Guide:Pirate Invasion strategies

The Event
The Pirate Invasion is an event where numerous pirates invade the spawn point. It can occur in Hardmode randomly or by using a after an altar has been destroyed and the player has 200 or more max health. If those requirements have been fulfilled, there is a 3.27% chance if one has yet to be defeated, and a 1.96% chance if one has been defeated.

Enemies

 * The will fly about, trying to deal contact damage. It does not drop much and killing one will not help complete the event.
 * The uses a gun and a cannon. The gun rapid-fires bullets, and the cannon will fire projectiles that explode on contact with a solid object, dealing very high damage. The captain drops a vast amount of loot. Only one can exist at a time.
 * are the sword-wielding scalawags. They deal melee damage and move fairly rapidly. They drop even more loot than the Captain.
 * are one of the ranged pillagers of the event. They use their crossbows to fire flaming arrows from a distance. They drop the same amount of loot as their low-class cousins (all but the captain, his parrots, his ghost, and his ship). With their debuff and considerable damage, they are one of the larger threats if in the open.
 * carry bullet-firing guns. They are very inaccurate and are likely to miss. Nevertheless, one should take care to avoid their bullets if in the open.
 * Unarmed can only attack via contact damage.
 * are the skeletal remains of the captain. They appear after the captain dies. They act like wraiths, flying through blocks, and are immune to traps. Specifically designed to thwart exploitation of the grounded enemies, these are a large threat to those in enclosed shelters.
 * The mini-boss of the event, the has four cannons that fire towards the player, and goes down once all four are destroyed. The Dutchman has the highest chance of loot drops.

Terrain Preparation
Do not attempt to fight the Pirate Invasion in an open space during early Hardmode. The amount of enemies coupled with their abundant projectiles will quickly overwhelm an inexperienced or underequipped player. Instead, consider some simple preparation. With a secure, enclosed space, the event can be made easy. Simply construct a box-shaped building on or off the ground. When inside the box, no enemies will be able to reach the player. Attacking enemies will require weapons that can attack around or through blocks. If the player does not possess such weapons, their only option will be to place holes in the walls and fire projectiles through them, taking care not to be hit by enemy projectiles. It is best to place these holes in ceilings or floors to make it harder for ground enemies to fire into them. The Flying Dutchman cannot pass through blocks, so it will remain stuck against the walls of the box where the player can easily destroy its cannons. Do note that the Pirate's Curses, with trap immunity and the ability to fly through blocks, will be a large threat to those in shelter. It can help to make the shelter larger for space to dodge and fight the Curse.

Armor

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

For Melee Users

 * The is useful as it has high damage.  If it is unavailable, the  can be used. The  is also useful.
 * The is useful due to the . Yoyos as a whole are useful for attacking from within shelter, though they have limited range.
 * The and the  are good piercing weapons.
 * The is useful for attacking from within a safe box.
 * The can be used to disrupt enemy lines due to the.
 * The can be used at range against both crowds and single targets, but requires the defeat of a Goblin Summoner during the Hardmode Goblin Army.

For Ranged Users

 * The and the  (with  or ) are all good bows. Even the  (with the ) is still useful due to its infinite pierce.
 * The (with ) is especially useful because it can attack from shelter.
 * The and  (with the ) can be used if the stronger bows are unavailable.
 * The (with  or ), the  (with ), the, the , and the  (with the ) are excellent choices. The  (with the ) is even better if The Destroyer has been defeated.
 * The /  and the  are great for debuffs. Use  for single targets,  for singular enemies, and  for crowds. The  is also good if one has beaten Skeletron Prime.

For Magic Users

 * The is useful for debuffs. The  is a weaker version.
 * The is great against crowds, while the  is useful for barriers. The  can be used for damaging passersby. The  is also good.
 * The, the , and the are all good weapons for debuffs and rapid damage respectively. The  can be used for close combat.
 * The is a very powerful weapon and can deal high damage to both crowds and single targets. However, it requires a, necessitating exploration of the Dungeon.
 * The can attack multiple enemies at once if obtained.
 * The has homing and powerful damage.
 * The is good against crowds.
 * The is a good weapon, but it is dropped by deadly.
 * The is weak and possesses limited range, but attacks directly through blocks and is useful for attacking enemies stuck outside the player's shelter.

For Summoners

 * The is available early, and a solid improvement over the Pre-Hardmode options, especially with the spiders' ability to latch onto enemies (putting walls behind the arena can make the spiders more mobile). If the Dreadnautilus has been defeated, the Sanguine Staff is a very powerful option.
 * For sentries, one should use the as it is the best one available.

Potions

 * Any food that gives the gives minor stat buffs to everything. Good ones are the, , and.
 * , and  will help tremendously with survivability.
 * will aid in dodging.
 * and are good for rangers.
 * and are must have for mages.
 * If the player possesses a minion, a will increase capacity by 1.
 * or are useful for almost all classes.

Accessories

 * are extremely useful for mobility.
 * The and its upgrades will dramatically increase the vertical mobility of wings.
 * Mobility accessories such as the are very useful as well.
 * Damage increasing accessories such as any Emblem, the or  and  are always a good choice.
 * Variants of the and  can prevent hits.
 * are good for regaining Mana.