Guide:Skeletron strategies
![Skeletron Trophy.png](/images/thumb/c/cd/Skeletron_Trophy.png/25px-Skeletron_Trophy.png)
![Skeletron Trophy.png](/images/thumb/c/cd/Skeletron_Trophy.png/25px-Skeletron_Trophy.png)
Skeletron is a Pre-Hardmode Boss protecting the Dungeon. It's typically the last boss players will fight before the Wall of Flesh. Like any other boss fight in Terraria, defeating it is helped by preparing armor, buffs, and an arena. After this are some hints, tips, and strategies to help other players to do so.
![Skeletron Head.png](/images/a/a3/Skeletron_Head.png)
![Map Icon Skeletron.png](/images/f/f4/Map_Icon_Skeletron.png)
![Classic Mode.png](/images/thumb/2/2b/Classic_Mode.png/12px-Classic_Mode.png)
![Expert Mode.png](/images/thumb/6/62/Expert_Mode.png/12px-Expert_Mode.png)
![Master Mode.png](/images/thumb/9/9b/Master_Mode.png/12px-Master_Mode.png)
Type | |
---|---|
Environment | |
AI Type | Head AI |
Damage | 32/70/105 68 (Skull)[1] 102 (Skull)[1] 1000 (during the day) |
Max Life | 4400/8800/11220 |
Defense | 1010+25 per hand alive 00+25 per hand alive (while spinning) 9999 (during the day) |
KB Resist | 100% |
Immune to | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Debuff | ![]() |
---|---|
Debuff tooltip | Cannot regenerate life |
Chance | 100% |
Duration | 6–10 seconds7.5–12.5 seconds |
Coins | 5 GC12 GC50 SC |
---|
- Item (Quantity)Rate
Healing Potion (5–15)
100% (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)100%Lesser Healing Potion (5–15)
100% (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)- 14.29%
- 12.24%
- 10.5%
- 10%
Chippy's Couch(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
14.29%Treasure Bag(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)(Skeletron)
Bone Glove(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
100%- One of the following three items will be dropped
- 33%
- 33%
- 33%
- 100%
Possessed Skull(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
Skeletron Relic(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
- Skull
Hurt | |
---|---|
Killed | |
Entering spinning phase |
- Internal NPC ID: 35
- Internal Buff ID: 30
- Internal Projectile ID: 270
![Skeletron Hand (NPC).png](/images/0/0a/Skeletron_Hand_%28NPC%29.png)
![Old-gen console version and Nintendo 3DS version Old-gen console version and Nintendo 3DS version](/images/1/13/Skeletron_Hand_%28NPC%29_%28old%29.png)
![Classic Mode.png](/images/thumb/2/2b/Classic_Mode.png/12px-Classic_Mode.png)
![Expert Mode.png](/images/thumb/6/62/Expert_Mode.png/12px-Expert_Mode.png)
![Master Mode.png](/images/thumb/9/9b/Master_Mode.png/12px-Master_Mode.png)
Type | |
---|---|
Environment | |
AI Type | Skeletron Hand AI |
Damage | 20/44/66 |
Max Life | 600/1560/1989 |
Defense | 14 |
KB Resist | 100% |
Immune to | ![]() ![]() |
Debuff | ![]() |
---|---|
Debuff tooltip | Movement speed is reduced |
Chance | 50% |
Duration | 1−2 seconds1.5–2.5 seconds |
Hurt | |
---|---|
Killed |
Spawn Condition
Skeletron can be spawned by fulfilling one of these conditions:
- Talk with
Old Man at night. He can be found at the Dungeon entrance;
- Kill
Clothier at night, with
Clothier Voodoo Doll.
It must then be defeated before all the involved players die.
The Fight
Skeletron is a large skeleton, composed of a head and 2 hands. In order to defeat it, you must kill the head.
It attacks the player by swiping its hands. This attack is quite easy to predict, as it prepares them by pulling them back, so you can prepare to dodge them. However, the main issue is their erratic trajectory. The player can dodge them by either jumping or running around. It can use both hands to have different timings and trajectories, so the player might get caught off-guard by trying to dodge its other hand.
Timing is key in order to defend from the hands: after dodging them, use your piercing weapons to deal damage to both arms (and Skeletron's skull, if it happens to align with them). The arms don't have much health, so they can be detached fairly easily.
After some time, Skeletron will use its spinning attack. Skeletron moves slowly, but they constantly follow the player. During this attack, Skeletron's defense is lowered to zero, but gains more attack. The player should use the fastest weapon at their disposal to deal a lot of damage. However, make sure to constantly move; if the player gets hit by it, they might get stunlocked and take a lot of damage.
During the spin attack, the hands will stay fixed in a uphanded position while Skeletron moves. You can also use this time to deal damage to them, but keep in mind that their defense isn't reduced.
Failing to defeat it before 4:30 AM in-game will cause Skeletron to enrage. When enraged Skeletron acts just like the Dungeon Guardian; gaining extreme amounts of damage and defense, instantly killing players while only taking 1 or 2 damage from all attacks.
Expert Mode
Target Priorities
Skeletron's head has 60 defense until one of its hands go down. This means that almost every weapon at that point will not do more than 1 damage without a critical hit. As such, you're forced to detach the arms from it in order to progress. Moreover, the hands can inflict the Slow debuff on you, and its spin attack is much faster than in Normal Mode. After one of the arms goes down, Skeletron gains the ability to shoot skulls with a small homing effect when it's not spinning. The frequency of this attack increases as its health goes down and when the other arm falls. Skeletron's head also inflicts the
bleeding debuff, disabling Health Regeneration
At the beginning of the fight, the arms must be prioritized first, as the Head will barely take any damage with its massive defense. Their attacks have a 50% chance to briefly apply the Slow debuff, which can greatly slow down a player, even if just for a second.
It is recommended to kill both hands at the same time, to minimize the amount of time Skeletron spends attacking with homing skulls alongside its remaining hand.
Mobility
Because of the player's lack of knockback immunity, getting hit by the spin attack can result on a death even at full health due to its massive damage and speed, so the player needs high mobility to avoid it at all costs.
A Blue Horseshoe Balloon or its equivalents together with Lightning Boots can provide that mobility, together with the Shield of Cthulhu, or a Featherfall Potion.
It's easier to dodge the skulls of the second stage while Skeletron remains above the player, since they can be dodged like Queen Bee's stingers with a little curve. However, this could make the spin attack connect more easily if the player isn't careful, as the head will stand closer to them. The most effective way to dodge the skull attacks while remaining under the head of Skeletron is to run/dash left and right in quick and alternating succession.
While Skeletron is spinning, running in a straight line with your Boots isn't recommended as it starts firing the skulls as soon as the attack is completed, so the player will most likely get hit by one of them. Because of this, moving in circles using the hover effect and/or double jumps is much safer. Featherfall potions will allow players to stay in the air for much longer, making the circling much easier. If you do have a straight line prepared and you can take a few hits, it is very easy to inflict a lot of damage with a medium-ranged weapon like a yoyo with a string boost or a bow, as the player can land many shots in succession without needing to aim.
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
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.
- 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 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 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
Warning: Don't make significant edits to the dungeon floor. Doing so can stop the Endgame Cultists from spawning, potentially blocking progression. Plan your arena above the Dungeon roof instead.
The entrance area to most dungeons can often be modified into a more desirable arena if needed. Most important is that you have room to dodge the hands, as well as enough vertical space to avoid getting trapped when Skeletron's head begins to spin.
Gearing up
It's recommended not to try to fight Skeletron without at least 300 Health, however on Expert mode 400 health is almost mandatory.
Armor
- A full set of at least
Shadow Armor or
Crimson Armor should be acquired as the player should have killed their evil boss, but armor for the player's weapon class is always an option.
- The
Fossil Armor(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is the only armor set available for rangers before the dungeon.
- Rangers on the Nintendo
version may want to use
Necro Armor, since skeletons drop bones.
- Rangers on the Nintendo
- 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 the Space Gun and Gray Zapinator much more effective against Skeletron 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 which focuses on whip bonuses.
Bee Armor(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) is an alternative set if Queen Bee has been defeated that focuses on minion bonuses.
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
For Melee users:
- Yoyos such as
Amazon(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) are excellent against Skeletron, as they can deal high damage from a distance. Eliminating the hands first can be done very rapidly as the hands tend to push yoyos around, making additional contact and dealing more damage.
- The
Starfury does excellent damage with the star projectile, as well as regular melee damage vs the hands.
- The
Terragrim(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) can deal very high damage, but its short range makes it risky.
- The
Volcano is a strong choice if the player has mined Hellstone. It isn't as risky as other broadswords due to its greater reach, has great damage output, and inflicts a debuff that may increase visibility as well as damage.
- The
Blade of Grass might not dish out as much damage as some of the other swords around this point in progression, but because of its projectiles it's somewhat safer to use.
- Boomerangs like the
Thorn Chakram work well but they are more effective when thrown past the Skull.
- The
Flamarang is also available if the player has mined Hellstone, and is one of the best boomerangs available before Hardmode.
- The
- Flails can work due to their long range and ability to hit both the arms and head with a single attack. The only viable flails available at this point are the
Ball O' Hurt and
The Meatball.
For Ranged users:
The Bee's Knees(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is a great choice as the Bees can deal massive damage, especially during Skeletron's spinning attack.
- The
Pew-matic Horn(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is one of the strongest guns available in pre-Hardmode, and works well vs Skeletron.
- The
Demon and
Tendon Bow are the most accessible Bows at this stage. Use them with
Frostburn Arrows and
Jester's Arrows.
- The
Molten Fury and
Hellfire Arrows are very strong if the player has already gotten Hellstone.
- The
- The
Blood Rain Bow(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) can be used in some arena setups to deal damage while protected from flying skulls in Expert Mode, but otherwise deals relatively low damage.
- The
Minishark, the
Musket and the
Boomstick are very effective against Skeletron.
- The
Minishark may prove ineffective without a
Shark Tooth Necklace(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) as Skeletron's defense when it isn't spinning renders the Minishark almost useless.
- The
Bone Javelins(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) are very effective due to their high damage and firing speed.
Molotov Cocktails(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) can be used to deal large amounts of damage to Skeletron.
Beenades can be used to deal damage without needing to aim.
- The
Star Cannon is the most powerful weapon in pre-Hardmode, limited only by its scarce ammunition.
- As of 1.4.0.1 Fallen Stars are more common.
For Magic users:
- Using a
Space Gun with Meteor Armor frees mages from the constraints of Mana and deals reasonable damage.
- The
Gray Zapinator(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is stronger than the Space Gun, and benefits from the Meteor Armor's set bonus as well. Its only downside is its limited availability from the Traveling Merchant.
- The
- The
Bee Gun, dropped by Queen Bee, does steady damage, especially with the Hive Pack equipped. Its main attraction is that it requires no aiming at all, allowing the player to focus on dodging.
- If the player is lucky to get one in
Old-gen console version and Nintendo
version , the
Water Bolt is an excellent choice.
- The
Ruby and
Diamond Staves can be effective, requiring very little mana while dealing decent damage. The
Thunder Zapper(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) deals similar damage but is more difficult to obtain.
- The
Crimson Rod is also a very effective method of damaging Skeletron, even allowing it to be used in combination with other weapons. If carefully placed, the cloud created by the rod can cause 100 damage per second. However it will only be available in a Crimson world.
- The
Weather Pain(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), dropped by Deerclops, is a powerful homing magic weapon that can make short work of the hands in the first phase. Because it makes one lingering projectile at a time, it can be used in conjunction with other weapons.
For Summoners:
- The
Snapthorn(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is the best whip available.
- The
Vampire Frog Staff(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), from the Blood Moon, and
Imp Staff(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions), from the Underworld, are the strongest minions available. The Frogs deal high damage but may require additional platforms to reach Skeletron, while the imps can fly and aim well but may occasionally interfere with each other due to i-frames.
- The
Hornet Staff(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions), dropped by Queen Bee, can do well when paired with Whips and the Hive Pack, but have difficulty overcoming Skeletron's defense on their own.
- The strongest sentry available is
Houndius Shootius(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions). The
Ballista Rod(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) or
Flameburst Rod(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) are also helpful alternatives.
Accessories
Spectre Boots,
Lightning Boots,
Frostspark Boots, or
Terraspark Boots(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) are very useful for their hover effect and running speed.
- The
Cloud in a Bottle or any of its upgrades and their counterparts are recommended, especially on Expert mode. If you went fishing in the sky lake then you may have Fledgling Wings as a replacement.
- The
Amber Horseshoe Balloon(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) behaves similarly to Fledgling Wings, (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)with the added benefit of receiving the Honey buff whenever you are struck as well as helpful bees.
- The
Shield of Cthulhu(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) is extremely useful for the Expert Mode fight, as the dash makes dodging the skulls and the spin attack much easier.
- The
Shark Tooth Necklace(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) and/or
Stinger Necklace(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) can significantly increase damage output, especially when using weapons with high attack speed.
- The
Hive Pack(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) gives a boost to the damage and velocity of some of the bees spawned by Queen Bee's drops.
Worm Scarf(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) and
Brain of Confusion(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) reduce damage taken, making them invaluable for Expert and Master Mode.
Potions
Ironskin Potions,
Endurance Potions and
Regeneration Potions will make the job easier for any player and are highly recommended. Two potions will last for the entire night, provided the player stays alive the entire time.
- The
Swiftness Potion helps for outrunning the spinning attack.
Mana Regeneration Potion is mandatory for magic users.
Magic Power Potions is also helpful.
- If you're using a melee weapon,
Ale/
Sake(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) provides a decent boost.
- Any food item that grants the
Well Fed (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)/
Exquisitely Stuffed(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) buff is very helpful, especially on Expert mode since it will bring regeneration back to normal.
- An
Archery Potion gives a very good damage and velocity bonus to bows.
Wrath Potions and
Rage Potions also increase damage output.
Featherfall Potions can aid your air mobility and give you basic flying abilities.
- Summoners should use
Summoning Potions. If they will use re-summon strategy, Mana Regeneration Potion is also recommended.
Others
- The
Slimy Saddle(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) helps with dodging and it can also be used to escape the spin attack. The
Honeyed Goggles(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) can be used for a similar purpose with its flight.
- A good
Grappling Hook is also useful for enabling sudden bursts of movement.
Specific Strategies
Minecart Strategy
An alternative to high-maneuverability armor or accessories which can even work against Expert mode Skeletron is to craft a Minecart for the extra speed and build a large, diamond-shaped
Minecart Track, such as one having in the middle on each side three Minecart Tracks with a Bumper on the outer end, and the inner end connects using a switch track to two diagonal tracks, with both connected and the preferred direction up on one side and down on the other, and with a total width of roughly 90-100 blocks. After the Skeletron battle begins, mount the Minecart and accelerate to maximum Minecart speed. While collisions can occasionally occur, they should be uncommon enough that healing will not be a problem. Using attacks at range is highly preferred, though unlike a Hoik system, a Minecart might not move fast enough to allow a boomerang to do all of the work as in some Dungeon Guardian strategies. If using pre-Hardmode weapons, the Molten Fury with Frostburn Arrows is highly recommended.
If using the Minecart strategy and for whatever reason the battle lasts until dawn, the Dungeon Guardian A.I. will actually cause the Skeletron head to follow you at such a slow and steady pace that it should never catch up. In such a case, however, you will take fatal damage from contact and deal 1 damage with every landed attack, or 2 from critical hits, causing fast attacks at range to become essential (such as the Space Gun with the full set of Meteor armor); thus, having a set of accessories with critical chance modifiers becomes far more important than damage, defense, or mobility, should it come to this.
Circle Strategy (Expert/Master)
Mobility and damage matter the most in these modes.
Near the dungeon, make two or three long rows of platforms, about one screen high and two screens wide. Use a horseshoe balloon and Spectre Boots or Lightning Boots, a combination that is essentially like wings in pre-hardmode. Featherfall Potion is also a plus. The Shield of Cthulhu is the last essential accessory. An optional item is the Umbrella if you can obtain it.
During the fight, use your platforms to move in circles around Skeletron, flying over and around him and running underneath. The Shield of Cthulhu will allow you to dash away from the skull and accelerate instantly.
The Bee's Knees and Bee Gun with the Hive Pack are especially effective weapons, as accuracy is not as important with these weapons. The Space Gun is another effective alternative.
Using this method, just keep circling and attacking the hands; once the skulls start shooting, you will still be circling and dodging will still be easy.