What Can Corruption Spread Through in Terraria? A Comprehensive Guide
The insidious Corruption biome in Terraria is a constant threat, relentlessly attempting to engulf your world. Understanding its spread mechanics is crucial for any aspiring Terrarian. So, what exactly can Corruption spread through? The short answer is that Corruption can spread through most natural, default blocks, particularly after entering Hardmode. These include, but are not limited to: grass, sand, mud, and stone. This makes it a formidable foe, requiring diligent management to prevent its overwhelming expansion. However, a few notable blocks remain untouched, giving players strategic advantages. Let’s delve into the details and explore how you can effectively combat the encroaching purple menace.
How Does Corruption Spread?
Pre-Hardmode Spread
Before defeating the Wall of Flesh and entering Hardmode, the spread of Corruption is relatively slow and contained. At this stage, it primarily affects surface-level grass, which then slowly expands to nearby corruptible blocks. However, the rate of expansion increases drastically once Hardmode is activated.
Post-Hardmode Spread
After defeating the Wall of Flesh, the rate at which Corruption spreads accelerates significantly. Moreover, many more blocks become susceptible to conversion. Specifically, stone, sand, and ice blocks are now viable targets for Corruption. This makes containment a much more challenging endeavor, requiring careful planning and consistent maintenance. The Corruption will aggressively seek out new blocks to corrupt within a 3-tile radius. This means if a corrupt block exists, it can convert all corruptible blocks within the 3 tile range and so on.
Artificial Spreading
Players are not only subject to natural spread. They can also artificially create or propagate Corruption using the following methods:
- Corrupt Seeds: These items are used to plant corrupted grass on dirt blocks.
- Unholy Water: Throwing this liquid onto suitable blocks will initiate their conversion to Corruption.
- Clentaminator with Purple Solution: The Clentaminator is a late-game tool that, when paired with Purple Solution (bought from the Steampunker during a Blood Moon in Corruption worlds), allows for rapid conversion of blocks into the Corruption.
What Blocks Are Immune to Corruption?
While the majority of natural blocks are at risk, some are impervious to the Corruption’s touch. These blocks can be leveraged for defensive structures and barriers. Here are the main blocks that cannot be corrupted:
- Clay: A relatively common early-game resource that is immune to Corruption.
- Bricks: Any brick type is resistant to the spread of Corruption.
- Silt: This sedimentary material won’t fall to the purple plague.
- Ash: Typically found in the Underworld, this block is unaffected by Corruption.
- Wood: Standard wood blocks will not convert into corrupted forms.
- Gray Brick: A simple brick made from stone.
These blocks provide a crucial strategic advantage. You can use these blocks to build barriers around your base or other important structures to create safe zones.
Strategies to Control Corruption Spread
Here are some methods to control the spread of Corruption:
- Quarantine Trenches: Digging a 3-tile wide trench around the edges of your base and lining it with non-corruptible blocks, like wood, can create an effective barrier.
- Clentaminator: This late-game tool, paired with Green Solution, can be used to purify corrupted blocks back to their original state.
- Sunflowers: Placing Sunflowers at the edge of your base can prevent Corruption spread in a small area. They also reduce the overall corruption rating within the area of effect by 5 tiles.
- Strategic Placement: Understanding that Corruption spread is based on proximity means placing corruptible blocks more than 3 tiles away from other corruptible blocks can prevent spread.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions regarding Corruption and its spread in Terraria:
1. Can Walls Be Corrupted?
No, Corruption/Crimson/Hallow does not spread through walls. The change in wall appearance is purely visual, occurring within an 8-block radius of converted blocks. However, be aware that vines and thorns can spread Corruption, despite not being walls themselves.
2. Does Breaking Altars Spread Corruption?
Yes. Each time you destroy a Demon or Crimson Altar, there’s a 66.67% chance that a single, random Stone Block in the Cavern layer will be converted to either Ebonstone (Corruption), Crimstone (Crimson), or Pearlstone (Hallow), facilitating the spread of evil biomes.
3. Can Hallow Stop Corruption?
Yes, to an extent. Hallow can convert Corruption into grass blocks. While Hallow can spread over the Corruption, the process is slow and will only convert the blocks to grass, not corrupt the stone or other more basic blocks.
4. Can Crimson Turn Into Corruption?
No, the Crimson does not convert into Corruption. However, a world can naturally generate with either corruption or crimson. You can artificially spread either corruption or crimson in a world already with one or the other.
5. Do Sunflowers Completely Prevent Corruption?
No. Sunflowers prevent Corruption from spreading under them, and can help prevent side ways spread from grass. They also reduce the overall Corruption level within the area of effect. They are beneficial, but not a complete preventative measure.
6. Is It Possible to Completely Eliminate Corruption?
Yes. It is possible to completely purify your world of Corruption. However, this can take weeks of in-game time, especially after defeating the Wall of Flesh due to the increased rate of spread. Using the Clentaminator and digging tunnels through impure areas are highly effective methods.
7. Should I Let Corruption Spread?
While it might seem desirable to eradicate Corruption, leaving a contained area of Corruption/Crimson and Hallow can be beneficial for farming items specific to those biomes, such as Souls and Biome Mimics.
8. Can Demonite Ore Spread Corruption?
No. Demonite Ore does not spread Corruption. It is simply a resource obtained from the Corruption biome.
9. Can Water Stop Corruption?
While water can create holes that may slow down the spread, it doesn’t directly stop Corruption. Corruption spreads on solid blocks and walls, not water. Be sure that blocks surrounding any water features are non-corruptible.
10. Can You Spread Corruption With a Clentaminator?
Yes. The Clentaminator with Purple Solution is the fastest way to spread Corruption rapidly. This is useful if you wish to create a biome for specific farming.
11. Can NPCs Live in the Corruption?
No, NPCs cannot live in the Corruption or Crimson. If they are forced to move there they will leave as they are considered invalid housing. The Hallow is a far better option for NPC housing, as they will be perfectly content there.
12. Can Mud Be Corrupted?
Yes. Mud has its own corrupt, crimson, and hallowed variants. It will not convert into dirt. Corrupted mud can be turned back into Jungle grass using Green Solution from a Clentaminator.
13. How Far Down Can Corruption Spread?
Corruption can spread as far down as possible so long as there are corruptible blocks. Keep in mind that in hardmode, stone, ice, sand etc. can also be corrupted. The spread will be limited to the 3 block range.
14. Is Crimson Better Than Corruption?
Whether Crimson is better than Corruption is subjective and depends on your preferences. Corruption is considered easier but has weaker loot, while the Crimson has more annoying enemies initially but offers more powerful benefits in Hardmode, like Vampire Knives and Ichor.
15. How Many Demon Altars Should I Break?
Breaking Demon Altars spawns new ores but also increases infection rates. A good number is to break six altars for maximum ore balance. Breaking less may not provide enough ore, while breaking more reduces ore spawns and increases the chance of infection.
Understanding how Corruption spreads, what blocks it can and cannot infect, and strategies to control it will allow you to better defend your Terraria world. Use the information provided to build effective defenses and contain the purple plague. Good luck, Terrarian!