What Does Destroying Altars in Terraria Do?
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Destroying Demon Altars (in Corruption worlds) or Crimson Altars (in Crimson worlds) in Terraria is a pivotal action that triggers several significant events, primarily tied to progression and world changes. When you smash an altar with the Pwnhammer (obtained by defeating the Wall of Flesh), several things occur:
- Hardmode Ores Spawn: Each altar destroyed spawns a random Hardmode ore in your world. These are Cobalt/Palladium, Mythril/Orichalcum, and Adamantite/Titanium. The first altar destroyed generates the first tier ore, the second altar spawns the second tier ore, and the third altar spawns the third tier ore. After the third, ores continue to be spawned, cycling back through the tiers.
- Corruption/Crimson or Hallow Spread: There is a 2/3 (66.67%) chance that a single random Stone Block in the Cavern layer will be converted to Ebonstone/Crimstone or Pearlstone. This facilitates the spread of the Underground Hallow or Corruption/Crimson, potentially altering large swathes of your world.
Essentially, destroying altars is necessary to obtain essential Hardmode ores, but it comes with the drawback of increasing the spread of evil/holy biomes, potentially requiring players to manage these changes in their world. You also must destroy altars to gain access to many important hardmode crafting recipes. Let’s delve deeper into the nuances of this core mechanic.
Understanding Altar Destruction Mechanics
Hardmode Ore Generation
The most significant immediate benefit of smashing altars is the generation of Hardmode ores. These ores are critical for crafting weapons, armor, and tools necessary for tackling the challenges of Hardmode. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
- First Altar: Spawns either Cobalt or Palladium, depending on world generation.
- Second Altar: Spawns either Mythril or Orichalcum.
- Third Altar: Spawns either Adamantite or Titanium.
- Subsequent Altars: Continue spawning ores in the same cycle (Cobalt/Palladium, Mythril/Orichalcum, Adamantite/Titanium).
It’s essential to note that the ore types are randomly generated based on world generation. You’ll either get Cobalt, Mythril and Adamantite or Palladium, Orichalcum, and Titanium.
Biome Spread
The second major consequence of destroying altars is the spread of the Hallow or Corruption/Crimson. Each time you break an altar, a random stone block in the cavern layer has a high chance of converting to either:
- Ebonstone or Crimstone: Which will spread Corruption or Crimson.
- Pearlstone: Which will spread the Hallow.
This change significantly increases the rate at which these biomes spread, both on the surface and underground. The rate of spread is further intensified upon entering Hardmode. It is crucial to be prepared for this increased biome spread, as it can consume large parts of your world if left unchecked. This biome spread does not include Crimson Hearts or Shadow Orbs.
Strategic Considerations
Knowing the effects of altar destruction allows you to strategize your approach in Terraria.
- Early Preparation: Before entering Hardmode, mining paths toward multiple altars can be beneficial so you can quickly access them after defeating the Wall of Flesh.
- Controlled Smashing: Breaking only a few altars initially can help moderate the spread of the Hallow or Corruption/Crimson while providing the necessary ores.
- Biome Management: Preparing barriers using materials like clay, bricks, silt, or ash is crucial to contain biome spread. These are non-corruptible materials. Sunflowers can also stop the spread of corruption in pre-Hardmode.
- Crafting Needs: Keeping at least one altar alive is crucial for crafting hardmode items, unless you’re willing to travel to other worlds to craft.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How many altars should I destroy?
Generally, destroying six altars is considered optimal for a good balance between ore generation and biome spread. Destroying only three altars will reduce the spread but may limit your ore acquisition, whereas destroying more than six will drastically accelerate biome spread without significantly increasing ore drops.
2. What happens if I destroy all the altars in my world?
If you destroy every altar in your world, you will lose the ability to craft items that require altars. This will affect several hardmode item recipes. However, because characters carry their progress from world to world, you can always load into another world to craft any altar recipes that you might need.
3. Can you break Crimson Altars with a normal hammer?
No, you cannot destroy Demon Altars or Crimson Altars using a normal hammer. You need the Pwnhammer, dropped by the Wall of Flesh, to destroy them.
4. What is the Pwnhammer?
The Pwnhammer is a Hardmode hammer that allows you to destroy Demon Altars and Crimson Altars. It has a sparkle effect that gives off light even in complete darkness and is obtained exclusively from the Wall of Flesh.
5. Does smashing altars spread Corruption?
Yes, each time you destroy an altar, there is a 2/3 chance that a random block of stone in the cavern layer will be converted into Ebonstone or Crimstone (Corruption/Crimson) or Pearlstone (Hallow). This directly contributes to the spread of these biomes.
6. What happens when you enter Hardmode?
Entering Hardmode, achieved by defeating the Wall of Flesh, permanently alters your world. New biomes (Hallow) are generated, and existing evil biomes spread more rapidly and aggressively. Hardmode also introduces new enemies, items, and bosses.
7. What happens when you destroy a Crimson Heart or Shadow Orb?
Destroying Crimson Hearts or Shadow Orbs can summon a meteorite during nighttime. Destroying three Crimson Hearts will summon the Brain of Cthulhu, a hardmode boss. These do not impact the spread of infection.
8. What are Souls of Night used for?
Souls of Night are Hardmode drops from mobs in the Underground Corruption/Crimson used to craft essential Hardmode items, such as weapons and armor.
9. Do Crimson Hearts spread Crimson?
Crimson Hearts do not spread Crimson. The Crimson spreads primarily through the conversion of adjacent blocks of dirt or stone. Hearts only appear upon initial world generation.
10. Should I get rid of the Corruption/Crimson?
Deciding whether to remove the Corruption/Crimson is a matter of preference. Leaving it intact allows access to biome-specific drops, such as mimics and biome chests. Removing it can protect your base and prevent further spread.
11. What does Palladium look like?
Palladium Ore is an orange-colored Hardmode ore, which replaces Cobalt in a given world. It has a copper-like appearance, but is slightly more saturated in color.
12. Does Corruption spread after entering Hardmode?
Yes, Corruption/Crimson and Hallow spread much more quickly and aggressively after entering Hardmode, including underground via stone and vines.
13. How do I summon the Twins?
The Twins can be summoned using a Mechanical Eye at night. They are two separate entities, Retinazer and Spazmatism, that must both be defeated to beat the boss.
14. What are chainsaws used for?
Chainsaws are tools that quickly destroy trees and cacti. They are viable melee weapons as they can deal large amounts of damage quickly.
15. What blocks can’t be corrupted?
The Corruption/Crimson and Hallow cannot spread through clay, bricks, silt, or ash. Sunflowers can also prevent the spread of corruption pre-Hardmode.
Understanding the implications of destroying altars is essential for navigating the challenges of Terraria. Knowing how to strategically break them, manage biome spread, and acquire essential materials is key to progression and success in your Terraria adventure.