Pumpking

PumpkingHardmode exclusive

File:Pumpking head.gif

Map Icon

 Classic

 Expert

 Master

Statistics

Type	Boss
Environment	Pumpkin Moon
AI Type	Pumpking AI
Damage	50/75/112 (contact) 80160240 (Greek Fire)
Max Life	26000 (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)3380043095 / 22000 (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)
Defense	40 (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) / 36 (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)
KB Resist	100%
Immune to

Drops

Coins	5 GC12 GC50 SC

• Item (Quantity)Rate
• Higher item drop chances in later waves
• One of the following (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 8 / (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) 7 items may be dropped
• One of these will always be dropped
  during wave 20
• One of these will always be dropped
  during wave 12 and up
• Candy Corn Rifle

  + Candy Corn (50–100)

  2.5–12.5% (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  1.79–14.29% (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)6.25–12.5%
• Jack 'O Lantern Launcher

  + Explosive Jack 'O Lantern (25–50)
  2.5–12.5% (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  1.79–14.29% (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)6.25–12.5%
• Black Fairy Dust
  2.5–12.5% (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  1.79–14.29% (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)6.25–12.5%
• The Horseman's Blade
  2.5–12.5% (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  1.79–14.29% (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)6.25–12.5%
• Bat Scepter
  2.5–12.5% (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  1.79–14.29% (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)6.25–12.5%
• Raven Staff
  2.5–12.5% (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  1.79–14.29% (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)6.25–12.5%
• Dark Harvest(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  2.5–12.5%6.25–12.5%
• Spider Egg
  2.5–12.5% (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  1.79–14.29% (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)6.25–12.5%
• Pumpking TrophyDuring wave 15 and up
  8.33–50% (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  100% (Old-gen console and 3DS versions)27.27–60%
• Pumpking Relic(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  50–100%
• Pumpkin Scented Candle(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
  12.5–25%

Projectiles created

Projectiles created

Projectiles created

• Greek Fire 1
  
• Greek Fire 2
  
• Greek Fire 3
  

Sounds

Hurt
Killed
Greek Fire

• Internal NPC ID: 327
• Internal Projectile ID: 326, 327, 328

PumpkingPumpking Blade

 Classic

 Expert

 Master

Statistics

Type	Boss
Environment	Pumpkin Moon
AI Type	Pumpking Scythe AI
Damage	65/130/195 (contact) 120240360 (Flaming Scythe)
Max Life	5000/10000/15000
Defense	14
KB Resist	100%
Immune to

Projectile created

Projectile created

Projectile created

• Flaming Scythe
  

Sounds

Hurt
Killed

• Internal NPC ID: 328
• Internal Projectile ID: 329

Not to be confused with Pumpkin.

The Pumpking is a Hardmode, post-Plantera mini-boss that spawns during the Pumpkin Moon event. It is the event's final enemy and can move freely through blocks. Defeating the Pumpking will add 150 / 300 / 375 points to the Pumpkin Moon event, giving the most number of points for any enemy in the event. It is the equivalent to the Ice Queen from the Frost Moon, being the Pumpkin Moon's most powerful enemy, coming in at the last waves of the event, and being the event's only flying boss.

Like the Mourning Wood, the later the Pumpkin Moon wave that Pumpking is killed in, the more likely it is to drop items. A Pumpking defeated during wave 15 has a guaranteed chance to drop at least one item from its standard drop table.

Behavior

The Pumpking's various faces.

The Pumpking has two arms, called Pumpking Blades, which behave much like Skeletron's hands by swiping towards the player to inflict contact damage, but unlike Skeletron's hands, the Pumpking's hands are entirely immune to damage. The Pumpking repeatedly switches between three different attack patterns at random, with its current attack mode indicated by its facial expression. When transitioning to its next mode, its head rotates to reveal a different expression.

• Mode 1: The Pumpking's face resembles a typical jack-o-lantern, with a sinister-looking grin. It attempts to hover directly above the player and performs aggressive melee swipes with its Pumpking Blade arms. About five seconds into this stage, it will rapidly move towards the player at a high speed for the rest of the time it remains in this stage.

• Mode 2: The Pumpking's mouth is partially open, with a grimacing expression. The Pumpking Blades periodically fire large yellow scythe-shaped projectiles called Flaming Scythes. Similar to the Demon Scythe's projectiles, the Flaming Scythes are motionless for a few seconds before gradually beginning to spin and accelerate toward the player with increasing speed, dealing massive amounts of damage per hit.

• Mode 3: The Pumpking's face appears surprised, with its mouth agape in an "O" shape. While following the player from a greater distance, it spits out several yellow Greek Fire projectiles from its mouth, similar to the Mourning Wood, which fall to the ground before lingering on solid tiles for a short while, inflicting immense damage upon contact.

Notes

• If not defeated before dawn (4:30 AM) or all players present in the current world are dead while the event is active, all active Pumpkings will retreat straight down through the ground and despawn. This trait is also shared by the Mourning Wood.
• Stray Flaming Scythes thrown by a Pumpking can travel far outside enemy spawn boundaries, able to kill town NPCs in their houses.
• (Old-gen console and 3DS versions) Up to seven Pumpkings (more in multiplayer) can attack simultaneously during the event's final, 15th wave.

Tips

For more elaborate strategies on defeating Pumpking, including weapon and arena recommendations, see Guide:Pumpkin Moon.

• The Flairon can be very effective against the Pumpking, who tends to float right above players (well within the range of the Flairon and its homing bubbles), causing very high damage per hit.
• The Pumpking's contact damage is relatively lower than the damage inflicted by its projectiles, especially its Flaming Scythes. Using wings and other flight-based accessories like the Soaring Insignia(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) to fly closer towards its head while tanking its contact damage with high defense may help the player avoid taking excessive amounts of damage, especially in cases when they are being attacked by multiple Pumpkings at once.
• The Pumpking can prove to be difficult even with post-Moon Lord(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) weapons, such as Meowmere(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) or Celebration Mk2(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), partly because it can spawn up to 7 times (or even more in multiplayer). High-mobility items, such as the Anti-Gravity Hook(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), Master Ninja Gear/Tabi or Shield of Cthulhu(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), allow easier dodging.

Trivia

The Pumpking-shaped cloud.

• Pumpking is a portmanteau of pumpkin and king.
• The Pumpking's NPC ID image only contains its head, which is the only part of its main body that can take and deal damage. The cloak that is attached to the Pumpking head's sprite is stored separately as a harmless, non-damageable entity by the name of PumpkingCloak.xnb.
• Strangely, The Horseman's Blade drops from the Pumpking and not from the Headless Horseman.
• The Pumpking and the Poltergeist are the only two Pumpkin Moon enemies whose main bodies consistently travel through blocks.
• The Pumpking Blades have health and defense values even though they cannot be damaged.
• On the  Desktop version,  Console version, and  Mobile version, a cloud in the shape of Pumpking can occasionally be seen in the background.

• The Bestiary entry for the Pumpking: "A pumpkin has many faces. A pumpkin will murder all with many sharp blades. A pumpkin is king of the harvest."

History

 Desktop version

• Desktop 1.4.4:
  • Health increased from 22000 to 26000.
  • Defense increased from 36 to 40.
  • Increased the number of enemy slots taken, to be more in line with Frost Moon bosses, dramatically reducing how many can spawn at a time.

• Desktop 1.4.0.1:
  • Now has a chance of dropping the Dark Harvest whip.
  • Now has Master Mode drops: the Pumpking Relic and the Pumpkin Scented Candle light pet.

• Desktop 1.2.1.1: The duration of Pumpking's scythe attack has been reduced.

• Desktop 1.2.1: Introduced.

 Console version

• Console 1.02: Introduced with reduced scythe attack duration.

 Nintendo Switch version

• Switch 1.0.711.6: Introduced.

 Mobile version

• Mobile 1.2.6508: Introduced with reduced scythe attack duration.

Nintendo 3DS version

• 3DS-Release: Introduced.