Pumpkin Moon and Frost Moon for Summoners (FINISHED)

[Zemecon]

OK, so I know these events are definately doable for the other three classes but I can't seem to make them work for my Summoner character and embarressingly enough this includes both Normal Mode and Expert Mode. Right now I am using summoning weapons exclusively but I have a Scourge Of The Corruptor currently on the character just in case...but it still doesn't help much.

I have an arena but it is quite a ways off the ground, though it has a platform ladder leading down to the surface. The arena has lava and is rigged with Lihzahrd traps and it still doesn't help because the Elf Copters go right through it.

I would like to find a way to do these efents with as little help from other class weapons as possible, preferrably exclusively with Summoner weapons only. Any way I can do this that I seem to have missed?

Thanks for reading.

EDIT: Updated the title.

[Cruzzie]

Look up Yrimir on youtube, he's got a summoners playthrough where he does very well in his later Pumpkin moons.

[Zemecon]

OK. I will check that out. I hope he has Frost Moons, too, because those are giving me the most trouble. With Pumpkin Moons the biggest problem is a lack of pumpkins (at the moment).

[Distruebix]

Originally posted by Zemecton:

OK. I will check that out. I hope he has Frost Moons, too, because those are giving me the most trouble. With Pumpkin Moons the biggest problem is a lack of pumpkins (at the moment).

Do the Pumpking Moon first ( It's easier for me at least ), There are some nice summoner drops like the Raven Staff and an assessory ( forgot what it was )

[Ruinae Retroque Rursus]

The Frost Moon is one of the hardest events to a) farm or b) have an effective arena. Nobody really cares about the Elf Zombies, but what people do care about are the Ice Queen, Santank (or whatever), and Everscream.

And those things go through blocks. Lots.

Ice Queen is almost impossible to AFK farm (which I know you're not doing), as she just runs around, often off the screen. Santank's easier but has so much health the DPS of traps and lava is just not worth it (monsters have invincibility too!) Everscream is probably the easiest to beat... probably. It can still run through blocks and climb.

Anyway, I don't have much advice for you except from "good luck, you'll need it" and advice to do the Pumpkin Moon first: you'll get good minion drops if you fight long enough. (Necromantic Scroll from the Mourning Wood and the Raven Staff from Pumpking).

I also might suggest fighting Duke Fishron, as one of his drops is a powerful summoning weapon. DF's drops are great :P (one for each class!) Of course, that's assuming you can kill him.... :P

[pencil_girl]

Lots of spear traps and time. You might check out Diceman's youtube channel for a really good arena set up. I typically run summoner but backed up by magic weapons sooooo…. Good luck!

[Zemecon]

Alright. Thanks, guys.

I've already defeated Duke Fishron I think two or three times before 1.3 came out (once on singleplayer and once or twice on Multiplayer with other players) so I have most of his drops, and I have done the Pumpkin Moon and Frost Moon quite a few times on Multiplayer with Ranged and Magic, but I don't have achievements for either Fishron or the two Moon events. Which is kinda what I am going for right now. If I can't do a Summoner run then I will go with Ranged or Magic. I've just never done Summoner before 1.3 and I've been doing great with that so far. It would be a shame to turn back now. We will see how it goes.

[Shade]

From my own experience, the Summoner class is absolutely amazing for exploration and building since the minions will swiftly take out most normal enemies, but it kinda pales against bosses, where raw DPS or tankiness (neither of which summoners really have) are more important.

Letting your minions do all the work while not attacking yourself is wasting half the class' potential; if you're on a crimson world, even just applying the ichor debuff to your enemies will cause your minions' DPS to skyrocket.

However, if you've really set your mind on not using other class weapons for some help, the only solution is to improve either your arena or your minions; if you can't improve your minions directly, you'll need accessoires to make up for it.
If you want to go all out on the DPS, equip both a Celestial Shell and a Celestial Stone (both of which also help you survive), a Moon Stone (for the purposes of these two events and most boss fights), a Necromantic Scroll, a Papyrus Scarab, and a Pigmy Necklace (or a Hercules Beetle / Summoner Emblem, depending on your preferences); the arena and/or your mount (or buffs - Gravitation Potions still work, for instance, they're just awkward to use) will have to compensate for the resulting lack of mobility on your part.
For armor, use Spooky Armor until you've hit your minion cap, then switch to Tiki Armor for the extra minion and better defense, as minions determine their stats at the point of summoning as far as I'm aware.

[Zemecon]

Thanks.

I am using additional weapons now. My arena is too high so I need to do most of the fighting on the platform ladder I built directly under it. If this still doesn't work then I will construct another arena that is on the ground and I will switch to Ranged or Magic.

Currently my record for an exclusive Summoner run of the Frost Moon is somewhere in the middle of Wave 12 but beyond that the Ice Queens keep getting me, sending me back to spawn, and killing me there, too, until morning starts.

[Shade]

I take it you're already using all buffs that help you survive?
(Regeneration, Ironskin, Endurance, Lifeforce, Warmth (for Frost Moon), Swiftness, a campfire, a heart lantern, and honey bubbles or a honey pool).
What mount are you using? If it's Cute Fishron or the UFO, it's okay to move away from your arena for dodging purposes once the Ice Queens start swarming you; killing those is the only good way to progress the event at that point anyway. A teleporter wired to your Nurse's house for quick full heals might also be a solution (you'll either need to be quick or use Auto-Pause, though, or she'll die).

Having Warding rather than Menacing on all of your accessoires also helps quite a bit.

And, if you have a crimson world, as overrated as they are on their own - using Vampire Knives with a Flask of Ichor while your minions do the DPS works amazingly well.

[Zemecon]

Wow. Some very good tips right there. Thanks. I will try those out. I actually wasn't thinking about the Shrimpy Truffle or the Cosmic Car Key because I haven't reached that stage of the game with my Summoner character yet but every little bit helps. The campfires and Heart Lanterns are something I really should have thought about. The Nurse NPC trick with a transporter would work, too. And the Vampire Knives... I don't have a Crimson world on me right now but my pre-1.3 archived world has one still in a chest so I will go get that. And, yes, I do have the mitten accessory that negates the Frost debuff so I am good in that area.

More work to do, I guess.

[Zemecon]

UPDATE:

I just completed both Moon events, Frost Moon first and then Pumpkin Moon, almost exclusively as Summoner with minimal (OK maybe not that minimal) assistance from the Vampire Knives. It took a LOT of flying around near the end and at one point with the Frost Moon it was looking like the 4th of July with my Lunar Portal Staff and Rainbow Crystal Staff (yes I used some endgame equipment) but the achievements are there in my profile as proof. Funny thing was I didn't know I had gotten the Ice Scream achievement until after I checked my profile. I walked away from all that with nine trophies and a heck of a lot of loot.

You know you've really played this game when trophies actually start to mean something.