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This is a Guide page.
This is a Guide page.
This means the page will walk you through a specific task, strategy, or enemy/boss fight.
Status: Subject to revision (This Guide does not meet certain quality standards and may be heavily outdated.)
  • Issues:
     • Most likely outdated since 1.4. Remember not to delete pre-1.4 content; use {{eicons}} and {{eversions}}!
     • The text in the description of the Queen Bee is glitched.
  • Queen Bee Trophy "The matriarch of the jungle hives..." Queen Bee Trophy

    The Queen Bee is a pre-Hardmode boss. It does not need to be killed to progress the game, but it has some useful drops and the Witch Doctor NPC will spawn when it is killed.

    Queen Bee
    Queen BeeOld-gen console version and Nintendo 3DS version
    Map Icon Queen Bee
    Map Icon
    Classic mode icon Classic
    Expert mode icon Expert
    Master mode icon Master
    Statistics
    Type
    Environment
    AI TypeQueen Bee AI
    Damage30/54/81 (melee)
    224466 (stinger)[1]
    Max Life3400/4760/6069
    Defense88-28 (depending on health)[1]
    KB Resist100%
    Immune toPoisonedConfused
    Inflicts debuff
    Inflicts debuff
    Inflicts debuff
    DebuffPoisonedPoisoned
    Debuff tooltipSlowly losing life
    Chance33.33%100%
    Duration10 seconds2-20 seconds2.5-25 seconds (stinger)
    2-8 seconds (melee)2.5-10 seconds (melee)
    Drops
    Coins51250

    Spawning Conditions[]

    Queen Bee can be spawned by fulfilling any of these conditions:

    It must be inside the jungle at the moment of spawning. It can be lured into a safer environment.

    The fight[]

    Queen Bee is capable of causing PoisonedPoison if you get touched by it or by its stingers. While losing 2 health per second doesn't look like much, it can be significant over time. It's also important to not get poisoned because it halts Health regeneration, thus be always ready to heal with your Potions.

    The Queen Bee has 4 distinct attack patterns:

    1. It will fly left or right to you and charge three times;
    2. It will hover above you and spawn tiny BeeBee minions;
    3. It will behave like a normal hornet and fly around, shooting poisoning stingers at you.
    4. It will gain defense and speed in expert mode

    When it charges you, use platforms and/or a double jump or better to dodge upwards. You can stand perfectly still upon landing which gives you a short moment to regenerate health faster. If you can Dash, you can stand in its path and charge it just before it reaches you.

    When it summons its bees, use a weapon that can pierce targets and aim for its backside to stop the bees the moment they spawn. If any bees manage to escape then use a Sword with a large swing to clear them out. The Queen is at its most vulnerable in this state, so use powerful weapons to deal significant amounts of damage.

    If it's using the stinger-shooting phase, keep moving back and forth. If you do get hit by a stinger, the Poisoned debuff will last longer than when you touch the Queen Bee, so make sure to dodge it. Use a melee weapon, and try to track her movements by aiming where it's going to move.

    If you're low on health and stayed in the Hive, remember to make use of the honey below you, which increases health regeneration, which will always stack with other regeneration buffs like Regeneration potions.

    Expert Mode[]

    As the Queen Bee's health goes down, she will become a lot more aggressive, shooting more stingers and having much faster charges. Her defense will also increase, making weapons with low base damage values like the MinisharkMinishark much weaker. She will also inflict PoisonedPoison on contact, and its duration from the stingers will double.

    Dodging the charges is much harder when the Queen is at low health, since she'll move too fast to be able to move out of the way. However, the Shield of CthulhuShield of Cthulhu makes this part of the fight a lot easier: Successfully dashing into an enemy gives the player brief invincibility frames, so if timed right, the charge attacks can be completely neutralized.

    General Strategies[]

    General Tips[]

    This content is transcluded from Guide:Practical tips § Combat.

    Terrain Preparation[]

    Even if you summon the Queen Bee by breaking a Larva, you do not need to stay in the hive to fight it - you can get out of the hive and fight it in the wide-open areas of the Underground Jungle if you'd prefer. However, most Hives offer an easy arena: a decent amount of space is already carved out, and the pool of Honey at the bottom provides a health-regenerating buff which stacks with other buffs. With a flare gun and 300 flares, you can shoot them all to prevent her from shooting her stingers.

    If you're fighting the Queen Bee in the hive, make sure to clear up the honey and water in and around the hive, or it can be extinguished should you set it on fire. As with most bosses, Wooden Platforms are vital. Having them every 5 blocks is an optimal height but if your jump height is boosted in some way, you can increase the number of spaces between platforms which can save you materials.

    A rope can be used to dodge Queen Bee charges if sufficient movement accessories aren't available.

    Solid blocks can help to destroy the stingers.

    Another arena layout is a eight block high room stretching over a distance long enough to last for the duration of Queen Bee’s stinger attack. This arena is great for melee users because the Queen Bee AI for her stinger attack forces the Queen to be 1. Above the player, and 2. Within line of sight (in the same room as the player) which means that the Queen Bee must be close to the player, allowing for easy hits with short range weapons such as the TerragrimTerragrim / ArkhalisArkhalis. Keep in mind, though, that while this arena brings the player close to the Queen Bee without having to switch between jumping and attacking, it does mean that the player cannot effectively dodge her charge attacks without a grappling hook or accessory that allows for hovering. The Shield of CthulhuShield of Cthulhu helps with dodging as well.


    Gearing Up[]

    It's recommended to have at least 300 Health before you try to beat Queen Bee.

    Armor[]

    • A full set of at least Gold Armor should be acquired, but better armor is always an option. Other armor sets with set bonuses can be effective as well.
    • The Fossil armor or Necro armor are the only armor sets available for rangers, with Necro Armor obtainable in the Dungeon.
    • Crimson armor is excellent due to the high defense values and increased damage. Shadow armor is good too due to its speed buff and suits a melee playstyle.
    • The Wizard set, with magic-boosting or defense-boosting leg armor, provides the most damage for magic users. If defense is preferred, the Jungle armor or Meteor armor can be used.
      • Meteor armor's set bonus can make Space Gun and Gray Zapinator much more effective against Queen Bee since it reduces Space Gun's and Gray Zapinator's mana usage to 0.
    • The Obsidian armor is the best summoner armor set at this point in the game
    • Molten armor is the best pre-hardmode armor you can obtain if the Eater of Worlds or the Brain of Cthulhu have already been defeated (You may skip Brain of Cthulhu spawning the boss and just killing the Creepers it spawns).

    Weapons[]

    For Melee users:

    • For swords, a solid choice would be the Blade of GrassBlade of Grass; However, Queen Bee is immune to the Poisoned debuff.
    • Thorn ChakramThorn Chakram or FlamarangFlamarang are good at killing Queen Bee, due to their long range.
    • Flails are good choices for when the Queen is firing Bees at you, as they will pierce through the bees and hit the Queen too. A Blue MoonBlue Moon or The MeatballThe Meatball are good, and the SunfurySunfury is excellent.
    • For Yoyos, the AmazonAmazon and the Code 1Code 1 are a good option. The ValorValor is slightly better than these, but it requires beating Skeletron and finding one in the dungeon. The CascadeCascade is better than the Valor and is possible to obtain before defeating Queen Bee, but it is pretty difficult.

    For Ranged users:

    • Bow users should use a Demon BowDemon BowTendon BowTendon Bow or Molten FuryMolten Fury if they've got it.
    • Blood Rain BowBlood Rain Bowis an effective choice but requires a big arena to be used properly. It works best with Unholy arrows or Hellfire arrows if obtained. Keep another weapon to get rid of the bees.
    • A MusketMusket or The UndertakerThe Undertaker are decent and the MinisharkMinishark can also be used. The BoomstickBoomstick is also a very powerful choice. PC version PC, Console version Console, Mobile version Mobile, and tModLoader version tModLoader users that have already beaten Skeletron can get the Quad-Barrel ShotgunQuad-Barrel Shotgun. However, it is very inaccurate, so staying close to the boss is mandatory if using this.
      • Note that MinisharkMinishark is much less effective in Expert mode, especially in the later stages of the battle.
    • Silver BulletSilver Bullets/ Tungsten BulletTungsten Bulletsare the preferred bullets to use with the guns mentioned above. Meteor ShotMeteor Shots work better with the former two, since they don't have problems with the invincibility frames caused by piercing attacks.
    • The Star CannonStar Cannon's infinite piercing and high DPS makes this a viable choice, however, its ammo requires the user to take ammo conservation measures.
    • A BlowpipeBlowpipe with Poison DartPoison Darts is a cheap secondary weapon to apply Poison for a little extra damage, while still providing a fair amount of damage from the darts themselves.
    • Oddly, Heart Arrows perform their initial stopping ability, then permanently slow the queen, making them a great way to kill her on, assuming the Valentine Event is happening.

    For Magic users:

    • Crimson worlds will benefit from having the Crimson RodCrimson Rod, as you can fire it once and then switch to another weapon, increasing damage output.
    • The Space GunSpace Gun is an excellent weapon, especially when combined with Meteor armor. Its piercing effect will help with taking out the bees.
    • Gray ZapinatorGray Zapinator is also an excellent weapon, thanks to its high damage output, especially with Meteor Armor.
      • Make sure that there are no larva within the vicinity of the arena, as to not accidentally break a larva, summoning another Queen Bee.
    • The Ruby StaffRuby Staff or Diamond StaffDiamond Staff are both decent choices due to their low mana cost and decent piercing damage.
    • The Water BoltWater Bolt is a fantastic weapon if you're fighting inside of the Hive, due to how many times it can ricochet off walls. Additionally, it can be helpful for taking out bees due to how many times it can pierce.
    • The VilethornVilethorn is perfect for dealing with the bees she shoots at you.
      • This weapon should not be used on Expert and Master mode, as her massive defense will significantly reduce damage taken.
    • Magic MissileMagic Missile and its upgrade, FlamelashFlamelash can be used to quickly and repeatedly strike her with great accuracy.
    • The Demon ScytheDemon Scythe is a very strong option, while more difficult to obtain. If the Queen Bee uses its charge attack, it can potentially take several hits from a single scythe projectile. It also helps kill the summoned Bees. However, The Underworld must be visited.
    • The Book of SkullsBook of Skulls is a decent option due to its homing and piercing capabilities.

    For Summoners: In the Old-gen console version Old-gen console version, Windows Phone version Windows Phone version, Old Chinese version Old Chinese version, Nintendo 3DSNintendo 3DS version version, and tModLoader 1 tModLoader 1.3-Legacy version, summoners can't make use of any of its tools to kill Queen Bee, as it lacks gear of doing so. Meanwhile, the tips mentioned can be used for now, as Queen Bee drops materials needed for summoners to be viable.

    • The earliest minion Summoning weapon is the Slime StaffSlime Staff. The slime staff is extremely rare, and this weapon is very weak.
    • You could try to farm The Underworld for Hellstone to get the Imp StaffImp Staff, which is also the only good choice on expert mode, as the Slime Staff does not have enough base damage.

    In the PC version PC version, Console version Console version, Mobile version Mobile version, and tModLoader version tModLoader version, summoners have access to the Flinx Fur CoatFlinx Fur Coat, whips, and several summon weapons, not to mention even stronger equipment such as Obsidian Armor.

    For Throwing users:

    • GrenadeGrenades deal high amounts of damage, but you should be mindful of taking damage yourself. Combining this with gel will make Sticky GrenadeSticky Grenades which will be helpful for defeating the boss.
    • Molotov CocktailMolotov Cocktail are good choices which deal On Fire! to the Queen.
    • Poisoned KnifePoisoned Knives can poison the Queen, increasing your DPS.
    • Bone JavelinBone Javelins stick to the queen and deal 3 damage every second. The more you throw into her, the higher the sticking damage becomes.
    • Spiky BallSpiky Balls are useful against the Queen Bee since she will take damage while dashing through the platforms.

    Accessories[]

    Potions[]

    Specific Strategies[]

    Explosive Bunny Strategy[]

    This only works on the Desktop and Mobile versions of Terraria.

    Once you have obtained a way to summon Queen Bee (either by Larva or Abeemination) get a recall potion and 50 explosive bunnies (Master Mode will require over 60) and make a temporary home (or already made NPC home) on the farthest beach from your jungle to set your spawn in, along with a box to contain the explosive bunnies. Once you have prepared this, summon the Queen Bee and quickly use your recall potion, you'll have plenty of time to place the bunnies in their box before the Queen Bee arrives. Once you've filled the box, move 2 or more blocks away from the box on the opposite side of where Queen Bee is approaching, once she arrives she should die instantly to the explosive bunnies.


    Another viable strategy is to use a Magic Conch, Demon Conch, and Magic Mirrors, or a Shellphone to avoid deaths by teleporting away from Queen Bee, as she doesn't despawn when the player is far from her. By teleporting away and waiting for her to approach, following her icon on the map; you are able to make continuous visits to the Nurse to return to full health without risking dying in the process, or the Nurse's death.

    This strategy is more useful in Expert/Master mode and the For the worthy and Zenith seeds as your health will deplete faster than you can heal with potions due to the damage and health boosts monsters have.

    It isn't necessary to make an artificial jungle, as with proper timing of health potions for surviving the teleport away, this strategy also works while she is enraged.


    1. 1.0 1.1 Information taken from the PC version PC 1.4.0.5 source code, method AI() in Terraria.NPC.cs (under aiStyle == 43). Note that several of Queen Bee's stats, including stinger damage and defense, are hard-coded there. There may be inaccuracies, as the current PC version PC version is 1.4.4.9.
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