North Pole

Type | |
---|---|
Damage | 80 (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) / 73 (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) (Melee) |
Knockback | 6.7 (Strong) |
Critical chance | 4% |
Use time | 30 (Average) (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) / 25 (Fast) (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) |
Velocity | 4.75 |
Tooltip | Shoots an icy spear that rains snowflakes |
Rarity | ![]() |
Sell | 9 GC |
Research | 1 required |
- North Pole
- North Pole Spear
- North Pole Snowflake
Use | |
---|---|
North Pole Spear impact |
- Internal Item ID: 1947
- Internal Projectile ID: 342, 343, 344




Entity | Qty. | Rate |
---|---|---|
![]() | 1 | 5.19–10.37%15.56–31.11% |
The North Pole is a Hardmode, post-Plantera spear that fires a frozen spear projectile that costs no mana or ammunition. The spear projectile travels in a straight line in midair for half a second before being affected by gravity and can pierce up two enemies before dissipating upon contact with a solid block or upon impacting a third enemy. Additionally, the icy spear leaves behind a trail of damaging snowflakes which fall downwards and dissipate upon contact with an enemy or surface.
The North Pole is dropped by the Ice Queen during the Frost Moon event with a 5.19%–10.37% (15.56%–31.11%) chance depending on the current wave.[1]
Its best modifier is Godly or Demonic. Both modifiers increase the average damage output by the same amount. However, Ruthless might be preferred if the player already has very high critical strike chance.

Notes
- (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) The North Pole Spear projectile deals 100% of the weapon's damage (80 base damage) and 85% of its knockback (5.695 (Average) base knockback).[2] The snowflake projectiles deal 70% of the weapon's damage (56 base damage) and 46.75% of its knockback (3.132 (Weak) base knockback).[3]
- (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) The North Pole Spear projectile deals 80% of the weapon's damage (58 base damage) and 85% of its knockback (5.695 (Average) base knockback).[4] The snowflake projectiles deal 64% of the weapon's damage (46 base damage) and 46.75% of its knockback (3.132 (Weak) base knockback).[5]
- Holding this weapon will reduce melee speed boosts by half, which reduces the velocity increasing of the projectile from the melee speed boost.
- Traveling horizontally, the projectiles move at 58 mph.[6]
- (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) There can only be 187 snowflakes on the screen at any given time. After reaching this cap, spear projectiles cannot produce any more until some snowflakes begin dissipating.[7]
- Additionally, every snowflake after 100 will spawn with 1% less damage. This can make them deal extremely low damage if the spear projectiles are launched high into the air. For example, while the 100th snowflake will still deal 64% damage (46 base damage) as normal, the 150th snowflake will only deal 32% damage (23 base damage), and the 187th snowflake, the last possible one, will only deal 8.32% damage (6 base damage).
- The high number of projectiles might trigger anti-cheat systems on some servers.
- (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) The snowflakes are affected by the direction of the wind, so make sure to adjust the aim to compensate.
- (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) Like most spears, the North Pole does not have autoswing.
- The projectiles are affected by liquids; when used underwater they travel half the normal distance before being affected by gravity and arc downwards very sharply. This does not reduce the number of snowflakes spawned per projectile, however, leading to a denser cluster of snowflakes.
Tips
- Fighting enemies with the North Pole out in the open gives it a huge advantage, especially when tackling groups of enemies during events. The North Pole's snowflake projectiles can easily fall upon and dispatch multiple targets at once.
- Aim the North Pole straight up and launch the spear upwards, allowing all the snowflakes to descend and rain damage against large targets. This has a much higher rate of damage than even the Solar Eruption or Daybreak and can destroy weaker bosses or immobile targets like the Celestial Pillars with ease.
- The North Pole can easily take care of worm enemies, including The Destroyer. Firing it up into the air creates waves of snowflakes which can easily damage the body all at once.
Trivia
- The North Pole is the northernmost point of the Earth, traditionally stated as the location of Santa Claus's home and workshop. Being a spear, like a pole, it uses the North Pole as a pun for it being dropped during the Christmas-themed Frost Moon event.
- The North Pole is the only weapon obtainable from the Frost Moon event which has a
rarity while the others have the
rarity.
- There is unused and disabled code for the North Pole that gives it a slash similar to that of the Gungnir. It appears blue in game and uses the default sizing for this effect.
- The North Pole can be seen sliding off of the player's hand.
History
- Desktop 1.4.4.8.1: Damage increased from 73 to 80.
- Desktop 1.4.4.8: Snowflakes that are very close to each other will now slightly push away from each other, resulting in snowflake spread when falling.
- Desktop 1.4.4:
- Use time increased from 25 to 30.
- Now spawns half as many projectiles, but the damage of the spear projectile now deals base damage and the snowflakes deal 70% base, compared to the previous 80% for the spear projectile and 64% for the snowflakes.
- Removed the projectile cap.
- Removed the impact of wind on snowflakes. Their spawning position is now semi-randomized, so that they do not all fall in the exact location.
- Spear and snowflake projectiles now have a much shorter projectile lifetime.
- Desktop 1.2.3:
- Damage reduced from 75 to 73.
- Added a projectile cap.
- Fixed a bug where the North Pole projectile could attain enough gravity velocity to pass through blocks.
- Can no longer fire through walls.
- Desktop 1.2.2: Introduced.
- Console 1.06:
- Damage reduced from 75 to 73.
- Now has a projectile cap.
- Can no longer fire through walls.
- Console 1.05: Introduced.
- Switch 1.0.711.6: Introduced.
- Mobile 1.2.12773: Fixed a bug where it would fire automatically upon entering a world.
- Mobile 1.2.11212: Introduced with mechanics of Desktop 1.2.3.
- 3DS 1.03: Introduced with mechanics of Desktop 1.2.3.
References
- ↑ Detailed drop rates in each wave:
See Frost Moon § Loot for more information.W11: 5.19% 15.56% W12: 5.19% 15.56% W13: 5.19% 15.56% W14: 6.22% 31.11% W15: 6.22% 31.11% W16: 7.78% 31.11% W17: 7.78% 31.11% W18: 7.78% 31.11% W19: 10.37% 31.11% W20: 10.37% 31.11% - ↑ Information taken from the
Desktop 1.4.4.9 source code, method
AI_019_Spears()
inTerraria.Projectile.cs
. - ↑ Information taken from the
Desktop 1.4.4.9 source code, method
AI()
inTerraria.Projectile.cs
. The relevant part is theaiStyle == 57
block. - ↑ Information taken from the
Desktop 1.4.3.6 source code, method
AI_019_Spears()
inTerraria.Projectile.cs
. - ↑ Information taken from the
Desktop 1.4.3.6 source code, method
AI()
inTerraria.Projectile.cs
. The relevant part is theaiStyle == 57
block. - ↑ Information taken from the
Desktop 1.4.4.9 source code, method
AI_019_Spears()
inTerraria.Projectile.cs
. - ↑ Information taken from the
Desktop 1.4.3.6 source code, method
AI()
inTerraria.Projectile.cs
.