt can negate the need for Boots, while using them can allow you to avoid taking damage completely. However, try not to run too fast if you use Boots and Asphalt, as Retinazer may fall behind and despawn. Spazmatism, however, is fast enough to keep up. Regular stone blocks can be used too if you have obtained the.
 * The standard Boss arena of several layers of Platforms with furniture buffs makes maneuvering around easier.
 * Also, a wall on both sides of a small area can block Spazmatism's cursed fire, but be careful not to run out of time from covering behind the wall. It is helpful to have a one block hole one block up to shoot through. This is more useful if you want to try tanking the boss with the above tip of heart statues. If you can tank the hits with the help of heart statues, you can gun down Retinazer while Spazmatism is only able to charge at you.
 * A safety box in the ground isn't bad either, if you acquired the . That way you could attack Retinazer while its laser can't hurt you in the box. In order to attack Spazmatism make the box one block from the surface and bring, the impact from the stars could hurt it. Stay close to the edge so the Cursed flames can't hurt you.
 * The player can use a when building a sky arena to avoid The Twins' attacks whilst using a ranged weapon.

Gearing up
If a Mechanical Boss has been defeated,  will begin to grow in the Underground Jungle, increasing life by 5 per Life Fruit until the player reaches 500 health. It is recommended to get as much Life Fruit as possible.


 * provides the greatest overall increase to all stats. Melee and ranged users should substitute in a to increase damage output and defense without sacrificing anything important.
 * is a defensive alternative for Adamantite Armor, the / buff increases survivability.
 * has respectable defense and stat boosts, which makes this set a viable alternative to Hardmode ore sets. On, it provides a dash as part of its set bonus, allowing players to replace with another accesory.
 * provides very high critical strike chance and its set bonus can hit both eyes.
 * provides lower stat bonuses, but the buff greatly increases natural regeneration.
 * becomes a great choice if a Mechanical Boss has been defeated. The  in the Desktop version allows the player to dodge an attack.
 * is the best choice for summoners who do not use whips frequently.
 * provides strong bonuses and high minion damage to summoners. The increased whip range and speed can potentially outperform Spider Armor.
 * The armor sets available from the combine summoning with one of the other classes. This is only available if you've defeated another mechanical boss.
 * and provide weak stat bonuses, but allow you to mix different damage types. On, the Frost armor provides excellent stat increases as a set bonus, making it a strong alternative to Adamantite or Titanium armors.

Weapons

 * For Melee users:
 * The  shoots very fast and deals a lot of damage per dagger. It also inflicts, which deals 15 damage per second, more than any other debuff available. If aimed right, it can manage to hit both eyes at the same time.
 * could also be used, as Spazmatism will spend most of the time behind the player, so shooting constantly backwards with the piercing projectile will hit him multiple times and deal quite reasonable damage.
 * Alternatively, can work too, if you already defeated The Destroyer.
 * with the Yoyo Bag can be useful.
 * If a mechanical boss has been defeated, using the with the Yoyo Bag is very powerful.
 * and can be an excellent choice due to their high damage and range. However, they can be harder to acquire than other options available.
 * If Duke Fishron has been defeated, the makes the fight trivial.


 * For Ranged users


 * The or  with   or  are great for players who have yet to beat a Mechanical Boss.
 * is a good option if a Mechanical Boss has been defeated.
 * such as the Megashark, Uzi, Gatligator, and Clockwork Assault Rifle can be quite effective when paired with, , or.
 * Keeping an and  allows the user to have backup ammo in case the player runs out of special arrows.
 * is a great bow, especially if combined with, even better with a and its upgrades, as these three together can take down any of The Twins in seconds.
 * The with Wooden Arrows will be very useful as well, as it turns into.
 * The / with  or  is an effective weapon, especially the former, which can hit both Twins at the same time.
 * The with  is a great combination, and will deal over 250 damage per hit.
 * If Duke Fishron has already been defeated, the makes the fight trivial.


 * For Magic users:
 * is one of the strongest weapons mages can use in early Hardmode.
 * The and the  are also very powerful choices.
 * The 's homing abilities and high damage allows the user to deal consistent damage.
 * The can also be very strong, despite its short range.
 * inflicts the, decreasing the defense of The Twins.
 * It can be used as a substitute for Ichor Bullets, Ichor Arrows, and Flask of Ichor for other classes, allowing other classes to use more potent ammo or flasks. However, this requires the player to constantly reapply the debuff.
 * The 's rainclouds last for 1 minute, adding DPS.
 * If a Mechanical Boss has already been defeated, the is a powerful choice if aimed correctly.
 * If Duke Fishron has been defeated, the makes the fight trivial.
 * The, another Duke Fishron drop, can easily defeat Spazmatism, but struggles against Retinazer.


 * For Summoners :


 * The is the best summoning choice because the spiders will latch on while they change forms, dealing hundreds of damage. Note that your arena will need to include background walls to make full use of the spiders.
 * The is the best summoning choice for those who don't want to make a background wall arena, its perfect tracking and high base damage makes it a powerful choice.
 * The, while weaker than the Sanguine Staff by itself, can greatly outperform it with whips that deal summon tag damage.
 * 's Jungle Fury buff increases the speed of whips, adding more DPS.
 * The increases damage output for minions, especially with ones that have high base damage such as Sanguine Staff.
 * is a powerful choice if a mechanical boss has already been defeated, and if combined with other whips, makes it a potent weapon.
 * The sentry adds extra DPS, while not counting towards minion count.
 * If a Mechanical Boss has already been defeated, the is a powerful choice when facing the Twins.

Accessories
Accessories that improve mobility are a must, since the Twins use quick attacks.
 * The, , or and  are a must, especially for the Sky Bridge method. They allow the player to dodge, and also allow the player to flee temporarily if health is running low.
 * The Gelatinous Pillion can replace both the boots and the wings, as its quick vertical movement makes it excellent for dodging the flames from Spazmatism in the first stage and flying out of range in the second stage.
 * Even though it doesn't prevent Cursed Inferno, the can still be used to prevent Knockback and for some useful extra defense.
 * The same is true for the and the.
 * An of the player's respective class greatly increases damage output.
 * 's dash is essential throughout the fight.
 * greatly decreases damage, but is exclusive to Corruption worlds.
 * The  is very useful for Expert Mode players with Crimson, as it provides a chance to dodge an attack . It doesn't prevent getting inflicted with the  debuff, however.
 * The reduces the cooldown of Potion Sickness as well as increasing passive health regeneration.
 * It can be quickswapped in the accessory slot if using it on a vanity slot, taking advantage of its reduced Potion Sickness cooldown.
 * The or the  increases invulnerability frames for a brief period upon taking damage, which can greatly mitigate alot of damage, especially from Spazmatism's charges.
 * The gives a increase to various stats, increasing survivability and damage.
 * The (or ) are helpful if using Magic Weapons, but requires the user to take damage.


 * ,, , or allows the user to automatically consume mana potions.


 * and its upgrades greatly increases arrow damage.
 * adds an extra minion slot.
 * /  and its upgrades enables autoswing and increases melee and whip knockback and size, making it useful for both Melee and Summoners.
 * , an upgrade to the Titan Glove, also increases defense, but melee users might find it better to keep the Titan Glove for the Mechanical Glove.

If possible, reforge all Accessories for damage, crit chance or defense bonuses. If money is no object (see Guide:Making Money), having all Accessories reforged to Warding, Lucky or Menacing provides an extra 20 defense, 20% crit chance or 20% damage (, since the  allows you to have 6 accessories,  up to  in Master Mode with 7 accessory slots).

Potions

 * , and  will help prevent fatal damage. Two of each will likely cover the entire night.
 * is harder to craft, requiring, but it can boost maximum health to 480 (600 if on 500 HP using ).
 * Any food item providing the buff is very useful.
 * can be especially useful, as it eliminates the need for any arena and may free up an accessory slot.
 * greatly increases mobility.
 * If you have access to a world with Corruption, a is a good bonus, but not necessary.
 * For magic users, a and a  are a must.
 * will greatly boost the damage and speed of Arrows.
 * Melee users greatly benefit from the effects of an or
 * adds an extra minion slot to the fight.

Miscellaneous

 * Because the Twins are vulnerable to many debuffs, melee and summoners can use Flasks. The for Crimson worlds greatly increases the damage output of all weapons, and the   for Corruption worlds can give a very slight increase to.
 * Crystal Bullets and Ichor Bullets are a must-have if using guns, and Holy Arrows and Ichor Arrows for bows.
 * The is useful against Retinazer because the spawned ice blocks can block its lasers.

Retinazer Cheese
This strategy requires you take out Spazmatism first. Once you defeat Spazmatism you need to get Retinazer into its second form. Then go inside a small box of solid blocks and use Summons (preferably with summon armor), the Meteor Staff or the Daedalus Stormbow (preferably with Holy Arrows and the Magic Quiver / its upgrades) to take down Retinazer. Because Retinazer does not charge in its second form and its lasers do not pierce blocks, you will be completely safe.

Close-ranged Unicorn Strategy
A helpful strategy is a Skybridge using a and any kind of yoyo (A  is recommended) or a long range weapon. Running with the Unicorn and shooting the yoyo behind you will deal a lot of damage, and you won't get hit very much as the unicorn is slightly faster. Warning: Using this strategy may lead to the The Twins despawning if you go too fast.

Minecart Strategy
A strategy that is helpful for all classes is to use a minecart track extending as far as possible. For shorter minecart tracks, both ends can be hammered to allow the minecart to go in both directions without losing speed. As the minecart can go faster than The Twins, the player can use a long range weapon, such as a Repeater or a Yoyo (with ) to deal damage from a relatively safe distance. Warning: Using this strategy may cause The Twins to despawn if that player travels too fast.

Sentry Farming
After gaining access to the Tier 2 equipment sold by the Tavernkeep, The Twins becomes much easier to defeat. Wearing the Squire armor and using the Ballista Cane will give the best results because of the high defense and health regeneration provided by the armor, as well as the Ballista Panic! buff doubling the firing rate. Acquiring one of the accessories dropped by the Ogre is recommended for this method. When building your arena, be sure to use platforms whenever possible to maximize the opportunities your Ballistas have to fire. Make sure that you have Heart Lanterns and Campfires set up to give yourself the most health regeneration. Having a good pair of Wings, the or its upgrades, and the,  and  are recommended for maximum mobility. The will make the fight go much faster, rounding out your accessories. A few are all the healing you'll need in case you get backed into a tight spot. Once the Twins have been summoned in, simply kite them around your Ballistas, taking damage periodically, preferably from Retinazer's laser for minimal damage. With the best Modifiers on your gear and all the relevant buffs, the Twins will go down in two to three minutes. If you find yourself taking too much damage and needing to heal more, consider swapping out the Summoner Emblem with a so you can heal more often.

Invincibility Machine
Warning: Some players consider invincibility machines cheating.

After defeating a few Biome Mimics, you should have the and the. With two and a block overhead, you can make the invincibility machine. Get a and try to bounce on both dummies while keeping it rapid. After you summon the boss, use the Fetid Baghnakhs to quickly take out Spazmatism. Then use the Daedalus Stormbow to beat Retinazer.

Note: In the 1.4 update, this glitch was changed to be much harder to pull off. Try this at your own risk, as it might not work.

The Black Spot
It is very easy to defeat The Twins with The Black Spot. The only thing you need to defeat them is high, consistent damage until dawn. Keep in mind that circling around in the skies may summon a Wyvern, so it's nice to have a weapon against segmented enemies (such as the Medusa Head).

Note: The Black Spot was nerfed to be slightly slower in 1.4.1, which may result in taking more damage than intended.

Bouncing Strategy
It is very effective if you are able to keep The Twins low to the ground to bounce on them repeatedly using a. It works especially well to pair this with the, raining meteors down on whichever eye you happen to be bouncing on.