Which Mechanical Boss Should You Fight First? A Terraria Guide
Choosing the right mechanical boss to tackle first in Terraria can significantly impact your progression through Hardmode. The decision isn’t always straightforward, as each boss presents unique challenges and rewards. While there’s no single “correct” answer, a common recommendation and a good starting point for most players is to face The Destroyer first. This is primarily because, with the right strategies and gear, it is often considered the easiest of the three mechanical bosses and provides loot that’s beneficial for taking on the other two.
Why Start with The Destroyer?
The Destroyer is a large mechanical worm comprised of multiple segments. This characteristic is both its strength and weakness. While its size might seem intimidating, its segments share a single health pool, which means area-of-effect attacks are highly effective. Furthermore, the individual segments don’t do a lot of damage on their own, making it less likely to be overwhelmed if you’re adequately prepared with Hardmode gear.
Advantages of Fighting the Destroyer First:
- Ease of Combat: Compared to The Twins and Skeletron Prime, the Destroyer’s attack pattern is generally more predictable. It primarily moves in straight lines, allowing for easier aiming and evasion.
- Effective Loot: The Destroyer drops Hallowed Bars, which are crucial for crafting many powerful Hardmode items. These bars can be used to create weapons and armor that are effective against both the Twins and Skeletron Prime.
- Daedalus Stormbow: A crucial item mentioned frequently by players, a key strategy for fighting the Destroyer involves the use of the Daedalus Stormbow with Holy Arrows. This combination provides excellent piercing damage, making short work of the boss’s segments.
- Less Demanding Gear: You can usually take on the Destroyer with some of the earlier Hardmode gear, such as Adamantite or Titanium armor, without needing the absolute best-in-slot items.
Alternatives: Why Some Players Prefer The Twins
While the Destroyer is generally favored, The Twins are a viable first boss, especially if you prefer magic-focused builds. The Twins consist of two independent entities, Retinazer and Spazmatism, each with its own health bar.
Advantages of Fighting the Twins First (especially for Magic users):
- Magic Item Drops: The Twins drop essential magic items, including the Optic Staff and various Souls of Sight, beneficial for those pursuing a magic-based progression.
- More Controlled Arena: The Twins fight is slightly more contained compared to the Destroyer, with a more focused arena. This might be preferable if you are better at dealing with one or two targeted enemies rather than many spread out ones.
- Learning Experience: The Twins provide a good learning experience in terms of dodging and weaving between enemy attacks.
Downsides of Fighting the Twins First:
- Coordination: The simultaneous nature of fighting two enemies with unique attacks patterns can be overwhelming.
- Higher Initial Difficulty: Many find the Twins more challenging than the Destroyer initially, particularly without specific gear.
Skeletron Prime: A More Challenging Option
Skeletron Prime is generally considered the most complex and challenging of the three mechanical bosses. It is essentially a more advanced version of Skeletron.
Why Skeletron Prime is Often Fought Last:
- Complex Mechanics: Skeletron Prime has four individual limbs with unique attacks, requiring more tactical dodging and targeting.
- Potentially Higher Gear Requirements: Players usually benefit from better gear before attempting Skeletron Prime, which they usually get from the other mechanical bosses.
Final Recommendation
While preferences vary, starting with The Destroyer is generally the most accessible and strategic approach for most Terraria players. This allows you to quickly acquire crucial loot like Hallowed Bars, gear up more effectively, and prepare yourself to tackle the Twins and Skeletron Prime more confidently. If you are more comfortable with playing magic then the twins may be a better option.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What gear should I prioritize before fighting any mechanical boss?
For the first mechanical boss, aim for Adamantite or Titanium armor and weapons suited to your class. Potions and buffs are crucial for increased survivability and damage output. Remember, you can obtain pre-hardmode items and weapons, which are also very useful in these fights.
2. Which boss drops the best loot overall?
All three mechanical bosses drop essential loot, but the Destroyer’s Hallowed Bars are particularly useful for crafting various Hardmode weapons and armor early on.
3. Can I fight all three mechanical bosses at once?
Yes, you can trigger a special event called Mecha Mayhem, which spawns all three mechanical bosses simultaneously. This is typically only attempted by highly skilled players.
4. What happens after killing my first mechanical boss?
Defeating your first mechanical boss will: Spawn the Steampunker NPC, enable Solar Eclipses, and open more items at the Truffle NPC.
5. Can I skip the mechanical bosses entirely?
No, you cannot. Killing the mechanical bosses is required to progress through the Hardmode stages of the game and unlock other essential content.
6. What is the best weapon to use against The Destroyer?
The Daedalus Stormbow with Holy Arrows is widely considered one of the most effective weapons against The Destroyer, allowing you to strike multiple segments at once.
7. Is the Brain of Cthulhu or the Eater of Worlds harder?
The Brain of Cthulhu is generally considered to be more difficult due to its random debuffs.
8. What are the main attack patterns of each mechanical boss?
The Destroyer moves in straight lines, the Twins have unique attack patterns in both of their forms, and Skeletron Prime has four limbs each with their own attack.
9. What happens after killing all three mechanical bosses?
After killing all three, you will get the status message “The jungle grows restless…” which indicates the spawning of Plantera’s Bulbs. Reapers and Mothrons will now also spawn during Solar Eclipses.
10. Is it better to play Melee, Magic, or Ranged for these boss fights?
All three classes are viable for all of the bosses; however, certain equipment is better suited for specific bosses. For example, Magic is useful against the twins due to the Optic Staff.
11. How important is arena preparation for these fights?
Arena preparation is crucial. Create a flat space with some Heart Lanterns and Campfires to boost health regeneration.
12. Can the mechanical bosses spawn naturally?
No, mechanical bosses do not spawn naturally. They need to be summoned using specific items.
13. How does difficulty affect mechanical boss fights?
Difficulty modes increase health, damage, and alter some attack patterns. Prepare accordingly for higher difficulty levels.
14. What is the hardest mechanical boss to defeat?
The Twins are widely considered the most challenging by most players due to their coordinated attack pattern.
15. Is there a specific order I should follow after the mechanical bosses?
After the mechanical bosses, the next step is to defeat Plantera in the Jungle, using Plantera’s Bulbs. You can also at anytime fight Duke Fishron, a more difficult hardmode boss, for extra loot.