Hardmode is the second half of Terraria, and it starts the moment the Wall of Flesh dies. Your world gains new ores, the Hallow and the Corruption or Crimson carve diagonal stripes across the map, and enemies everywhere get much tougher. None of this can be undone — so the first hours are about getting your gear back ahead of the world.
What changes when Hardmode starts
| Change | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| New ores are added when you smash altars | Cobalt/Palladium, Mythril/Orichalcum and Adamantite/Titanium become available |
| The Hallow appears and Corruption or Crimson spreads | Diagonal stripes cross the world and slowly convert nearby blocks |
| Hardmode enemies spawn everywhere | Your pre-Hardmode armor falls behind quickly |
| New bosses, events and NPCs unlock | Queen Slime, the mechanical bosses, the Pirate Invasion and more |
The first things to do
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1
Smash altars with the Pwnhammer
The Wall of Flesh drops the Pwnhammer. Each Demon or Crimson Altar you smash adds Hardmode ore to the world — the first adds Cobalt or Palladium, the second Mythril or Orichalcum, the third Adamantite or Titanium. Smashing more adds more ore, but each smash can also spawn a Wraith.
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2
Mine Cobalt or Palladium
Your Molten Pickaxe can mine it. Look in the cavern layer; the new ores show up in the stone around you.
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3
Craft Cobalt or Palladium armor
This is your most important upgrade. Palladium armor's set bonus helps with health regeneration; Cobalt's set bonus depends on the helmet you choose.
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4
Equip your Wall of Flesh emblem
The class emblem (Warrior, Ranger, Sorcerer or Summoner) boosts your class damage. Keep it in an accessory slot.
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5
Protect your base
Before exploring far, check whether a Hallow or Corruption/Crimson stripe is near your base and cut it off.
Do not go deep into the underground Hallow or Corruption/Crimson right away. The enemies there are the hardest early Hardmode enemies in the game. Get your first ore armor first, then go for Souls of Light and Night.
Ore tiers and the pickaxe each one needs
| Ore | Mine it with | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Cobalt / Palladium | Molten Pickaxe | First Hardmode armor, tools and the Hardmode anvil's materials |
| Mythril / Orichalcum | Cobalt or Palladium pickaxe or drill | The Hardmode anvil and the next armor tier |
| Adamantite / Titanium | Mythril or Orichalcum pickaxe or drill | The Hardmode forge and the strongest ore armor |
| Chlorophyte | Pickaxe Axe or Drax (from Hallowed bars) | Chlorophyte gear after the mechanical bosses |
Each world has one ore of each pair. Palladium, Orichalcum and Titanium are the alternate versions of Cobalt, Mythril and Adamantite; they are slightly different, not better or worse overall.
Wings and mobility
Wings change Hardmode. They let you dodge bosses that are very hard to fight on foot.
- Souls of Flight drop from Wyverns, which appear in the sky. Most wings use them.
- Souls of Light come from enemies in the underground Hallow, Souls of Night from the underground Corruption or Crimson. They are used in many Hardmode recipes, including the keys for biome Mimics.
- Combine wings with your existing movement accessories for the best results.
Keeping the spreading biomes away
The Hallow and the Corruption or Crimson spread through grass, stone, sand and ice. Left alone, they can reach your base and the biomes you rely on, such as the Jungle.
- Dig trenches a few blocks wide around areas you want to protect, or replace spreadable blocks with ones that do not spread.
- Protect the Jungle: Plantera and Chlorophyte both depend on it.
- Later, the Steampunker sells the Clentaminator, which cleans infected areas with solutions.
Early Hardmode weapons by class
| Class | Good early Hardmode picks | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Melee | Breaker Blade (Wall of Flesh), Cobalt or Palladium weapons | Upgrade along the ore tiers |
| Ranged | Clockwork Assault Rifle (Wall of Flesh) with Hardmode ammunition | Better arrows and bullets matter as much as the weapon |
| Magic | Crystal Storm (from Souls of Light and Crystal Shards) | Mana potions and a Mana Flower help a lot |
| Summoner | Spider Staff (from Spider Fangs) | Summoners scale strongly with Hardmode armor sets |
The route to Plantera
- Ore armor — Cobalt/Palladium, then upgrade as the higher ores come in.
- Wings — before the mechanical bosses.
- Queen Slime (optional) — a good first Hardmode boss test.
- The three mechanical bosses — the Destroyer is a common first pick; all three are required. Defeating one also brings the Steampunker.
- Hallowed gear and Chlorophyte — Hallowed bars make strong armor and the Pickaxe Axe or Drax, which mine Chlorophyte in the Underground Jungle.
- Plantera — its bulbs appear in the Underground Jungle once all three mechanical bosses are dead.
For the full list of bosses, how to summon them and what each unlocks, see the Boss Order Guide. For weapons at each step, see the Weapon Progression Guide, for class setups the Class and Build Guide, and for funding reforges and potions the Money Making Guide.
★Honest Take: the first hour of Hardmode is the hardest
Hardmode's reputation comes almost entirely from its first hour: your armor is suddenly behind, Wraiths appear when you smash altars, and new enemies hit hard. It passes quickly if you do things in order — smash a few altars, get Cobalt or Palladium armor, then wings. From there Hardmode becomes the best part of Terraria: more bosses, more events and far more interesting gear.
