Guide:Obtaining a Terraprisma

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This means the page will walk you through a specific task, strategy, or enemy/boss fight.

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Status: Subject to revision (This Guide does not meet certain quality standards and may be heavily outdated.)

Issues:
 • Incomplete and possibly redundant.Things to do:
 • Finish adding gear suggestions for all classes.

  

Desktop/Console/Mobile-Only Content: This information applies only to the Desktop, Console, and Mobile versions of Terraria.

The Terraprisma is a powerful summon weapon that is dropped from the Empress of Light only when all damage dealt to the Empress occurs during the day. The Empress enrages during the daytime, causing all of her attacks to instantly kill the player, which vastly increases the difficulty of the boss fight.

Empress of LightFirst FormHardmode exclusive

Map Icon

 Classic

 Expert

 Master

Statistics

Type	Boss
Environment	The Hallow
AI Type	Empress of Light AI
Damage	80110248 (contact) 120165372 (dash) 90120180 (Prismatic Bolt 1) 100140210 (Sun Dance) 90120180 (Everlasting Rainbow) 100120180 (Ethereal Lance 1)
Max Life	70000/98000/124950
Defense	50
KB Resist	100%
Immune to

Drops

Coins	25 GC62 GC50 SC

created

created

created

• Death Aurora

  (Spawning light effect)
  
• Prismatic Bolt
  
• Sun Dance
  
• Everlasting Rainbow
  
• Ethereal Lance
  

Sounds

Hurt
Killed
Summoned
Prismatic Bolt 1
Prismatic Bolt 2
Sun Dance
Everlasting Rainbow
Ethereal Lance 1/2/3
Dash

• Internal NPC ID: 636
• Internal Projectile ID: 874, 873, 923, 872, 919

Empress of LightSecond FormHardmode exclusive

Map Icon

 Classic

 Expert

 Master

Statistics

Type	Boss
Environment	The Hallow
AI Type	Empress of Light AI
Damage	80110248 (contact) 120165372 (dash) 100140210 (Prismatic Bolt 1/2) 120160240 (Sun Dance) 100140210 (Everlasting Rainbow) 120140210 (Ethereal Lance 1/3) 130120180 (Ethereal Lance 2)
Max Life	35000/7000049000/9800062475/124950
Defense	60
KB Resist	100%
Immune to

Drops

Coins	25 GC62 GC50 SC

• Item (Quantity)Rate
• One of the following 4 items will always be dropped 
• Nightglow(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Starlight(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Kaleidoscope(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Eventide(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Empress Wings(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  6.67%
• Prismatic Dye(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Stellar Tune(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  2%
• Rainbow Cursor(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  5%
• Terraprisma(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)(if 100% of damage is dealt at daytime)
  100%
• Greater Healing Potion (5–15)
  100%
• Empress of Light Mask(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  14.29%
• Empress of Light Trophy(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  10%
• Treasure Bag(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)(Empress of Light)
  100%
• One of the following 4 items will always be dropped
• Nightglow(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Starlight(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Kaleidoscope(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Eventide(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Soaring Insignia(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  100%
• Empress of Light Mask(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  14.29%
• Empress Wings(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  10%
• Stellar Tune(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  5%
• Rainbow Cursor(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  5%
• Prismatic Dye(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Gold Coin (25)
  100%
• Jewel of Light(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Empress of Light Relic(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  100%

created

created

created

• Prismatic Bolt
  
• Sun Dance
  
• Everlasting Rainbow
  
• Ethereal Lance
  

Sounds

Hurt
Killed
Summoned
Prismatic Bolt 1
Prismatic Bolt 2
Sun Dance
Everlasting Rainbow
Ethereal Lance 1/2/3
Dash

• Internal NPC ID: 636
• Internal Projectile ID: 873, 923, 872, 919

Spawning

In order to spawn the Empress of Light, you need to kill a Prismatic Lacewing. They spawn in the Hallow after Plantera has been killed and only spawn between dusk and midnight (7:30 PM and 12:00 AM). An easy way to ensure that all damage is dealt during the day is to use a Bug Net to catch a Prismatic Lacewing during the night and then release and kill it during the day.

The Fight

Differences between Night and Day

The Empress of Light will enrage if still alive or if summoned during the daytime, causing her attacks to do tens of thousands of damage, similar to the Dungeon Guardian, instantly killing players who are hit by her attacks. This enraged state is indicated by her attacks turning from rainbow to bright yellow.

Attacks

Prismatic Bolts – Summons a cloud of prismatic bolts that home in on the player after a short time. These bolts do not have perfect tracking, and will miss if the player makes a sharp turn as they approach. Because she is enraged, extra bolts are created, and they will spread out more before homing onto the player.

• Dash Attack – Positions herself to the left or right of the player before charging horizontally in the player’s direction.
• Sun Dance – Hovers above and slightly to the left of the player and emits 8 rays of light that slowly rotate clockwise. 3 sets of rays are created per sun dance, each positioned slightly more clockwise from the last.
• Everlasting Rainbow – Releases a ring of 13 stars that spiral out clockwise, then spiral back in the same direction. These stars leave behind a trail of light that will damage the player.
• Ethereal Lance – Summons a swarm of swords that launch in the direction the player was headed when they were summoned, telegraphed by colored beams. These swords are summoned behind where the player was moving, or all around the player if they were stationary. The swords do no damage until launched. Because she is enraged, extra swords are summoned, and they will launch faster.

Attack Pattern

The Empress has set attack patterns for both of her phases.

First phase

When spawned, the Empress will hover in place for a few seconds before executing the following attacks in order:

1. Prismatic Bolts
2. Dash Attack
3. Sun Dance
4. Dash Attack
5. Everlasting Rainbow
6. Prismatic Bolts
7. Dash Attack
8. Ethereal Lance
9. Dash Attack
10. Everlasting Rainbow

This sequence of attacks will repeat indefinitely until the second phase starts.

Second phase

When the Empress is below half health, she will disappear for a second, then reappear above the next estimated location of the player before executing a new set of attacks, with slightly shorter attack intervals than before:

1. Ethereal Lance Ver. 2: Summons 6 evenly spaced waves of swords that target specific points around the player instead of traveling from one side of the screen to the other. The first wave travels from the left side of the screen to the right of the player, the second wave from the right side to the left of the player, the third wave from top side to the bottom-right of the player, the fourth wave from top side to bottom-left of the player, the fifth wave from the bottom side to top-right of the player, and the sixth wave from the bottom side to top left of the player.
2. Prismatic Bolts
3. Dash Attack
4. Ethereal Lance
5. Everlasting Rainbow
6. Prismatic Bolts
7. Sun Dance
8. Ethereal Lance
9. Dash Attack
10. Prismatic Bolts (Cast in a circle around the Empress instead of a cloud directly above her)

This sequence of attacks will repeat indefinitely until she is defeated.

General Strategies

General Tips

This content is transcluded from Guide:Practical tips § Combat.

• For nocturnal bosses, starting the battle just after the sun sets (7:30 PM) will provide the maximum amount of time to defeat the boss. In Hardmode, the Moon Charm and/or Moon Stone and their upgrades are also useful at night.
• Boss battles can be won or lost before the battle ever starts. Choose your equipment and have it ready; find and/or make potions and placed buffs; use the highest-tier food you have available; set up an arena appropriate to the boss; learn the strategies for the boss you're facing.
• Prepare your Boss-fighting arena with adequate lighting, Campfires and Heart Lanterns for health regeneration, and Stars in Bottles for mana regeneration if you use magic. Bast Statues(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) will provide a significant defensive boost. Garden Gnomes(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) and (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) (if underground) proper torch placement will reduce damage taken and increase damage dealt due to the luck. The Torch God's Favor(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) helps with this. Honey pools can also be used for extra health regeneration.
• (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) Sunflowers provide the Happy!(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) buff to nearby players, which grants a +10% movement speed bonus and 17% reduction in enemy spawn rate.
• Always carry around a stack of the highest-tier healing potion available, as relying only on natural Health Regeneration is not a good idea. Depending on the game stage, this can include items such as Lesser Healing Potions or Honeyfins. On the  Desktop,  Console, and  Mobile versions, Restoration Potions are healing potions with a shorter cooldown.
  • Likewise carry mana potions, if you use Magic.
  • The Strange Brew(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is also an option, which yields very similar healing abilities to Healing Potion with added chances to trigger periods of invulnerability upon consumption.
  • On the  Old-gen console version and Nintendo 3DS version, Restoration Potions can save a slot, but will likewise trigger both cooldowns.
• It is suggested to build houses for the Dryad and the Nurse NPCs in your arena. The former casts the Dryad's Blessing(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) buff, which increases your defense and provides you with a thorns-like effect, while the latter can heal and remove debuffs instantly, at the cost of some coins.
• Bosses are displayed on the Minimap: Follow the boss's icon to track it when you're struggling to find it. You can identify the boss icons by checking their respective wiki pages.
• Once you have freed the Mechanic in the Dungeon, you can use Wire to enhance your arena with Traps and helpful Heart and Star Statues. The former helps to damage the enemies, though be careful to set them up correctly in order not to hurt yourself during the battle. The latter will spawn heart and star pickups, respectively. Connect these devices to timers to activate them infinitely.
• In Hardmode, the Brand of the Inferno(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) and Sergeant United Shield(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) can be used to parry incoming contact damage.
• It may be useful to summon and kill the Eye of Cthulhu or King Slime before summoning any harder boss in order to spawn an extra one-use pool of Hearts. Note that this will prevent any Heart Statues from spawning new Hearts.
• Remember to use the Sharpening Station(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), Ammo Box(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions), Crystal Ball, Bewitching Table(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), War Table(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), and Slice of Cake(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) before you go to explore or battle bosses/invasions. These will give boosts that are useful to have, with the first five being class-specific. They give Sharpened(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), Ammo Box(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions), Clairvoyance, Bewitched(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), Strategist(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), and Sugar Rush(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), respectively.

Terrain Preparation

A long straight section of terrain made of platforms, with a great amount of vertical space above is recommended. A few layers of platforms spaced vertically widely apart is also useful. It is up to the player how much horizontal space is required, but vertical space is key for this fight, as many of the attack patterns involve dodging by flying up or falling down. It's also generally better to fight her in Medium or Large worlds, as Small worlds do not provide enough space to dodge her attacks effectively, and can cause the player to get stuck in low gravity and get hit, or spawn Wyverns in, which if left unchecked, can easily snipe a player.

Gearing Up

Armor

This section assumes that melee, ranged, and magic players will use a hybrid summoning approach with minions, since the Terraprisma is useless in a non-summoning pure class playthrough.

• Warriors should use a hybrid combo of the Shinobi Infiltrator's Helmet, Monk's Shirt or Spooky Breastplate, and Valhalla Knight's Greaves.
• Rangers should use a hybrid combo of a Shroomite Headpiece, Red Riding Dress, and Red Riding Leggings or Spooky Leggings.
• Mages should use a hybrid combo of the Hallowed Headgear, Dark Artist's Robes or Spooky Breastplate, and Dark Artist's Leggings.
• Summoners should use the Spooky set, or Tiki set if more whip range is needed.

Weapons

Melee

• The Terra Blade and the Seedler make great choices. Each sword shoots projectiles, a necessity for this boss fight. The Seedler is a little trickier to use however, as it needs to be aimed more carefully.
• The Eye of Cthulhu is the best yoyo available for this fight, but it is incredibly dangerous due to its range.
• The Flying Dragon's large projectiles and high base damage make it useful for the fight.
• The Flairon is a very useful weapon due to its damage and homing capabilities. It can even be obtained before fighting the Mechanical Bosses if the player is careful.

Ranged

• The Tactical Shotgun, when used with Chlorophyte Bullets, can take down the boss pretty quickly.
• The Chlorophyte Shotbow, when used with Venom Arrows, is very powerful. Ichor Arrows are also good.
  • Ichor Arrows can only be made in a Crimson world, unless the player has made a artificial Crimson via the Dryad or transporting Seeds. The Clentaminator can also be used with Red Solution.
• The Tsunami can decimate the Empress and should be used with Holy Arrows or Ichor Arrows. This can be obtained before the Mechanical Bosses.
• If the Martian Madness event has been defeated, the Xenopopper should be used with Chlorophyte Bullets as this can kill the boss.
• If the Frost Moon event has been defeated, the Chain Gun can be used with Chlorophyte Bullets.
• The Snowman Cannon is a very powerful weapon, and has higher DPS than the Piranha Gun, but doesn't have consistent damage. It should be used with Rocket III or Mini Nuke I.
• The Electrosphere Launcher is great to use against the Empress of Light while she's using her Sun Dance. This should be used with Rocket III or Mini Nuke I.
• The Aerial Bane can take out the Empress pretty quickly. Use with the Endless Quiver.

Magic

• Betsy's Wrath is a great secondary weapon due to its powerful defense-lowering Debuff.
• The Blizzard Staff is a very good choice due to its consistent and high DPS. The Razorpine is an alternative with roughly the same mana cost/DPS ratio but shorter range. The Laser Machinegun is a weaker version of both but can still be viable.
• The Razorblade Typhoon may be utilized due to its homing capabilities and long range, however it has slightly worse DPS, making it a weaker choice as a main weapon. However, it has the significant advantage of not requiring the player to focus on aiming at all, letting the player dodge attacks more effectively.

Summoner

• For Summoners intending to get the Terraprisma, there are a variety of options available depending on the player's progress -
• The Desert Tiger Staff can be used, but using it with the Firecracker is dangerous due to the low whip range.
• The Raven Staff can be used for good DPS. However, its tracking is subpar, which can drag out the fight unnecessarily.
• If Golem and the Martian Madness have been defeated, the Xeno Staff is a very powerful choice.
• If the Lunatic Cultist and Stardust Pillar have been defeated, then it is recommended to use the Stardust Dragon Staff for its very high DPS.
• It is recommended to fight the Empress of Light in the nighttime before hand, in order to gain the Kaleidoscope, which is a great option for most summons. It enables minions to deal critical hits, and has a large range, allowing you to greatly increase the DPS of your minions. This whip pairs well with the Blade Staff.
• The Firecracker is the best whip for the Stardust Dragon Staff and the Desert Tiger Staff. It can be paired with the Dark Harvest or/and Durendal to boost the damage further.

Accessories

• Wings are highly recommended. The Fishron Wings or Betsy's Wings are the best wings available for the fight. Empress Wings are also useful if the player has beaten her during the night due to their high upward acceleration. Endgame players can use the Lunar Wings (Solar Wings, Stardust Wings, Nebula Mantle, and Vortex Booster) or the Celestial Starboard instead.
  • It's also recommended to use the Soaring Insignia along with the wings for greatly increased mobility and infinite flight. Due to the nature of infinite flight, Wing choice can be made based on special abilities alone, making the Hoverboard a viable choice.
• The Mechanical Glove and its tinkers are useful accessories for using Whips, boosting secondary melee weapons used after tagging the Empress.
  • However, the melee bonuses do not apply to Whips, and one may prefer using the Berserker's Glove instead, which remains useful for other boss fights as well.
• The Yoyo Bag is a must when using a yoyo for the fight.
• As a ranger, equipping both the Recon Scope and the Sniper Scope will greatly increase DPS. The Magic Quiver and its tinkers should be used if the player is using a bow as their main weapon.
• The Celestial Shell is a very good choice for all classes due to its large boosts to both offensive and defensive stats.
• The Celestial Emblem is a strong magic damage accessory that can be used with Star Statues for mana regeneration.
• The Papyrus Scarab and the Necromantic Scroll are good offensive summoner combat accessories, giving a total of 2 extra minion slots along with increased damage.
• The Amphibian Boots give a very noticeable ascent speed boost to Wings and some utility on the ground with its extra running speed.
• Shields are not recommended for this fight at all, and can be forgone in favor of a mobility or damage-boosting accessory.

Others

• The ability to teleport using the Hook of Dissonance and Rod of Discord can be useful for dodging hits.
• In master mode worlds, the Hexxed Branch mount is useful to move quickly, as it very quickly reaches its max speed even while in the air. Because it cannot fly or double jump, using it without wings is not a good idea.
• The Slimy Saddle and Gelatinous Pillion mounts allow the player to quickly descend during the fight, making them the best mounts to use alongside Wings.
• The Witch's Broom(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) or Cosmic Car Key(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) may be a viable alternative to wings and other mobility accessories if a player is willing to learn her attack patterns.
• The Shrimpy Truffle mount is extremely useful if it is raining, or if there are water/honey bubbles set up within the arena.
• Equipping an Aether Monolith or Void Monolith in a social slot can help the Empress’s attacks stand out more.