Progressing in Classic Terraria: Hardmode

Tips and strategies to progress in Classic mode.

Introduction

This is the second part of a 2-part guide on how to progress in a Classic playthrough. The first part can be found below and guides you on how to prepare for Hardmode.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2160934797
Hardmode in Terraria is where the difficulty ratchets up substantially. Once Hardmode begins you would notice that new enemies would spawn and are much more difficult than most enemies in pre-Hardmode. Despite all your preparation in pre-Hardmode, your best armour sets and weapons obtained in pre-Hardmode offer little protection from new enemies in Hardmode. Any Hardmode enemy can easily kill your character.

Refer to this wiki page[terraria.wiki.gg] for a Hardmode guide. You might also find this wiki page[terraria.wiki.gg] helpful.

Backup your save files
By now you would have spent many hours in pre-Hardmode. To prevent the accidental lost of all (or a substantial amount) of your progress, learn how to manually backup your save files. By default, your save files are located under the folder path:

<computer-name>\Documents\My Games\Terraria

where "<computer-name>" is specific to your computer. Under the above folder path, the most important folders are "Players" and "Worlds". The most important configuration files are "config.json", "favorites.json", and "input profiles.json". To manually backup your save files, simply copy the above folders and files and save them to a safe location such as an external USB storage device or an online file hosting server. As a safety measure, backup everything under the above folder path to an external storage device or file hosting server. Remember to regularly and manually backup your save files. Do not rely on Steam cloud to backup your save files. A weekly manual backup is a good start. After you have made substantial progress, e.g. finished building an elaborate NPC house, consider making a manual backup of your save files. The video below shows how to make a manual backup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG6ubqdNtD8
Contain the Hallow
As soon as Hardmode starts, your world would undergo 3 drastic changes. First, 2 giant diagonal strips consisting of evil biome blocks would spawn. Second, the spread of the Crimson/Corruption ratchets up to an aggressive notch. Third, a new evil biome called the Hallow[terraria.wiki.gg] would spawn. If you have taken measures during pre-Hardmode to contain the spread of the Crimson/Corruption, the only evil biome you should be concerned with during Hardmode is the Hallow. Travel around your world at the Surface layer, looking for where the Hallow spawned and contain it. You might need to dig 2 or more Hellevators as a way to box in the Hallow from other biomes. This task would most likely kill your character a few times as Hardmode enemies are substantially more powerful than pre-Hardmode enemies. That is OK. Prevent the spread of the Hallow as soon as possible so you would be able to concentrate on other tasks such as upgrading your armour and weapons.

Compact NPC houses
During Hardmode, you would be able to rescue a few more NPCs and various other NPCs would appear provided certain conditions are met. Having contained the Hallow, your next order of business is to construct suitable housing for NPCs that only appear during Hardmode. There is no need to spend too much time on building an elaborate housing for each NPC. For now, focus on creating a few compact NPC houses and move on to upgrade your equipment. NPC houses can be upgraded later in the game when you have more powerful armour sets and weapons and access to more types of building materials. Build your compact NPC house at least 6 blocks above ground level as a way to prevent Wraiths from reaching the house. During Hardmode, Wraiths[terraria.wiki.gg] would spawn at night and these enemies can phase through solid blocks. They can also travel vertically along background walls.

A compact NPC house can be as small as being 5 blocks wide and 12 blocks high, with the interior being 3 blocks wide and 10 blocks high. Instead of a Table, you use a Work Bench. Place a torch and a sufficient number of background walls. Enclose the lower part of the floor of the compact house so that when you talk to an NPC inside the house, you won't be harassed by enemies. The following video shows a design of a compact NPC house.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE5b1-1HCT4
For less compact, yet small and stylish, houses refer to the following video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiFT3A7PoWI

Hardmode ores

Before you fight any Hardmode bosses, you should upgrade your armour sets, weapons, and tools to those that are better than what can be crafted with Hellstone Bars[terraria.wiki.gg]. To do so, use the Pwnhammer[terraria.wiki.gg] to smash a few Demon/Crimson Altars[terraria.wiki.gg]. The first Altar smashed would bless your world with a type of ore way better than Hellstone, namely Cobalt[terraria.wiki.gg] or Palladium[terraria.wiki.gg]. Mining Cobalt or Palladium Ores require at least a Molten Pickaxe[terraria.wiki.gg]. The second Altar smashed would spawn Mythril[terraria.wiki.gg] or Orichalcum[terraria.wiki.gg]. Mining Mythril or Orichalcum Ores require at least a Cobalt/Palladium Pickaxe. Finally, the third Altar smashed would spawn Adamantite[terraria.wiki.gg] or Titanium[terraria.wiki.gg]. Mining Adamantite or Titanium Ores require at least a Mythril/Orichalcum Pickaxe. Once you have obtained enough Mythril/Orichalcum Bars, craft a Mythril/Orichalcum Anvil[terraria.wiki.gg], which can later be used to craft an Adamantite/Titanium Forge[terraria.wiki.gg]. The above types of Hardmode ores and bars can also be obtained via fishing. The type of ore spawned after smashing an Altar depends on your world. After the third Altar, smashing more Altars would cycle through the same types of ores. No matter what you do, leave at least one Altar alone. You need a Demon/Crimson Altar to craft various items.

Your Molten armour set[terraria.wiki.gg] should provide adequate protection when combined with the Imp Staff[terraria.wiki.gg]. Also consume any potions to boost your defense and damage output. It's not necessary to craft any of the Cobalt, Palladium, Mythril, or Orichalcum armour sets. Go straight for the Titanium[terraria.wiki.gg] or Adamantite armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. In terms of defense, the Titanium armour set provides better protection from enemies than the Adamantite armour set. For melee characters, the Titanium armour set is an excellent choice. The main reason is that after hitting an enemy, a Titanium shard would spawn and hover around your character. After hitting enemies multiple times, more shards would spawn, creating a protective barrier around your character. Each shard can hit any enemies that come close to your character.

The Titanium shards are especially useful during AFK farming, where enemies that can phase through solid blocks would spawn to kill your character. Place your character inside one of the farms you setup during pre-Hardmode, equip the full Titanium armour set, summon an Imp, and farm while AFK. There's a good chance that your character would not die easily from enemies that can phase through solid blocks. However, if your farm is located at the Cavern layer, there is a small chance that biome specific Mimics[terraria.wiki.gg] would spawn and easily kill your character. Be sure to place a Campfire and Heart Lantern nearby. Also consider setting up and placing your character inside a small pool of Honey. The Campfire, Heart Lantern, and Honey pool all help to greatly regenerate your HP while you're AFK farming. A further measure of security consists of setting up a suitable housing inside your farm, placing a bed, and use the bed to set your spawn point. Once slain, your character would spawn inside the farm to continue with AFK farming.

Refer to the following video for more tips on what to do at the start of Hardmode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzLwePboKK4

Souls farm

Souls[terraria.wiki.gg] are ingredients used to craft a variety of weapons, accessories, and other items. An example of the use of souls is in the crafting of wings.

Many of the boots[terraria.wiki.gg] allow you to run extremely fast and some even have minimal flight capability. To boost your mobility further, try purchasing or crafting a pair of wings[terraria.wiki.gg]. As soon as Hardmode begins, wait until nighttime and purchase a pair of Leaf Wings from the Witch Doctor[terraria.wiki.gg] while he is in the Jungle biome. Soul of Flight[terraria.wiki.gg] allows you to craft more powerful wings and the crafting usually requires at least 20 or so Souls of Flight. A number of wings also require Feathers[terraria.wiki.gg], which are dropped from Harpies[terraria.wiki.gg]. Wyverns[terraria.wiki.gg] are the only source of Souls of Flight. In a large world, Wyverns spawn at a depth of at least 1,000 feet above ground. Check the wiki page for Wyverns for the depth at which these creatures would spawn and in which type of world (small, medium, large). Use the Depth Meter[terraria.wiki.gg], GPS[terraria.wiki.gg], PDA[terraria.wiki.gg], or the Cell Phone[terraria.wiki.gg] to help you locate the depth at which Wyverns would spawn.

The construction of a Wyvern and Harpy farm should be completed before Hardmode begins. The reason is simple: Wyverns are very tough during early Hardmode. Setup the farm during pre-Hardmode where you only have to deal with Harpies harassing you. The video below shows an example of a Wyvern/Harpy farm in action. The farm has various rows of Dart Traps[terraria.wiki.gg], each row consisting of 31 Dart Traps, each Dart Trap wired to a 1/4 Second Timer[terraria.wiki.gg], all powered by a bird engine. A dart can travel for up to 2,700 blocks before being despawn. The Minecart Track in the video stretches as far as 2,700 blocks. During a farming session, ensure you stack a lot of defense, HP regeneration, luck, and enemy spawn rates. Also stack passive attacks such as those afforded by Thorns Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Inferno Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Bee Cloak[terraria.wiki.gg], and minions. Refer to the section "Hallow farm" for a detailed description of the tunnel farm design.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkFdxhGWYBk
The above design can be used to setup a structure at the Cavern layer in the Crimson/Corruption and Hallow, as shown in the videos below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcGSpf8sem0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrBNcoVeIhg

Hallow farm

Preparation
Generally, you should construct a farm within a game-generated Hallow[terraria.wiki.gg] biome, not during pre-Hardmode. The Hallow biome can be dangerous without adequate preparation. Equip at least the Titanium armour set[terraria.wiki.gg], use the Imp Staff[terraria.wiki.gg], have a stack of Healing Potions[terraria.wiki.gg] ready, and use a hard hitting weapon. Equip accessories that boost your damage output and reforge each of them to have the Warding modifier. Mining[terraria.wiki.gg] and Builder[terraria.wiki.gg] Potions would help significantly with the construction process, as well as a food item that grants the Exquisitely Stuffed buff. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.wiki.gg] if possible. Hardmode bosses drop Greater Healing Potions, but you might find it easier to farm the ingredients from the surface and underground of the Hallow.

Why setup a Hallow farm?
Within the Hallow biome, consider setting up a farm at the Cavern layer. The reasons are fourfold:

1. Enemies in the underground Hallow drop Soul of Light[terraria.wiki.gg], which is used to craft many items, including items to spawn 2 of the mechanical bosses.
   
2. Enemies in the underground (and surface) Hallow drop Hallowed Keys[terraria.wiki.gg], items that can be used to open Hallowed Chests[terraria.wiki.gg] found in the Dungeon.
   
3. Chaos Elementals[terraria.wiki.gg] spawn only at the Cavern layer underneath the Hallow biome. They have less than 1% chance to drop useful loots, in particular the Rod of Discord[terraria.wiki.gg].
   
4. Hallowed Mimics[terraria.wiki.gg] spawn in the underground Hallow. Upon defeat, a Hallowed Mimic drops Greater Healing/Mana Potions. Many players farm Hallowed Mimics for the Daedalus Stormbow[terraria.wiki.gg] as the weapon can be used to defeat a number of Hardmode bosses. Hallowed Mimics can also be spawned by using a Key of Light[terraria.wiki.gg], an item that must be crafted using Soul of Light.

Due to the above reasons, among others, you might as well construct a farm at the Cavern layer underneath the Hallow.

Design
Locate the Cavern layer underneath the Hallow and start making preparations to build your farm. The classic pyramid design might serve you well during pre-Hardmode, but in Hardmode biome specific Mimics would spawn and can phase through solid blocks. Boxing yourself inside a pyramid (or any confined space) would make it difficult to fight such Mimics because they have high defense and damage output. Instead, consider setting up a kill tunnel as shown in the following image. The farm shown in the image uses Lihzahrd Bricks[terraria.wiki.gg] and Super Dart Traps[terraria.wiki.gg], items that are available only late in Hardmode. At this point in Hardmode and prior to defeating any of the mechanical bosses, use Dart Traps[terraria.wiki.gg] and setup an artificial Jungle biome by means of Mud Blocks and Jungle Grass Seeds.

As shown in the video below, the kill tunnel has 2 compartments, one atop the other. Each compartment of the kill tunnel has 3 blocks of vertical clearance and 200 blocks of horizontal clearance. The 2 compartments are separated from each other by a horizontal strip of 200 blocks. Each compartment has 2 rows of (Super) Dart Traps, each row having 31 (Super) Dart Traps and each (Super) Dart Trap is wired to a 1/4 Second Timer[terraria.wiki.gg]. The (Super) Dart Traps have been Actuated so they can fire through each other. Each 1/4 Second Timer is triggered by a Yellow Pressure Plate[terraria.wiki.gg] that is activated by a bird spawned from a Bird Statue[terraria.wiki.gg]. Once reaching the end of the tunnel of Yellow Pressure Plates, the bird is hoiked into the 1 block of lava where it is killed.

Your character rides along a length of Minecart Tracks[terraria.wiki.gg] stretching underneath the kill tunnel. The pool of lava underneath the Minecart Tracks serves 2 purposes: (1) prevent enemies from spawning outside of the kill tunnel; (2) as a means of killing Hallowed Mimics. Hallowed Mimics are tough to kill early in Hardmode. The pool of lava can chip down a small amount of a Hallowed Mimic's HP. For a quick kill, summon a Flying Imp[terraria.wiki.gg] and use the Minishark[terraria.wiki.gg] with Ichor Bullets[terraria.wiki.gg].

Place at least 4 sets of items to increase your defense, HP regeneration, luck[terraria.wiki.gg], and enemy spawn rates. A Bast Statue[terraria.wiki.gg] increases your defense by 5; the effect does not stack with multiple nearby Bast Statues. Use a Hallowed Campfire[terraria.wiki.gg] and Heart Lantern[terraria.wiki.gg] for HP regeneration; the effects of these items stack with each other. Luck is increased by placing a Garden Gnome[terraria.wiki.gg] and Hallowed Torches[terraria.wiki.gg]; the effects of these types of items stack with each other. Remove any nearby torches that are not Hallowed Torches as non-Hallowed Torches can decrease your luck. Before you start farming, consume a Luck Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] to further increase your luck. To increase the enemy spawn rates, place a Water Candle[terraria.wiki.gg] and setup an artificial Jungle biome underneath the Minecart Tracks. A Battle Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] can be used during a farming session to further increase the rate at which enemies spawn.

The pool of lava can prevent some enemies from spawning outside of the kill tunnel. It might happen that some enemies do spawn outside of the kill tunnel. How would you force most, if not all, enemies to spawn within the kill tunnel? Answer: fill in all caverns and holes near your farm. Going right from the right edge of your farm, measure 90 blocks and fill in all caverns and holes within this 90 block vicinity. Do the same for the left side of the farm. Going left from the left edge of your farm, fill in all caverns and holes within a 90 block vicinity. Going upward from the top edge of the farm, fill in all caverns and holes within a 50 block vicinity. Similarly, going downward from the bottom edge of the farm, fill in all caverns and holes within a 50 block vicinity. From the position of your character, enemies can spawn within 84 blocks to the left or right of your character. Enemies can also spawn within 47 blocks upward or downward from your character. I chose the numbers 90 and 50 because I find these numbers easier to remember than 84 and 47.

The next video shows the above setup in action. As you ride a Minecart, regularly use your weapon and jump to force Chaos Elementals to spawn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrBNcoVeIhg
The video below uses a pyramid design.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyFxXi4xHgM

Battle setup

This section collects some tips that are common to fighting most, if not all, Hardmode bosses and events. Refer to this wiki page[terraria.wiki.gg] for detailed information on which armour items, weapons, and accessories to equip for a specific class.

Defense
If you haven't done so, use Life Crystals[terraria.wiki.gg] to obtain 400 HP. Once you have defeated at least one mechanical boss, Life Fruits[terraria.wiki.gg] would spawn and consuming 20 Life Fruits would permanently increase your HP to 500. Against the early Hardmode bosses, e.g. the 3 mechanical bosses, equip your best armour set, preferably the Titanium armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. After defeating all 3 mechanical bosses, farm Chlorophyte Ores[terraria.wiki.gg] and Turtle Shells[terraria.wiki.gg] to craft the Turtle armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. After defeating Plantera[terraria.wiki.gg], farm Golem[terraria.wiki.gg] for Beetle Husk to craft the Beetle armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.wiki.gg] to increase your defense by 5. Consume these potions: Endurance Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Ironskin Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Lifeforce Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], and Regeneration Potion[terraria.wiki.gg]. A Heartreach Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] should help to pick up Hearts dropped by bosses or other enemies.

Weapon
Summon a minion and use a Summoning Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Bewitching Table[terraria.wiki.gg]. In Hardmode, you can purchase a Bewitching Table from the Witch Doctor[terraria.wiki.gg]. To boost the damage output of your minions, consider equipping the Summoner Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg]. Consume the following potions: Wrath Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Rage Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Archery Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] (if you use a bow), and Thorns Potion[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Inferno[terraria.wiki.gg] and Titan Potions[terraria.wiki.gg] are not necessary, but are useful in case enemies spawn nearby to harass you. The Inferno Potion is especially effective against Duke Fishron who tends to fire Detonating Bubbles[terraria.wiki.gg] that home in on your character. The effect of the Inferno Potion can neutralize the bubbles. Melee characters should use the Sharpening Station[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Warrior Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg]. Those using guns should have the Ammo Box[terraria.wiki.gg] and Ammo Reservation Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] ready and equip the Ranger Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg]. Bow characters have the option of equipping the Ranger Emblem and the Magic Quiver[terraria.wiki.gg] and other items that can be crafted from the Magic Quiver. Magic users should consider equipping the Sorcerer Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg] and use the Crystal Ball[terraria.wiki.gg]. Later on in Hardmode, you would be able to craft the Avenger Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Destroyer Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg], both of which boost damage to all weapons. The Mechanical Glove[terraria.wiki.gg] specifically boosts damage to melee weapons, whereas the Celestial Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg] boosts your magic damage output. Most, if not all, of the effects of the Avenger Emblem, Celestial Emblem, Destroyer Emblem, and Mechanical Glove stack with each other to significantly boost your damage output.

Accessory
Equip an Obsidian Shield[terraria.wiki.gg], or a better shield, reforged to have the Warding modifier. Late in Hardmode, you would be able to upgrade the Obsidian Shield to the Ankh Shield[terraria.wiki.gg]. Any other accessories you equip should also have the Warding modifier. You can trade defense for damage output by reforging your accessories to have the Menacing or Lucky modifiers. All emblems and accessories should be reforged to have either the Warding, Menacing, or Lucky modifier. The Warding modifier grants you an extra +4 defense, which is especially useful against tough late-game bosses. The Menacing modifier boosts your damage output by +4%. This is useful to have for all weapons, but especially for weapons that are slow or do not have rapid auto-firing. The Lucky modifier boosts your critical strike chance by +4%. This modifier is well suited for weapons that are quick or have rapid auto-firing.

Other
A food item that grants the Exquisitely Stuffed[terraria.wiki.gg] buff, e.g. Burger[terraria.wiki.gg] or Steak[terraria.wiki.gg]. A Swiftness Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] should help with your mobility, so do Asphalt Blocks[terraria.wiki.gg]. Both of the Night Owl[terraria.wiki.gg] and Shine Potions[terraria.wiki.gg] should help you to see better at night or when underground.

The Destroyer

The Destroyer[terraria.wiki.gg] is a tougher mechanical version of the Eater of Worlds[terraria.wiki.gg]. Unlike the Eater of Worlds, you can summon The Destroyer in any biome, but only during nighttime. The Destroyer is summoned by using a Mechanical Worm[terraria.wiki.gg]. This boss summoning item can be crafted. If you have not yet defeated the The Destroyer for the first time in your Hardmode world, then most enemies spawned by the game have less than 1% to drop a Mechanical Worm. Furthermore, provided that The Destroyer remains undefeated in the current Hardmode world and you have smashed at least one Demon/Crimson Altar[terraria.wiki.gg], the boss has a 10% of spawning at 7:30 pm. You might want to farm The Destroyer for Soul of Might[terraria.wiki.gg], an ingredient used in crafting the Megashark[terraria.wiki.gg].

Refer to these for detailed strategies for defeating the boss:
https://terraria.wiki.gg/wiki/Guide:The_Destroyer_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dimyrj5oFCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buK4Azir2R4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXdmFMUWSJU
Below is a simple strategy for fighting The Destroyer. Refer to the section "Battle setup" for general tips on preparing for Hardmode bosses, whereas the tips below are specific to The Destroyer.

Arena
A long strip of levelled ground on the Surface layer, preferably at the surface of the Ocean[terraria.wiki.gg] biome. Use Asphalt Blocks[terraria.wiki.gg] to enhance your movement speed. Place a few Campfires and Heart Lanterns along the arena.

Defense
The Destroyer and its Probe[terraria.wiki.gg] minions can deal lots of damage, making it necessary to stack a ton of defense. Equip your best armour set, preferably the Titanium armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. A Heartreach Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] should help to pick up Hearts dropped by defeated Probes.

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Tsunami[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Unreal modifier and using Holy Arrows[terraria.wiki.gg]. This weapon can make short work of The Destroyer, but is rather difficult to farm from Duke Fishron[terraria.wiki.gg]. The next best option is the Daedalus Stormbow[terraria.wiki.gg], which can be tough to farm from Hallowed Mimics[terraria.wiki.gg]. The section "Hallow farm" details how to farm Hallowed Mimics and other enemies within the underground Hallow biome. The Molten Fury[terraria.wiki.gg] should work fine, provided you also reforge it to have the Unreal modifier and use Holy Arrows. Prepare at least one stack of 999 Holy Arrows. Your Imp Staff[terraria.wiki.gg] should have the Mythical modifier. Use a Summoning Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Bewitching Table[terraria.wiki.gg] to summon 3 Flying Imps.

Accessory
Equip an Obsidian Shield[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Warding modifier. These accessories should each have the Menacing modifier: Moon Stone[terraria.wiki.gg], Moon Shell[terraria.wiki.gg], Magic Quiver[terraria.wiki.gg], and Ranger Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg]. Any 2 of the following can be used instead of the Moon Stone and Moon shell: Stinger Necklace[terraria.wiki.gg], Moon Charm[terraria.wiki.gg], and Charm of Myths[terraria.wiki.gg]. If you use the Daedalus Stormbow or the Tsunami, consider reforging each of your accessories to have the Lucky modifier.

Each of the following videos uses one of the above mentioned bows to defeat The Destroyer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7sHOPy4f3k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCPt4H8Hb1w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM4Wqc-TG0w

Skeletron Prime

Similar to The Destroyer[terraria.wiki.gg], Skeletron Prime[terraria.wiki.gg] is a tougher mechanical version of its pre-Hardmode counterpart: Skeletron[terraria.wiki.gg]. If you have not yet defeated Skeletron Prime for the first time in your Hardmode world, then at dusk (i.e. 7:30 pm) there is a 10% chance the boss would spawn as long as you have smashed at least one Demon/Crimson Altar[terraria.wiki.gg]. The boss can also be summoned at nighttime by using a Mechanical Skull[terraria.wiki.gg], which can be crafted or obtained as a random drop from most game-generated enemies (provided the boss remains undefeated in the current Hardmode world).

Refer to these for detailed strategies for defeating the boss:
https://terraria.wiki.gg/wiki/Guide:Skeletron_Prime_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyFLWBbC9N0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I2fVeypXFc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XAwA_gzrb8
Below is a simple strategy for fighting Skeletron Prime. The section "Battle setup" contains general tips on preparing to fight Hardmode bosses, whereas the tips below are specific to Skeletron Prime.

Arena
A long strip of levelled ground on the Surface layer, preferably your Skyway. Use Asphalt Blocks[terraria.wiki.gg] to enhance your movement speed if necessary. Place a few Campfires and Heart Lanterns along the arena.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 400. Equip your best armour set, preferably the Titanium armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.wiki.gg] to increase your defense by 5.

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Megashark[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Unreal modifier and using Ichor Bullet[terraria.wiki.gg]. Prepare at least one stack of 999 Ichor Bullets. Crafting the Megashark requires Soul of Might[terraria.wiki.gg], which can be farmed from The Destroyer. The next best option is the Minishark[terraria.wiki.gg]. Aim your weapon at the boss' head. Your Imp Staff[terraria.wiki.gg] should have the Mythical modifier. Use a Summoning Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Bewitching Table[terraria.wiki.gg] to summon 3 Flying Imps. Consider using the Ammo Box[terraria.wiki.gg] and an Ammo Reservation Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] to conserve your bullets.

Accessory
Equip an Obsidian Shield[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Warding modifier. These accessories should each have the Menacing modifier: Ranger Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg], Stinger Necklace[terraria.wiki.gg], Moon Charm[terraria.wiki.gg], and Charm of Myths[terraria.wiki.gg]. As the Megashark is a rapid auto-firing gun, consider reforging each of your accessories to have the Lucky modifier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrwq1RZiHpg

The Twins

The Twins[terraria.wiki.gg] are a more difficult mechanical version of the Eye of Cthulhu. The Twins drop a number of useful resources, chief among which are Hallowed Bars[terraria.wiki.gg] and Soul of Sight[terraria.wiki.gg]. Consider farming The Twins for these two resources as they can be used to craft the Optic Staff[terraria.wiki.gg], an item that summons 2 minions more effective and aggressive than Flying Imps. You might notice by now that the fire projectile of a Flying Imp is useless against any creature underwater. The miniature Twins summoned by an Optic Staff can overcome this shortcoming of a Flying Imp.

The Twins can be summoned by using a Mechanical Eye[terraria.wiki.gg], but only during nighttime. If The Twins have not yet been defeated in the current Hardmode world, then the boss has 10% of spawning at 7:30 pm. Furthermore, if you have also smashed at least one Demon/Crimson Altar[terraria.wiki.gg], most enemies generated by the game have less than 1% chance to drop a Mechanical Eye.

Refer to these for detailed strategies on defeating the boss:
https://terraria.wiki.gg/wiki/Guide:The_Twins_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tgmNEiMBns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbBBCr4fKew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3sSO_OJLpI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI7wQVWw-7g
The strategy below is similar to that for fighting Skeletron Prime. The section "Battle setup" contains general tips on how to prepare for fights against Hardmode bosses, whereas the following tips are specific to The Twins.

Arena
A very long strip of levelled ground on the Surface layer, preferably your Skyway. Place a few Campfires and Heart Lanterns along the arena.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 400. Equip your best armour set, preferably the Titanium armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.wiki.gg] to increase your defense by 5.

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Megashark[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Unreal modifier and using Ichor Bullet[terraria.wiki.gg]. Prepare at least one stack of 999 Ichor Bullets. Crafting the Megashark requires Soul of Might[terraria.wiki.gg], which can be farmed from The Destroyer[terraria.wiki.gg]. The next best option is the Minishark[terraria.wiki.gg]. Aim your weapon at one of the giant mechanical eyeballs until it is defeated. Then take down the remaining eyeball. Your Imp Staff[terraria.wiki.gg] should have the Mythical modifier. Use a Summoning Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Bewitching Table[terraria.wiki.gg] to summon 3 Flying Imps. Consider using the Ammo Box[terraria.wiki.gg] and an Ammo Reservation Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] to conserve your bullets.

Accessory
Equip an Obsidian Shield[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Warding modifier. These accessories should each have the Menacing modifier: Ranger Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg], Stinger Necklace[terraria.wiki.gg], Moon Charm[terraria.wiki.gg], and Charm of Myths[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Charm of Myths serves 2 purposes: (1) gradual HP regeneration; and (2) reduce the amount of cool down time for consuming potions. Equipping the charm allows you to drink more HP potions during the fight than without the charm. Since the Megashark is a rapid auto-firing gun, consider reforging each of your accessories to have the Lucky modifier.

Other
Equip a horse mount bought from the Zoologist. Coupled with your Skyway, the mount allows you to constantly outrun The Twins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhxxscXXZyM

Solar Eclipse

Whereas a Blood Moon[terraria.wiki.gg] occurs during nighttime, in Hardmode the daytime counterpart of the Blood Moon is the Solar Eclipse[terraria.wiki.gg]. Enemies spawned during a Solar Eclipse are much more difficult than those spawned during a Blood Moon, but the items dropped during a Solar Eclipse make it worthwhile to farm this daytime event.

Why would you want to farm a Solar Eclipse? Many players farm a Solar Eclipse in order to obtain the following items, among others: Moon Stone, Broken Bat Wing, Death Sickle, Deadly Sphere Staff, and Broken Hero Sword. The Moon Stone[terraria.wiki.gg] buffs various stats, but only during nighttime or a Solar Eclipse, making the item a valuable accessory to equip while fighting bosses that can only be summoned at night. Broken Bat Wings[terraria.wiki.gg] are materials used to craft Bat Wings[terraria.wiki.gg], which can greatly boost your mobility during boss fights. The Death Sickle[terraria.wiki.gg] is a melee weapon capable of phasing through solid blocks and is an excellent weapon for crowd control. Note that the Death Sickle can only be farmed after you have defeated all 3 mechanical bosses. The Deadly Sphere Staff[terraria.wiki.gg] is a more powerful version of the Imp Staff[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Deadly Sphere minion spawned by this staff is more aggressive than a Flying Imp and, similar to a Flying Imp, is useful to have as a passive source of damage output during AFK farming. More importantly, the primary reason for farming a Solar Eclipse is the Broken Hero Sword[terraria.wiki.gg]. You require this weapon in order to craft the Zenith[terraria.wiki.gg], the most powerful melee weapon obtainable in Hardmode. Since version 1.4.1 of Terraria, a Broken Hero Sword can only be farmed after the defeat of Plantera[terraria.wiki.gg] because Mothron[terraria.wiki.gg] would only spawn after you have killed Plantera. Now that you know why you would want to farm a Solar Eclipse, the next question is: How are you to farm this daytime event?

A Solar Eclipse can occur in one of 2 ways. First, at the dawn of each day the event has a 5% chance of occurring. Second, you can summon the event by using a Solar Tablet[terraria.wiki.gg], whose crafting ingredients can only be obtained as drops from Lihzahrds[terraria.wiki.gg] and Flying Snakes[terraria.wiki.gg], two enemies that spawn within the Jungle Temple[terraria.wiki.gg]. There is no need to first defeat Plantera to gain access to the Jungle Temple. Simply locate the Jungle Temple in your world, stand or walk on Lihzahrd Bricks[terraria.wiki.gg] outside the entrance, and wait for Lihzahrds and Flying Snakes to spawn. If you want, wait until you have defeated Plantera in order to have access to the Jungle Temple. In the meantime, setup a suitable structure for farming a Solar Eclipse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTjcAQTm4_0
A simple pyramid design as shown above is more than capable of farming enemies that spawn during a Solar Eclipse. As shown in the above video, setup a pyramid farm and place items to increase your luck and enemy spawn rates. Without Lihzahrd Bricks[terraria.wiki.gg], setup an artificial Jungle biome by using Mud Blocks and Jungle Grass Seeds. A pool of lava atop your pyramid is more than enough to kill most spawned enemies. The glaring exceptions are Deadly Sphere[terraria.wiki.gg], Reaper[terraria.wiki.gg], and Mothron[terraria.wiki.gg] all of which require you to use some kind of weapon. A Deadly Sphere invariably hovers above your pyramid and should be dealt with by means of a weapon that can phase through solid blocks or the Daedalus Stormbow[terraria.wiki.gg]. A Reaper can phase through solid blocks, but is easily handled by the Titanium shards of the Titanium armour set and a minion such as a Flying Imp. Mothron is the most difficult enemy during a Solar Eclipse, comparable to a mini boss. Without a suitable weapon, your character might die a number of times to Mothron. That is OK. Simply place a bed within your pyramid farm, setup a suitable housing, and use the bed to set your spawn point. Alternatively, teleport to the farm after each death. Be sure to consume any potions and items that can boost your defense and damage output. Most of the potions would not last the duration of a Solar Eclipse. Have a stack of Greater Healing Potions ready and reforge your equipped accessories to have the Warding modifier. Refer to the section "Battle setup" for general tips on preparing for a Solar Eclipse. The following videos show other ways to farm and survive a Solar Eclipse:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAQW7m7Je94
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fknHXzGgbOY

Queen Slime

Queen Slime[terraria.wiki.gg] is an optional boss and is considered a more difficult version of King Slime. The boss herself must be summoned within the Hallow biome by using a Gelatin Crystal[terraria.wiki.gg]. She drops a summon item called the Blade Staff[terraria.wiki.gg], an item that summons a minion much more aggressive than a Flying Imp. It might be worth your while to farm Queen Slime for the Blade Staff because the Enchanted Dagger minion can be useful during AFK farming and boss fights. Refer to these for detailed strategies for defeating Queen Slime:
https://terraria.wiki.gg/wiki/Guide:Queen_Slime_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MZ4npc8dNs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiN_c5j1n7c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igp-kR9mc_8

Queen Slime tends to summon a lot of slime minions. The number of slime minions increases dramatically during her second phase. The strategy below is intended to stack as much defense and damage output as possible to help you tank the slime minions during phase 2. Refer to the section "Battle setup" for general tips on preparing for fights against Hardmode bosses, whereas the tips below are specific to Queen Slime.

Arena
A long strip of levelled ground on the Surface layer of the Hallow. Place a few Campfires and Heart Lanterns along the arena to boost your HP regeneration.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 400. Equip your best armour set, preferably the Titanium armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.wiki.gg] to increase your defense by 5.

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Megashark[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Unreal modifier and using Ichor Bullet[terraria.wiki.gg]. Prepare at least one stack of 999 Ichor Bullets. Your Imp Staff[terraria.wiki.gg] should have the Mythical modifier. Use a Summoning Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Bewitching Table[terraria.wiki.gg] to summon 3 Flying Imps. Aim your weapon at Queen Slime and let your minions take care of her slime minions. Consider using the Ammo Box[terraria.wiki.gg] and an Ammo Reservation Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] to conserve your bullets.

Accessory
Equip an Obsidian Shield[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Warding modifier. These accessories should each have the Menacing modifier: Ranger Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg], Stinger Necklace[terraria.wiki.gg], Bat Wings[terraria.wiki.gg], and Charm of Myths[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Charm of Myths serves 2 purposes: (1) gradual HP regeneration; and (2) reduce the amount of cool down time for consuming potions. Equipping the charm allows you to drink more HP potions during the fight than without the charm. If you want, consider reforging the Bat Wings to have the Warding modifier. The Megashark is a rapid auto-firing gun whose effectiveness increases when you reforge all your accessories to have the Lucky modifier. You can also trade damage output for defense by reforging each of your accessories to have the Warding modifier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlVdNqcCZcU

Back to the Jungle

Before fighting many more difficult bosses and events, I recommend you return to the Jungle biome to farm for a number of resources. Now that the 3 mechanical bosses have been defeated, there are 3 important tasks to complete in the Jungle.

1. Farm Turtle Shells[terraria.wiki.gg].
   
2. Mine Chlorophyte Ores[terraria.wiki.gg].
   
3. Farm Life Fruits[terraria.wiki.gg].

Travel to the Jungle farm you setup in pre-Hardmode and use the traps to kill Giant Tortoises[terraria.wiki.gg] for a chance to obtain Turtle Shells. These materials form an ingredient in crafting the Turtle armour set[terraria.wiki.gg], which significantly boosts your defense. The video below shows one round of farming using the Jungle farm, the round lasting the duration of a Battle Potion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdpsNBk0z1A
The other ingredient for crafting the Turtle armour set is Chlorophyte Ores[terraria.wiki.gg]. You require at least the Pickaxe Axe[terraria.wiki.gg], or an equipment with comparable or higher pickaxe power, in order to mine Chlorophyte Ores. Crafting the full Turtle armour set requires 3 Turtle shells and 54 Chlorophyte Bars. Unlike other ores, there is no reason to worry about running out of Chlorophyte Ores in your world because Chlorophyte Ores spawn and replace Mud Blocks in the Underground Jungle[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Underground Jungle is not the only place where you can obtain Chlorophyte Ores. Consider setting up a Chlorophyte farm as detailed in the video below. After mining a bunch of Chlorophyte Ores, be sure to fill in the mined gaps with Mud Blocks. In a sense, Chlorophyte Ores are a renewable resource.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_c2ekpCNtw
Another useful aspect of Chlorophyte Ores is their use in crafting Chlorophyte Bullets[terraria.wiki.gg]. These bullets have a homing effect, similar to that of Magic Missile[terraria.wiki.gg]. Paired with an auto-firing gun such as the Megashark[terraria.wiki.gg], Chlorophyte Bullets can be useful against a number of bosses, especially those that are fast. Against bosses that you can barely outrun, use an auto-firing gun together with Chlorophyte Bullets. Let the ammunition home in on the boss while you focus on backing away and dodging the boss' attacks.

The high defense value of the Turtle armour set is not the only reason why you should craft this armour set. The other, more important, reason for crafting the Turtle armour set is that it can be used to craft the Beetle armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Beetle armour set provides much more defense than the Turtle armour set and it can take you to the final boss and beyond.

The third reason for returning to the Jungle is to farm Life Fruits[terraria.wiki.gg]. Similar to a Life Crystal[terraria.wiki.gg], a Life Fruit is a consumable that increases your maximum HP. Before using Life Fruits, ensure you have used enough Life Crystals to reach 400 HP. Each Life Fruit permanently grants you an extra 5 HP and you require 20 Life Fruits in order to reach the maximum of 500 HP.

Old One's Army: Tier 2

Tier 2 of the Old One's Army is more difficult than Tier 1. In order to fight Tier 2, ensure you have defeated at least 1 mechanical boss and have not yet defeated Golem[terraria.wiki.gg]. The arena you constructed in pre-Hardmode is still useful and the Dart Traps can still slow the march of the enemies. Do not rely on the Dart Traps to kill most enemies. Summon a few minions and have your weapon ready for head-on combat. As in Tier 1, you might find that potions are not necessary. However, to be safe you might want to consume your potions during the later waves of Tier 2, preferably before the start of wave 7.

Loots that can be obtained during Tier 2 are also obtainable during Tier 3. For this reason you might want to skip Tier 2 and wait for the defeat of Golem so you are able to initiate Tier 3. On the other hand, before you think of skipping Tier 2, ensure you have enough Defender Medals[terraria.wiki.gg] to purchase any sentries you require for Tier 3. The best sentry is the Ballista Staff[terraria.wiki.gg], which costs 100 Defender Medals. The Ballista Staff is available for purchase from the Tavernkeep[terraria.wiki.gg] once you have defeated Golem for the first time. Farm Tier 2 to obtain at least 100 Defender Medals and save up your Defender Medals until after the defeat of Golem.

Refer to the section "Battle setup" for general tips on how to prepare for fighting an invasion event, whereas the following tips are specific to the Old One's Army.

Arena
Reuse the same arena you constructed in pre-Hardmode. The rows of Dart Traps are meant to slow the march of the enemies toward the Eternia Crystal[terraria.wiki.gg]. The fact that the Dart Traps can also kill most enemies is incidental to its intended purpose. Place a few Campfires, Heart Lanterns, and Bast Statues along the arena.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Use Life Fruits if necessary. Equip the Turtle armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.wiki.gg] to increase your defense by 5. As a precaution, prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.wiki.gg].

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Megashark[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Unreal modifier and using Ichor Bullet[terraria.wiki.gg]. Prepare at least 2 stacks of 999 Ichor Bullets. Farm the Blade Staff[terraria.wiki.gg] from Queen Slime and reforge it to have the Demonic modifier. Use a Summoning Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Bewitching Table[terraria.wiki.gg] to summon 3 minions. Consider using the Ammo Box[terraria.wiki.gg] and an Ammo Reservation Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] to conserve your bullets. Before the start of each wave, collect as many Etherian Mana[terraria.wiki.gg] as you can and place a few Ballista sentries along the wooden platform. The sentries summoned by a Ballista Rod is more than enough. For added damage output, consider using a Ballista Cane. Stand on the wooden platform at the location near the left-most portal and from there aim your weapon at enemies below. During the earlier waves, the Dart Traps, your 3 minions, and the Ballista sentries are sufficient to kill most, if not all, enemies. In the later waves, it might be necessary to use your weapon to defeat the more powerful enemies such as Drakin[terraria.wiki.gg]. During wave 7, Ogres[terraria.wiki.gg] would spawn and the Megashark can make quick work of them.

Accessory
Equip an Obsidian Shield[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Warding modifier. These accessories should each have the Menacing modifier: Ranger Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg], Stinger Necklace[terraria.wiki.gg], Charm of Myths[terraria.wiki.gg], and Treasure Magnet[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Bee Cloak[terraria.wiki.gg] or Avenger Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg] can be substituted for the Charm of Myths. Equip one of the horse mounts purchased from the Zoologist[terraria.wiki.gg]. After the end of each wave, ride your horse mount along the platform to collect Etherian Mana, which should allow you to place a few Ballista sentries. As the Megashark is a rapid auto-firing gun, consider reforging each of your accessories to have the Lucky modifier.

The next video uses the above strategy. In place of Dart Traps, Super Dart Traps[terraria.wiki.gg] have been placed. As stated above, (Super) Dart Traps are intended to slow the enemies, not kill them. Enemies being killed by your traps is an added bonus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DSfLRDqHlI

Plantera

If you think Queen Bee is the prima donna of the Jungle, well I have news for you. Plantera[terraria.wiki.gg] is much more difficult than Queen Bee. One aspect of her difficulty is her speed. The outrunning strategy along the Skyway that can be used against Queen Bee does not work against Plantera. Plantera is rather slow. You must stay put in a particular area to fight her or lure her to a prepared location that offers you some advantage. Refer to the following for detailed strategies on fighting Plantera:
https://terraria.wiki.gg/wiki/Guide:Plantera_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNNPFnk06R8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imkJ2Zx5edg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD8NHwvpzVk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-2ML4YKCN8

There is only one way to summon Plantera: by destroying a Plantera's Bulb[terraria.wiki.gg]. These bulbs only spawn once all 3 mechanical bosses have been defeated. Furthermore, the bulbs tend to spawn at a fairly large distance from each other; refer to this wiki page[terraria.wiki.gg] for the conditions under which a Plantera's Bulb would spawn. Upon defeat, Plantera has a chance to drop the Seedler[terraria.wiki.gg], one among many weapons used to craft the Zenith[terraria.wiki.gg]. Furthermore, the boss is guaranteed to drop one Temple Key[terraria.wiki.gg], which allows you access to the Jungle Temple[terraria.wiki.gg].

After defeating all 3 mechanical bosses, let a few Terrarian days pass by for Plantera's Bulbs to spawn in the underground Jungle. Then explore the underground Jungle to look for Plantera's Bulbs. A more effective way to search for Plantera's Bulbs is by using TerraMap[terramap.github.io]. This tool scans your world file and shows everything available in your world. TerraMap shows Plantera's Bulbs as pink pixels. If you don't plan on farming Plantera and only want to obtain the Temple Key[terraria.wiki.gg], then TerraMap is good enough to help you locate a Plantera's Bulb in order to initiate the boss fight against Plantera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRK08D7wa5E
To effectively farm Plantera for the Seedler or any of her drops, consider setting up a Plantera's Bulb farm at the Cavern layer beneath the Jungle biome. The above video shows an example of a Plantera's Bulb farm. The basic design is that of a spacious boss arena connected to a very long horizontal mine shaft. The mine shaft should have a vertical clearance of at least 6 blocks. The floor and ceiling of the mine shaft should consist of Mud Blocks and planted with Jungle Grass Seeds. Everything above the ceiling, and below the floor, of the mine shaft should ideally be blocked off. As shown in the video, you can also place rows of Mud Blocks above and below the mine shaft. Why would you want to do this? The reason is simple: to force Plantera's Bulbs to spawn within the horizontal mine shaft. Let Jungle Grass slowly spread throughout your farm and in time a few Plantera's Bulb would spawn. Break the bulb with a pickaxe and lure Plantera to the spacious boss arena, where you would have more room to manoeuvre. Your Plantera's Bulb farm also serves as a Life Fruit farm. Refer to the following videos for other ways to setup a Plantera's Bulb farm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vaEJye-oks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfQx5s04m4k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSFpUwtb2fk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhf8FIEA-PQ

Here is a simple strategy for fighting Plantera. The section "Battle setup" contains general tips on preparing for fights against Hardmode bosses, whereas the tips below are specific to Plantera.

Arena
A spacious arena as shown in this video. Place a number of wooden platforms stretching the length of the arena. Place a few Campfires, Heart Lanterns, and Bast Statues along the arena. A few Sunflowers can boost your speed.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Use Life Fruits to obtain the maximum of 500 HP. Equip the Turtle armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.wiki.gg] to increase your defense by 5. As a precaution, prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.wiki.gg].

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Megashark[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Unreal modifier and using Ichor Bullet[terraria.wiki.gg]. Prepare at least one stack of 999 Ichor Bullets. Aim your weapon at Plantera herself and avoid shooting her tentacles. Craft the Optic Staff[terraria.wiki.gg] and reforge it to have the Ruthless modifier. The Blade Staff[terraria.wiki.gg] is also an excellent choice. Use a Summoning Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Bewitching Table[terraria.wiki.gg] to summon 3 pairs of miniature versions of The Twins, totalling 6 minions altogether. Consider using the Ammo Box[terraria.wiki.gg] and an Ammo Reservation Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] to conserve your bullets.

Accessory
Equip an Obsidian Shield[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Warding modifier. These accessories should each have the Menacing modifier: Ranger Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg], Stinger Necklace[terraria.wiki.gg], and Charm of Myths[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Charm of Myths serves 2 purposes: (1) gradual HP regeneration; and (2) reduce the amount of cool down time for consuming potions. Equipping the charm allows you to drink more HP potions during the fight than without the charm. For extra mobility, equip a pair of wings such as Bat Wings, Butterfly Wings, or Flame Wings. A pair of wings allows you to circle around Plantera while firing your gun at her. If you want, reforge each accessory to have the Lucky modifier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA_ABzE6K3E

Light pet

A light pet is a pet that provides illumination, helping you to see better underground or during nighttime. In pre-Hardmode, you can obtain any of these light pets: Shadow Orb[terraria.wiki.gg], Crimson Heart[terraria.wiki.gg], and Magic Lantern[terraria.wiki.gg]. Each of these provides 65% illumination, various shades of brightness, and might or might not help you with their brightness while you mine.

In Hardmode, you have a choice of light pets that provide better illumination than their pre-Hardmode counterparts. After defeating one mechanical boss, you can summon Tier 2 of the Old One's Army[terraria.wiki.gg] and farm Ogre[terraria.wiki.gg] for the Creeper Egg[terraria.wiki.gg]. Using the Creeper Egg summons a Flickerwick, which provides 80% illumination. A light pet that provides the same amount of brightness is the Fairy summoned by a Fairy Bell[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Fairy Bell can be crafted as soon as you have defeated The Twins[terraria.wiki.gg], rescued the Wizard[terraria.wiki.gg], and obtained various other ingredients. In Classic mode, the best light pet is the Wisp in a Bottle[terraria.wiki.gg], which provides 120% illumination and can be farmed from a number of skeletons that only spawn once Plantera has been defeated for the first time. Having defeated Plantera, use the Dungeon farm you setup in pre-Hardmode to farm for the Wisp in a Bottle.

A light pet is a means to supplement the brightness functionality of various gears and potions, not replace them. The Ultrabright Helmet[terraria.wiki.gg] serves the same functions as those provided by the Night Owl Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] and Shine Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], but without the time limits that come from consuming the potions. For most purposes, the Ultrabright Helmet or its potion equivalents provide adequate brightness during nighttime and while underground. A light pet, especially the Wisp in a Bottle, provides extra brightness around your character. The function of the Wisp in a Bottle becomes apparent once you equip the Ultrabright Helmet, be underground, and boxing yourself within a 2 x 3 rectangle. You would notice that the ceiling can block some of the brightness from the helmet. This also happens if your character stands directly underneath hanging vines because vines tend to block light from the Mining Helmet and Ultrabright Helmet. However, ceilings and hanging vines cannot block the brightness from the Wisp in a Bottle.

The Dungeon, but harder

Once Plantera is defeated for the first time, new enemies would spawn within the Dungeon[terraria.wiki.gg]. These enemies are much more powerful than previous enemies you encountered and drop many useful items such as crafting materials, weapons, and accessories. Below are tasks you might want to complete before moving on to the next boss fight.

1. Use biome keys[terraria.wiki.gg] to open biome chests[terraria.wiki.gg]. Each biome chest contains a unique weapon you might find useful. You require 6 biome keys, each from a different biome, in order to unlock all biome chests. Use your farms within the Jungle, Corruption, Crimson, Hallowed, Snow, and Desert biomes to farm for the biome specific keys by summoning a Solar Eclipse[terraria.wiki.gg] or Blood Moon[terraria.wiki.gg]. The drop rate of any biome key is less than 0.05%, so be sure to boost your luck and enemy spawn rates whenever you farm for a biome key. The Ice Chest is recommended even if you don't want to open the other biome chests. Inside the Ice Chest is the Staff of the Frost Hydra[terraria.wiki.gg], a weapon that summons a sentry you might find useful during invasion events such as the Old One's Army[terraria.wiki.gg].
   
2. Farm for the Wisp in a Bottle[terraria.wiki.gg]. In Classic mode, the Wisp in a Bottle is the best light pet, providing 120% illumination. Use your Dungeon farm to help you obtain this light pet, boosting your luck and enemy spawn rates as necessary.
   
3. Farm for Ectoplasm[terraria.wiki.gg]. This material can be used to craft Spectre Bars[terraria.wiki.gg], which allows you to craft an armour set suitable for a mage playthrough as well as the Spectre Hamaxe[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Spectre Pickaxe[terraria.wiki.gg]. Ectoplasm is also used to craft 2 event summoning items: the Naughty Present[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Pumpkin Moon Medallion[terraria.wiki.gg].
   
4. Farm ingredients used to craft the Ankh Shield[terraria.wiki.gg]. Use your Dungeon farm to obtain Armor Polish[terraria.wiki.gg]. If you haven't done so already, you can also farm for the Nazar[terraria.wiki.gg] and Adhesive Bandage[terraria.wiki.gg].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VZ5FoUZmHA
The above video shows a farming session in the Dungeon after the defeat of Plantera. The farming session lasted as long as the duration of a Battle Potion. I recommend you stack as much defense, HP regeneration, and damage output as possible. The Turtle armour set[terraria.wiki.gg] provides decent defense. Boost your defense by equipping these accessories and reforge them to have the Warding modifier: Obsidian Shield[terraria.wiki.gg], Terraspark Boots[terraria.wiki.gg], Charm of Myths[terraria.wiki.gg], Treasure Magnet[terraria.wiki.gg], and Sorcerer Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg]. Use a weapon that can phase through solid blocks, e.g. Nettle Burst[terraria.wiki.gg], and summon a minion. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.wiki.gg]. Plantera[terraria.wiki.gg] can be farmed for both the Nettle Burst and Greater Healing Potions. Consume these items: Regeneration Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Thorns Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Inferno Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Ironskin Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], and Endurance Potion[terraria.wiki.gg]. Consume a Battle Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] to increase the enemy spawn rates and a food item that grants the Exquisitely Stuffed buff, e.g. Burger[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Mana Regeneration Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] and Magic Power Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] complement a magic weapon capable of phasing through solid blocks. Using a pyramid farm in Hardmode post-Plantera can be very dangerous and your character can easily die from enemies and attacks that phase through solid blocks. The Diabolist[terraria.wiki.gg] is especially dangerous due to its ability to cause the On Fire![terraria.wiki.gg] debuff, but is easily countered by consuming an Obsidian Skin Potion[terraria.wiki.gg].

Ankh Shield

The Ankh Shield[terraria.wiki.gg] is a general-purpose shield, useful to equip for the duration of Hardmode. The shield grants 4 defense and a further 4 defense with a Warding modifier, for a total of 8 defense. Furthermore, it grants immunity to 11 types of debuffs. If there is one shield you should equip for the rest of your playthrough, the Ankh Shield is the first equipment you should consider.

Crafting the Ankh Shield requires 2 equipment, each with its own crafting tree.

Obsidian Shield
The crafting tree for an Obsidian Shield[terraria.wiki.gg] is straightforward. This shield can be obtained during pre-Hardmode and crafted from the ingredients below.

1. Cobalt Shield[terraria.wiki.gg]. You must explore the Dungeon in order to obtain this item.
   
2. Obsidian Skull[terraria.wiki.gg]. Obsidian[terraria.wiki.gg] is created when water and lava mix with each other. Consider using an Obsidian generator to obtain Obsidian on demand.

Ankh Charm
Unlike the Obsidian Shield, the crafting tree for the Ankh Charm[terraria.wiki.gg] can be rather convoluted. Except for the Nazar and the Bezoar, all other ingredients for crafting the Ankh Charm can only be obtained during Hardmode. The Nazar, Adhesive Bandage, and Armor Polish can be farmed from a variety of Hardmode enemies. However, you might want to wait until Plantera has been defeated and use your Dungeon farm to obtain these 3 items all from one location. Similarly, you can farm the Megaphone and Blindfold from one location. Create an artificial Desert biome within your Surface layer Crimson biome and farm Blood Mummies for the Megaphone and Blindfold.

1. Blindfold[terraria.wiki.gg]. An easy way to obtain a Blindfold is to farm Corrupt Slimes[terraria.wiki.gg] at the Surface layer within the Corruption biome. Another way is to create an artificial Desert biome within a Crimson biome and farm Blood Mummies[terraria.wiki.gg].
   
2. Countercurse Mantra[terraria.wiki.gg]. This item is crafted from a Megaphone[terraria.wiki.gg] and a Nazar[terraria.wiki.gg]. Farm a Megaphone from Blood Mummies, which also drop Blindfolds. The Nazar can be farmed during pre-Hardmode from Cursed Skull[terraria.wiki.gg]. If you want, wait until after Plantera has been defeated and use your Dungeon farm to obtain the Nazar from Giant Cursed Skull[terraria.wiki.gg].
   
3. The Plan[terraria.wiki.gg]. Craft this item from the Fast Clock[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Trifold Map[terraria.wiki.gg]. Use your Desert biome farm to farm Mummies for the Fast Clock. Once you have obtained a Fast Clock, place a few Pearlstone Blocks[terraria.wiki.gg] underneath a layer of Sand Blocks in order to (slowly) convert the area around your Desert farm into an artificial Hallowed Desert. As soon as the Hallowed Desert biome comes into effect, Light Mummies would spawn and randomly drop the Trifold Map upon death.
   
4. Medicated Bandage[terraria.wiki.gg]. Craft this item from the Bezoar[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Adhesive Bandage[terraria.wiki.gg]. Farm the Bezoar during pre-Hardmode from Hornets[terraria.wiki.gg]. After Plantera is defeated, use your Dungeon farm to obtain the Adhesive Bandage[terraria.wiki.gg] from Rusty Armored Bones[terraria.wiki.gg].
   
5. Armor Bracing[terraria.wiki.gg]. This item can be crafted from Armor Polish[terraria.wiki.gg] and Vitamins[terraria.wiki.gg]. After defeating Plantera for the first time, use your Dungeon farm to kill Blue Armored Bones[terraria.wiki.gg] for the Armor Polish. Vitamins can be farmed as soon as Hardmode begins. Simply travel to the Cavern layer Corruption/Crimson farm you setup during pre-Hardmode and use your farm to kill Floaty Gross[terraria.wiki.gg] or Corruptor[terraria.wiki.gg].

Jungle Temple

The underground Jungle Temple[terraria.wiki.gg] is the bottleneck between you and endgame bosses and items. The following are some of the main reasons why you would want to explore the Jungle Temple:

1. Enemies within the Jungle Temple drop Solar Tablet Fragments[terraria.wiki.gg], which can be crafted into Solar Tablets[terraria.wiki.gg] and consumed to summon a Solar Eclipse[terraria.wiki.gg]. Now that all 3 mechanical bosses and Plantera have been defeated, there is a chance for Mothron[terraria.wiki.gg] to spawn during a Solar Eclipse. To craft the Zenith[terraria.wiki.gg], the most powerful melee weapon in the game, you must farm Mothron for a Broken Hero Sword[terraria.wiki.gg].
   
2. Find and defeat Golem[terraria.wiki.gg]. Defeating Golem would allow you to initiate a number of endgame events.
   
3. Upon defeat, Golem has a chance to drop the Picksaw[terraria.wiki.gg], which is the very first pickaxe that can mine any block in the game. Use the Picksaw to harvest traps found within the Jungle Temple. These traps can be used to setup AFK farms. As is clear by now, Dart Traps and other traps that were useful during pre-Hardmode are no longer as effective during Hardmode. Consider replacing Dart Traps in your farm with Super Dart Traps[terraria.wiki.gg] and Spear Traps[terraria.wiki.gg]. Line the floor of your lava traps with Spiky Ball Traps[terraria.wiki.gg]. Experiment with Flame Traps[terraria.wiki.gg] and see how you can incorporate them into your AFK farms. The Picksaw can also be used to harvest Lihzahrd Bricks[terraria.wiki.gg]. These blocks can be placed to create an artificial Jungle biome instead of using Mud Blocks and Jungle Grass Seeds.

There are not many things you can do during your first trip inside the Jungle Temple. The very first time you explore the Jungle Temple, concentrate on these tasks:

1. Neutralize all wired traps. You do not yet have a pickaxe capable of harvesting traps inside the Jungle Temple. For the time being, the best you can do is remove all wires.
   
2. Remove all Wooden Spikes[terraria.wiki.gg]. Unlike other traps found inside the Jungle Temple, Wooden Spikes can be harvested with a pre-Golem pickaxe.
   
3. Make your way to the boss chamber and fight Golem.

Refer to this wiki page[terraria.wiki.gg] for details on how to survive the Jungle Temple. Listed below are items you might find useful while you explore the Jungle Temple.

Defense
If you haven't done so already, use Life Fruits to obtain the maximum of 500 HP. Equip the Turtle armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. Prepare a stack of these potions: Endurance Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Ironskin Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Lifeforce Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Regeneration Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], and Greater Healing Potions[terraria.wiki.gg].

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Megashark[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Unreal modifier and using Ichor Bullet[terraria.wiki.gg]. Prepare at least 2 stacks of 999 Ichor Bullets. Craft the Optic Staff[terraria.wiki.gg] and reforge it to have the Ruthless modifier. Use a Summoning Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] and the Bewitching Table[terraria.wiki.gg] to summon 3 pairs of miniature versions of The Twins, totalling 6 minions altogether. The Blade Staff is also useful against all enemies found within the Jungle Temple. Prepare a stack of the following potions: Wrath Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Rage Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Thorns Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Titan Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], and Inferno Potion[terraria.wiki.gg]. Consider using the Ammo Box[terraria.wiki.gg] and an Ammo Reservation Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] to conserve your bullets.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Warding modifier. Farming all the ingredients to craft this shield takes a fair amount of time. A number of items required to craft the Ankh Shield are dropped from Dungeon enemies that only spawn once Plantera is defeated for the first time. Equip other accessories that have been reforged to have the Warding modifier. At the very least, you should equip the Charm of Myths[terraria.wiki.gg] to help boost your HP regeneration and decrease the potion cool down time. For extra mobility, equip the Terraspark Boots[terraria.wiki.gg] and a pair of wings such as Bat Wings, Butterfly Wings, or Flame Wings.

Other
Prepare a stack of food items that grant the Exquisitely Stuffed[terraria.wiki.gg] buff, e.g. Burger[terraria.wiki.gg] or Steak[terraria.wiki.gg]. Both of the Night Owl[terraria.wiki.gg] and Shine Potions[terraria.wiki.gg] should help you to see better while you're inside the Jungle Temple. Have The Grand Design[terraria.wiki.gg] in your inventory and set the Mechanical Display to "Forced" in order to show all wires on screen. Don't forget to bring a stack of torches with you.

Golem

Despite being a late-game boss, Golem[terraria.wiki.gg] isn't as difficult as Plantera[terraria.wiki.gg]. With suitable strategy, Golem might be easier to defeat than Plantera herself. Refer to these for detailed strategies on defeating Golem:
https://terraria.wiki.gg/Guide:Golem_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrQfSz6713Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX6FYpDNIcg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24je80es8PQ

Golem is a required boss if you want these items: the Picksaw[terraria.wiki.gg], the Beetle armour set[terraria.wiki.gg], the Sun Stone[terraria.wiki.gg], and the Eye of the Golem[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Picksaw is the first pickaxe in the game that allows you to mine any type of blocks. The Beetle armour set is one of a few armour sets that provide very high defense. By its crafting tree, the Beetle armour set is a direct upgrade of the Turtle armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. The Sun Stone is an ingredient used to craft the Celestial Shell[terraria.wiki.gg], an accessory that boosts various stats including damage output and defense. The Eye of the Golem is used to craft the Destroyer Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg], which boosts your damage output. Defeating Golem rewards you with items that can boost your defense and damage output.

Here is a strategy for fighting Golem. All of your fighting would be done while running along a stretch of platform. You might find that you don't need to stack as much defense as during your fight with Plantera. The section "Battle setup" collects general tips on preparing for fights against Hardmode bosses, whereas the tips below are specific to Golem.

Arena
The same arena as where you first find a Lihzahrd Altar[terraria.wiki.gg]. Level the ground around the altar by filling in any holes to the left and right of the altar. At this point in the game, you do not yet have access to a pickaxe capable of mining blocks within the Jungle Temple. The best you can do is fill in holes. Construct a horizontal platform above the altar, with 30 blocks of vertical clearance between the platform and ground level. Place a few Campfires, Heart Lanterns, and Bast Statues along the platform. A few Sunflowers can boost your speed.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Turtle armour set[terraria.wiki.gg]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.wiki.gg] to increase your defense by 5. As a precaution, consume these potions: Endurance Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Ironskin Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], Lifeforce Potion[terraria.wiki.gg], and Regeneration Potion[terraria.wiki.gg].

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Megashark[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Unreal modifier and using Chlorophyte Bullet[terraria.wiki.gg]. Prepare at least one stack of 999 Chlorophyte Bullets. Aim your weapon at one of Golem's arms and destroy it before repeating the process for the other arm. Once both arms have been destroyed, aim your weapon at Golem's body and ignore its head. Run along the platform and never stop shooting. Summon any minion you want; the Blade Staff[terraria.wiki.gg] might be useful. Consider using the Ammo Box[terraria.wiki.gg] and an Ammo Reservation Potion[terraria.wiki.gg] to conserve your bullets.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Warding modifier. These accessories should each have the Menacing modifier: Ranger Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg], Stinger Necklace[terraria.wiki.gg], and Avenger Emblem[terraria.wiki.gg]. Equip a pair of Terrasparks Boots[terraria.wiki.gg] reforged to have the Warding modifier. You might find it more effective to reforge each accessory to have the Lucky modifier rather than the Menacing modifier.

Other
Both of the Night Owl[terraria.wiki.gg] and Shine Potions[terraria.wiki.gg] should help you to see better inside the boss arena, but these are not necessary provided you have placed a generous number of torches scattered throughout the arena.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsBRr_kPAUA

Duke Fishron

Duke Fishron[terraria.gamepedia.com] is an optional boss who is more difficult than Golem or Plantera. Summoning this boss can be tricky because you must fish him by using a Truffle Worm[terraria.gamepedia.com] as bait. Use your underground Glowing Mushroom farm you setup during pre-Hardmode in order to obtain Truffle Worms. Place a Water Candle, a Garden Gnome, and consume a Luck Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] and a Battle Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] to increase your chances of spawning the critter. Many players farm Duke Fishron specifically for the Tsunami[terraria.gamepedia.com] as it is a powerful bow, a weapon whose effectiveness increases when paired with Holy Arrows[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Refer to these for detailed strategies on defeating Duke Fishron:
https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Guide:Duke_Fishron_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li-IYwyW2cc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5ACMLShwEo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_76Mctbbebs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihBnRa9P8vY

Here is a strategy for fighting Duke Fishron. The section "Battle setup" collects general tips on preparing for fights against Hardmode bosses, whereas the tips below are specific to Duke Fishron.

Arena
Construct a long row of Asphalt Blocks[terraria.gamepedia.com] above one of your Oceans. The main purpose of the Asphalt Blocks is to help you out-run Duke Fishron and dodge his attacks. Above the long strip of Asphalt Blocks, build a horizontal platform with at least 30 blocks of vertical clearance between the platform and the Asphalt Blocks. Place a few Campfires, Heart Lanterns, and Bast Statues along the platform and Asphalt blocks. To further boost your HP regeneration, scatter a few Bubbles[terraria.gamepedia.com] along your arena and fill each Bubble with Honey[terraria.gamepedia.com]. A few Sunflowers can boost your speed.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Beetle armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.gamepedia.com] to increase your defense by 5. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com].

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Megashark[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Unreal modifier and using Chlorophyte Bullet[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare at least one stack of 999 Chlorophyte Bullets. Aim your weapon at Duke Fishron. Even when the boss is off screen, the Chlorophyte Bullets would home in on the boss. Summon any minion you want; the Blade Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com] or Optic Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com] might be useful. Duke Fishron tends to fire Detonating Bubbles[terraria.gamepedia.com] that home in on your character. The Inferno Potion is especially useful for destroying these bubbles.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. These accessories should each have the Menacing modifier: Ranger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Destroyer Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Celestial Shell[terraria.gamepedia.com]. For extra mobility, equip a pair of wings such as Bat Wings, Butterfly Wings, or Flame Wings. A pair of wings might be more effective for dodging the boss than a pair of Terrasparks Boots[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Reforge your wings to have the Warding modifier. The fight with Duke Fishron can be rather long and is similar to an endurance battle. For such a prolonged fight, reforging all your accessories to have the Warding modifier might prove more beneficial for your survival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPDdP6aoyuU

Empress of Light

Empress of Light[terraria.gamepedia.com] is among the top 3 most difficult bosses in the game. The other 2 bosses are Duke Fishron[terraria.gamepedia.com] and Moon Lord[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Fighting Empress of Light during daytime in effect makes her the most difficult boss in the game because, during daytime, any of her attacks would one-shot you. The main reason why you would want to fight Empress of Light during daytime is to obtain the Terraprisma[terraria.gamepedia.com]. This summon weapon is guaranteed to drop if all damage done to Empress of Light is dealt during daytime, i.e. between 4:30 am and 7:30 pm. For your first playthrough, focus on fighting the boss during nighttime, i.e. between 7:30 pm and 4:30 am.

The Empress of Light can only be summoned by killing a Prismatic Lacewing[terraria.gamepedia.com]. The critter rarely spawns at the Surface layer of the Hallow[terraria.gamepedia.com] between 7:30 pm and 12:00 am. Use a Bug Net[terraria.gamepedia.com] or a better net to catch Prismatic Lacewings. Equip the Guide To Critter Companionship[terraria.gamepedia.com] to prevent your character from accidentally killing the critter. The only way to farm for the critter is to be at the Surface layer of the Hallow between 7:30 pm and 12:00 am, consume a Battle Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com], place a Water Candle[terraria.gamepedia.com], hold another Water Candle, and wait for the critter to spawn.

The following provide detailed strategies on fighting Empress of Light:
https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Guide:Empress_of_Light_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hei2PuZhVsk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PrTezUdJss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcToHch5Q9Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX5HDbJA9HA
The section "Battle setup" collects a bunch of general tips on preparing for fights against bosses and invasion events. The tips below are specific to Empress of Light where the fight occurs during nighttime, i.e. between 7:30 pm and 4:30 am.

Arena
Lay down a length of Minecart Tracks[terraria.gamepedia.com] stretching from the left edge to the right edge of your world. Hammer each end of the length of Minecart Tracks into the bumper state, which allows your Minecart to reverse direction upon hitting the bumper. The Minecart Tracks should be placed below Floating Islands[terraria.gamepedia.com] and high enough above ground level such that the tracks do not intersect any hills, trees, or buildings. In general, you don't want Wyverns[terraria.gamepedia.com] to spawn and harass you while you fight Empress of Light. Your character would constantly ride in a Minecart while you fight the boss. Scatter a bunch of these items along the length of your Minecart tracks: Campfire[terraria.gamepedia.com], Heart Lantern[terraria.gamepedia.com], Bast Statue[terraria.gamepedia.com].

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Beetle armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com].

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Megashark[terraria.gamepedia.com] paired with Chlorophyte Bullets[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare at least 2 stacks of 999 Chlorophyte Bullets, although one stack might be enough. The recommended minion is the Enchanted Dagger summoned by the Blade Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Consume a Summoning Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] and use the Bewitching Table[terraria.gamepedia.com] in order to summon 3 Enchanted Daggers. Ensure you have a sword capable of rapid auto-swing to help you kill a Prismatic Lacewing.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. The following accessories should each have the Warding modifier as well: Ranger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Destroyer Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Celestial Shell[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Charm of Myths[terraria.gamepedia.com].

Other
Any Minecart that can reach a top speed of 66 mph as measured by the Stopwatch[terraria.gamepedia.com].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-t0ltiMIIQ

Old One's Army: Tier 3

Tier 3 of the Old One's Army[terraria.gamepedia.com] is the final, and most difficult, phase of the invasion event. This tier consists of 7 waves, with Dark Mages and Ogres spawning after the 3rd wave. The event boss Betsy[terraria.gamepedia.com] spawns during wave 7. She constantly flies around your character, instead of attacking the Eternia Crystal. Her fire attacks inflict the On Fire![terraria.gamepedia.com] debuff and is easily countered by consuming an Obsidian Skin Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] before the start of wave 7.

There are many reasons why you would want to fight Tier 3 of the Old One's Army. First, the main boss Betsy drops a number of powerful weapons that you might find useful. Second, surviving Tier 3 would reward you with 100 Defender Medals. Save up the medals to purchase weapons or vanity items from the Tavernkeep. Third, Betsy can be challenging to fight and defeating her helps to build your confidence and stamina when the time comes to fight the end-game bosses and more difficult invasion events.

Refer to the following for detailed strategies on fighting Tier 3 of the Old One's Army.
https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Guide:Old_One%27s_Army_strategies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o_muHZ0qjc
Here is a strategy for fighting Tier 3. The section "Battle setup" collects general tips on preparing for fights against Hardmode bosses and events, whereas the tips below are specific to Tier 3 of the Old One's Army.

Arena
Re-use the same arena that you used for Tiers 1 and 2. If you haven't done so already, replace Dart Traps[terraria.gamepedia.com] with Super Dart Traps[terraria.gamepedia.com], which can only be harvested from the Jungle Temple once you have defeated Golem. Farm Golem for the Picksaw[terraria.gamepedia.com] if necessary. Similar to the previous 2 tiers, the (Super) Dart Traps are meant to slow the march of the enemies spawned during the event. The traps were never meant to kill the spawned enemies, although some enemies that spawn from the right-most portal do get killed by the traps. No matter what you do, don't rely on the (Super) Dart Traps to kill enemies. Place a few Campfires, Heart Lanterns, and Bast Statues along the platform. To further boost your HP regeneration, scatter a few Bubbles[terraria.gamepedia.com] along your platform and fill each Bubble with Honey[terraria.gamepedia.com]. A few Sunflowers can boost your speed.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Beetle armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.gamepedia.com] to increase your defense by 5. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com], although this might not be necessary.

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Tsunami[terraria.gamepedia.com] paired with Holy Arrows[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare 2 stacks of 999 Holy Arrows. During waves 1 to 6, stand on the platform and above the left-most portal and aim your weapon at the spawned enemies below. After defeating Golem, the Tavernkeep[terraria.gamepedia.com] starts to sell the Ballista Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Purchase the Ballista Staff, collect Etherian Mana after each wave, and summon Ballista sentries to help you deal with spawned enemies. The Staff of the Frost Hydra[terraria.gamepedia.com] is also useful for dealing with spawned enemies. Summon any minion you want; the Blade Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com] or Optic Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com] might be useful. The (Super) Dart Traps, powered by a bird engine, are fired at a rapid rate such that they constantly trigger invincibility frames for enemies hit by the traps. In effect, the Ballista sentries, Frost Hydra, and your minions might not be as effective as compared to when you fight the event without the traps. Some enemies spawned during Tier 3 have the ability to fly and can easily dodge the traps. Let your sentries and minions deal with the flying enemies, whereas the traps can deal with enemies that can't fly.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. These accessories should each have the Menacing modifier: Ranger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Destroyer Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Celestial Shell[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Equip the Magic Quiver[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Menacing modifier. Another option is to equip the Avenger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com] also reforged to have the Menacing modifier. On the other hand, the fifth accessory slot can be reserved for the Treasure Magnet[terraria.gamepedia.com] to help you collect Etherian mana. Also consider reforging all your accessories to have the Lucky modifier.

Other
Equip a horse mount purchased from the Zoologist or any other mount you prefer. After each wave, use your mount to travel along the platform and collect Etherian Mana, which allows you to place Ballista sentries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA9oAZ2wNMc

Pirate Invasion

The Pirate Invasion[terraria.gamepedia.com] is an event you must survive in order for the Pirate[terraria.gamepedia.com] NPC to spawn. This invasion event is easier to fight than a Solar Eclipse[terraria.gamepedia.com]. The main reason is that during the event, there is only one enemy capable of phasing through solid blocks, i.e. the Pirate's Curse[terraria.gamepedia.com]. The Pirate's Curse is easier to fight than Mothron[terraria.gamepedia.com], which spawns during a Solar Eclipse. A Pirate Invasion has a small chance of occurring at the start of each day. It can also be summoned on demand by using a Pirate Map[terraria.gamepedia.com].

Many players farm the Pirate Invasion specifically for the following items: Lucky Coin, Gold Ring, Discount Card, and Coin Gun. The Lucky Coin[terraria.gamepedia.com] when equipped gives you a chance to obtain extra coins from defeated enemies in addition to the usual amount of coins dropped. This item is particularly useful in case you want to farm coins using any of the money farms you setup during pre-Hardmode. Refer to the sections "Slime Staff" and "Money farm" of the following guide for details on setting up money farms.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2160934797
The effect of the Gold Ring[terraria.gamepedia.com] is similar to those of the Celestial Magnet[terraria.gamepedia.com], Treasure Magnet[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Heartreach Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Your usual coin pickup radius is 3 blocks. The Gold Ring increases your coin pickup radius by 22 blocks, bringing your coin pickup radius to 25 blocks. When farming for coins, the Gold Ring and the Lucky Coin are two essential accessories you must equip. It is not necessary to equip both of these items. You can use them to craft the Coin Ring[terraria.gamepedia.com], which combines the effects of the Gold Ring and the Lucky Coin, and equip the Coin Ring instead during a money farming session. The Discount Card[terraria.gamepedia.com] does what its name implies. Equipping the item would give you a discount whenever you purchase items from an NPC merchant. Use the Discount Card and the Coin Ring to craft the Greedy Ring[terraria.gamepedia.com], an item that combines the effects of the Lucky Coin, the Gold Ring, and the Discount Card. The Coin Gun[terraria.gamepedia.com] is a more extravagant gun than the Super Star Shooter[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Instead of firing Fallen Stars as is the case with the Super Star Shooter and the Star Cannon[terraria.gamepedia.com], the Coin Gun fires coins. The damage output depends on the value of the coin fired. Each Copper Coin fired has a damage output of 25, whereas a Platinum Coin has a damage output of 200. If you have a chest full of Platinum Coins and you don't know what to do with all of them, use the Coin Gun for a Scrooge McDuck playthrough.

Refer to the following videos for how to farm Pirate Maps and farming the Pirate Invasion while AFK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8SDdq4VhkY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpWgW1GUOpU
The following is a simple strategy for fighting a Pirate Invasion. The section "Battle setup" contains general tips on preparing for boss fights and events. However, the tips below are specific to the Pirate Invasion.

Arena
Re-use the same pyramid farm that you used for the Solar Eclipse. Your character would remain within the pyramid for the duration of the Pirate Invasion.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Beetle armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.gamepedia.com] to increase your defense by 5. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com], although this might not be necessary.

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Tsunami[terraria.gamepedia.com] paired with Holy Arrows[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare 2 stacks of 999 Holy Arrows. Stand in one position, aim your bow upward, and fire your arrows. If you haven't done so already, replace the Dart Traps[terraria.gamepedia.com] of your farm with Spear Traps[terraria.gamepedia.com], which can be harvested from the Jungle Temple[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Ensure the Spear Traps face downward into a lava pit so that when triggered spears would protrude from atop into the lava pit. Line the base of your lava pit with Spiky Ball Traps[terraria.gamepedia.com], which can also be harvested from the Jungle Temple. Farm Golem[terraria.gamepedia.com] for the Picksaw[terraria.gamepedia.com] if necessary. During an AFK farming of the Pirate Invasion, let the lava pit, Spear Traps, and Spiky Ball Traps kill enemies for you. Note that this setup would not likely defeat the event's boss the Flying Dutchman[terraria.gamepedia.com] as the boss tends to hover above your traps. A few strategically placed Flame Traps[terraria.gamepedia.com] can easily defeat the Flying Dutchman during an AFK farming session. Summon any minion you want; the Blade Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com] is recommended.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. These accessories should each have the Menacing modifier: Ranger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Destroyer Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Celestial Shell[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Equip the Magic Quiver[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Menacing modifier. Another option is to equip the Avenger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com] also reforged to have the Menacing modifier. On the other hand, the fifth accessory slot can be reserved for the Treasure Magnet[terraria.gamepedia.com] to help you pick up coins and treasures dropped by defeated enemies. I also recommend you to reforge each accessory to have the Lucky modifier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPlYBKpou6s

Martian Madness

The Martian Madness[terraria.gamepedia.com] is an invasion event that can only be summoned once a Martian Probe[terraria.gamepedia.com] has detected your character. Many players farm the event specifically for the Cosmic Car Key[terraria.gamepedia.com], an item that spawns a mount capable of infinite flight. If you must choose a mount for the rest of your Hardmode experience, I recommend you farm the Martian Madness for the Cosmic Car Key. The flying saucer mount that the item summons is an immense quality of life improvement whenever you want to travel around your world, building some kind of structure, or fighting bosses or other invasion events.

Martian Probes spawn only after you have defeated Golem[terraria.gamepedia.com] for the first time. The best way to spawn a Martian Probe is to travel to one of your Ocean[terraria.gamepedia.com] biomes, go to the Space layer, place a Water Candle[terraria.gamepedia.com] on a Table or Work Bench, consume a Battle Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com], and hold a second Water Candle. You do not need to be at the very top of an Ocean biome. A Martian Probe can be spawned at the layer where Harpies[terraria.gamepedia.com] spawn, meaning that you don't have to deal with Wyverns[terraria.gamepedia.com] whenever you want to initiate a Martian Madness event. While you wait for a Martian Probe to spawn, do not summon any minions. Once a Martian Probe appears, wait for it to approach your character (or you approach it), let it scan your character, after which the probe would scurry away. Let the probe fly away and wait for the status message "Martians are invading!". The message signals that the Martian Madness event has occurred and you should return to your base or initial spawn point in order to fight the invasion. The following provide detailed strategies on fighting the Martian Madness event.
https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Guide:Martian_Madness_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MRs4OsEdoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG8YTaQihks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3z5r3M7jTw

Here is a strategy to help you prepare for the Martian Madness. The section "Battle setup" collects general tips on how to prepare for boss fights and invasion events. The tips below are tailored to the Martian Madness event.

Arena
Prepare a chamber as shown in the above image and videos. Line the floor of your chamber with Asphalt Blocks[terraria.gamepedia.com] to help you dodge the laser of the Martian Saucer[terraria.gamepedia.com], the event boss. Your character would remain within the chamber for the duration of the invasion. Make sure you have a means of entering and exiting the chamber, e.g. place a pair of Teleporters[terraria.gamepedia.com]. If you construct your chamber as an underground rectangle, ensure you exercise precaution to prevent enemies from spawning within underground holes and caverns. This point is especially important for players who want to farm the Martian Madness for the Cosmic Car Key or any other item. To prevent enemies from being stuck in underground holes and caverns, fill in all holes and caverns within a depth of 50 blocks from the floor of your chamber. Starting from the right-most edge of your chamber and moving to the right, fill in all holes and caverns within a horizontal distance of 90 blocks from the right-most edge. Repeat the process for the left-most edge of your chamber. Prepare a lava pit atop your chamber. If you want, line the floor of your lava pit with Spiky Ball Traps[terraria.gamepedia.com]. You want most if not all enemies to be killed within your lava pit so loots can be collected from one convenient location.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Beetle armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.gamepedia.com] to increase your defense by 5. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com], although this might not be necessary.

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Tsunami[terraria.gamepedia.com] paired with Holy Arrows[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare 2 stacks of 999 Holy Arrows. Stand in one position and let your traps kill enemies for you. However, this strategy does not work against Tesla Turrets[terraria.gamepedia.com] because they usually stay in one place. Every now and then, move around your chamber looking for Tesla Turrets and dispatch them with the Tsunami. The Martian Saucer[terraria.gamepedia.com], the event boss, tends to hover above your character so any traps you setup would most likely be useless against the Martian Saucer. However, a few strategically placed Flame Traps[terraria.gamepedia.com] might help to chip down the boss' HP. Summon any minion you want, although minions are not necessary.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. These accessories should each have the Menacing modifier: Ranger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Destroyer Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Celestial Shell[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Equip the Magic Quiver[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Menacing modifier. Another option is to equip the Avenger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com] also reforged to have the Menacing modifier. The fifth accessory slot can be reserved for the Treasure Magnet[terraria.gamepedia.com] to help you pick up coins and treasures dropped by defeated enemies. Having the Lucky modifier on all your accessories might help to defeat enemies faster than the Menacing modifier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zt7Sy1SgBA

Frost Moon

The Frost Moon[terraria.gamepedia.com] is a Christmas-themed invasion event that is more difficult than the Martian Madness. The event can only be summoned from 7:30 pm onward and before 4:30 am by using a Naughty Present[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Many players farm the Frost Moon for the Chain Gun[terraria.gamepedia.com] and/or other items dropped by defeated enemies. The event is also an excellent source of money. The Frost Moon is related to the Steam achievement "Ice Scream", which requires you to reach the 15th wave of the Frost Moon before 4:30 am. The achievement is easily obtained once you have the Zenith[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Reaching wave 15 before 4:30 am would unlock one in-game day of Christmas[terraria.gamepedia.com], during which you can farm for Presents[terraria.gamepedia.com]. The following contains detailed strategies on fighting the Frost Moon:
https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Guide:Frost_Moon_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyzyjfNAI-g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGqfs8-1Vq8
Below are tips on how to deal with the Frost Moon. The section "Battle setup" contains general tips on preparing for boss fights and invasion events, whereas the tips below are specific to the Frost Moon.

Arena
Prepare your arena as shown in the above image and videos. You want a long strip of levelled ground stretching at least 200 blocks wide. This is your lava pit. Above the lava pit, construct a row of platform that is at least as wide as your lava pit. You would stand on the platform for the duration of the Frost Moon. Scatter a bunch of Spiky Ball Traps[terraria.gamepedia.com] underneath the platform, ensuring that when triggered the traps would fire Spiky Balls downward into the lava pit. Alternatively, line the floor of your lava pit with Spiky Ball Traps instead. Ensure you exercise precaution to prevent enemies from spawning within underground holes and caverns.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Beetle armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.gamepedia.com] to increase your defense by 5. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Most enemies, especially the event bosses, tend to drop hearts upon defeat. Consuming a Heartreach Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] would immensely help you to recover your HP. Elf Archers[terraria.gamepedia.com] shoot Flaming Arrows, which can inflict the On Fire![terraria.gamepedia.com] debuff on your character. Consume an Obsidian Skin Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] to prevent the debuff. The Warmth Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] is recommended, but not necessary, as it reduces damage from Flocko[terraria.gamepedia.com] and Ice Queen[terraria.gamepedia.com].

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Tsunami[terraria.gamepedia.com] paired with Holy Arrows[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare 4 stacks of 999 Holy Arrows. The lava pit and Spiky Ball Traps help to chip the HP of spawned enemies. Most of the time, you do not need to fight enemies spawned below the platform. The enemies you should be concerned with are those that spawn on the platform as well as Ice Queen[terraria.gamepedia.com].

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. This shield is especially useful during the Frost Moon because the accessory protects your character from the Chilled[terraria.gamepedia.com] debuff. The Hand Warmer[terraria.gamepedia.com] protects your character against the Chilled and Frozen[terraria.gamepedia.com] debuffs. However, the item is a rare drop from Presents[terraria.gamepedia.com], which are usually available to be farmed during the Christmas holiday season. The following accessories should each have the Warding modifier as well: Ranger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Destroyer Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Celestial Shell[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Equip the Magic Quiver[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. Another option is to equip the Avenger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com] also reforged to have the Warding modifier. The fifth accessory slot can be reserved for the Treasure Magnet[terraria.gamepedia.com] to help you pick up coins and treasures dropped by defeated enemies.

Other
A mount such as the UFO summoned by the Cosmic Car Key[terraria.gamepedia.com].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu-6jEnMBxg
As shown in video below, obtaining the "Ice Scream" Steam achievement by reaching wave 15 of the Frost Moon is easily accomplished after you have crafted the Zenith.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suhvCe_iy1U

Frost Legion

The Frost Legion[terraria.gamepedia.com] is an invasion event comparable in difficulty with the Hardmode Blood Moon. Very little benefit can be obtained from defeating the Frost Legion, except the following. First, after overcoming the Frost Legion, Santa Claus[terraria.gamepedia.com] would spawn and occupy a suitable empty NPC house. Santa Claus sells his vanity set and other decorative items, which can be used to setup a Christmas-themed structure. Second, the Clothier[terraria.gamepedia.com] would also sell 2 vanity items: the Balla[terraria.gamepedia.com] and Gangsta Hats[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Third, defeating the Frost Legion for the first time would unlock the Steam achievement "Do You Want to Slay a Snowman?". Apart from the above, there are no other benefits to fighting the Frost Legion.

The Frost Legion can only be summoned by using a Snow Globe[terraria.gamepedia.com], an item usually obtained from Presents[terraria.gamepedia.com] dropped by enemies during the Christmas holiday season (i.e. between 15th December and 31st December). You can also unlock one in-game day of Christmas[terraria.gamepedia.com] by reaching wave 15 of the Frost Moon before 4:30 am and use the Christmas day to farm for Presents. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain Presents outside of the Christmas holiday season by adjusting your computer's clock to 15th December. Doing so would trick the game into thinking it is the Christmas season and each defeated enemy has a chance to drop Presents. Use the above trick to farm for Presents to your heart's content. The above trick should be used with caution. Changing your computer's clock can mess up your Internet connection. You would most likely be able to play offline only and your Internet browser would function abnormally. Use the above trick if you know what you're doing and are able to reset your computer's clock to the current time.

The following video contains detailed strategy on fighting the Frost Legion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9pxdlFs6qI
The section "Battle setup" collects general tips on preparing for fights against bosses and invasion events, whereas the tips below are specific to the Frost Legion.

Arena
A long strip of levelled ground stretching at least 200 blocks wide, preferably close to your original spawn point. You would stand at the midpoint of this strip of levelled ground and fight enemies that come from your left and right. Ensure you exercise precaution to prevent enemies from spawning within underground holes and caverns.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Beetle armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.gamepedia.com] to increase your defense by 5. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com], but this is not necessary. The Warmth Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] is recommended, but not necessary, as it reduces damage from all enemies spawned by the Frost Legion.

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Tsunami[terraria.gamepedia.com] paired with Holy Arrows[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare 2 stacks of 999 Holy Arrows, but you would most likely require only 1 stack.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. The following accessories should each have the Warding modifier as well: Ranger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Destroyer Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Celestial Shell[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Equip the Magic Quiver[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. Another option is to equip the Avenger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com] also reforged to have the Warding modifier. The fifth accessory slot can be reserved for the Treasure Magnet[terraria.gamepedia.com] to help you pick up coins and treasures dropped by defeated enemies.

Other
A mount such as the UFO summoned by the Cosmic Car Key[terraria.gamepedia.com].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtQ2omRsc_8

Pumpkin Moon

The Pumpkin Moon[terraria.gamepedia.com] is the Halloween counterpart of the Frost Moon[terraria.gamepedia.com]. It is comparable in difficulty with the Frost Moon and, depending on your strategy, you might find it easier to reach wave 15 of the Pumpkin Moon than it is to reach wave 15 of the Frost Moon. Reaching wave 15 of the Pumpkin Moon before 4:30 am would unlock one in-game day of Halloween[terraria.gamepedia.com]. The Pumpkin Moon can only be summoned at night, any time between 7:30 pm and 4:30 am, by using a Pumpkin Moon Medallion[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Below are reasons why you might want to farm the Pumpkin Moon:

1. Similar to the Frost Moon, the Pumpkin Moon is an excellent source of money. The sheer number of enemies spawned during the Pumpkin Moon can drop a total value of at least 1 Platinum.
   
2. The event bosses drop 2 powerful weapons: the Stake Launcher[terraria.gamepedia.com] and the Horseman's Blade[terraria.gamepedia.com]. The event bosses also drop 2 powerful minion-related weapons: the Necromantic Scroll[terraria.gamepedia.com] and the Raven Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com]. The Necromantic Scroll is useful for a summoner playthrough because the item increases your maximum number of minions by one and boosts your minion's damage output. For those who plan on a summoner playthrough, farm the Pumpkin Moon for a Necromantic Scroll and use the item to craft the Papyrus Scarab[terraria.gamepedia.com].
   
3. The Pumpkin Moon is related to the Steam achievement "Baleful Harvest". To unlock the achievement, you must reach wave 15 of the Pumpkin Moon before 4:30 am. With suitable strategy, you do not require the Zenith[terraria.gamepedia.com] in order to obtain the "Baleful Harvest" achievement.
   
4. The Pumpkin Moon is similar to an endurance fight, where hordes of enemies constantly spawn to harass your character. Surviving the event is an excellent way to prepare yourself for similar endurance fights such as the Lunatic Cultist[terraria.gamepedia.com] and the Lunar Events[terraria.gamepedia.com].

The following provide detailed strategies on fighting the Pumpkin Moon:
https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Guide:Pumpkin_Moon_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FehukRaLzXs
The section "Battle setup" collects general tips on preparing for fights against bosses and invasion events. The tips below are specific to the Pumpkin Moon.

Arena
Re-use the same arena that you used to fight the Frost Moon.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Beetle armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Place a few Bast Statues[terraria.gamepedia.com] to increase your defense by 5. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Most enemies, especially the event bosses, tend to drop hearts upon defeat. Consuming a Heartreach Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] would immensely help you to recover your HP.

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Tsunami[terraria.gamepedia.com] paired with Holy Arrows[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare 4 stacks of 999 Holy Arrows. The lava pit and Spiky Ball Traps help to chip the HP of spawned enemies. Most of the time, you do not need to fight enemies spawned below the platform. The enemies you should be concerned with are those that spawn on the platform as well as Pumpking[terraria.gamepedia.com]. One way to defeat Pumpking is by circling him or move in a rectangular fashion. You back away from Pumpking while constantly auto-firing Holy Arrows at the boss. Another way to defeat Pumpking is by having the boss be underneath you. Be above the boss, move straight upward, and constantly auto-fire Holy Arrows down at the boss. This is more effective than moving in a rectangular fashion, but at the cost of spawning Wyverns. Once you reach the depth at which Wyverns would spawn, reverse your direction and move downward while auto-firing Holy Arrows upward at Pumpking. The recommended minion is the Enchanted Dagger summoned by the Blade Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Consume a Summoning Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] and use the Bewitching Table[terraria.gamepedia.com] in order to summon 3 Enchanted Daggers.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. The following accessories should each have the Warding modifier as well: Ranger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Destroyer Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Celestial Shell[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Equip the Magic Quiver[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. Another option is to equip the Avenger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com] also reforged to have the Warding modifier. The fifth accessory slot can be reserved for the Treasure Magnet[terraria.gamepedia.com] to help you pick up coins and treasures dropped by defeated enemies.

Other
A mount such as the UFO summoned by the Cosmic Car Key[terraria.gamepedia.com].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s-4FbLYjmU

Pre-Lunatic Cultist checklist

This is a time to take stock of your world. Why would you want to do so? If you willy-nilly head straight for the fight with Lunatic Cultist[terraria.gamepedia.com], you would be smashed in the face with a triple whammy.

1. The Lunatic Cultist is not as difficult as end-game bosses such as Golem or Duke Fishron. The ease with which you can defeat the Lunatic Cultist is merely a ruse to trick you into initiating the Lunar Events[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Without adequate preparation, the Lunatic Cultist might be more difficult than Duke Fishron.
   
2. Defeating the Lunatic Cultist would immediately initiate the Lunar Events[terraria.gamepedia.com], which consist of 4 separate events each with its own boss. The bosses of the Lunar Events do not despawn even if your character dies or exits the world. There is nothing you can do to get rid of the Lunar Events, except for defeating the respective bosses. In effect, the Lunatic Cultist and the Lunar Events is a boss rush.
   
3. Defeating the Lunar Events would trigger the fight with the final boss of the game, i.e. Moon Lord[terraria.gamepedia.com]. The status message "Impending doom approaches..." is a warning that Moon Lord will spawn. To cancel the spawning of Moon Lord, exit your world as soon as the status message appears.

Before you start the fight with Lunatic Cultist, complete anything that needs to be done. Here is a checklist you might find useful before you fight Lunatic Cultist.

1. Obtain any weapons[terraria.gamepedia.com], armour sets[terraria.gamepedia.com], or summon weapons[terraria.gamepedia.com] you might find useful during the fights with all bosses from Lunatic Cultist onward. Search youtube for video tutorials on how to fight these bosses and obtain as many recommended items as you can.
   
2. Stock up on potions that are useful during boss fights. Refer to the section "Battle setup" for a list of useful potions. This wiki page[terraria.gamepedia.com] has a list of all potions in the game.
   
3. Build any arenas that might help you to fight all bosses from Lunatic Cultist onward. At the very least, search online for how to defeat Moon Lord and construct an appropriate arena.
   
4. Construct NPC houses and have all NPCs spawn in your world.
   
5. Complete any projects that require you to setup a structure at the Surface layer.

Lunatic Cultist

The Lunatic Cultist[terraria.gamepedia.com] is a boss that, once defeated, initiates the Lunar Events[terraria.gamepedia.com]. There is no way to cancel the Lunar Events, other than defeating the respective bosses. Furthermore, defeating the bosses of the Lunar Events would spawn the final boss of the game. If you don't want to fight (or are not ready for) the final boss, do not fight Lunatic Cultist.

The Lunatic Cultist is spawned after you have defeated the Cultists[terraria.gamepedia.com] who spawn at the entrance of the Dungeon[terraria.gamepedia.com]. The Cultists usually spawn after you have defeated Golem[terraria.gamepedia.com]; check this wiki page[terraria.gamepedia.com] for the exact conditions. You must defeat Lunatic Cultist at least once in order to obtain the Ancient Manipulator[terraria.gamepedia.com], an item required to craft more powerful armour sets and weapons and other items. Apart from the Ancient Manipulator and other vanity items, there is no reason to farm Lunatic Cultist. Defeating this boss once is enough. On the other hand, the bosses of the Lunar Events drop materials that are used to craft powerful weapons you might find useful against Moon Lord. If you want to farm the Lunar Events, then you must defeat Lunatic Cultist multiple times.

The following provide detailed strategies on defeating Lunatic Cultist:
https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Guide:Lunatic_Cultist_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-HEfs4Shzw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gILy0ghbikc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg0TGXnvuzE
The section "Battle setup" contains general tips on preparing for fights against bosses and invasion events. The tips below are specific to Lunatic Cultist.

Arena
There is no need to construct a special arena for fighting Lunatic Cultist. All of your fighting would take place above ground. Having an item that grants infinite flight is necessary.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Beetle armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com], although this might not be necessary.

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Tsunami[terraria.gamepedia.com] paired with Holy Arrows[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare at least one stack of 999 Holy Arrows. The recommended minion is the UFO summoned by the Xeno Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Consume a Summoning Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] in order to summon 2 UFO minions.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. The following accessories should each have the Warding modifier as well: Ranger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Destroyer Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Celestial Shell[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Equip the Magic Quiver[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. Another option is to equip the Avenger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com] also reforged to have the Warding modifier.

Other
The UFO mount summoned by the Cosmic Car Key[terraria.gamepedia.com]. If necessary, farm the Martian Madness[terraria.gamepedia.com] event for the item. During the second phase, Lunatic Cultist would spawn multiple copies of itself. Consuming a Hunter Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] would help you to easily identify the real Lunatic Cultist. However, a Hunter Potion is not necessary because the real Lunatic Cultist is the only copy that has a health bar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRUveUX8BxI

Celestial Pillars

Once Lunatic Cultist[terraria.gamepedia.com] is defeated, the Lunar Events[terraria.gamepedia.com] would immediately begin. There is no way to cancel the Lunar Events apart from defeating the respective bosses. The bosses of the Lunar Events are the Celestial Pillars[terraria.gamepedia.com]: the Nebula Pillar, the Solar Pillar, the Stardust Pillar, and the Vortex Pillar. The Celestial Pillars themselves are not the problem. The de facto obstacles are the minions that spawn around each Celestial Pillar. Before you are able to deal damage to a Celestial Pillar, you must first defeat a certain number of the pillar's minions. Once you have defeated enough minions belonging to a particular pillar, the pillar would be open to take damage. There is no set order in which you should fight the Celestial Pillars. Generally, you should be constantly on the move, always auto-firing your weapon, and dodging any attacks. However, you might find the Solar Pillar to be the most difficult to defeat because its minions, especially the Crawltipede[terraria.gamepedia.com], are more tricky to dodge and kill than the minions of other pillars. Build some kind of barrier to help you block most minions of the Solar Pillar.

The defeat of all 4 Celestial Pillars is a trigger for spawning the final boss of the game, i.e. Moon Lord[terraria.gamepedia.com]. You can cancel the spawning of Moon Lord by exiting your world after you have defeated all Celestial Pillars. This point is important because you can farm the Celestial Pillars for any materials you require in order to craft items that might help you fight Moon Lord. Defeating a Celestial Pillar would reward you with a certain number of Celestial Fragments: Nebula Fragments[terraria.gamepedia.com] from the Nebula Pillar, Solar Fragments[terraria.gamepedia.com] from the Solar Pillar, Stardust Fragments[terraria.gamepedia.com] from the Stardust Pillar, and Vortex Fragments[terraria.gamepedia.com] from the Vortex Pillar. The most important items you can craft from the Celestial Fragments are Super Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com], Celestial Sigils[terraria.gamepedia.com], Stardust Dragon Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com], and the Vortex Beater[terraria.gamepedia.com]. A Super Healing Potion is the best potion for HP recovery as it heals more HP than any other type of healing potion. Super Healing Potions are also dropped by Moon Lord, but you should at least prepare a stack of Super Healing Potions before you fight Moon Lord for the first time. The purpose of a Celestial Sigil is to summon Moon Lord. The Stardust Dragon Staff summons the second best minion in the game, i.e. the Stardust Dragon. The best summon weapon is the Terraprisma[terraria.gamepedia.com]. The Vortex Beater is an excellent weapon for fighting Moon Lord, especially when used in conjunction with the Shroomite armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com] and Chlorophyte Bullets[terraria.gamepedia.com].

The following provide detailed strategies on overcoming the Lunar Events:
https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Guide:Lunar_Events_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxzBLVgz2Ro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWeSQ5Wj6AA
The section "Battle setup" has a collection of general tips on preparing for boss fights and invasion events. The tips below are tailored to the Lunar Events.

Arena
There is no need to construct a special arena for fighting a Celestial Pillar. All of your fighting would take place above ground. Having an item that grants infinite flight is necessary. Constructing some kind of barrier might help you to block some enemies and attacks, especially during the fight against the minions of the Solar Pillar.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Beetle armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com].

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Tsunami[terraria.gamepedia.com] paired with Holy Arrows[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare 4 stacks of 999 Holy Arrows. The recommended minion is the UFO summoned by the Xeno Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Consume a Summoning Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] and use the Bewitching Table[terraria.gamepedia.com] in order to summon 3 UFO minions.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. The following accessories should each have the Warding modifier as well: Ranger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Destroyer Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Celestial Shell[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Equip the Magic Quiver[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. Another option is to equip the Avenger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com] also reforged to have the Warding modifier.

Other
The UFO mount summoned by the Cosmic Car Key[terraria.gamepedia.com].

The following videos use the above strategy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyOfhGFnmO4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVPDNW6kM7E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulUI1qlECdk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4fAmBOo1yE

Moon Lord

Moon Lord[terraria.gamepedia.com] is the final boss of the game and the second most difficult boss. The most difficult boss is Empress of Light[terraria.gamepedia.com] when fought during daytime, i.e. while the Empress of Light is in her enraged state. When you summon and fight Empress of Light during the day, each of her attacks can one-shot you. Moon Lord has the Phantasmal Deathray[terraria.gamepedia.com], his most devastating attack, but the attack can be tanked provided you have stacked enough defense. No amount of defense can help you to survive any attack of an enraged Empress of Light.

Moon Lord can be summoned via one of 2 ways. After defeating all bosses of the Lunar Events[terraria.gamepedia.com], Moon Lord would spawn after one minute from the appearance of the status message "Impending doom approaches...". The second way to summon Moon Lord is by using a Celestial Sigil[terraria.gamepedia.com], a boss summoning item that can only be crafted from materials dropped by Lunatic Cultist[terraria.gamepedia.com] and the Celestial Pillars[terraria.gamepedia.com].

The following provide detailed strategies on fighting Moon Lord:
https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Guide:Moon_Lord_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0RQbdcX-64
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUWtRGMchms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL0ZZHjMjeo
The section "Battle setup" contains general tips on preparing for fights against bosses and invasion events. The tips below are specific to Moon Lord.

Arena
Re-use the Minecart Tracks that you used to fight Empress of Light.

Defense
The recommended amount of HP is 500. Equip the Shroomite armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare a stack of Greater Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com], but Super Healing Potions[terraria.gamepedia.com] are recommended.

Weapon
The recommended weapon is the Vortex Beater[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Unreal modifier and paired with Chlorophyte Bullet[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Prepare at least 2 stacks of 999 Chlorophyte Bullets, although one stack is enough. The recommended minion is the UFO summoned by the Xeno Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Consume a Summoning Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] and use the Bewitching Table[terraria.gamepedia.com] in order to summon 3 UFO minions. The Blade Staff[terraria.gamepedia.com] is also recommended. Aim your gun at any eye that has a health bar. The heart of Moon Lord also has a health bar. I recommend you first destroy the top-most eye on the boss' face because that eye can fire a devastating laser, i.e. the Phantasmal Deathray.

Accessory
Equip the Ankh Shield[terraria.gamepedia.com] reforged to have the Warding modifier. The following accessories should each have the Warding modifier as well: Ranger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Destroyer Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com], Celestial Shell[terraria.gamepedia.com], and Avenger Emblem[terraria.gamepedia.com].

Other
Any Minecart that can reach a top speed of 66 mph as measured by the Stopwatch[terraria.gamepedia.com].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw3Ai1Lq6b8

The road ahead

Now that you have defeated all bosses and survived all invasion events, is there any replay value in Terraria? The short answer is yes. The following is an extended answer. Read this wiki page[terraria.gamepedia.com] and also this page[terraria.gamepedia.com] for some ideas on what to do post-Moon Lord.

Craft the Zenith
As a start to your post-game adventure, collect all ingredients necessary for crafting the Zenith[terraria.gamepedia.com]. This project can take a fair amount of time because many of the ingredients require you to explore a large portion of your world. Some ingredients require you to farm various bosses and invasion events. In all, having a Zenith can make your post-game adventure much easier than without the weapon.

Obtain the Terraprisma
The Terraprisma[terraria.gamepedia.com] is the most powerful summon weapon in the game. It is guaranteed to drop from Empress of Light[terraria.gamepedia.com] if all damage dealt to her is done during daytime. Fighting the boss during daytime would cause her to be in an enraged state where every attack would one-shot your character. In effect, defeating an enraged Empress of Light is equivalent to a no-hit boss fight. The following videos contain detailed strategies on how to deal with an enraged Empress of Light.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWISQqGpZSI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahe8rZowzyk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV6VKAklJ7g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6d9KMnY-Ds
The video below shows a simple strategy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jnS90s6uzE
Unlock all Steam achievements
The majority of the Steam achievements relating to Terraria are rather easy to unlock. The only difficult achievement is "Supreme Helper Minion!", which requires you to complete 200 fishing quests. This achievement is difficult in the sense that it requires much more time investment than, say, crafting the Zenith. It is also the most tedious to obtain.


Spice up your NPC houses
Design and construct more beautiful looking NPC houses than what you currently have. You don't need to be an artist to start building something that is pleasing to the eyes. Choose a particular biome and have in mind a rough design of the sort of housing you want for the NPCs who would be assigned the housing. Search online for pixel art and cross stitch designs, mixing and matching ideas until you have something that closely resembles a themed NPC housing. If you find an image that fits in with your rough design, you might want to convert the image into pixel art by using this online tool:
https://theimagekit.com/image-to-pixel

The following NPC houses were mostly based on pixel art and cross stitch designs:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2289916332
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2289928269
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2289944222
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2289865367
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2289939394
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2289799070
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2289922261

The building tips and tutorials by Khaios, GandalfHardcore, and Ziiio might inspire you:
https://www.youtube.com/c/Khaios/playlists
https://www.youtube.com/c/GGamereastereggurlhehe/playlists
https://www.youtube.com/c/Ziiio/playlists

Further inspiration can be found in the following threads from the official Terraria forum:
https://forums.terraria.org/index.php?threads/builds-by-khaios.3303/
https://forums.terraria.org/index.php?threads/graveyard-boys.93670/
https://forums.terraria.org/index.php?threads/flor3nce2456s-builds-collection.3055/
https://forums.terraria.org/index.php?threads/building-a-large-theme-biome-castle.36450/
https://forums.terraria.org/index.php?threads/bluejay-building-thread.61299/
https://forums.terraria.org/index.php?threads/dens-creation-compendium.56740/
https://forums.terraria.org/index.php?threads/terraria-as-youve-never-seen-it-before.34271/
https://forums.terraria.org/index.php?threads/simis-creations.88354/

Master mode playthrough
Bosses defeated in a Master mode[terraria.gamepedia.com] playthrough drop their relics[terraria.gamepedia.com] in addition to other items. Master mode is the most difficult mode available. Bosses have significantly more HP, defense, and damage output as compared to their Classic mode counterparts. The Zenith is the most powerful melee weapon in the game and can be used to easily defeat most bosses in Master mode. Without adequate preparation and suitable strategies, even the Zenith won't help you against late-game bosses in Master mode. Moon Lord can one- or 2-shot your character regardless of whether or not you use the Zenith against him. A Master mode playthrough would test your skills and ingenuity against late-game bosses, especially Moon Lord. You might find it useful to study the following videos, which detail a no-hit playthrough in Master mode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvf9UERfsZI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2HhTCQ64f8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK2HCEipkzU

Once you have defeated all bosses in Master mode, use their relics and other items they drop to create a trophy room such as the following trophy tower.

Dungeon Guardian
The Dungeon Guardian[terraria.gamepedia.com] is not considered a boss, but an enemy that can one- or 2-shot your character. Defeating the Dungeon Guardian would reward you with the Bone Key[terraria.gamepedia.com], a pet summoning item. The following contain detailed strategies for fighting the Dungeon Guardian:
https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Guide:Dungeon_Guardian_strategies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAdLS6muZjY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1w9eUsvkcQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpwSyrJgu1w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj-Ki8DO9xo

Here is a simple strategy. Create a new Small World in Classic, Expert, or Master mode. It doesn't matter which difficulty you choose; in any of them the Dungeon Guardian would likely one-shot your character. Equip an item that grants infinite flight such as the Cosmic Car Key[terraria.gamepedia.com]. Equip the Beetle armour set[terraria.gamepedia.com] and the Zenith reforged to have the Legendary modifier. The Dungeon Guardian usually takes 1 HP of damage regardless of the weapon you use. A critical strike would deal 2 HP of damage. It doesn't matter which accessories you equip as long as you reforge each of them to have the Lucky modifier. The Rage Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] also increases your critical strike chance. A minion such as that summoned by the Blade Staff can help you to deal with nearby enemies who want to harass you. Consuming the Inferno Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] and Summoning Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] would help you to handle nearby enemies. Also use the Bewitching Table[terraria.gamepedia.com] to allow you to summon 3 minions in total. The fight can be rather long and night would fall. Consume the Shine Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] and Night Owl Potion[terraria.gamepedia.com] to help you see at night. The following video demonstrates the above strategy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RUyDwgy6Rk

[avalynnramsey]

After I read This I beat the game in 3 weeks! Thanks for the advice!

[Air is not in my lungs]

Amazing work, This guide was great!

[quacksouls]

@Datermination
Thank you very much for your encouragement. I just hope it's useful to someone.

[Datermination]

Jesus now that is dedication. Good job!