Entering Hardmode in Terraria can be a big difficulty spike. Enemies become much stronger, your old weapons can start feeling weak, and you suddenly gain access to several new progression systems at once.

Instead of trying to do everything immediately, focus on three priorities:

1. Unlock and mine Hardmode ores
2. Upgrade your weapons
3. Get Wings

Doing these three things early will make the rest of Hardmode much easier.

1. Unlock the Hardmode Ores

Your first major task after defeating the Wall of Flesh is unlocking the new Hardmode ores.

The Wall of Flesh drops the Pwnhammer, which can destroy Altars found inside your world’s evil biome.

These are:

• Demon Altars in Corruption worlds
• Crimson Altars in Crimson worlds

Breaking the first three Altars causes three tiers of Hardmode ores to generate throughout your world.

First Hardmode Ore Tier

The first Altar gives your world either:

• Cobalt
• Palladium

You need a Molten Pickaxe to mine this first tier.

Once you’ve gathered enough ore, craft the matching Pickaxe.

That lets you move on to the next tier.

Second Hardmode Ore Tier

The second Altar gives your world either:

• Mythril
• Orichalcum

Use your Cobalt or Palladium Pickaxe to mine these.

You’ll also need this ore tier to make a new Hardmode Anvil.

Third Hardmode Ore Tier

The third Altar gives your world either:

• Adamantite
• Titanium

You’ll need a Mythril or Orichalcum Pickaxe to mine them.

These are the ores you’ll generally want to use for your first strong Hardmode armor set.

How Much Adamantite or Titanium Do You Need for Armor?

The source gives the following totals for a complete armor set:

• 55 Adamantite Bars
• 59 Titanium Bars

Either armor set gives you a major defensive upgrade over most pre-Hardmode gear.

Easy Way to Find Hardmode Ores

A convenient way to search for the newly generated ores is to travel down toward the Underworld.

The Underworld is a huge open area, so you can move along it and look upward into the ceiling.

Because so much terrain is exposed, ore veins can be easier to spot than when digging through solid Cavern terrain.

The source specifically recommends scanning the Underworld ceiling if you want to find Hardmode ores quickly.

How to Smelt Hardmode Ores

The first two ore tiers can be processed using your existing Hellforge.

However, Adamantite and Titanium require an upgraded Forge.

Adamantite Forge or Titanium Forge

You’ll need:

• Hellforge
• 30 Adamantite Ore or Titanium Ore

Combine them to create the appropriate upgraded Forge.

Once you have it, you can smelt your third-tier Hardmode ore into Bars.

Make a Mythril or Orichalcum Anvil

You’ll also need a new Anvil for Hardmode recipes.

Craft either:

• Mythril Anvil
• Orichalcum Anvil

using the corresponding second-tier Hardmode Bars.

At that point you’ll have the core crafting stations needed for your early Hardmode equipment.

2. Replace Your Pre-Hardmode Weapons

Once Hardmode begins, many weapons that felt strong before the Wall of Flesh can start falling behind.

Enemies have much more health and deal much more damage, so upgrading your weapons should be one of your first goals.

The best choices depend on your class.

Best Early Hardmode Melee Weapons

Amarok

The Amarok is a strong early Hardmode Yoyo.

The source gives it a:

1 in 300 drop chance

from enemies in the Snow biome.

If you like Yoyos, this is a straightforward weapon to farm while exploring the Snow biome.

Beam Sword

Another option is the:

Beam Sword

The source gives it a:

1 in 150 drop chance

from Armored Skeletons.

Because it can attack from range as well as function as a Sword, it can make early Hardmode exploration safer than relying entirely on close-range melee attacks.

Best Early Hardmode Ranger Weapons

Onyx Blaster

The Onyx Blaster is one of the main early Hardmode Ranger recommendations.

Craft it using:

• Shotgun
• 2 Dark Shards
• 10 Souls of Night

The Shotgun can be purchased from the Arms Dealer.

Dark Shards come from Dark Mummies in the Desert.

Souls of Night come from enemies killed in the underground evil biome.

Hardmode Repeaters

You can also make Repeaters from Hardmode ore Bars.

The source notes that these recipes can require up to:

13 Hardmode ore Bars

depending on the Repeater.

These are useful straightforward ranged upgrades if you don’t want to farm a specific weapon drop.

Best Early Hardmode Mage Weapons

Mage has several strong options available immediately.

Crystal Serpent

The Crystal Serpent can be obtained by fishing in the Hallow.

The source gives it a:

1 in 200 chance

of being fished up.

It gives Mage players a powerful option without requiring a difficult enemy farm.

Frost Staff

The Frost Staff is another early Hardmode magic weapon.

The source gives it a:

1 in 50 drop chance

from:

• Icy Mermen
• Ice Elementals

That makes the Snow biome a useful early destination for both Mage and Melee progression.

Golden Shower

Crimson players can craft the:

Golden Shower

The source gives the recipe as:

• Spell Tome
• 15 Souls of Night
• 20 Ichor

The Spell Tome comes from the Wizard.

Ichor can be obtained from enemies in the Crimson.

Craft the weapon at a Bookshelf.

Terraria Early Hardmode Progression Guide: What to Do After Wall of Flesh

Best Early Hardmode Summoner Weapons

Summoners can quickly obtain new Spider weapons by farming Spider Fangs.

Spider Staff

The source gives the recipe as:

16 Spider Fangs

Queen Spider Staff

The source gives the recipe as:

24 Spider Fangs

Spider Fangs come from Hardmode spiders found in Spider Caves.

These weapons give Summoners an immediate damage upgrade without needing to defeat a Hardmode boss first.

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3. Get Wings as Soon as Possible

Mobility becomes extremely important in Hardmode.

Enemies are faster, stronger, and harder to avoid, and upcoming bosses rely heavily on movement.

Wings help with:

• Dodging attacks
• Reaching high areas
• Crossing terrain
• Exploring caves
• Boss fights

They also prevent fall damage.

Get Leaf Wings

One of the easiest early Hardmode Wing options in the source is:

Leaf Wings

Buy them from the Witch Doctor.

The requirements given are:

• Hardmode
• Witch Doctor in the Jungle
• Nighttime

The listed price is:

1 Platinum

Although that’s expensive for a character that has just entered Hardmode, the mobility upgrade can make almost every other progression task easier.

Why Wings Matter So Much

Hardmode combat becomes much more focused on movement.

Being able to fly makes it easier to:

• Avoid enemy contact
• Escape crowded areas
• Fight enemies from safer angles
• Navigate cliffs and caves
• Prepare for Hardmode bosses

If you only have basic movement accessories when Hardmode begins, Wings can feel like one of the biggest immediate upgrades available.

Simple Early Hardmode Progression Order

If you want a very straightforward route, follow this order:

1. Defeat the Wall of Flesh.
2. Collect the Pwnhammer.
3. Smash at least three Demon or Crimson Altars.
4. Mine Cobalt or Palladium.
5. Craft a Cobalt or Palladium Pickaxe.
6. Mine Mythril or Orichalcum.
7. Craft a Mythril or Orichalcum Pickaxe.
8. Craft a Mythril or Orichalcum Anvil.
9. Mine Adamantite or Titanium.
10. Collect at least 30 Ore for an upgraded Forge.
11. Craft Adamantite or Titanium armor.
12. Replace your main pre-Hardmode weapon.
13. Get Leaf Wings.
14. Start preparing for the stronger enemies and bosses ahead.

Best Early Hardmode Priorities by Class

Melee

Look for:

• Amarok
• Beam Sword

Then work toward Adamantite or Titanium armor.

Ranger

Try to obtain:

• Onyx Blaster
• Hardmode Repeater

Mobility from Wings is especially useful for keeping distance from enemies.

Mage

Good early targets include:

• Crystal Serpent
• Frost Staff
• Golden Shower

Summoner

Farm Spider Fangs for:

• Spider Staff
• Queen Spider Staff

Then combine the extra summon damage with improved mobility from Wings.

What You Should Do First in Hardmode

If you only remember three things, make them these:

Get Hardmode Ores

Your new Pickaxes, crafting stations, and armor all depend on them.

Get a New Weapon

Your old pre-Hardmode weapon may still work, but enemies now have enough health that a true Hardmode weapon can make a huge difference.

Get Wings

Wings improve exploration, combat, and boss preparation all at once.

Once you have a strong Hardmode armor set, an upgraded weapon, and reliable flight, the early Hardmode difficulty spike becomes much more manageable and you’re in a much better position to start preparing for the next major progression challenges.