How Many Demon Altars Should I Mine in Terraria? A Comprehensive Guide
The question of how many Demon or Crimson Altars to destroy in Terraria is a crucial one for any aspiring adventurer. The answer isn’t a simple number but rather a balance of risk and reward. To cut straight to it: six Demon/Crimson Altars is generally considered the optimal number to break for most players seeking a good balance between new ore generation and managing the spread of Corruption/Crimson. However, this is not a one-size-fits-all answer, and the best strategy will depend on your specific goals and tolerance for risk.
Understanding the Mechanics of Altar Destruction
Before making a decision, it’s vital to grasp how breaking these altars affects your world. Each time a Demon/Crimson Altar is destroyed with the Pwnhammer (obtained from the Wall of Flesh), several things happen:
- Hardmode Ores are Generated: The world generates new Hardmode ores (Cobalt/Palladium, Mythril/Orichalcum, and Adamantite/Titanium). These ores are essential for crafting powerful gear that’ll help you progress through Hardmode.
- Random Block Conversion: There’s a 2/3 (66.67%) chance that a single random Stone Block in the Cavern layer will be converted to Ebonstone/Crimstone or Pearlstone, facilitating the spread of the Underground Hallow or Corruption/Crimson. This is the main reason why excessive altar breaking can lead to rampant biome spreading.
- Ore Generation Decreases: Each subsequent altar broken yields less ore than the previous one. The first altar broken provides the most ore, with each additional altar providing significantly less. The ore is also generated in a cycle of ores; for example, the first altar might generate a large amount of ore, while the fourth will generate the same ore with a much lower amount.
- No Impact on Corruption/Crimson Percentage: Although these altars are part of the world generation of the evil biomes, they do not count toward the corruption/crimson percentage of a world.
Why Six Altars is a Good Starting Point
The consensus among the Terraria community is that destroying six Demon/Crimson Altars offers the best balance for most players for these reasons:
- Decent Ore Yield: Breaking six altars provides a substantial amount of the initial ore, enough to craft early-Hardmode armor and weapons.
- Manageable Biome Spread: While the biome spread risk is still present with six altars, it’s not as extreme as breaking a large number of them.
- Avoid Over-Farming: Breaking too many altars quickly diminishes the rewards and increases the amount of corruption spreading.
Alternatives: Three or More than Six Altars
- Three Altars: Breaking only three Demon/Crimson Altars minimizes the risk of Corruption/Crimson spread significantly. This option is suitable if you’re highly concerned about the spread of the evil biomes or if you want to take a slower approach to progression. However, you might find yourself struggling with ore scarcity.
- More than Six Altars: Destroying more than six altars provides diminishing returns in ore generation, although the total ore generated is technically unbounded by the game’s mechanics. However, the risk of significant biome spread and a greatly lowered amount of ore generation means it is generally advised against breaking more than six.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does Breaking Demon Altars Spread Corruption?
Yes, breaking Demon/Crimson Altars does contribute to the spread of Corruption/Crimson. Each destroyed altar has a 2/3 chance of converting a single random Stone Block in the Cavern layer to Ebonstone/Crimstone or Pearlstone, which can then cause additional spreading of the evil biomes.
2. What Happens if You Destroy All Crimson Altars?
If you destroy all Crimson Altars, you can no longer use them as crafting stations in that world. However, you can always craft the items from Crimson Altars in other worlds, as characters carry over.
3. How Do You Use a Crimson Altar?
Crimson Altars are primarily crafting stations. Stand next to them, open your inventory, and craft items such as boss summoning items and the Night’s Edge.
4. How Many Crimson Altars Should You Break?
Similar to Demon Altars, destroying six Crimson Altars is typically the best balance. Destroying twelve altars will roughly double the ore provided by the first three; tripling that original allotment would require destroying 33 altars.
5. What Hammer Can Destroy Demon Altars?
Only the Pwnhammer or any hammer that is stronger (such as the Hamaxe) obtained after defeating the Wall of Flesh can destroy Demon/Crimson Altars. Normal hammers cannot break them.
6. Can You Turn Corruption into Crimson?
Yes, you can create Crimson in a Corruption world and vice-versa. The spreading mechanics work normally regardless of the world generation.
7. Is Crimson Better than Corruption?
Whether Crimson or Corruption is “better” is subjective. Corruption is generally considered easier early-game, while Crimson has harder enemies, but its Hardmode loot, like the Vampire Knives and Ichor, are often deemed more powerful.
8. What Happens if You Destroy Three Crimson Hearts?
Destroying three Crimson Hearts (or Shadow Orbs in a Corruption world) summons the Brain of Cthulhu (or the Eater of Worlds), which will immediately spawn. This is usually a crucial step to advancement early game.
9. Does the Brain of Cthulhu Despawn?
Yes, the Brain of Cthulhu will despawn if all players die, leave the Crimson, or if the Brain of Cthulhu goes too far from the Crimson itself. However, the battle can be resumed if players return before it fully despawns.
10. How Do You Permanently Stop Crimson from Spreading?
To permanently stop Crimson/Corruption from spreading, dig a tunnel that is at least three blocks wide, preferably six, around the biome. This trench will prevent the evil blocks from spreading past it.
11. How Do You Permanently Purify Crimson?
Use the Clentaminator with Green Solution or Purification Powder bought from the Dryad. Spray these on the Crimson to purify it, converting it back to normal grass, dirt, and stone.
12. Do Sunflowers Stop Corruption?
Yes, Sunflowers can help stop the spread of Corruption/Crimson. They prevent two blocks directly underneath them from becoming Corrupted/Crimsoned, and each Sunflower decreases an area’s total Corruption rating by 5 tiles.
13. Do Demon Altars Count as Corruption?
No, Demon/Crimson Altars do not count toward the corruption percentage of your world, though their destruction can cause its spread.
14. What Does Palladium Look Like in Terraria?
Palladium Ore is an orange-colored Hardmode ore, similar to Copper Ore, but more saturated in color. It’s generated after breaking an altar and is an alternative to Cobalt.
15. Do Crimson Hearts Spread Crimson?
No, Crimson Hearts and Shadow Orbs do not spread the Crimson/Corruption. They are generated during world creation, and only the converted blocks will lead to further spread.
Conclusion
Deciding how many Demon/Crimson Altars to break in Terraria is a careful balancing act. While six altars offer a solid mix of ore generation and manageable biome spread, other strategies are viable. Evaluate your risk tolerance, gear progression, and whether you want to focus on one of the Hardmode ores, before making a choice. Ultimately, there is no ‘wrong’ answer, as experimentation and adaptation to different scenarios is a core part of the Terraria experience. The information in this guide should empower you to make an informed decision that suits your play style.