Duke Fishron is a hardmode boss in Terraria however, it can be fought in pre-hardmode if you meet certain criteria. In this article, we will cover in much detail what facing this boss is like and what you should do to prepare for the fight. So get ready for the ultimate guide to beating Duke Fishron in Terraria.
If you have the Truffle Worm bait then you can use it while fishing in the ocean to bring forth Duke Fishron in Terraria. This boss is extremely difficult and should be fought after you have defeated the trio of mechanical bosses. The sheer speed and relentlessness of his attacks make it a formidable foe.
Let’s take a look at some of the most effective strategies and builds you can use in Terraria when fighting the Duke Fishron boss.
How to Spawn Duke Fishron?
Fishing in the Ocean using a Truffle Worm as bait summons Duke Fishron. The Truffle Worm, a rare critter, must be caught in an underground Glowing Mushroom biome with the Bug Net, Golden Bug Net, or Lavaproof Bug Net.
When the bobber bobs, reeling in the line triggers the appearance of Duke Fishron. He emerges from the water, pauses briefly, and then initiates an attack on the player. During his summoning animation, Duke Fishron remains completely invulnerable.
In a pre-Hardmode world, the boss can be summoned by bringing a Truffle Worm from a Hardmode world. However, the Truffle Worms needed to summon him can only be obtained in a world that is already in Hardmode. Duke Fishron can also be summoned by fishing in lava or honey.
Once the requirements for his summoning are met, Duke Fishron always appears as the resulting catch and consumes the Truffle Worm used for summoning from the player’s inventory.
How to Defeat Duke Fishron?
Defeating Duke Fishron in Terraria boils down to the class you are using. Some classes will find it harder to beat this boss while for others it will be a breeze. We will go over which weapons best suit the class when fighting the boss.
Melee Class Strategy
The Terra Blade not only scales with melee speed, damage, and critical chance but also features a large projectile that greatly aids in hitting Duke Fishron.
It serves as a slightly weaker alternative to the Influx Waver, obtainable at an earlier stage. If you have already defeated Martian Madness, the Influx Waver becomes an exceptionally powerful option.
When battling Duke Fishron, the Christmas Tree Sword proves to be highly effective. As the boss chases the player, it flies directly into the trail of ornaments, resulting in successful hits. Another excellent choice is the Seedler, thanks to its auto-targeting capability.
Although the Possessed Hatchet’s DPS is lacking, it compensates by being a reliable homing projectile. The same can be said for The Scourge of the Corruptor.
At this stage, the Eye of Cthulhu stands as the best Yo-yo available for use. Meanwhile, Vampire Knives offer a combination of decent damage and the ability to steal life, making them highly useful.
If you are facing Duke Fishron before the mechanical bosses, the Sergeant United Shield proves to be an incredibly versatile weapon. It offers consistency and the ability to parry, which becomes exceptional for dealing with Phase Three.
For melee users, the optimal offensive set consists of the Chlorophyte Mask, Monk’s Shirt, and Squire’s Greaves. Alternatively, if you prefer a hybrid set, you can wear the Spooky Breastplate. If defense is your priority, Beetle armor with the Beetle Shell can be utilized.
Ranged Class Strategy
When combined with Crystal Bullets, the Xenopopper becomes an immensely powerful choice. However, it often fails to target Duke Fishron when he is offscreen.
The Chain Gun, Tactical Shotgun, and Sniper Rifle also prove highly effective when paired with Crystal Bullets. The Chlorophyte Shotbow, paired with Ichor or Holy Arrows, performs exceptionally well against him. Alternatively, Chlorophyte Bullets provide greater accuracy but at the cost of significant weakened damage.
For Duke Fishron’s third phase, the Piranha Gun works well as it can latch onto teleporting enemies. The Aerial Bane demonstrates exceptional utility with its remarkably high DPS and splitting arrows, inflicting damage to the Sharknados as well.
To significantly reduce his defense, Ichor Arrows, Bullets, or Darts are recommended since Duke Fishron is vulnerable to Ichor. If you have defeated the Frost Moon, the Snowman Cannon proves powerful against him. Although the Electrosphere Launcher boasts greater strength, it lacks homing capabilities.
The Elf Melter offers consistent high damage and a wide hitbox. Furthermore, Duke Fishron tends to stay within its range as it pursues you.
While the Megashark and Onyx Blaster are weaker options, they are accessible much earlier in progression. For the best-ranged offense against Duke Fishron without defeating any other Hardmode boss, the Daedalus Stormbow, combined with Holy Arrows and Ichor inflicted, remains the optimal choice.
For ranged users, the most effective offensive set comprises the Shroomite Mask/Shroomite Headgear, Shroomite Breastplate, and either Chlorophyte Greaves or Shroomite Leggings. Viable alternatives that are more easily accessible include the Hallowed Helmet and the Adamantite Mask.
Mage Class Strategy
The Razorpine exhibits immense strength thanks to its excellent DPS, although it necessitates getting closer to the target compared to other weapons. Similarly, the Nightglow boasts high potency due to its homing ability and impressive DPS.
In order to reduce Duke Fishron’s defense and effectively eliminate Detonating Bubbles, the Golden Shower spell proves helpful. Betsy’s Wrath serves as a higher DPS alternative that further lowers his defense, albeit requiring the player to approach a bit closer.
The Spectre Staff proves to be an effective choice with its homing nature, allowing the player to focus on dodging, particularly during the third and final phase in Expert/Master Mode.
If the player has already defeated Martian Madness, the Laser Machinegun can be utilized. The Magnet Sphere deals substantial damage and only needs to be cast occasionally. The Heat Ray also stands as a viable option.
Among the pre-Plantera magic weapons, the Spirit Flame, Crystal Serpent, Rainbow Rod, and Venom Staff are the most effective against this boss. The Spirit Flame and Crystal Serpent are available right from the start of Hardmode.
For magic users, the optimal offensive set consists of either Spectre armor or a hybrid set comprising a Hallowed Headgear, Spooky Breastplate, and Apprentice’s Trousers. In case of low health, the Spectre Hood can be equipped to enable healing.
Summoner Class Strategy
The Terraprisma stands as the ultimate minion option, offering unparalleled power. To maximize damage output, it is best to pair it with the Kaleidoscope.
The Xeno Staff proves to be a consistent and formidable minion choice. Additionally, the Blade Staff demonstrates reliability and has the added benefit of nullifying Fishron’s bubbles. However, both of these weapons heavily rely on tag damage from whips. Hence, it is recommended to utilize a combination of Durendal and Morning Star, alternating between the two to stack tag damage.
For a potent alternative, the Desert Tiger Staff can be employed. It should be used alongside the Firecracker, although it’s important to be mindful of its slightly shorter range.
Upon entering hardmode, the Sanguine Staff becomes the optimal choice. It is obtained as a drop from the Dreadnautilus. Pairing it with Durendal and/or Firecracker, if available, further enhances its effectiveness.
While not a summon weapon, the Sergeant United Shield serves as a valuable side weapon. Its armor-increasing and parry abilities make it highly useful.
Summoners are advised to don Spooky armor for the best overall set. For added survivability, Hallowed armor can be utilized.
Other Strategies
Here are some strategies you can use to fight Duke Fishron in Terraria:
Minecart Strategy:
This strategy sets itself apart by replacing the use of a skybridge with a looped minecart track positioned above the ocean, effectively avoiding the need to contend with Duke Fishron’s enraged behavior.
To implement this strategy, gather 600-1200 normal minecart tracks, 2 booster tracks, and any type of hammer. Construct a looped minecart track approximately 60 tiles above the ocean.
The track should span a minimum of 600 tiles, featuring at least two sections where the player experiences significant changes in altitude and stretches of flat terrain at least 100 tiles long. It is crucial to ensure that the arena remains within the ocean biome.
Once the preparations are complete, summon Duke Fishron and swiftly hop onto the minecart track. From this point, the primary objective is to maintain speed on the track while continuously attacking Fishron, healing, and restoring mana as needed. Here are some additional tips to enhance your chances of success:
- Opt for a homing weapon, especially if your arena is relatively large.
- Avoid using the stock minecart and refrain from using the Mechanical Cart. While the latter offers a defense bonus and increased speed to evade Fishron’s charges, it can easily outpace the boss, potentially leading to Fishron despawning, particularly in larger arenas. Higher speed also increases the frequency of encounters with Sharknados.
- Aim to create an arena spanning approximately 800 tiles, but avoid making it excessively long in a horizontal direction. If it is too elongated, Fishron will frequently collide with you, and the Cthulunados in his second stage will swiftly eliminate you as there won’t be sufficient space to dodge them effectively.
Enraged Anti-Gravity Hook Strategy
By employing this strategy, Duke Fishron’s heightened speed and increased damage when Enraged can be transformed from a strength into a vulnerability. The key lies in acquiring an Anti-Gravity Hook and placing one or more platforms in mid-air.
Once Duke Fishron enters his enraged state, utilize the Anti-Gravity Hook to latch onto the platform and start spinning in a circle.
This technique enables you to evade all of the boss’s attacks effectively. It is important to note that this approach exclusively works when Duke Fishron is in his enraged state since during this behavior, his sole focus is attempting to ram into you.
Thus, by utilizing the hook on the platform and commencing the spinning motion, you can skillfully dodge his charges.
Continuously whittle away at his health until victory is achieved, and we have ourselves a defeated fish ready to be served.
Enraged Parry Strategy
Once again, we cleverly exploit Duke Fishron’s enraged behavior to our advantage. By utilizing the parry ability of the Sergeant United Shield / Brand of the Inferno, we can capitalize on his heightened damage output and predictable dash pattern.
Through well-timed parries, we can essentially let Duke Fishron defeat himself. While mastering the timing may require some practice, it is not overly challenging. This fighting style eliminates the need for an arena or any elaborate setup. However, it is crucial to ensure that no other enemies can potentially disrupt the encounter.
Each successful parry inflicts a significant amount of damage on Duke Fishron. To minimize the number of parries required to defeat him, a few preparations can be made:
- Utilize a Sharpening Station, Flask of Ichor, Shark Tooth Necklace, and Stinger Necklace to achieve a combined defense penetration of 37. This setup proves advantageous during the first two phases of the fight.
- Equip the Cactus Armor, which provides a flat damage increase of 15-45 per parry (dependent on Duke’s defense). This effect remains consistent and is unaffected by random variability or luck.
- Take note that luck inversely affects damage reflection. To optimize this aspect, ensure the absence of any factors that promote positive luck. Additionally, consider releasing and eliminating a Gold Ladybug before initiating the battle.
- Between parries, deliver attacks with the shield to ensure that Duke Fishron remains inflicted with Ichor. This approach significantly enhances DPS, thanks to the Striking Moment buff granted by the Shield after parrying. To maintain the ability to parry even while the Sergeant United Shield is in flight, equip any shield accessory apart from the Huntress’ Buckler.
What are the Difficulty Differences?
The boss has different stats depending on the difficulty and the phase it is in. These differences are as follows:
Classic Mode
In Classic Mode the Duke Fishron in Terraria has the following stats:
- First Phase:
- Damage: 80-200
- HP: 60000
- Defense: 50-100
- Knockback Resistance: 100%
- Immune to Stunned and Confused
- Second Phase:
- Damage: 120-200
- HP: 60000
- Defense: 40-100
- Knockback Resistance: 100%
- Immune to Poisoned, Confused, Acid Venom, On Fire!, Frostburn, and Stunned
First Phase
Duke Fishron exhibits a series of actions and attacks in a specific sequence. He launches himself toward the player with five consecutive lunges, effortlessly passing through blocks to reach his target. Following this, he employs one of two projectile attacks:
- Detonating Bubbles: Duke Fishron expels approximately 10-20 Detonating Bubbles from his mouth. These bubbles track the player at a moderate speed, aiming to inflict damage upon impact. Additionally, they have the capability to impose the Wet debuff, lasting for a duration of 3-8 seconds. The Detonating Bubbles can be swiftly eliminated with a single strike from any attack or projectile. Furthermore, they are influenced by wind factors.
- Liquid Blob and Sharknados: Duke Fishron gracefully moves his fins, summoning liquid blobs from his left and right sides. These blobs descend, bypassing any platforms in their path until they travel a distance equivalent to 1.5 times the vertical size of the screen. Upon landing on solid blocks or liquids, the blobs disperse and give rise to Sharknados. These colossal water tornadoes tower 29 blocks in height and persist for approximately 8 seconds. Each Sharknado then proceeds to unleash six Sharkrons directly at the player. It is important to note that Sharkrons possess limited flight range and disintegrate upon colliding with blocks. Players have the ability to eliminate Sharkrons through direct attacks.
Second Phase
When Duke Fishron’s health dips below 50%, a momentary pause ensues as he enters a transformative state, rendering him impervious to damage during the transition. In this second phase, Duke Fishron undergoes a striking visual change: his skin adopts a darker green hue, and his eyes emit a radiant yellow glow.
Notably, Duke Fishron experiences a substantial increase in both damage output and speed, while his defense dwindles to a mere 40. Furthermore, his lunges, previously executed five times, are now performed only thrice before launching into one of his upgraded projectile attacks.
- Enhanced Detonating Bubbles: While soaring through the air in rapid loops, Duke Fishron releases Detonating Bubbles, leaving behind a shimmering trail of these volatile orbs. The trajectory and speed of these bubbles are heightened compared to his previous phase, demanding increased agility from players.
- Homing Liquid Blob and Cthulhunados: Instead of summoning multiple liquid blobs, Duke Fishron now deploys a single liquid blob that homes in on the player with greater speed. This targeted blob creates a Cthulhunado directly beneath the player, exhibiting distinct characteristics.
- Cthulhunados surpass Sharknados in size, towering at 58 blocks in height and spanning 23 blocks in width, with their influence extending 11 blocks from the center. Unlike their counterparts, Cthulhunados stay active for approximately 15 seconds. Moreover, these imposing tornadoes generate twice the number of Sharkrons while dealing double the contact damage of regular Sharknados. Notably, the Sharkrons discharged from Cthulhunados inflict higher levels of damage upon the player compared to their ordinary counterparts.
Enraged State
If the player ventures too far from the Ocean area during the fight, Duke Fishron becomes “enraged” and undergoes a series of alarming transformations. In this enraged state, he incessantly lunges at the player, inflicting double the damage, bolstering his defense twofold, and amplifying his speed.
Additionally, he intensifies his assault by firing Cthulhunados with increased frequency and velocity. It’s important to consider the player’s altitude as well: if positioned below the surface level or within 50 tiles from the top of the map, Duke Fishron will trigger his enraged state.
Expert Mode
In Expert Mode the Duke Fishron in Terraria has the following stats:
- First Phase:
- Damage: 100-280
- HP: 78000
- Defense: 50-100
- Knockback Resistance: 100%
- Immune to Stunned and Confused
- Second Phase:
- Damage: 184-280
- HP: 78000
- Defense: 40-100 (Third Phase: 0)
- Knockback Resistance: 100%
- Immune to Poisoned, Confused, Acid Venom, On Fire!, Frostburn, and Stunned
On top of the increased HP and damage overall in Expert Mode, Duke Fishron has the potential to inflict 2 types of debuffs (mentioned below) and has a third phase added to the fight.
Debuffs
When Duke Fishron lands a blow on the player in Expert Mode or Master Mode, there is a 33.3% probability of inflicting two different debuffs.
Firstly, there is a chance of causing Bleeding, a condition that lasts for 3-10 seconds. Fortunately, the adverse effects of Bleeding can be counteracted by utilizing an Adhesive Bandage or any of its upgraded versions.
Secondly, there is an equal chance of inflicting Feral Bite, which also persists for 3-10 seconds. However, the negative effects associated with Feral Bite can be completely nullified by equipping either the Ankh Charm or the Ankh Shield, safeguarding the player against its detrimental consequences.
Third Phase
When Duke Fishron’s health dwindles to less than 15%, a transformation sequence occurs, accompanied by the emergence of a dark, blue fog that engulfs the background.
During this transformation, Duke Fishron becomes invisible, although his glowing eyes remain visible. Notably, his contact damage undergoes a reduction, ranging from 184 to 277, while his defense plummets to 0.
In this phase, his sole method of attack involves charging directly at the player, augmented by the newfound ability to teleport behind them before executing the charge.
The charging sequence follows a predetermined pattern: initially, a single charge precedes a teleportation, followed by a pair of charges with another teleportation, and finally, a trio of charges, after which the pattern resets.
Master Mode
In Master Mode the Duke Fishron in Terraria has the following stats:
- First Phase:
- Damage: 150-420
- HP: 99450
- Defense: 50-100
- Knockback Resistance: 100%
- Immune to Stunned and Confused
- Second Phase:
- Damage: 277-420
- HP: 99450
- Defense: 40-100 (Third Phase: 0)
- Knockback Resistance: 100%
- Immune to Poisoned, Confused, Acid Venom, On Fire!, Frostburn, and Stunned
Master Mode Duke Fishron is the same as Expert Mode with added damage and HP.
Is Duke Fishron Harder Solo or With Friends?
- Damage and Speed: When fighting Duke Fishron solo, its increased damage and speed can make it more challenging to evade its attacks and sustain damage. With friends, you can distribute the boss’s attention among multiple players, reducing the individual pressure on each player.
- Coordination and Strategy: In a multiplayer setting, players can coordinate their attacks, buffs, and defensive maneuvers to maximize their effectiveness against Duke Fishron. This coordination can lead to better crowd control, damage output, and survivability during the fight.
- Healing and Support: In multiplayer, friends can provide healing or support abilities to assist each other during the battle. This includes healing spells, potions, or supportive equipment that can help mitigate damage and prolong the team’s survival.
- Experience and Skill Level: The difficulty of Duke Fishron can also depend on the skill level and experience of the players involved. If one or more friends have more experience or higher skill levels, their presence can make the fight easier by sharing strategies, offering guidance, or dealing more damage overall.
What are the Rewards for Defeating Duke Fishron?
The rewards for defeating Duke Fishron in Terraria differ according to the difficulty. The majority of rewards are the same for all difficulties except a few and sometimes the drop rates increase at higher difficulties. We will highlight all these rewards and changes below:
Classic Mode Rewards
| Reward | Quantity | Drop Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Coins | 25 | 100% |
| Fishron Wings | 1 | 6.67% |
| Greater Healing Potion | 5-15 | 100% |
| Lesser Healing Potion (3DS only) | 5-15 | 100% |
| Duke Fishron Mask | 1 | 14.29% |
| Duke Fishron Trophy | 1 | 10% |
| One of the following 5 items is a guaranteed drop | ||
| Bubble Gun | 1 | 20% |
| Flairon | 1 | 20% |
| Razorblade Typhoon | 1 | 20% |
| Tempest Staff | 1 | 20% |
| Tsunami | 1 | 20% |
Expert Mode Rewards
| Reward | Quantity | Drop Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Coins | 62 | 100% |
| Silver Coins | 50 | 100% |
| Treasure Bag | 1 | 100% |
| Shrimpy Truffle | 1 | 100% |
| Extra Gold Coins | 25 | 100% |
Master Mode Rewards
| Reward | Quantity | Drop Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| Pork of the Sea | 1 | 25% |
| Duke Fishron Relic | 1 | 100% |
Duke Fishron in Terraria can be summoned in a pre-hardmode world but due to the challenge that this boss poses, it should be fought well after you have defeated all the mechanical bosses in Hardmode. Do not go into this fight underprepared or else you will become the bait.