Can a Demonite Pickaxe Mine Hellstone in Terraria?
No, a Demonite Pickaxe cannot mine Hellstone in Terraria. This is a common point of confusion for players, especially those new to the game, as the Demonite Pickaxe is a significant upgrade in the early game. While it can efficiently mine many early-game materials like Demonite Ore, Ebonstone, and other basic blocks, Hellstone requires a higher tier of pickaxe to extract.
The Demonite Pickaxe is created from Demonite Bars, smelted from Demonite Ore, which is commonly found in The Corruption. It’s an important tool in progression, but its capabilities are limited when it comes to the formidable materials found in the Underworld, where Hellstone resides. To delve deeper into the fiery depths of the Underworld, players need to reach for tools capable of withstanding and breaking through the tougher mineral deposits.
The primary reason the Demonite Pickaxe is ineffective against Hellstone boils down to the tiering of tools and materials in Terraria. Hellstone, a material found exclusively in the Underworld, is a significantly more robust mineral requiring a pickaxe of the same tier or higher to mine. Therefore, players must seek out other options for harvesting Hellstone.
Which Pickaxes Can Mine Hellstone?
As the Demonite Pickaxe is not up to the task, players must explore other options to obtain Hellstone. There are several pickaxes that can effectively mine this resource, primarily falling into two categories: pre-Hardmode pickaxes capable of mining Hellstone and Hardmode pickaxes.
Pre-Hardmode Pickaxes
Here are the pre-Hardmode pickaxes able to mine Hellstone:
- Nightmare Pickaxe: This pickaxe is crafted using Demonite Bars and is the direct upgrade to the Demonite Pickaxe. It is one of the most common ways to access Hellstone mining in pre-Hardmode.
- Deathbringer Pickaxe: This is the counterpart to the Nightmare Pickaxe, created using Crimtane Bars found in Crimson worlds. It shares the same functionality as the Nightmare Pickaxe regarding Hellstone mining.
- Molten Pickaxe: Crafted from Hellstone Bars, the Molten Pickaxe is a strong pre-Hardmode option, but requires access to Hellstone initially.
- Reaver Shark: This pickaxe can be obtained by fishing in the Ocean, making it a unique way to mine Hellstone without directly battling early-game bosses, though it has weaker overall mining speed than the Molten Pickaxe.
Hardmode Pickaxes
After defeating the Wall of Flesh, you will encounter Hardmode ores and new, stronger pickaxes:
- Pickaxe Axe: This combines the pickaxe and axe functionalities, is made from the souls and hardmode bars of your world
- Shroomite Digging Claw: The fastest pickaxe in the game
- Picksaw: Made from Golem drops
- Luminite Pickaxes: The final pickaxes in the game
Why Can’t the Demonite Pickaxe Mine Hellstone?
To reiterate, the Demonite Pickaxe’s inability to mine Hellstone is due to the tiered system of mining tools and materials in Terraria. Each type of pickaxe has a specific ‘pickaxe power’ which determines which blocks it can mine. Hellstone requires a pickaxe with sufficient pickaxe power, which the Demonite Pickaxe simply does not possess. The game is structured so that players must overcome challenges and bosses to gain the necessary equipment to progress further and access new materials.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the fastest way to obtain Hellstone in pre-Hardmode?
Using Obsidian Skin Potions and the Reaver Shark pickaxe is generally considered the easiest and fastest way to mine hellstone in pre-Hardmode. The potions will give immunity to lava and will allow you to jump into large pools for quick access.
2. Can explosives be used to mine Hellstone?
In pre-Hardmode, explosives cannot mine Hellstone. You must use a pickaxe of sufficient power.
3. Is the Molten Pickaxe better than the Reaver Shark?
The Reaver Shark is generally considered the best pre-Hardmode pickaxe for mining, although the Molten Pickaxe is slightly faster at mining stone.
4. What is the best pre-Hardmode pickaxe?
For most purposes, the Reaver Shark is the best pre-Hardmode pickaxe. However, the Molten Pickaxe is better at mining the weaker types of stone, but is generally slower overall.
5. What does Hellstone look like in Terraria?
Hellstone is dark grey with red veins, and it emits a faint glow in the Underworld. When mined, it also releases a small lava droplet.
6. What is the purpose of Demonite Ore?
Demonite Ore is used to create Demonite Bars, which are used to craft tools, weapons, and armor, making it a very important resource early on.
7. What is the Crimson counterpart to Demonite Ore?
The counterpart to Demonite Ore in Crimson worlds is Crimtane Ore.
8. Can you skip the Molten Pickaxe?
It is possible to skip the Molten Pickaxe. You must either get a Reaver Shark or use a high mining power pickaxe, such as the Picksaw.
9. What is the fastest pickaxe in Terraria?
The Shroomite Digging Claw is the fastest pickaxe in Terraria.
10. What is the best pickaxe in the game for mining all types of blocks?
The Shroomite Digging Claw can mine almost every block in the game and is the fastest.
11. What is needed to mine Hellstone?
You need at least a Nightmare or Deathbringer Pickaxe to mine Hellstone in pre-Hardmode.
12. Where can I smelt Hellstone?
Hellstone is smelted into Hellstone Bars at a Hellforge, which is found in the Underworld.
13. How can I become immune to lava in Terraria?
You can use Obsidian Skin Potions to become temporarily immune to lava damage, or the Lava Charm and its derivatives to stay submerged in lava safely for a few seconds.
14. What pickaxes are used for mining Dungeon Bricks?
The Nightmare Pickaxe or higher can mine Dungeon Bricks found above depth 0.
15. Are Drills or Pickaxes better in Terraria?
Pickaxes generally perform better on optimized loadouts, while drills are faster on non-optimized setups. Drills now also dig faster than their pickaxe counterparts, but have shorter range.
In summary, while the Demonite Pickaxe is a valuable tool for early-game progression in Terraria, it cannot mine Hellstone. To access this crucial material, players must seek out higher-tier pickaxes such as the Nightmare or Deathbringer Pickaxes, the Reaver Shark, or the Molten Pickaxe. This tiered progression is a core element of Terraria, guiding players to explore, battle, and obtain stronger tools to conquer new challenges.