Guide:Queen Bee strategies

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

 "The matriarch of the jungle hives." 

The Queen Bee is a pre-Hardmode boss. It does not need to be killed to progress the game, but it has some useful drops and the Witch Doctor NPC will spawn when it is killed.

Queen Bee

Map Icon

 Classic

 Expert

 Master

Statistics

Type	Boss
Environment	Bee Hive Jungle Underground Jungle
AI Type	Queen Bee AI
Damage	30/54/81 (contact) 224466 (Queen Bee's Stinger)
Max Life	3400/4760/6069
Defense	88–28 (depending on health)[1]
KB Resist	100%
Immune to

Inflicts

Inflicts

Inflicts

Debuff	Poisoned
Debuff tooltip	Slowly losing life
Chance	33.33%100%
Duration	10 seconds2–20 seconds2.5–25 seconds (Queen Bee's Stinger) 2–8 seconds (contact)2.5–10 seconds (contact)

Drops

Coins	5 GC12 GC50 SC

• Item (Quantity)Rate
• Only one of the following 3 items can drop at a time
• Bee Gun
  33%
• Bee Keeper
  33%
• The Bee's Knees(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  33%
• Only one of the following 4 items can drop at a time
• Hive Wand
  33%
• Bee Hat
  11%
• Bee Shirt
  11%
• Bee Pants
  11%
• Honey Comb
  33%
• Nectar
  6.7%
• Honeyed Goggles(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions)
  5%
• Beenade (10–30)
  75%
• Bee Wax(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) (16–26)
  100%
• Bottled Honey (5–15)
  100%
• Queen Bee Mask
  14.29%
• Queen Bee Trophy
  10%
• Treasure Bag(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)(Queen Bee)
  100%
• Hive Pack(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  100%
• Queen Bee Mask
  14.29%
• One of the following three items will be dropped
• Bee Gun
  33%
• Bee Keeper
  33%
• The Bee's Knees(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  33%
• Hive Wand
  100%
• One of the following three items will be dropped
• Bee Hat
  33%
• Bee Shirt
  33%
• Bee Pants
  33%
• Honey Comb
  33%
• Nectar
  11%
• Honeyed Goggles(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions)
  11%
• Beenade (10–29)
  100%
• Bee Wax(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) (17–29)
  100%
• Gold Coin (10)
  100%
• Sparkling Honey(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  25%
• Queen Bee Relic(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  100%

created

created

created

• Queen Bee's Stinger
  

Sounds

Hurt
Killed (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
Killed (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)
Summoned (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
Queen Bee's Stinger
Charge (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
Summoned/ Charge (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)

• Internal NPC ID: 222
• Internal Buff ID: 20
• Internal Projectile ID: 719

Spawning Conditions

Queen Bee can be spawned by fulfilling any of these conditions:

• Break a Larva. These can be found in Bee Hives, which are located in the Underground Jungle;
• Use Abeemination.

It must be inside the jungle at the moment of spawning, and (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) enrages if removed from the Jungle.

The fight

Queen Bee is capable of causing Poison if you get touched by it or by its stingers. While losing 2 health per second doesn't look like much, it can be significant over time. It's also important to not get poisoned because it halts Health regeneration, thus be always ready to heal with your Potions.

The Queen Bee has 3 distinct attack patterns:

1. It will fly left or right to you and charge three times;
2. It will hover above you and spawn tiny Bee minions;
3. It will behave like a normal hornet and fly around, shooting poisoning stingers at you.

When it charges you, use platforms and/or a double jump or better to dodge upwards. You can stand perfectly still upon landing which gives you a short moment to regenerate health faster. If you can Dash, you can stand in its path and charge it just before it reaches you. You can also fire slow or lingering weapons directly into her path, like the Diamond Staff or a Boomerang.

When it summons its bees, use a weapon that can pierce targets and aim for its backside to stop the bees the moment they spawn. If any bees manage to escape then use a Sword with a large swing to clear them out. The Queen is at its most vulnerable in this state, so use powerful weapons to deal significant amounts of damage.

If it's using the stinger-shooting phase, keep moving back and forth. If you do get hit by a stinger, the Poisoned debuff will last longer than when you touch with Queen Bee, so make sure to dodge it. Use a melee weapon, and try to track her movements by aiming where it's going to move.

If you're low on health and are still in the Hive, remember to make use of the honey below you, which increases health regeneration, which will always stack with other regeneration buffs like Regeneration potions.

Expert Mode

As the Queen Bee's health goes down, she will become a lot more aggressive, shooting more stingers and having much faster charges. Her defense will also increase, making weapons with low base damage values like the Minishark much weaker. She will also inflict Poison on contact, and its duration from the stingers will double.

Dodging the charges is much harder when the Queen is at low health, since she'll move too fast to be able to move out of the way. However, the Shield of Cthulhu(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) makes this part of the fight a lot easier: Successfully dashing into an enemy gives the player brief invincibility frames, so if timed right, the charge attacks can be completely neutralized.

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

Even if you summon the Queen Bee by breaking a Larva, you do not need to stay in the hive to fight it - you can get out of the hive and fight it in the wide-open areas of the Underground Jungle if you'd prefer. However, most Hives offer an easy arena: a decent amount of space is already carved out, and the pool of Honey at the bottom provides a health-regenerating buff which stacks with other buffs.

If you're fighting the Queen Bee in the hive, be mindful of the honey and water in the hive. They can be useful (such as using honey for regeneration) or interfere with the fight, such as removing the On Fire! debuff from Queen Bee if using a weapon that inflicts it. As with most bosses, Wood Platforms are vital. Having them every 5 blocks is an optimal height but if your jump height is boosted in some way, you can increase the number of spaces between platforms which can save you materials.

A rope can be used to dodge Queen Bee charges if sufficient movement accessories aren't available.

Solid blocks can help to block the stingers.

Gearing Up

It's recommended to have at least 300 Health before you try to beat Queen Bee.

Armor

• A full set of at least Gold armor or Platinum armor should be acquired, but better armor is always an option. Other armor sets with set bonuses can be effective as well.
• Fossil armor(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) or Necro armor are the only armor sets available for rangers, with Necro armor obtainable in the Dungeon.
• Crimson armor is excellent due to the high defense values and increased damage. Shadow armor is good too, providing boosts to movement and (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) critical chance / (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) melee speed.
• The Wizard set, with magic-boosting or defense-boosting leg armor, provides the most damage for magic users. If defense is preferred, Jungle armor or Meteor armor can be used.
  • Meteor armor's set bonus can make Space Gun and Gray Zapinator much more effective against Queen Bee since it reduces Space Gun's and Gray Zapinator's mana usage to 0.
• Obsidian armor(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is the best summoner armor set at this point in the game. The Flinx Fur Coat(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is a weaker alternative.
• Molten armor is the best pre-hardmode armor set for melee classes, although it requires a visit to the Underworld and a pickaxe that can mine Hellstone.

Weapons

Melee

• Swords can be surprisingly effective, doing the most damage when Queen Bee is releasing bees or when charging you.
  • A solid choice would be the Blade of Grass or Light's Bane.
  • If Skeletron or Deerclops have been defeated, the Muramasa and Lucy the Axe do heavy damage.
  • The Volcano and Night's Edge are better, but they are harder to acquire.
  • The Terragrim(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) / Arkhalis(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) performs excellently if acquired. The Starfury can do well, but may require removing more blocks to allow the stars to fall freely.
• Thorn Chakram, Trimarang(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) or Flamarang are good at killing Queen Bee, due to their long range.
• Flails are good choices for when the Queen is firing Bees at you, as they will pierce through the bees and hit the Queen too. A Blue Moon, Ball O' Hurt or The Meatball are good, and the Sunfury is excellent. They can be difficult to aim during other portions.
• For Yoyos, the Amazon(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) and the Code 1(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) are good options. The Valor(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is slightly better than these, but it requires beating Skeletron and finding one in the dungeon. The Cascade(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is better than the Valor and is possible to obtain before defeating Queen Bee, but is difficult to obtain.

Ranged

• Bow users should use a Demon Bow Tendon Bow or Molten Fury if they've got it.
  • Bring along arrows that can pierce, such as Jester's Arrows or Unholy Arrows.
• Blood Rain Bow(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is an effective choice but requires a big arena to be used properly. It works best with Unholy Arrows or Hellfire Arrows if obtained. Keep another weapon to get rid of the bees.
• A Musket or The Undertaker are decent and the Minishark can also be used. The Boomstick is also a very powerful choice.  Desktop,  Console, and  Mobile users that have already beaten Skeletron can get the Quad-Barrel Shotgun(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions). However, it is very inaccurate, so staying close to the boss is mandatory if using this.
  • Note that Minishark is much less effective in Expert Mode, especially in the latter stages of the battle, unless paired with the Shark Tooth Necklace.
  • (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)Meteor Shot can pierce through the bees or bounce once off the wall in an enclosed space, making them ideal for the fight.
  • Silver Bullets/ Tungsten Bullets(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)are the preferred bullets to use with the guns mentioned above. Meteor Shots can cause invincibility frames caused by piercing attacks, so aren't recommended for multi-bullet guns like the Boomstick.
• If Deerclops is defeated, the Pew-matic Horn(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is one of the strongest pre-Hardmode guns.
• The Star Cannon's infinite piercing and high DPS makes this the strongest ranged weapon, however, its ammo requires the user to take ammo conservation measures. Similarly, the Sandgun does high damage but makes a huge mess.
• Oddly, Heart Arrows(3DS version) perform their initial stopping ability, then permanently slow the queen, making them a great way to kill her, assuming the Valentine Event is happening.

Magic

• The Space Gun is a good weapon, especially when combined with Meteor armor. Its piercing effect will help with taking out the bees.
• Gray Zapinator(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is also an excellent weapon, thanks to its high damage output, especially with Meteor armor.
  • Make sure that there are no larva within the vicinity of the arena, as to not accidentally break a larva, summoning another Queen Bee.
• The Ruby Staff or Diamond Staff are both decent choices due to their low mana cost and decent piercing damage.
  • The Emerald Staff is a weaker but viable alternative if not enough Diamonds or Rubies have been found.
• Crimson worlds will benefit from having the Crimson Rod, as you can fire it once and then switch to another weapon, increasing damage output. The Weather Pain(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) performs a similar function, and can home into the boss.
• (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) The Water Bolt is a fantastic weapon if you're fighting inside of the Hive, due to how many times it can ricochet off walls. Additionally, it can be helpful for taking out bees due to how many times it can pierce.
• The Vilethorn is perfect for dealing with the bees she shoots at you.
  • This weapon should not be used on Expert and Master Mode, as her massive defense will significantly reduce damage taken.
• Magic Missile and its upgrade, Flamelash can be used to quickly and repeatedly strike her with great accuracy.
• The Demon Scythe is a very strong option, while more difficult to obtain. If the Queen Bee uses its charge attack, it can potentially take several hits from a single scythe projectile. It also helps kill the summoned Bees. However, The Underworld must be visited.
• The Book of Skulls is a decent option due to its homing and piercing capabilities.

Summoning

On the  Old-gen console version and Nintendo 3DS version, summoners have very few options to use against Queen Bee, as most summoning gear drops from her.

• (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) The earliest minion Summoning weapon is the Slime Staff. The slime staff is extremely rare, and this weapon is very weak.
• (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) You could try to farm The Underworld for Hellstone to get the Imp Staff(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions), which is the only good choice on Expert Mode, as the Slime Staff does not have enough base damage.

On the  Desktop version,  Console version, and  Mobile version, summoners have access to the Flinx Fur Coat(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), whips, and several summon weapons, not to mention even stronger equipment such as Obsidian Armor.

• Summoners should use the Flinx Staff(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) or, preferably, the Vampire Frog Staff(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), together with one of the early Whips. If the Brain of Cthulhu/Eater of Worlds has been defeated, the Imp Staff(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) is also available.
• The Snapthorn(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) combined with the Spinal Tap(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) can deal tremendous amounts of damage, otherwise, the Snapthorn itself can be used.
• The Houndius Shootius(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is the strongest pre-Hardmode sentry. Alternatively, the sentries sold by the Tavernkeep are available if the Old One's Army event has been beaten at least once. These sentries can be used to kill the bees that she releases.

Accessories

• Anything that increases your vertical mobility is a godsend. The Cloud in a Bottle is good, but better choices would be the Blizzard in a Bottle or the Sandstorm in a Bottle. Having a Shiny Red Balloon will also greatly help as it will increase your jump height, it will be better if The Shiny Red Balloon is combined with any of the Cloud in a Bottle type accessory. The Bundle of Balloons would be a great addition. You can also use the Rocket Boots for flight, and the Spectre Boots for flight and speed.
• The Shark Tooth Necklace(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is a very good increase to DPS, especially on Expert Mode.
• The Bezoar, while equipped, removes the Poisoned debuff; if you are short on accessory slots, equip it whenever you get poisoned.
• If you are going for a melee approach, the Feral Claws and Magma Stone enables autoswing and increases DPS respectively.
  • (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)Feral Claws also enables autoswing for whips, making it a viable choice for summoners.
• Anything that reduces damage is very helpful, including Expert Mode-exclusive Worm Scarf(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), and defensive reforges on accessories.
• The Shield of Cthulhu(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 's dash is essential throughout the fight.

Potions

• Thorns Potions are useful for damaging the bees for you, allowing you to focus more on the Queen Bee.
• Lifeforce Potions are extremely effective for survivability, assuming that a Shadow Chest has been opened.
• Ironskin Potions, Endurance Potions, and Regeneration Potions will help tremendously with survivability.
• A food item that provides Well Fed, Plenty Satisfied(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), or Exquisitely Stuffed(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is very useful.
• Swiftness Potions will aid in dodging.
• The Honey (buff) will reduce poison damage and allows healing while poisoned. If you don't have a Bezoar, this is your key to survival.
• Flipper Potions(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) lets you swim swiftly through the honey, using it for its buff.
• Ammo Reservation Potions and Archery Potions are good for rangers, and Archery Potions specifically for bow users.
• Magic Power Potions and Mana Regeneration Potions are a must have for mages.
• If you already have a minion, a Summoning Potion lets you bring an extra to the fight.
• Rage Potions or Wrath Potions are useful for almost all classes.
• Water Walking Potions, like the boots, let you walk on Honey.
• Honeyfins heal more than the average Healing Potion and can prove valuable.

Specific Strategies

Magic Mirror Strategy

Queen Bee is one of the few bosses that does not despawn when the player teleports away. To take advantage of this, set up a Bed and create a spawn point near your arena. Use a Magic Conch or Teleporter to teleport away when injured, and then use a Magic Mirror to return to the arena after healing.