The Dungeon Guardians is possibly one of the most overpowered enemies in the game. Ever since they were added, people talked about what would happen if you defeated them, until one day a Youtuber named Yrimir managed to kill one.
This prompted Re-logic to add one of the hardest to obtain items – the Bone Key. This small dungeon guardian pet signifies that a player has accomplished one of the most impressive feats in Terraria Anytime someone has one of these pets, you know they are a true Terraria veteran.
Recently I decided to give it a shot and beat I my first Dungeon Guardian. Once I realized how easy it was, I found there are tons of awesome ways to defeat them. All of these ways apply to Terraria 1.4 (Journey’s End).
8. Skybridge Method
Perhaps the longest method on this list is the Skybridge method due to it’s large amount of setup time. You can’t just use any block unless you have a fast mount to ride on, so if you plan to be on foot then the bridge should be made out of Asphalt Blocks.
The hardest part about that is getting all the materials to craft those blocks in the first place. The second thing to consider is what happens when you reach the end of the world, so you might need a Rod of Discord to avoid getting stuck
Another way to do a skybridge would be to make a minecart track to ride on. Using a fast minecart, you should easily outrun the Dungeon Guardian, and you might need to go slow to give him a chance to catch up. This isn’t too hard to do if you farm minecart tracks from underground, and you’ll always have the track to get around quickly later on.
If you have access to wings, you could simply build a wooden platform bridge and use Terraspark Boots to run quickly. The wings will help propel you forward and jump over him, so you could outrun the Dungeon Guardian while firing at him with your weapon of choice.
I’ll discuss weapon options for each class below, as well as give you the fastest methods later on.
7. Teleporter Method
While this method requires only a bit of extra setup, it requires slightly more concentration than most other methods on this list. It involves setting up teleporters on timers so that you safely teleport away from the Dungeon Guardian’s advances.
Here’s a video of how to do this method. You can skip the Portal Gun if you aren’t end game yet, and it still works really well. Use whatever weapon works for you, though ranged weapons tend to work the best.
6. Summoner Method
The hardest class to play in Terraria is the Summoner class. Journey’s End made summoner a viable class to play the entire game, but Dungeon Guardians are going to be insanely difficult to beat with them.
Gear Needed
- Stardust Dragon
- Xeno Staff
- Black Spot (or another infinite flight mount)
Obviously, these are end game items, so a serious summoner should consider using one of the 4 non-class-specific methods in this guide. If you do choose to do it as a summoner, make sure you have the maximum number of UFOs summoned by the Xeno Staff.
The Stardust Dragon will also aid in the battle, so all you need to do is keep flying straight until you reach the end of the world, and then reverse your direction when you hit the wall.
The good part about this method is that you won’t have to be constantly clicking your mouse for the whole fight, and you can focus solely on staying ahead of the Dungeon Guardian and watch out for obstacles.
As a Summoner, you should definitely try out the HOIK method that’s later on in this list.
5. Mage Method
Mages have a ton of fun weapons to play with, and there were many potential ones to use for Dungeon Guardians. I went with the Razorpine because it shoots insanely fast, but the downside of all mage weapons is that they consume an insane number of Mana Potions
Gear Needed
- Razorpine
- Black Spot (or another infinite flight mount)
- Hallowed Armor
- Mana Flower
- Tons of mana potions
This method is easy, but it’s assumed you’ve already created a good Mana Potion farm. If you have a lot of potions already, you won’t have any issues with the fight unless you run into a floating island or something.
Don’t try to inflict any debuffs such as Ichor though, as they’re immune to it. The Black Spot will do the heaving lifting for you as usual, assuming you’ve managed to farm it from Master Mode Flying Dutchmen.
4. Melee Method
While the weapon given here is the fastest melee weapon for Dungeon Guardians (besides the Zenith), you could honestly do it with most other melee weapons.
The first time I beat a dungeon guardian was with a Reaper Sickle, so you just need to choose something that’s both fast and has some decent range to it. Like the other class-specific methods here, you can change the weapons out for one you’re more comfortable with if you’d like. ,
Gear Needed
- Flairon
- Black Spot (or another infinite flight mount)
- Hallowed Armor
All you need to do is spawn one and bring it out of the dungeon, like I explained above, and then keep hitting it with the Flairon. It’s insanely easy but takes a while ones you start.
3. Ranger Method
Ranger is number 3 on the list since this class has a massive arsenal of fast shooting weapons. The weapon used in this method actually has the fastest use time in the game, making it an awesome way to beat a Guardian if you don’t mind bullet farming.
Gear Needed
- Chain Gun
- Crystal Bullets
- Black Spot (or another infinite flight mount)
- Hallowed Armor
Using the chain gun is actually the second fastest method on the list, but the HOIK method explained in the next method can be done earlier in the game. Farming the Crystal Bullets can take a lot of time as well, but it’ll be worth it when you don’t have to spend as much time fighting the Dungeon Guardian.
Apart from the farming, ranged weapon are the most efficient at beating Dungeon Guardians.
2. HOIK Method
One obscure bug has been turned into a feature since the developers have left it in the game. This method (known as the HOIK method) involves placing wooden platforms in such a way that it moves you insanely fast along a preset path, making it almost impossible for Dungeon Guardians to catch you.
This method first came into the spotlight when Yrimir used it to beat a Dungeon Guardian literally only 2 days into a world. If he managed to do that with a new character, you shouldn’t have any problem doing it with a character later on.
To learn more about the HOIK method, watch Yrimir’s video from 2015 to see how he accomplished this impressive feat.
1. End Game Method (Fastest)
If you still can’t seem to beat the Guardian any over way, simply wait until you’ve beaten the Moon Lord and have the best sword in the game. This way is the fastest method because the Zenith is insanely fast and hits him a greater number of times than most other weapons.
Gear Needed
- Zenith
- Black Spot mount (or another infinite flight mount)
- Hallowed Armor
- Stardust Dragon
- Rod of Discord
I’m sure you see now just how powerful the Black Spot is. Even end game it’s still more powerful than every other mount, and there’s no better option for beating the Dungeon Guardian.
The Zenith hits anywhere on screen, and the Black Spot mount is faster than the Guardian. You can keep him just barely on-screen while attacking him with the sword, and even if he catches up to you you’ll be able to dodge the attack using Hallowed Armor.