PC How to defeat the mechanical bosses (Part 1, The Destroyer)

KavasPvP

Official Terrarian
Hey, everyone! I'm happy to get back to the forums with a new guide! I believe that you clicked on this guide to find out how to defeat The Destroyer.
This boss is considered to be the easiest of the 3 hardmode mechanical bosses. A good strategy to fighting it would be to be highly mobile, i.e. jumping around from platform to platform and constantly moving. Obviously, avoiding getting hit and having a campfire and Heart lantern at the arena to recover health fast.
Some general tips to keep in mind:
- You can recall from anywhere in the world. The Destroyer won't despawn and it will follow you wherever you go. You can use this trick to teleport to the Nurse often.
- Actually, the Water Bolt, despite being a pre-hardmode weapon, it is very relevant in this fight. Just build a box and cover the ceiling and the floor with solid blocks and watch the Water Bolt pierce most of the segments of the Destroyer, while killing a lot of the probes that spawn.
- You can make easy gold out of this guy by crafting Light Disks after the fight. A single kill gets you 4-8 disks, which can be sold for 10 gold each.
- The Destroyer spawns off-screen bunched-up like a coil. If the player is quick enough, they can reach the Destroyer in that state and end the fight in a matter of seconds using a piercing or explosive weapon, such as a Magical Harp or Grenade.
- Building a long skybridge and using a ranged weapon can make the fight easier — simply run continuously in one direction while firing backwards.
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Terrain Preparation:
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This depends on the approach to the fight. If your are using melee The Destroyer is best fought on an arena consisting of tall walls with multiple layers of wood platforms. This will allow players to move around the arena freely, and to keep a good watch on where the boss is. If you are using ranged, pick a wide, open, flat area, with plenty of clear space for flying and dodging. The Destroyer can clear a lot of vertical space. Like any other burrowing enemy, it can only control its movements in tiles/blocks.

Another method of defeating The Destroyer utilizes a Nimbus Rod, ropes, and Platforms. Build a platform up high enough so that the Destroyer can just barely reach the player, but not so high as to despawn the Destroyer when standing atop it, and make a rope up. Since the Destroyer struggles with the ability to fly, you will be able to kill it easily. Piercing weapons will be most effective e.g. Flamethrower or Titanium Repeater. Place Nimbus Clouds, and then use the Mechanical Worm. The clouds will damage the Destroyer while you fight off the Probes. You may need to replace the clouds mid-fight. If you wish to do additional damage, shoot down at him with a Poison Staff, preferably at an angle as to do damage to multiple segments per shot.

It may be useful to summon and kill the Eye of Cthulhu (he will usually be defeated quickly when engaged with hardmode weapons) before summoning the Destroyer in order to spawn an extra one-use pool of Hearts. You can also choose to add a few Heart Statues wired to a Timer to supply you with some additional health. Another great help is building a few small pools of Honey and building Campfires and Heart Lanterns around the arena.

A tricky alternative way of building an arena is by creating a small box, wire up a few Heart Statues around it and some honey inside it. Combine this with high defense, a Cross Necklace and a Charm of Myths. The Destroyer himself will only deal relatively low damage, less than your healing potential, making the fight very easy. Another way is to build a horizontal platform very high in the sky (200 to 300 blocks), with one block replaced by a Wood Platform. The Destroyer will be unable to reach you, allowing you to easily kill him with ranged weapons.

If you don't want to spend time making an arena, all you really need is a large flat area of land for the fight (similar to the ranged approach listed above). This strategy is useful for Mages since they are fragile. Move back and forth across your battlefield until he surfaces, then attack with the weapon(s) of your choice. The idea is to prevent the Destroyer from attacking directly below you, which can easily wreck a player who isn't quick enough to avoid the head. Lightning boots and/or Wings can be used to greatly increase the potential of this method, although they are both optional.
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GEARING UP
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Generally you want to use Adamantite or Titanium armor with your respective helmet. Orichalcum armor is also a good, albeit riskier choice to use against the destroyer, because while it has lower defense than higher tier armor, its set bonus creates projectiles that deal lots of damage to the destroyer because they can pierce. Summoners are quite weak against the Destroyer as their summons release too many probes for them to fight against, but Spider armor can help.
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WEAPONS
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This boss is very large, not at all agile, and features many segments. Any weapon that pierces, has an area of effect, ricochets, or fires multiple projectiles, will do well against it. If none of these are available, a fast autoswing weapon can be deadly against the main body, as you can dodge its lunge and attack continuously as it passes by. However, you will still need some way to attack at range, to deal with the Probes (all the features above will remain useful. As always, it's helpful to reforge your weapon(s) to get a good modifier. If you have already defeated a mechanical boss, using the Excalibur is recommended.

The Destroyer is the easiest of the 3 mechanical bosses for a melee character, considering its movement in the air is limited.

  • The weakest form of the destroyer is when it attacks vertically. If it does so, it is best to use an effective sword and swing at it multiple times. This takes out a lot of its health and if it keeps attacking you vertically, it will take a short amount of time to defeat it.
  • Right from the start, before you get better swords, the Night's edge can be very useful, seeing that if you spent enough time farming the materials, the damage count (with the right Modifiers), can make the boss fight last about 2 and a half minutes.
  • Spears have great potential. If you've already defeated a Hardmode boss, the Gungnir is very effective.
  • The Shadowflame Knife is an excellent choice too because of the rapid speed and its ability to ricochet which is extremely useful when The Destroyer is moving horizontally.
  • The Dao of Pow can do significant damage across multiple body parts.
  • An Ice Sickle would also be able to deal significant damage, while allowing you to maintain some distance from The Destroyer.
  • A large sword would be reasonably effective, or used as a backup for defeating the Probes. Good choices include; the Phasesaber, Titanium Sword, Cutlass and if you have already defeated a Hardmode boss, Excalibur
  • After defeating another Mechanical, the Mushroom spear sold from the Truffle NPC will be very useful against it.
  • The high speed of the Fetid Baghnakhs can destroy it in a matter of seconds, provided you have enough defense.
    • Using the Chik, Hel-Fire or Amarok, along with a Yoyo Bag, can easily damage multiple coils of The Destroyer quickly and with high accuracy and wide attacking area, as well as kill the heart-dropping probes without having to directly target them. Using Heartreach Potion with Yoyos allows you to get some hearts dropped from far probes well.
    • Pairing any melee weapon with a Nimbus Rod (or Clinger Staff, though its wall will need to be replaced) set up before the battle will do ongoing damage without causing you to invest in a mana build.
    • The Flying Knife can be very useful for the fight due to its good range and infinite piercing ability.
For magic users, the destroyer can be defeated with ease depending on the weapons used.
  • Medusa Head and Life Drain can be a great weapon for fighting The Destroyer, as it damages multiple segments at once.
  • If you happen to obtain a Queen Spider Staff, this would be a major advantage, being able to summon the Queen Spider once and then switching to another weapon, while the Queen Spider supports you with additional damage and the killing of Probes. Additionally the Nimbus Rod can be used the same way, and should not be underestimated, as its piercing ability makes it an invaluable weapon for this fight, especially for a magic character. The Clinger Staff could be used similarly to deal high amounts of constant damage. Golden Shower may be a good choice due to the fact that it can pierce multiple segments at once.
  • Various other piercing magic weapons could obliterate this boss in no time. Most notably the Magic Harp, the Poison Staff, the Golden Shower due to their piercing ability. To acquire the Magical Harp you'll need to defeat The Twins. However, if you are unable to obtain any of those you can settle for a Diamond Staff, Frost Staff or a Magic Dagger as well.
  • The Crystal Storm can be effective if you have a platform high enough so that The Destroyer can barely reach you although it does not pierce.
  • The Meteor Staff deals extreme amounts of damage at a high speed, but it burns through Mana extremely quickly. One may wish to bring along a backup weapon if using it.
  • The Shadowflame Hex-Doll is a fantastic choice. It has a wide range with decent reach, deals respectable damage even without its debuff and has a very low Mana cost.

As with most bosses, ranged weapons would be easier to use than melee weapons. And even while this is one of the easier bosses for melee, a ranged weapon with enough piercing can simply hit so many parts at once that it out damages melee weapons by a great amount.

  • The Daedalus Stormbow is a great weapon dealing large amounts of damage to any of the mechanical bosses killing them quite quickly especially when combined with Holy Arrows or Hellfire Arrows. The Adamantite or Titanium Repeater also works well with these arrows.
  • The Dart Pistol combined with Cursed Darts or the Dart Rifle combined with Crystal Darts can be obtained somewhat easily and will kill it quite easily even on Expert Mode.
  • Crystal Bullets used on any weapon with a fast firing rate will deal very high amounts of damage very quickly.
  • The Megashark or the Uzi are auto-firing guns with different bonuses; the Uzi deals more damage and can be acquired before killing the Destroyer but the Megashark has a chance to not consume ammo and fires faster.
  • The Shotgun and its upgrade, the Onyx Blaster, fire shots in a wide pattern which spreads out the further the shots travel; ironically they become a better weapon at longer ranges due to this fact, despite their functionality requiring you to get close to enemies for maximum effectiveness.
  • The Gatligator with Exploding Bullets is good against the destroyer, as a lot of segments is very easy to hit even with the Gatligator's inaccuracy and the Exploding Bullets can cause splash damage possibly hitting multiple segments.
  • If you already defeated mechanical boss Skeletron Prime, a Flamethrower could be used for this fight.
  • Another interesting weapon is the Cannon, which should be placed instead. It can deal high damage and pierce through multiple parts, giving great damage potential, however, it may be hard to get a good shot, aside from aiming up and simply waiting for The Destroyer to charge you. It is best to position the cannon on platforms high up (above the Destroyer's range), point the cannon straight up, and fire. The cannonballs will fly up a short distance, then fall back down, doing large amounts of damage.
  • Another method is to use a Star Cannon with at least the deadly modifier and begin shooting the destroyer. It's going to most likely kill it due to the star cannon's high damage and piercing ability, assuming you can line up a good shot for maximum penetration. This will, however, take a lot of stars.
  • The Hellwing Bow with at least 700-1000 Wooden Arrows can do a lot of damage to the destroyer if you build mine cart tracks about 300 blocks in the air and at least half the world long. Just keep firing the bow in the opposite direction that you are moving and hammer the ends of the mine cart rails, set to bounce you back. You will receive a minimal amount of damage.
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Accessories:
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  • The Cross Necklace (or any of its upgrades such as the Star Veil) will make the barrage of laser bolts much more survivable.
  • Frozen/Flame Wings are the best wings available, but Harpy Wings or Leaf Wings are reasonable substitutes. Lightning Boots or better will provide ground movement and jumping. Those two accessories will allow you to move almost freely through the air and on the ground, making it easier to evade The Destroyer's body.
  • The Obsidian Shield prevents knockback and is practically mandatory for melee users, but useful for any class.
  • If your defense is lacking, Flesh Knuckles can be equipped for a beefy defense bonus. The Frozen Turtle Shell is another defensive accessory that can potentially save you if your health is critically low
  • The Charm of Myths enhances survivability by providing regeneration and reducing the duration of Potion Sickness.
  • An Emblem provides additional damage for your primary damage type; the Summoner Emblem and your best summoner equipment should be worn before summoning minions.
  • Yoyo fighters should consider using a Yoyo Bag, as it can fend off the Probes while you fight the Destroyer directly, and deal extra damage to the body when fewer Probes are present.
  • Those lucky enough to obtain a Magic Quiver should use it if they plan on using a Daedalus Stormbow or any Repeater with Jester/Unholy arrows.
  • Magic users who wish to rely less on Mana Potions can equip a pair of Magic Cuffs/Celestial Cuffs. Probes drop mana stars frequently, so a Mana Flower should not be necessary.
  • Since the fight takes place at nighttime, the Moon Charm will be active if equipped, and is a viable choice for melee users.
  • Putrid Scent provides a generic increase to DPS and is a decent filler accessory.
As with all boss fights it is best to reforge your accessories with damage, critical strike chance or defense increasing modifiers.

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Potions:
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  • As with all boss fights a good supply of Healing Potions or Greater Healing Potions will help you survive longer. If you are depending on magic weapons, add a supply of Mana Potions.
  • One of the most useful potions would be the Ironskin Potion, helping you survive longer. Regeneration Potions also help for this.
  • A Bowl of Soup, Pumpkin Pie, cooked fish, or Cooked Mushroom can never hurt and are quite easy to make.
  • A Hunter Potion could be useful, so you can see where The Destroyer is going to surface and a Swiftness Potion to evade him.
  • If you are going to use a repeater the Archery Potion is a must have and since they last four minutes you should make 2-3 of them.
  • If you prefer magic weapons, instead of a Magic Power, Mana Regeneration Potion should be used instead. Also the buff from the Crystal Ball would give you some advantage.
  • If you are going to use melee the Thorns Potion could come in handy, but avoid using flasks, because The Destroyer is immune to all debuffs.
  • Shine Potions and Night Owl Potions are helpful, but not really essential. They just make seeing other mobs and terrain easier.
  • Featherfall Potions and Gravitation Potions are also useful if you want more control while in the air or have limited access to the flight accessories.
  • If you have trouble with the fight and have an alchemy setup, you can catch a few Prismite in the Hallow to make Lifeforce Potions, which increase your max health by 20%, making the fight easier.
 
This is an handy guide. I can see some parts are the same of the wiki, but it is a good guide as i'm in trouble with the Destroyer. After 20 seconds, i die.
 
This is an handy guide. I can see some parts are the same of the wiki, but it is a good guide as i'm in trouble with the Destroyer. After 20 seconds, i die.
It happened to me too.. I just used the cheesy recall-to-nurse strategy and it granted success (although i would recommend making a house for the nurse in an arena not in the middle of all the other npcs because they will just get destroyed (pun intended))
 
umm, the mega shark is obtained strictly post-destroyer.
Also, using a diamond staff aginst the destroyer is as far as stupidity goes.
 
Uhh i defeated destroyer without this long guide but still pretty good but just get daedalus storm bow with holy arrows and you defeated him and other mech bosses with that deadalus storm bow and holy arrows
 
If you wanted an easy way out I find out from some one that if you have heart statue(s), honey, heart lamps and campfires. First you put heart lanterns and campfires in the sides of a box whichever which you fill with honey and you stay in there. On the sides as well you could have heart stairs and minus rod but this is optional. Bust out your best melee armor and best melee weapon and stay in the box and you should win that fight but if you don't I'm sorry
 
great guide! but personally, after defeating all of them, IMHO skeletron prime is the easiest. everyone's got their own opinons!
 
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