How Many Altars Should You Break in Terraria? A Comprehensive Guide
The question of how many altars to break in Terraria is a crucial one, directly impacting your progression and the state of your world. The short answer is: there isn’t a single “correct” number, but generally, breaking 3 to 6 altars is optimal. This strikes a balance between accessing the new Hardmode ores and managing the spread of Corruption/Crimson and Hallow. However, the nuances are worth exploring to make the most informed decision for your particular playthrough. Let’s dive into the details.
Why Break Altars in the First Place?
Demon Altars (found in Corruption worlds) and Crimson Altars (found in Crimson worlds) serve dual purposes. Firstly, they are essential crafting stations for pre-Hardmode items. Secondly, they are the key to unlocking Hardmode ore spawns upon destruction. When you defeat the Wall of Flesh, the world transitions to Hardmode, and smashing altars using the Pwnhammer (or a stronger hammer) will trigger the spawning of new ores. These ores are crucial for crafting powerful Hardmode gear, but this process comes with risks.
The Trade-off: Ores vs. Corruption/Crimson Spread
The core of the “how many altars” question lies in a significant trade-off. Every altar you break increases the amount of the newly spawned Hardmode ores across your world. This is fantastic for gearing up for late-game challenges. However, it’s essential to understand the downside: each altar broken also has a 2/3 (66.67%) chance of converting a random Stone Block in the Cavern layer into Ebonstone/Crimstone or Pearlstone. This conversion facilitates the spread of your world’s evil biome (Corruption or Crimson) and the Hallow, making the world more dangerous and requiring more effort in biome management.
The 3-Altar Rule and Diminishing Returns
A common strategy is to break just 3 altars. Doing so will spawn the initial three tiers of Hardmode ores – Cobalt/Palladium, Mythril/Orichalcum, and Adamantite/Titanium. This gives you access to the early hardmode progression gear. However, there is also a diminishing returns mechanic: Every 4th altar you break spawns fewer ores than before. This means breaking too many altars could lead to a world that has large sections being converted to evil and hallow biomes while not seeing a dramatic boost in available ore.
Why 6 Altars is Often Recommended
Breaking six altars maximizes the initial spawn rate of ore in your world, thus making more materials available for you. However, this is also a trade-off, since breaking six altars also means you are three times more likely to have a cavern layer stone converted to an evil block.
Fishing as an Alternative to Breaking Altars
It’s important to note that while breaking altars is a common approach to obtaining Hardmode ores, it isn’t the only method. You can acquire any and all Hardmode ores through fishing in crates. Fishing is time-consuming, but it allows you to avoid the world-altering effects of smashing altars. This is a good option if you want a low-risk method of getting hardmode gear, and it is sometimes preferable for players who want to keep their world as pure as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Altars in Terraria
Here are 15 common questions about altars, providing you with additional insights:
1. Do I have to break Altars in Terraria?
No, it’s not strictly necessary to break altars. You can obtain all Hardmode ores through fishing crates. However, breaking altars is often faster and a more common method for those who are trying to progress through the game.
2. What happens if I break more than 3 Demon/Crimson Altars?
Breaking more than three altars will increase the chance of Corruption/Crimson and Hallow spreading through your world due to the stone conversions. Additionally, the ore spawns diminish slightly every fourth altar broken.
3. Does breaking Demon Altars spread Corruption/Crimson?
Yes, each time an altar is destroyed there’s a 2/3 (66.67%) chance that a random Stone Block in the Cavern layer will be converted to Ebonstone/Crimstone or Pearlstone, facilitating the spread of Underground Hallow or Corruption/Crimson.
4. What happens if I destroy all Demon/Crimson Altars?
If you destroy all altars in your world, you won’t be able to craft items that require Demon/Crimson Altars in that world. However, you can always use the crafting stations in a different world with your existing character.
5. What hammers can break Demon/Crimson Altars?
Only the Pwnhammer or stronger hammers acquired during Hardmode can break altars. The Pwnhammer is always dropped by the Wall of Flesh.
6. Do Altars count towards the Corruption/Crimson percentage?
No, Altars and the generated ores do not count towards your world’s Corruption/Crimson percentage.
7. Can I turn Corruption into Crimson?
Yes, you can artificially create a Crimson biome in a Corruption world, and vice-versa. Spreading of both will behave as normal.
8. Does Demonite/Crimtane count as Corruption/Crimson?
No, Demonite or Crimtane ore themselves do not spread Corruption/Crimson.
9. Is Crimson better than Corruption?
It depends on player preference. Corruption is generally easier to deal with initially but offers weaker loot, whereas Crimson features more challenging enemies but provides access to powerful items like Vampire Knives and Ichor in Hardmode.
10. Why can’t I break the Crimson Altar?
You cannot break altars with a normal hammer. You need a Pwnhammer or a stronger Hardmode hammer to destroy them.
11. What do Crimson Hearts drop?
Both Crimson Hearts and Shadow Orbs drop a gun, magic weapon, melee weapon, light pet, and an accessory.
12. How do you summon the Brain of Cthulhu?
The Brain of Cthulhu can be summoned by breaking 3 Crimson Hearts in a Crimson world or by using a Bloody Spine in the Crimson biome.
13. Can the Jungle be corrupted?
Yes, unfortunately, Corrupted biomes spread very quickly through soft blocks, which includes mud and, therefore, the Jungle. You have to be especially careful when the jungle is near the world evil.
14. Does Hallow override Corruption/Crimson?
Yes, the Hallow can spread over Corruption/Crimson. However, they will not spread over one another, but instead create a diagonal “split” of biomes.
15. Do Sunflowers stop Corruption/Crimson?
Sunflowers can help control the spread. The two blocks directly underneath sunflowers cannot become Corrupted, Crimsoned, or Hallowed. Additionally, each sunflower decreases an area’s total Corruption rating by 5 tiles.
Conclusion
Breaking altars is a necessary step for progression in Terraria, but it needs careful consideration. While the temptation might be to smash every single one, the trade-offs make breaking 3 to 6 altars the most balanced approach. By understanding the risks and benefits, and exploring alternative options like fishing crates, you can make an informed decision that best suits your gameplay style. Ultimately, managing your world and progression effectively will lead to a much more enjoyable Terraria experience.