Guide:Goblin Army strategies

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Status: Revised (This Guide got revised and is up to date!)

The Goblin Army is an invasion event that can start randomly once a Shadow Orb/Crimson Heart is smashed or can be manually summoned using a Goblin Battle StandardGoblin Battle Standard. This will cause dangerous goblin enemies to spawn at a very fast rate until a sufficient number of goblins are killed.

Event details

Summoning

The Goblin Army can spawn naturally or can be spawned manually. If a Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart has been smashed before, each morning, the Goblin Army has a 1/3 chance of occurring naturally, which drops down to a 1/30 and later 1/60 chance if the invasion has been defeated before. This means the first Goblin Army is quick to spawn naturally, but the event will rarely repeat naturally. If you want to fight the Goblin Army again, obtaining a Goblin Battle Standard will be the faster option.

The Goblin Battle StandardGoblin Battle Standard is crafted at a LoomLoom using 10 Tattered ClothTattered Cloth and 5 of any Woodany Wood. The Loom is crafted at a SawmillSawmill, which in turn needs ChainChains and Any Iron BarAny Iron Bars. You get Tattered Cloth by killing Goblin ScoutGoblin Scouts, which spawn during the day in the outer 1/6ths of the world in the Forest, or can be spawned using a Goblin Statue. They account for 1/15th of natural enemy spawns, and scouts spawned from a statue have dramatically reduced drop rates. Farming Goblin Scouts early on is difficult, but it gets easier later in the game, especially if you can use a Pylon or Magic Conch to reach the Ocean quickly.

Goblin Armies cannot spawn unless some player in the world has 200 max HP or more, and this also prevents the Goblin Battle Standard from being used. The Goblin Battle Standard can still be used if no Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart has been broken yet, however.

Effects

The Goblin Army will start by advancing towards the center of the world from either edge, before settling on the center of the world. If the player is on or near the surface, goblin enemies will start spawning at a high rate whenever the invasion is near the player, or when the invasion is at the center of the world and the player is near NPCs[a].

New NPCs will not move in and Pylons will be disabled. Your base will also likely be swarmed with goblins, which can potentially prevent you from accessing your storage or lock you into a death loop at spawn, but this can be circumvented with some planning.

These effects will last until enough goblin enemies (besides Goblin Scouts) die. The required kill count is 80 goblins + 40 more for every player with 200 max HP or more, or 120 goblins in single player. Event progress is saved when leaving and reentering the world, and leaving the world will not cause the invasion to go away.

Enemies

Pre-Hardmode

In Pre-Hardmode, the event consists of foot soldiers in Goblin PeonGoblin Peons, Goblin ThiefGoblin Thieves, and Goblin WarriorGoblin Warriors and long-range attackers in Goblin SorcererGoblin Sorcerers and Goblin ArcherGoblin Archers. All of the enemies are grounded, and all of them except for Sorcerers will walk towards the player to attack them, opening Doors and Tall Gates by pushing on them.

  • Goblin WarriorGoblin Warriors are the most common enemy in the event, and move slowly, but are the bulkiest and hardest-hitting out of all the enemies. They can shield other goblins, particularly Goblin Archers, from attacks thanks to their high knockback resistance.
  • Goblin ArcherGoblin Archers are the next most common, and will shoot arrows at players they can see. These arrows can be stopped by blocks, but travel quickly and are affected by gravity. As they stop in place before firing arrows, they naturally fall to the back of goblin hordes.
  • Goblin ThievesGoblin Thieves and Goblin PeonGoblin Peons are short, fast, and relatively frail enemies that destroy doors rather than opening them. Goblin Thieves do not steal items.
  • Goblin SorcererGoblin Sorcerers are relatively rare enemies that teleport to ground nearby the player (this can be indoors) and fire three Chaos BallChaos Balls at them. These projectiles move slowly and can be destroyed by attacking them, but travel through blocks, making it harder to shut the goblins out.

All goblins can drop Spiky BallSpiky Balls or a HarpoonHarpoon.

Hardmode

Goblin WarlockHardmode exclusive
Goblin Warlock.gif
Classic Mode.png Classic
Expert Mode.png Expert
Master Mode.png Master
Statistics
Type
Goblin
Environment
Goblin Army
AI TypeFighter AI
Damage80/160/240
Max Life2000/3400/5100
Defense26
KB Resist85%/87%/88%
BannerGoblin Warlock BannerGoblin Warlock Banner(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
Immune toConfusedShadowflame
Drops
Coins50 SC1 GC25 SC
Sounds
Hurt
Killed
Attack
Idle

In Hardmode, the normal Pre-Hardmode spawns are largely unchanged, except that Goblin Sorcerers deal far more damage now in Expert Mode and above. The main threat is the new Goblin WarlockGoblin Warlock(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), a mage that flies around shooting Chaos Balls and summoning Shadowflame Apparitions to attack the player. Warlocks can drop the Shadowflame KnifeShadowflame Knife(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), Shadowflame BowShadowflame Bow(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), or the Shadowflame Hex DollShadowflame Hex Doll(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), and getting these weapons is the main reason to fight the Goblin Army in Hardmode.


Preparation

The Goblin Army is one of the few events that cannot be stopped without completing it. Invasion enemies can kill NPCs and trap the player at spawn, and dead NPCs will not move in until the event is completed, nor can you use Pylons. This makes securing your spawn point extremely important, especially in Mediumcore and Hardcore.

Setting your spawn via a Bed either underground, far away from other NPCs, or high up in the air where enemies cannot spawn will prevent invasion enemies from spawnkilling you. You can place chests or use a Piggy Bank to store backup weapons, blocks, potions, or other items you might need.

General Tips

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

  • 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, CampfireCampfires and Heart LanternHeart Lanterns for health regeneration, and Star in a BottleStars in Bottles for mana regeneration if you use magic. Bast StatueBast Statues(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) will provide a significant defensive boost. Garden GnomeGarden 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. HoneyHoney pools can also be used for extra health regeneration.
  • (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) SunflowerSunflowers provide the Happy!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 PotionLesser Healing Potions or HoneyfinHoneyfins. On the Desktop version Desktop, Console version Console, and Mobile version Mobile versions, Restoration PotionRestoration Potions are healing potions with a shorter cooldown.
  • It is suggested to build houses for the DryadDryad and the NurseNurse NPCs in your arena. The former casts the Dryad's BlessingDryad'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 Silver Coincoins.
  • 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 MechanicMechanic in the Dungeon, you can use WireWire to enhance your arena with Dart TrapTraps and helpful Heart StatueHeart and Star StatueStar 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 1 Second Timertimers to activate them infinitely.
  • 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 take up a big chunk of the spawnable healing Hearts, which will cause Heart Statues to not spawn as many/any Hearts.
  • Remember to use the Sharpening StationSharpening Station(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), Ammo BoxAmmo Box(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions), Crystal BallCrystal Ball, Bewitching TableBewitching Table(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), War TableWar Table(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), and Slice of CakeSlice 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 SharpenedSharpened(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), Ammo Box (buff)Ammo Box(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions), ClairvoyanceClairvoyance, BewitchedBewitched(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), StrategistStrategist(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), and Sugar RushSugar Rush(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), respectively.

Terrain Preparation

Goblin Army arena.png
An arena showcasing various ways to protect houses from goblins, useful arena buffs, and a divot the player can stand in to force all goblins to fall down from the safe platform.Goblin grenades.png
A pit for farming goblins. The player stands at the top on either edge, and tosses down Grenades. This will wipe out the invasion extremely quickly and with minimal risk.

Besides the Goblin WarlockGoblin Warlock(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), goblins cannot fly, and most of them will fall through platforms to try and reach your height. Staying above the goblins makes them much less threatening; a line of platforms allows you to move out of the way of Chaos Balls and arrows as well. Goblin ArcherGoblin Archers will still shoot at you, but you can use solid blocks as cover as needed, peeking out from behind them to attack. Goblins will fall through the top platform if you are 2 blocks below them, which you can achieve with a Hook, Rope, or a low section of the platform. Causing all the goblins to drop down will prevent them from reaching you.

Lava can effectively kill goblins, but not Goblin SorcererGoblin Sorcerers, as they do not move. Alternatively, you can restrict the space the goblins have to spawn in until Grenades can attack every goblin at once, which trivializes the event.

Goblins can easily kill NPCs if they can enter your houses, and there are a few ways to prevent this. You can build your housing above the ground, out of reach, put blocks over the doors to prevent goblins from entering, or remove the footing goblins need to break down doors. Fighter enemies including goblins need solid ground directly in front of the door to stand on, or they cannot push on the door.

In Hardmode, the main threat to worry about is the Goblin WarlockGoblin Warlock(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), but other enemies can get in the way. Baiting other goblins to drop through platforms is still useful here, and you should make sure to have vertical space to dodge the Shadowflame Apparitions. Lava can prevent other goblins from spawning in a dedicated arena for the Warlock.

Gear

Due to the Goblin Army's random spawning pattern in both Pre-Hardmode and Hardmode, players may not be well-prepared by the time the invasion starts. If the goal is just to get rid of a random invasion, Grenades can be bought from the Demolitionist and are one of the best options for the event period, making them a go-to choice if you can't get the weapon or gear you want before a natural spawn.

Good weapons for the Goblin Army are those with good crowd control, particularly for hitting Goblin Archers behind enemy lines.

Pre-Hardmode

Weapons
  • The Storm SpearStorm Spear(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), StarfuryStarfury, and Ball O' HurtBall O' Hurt are good melee options. Storm Spear has the best up-close performance while Starfury can snipe Sorcerers anywhere on-screen.
  • GrenadeGrenades have fantastic DPS, infinite pierce, and a downward arc that makes them easy to use against grounded enemies. They are also very easy to obtain. They will also damage you if you are too close, but you can avoid this by staying above the goblins or keeping your distance horizontally.
  • Jester's ArrowJester's Arrows with your best bow is another strong ranged option. On the other hand, guns are not advised for the Goblin Army due to their lack of pierce.
  • A Diamond StaffDiamond, Amber StaffAmber(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), or Ruby StaffRuby Staff are the best consistently available magic weapons here, while VilethornVilethorn or Crimson RodCrimson Rod can be used for support depending on the world.
  • Flinx StaffFlinx Staff(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is the easiest good minion to get at this point, while Vampire Frog StaffVampire Frog Staff(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is stronger but more rare. SnapthornSnapthorn(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is the strongest whip available, while Leather WhipLeather Whip(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is easily bought from the Zoologist.
Armor
  • Gold armorGold or Platinum armorPlatinum armor provide the best defense.
  • Fossil armorFossil armor(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) gives higher damage for ranged weapons at the cost of some defense.
  • Jungle armorJungle armor is the best option with magic weapons, but can be hard to get; the Wizard HatWizard set is a strong second option.
  • Flinx Fur CoatFlinx Fur Coat(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) gives an extra minion slot for summoners.
Accessories and equipment

Hardmode

In Hardmode, the Goblin Warlock is the main threat and is a single enemy, so weapons that deal high damage to a single target are ideal here.

Weapons
Armor
  • Adamantite armorAdamantite armor is the best option for everyone except summoners, with the best overall stats; make sure to use the appropriate headpiece for your weapon.
    • The Frost BreastplateFrost Breastplate is harder to get, but specifically using the Frost Breastplate with Adamantite armor gives better stats for melee and ranger players.
  • Spider armorSpider armor(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) is the best option for summoners, though Obsidian armorObsidian armor(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) can also work.
Accessories and equipment

Defensively, a Cobalt ShieldCobalt Shield or its upgrades, or a Cross NecklaceCross Necklace or its upgrade will dramatically reduce the threat of most goblins by preventing stunlocks. The Goblin Warlock does not require much mobility beyond being able to jump over Shadowflame Apparitions, but more mobility, damage, and survivability helps.

  • Angel WingsWings are a great help to Hardmode mobility.
  • A Shiny Red BalloonShiny Red Balloon or Amphibian BootsAmphibian Boots(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) can help improve vertical mobility with or without wings.
  • Your class emblem is a solid damage boost for dealing with the Warlock.

Potions

You should always use some food item for its variety of bonuses. Early on, fruit will likely be your only option, while later you can use Pumpkin PiePumpkin Pies or BaconBacon(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) for stronger food buffs.

Mobility
Survivability

Regeneration PotionRegeneration Potions and Ironskin PotionIronskin Potions are easy to craft and a massive survivability bonus.

Damage

Strategies

The best ways to keep goblins away from you are height and blocks. Staying off the ground, either using platforms or a Featherfall Potion or Rope or some other method, will keep you safe from most of the enemies, while blocks prevent archers from attacking you. Sorcerer chaos balls can be broken by weapons or dodged due to their lower projectile speed.

The main danger is being trapped at spawn by goblins, provided you did not set your spawn at a bed elsewhere. Goblins can also kill NPCs at spawn with improperly defended houses. If you are repeatedly dying at spawn, the first thing to do is get to a safe place. You can leave and reenter the game to despawn all nearby enemies, which will secure a few seconds for you to place blocks or rope and get out. If you are playing multiplayer or Mediumcore, you are likely unable to leave freely; however, you still have around a second of invincibility after respawning to make distance. Try to place blocks between you and the main horde, even over multiple deaths if you have to, to get some safety from the goblins; chaos balls can be broken by a Copper Shortsword or other weapon. From there, you can work towards making a path to your other items, or just recover HP and continue fighting.

If you made a pit to kill goblins with grenades, stand at the top of the pit and throw down grenades. Occasionally a Goblin Sorcerer might teleport up to the other edge of the pit, in which case you will need to shoot them with a bow or toss a grenade into them to stop them from attacking, but otherwise this is a very fast, safe, and reliable method for completing the invasion.

Hardmode

Goblin Warlocks alternate between walking and flying, summoning Shadowflame Apparitions after walking and shooting Chaos Balls as they fly. Try to isolate them from other goblins, either by moving up or outside the invasion zone, to prevent them from interfering with the fight. Jump over or fall under the apparitions as they pass, as they are immune to knockback. Depending on your weapon you will likely have to focus on killing the warlock before you can clean up the apparitions, due to their fast movement and knockback immunity. The Goblin Warlock is easier to hit while she is grounded than when she is flying.

One option to avoid Shadowflame Apparitions is to simply run away from her using a minecart track or high speed mount like the Unicorn mount. Goblin Warlocks will be unable to spawn Shadowflame Apparitions due to constantly chasing the player.

  1. ↑ Specifically, if the player's X coordinate is within 187.5 tiles of the world center (this is also the default spawn) or any town NPC, including the Old Man, and either on the surface or above, or within 68 tiles of the surface line.
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