Terraria Walkthrough: Part 3, Mechanical Bosses, Plantera and Golem

Part 3 of our Terraria walkthrough is the middle of Hardmode. It covers the three mechanical bosses, Plantera in the Underground Jungle and Golem in the Jungle Temple, plus the optional Duke Fishron and Empress of Light. It ends when Golem is dead and the Lunatic Cultist is waiting at the Dungeon.

Terraria walkthrough: ← Previous part  |  Next part →

The whole walkthrough

The mechanical bosses: summons and prep

There are three, and you must beat all of them to unlock Plantera. Each summon is crafted at a Mythril or Orichalcum Anvil and used at night:

• Mechanical Eye (Lenses, Iron or Lead Bars, Souls of Light) summons The Twins.
• Mechanical Worm (Rotten Chunks or Vertebrae, Iron or Lead Bars, Souls of Night) summons The Destroyer.
• Mechanical Skull (Bones, Iron or Lead Bars, Souls of Light and Night) summons Skeletron Prime.

Prep for all three: Adamantite or Titanium armor (or a full class set), wings, a long sky arena with several rows of platforms, and buff potions. If a mechanical boss is still alive at dawn, it leaves, so start early in the night.

The Destroyer

A huge metal worm with many segments. It's usually the easiest of the three because it's so easy to hit.

• Use weapons that pierce or hit many segments. The Daedalus Stormbow with Holy Arrows and the Cursed Flames or Golden Shower spells are classic picks.
• It drops Probes that shoot lasers. Kill them for hearts.
• Fly above it and let it pass under you.

Drops: Souls of Might and Hallowed Bars.

The Twins

Retinazer (red, lasers) and Spazmatism (green, cursed fire) fight together. Both change form at low health and get more aggressive.

• Focus one at a time so you only have one angry twin left at the end.
• Keep moving in long horizontal lines and use wings to dodge charges.
• Homing weapons help because both move fast.

Drops: Souls of Sight and Hallowed Bars. Souls of Sight make the Optic Staff, a great summon.

Skeletron Prime

A metal Skeletron with four arms: a saw, a vice, a cannon and a laser. Its head spins like the original Skeletron.

• Many guides suggest killing the arms first, starting with the saw or vice, to lower incoming damage.
• Fight it on a long platform row and keep moving; the spinning head phase hits hard.

Drops: Souls of Fright and Hallowed Bars.

After the mechanical bosses

• Hallowed armor is a strong set for every class.
• One of each soul crafts the Pickaxe Axe or Drax. You need it to mine Chlorophyte Ore in the Underground Jungle.
• The Megashark (Minishark plus Souls of Might and more) is a classic ranged upgrade.
• Life Fruit starts growing in the Underground Jungle after any mechanical boss. It raises your max health past 400.
• Chlorophyte armor and Chlorophyte Bullets are popular before Plantera.

Plantera

After all three mechanical bosses, pink Plantera's Bulbs appear in the Underground Jungle. Break one to summon Plantera.

1. Before you break the bulb, dig a long flat tunnel or a box arena near it. The Jungle is cramped and full of enemies.
2. Phase 1: Plantera is hooked to the walls by vines and shoots seeds and poison balls.
3. Phase 2: at half health it opens a mouth, spawns tentacles and moves much faster. Keep running and keep shooting.
4. Don't leave the Underground Jungle. Plantera gets enraged if you do.

Common gear: Chlorophyte or Hallowed armor, a Megashark with Chlorophyte Bullets, Optic Staff, or a strong melee weapon like a Chlorophyte sword with Hallowed armor.

Drops worth using: the Temple Key (always) plus one weapon such as the Grenade Launcher, Venus Magnum, Seedler, Flower Pow, Leaf Blower, Nettle Burst or Wasp Gun. The Pygmy Staff can also drop.

What Plantera unlocks

• The Dungeon gets new, tougher enemies that drop Ectoplasm (for Spectre armor, popular with mages) and many strong weapons.
• The Cyborg moves in and sells rockets.
• The Pumpkin Moon and Frost Moon events can be summoned with a Pumpkin Moon Medallion and a Naughty Present. They drop some of the best summoner gear.
• A Solar Eclipse now has Mothron, which drops the Broken Hero Sword needed for the Terra Blade.
• Prismatic Lacewings appear in the Hallow at night. See Empress of Light below.

Golem

Use the Temple Key on the door of the Jungle Temple (Lihzahrd Temple) in the Underground Jungle. The temple is full of traps and Lihzahrd enemies.

1. Work your way down to the boss room at the bottom. You'll find a Lihzahrd Altar there.
2. Get a Lihzahrd Power Cell. They drop from Lihzahrds and are found in temple chests.
3. Clear traps from the boss room and add platforms. Then use the Power Cell on the altar.
4. Golem punches with two fists and shoots fireballs and lasers. Kill the fists first, then the head and body.
5. In the last phase the head detaches and flies. Stay mobile and finish the body.

Golem is not as hard as Plantera if you're geared for her. Drops worth using: the Picksaw (mines Lihzahrd Bricks), Beetle Husks for Beetle armor (melee), and one of the Stynger, Possessed Hatchet, Heat Ray, Staff of Earth or Golem Fist, plus an accessory like the Sun Stone or Eye of the Golem.

After Golem, Martian Madness can start if a Martian Probe spots you and escapes. The Lunatic Cultist also appears at the Dungeon entrance (part 4). The Old One's Army event gets its final tier.

Duke Fishron (optional)

Catch a Truffle Worm with a bug net in the underground Glowing Mushroom biome during Hardmode. Use it as bait while fishing in the Ocean. Duke Fishron is fast and hits hard, so many players wait until after Plantera. He drops one of the Tsunami, Flairon, Razorblade Typhoon, Bubble Gun or Tempest Staff, and sometimes Fishron Wings.

Empress of Light (optional)

After Plantera, Prismatic Lacewings fly in the Hallow early in the night. Kill one to summon the Empress of Light. She is one of the hardest bosses in the game. If you kill her during the day, she is far stronger, but she then drops the Terraprisma, a top summon weapon. Most players fight her at night first.

Tips for this part

• Do the Destroyer first. Its Souls of Might and Hallowed Bars make the other two easier.
• Use a Nurse near your arena and keep plenty of Greater Healing Potions.
• Eat every Life Fruit you find before Plantera. 500 health makes a real difference.
• Bring a Spelunker Potion into the Jungle Temple so you can see chests and Power Cells.
• Reforge your accessories again. Hardmode gear needs good modifiers.

My take

Plantera is the boss I've died to most. Every time, it was because I didn't dig a proper arena first. Once I did, it was a smooth fight. Which part of mid-Hardmode slowed you down the most?

FAQ

Which mechanical boss should I fight first?

Most players start with The Destroyer, because it's big and easy to hit with piercing weapons. The Twins and Skeletron Prime are harder.

Why can't I find Plantera's Bulb?

Bulbs only grow in the Underground Jungle after you beat all three mechanical bosses. Explore the deeper Jungle mud caves; they are bright pink and easy to spot.

How do you summon Golem?

Beat Plantera for the Temple Key, open the Jungle Temple, then use a Lihzahrd Power Cell on the Lihzahrd Altar inside.

Do I need to beat Duke Fishron or the Empress of Light?

No. Both are optional. Their drops are very strong, but you can reach the Moon Lord without them.

Terraria walkthrough: ← Previous part  |  Next part →