Is Cobalt Good in Terraria? A Deep Dive into Hardmode Metals

So, you’ve smashed a few Demon Altars and suddenly the world’s overflowing with new metals. Cobalt’s one of the first you’ll see, but is it actually any good? The short answer is: Cobalt is a decent, but ultimately early-game Hardmode material. It’s a stepping stone to better gear. While it’s not the strongest option, it’s valuable for getting you off the ground after defeating the Wall of Flesh and entering Hardmode. Think of it as the training wheels of Hardmode – helpful to start, but quickly outgrown.

Cobalt: The Hardmode Training Wheels

Cobalt spawns after you break your first Demon or Crimson Altar in Hardmode. You’ll primarily find it in the cavern layer, and it can be mined with a Molten Pickaxe or better. Cobalt provides you with Cobalt equipment that is cheaper to craft when compared to other Hardmode materials. While it’s not amazing, it allows you to tackle early Hardmode enemies and challenges, but you’ll quickly want to upgrade to better ores like Mythril or Adamantite.

Here’s a breakdown:

Early Hardmode Access: Cobalt gear is relatively easy to obtain, giving you a much-needed boost to survive the initial onslaught of stronger enemies.
Cheaper Crafting: Cobalt items require fewer bars to craft compared to later-tier Hardmode materials.
Outclassed Quickly: Cobalt’s stats are significantly lower than later-tier ores like Mythril, Orichalcum, Adamantite, and Titanium.
Palladium’s Shadow: In worlds where Palladium generates instead, Cobalt becomes even less desirable, as Palladium offers slightly better stats across the board (except for niche cases where Cobalt’s movement speed boost or mana reduction is specifically beneficial).

Cobalt vs. Palladium: The Early Game Choice

Cobalt and Palladium are mutually exclusive; only one will generate in your world. Palladium is generally considered better. Here’s the showdown:

Palladium Advantage: Palladium offers higher defense, more damage, and increased critical strike chance compared to Cobalt.
Cobalt’s Niche: Cobalt provides a slight movement speed bonus and can reduce mana or ammo consumption (depending on the specific piece of equipment). If you’re playing a class that benefits significantly from either of these benefits, such as a mage struggling with mana in early hardmode, then Cobalt is an excellent choice.
Healing Factor: Palladium armor provides a regeneration bonus.
Overall Winner: Palladium’s advantages in defense, damage, and critical strike chance usually make it the preferred ore.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Cobalt in Terraria

Let’s tackle some common questions players have about Cobalt:

1. Is Cobalt ore good in Terraria?

Cobalt ore is good in the sense that it’s a necessary stepping stone in early Hardmode. It allows you to craft weapons, armor, and tools to deal with the increased difficulty. However, it is quickly surpassed by other Hardmode ores.

2. Is Cobalt better than Palladium?

Generally, Palladium is better than Cobalt. It offers superior defense, damage, and critical strike chance. Cobalt’s only advantage is a small movement speed boost and potential mana/ammo cost reduction.

3. What can I do with Cobalt in Terraria?

Cobalt ore can be smelted into Cobalt Bars, which are then used to craft armor, weapons, and tools such as the Cobalt Pickaxe and Cobalt Drill.

4. Is Cobalt armor worth it?

Cobalt Armor is worth crafting when you first enter Hardmode. It provides a significant stat boost over pre-Hardmode armor, allowing you to survive against stronger enemies. However, it’s a temporary solution, and you should aim to replace it with Mythril or Orichalcum armor as soon as possible.

5. Is Cobalt Armor better than Jungle Armor?

Cobalt Armor and Jungle Armor have identical base stats. The main difference is their appearance. Both armor sets can even be mixed and matched, retaining their set bonuses.

6. Is Cobalt drill or pickaxe better?

The Cobalt Drill and Cobalt Pickaxe are functionally very similar. The drill is slightly faster. The key difference is that drills cannot be reforged with size, speed, or knockback modifiers like pickaxes can.

7. How rare is Cobalt Ore?

Cobalt/Palladium are the most common of the Hardmode ores that spawn after breaking Demon or Crimson Altars.

8. Can Cobalt be used to make weapons?

Yes, Cobalt Bars can be used to make various weapons, such as the Cobalt Sword, Cobalt Repeater, and Cobalt Chakram.

9. What is the next ore to look for after Cobalt?

After obtaining Cobalt, your next goal should be to find and mine Mythril or Orichalcum. These ores are stronger and allow you to craft better gear.

10. How do I find Cobalt ore?

Cobalt ore spawns in the cavern layer after breaking Demon or Crimson Altars. Explore the underground and look for the distinctive blue ore veins.

11. Can I skip Cobalt armor and go straight to Mythril?

Yes, you can skip Cobalt armor if you manage to find Mythril or Orichalcum quickly. However, surviving in early Hardmode without any Hardmode armor can be challenging.

12. Does Cobalt ore respawn?

Yes, Cobalt ore respawns every time you break a Demon or Crimson Altar after the initial three. Breaking more altars increases the amount of Cobalt that generates in your world.

13. Is Cobalt immune to explosions?

Yes, Cobalt ore is immune to all types of explosions.

14. How much is Cobalt worth?

While the article mentions real-world cobalt prices, in Terraria, Cobalt’s worth is relatively low compared to later-tier Hardmode ores. Its value primarily lies in its utility as a stepping stone to better gear.

15. What is the strongest metal in Terraria?

Luminite is the strongest ore in Terraria. It is dropped by the Moon Lord and is used to craft endgame armor and weapons.

Beyond Cobalt: The Journey Continues

While Cobalt is a useful starting point, remember that it’s just the beginning of your Hardmode journey. Focus on upgrading your gear as quickly as possible to tackle the more challenging bosses and events that await. Don’t get stuck relying on Cobalt gear for too long.

Further Exploration

To learn more about game design and the educational impact of games, consider visiting the Games Learning Society website at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. They offer valuable insights into the intersection of gaming and education.

Cobalt is a means to an end. It is one of the first steps needed to take to get through the game. If you are in hardmode, Cobalt should be one of the first things you go for.

Is cobalt good in Terraria?